The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 32

Qin Xiao remained resolute about her ‘money-making’ plan and executed it with full commitment. She divided her store in half. One part became a Guide zone, while the other was designated as the Sentinel treatment room.

There was nothing extravagant about the treatment room. It was equipped simply with a treatment pod, a sleeping pod, several machines for determining spiritual power levels, and even a cleaning robot with a waste bin function.

Nearly all of this equipment had been funded by her benefactor, Yan Ningjin. Qin Xiao had passively accepted the arrangement, and she even memorized the price list by heart. Every time she thought of the credits flowing away like water, she felt another pang of pain. But that only strengthened her resolve to make this venture profitable.

It took only a week to complete all the preparations.

Qin Xiao sat in her shop, bored, her head resting against the glass window as she watched pedestrians pass by. Most were ordinary people, some were Sentinels, and less than five percent were Guides. Even by sheer numbers, one could see how rare Guides were.

“Qin Xiao, what are you staring at?”

“I’m wondering why they just keep walking by and never come in.”

Many passersby would pause for a moment outside her store, but after a few seconds, they would move on without any intention of entering. It was truly puzzling.

Yu Jing had originally come to help, only to find that every task had already been completed ahead of time by the robot Amei. She felt entirely useless. “I saw a barbecue shop not far away with a robot shouting at passersby. The moment it spots someone, it goes all out to charm them. It keeps calling out ‘handsome guy’ and ‘pretty lady’ in the sweetest voice. Right next to it, the store selling giant lizard jerky has a robot that strikes cute poses as soon as anyone walks by… Qin Xiao, hmm, should we buy one of those robots that specialize in being cute and luring in customers? We might get some traffic.”

Qin Xiao rested her head on her hand and began calculating how to attract customers without spending any credits. Back when she ran a street stall, her products sold out without needing to shout or advertise. Now she was actually worrying about such things. Worse still, robots varied in quality. The cheaper ones only performed basic tasks like serving tea and following orders. The mid-range ones, like the cleaning robot Xiaomei, were programmed to pick up trash and keep the store spotless. The high-end ones were like the adorable, flirty robots outside those other shops. And Aiwei’er… that was the top-tier of high-end models. Ultimately, it all came down to a simple truth. She had no money. With deep emotion, Qin Xiao said, “Xiao Yu, we can’t just follow the crowd. We need something unique. Robot sales tactics are too common. We need a personal touch.”

Yu Jing: …

She suddenly had a bad feeling.

Qin Xiao winked at her. “Xiao Yu, you’re just standing around anyway. Why not help by drawing in customers at the entrance?”

Yu Jing: …

When Mi Lin arrived with Mi Ya, they saw a woman crouched outside Cloud Pavilion. As they got closer, they realized it was a stranger. She had long hair that reached her waist, with strands of blue and some glittering gold mixed in.

Mi Ya politely asked, “Big sister, is this the store opened by the General’s wife?”

Yu Jing, who had been sulking moments earlier, brightened the moment she saw the two of them. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. She stood up so quickly that she almost tripped, only to be steadied by Mi Lin. She nodded rapidly. “Yes, yes, yes. Are you here to see Qin Xiao?”

Mi Lin glanced at his younger brother, only for Mi Ya to solemnly correct her. “She is the Major General’s wife. Or simply, ‘Madam.'”

Yu Jing gave them a complex look, then invited them into the shop. After a quick search and not finding Qin Xiao, she said, “Please wait a moment. Madam Qin might be resting in the Guide lounge. I’ll go let her know.”

The Guide lounge was the complete opposite of the cold and mechanical Sentinel treatment room. If the treatment room was a space of metal and steel, then the lounge was a warm sanctuary. To ensure Sentinels could not wander in, Qin Xiao had initially partitioned the hundred-square-meter space with a highly secure, impenetrable wall. The lounge took up more than sixty square meters. The floor was lined with luxurious carpets, soft enough to walk on barefoot. There was even a small playground inside, filled to the brim with toys.

Because there were no customers, Qin Xiao had spent nearly half a day lounging there. She leaned against a wall with her arms crossed. The walls were padded with a special fabric that adjusted its temperature depending on the season, keeping the room pleasantly cool even during hot days.

Above the playground hung three rings, each spaced less than a meter apart but set at varying heights. The round ball stood on a square stool, swaying from side to side as it tried to maintain a proper sitting posture.

“Too slow. Speed up.”

“Eep eep eep.”

The round ball protested but continued hopping in place.

When Yu Jing knocked on the door, the round ball had been bouncing for a while. It was about to make a determined leap through the first suspended ring. The first one was easy; the further rings were much harder, seemingly impossible to reach. Mid-jump, it slipped.

