Li Banfeng sat down beside Chuanzi and asked, "Brother, can you really get into this book?"
Chuanzi scratched his head and said, "It’s a bit tough, but manageable. The man in the book is truly ruthless. He started from scratch, built up such a business, and even married so many beautiful wives. I admire him from the bottom of my heart."
Chuanzi wasn’t just putting on airs; he described the plot correctly.
"Brother, who taught you to read?"
After thinking for a moment, Chuanzi said, "There were quite a few. A schoolteacher in Blue Poplar Village taught me, but only for a few days. I learned to read seriously at Black Stone Slope. I was always looking at newspapers and magazines, and with coworkers giving me tips, I gradually picked it up."
The coworkers’ tips were clearly not systematic education. The key was the newspapers and magazines.
The well-developed press industry at Black Stone Slope might exist for a particular reason. Perhaps its publications contained some sort of power.
Li Banfeng returned to his Portable Residence. He had purchased quite a few newspapers at Black Stone Slope, all stored in the cabinet in Liu Fang.
After rummaging through the cabinet for a while, he found plenty of newspapers from other places, but not a single newspaper or magazine from Black Stone Slope.
Not only were the newspapers and magazines missing, but also several short drama films shot by Bai Qiusheng, which had made Chuanzi’s Projector a big hit.
As Li Banfeng was searching room by room, he suddenly heard Gloves lower his voice and say, "Boss, are some things missing?"
"How did you know?"
Gloves lowered his voice even further. "The Projector ran into some issues, and it might have something to do with him. Don’t rush to discipline him just yet. Let me keep an eye on him for a few more days. With our Old Man around, nothing too serious should happen."
The Projector had malfunctioned, which was undoubtedly a heavy blow. Li Banfeng could understand this.
The Portable Residence surely knew the truth, and his wife must have noticed too. He would find a chance to ask them later.
The priority now was to quickly find something good to compensate the Projector.
...
After spending two days at the Ink Shop and ensuring that the Local Deity showed no further abnormalities, Li Banfeng decided to return to Qi Qiu City for a while.
As a Traveling Cultivator, he shouldn’t stay in one place for too long, although he still had no desire to travel at the moment.
Ma Wu was somewhat reluctant to leave. He was attached to the books of Sand Goose House and also to the female employee of the inn.
"After I leave, will you think of me every day?"
The employee, with tears in her eyes, said, "If missing you brings only pain, do you really want me to live in pain every day?"
Ma Wu said, "I will think of you every day, no matter how much pain it brings, because I cannot bear to live without you in my heart!"
The employee hugged Ma Wu and said, "I would rather you forget me completely than see you get hurt even a little because of me."
Li Banfeng said to the employee, "How about this: you quit your job, and then follow us to Qi Qiu City."
The employee shook her head. "I can’t leave the Ink Shop; this is where my destiny lies. But I don’t want to leave you!"
Ma Wu hugged the employee tightly and said, "Then I won’t leave you!"
The employee cried, "Just hold me like this; no one can separate us!"
"I have a way!" Li Banfeng took out a Centipede and placed it on Ma Wu.
The female employee screamed, pushed Ma Wu away, and ran off.
Ma Wu stood dumbfounded for a moment before asking, "Where did this bug come from?"
"Lu Yuanxin sent it. He said this Centipede is especially effective on her."
...
Qi Qiu City was just nearby, only one train stop away. Upon arriving in the city, Ma Wu returned to his usual self, focusing on managing the business.
Xiao Yeci’s mood hadn’t yet recovered; she was still preoccupied with the Ink Shop.
Unable to resist her persistent coaxing, Lu Chunying could only try to dissuade her by saying Li Qi forbade it. "Seventh Master gave the order. If you don’t even listen to Brother Seven—aren’t you his sweetheart? Aren’t you afraid he’ll use family discipline on you?"
"Nonsense! Who’s his sweetheart? I’m going to talk to him right now! I insist on going to the Ink Shop!"
Xiao Yeci found Li Qi, who actually agreed.
Xiao Yeci was a diligent person with decent talent. Maybe this was an opportunity for her to advance her cultivation level.
But she would need a guard to accompany her to the Ink Shop, so Li Banfeng arranged for Liang Wucui to go with her.
Liang Wu was willing to go, but Liang Cai had some concerns.
"My heart belongs to Qi Qiu City. But what if I fall in love with that place, the Ink Shop? What then?"
Li Banfeng nodded slightly and said, "Don’t worry. You will definitely fall in love with that place. It’s perfect for you."
Just Liang Wucui as a guard wasn’t enough. Liang Wucui was a capable fighter, but having lived in New Land for so long, she was somewhat naive about the ways of the world.
Lu Chunying suggested that Tan Fucheng go along as well. Tan Fucheng tried to decline several times; he really didn’t want to go back to the Ink Shop. The memory of his near self-mutilation experience meant Tan Fucheng couldn’t even raise his head in front of his subordinates.
Li Banfeng personally went to find Tan Fucheng, who was at home scolding his son, "If I, your father, had the same opportunities as you back in the day, I would have been among Puluo State’s literary greats! Now I’ve arranged for a private tutor for you, and you still won’t study hard. How can you face me?"
Upon hearing that Seventh Master had arrived, Tan Fucheng hurried out to greet him, unaware that Li Banfeng had heard everything he said through the Silk-pulling Earrings.
"Big Brother Tan, young people today don’t always understand things, so don’t take it to heart. You didn’t have the opportunities back then, but we do now. I think you can still become a literary great of Puluo State. Pack your things; we’re heading to the Ink Shop!"