303: Take it, you might need it.

Lin Yu's hand holding the Data Pad tightened unconsciously.

The sturdy metal casing emitted a faint groan that was almost impossible to catch.

Everyone's hearts were pulled along with it.

"Not bad."

Lin Yu spoke; two plain words, yet they instantly reinjected air into the vacuum-like environment.

Old Ghost let out a huge gasp, his whole body swaying as he nearly collapsed to the ground.

Feng Rui and Li Mo also felt as if they had come back to life, their backs already soaked in cold sweat.

Not bad?

Just those two words?

All that posture earlier, looking like he was about to crush the Data Pad, only resulted in a "not bad"?

"These development directions can all be kept."

Lin Yu's fingertips lightly swiped across the screen, closing those projects one by one.

"The ideas are very good; they will be of great use in the future."

He gave his affirmation.

This was an affirmation of Old Ghost's terrifying ability to deduce things out of thin air.

Old Ghost's heart, which had fallen into the abyss, was yanked back and tossed high up once more.

He trembled with excitement, his lips quivering, but he couldn't say a single word.

"But at this stage..."

Lin Yu changed the subject and handed the Data Pad back to Old Ghost.

"...the two goals I mentioned before are still the top priority."

"Break through the bottleneck and improve efficiency."

A bucket of cold water extinguished the slight pride that had just risen in Old Ghost's heart.

But following that was an even more blazing flame.

The boss wasn't misled by these "little gadgets"; his goal had been incomparably clear from start to finish.

This was a person who truly achieved great things.

His own small achievements were not even worth mentioning in the face of his boss's grand blueprint.

"Yes! Boss!"

Old Ghost snapped to attention, his somewhat hunched back straightening up instantly.

"Mission guaranteed to be completed!"

There was no longer any of the previous madness in his answer, only a steel-like will and determination.

"Give me one of each Prototype Potion," Lin Yu instructed.

"Yes!"

Old Ghost immediately turned around to prepare them personally.

Lin Yu also turned around, preparing to leave this place.

His time was precious; with these new potions, secluded cultivation was imminent.

Feng Rui and Li Mo immediately followed, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Wang Qingxuan also followed quietly behind, still holding the tablet that recorded everything.

After walking a few steps, Lin Yu's footsteps suddenly paused.

He tilted his head and looked at Wang Qingxuan, who was following by his side.

The young girl still had that cold and aloof look, just standing quietly, waiting for his instructions.

After going back this time, he would probably stay in secluded cultivation until the College Entrance Examination officially began.

He wouldn't come out in between.

Wang Qingxuan... a hint of complexity flashed through Lin Yu's mind.

Uncle Wang Han was a good person and had hosted him so warmly before; he had always remembered this kindness.

Bringing the Tianqing Group along for these matters was just the most basic form of repayment.

Toward this sister in name, he felt he should do a little more.

Her talent wasn't top-tier; this College Entrance Examination would surely be a hard battle for her and her team.

The thought only flashed for a moment.

Lin Yu had already made a decision.

He pulled a ring out of his pocket.

It was a black ring with an extremely ancient and even somewhat crude design; there were no patterns or energy fluctuations on it, looking just like a black stone.

"Wang Qingxuan."

He called her name.

The entire group stopped instantly.

Feng Rui and Li Mo's hearts skipped a beat again.

Everyone's attention was focused on Lin Yu and Wang Qingxuan.

"This is?"

Wang Qingxuan looked at the ring Lin Yu handed over, somewhat confused.

"Take this."

Lin Yu pressed the ring into her hand.

"It might be useful during the exam."

His explanation was simple to the extreme.

Wang Qingxuan looked down at the ring in her palm, feeling its cold touch.

She didn't know what it was.

She didn't ask either.

If he gave it, she would take it.

"Okay."

A crisp single-syllable response was accompanied by a shallow smile.

The girl's smile brought a hint of warmth to this cold corridor filled with the smell of metal and potions.

However, this scene falling into the eyes of others stirred up a completely different storm.

Feng Rui's brain stalled.

A gift?

The boss actually... gave Wang Qingxuan a gift?

In front of everyone?

Li Mo was even more shaken; looking at the ring in Wang Qingxuan's hand, a terrifying thought formed in his mind.

A signal!

This was a signal!

There were so many people present—rising stars like Feng Rui, old subordinates like himself, and even a monster like Old Ghost who had just performed an unparalleled feat.

The boss hadn't given anything to anyone.

Yet he gave something to Wang Qingxuan alone.

And it was in this kind of setting.

What did this mean?

It meant that Wang Qingxuan's status was transcendent.

She wasn't a subordinate, nor was she a tool to be used at will.

She was... one of his own.

She was part of the inner circle that could truly enter the boss's private domain!

Li Mo wanted to slap himself once again.

Not far away, those young researchers also saw this scene.

Their shock was no less than that of Li Mo and Feng Rui.

Just now, they were trembling because of Old Ghost's miracle-like technology.

Now, their brains were occupied by another, even more explosive piece of information.

That incredibly beautiful, cold, and aloof girl who had been following the boss—whom they thought was a secretary or assistant... her status was actually so high?

A ring.

The phrase "useful for the College Entrance Examination."

To these geniuses, this was simply the most blatant display of favoritism and declaration.

For a moment, countless gazes mixed with envy, jealousy, and awe fell upon Wang Qingxuan.

As for Wang Qingxuan herself, she seemed oblivious to everything around her.

She just carefully put the black ring onto her finger.

The size was just right.

Lin Yu didn't say another word.

He had finished delegating tasks and handling personal favors.

He turned around and continued walking out.

His back was as calm as when he arrived.

It was as if the massive wave stirred up by his small gesture behind him had nothing to do with him.

In the corridor, only the stiff figures of Feng Rui and Li Mo remained, along with a group of researchers with overloaded brains.

And that young girl looking down at her finger with an extremely faint smile on her lips.

Lin Yu set off without staying any longer.

The entire team followed silently; Feng Rui and Li Mo lagged half a step behind, carefully controlling their breathing for fear of making any extra noise.

Wang Qingxuan walked by Lin Yu's side; the black ring didn't reflect any light under the pale lamps, looking excessively plain.

The path from the Research Institute to the building's exit wasn't long.

But for Feng Rui and Li Mo, every step felt like treading on knife points.

Their brains were still frantically replaying the scene from just now, trying to decipher more information.

That ring, that signal of being "one of his own," had completely overturned their perception of Wang Qingxuan's status.

They had originally thought she was just an ordinary little secretary, but now it seemed they needed to pay even more attention.