"Er..." Li Qian was taken aback. He clearly hadn’t expected Li Sukuai to be so playful.
Yes, Li Sukuai was indeed joking, because he burst out laughing a moment later.
He laughed and teased, "Haha, I’m just kidding, young man. Don’t be so serious. And you can’t just let me keep calling you ’young man.’"
Hearing this, Li Qian couldn’t help but laugh as well.
He knew it was time for a proper introduction. "Elder Li," he said, "my name is Li Qian. I’m from Jiangnan Province."
"From Jiangnan Province, but you didn’t choose Jiangnan Beast Taming University or Zhonghai Beast Taming University, opting for Shazhou Beast Taming University instead... Don’t tell me you fell for Old Pu’s honey trap too, kid."
"Ahem..." Li Qian coughed softly, an awkward expression on his face.
Li Sukuai’s words reminded him of Xue Huaiyu, the mature, beautiful admissions officer from Shazhou Beast Taming University.
’Does that count as a honey trap? Maybe it does!’
However, Li Qian’s choice hadn’t been influenced by that.
The reason he’d chosen to attend Shazhou Beast Taming University was that they had shown the most sincerity—by giving him far too much to refuse.
"You’re joking, Elder Li."
Li Qian offered a simple explanation. "I chose Shazhou Beast Taming University because... their terms were the most generous."
"When I wasn’t familiar with anything, I naturally assumed that whoever offered the most was the most sincere."
Li Sukuai hadn’t expected Li Qian to be so direct. He was a little stunned, but once he processed it, he broke into a hearty laugh. "Li the Kid, you’re refreshingly honest. I like that."
"Bragging about history, talking up honors... in the face of real, tangible benefits, it’s all just bullshit."
"I really like your pragmatic attitude. So now, in that same pragmatic spirit, I’d like to discuss a potential partnership with you."
Li Qian had his suspicions, but he didn’t voice them. Instead, he feigned ignorance and asked, "What kind of partnership?"
"For our Transmission Center, Space-type Pet Beasts are extremely rare, and they’re also the most compatible with our work."
Li Sukuai didn’t beat around the bush. He got straight to the point. "Therefore, I hope you can breed a batch of Extreme Fierce Sky Escape Eagles for our Transmission Center."
The partnership proposed by the mustached man was exactly what Li Qian had expected.
Li Qian knew that Li Sukuai was incredibly powerful, but no matter how strong he was, he couldn’t possibly be indifferent to a dual-attribute Space and Wind Pet Beast with an Emperor Level Racial Potential.
Li Sukuai’s proposal was within Li Qian’s expectations, but it still gave him pause.
After a moment, he said, "We can partner up, but some things need to be made clear up front."
Before Li Sukuai could speak again, he continued, "Since you already know I’m just a recent high school graduate, you must also be aware that I won’t be in Zhonghai City for much longer."
"By my estimation, based on the time I have left, I can breed one more batch of Extreme Fierce Sky Escape Eagles at most."
Li Qian calmly and deliberately laid out the facts. "The evolution method for the Extreme Fierce Sky Escape Eagle is quite unique. Success depends entirely on whether the base creature possesses the Space Talent. If it lacks that talent, no amount of investment will matter—it’ll be a complete waste of effort."
"So, even if I have time for one more round of breeding, I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to evolve any Extreme Fierce Sky Escape Eagles, let alone how many."
Since they were already discussing a partnership, Li Qian decided to lay everything out on the table. "Furthermore, even if they fail to evolve into Extreme Fierce Sky Escape Eagles, there are still unavoidable costs."
What Li Qian was referring to, of course, was the evolutionary process from Gray Bean Dove to Extreme Fierce Storm Eagle. That stage couldn’t be skipped.
"On top of that, there’s one more indispensable requirement to evolve an Extreme Fierce Sky Escape Eagle..."
Before Li Qian could finish, Li Sukuai guessed what he was about to say and cut in, "Don’t worry. I’ll have a suitable Teleportation Array prepared for you, and I guarantee you won’t be disturbed."
Having gotten a glimpse of Xiaohui’s evolution, he knew exactly what Li Qian meant by the "indispensable requirement."
In fact, this was one of the main reasons Li Qian was inclined to partner with Li Sukuai in the first place.
With Li Sukuai’s support, the issue of the Teleportation Array could be easily resolved.
Otherwise, if he kept piggybacking off the public Teleportation Array, he would inevitably run into trouble, even if he wasn’t caught right away.
Just as the two were talking, with a couple of sharp "CHIRP! CHIRP!" calls, Xiaohui—who had been frolicking about—descended from the sky and landed on the ground near Li Qian.
In truth, it had spotted Li Sukuai’s sudden appearance long ago. It had been wary at first, but seeing him conversing so pleasantly with Li Qian, it had held back from taking immediate action.
Of course, there was another reason it hadn’t acted: the human Beast Master before it gave off an incredibly dangerous feeling.
"Impressive, very impressive. That’s a fine Pet Beast indeed."
Li Sukuai’s voice was filled with admiration as he looked at the Extreme Fierce Sky Escape Eagle, Xiaohui.
Finally, he shifted his gaze back to Li Qian. "Of course, you’re the even more impressive one, kid. I have high hopes for your future."
"Rest assured, our Transmission Center will absolutely give you a satisfactory price for any Extreme Fierce Sky Escape Eagles you breed."
Li Qian didn’t doubt that in the slightest.
A single teleportation trip—and a short-distance one at that, from Zhonghai City to Qianshan City—cost over three million. That alone showed that even if the Transmission Center wasn’t literally printing money, it was pretty damn close.
They certainly weren’t short on cash, but Li Qian had other concerns. "I trust you’ll offer a satisfactory price, Elder Li."
"But more than that, I care that the Extreme Fierce Sky Escape Eagles that come from me will be well-raised in the future."
The implication behind Li Qian’s words was crystal clear.
He was agreeing to Li Sukuai’s partnership request.
In truth, there was no reason to refuse. Not only was he in a position of lesser power where he couldn’t really say no, but simply building a connection with the Transmission Center was an incredibly valuable opportunity in itself.
"Hahaha..." Li Sukuai burst into a hearty laugh. "You can be one hundred percent certain on that front. Our Transmission Center might not be short on cash, but we’re not so extravagant that we’d waste the talent of an Emperor-level Pet Beast."
"Rest assured, as soon as the word gets out, I’m sure the young men and women at the Transmission Center will be fighting over them."
Li Qian nodded, a satisfied expression on his face.
For any Breeder, beyond the wealth and fame their Pet Beasts might bring, their greatest hope is to see them properly cared for and diligently trained.
And Li Qian, of course, was no exception.