“Eep eep eep eep—”

In human language, that likely meant, “Help, help—”

Qin Xiao moved her foot slightly. A series of green wooden posts rose beneath each ring. The round ball landed with a splat on one, then rolled off and hit the floor with a thud. Fortunately, the carpet was thick and soft.

Yu Jing, oblivious to all of this, simply pointed toward the entrance. “There’s a man and a child looking for you.”

Qin Xiao scooped up the little limp ball and stuffed it into her pocket, giving it a pat before heading out with Yu Jing.

“Madam.”

“You two are my store’s first customers. I’ll offer you a complimentary session,” Qin Xiao joked as she ruffled Mi Ya’s hair. “This place is pretty fun. Do you want to come play often?”

Mi Ya nodded enthusiastically but still glanced at her older brother for approval.

Mi Lin actually felt quite grateful to Qin Xiao. Before the incident where Mi Ya was almost harmed, he had already started preparing for the worst. But this woman had not only saved his brother, she had even congratulated him, saying he might soon advance from a B-rank Sentinel to an A-rank. That would greatly improve his prospects.

“Of course, as long as you don’t mind, Madam.”

“Then it’s settled. After school every day, I’ll come help you entertain the guests.”

Hearing this, Yu Jing felt even more deflated. Not only was the cleaning robot Xiaomei outperforming her, now even a kid was here to take her job. What value did she have left? At this point, a talking fish had less worth than a trash bin robot and a little brat.

Qin Xiao sent Yu Jing and Mi Ya off to the Guide lounge, then took Mi Lin aside for a private consultation.

Although Qin Xiao had convinced him, Mi Lin was still anxious. The issue lay with his Quantum beast Xiang Tian. Lately, Xiang Tian had been sluggish and lacked energy. A few days ago, it even crashed headfirst from the sky while patrolling outside the simulation room.

“Madam, how long will this weakness last for Xiang Tian?”

This question stumped Qin Xiao.

Some people pass through lightning tribulations quickly, within just a few hours. Others use magical tools or even disrupt the heavens to avoid them, because these tribulations can be ferocious enough to reduce someone to dust. If some are fast, then naturally, some are slow.

Qin Xiao was the type who breezed through lightning tribulations. She simply blocked them with a few divine artifacts, and it was over. But she had no idea how quickly Mi Lin progressed. She glanced at Xiang Tian, who was currently napping on Mi Lin’s shoulder. His eyes were shut tight and his head kept nodding. The ring of feathers on his head had all fallen out, leaving him truly bald. The feathers around his neck were sparse, too. He looked even more miserable than when she saw him a week ago.

Qin Xiao looked away and said slowly, “Leveling up takes time and patience. You must understand that upgrading your consciousness cloud is extremely difficult. Have you ever seen anyone go from Grade A to S around you?”

Mi Lin shook his head in a daze. He hadn’t just never seen it. He had never even heard of it before. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have needed to prepare his last will.

Qin Xiao gave him a look of approval. “Exactly. This kind of thing can’t be rushed. Other than Xiang Tian feeling unwell, have you noticed anything unusual lately?”

Mi Lin replied, “I seem to have endless energy. My friends say I’ve been overly enthusiastic. They’re having a hard time keeping up with me.”

A rather indecent image popped into Qin Xiao’s mind, but she quickly shook it off. “Having a hard time keeping up? What have you been doing exactly?”

Mi Lin gestured. “Sparring. Mech battles.”

Qin Xiao understood. She glanced at Xiang Tian again, who nearly slipped off Mi Lin’s shoulder. She reached out and gently touched his bald head. The little guy instinctively rubbed his head against her palm.

“Why not let Xiang Tian come down and play with Hunqiu for a bit?”

Mi Lin hesitated. “Would the General allow it?”

Qin Xiao shot him a sharp look. He got the hint right away and carefully set Xiang Tian on the ground.

Xiang Tian reluctantly opened his eyes and gave a little shake, sending what little remaining feathers he had flying in all directions. One even drifted toward the little round ball.

The ball had been sitting completely still. But when the feather landed near it, it rolled to the side just in time to avoid it.

Qin Xiao raised her brow and connected with the round ball through her consciousness. “Want an energy crystal?”

The round ball replied, “Squeak squeak.”

Qin Xiao smiled wickedly. “Then entertain our guest.”

The ball dropped flat to the ground, then rolled away, spinning far across the room. After a long pause, it rolled slowly back and bumped into the bald eagle who was now rolling on the floor.

Xiang Tian jumped in fright. He flapped his wings and fluttered awkwardly in the air before landing back on Mi Lin’s shoulder. Then he nervously stepped on Mi Lin’s shoulder with his claws.

Qin Xiao frowned. She was clearly displeased. This bald eagle actually dared to look down on her Hunqiu.

Mi Lin seemed to sense her irritation and awkwardly explained, “Xiang Tian can feel the presence of your Quantum beast, so… he’s scared.”

