Chen Fei looked at the shiny object in front of him, somewhat dazed.
Not far away, Executive Manager Hanna Gagar couldn't help but widen her eyes; she felt her blood pressure rising, and her breathing became rapid.
She had never expected that this newcomer, who had only joined the company a little over a month ago, would be able to get along so well with the Metallic Dragons in just two to three days, even calling each other friends.
The female Metallic Dragon, as if under the influence of some mesmerizing potion, had given away such a precious thing.
"This is a Third Rank Light-element Magical Beast Crystal Core, prepared for your Little Bird. Clodia said you have spiritual power, so establish a contract with it as soon as possible. This crystal core can help the Pure Light Sparrow advance its bloodline.
On Cangqiong Star, as long as it's a Magical Beast, no matter how weak, if you trace back their bloodline, their ancestors were almost all quite formidable. If your luck is good enough, even a First Rank Pure Light Sparrow could become a great pet."
Yilan, being a Metallic Dragon, did not possess spiritual power and could not use storage magical devices that required spiritual power to operate. But it could reserve some cavities within its own body to store objects that were not too large.
The larger the Metallic Dragon's body, the more it could store.
"This is too valuable, I can't accept it."
Chen Fei immediately waved his hand. He had once used a First Order magic potion, not only did it save his life, but he also recovered completely.
But even the large bonus given by the company could not entirely offset the potion's internal staff cost price, and his original debt had increased by a considerable amount.
He was very aware that anything related to the "Order" level of magic had never been cheap.
Magical Beast Crystal Cores and the special mineral Demon Crystals were both specialties of Cangqiong Star. The former was the condensed core of a Magical Beast's Magic Elements, while the latter was the natural product of Magic Elements condensing. The higher the level of either, the purer their substance, representing a high degree of crystallized element enrichment.
Just like Mithril on Blue Star, Cangqiong Star's Magical Beast Crystal Cores and mineral Demon Crystals were also very scarce resources. What one had was hardly enough for oneself, so the amount that could be offered for trade was never considerable.
A Human Order Magical Beast Crystal Core was already rare, not to mention those of Earth Order.
Chen Fei could imagine how hot the Third Rank Earth Order Light-element Magical Beast Crystal Core that Yilan handed to him felt in his hands.
As if attracted by the energy of the Light Elemental within the Light-element Magical Beast Crystal Core, the Pure Light Sparrow "Xiao Jiu" on Chen Fei's shoulder wanted to fly towards it but seemed too afraid to do so, circling indecisively.
"What I give you, you take with confidence. Whoever dares to steal it will make an enemy of the Dragon Clan."
The tail of the female Metallic Dragon directly pushed the Third Rank Light-element Magical Beast Crystal Core against Chen Fei's chest, causing him to stagger backward.
He had to accept it whether he wanted to or not.
Yilan's words were firm, and she had even resolved any potential troubles that might arise after the crystal core had come into Chen Fei's possession.
Those with ulterior motives wouldn't even have the guts to make an enemy of the Dragon Clan, not to mention catch the attention of a Metallic Dragon, which would likely leave no one able to sleep soundly at night.
"Then... I have no choice but to take it. I'm truly sorry, but I don't have anything suitable to offer in return."
Chen Fei could only accept the precious Magical Beast Crystal Core. He himself was very poor, unable to procure any proper gifts.
Once the Light-element Magical Beast Crystal Core was in Chen Fei's hands, the Pure Light Sparrow Xiao Jiu immediately dove over without any hesitation, its petite beak gently pecking the surface of the crystal core. Each peck sparked off tiny glimmers of light, which, instead of fading away, seemed to be drawn in by some attractive force, disappearing entirely into Xiao Jiu's body.
The executive manager who had been eavesdropping on the conversation between Chen Fei and Yilan raised an eyebrow, as if about to say something.
But then, Chef Abel from the base canteen came over, gripping Chen Fei's shoulder with courage and said, "There is a gift, and it's definitely a surprise."
"Hey! Mr. Abel, you..."
Chen Fei was startled; Yilan was not as easy to talk to with others as she was with him.
"Just a moment, I'll be right back."
Chef Abel turned and ran off without hesitation, thumping quickly into the distance.
