Chapter 58: Who Would Ever Want to Be a Wage Slave With Only Two Days Off a Week?!
Chapter 58: Who Would Ever Want to Be a Wage Slave With Only Two Days Off a Week?!
The moment you said that, I have to admit—I panicked a little.
Faced with Paxson’s not-so-subtle whispering and scheming, Lin Wei couldn’t help but fall silent, glancing uncertainly at Director Nerinette.
After all, a warning like “don’t do anything reckless” felt more than a little redundant at this point.
What was with this Head of the Alchemy Department anyway? Was she even a normal person?
“Hahaha, relax, relax—just leave this to me. You can go now, Paxson. If anything comes up, I’ll be in touch.”
“Alright… Then, Mr. Lin Wei, I’ll take my leave for now?”
But it was too late to back out. Even if this place felt more like a bizarre amusement park than a research institution, there was no turning back now.
And honestly, the absence of a suffocating academic atmosphere was a relief. At least he wouldn’t have to suffer the humiliation of being treated like a clueless rookie.
“See you around, Mr. Paxson.” Lin Wei nodded in farewell, watching as Paxson disappeared down the corridor.
“Mind if I just call you Lin Wei?”
The conversation quickly fizzled after that.
“Of course, Miss Nerinette—wait, what?”
Catching her question from beside him, Lin Wei instinctively turned to look.
But the Head of Alchemy, who’d been standing at a respectful distance just moments ago, had suddenly closed the gap between them.
Her deep eyes studied Lin Wei with the intense scrutiny one might reserve for a rare and precious ingredient.
At such close range, an alluring, mature fragrance—laced with the scent of exotic herbs—washed over him, turning the very air warm and intoxicating.
Assistants passing by cast curious glances their way, but quickly returned to their work, as if gossip simply didn’t exist in their world.
What is going on?
What’s with that look in her eyes?
Nerinette, dressed in her crisp white lab coat, leaned in, studying Lin Wei from up close. He managed to hold his composure for quite a while before he finally couldn’t help but ask,
“Uh… is something wrong?”
Thank goodness he didn’t have to see Veya today—otherwise, she’d probably have pinned him to the wall and interrogated him on the spot!
“It’s nothing, just taking a look. Paxson already filled me in on your situation before he left yesterday.”
Nerinette waved it off and straightened up.
The dark circles beneath her eyes practically screamed overworked wage slave, and paired with her striking features and utterly exhausted voice, Lin Wei couldn’t help but wonder if she might collapse from sheer exhaustion at any moment.
“I heard that before coming here, you worked for the Adventurers’ Guild—and your record was brewing over fifty high-grade potions in a single week?”
“Uh… yeah.”
Nerinette seemed genuinely excited now—she’d probably looked up his name in the Guild’s database. Lin Wei didn’t think much of it and simply nodded.
“And I heard that during your interview yesterday, you sent ingredients flying through the air, wrapped in magic?”
Isn’t that what magic is for? If the ingredients aren’t flying, should I be dragging them through the dirt?
“Just a little trick of the trade for potion-making, that’s all.”
Since he’d already demonstrated those skills, there was no reason to hide anything now.
Lin Wei nodded again. After all, it wasn’t exactly a secret technique—anyone with enough mana could pull it off.
“So, how many different ingredients can you handle at once using magic?”
“At my limit… maybe a dozen or so?”
Honestly, if he really pushed himself, even he wasn’t sure where his ceiling was.
Lin Wei added silently in his mind.
Back when he still held the title of Demon Lord, he’d once brewed enough potions in a single night to supply an entire demon legion—just to keep their stores stocked.
But now, as nothing more than a lowly assistant, there was no need to reveal everything he could do.
Still, what exactly was this Head Alchemist planning?
“A dozen or so… Alright, let me confirm one last thing.”
She’d been firing off questions and giving him that odd, scrutinizing look.
Lin Wei eyed her warily. The black-rimmed glasses perched on her nose suddenly caught the light, flashing with a hazy glint.
Nerinette took a step forward, her gaze sharp as if she could see straight through him. Then she asked, point-blank:
“There’s no exaggeration in any of this? All of it is real, hands-on experience?”
She repeated the question for emphasis.
“Because if you’re overselling yourself, I can easily assign you some mindless task—something so simple that literally anyone, or even anything, could do.”
“But if you’re telling the truth, I’ll give you work that only a professional potion master could handle. Think carefully before you answer.”
Her intense gaze bore into him, as if waiting for his final answer.
Lin Wei scratched his head. Faced with this classic either-or question, he still had no idea what this woman was really after—but he decided to throw the question back at her.
“Can I ask first—if I’m just bluffing, what kind of work would you have me do?”
“Guard duty, running errands, sitting around zoning out. Nine to five, two days off a week, and I’ll pay you the absolute minimum.”
Nerinette waved a hand dismissively, her face full of disdain—she might as well have said, “I don’t deal with idiots.”
“Well, what if I’m telling the truth?”
Lin Wei pressed her further.
“Then you can take your pick of any work within the Alchemy Department’s scope. Top-tier pay—six hundred gold coins, plus performance bonuses if you hit your targets!”
“And as long as you clock in for fifteen days a month, eight hours a day, that’s it. Overtime gets extra pay; if you have any special requests, just let me know… Hm?”
Before she could finish, a dozen clusters of potion ingredients floated up from the table.
They moved with seamless precision, as if he’d performed this process countless times before.
Decomposition, grinding, extraction, fusion.
Each magical element performed its task, drawing out unique properties in a dazzling display.
As the glowing lights shimmered and danced, Nerinette’s breathing quickened, her eyes wide with excitement.
There was no longer any doubt—this guy really did have the skills he claimed.
“Then I guess I’m not just some fraud after all.”
In the span of just a few moments, Lin Wei had already finished extracting the essence from the ingredients.
A bottle of high-quality healing potion was filled with practiced ease.
Days spent at home, bored and idle, were more than enough for him. With pay this generous and such ample vacation time, what reason was there left to hesitate?
Of course Lin Wei wanted to work—but when the choice was between being a wage slave with only two days off a week, or a skilled technician with half the month free, only a fool (or maybe someone kicked in the head by the Pope) would choose the former.
“Lin Wei, you’re exactly the talent we need!”
Nerinette beamed as she took the potion bottle, giving Lin Wei’s shoulder a hearty pat.
There was no need for further testing; just from the color and fragrance alone, she could tell the potion was top-tier.
“On behalf of the entire Alchemy Department, let me officially welcome you aboard, Assistant Lin Wei.”
“Come on, let me show you around.”
She grabbed Lin Wei by the hand and led him deeper into the department, chattering away as they walked.
Her face was all bright smiles now—a far cry from the irritable woman she’d been just moments ago.
“You have no idea how maddening it is dealing with these idiots every day.”
“Your timing couldn’t be better, Assistant Lin Wei. There’s a job waiting right now that needs someone just like you! Finally, we might be able to put an end to our headaches.”