Gu Jin stared at him and asked,
"Was I supposed to? Why didn’t the camp have enough security to ensure no one played such a dirty trick?"
Instructor Liu’s face turned black, and he shouted at her,
"Easy for you to say, Miss Gu. The reality is that when you enter the international competition, you will realise that others play even more dirty and at that time the organizer won’t take responsibility for any misery you might suffer."
Gu Jin raised an eyebrow,
"I still don’t get your logic, sir. If you all can take out time to train us to protect ourselves from these dirty tricks, then why don’t the organizers train people themselves to protect us?"
Instructor Liu’s face twitched. He looked like he was about to yell again, but then stopped. He let out a long sigh.
"...Because that’s not how the world works," he said finally.
"No one’s going to protect you in the real world. People only care about results. They don’t care how you get hurt along the way."
"You do realise that each person present here and the person we will meet on the international stage are the future of the alchemy world.
If you and others don’t protect them, then what the world would lose will not be as simple as people, but a genius who might be able to make new breakthroughs."
The students went quiet. Even Han Xiaoyu stopped talking.
Gu Jin didn’t say anything, but her eyes were sharp.
Instructor Liu turned away. He knew he couldn’t answer Gu Jin, so he changed the subject.
"You’re right about one thing, though. The camp’s security failed. I’ll report this to the higher-ups."
Then he looked at all the sick students.
"For now, if you’re poisoned or not feeling well, go see the medical team. The rest of you, training starts in thirty minutes."
He walked away, his coat blowing behind him.
The students slowly started moving. Some helped their friends walk to the infirmary. Others just stood there, looking lost.
Qiao Feng walked over to Gu Jin.
"You were pretty bold just now," he said. "Talking back to the instructor like that."
Gu Jin crossed her arms. "I wasn’t talking back. I was asking a question."
Qiao Feng grinned. "Still, it was kinda cool."
Yun Qing came over, too. "Do you really think the attacker will try again?"
Gu Jin looked toward the trees, her expression calm.
"Yes. If they failed once, they’ll probably try again. After all, the fewer people are here...the more chances they have to snatch positions."
From behind a building, a person in black robes was watching them.
The figure’s eyes narrowed as they stared at Gu Jin.
"Just why the hell did this b*tch was able to escape? No...I need to inform the higher-ups...they need to find a method to deal with Gu Jin."
Han Xiaoyu walked over to Gu Jin with a bounce in her step, even though her face was still pale.
"Gu Jin~" she said in a sing-song voice, holding her hands together like she was begging.
"Can you help me too? My stomach really hurts, and I feel super dizzy... Pretty please?"
Gu Jin looked at her, then glanced at the other Team 1 members who were also pale and sick, leaning against each other or sitting on the ground.
She stayed silent for a moment, thinking.
Then she nodded. "Alright. Sit down."
"Yay!" Han Xiaoyu smiled brightly and quickly sat down.
Gu Jin took out her silver needles again and started placing them carefully on Han Xiaoyu’s hands, neck, and forehead.
"Ouch! Oh—wait, that’s not too bad," Han Xiaoyu said with a giggle.
One by one, the others lined up. Gu Jin treated each of them with steady hands. Some flinched, others just sighed in relief when the pain started to go away.
After a few minutes, most of Team 1 was feeling much better.
"You’re amazing, Gu Jin!" Han Xiaoyu beamed. "I already feel like I can run a whole lap!"
She looked at Gu Jin with shining eyes.
"But you know... it’s kinda strange. You were the only one not affected, and you knew how to cure everyone. That’s a little suspicious, don’t you think?"
The other students who were nearby paused.
Meng Hao, who always said what was on his mind, suddenly pointed at Gu Jin.
"Wait a second! Now that she says it—Gu Jin, were you the one who poisoned us?!"
Gu Jin blinked and raised her eyebrows.
Bai Yu quickly stepped forward.
"Come on, Meng Hao, use your brain. If she was the one who poisoned us, why would she be the only one treating everyone?"