It was hard to imagine that a middle-aged, portly, greasy uncle could run so fast, perhaps leaving behind the shadow of a clumsy escape.
"Actually, it's okay if you don't have one, I won't mind!"
If you ignored appearances, Yilan's voice sounded quite cute.
But she didn't seem angry, which made Chen Fei breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly apologized on behalf of the chef's impulsive behavior, fearing Yilan would bear a grudge since Metallic Dragons were notoriously petty.
"Never mind about Mr. Abel, he's not a bad person!"
"No problem, for the sake of friendship, I'll give this face."
Maybe it was because she finally got to eat her fill and even take away leftovers, the female Metallic Dragon was incredibly good-tempered for once.
Otherwise, at another time, she might have been like: I'm starving, don't mess with me!
Or she might have simply swatted someone with her paw, which would have already been considered polite.
Chef Abel left quickly, and he returned just as fast.
It didn't take long before he came running back, giddy with excitement—the gall of this one was certainly extraordinary!
It seemed his earlier action wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment thing.
"Little Chen, give this to her!"Chef Abel returned, panting from the run, and thrust something he had carried all the way into Chen Fei's hands.
It was a large frying pan with a single handle, roughly 34 centimeters in diameter, with its inner surface black and shiny as if coated with a layer of black piano paint, glistening in the sunlight.
If I'm not mistaken, it must be the chef's family heirloom, a divine artifact used especially for cooking up small dishes, the kind that could be handed down through ten generations—when a man dies, the pan remains.
Chen Fei and Yilan recognized it at the same time, though they each had a different name for it; they were both referring to the same item.
"Mr. Abel, this is your…"
Chen Fei hadn't even said the words "family heirloom" when Chef Abel nonchalantly waved his hand.
"Just a pan. I can buy another one later. 4,000 Star Yuan, I'll put it on your tab, no rush to pay it back."
Credit where credit is due, Chef Abel's quick help in a tight situation had truly saved Chen Fei from an urgent problem.
A pure titanium pan could buy twenty brand-name iron pans from a big factory, or even four hundred cheaper, tin ones—it could be worth even more.
Pans, as objects, don't make much difference as long as they don't contain toxic substances like heavy metals. Whether they are good or not is all about the skill of the person using them; all that nonsense about non-stick coatings is just baloney and can't compare to the usefulness of a chunk of fatty pork.
"This is my return gift."
Chen Fei thought about it, and it made sense. On Cangqiong Star, what was known as mithril was titanium, and there was no shortage of it on Blue Star, even used for high-end civilian products, albeit at a steep price. But it was certainly easier to obtain than on Cangqiong Star—anyone using mithril for a frying pan would have to be out of their mind.
For Metallic Dragons, as a reciprocation for a third-rank Magical Beast Crystal Core, it was quite appropriate.
Chen Fei's hand suddenly felt empty as the 34-centimeter titanium pan instantly appeared on Yilan's tail—this female Metallic Dragon exclaimed in surprise and delight, "Chen Fei, thank you for your gift, I really like it."
In the eyes of Metallic Dragons, a third-rank Magical Beast Crystal Core probably wasn't as valuable as this mithril pan.
"I'm glad you like it."
Chen Fei gave a sigh of relief and looked gratefully at Chef Abel—who had been a huge help.
Chef Abel gave Chen Fei a thumbs-up, pleased to have been able to help.
Birds of a feather, flock together.
"Yilan, we're leaving!"
The voice of Illusion Dragon Clodia, urging her to hurry, reached them.
The four Sky Knights of the Slan Dynasty had already gathered around the Illusion Dragon.
The 34-centimeter titanium pan wound around the tip of Yilan's tail looked like a giant lollipop.
Even Chen Fei couldn't help but feel a bit of appetite.
Seeing the "lollipop" on Yilan's tail, Clodia asked curiously, "What are you carrying?"
The female Metallic Dragon showed off, passing it to the Psychic Illusion Dragon for a closer look.
"Such a waste of treasures!"
The Psychic Illusion Dragon, Clodia, looked unimpressed.
But the four Human Race Sky Knights' eyes lit up at the sight; this local specialty was indeed appealing.
Mithril was a valuable commodity, coveted by anyone.