Qin Xiao huffed and manually picked up the bald eagle. Xiang Tian didn’t dare move a feather. She patiently comforted him, using the same tactic she used on Mi Lin to hint at the Quantum beast.

“Be good. Hunqiu is here to play with you.”

After being soothed for a while, Xiang Tian finally accepted the little ball as a playmate. Like a mother hen chasing her chicks, he started running after the round ball. The ball, which had been rolling slowly, gradually picked up speed. Soon, the two small creatures looked like streaks of lightning zipping across the room.

Mi Lin stared in stunned silence. Worried, he asked, “Madam, will this be okay?”

Qin Xiao noticed her little Hunqiu’s endurance had improved again, and she was very pleased. “There’s a Guide Room next door. Technically, you’re not allowed in, but since you’re my very first guest, Hunqiu can take Xiang Tian to play inside for a bit.”

Mi Lin watched in growing disbelief as a blue streak zipped around the room. A black blur followed closely behind, though always a step slower. That black blur was his Xiang Tian. And unbelievably, the Madam’s Quantum beast was even faster than Xiang Tian. Considering Xiang Tian was one of the fastest Quantum beasts in the sky, this was… unimaginable.

Qin Xiao invited Mi Lin into the Guide Lounge. Inside, the dazzling array of toys overwhelmed him. He didn’t think they were suitable for Xiang Tian at all. After all, Xiang Tian was a proud eagle that soared the skies. How could he play with toys meant for Guides?

But his arrogance was quickly shattered by a round ball.

Hunqiu led Xiang Tian through a jumping hoop game. The ball had played this all afternoon and had become a master. After several face-plants, it had learned how to time its jumps. It bounced in place, getting higher and higher, and once it reached the height of the first hoop, it shot through effortlessly. The upper hoops didn’t even move. A wooden post cushioned its landing. The ball managed to stay upright and even let out a few squeaks at Xiang Tian, sounding downright provocative.

Xiang Tian was an aerial ace. Passing through hoops should have been no challenge. Mi Lin had also been certain of this.

The two of them began an aerial hoop game. After a few rounds, the hoops began to move and their speed increased. The ball had already advanced to level three after an afternoon of playing. It handled the speed with ease and showcased its obstacle-clearing skills.

When it was Xiang Tian’s turn, he stared blankly at the moving semi-hoops. Mi Lin held his breath as Xiang Tian narrowly dodged the second hoop. It was incredibly close. But the third hoop moved even faster.

Crash!

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Three crashes in a row. Xiang Tian slammed into three wooden posts, slowing his fall, but still landing hard.

He hit the floor chest-first, dazed and dizzy.

“Xiang Tian!”

“Relax. He won’t get hurt,” Qin Xiao said with a straight face, but it would definitely hurt. If a Quantum beast’s simulated injuries felt real, then this pain was likely just as real.

Hunqiu spun in place on the post. “Squeak squeak squeak squeak.”

Qin Xiao’s face twitched. This little rascal was actually gloating.

Mi Ya looked at Qin Xiao with admiration. Although he couldn’t see, he had heard the entire exchange and could tell from the sounds which one was Hunqiu and which was Xiang Tian. “Madam, your little chick is amazing. It’s even better than Xiang Tian.”

Hunqiu let out a string of squeaks in protest. Clearly, it was offended by being called a chick.

Qin Xiao was secretly proud. Even if her Quantum beast looked like a squishy dough ball, it had to be formidable.

Xiang Tian wasn’t injured. He lay on the ground for a while to recover. When Mi Lin called him, he reluctantly turned his gaze toward the little round ball. Unwillingly, he flew back to Mi Lin’s side. But after the crash, even the little feathers he had left were gone. He was practically naked now.

Ashamed, he buried his head into Mi Lin’s clothes, unwilling to show his face.

Mi Lin’s entire worldview had been shaken. He glanced around the Guide Lounge again, no longer dismissive of the toys. In fact, he now regarded them with caution. As he left, his worldview continued to crumble.

His Xiang Tian had actually lost to the Madam’s Quantum beast…

His Xiang Tian had actually lost to a Guide’s Quantum beast…

In Mi Lin’s mind, this had never happened before. Devastated, he covered his face. Xiang Tian hid his head under his wings, wallowing in shame.

Qin Xiao knew her little ball had played hard all day. She gently tucked it back into her pocket. After sending Yu Jing off, she tidied up a bit, locked the shop, and got ready to take the maglev train home.

After walking down a street and nearly reaching the maglev station, she suddenly sensed a faint set of footsteps behind her. They were far too quiet for an ordinary person. It had to be a Sentinel.

She turned around with suspicion but saw no one. As she continued forward, that feeling of being watched returned.

“Hunqiu, someone’s following us.”

“Squeak.”