Meng Hao crossed his arms. "Exactly! That’s why it’s so sneaky! Maybe she planned it that way!"
Lin Yue, standing behind Bai Yu, frowned.
"No. I don’t think she did it. If someone wanted to stay safe and not get caught, they’d act like a victim, too, right? Gu Jin didn’t even pretend to be poisoned."
But then Zhao Lili stepped forward, her eyes sharp. She looked at Gu Jin with a cold gaze.
"I don’t trust her either. She always acts so calm and smart. It’s almost too perfect. I wouldn’t be surprised if she did poison us just to look like a hero later."
Han Xiaoyu looked troubled. "Gu Jin... can you please prove your innocence...?"
Everyone turned toward her.
But Gu Jin just chuckled. A low, amused sound.
"You can believe whatever you want," she said with a small smile.
"I’m not going to prove anything. I know I’m innocent. That’s enough for me."
Then she held out her hand. "Now, pay me."
"What?" Meng Hao asked.
Gu Jin smiled sweetly. "Acupuncture isn’t free. I expect payment."
Zhao Lili’s eyes narrowed. "How much do you want?"
Gu Jin held up one finger. "One billion yuan per person."
"WHAT?!" Zhao Lili almost screamed. She pointed at Gu Jin with shaking hands.
"That’s robbery! Are you crazy?! No medicine is worth that much!"
Gu Jin tilted her head. "Really? Then let’s ask what the doctors would like to say."
With a smile, she asked them to follow her to the infirmary.
Gu Jin smiled calmly and waved for them to follow.
"Let’s go ask the doctor then. Maybe you’ll understand the value of my work better."
Still grumbling, the group walked behind her to the infirmary. The medical room was filled with the scent of herbs and medicine. A middle-aged doctor in white robes was writing something when Gu Jin knocked on the door. He looked up and frowned slightly.
Gu Jin pointed to her teammates. "These students were poisoned earlier. I treated them already, but I’d like you to check if there’s any poison left in their systems."
The doctor nodded and walked over. He began checking one student after another by taking their pulse and studying their eyes and tongues. After a few minutes, he looked up with a serious face.
"There’s still a bit of residual poison in their bodies. If left alone, it might act up again. They’ll need long-term treatment."
Zhao Lili stepped forward. "How long will that take? And how much?"
The doctor sighed. "It will take at least three months to fully clear the poison. As for the price... around 50 million yuan per person."
"50 million?!" Zhao Lili shouted, eyes wide.
Even Qiao Feng looked surprised. He straightened a little, forgetting to look sleepy.
Zhao Lili quickly regained her composure and smirked at Gu Jin.
"Hah! So what if it’s 50 million? You were asking for one billion! Do you think you’re better than a doctor? Don’t overestimate yourself!"
Meng Hao nodded. "Yeah! That’s like... twenty times more! You’re so black-hearted, Gu Jin!"
But Gu Jin just kept smiling. She turned to the doctor.
"Doctor, I have a question. If someone could treat the poison completely in just ten minutes, how much would you charge for that?"
The doctor laughed like it was a joke. "Ten minutes? Miss, this isn’t some common cold. That’s impossible. No doctor can do that."
Gu Jin’s smile didn’t fade. She pointed to her teammates behind her.
"I did. What you’re seeing is just the leftover poison. They were collapsing earlier, but now they’re standing fine. Want to check again?"
The doctor looked surprised, then curious. He walked over to Meng Hao.
"You. Give me your hand."
Meng Hao blinked. "Uh, okay."
The doctor checked his pulse, this time carefully, using both hands. His eyebrows raised higher and higher the longer he checked. Finally, he let go and looked straight at Gu Jin.
"This... this is amazing. His inner organs are recovering already. This level of treatment... I’ve never seen anything like it!"
Meng Hao’s mouth dropped open. "Huh? Wait! Then... how much would that kind of treatment cost?"
The doctor looked thoughtful, then slowly raised two fingers.
Meng Hao’s eyes lit up. "Two hundred million?"
The doctor shook his head.