3:23 PM.

After finishing its weight training, the Fire Fang Dog came over to Qiao Sang.

Over the past few days of training, the Fire Fang Dog had significantly increased its stamina.

By the end of the training, it was still able to stand steadily.

Qiao Sang took out a bottle of Qi Yuan milk she had brought with her and handed it to the Fire Fang Dog.

With the current training intensity, it needed to drink eight or nine bottles of Qiyuan milk each day.

Watching the Fire Fang Dog quickly gulp down three bottles, Qiao Sang began to feel financially anxious again.

Money was slipping through her fingers too fast—within a week, she was down to around 30,000 alliance coins.

After today, her balance would probably start with a 2.

She needed to find a way to earn more money.

Qiao Sang had thought about asking her mother for money, but seeing how her mother left early and returned late every day, then had to cook and prepare the energy meals for their pet beasts, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

For now, she decided to focus on her upcoming high school entrance exams; the money issue could wait.

After the Fire Fang Dog finished drinking the Qiyuan milk, Qiao Sang took it to catch the No. 28 bus.

Xinhai Bookstore.

Because today was a day off, the bookstore was quite crowded, mostly with students.

Qiao Sang stood in the middle school section on the second floor, picking out the materials she needed.

She planned to buy a set of practice tests for the high school entrance exams to work through at home.

As she was heading downstairs after making her selection, a voice called out to her.

"Hey, beautiful!"

"Hero!"

"Heroine!"

"The girl with the Fire Fang Dog!"

Only then did Qiao Sang turn around. It seemed she was the only one in the bookstore with a Fire Fang Dog nearby.

A girl with her hair in a bun and airy bangs quickly walked over.

"Why didn't you respond to me?" The girl complained.

She looked familiar... Qiao Sang couldn't immediately recall where she had seen her before, but she was sure they had met.

"Yap!" The Fire Fang Dog barked, clearly recognizing the girl.

The Fire Fang Dog actually knew this person?

"Oh, it's you. I didn't notice you just now." Qiao Sang replied calmly.

"I recognized you right away, especially because of your Fire Fang Dog. It's very noticeable." The girl said with a smile.

Qiao Sang blinked, signaling for her to continue.

"I still haven't thanked you for what you did on the bus last time. I sent you a message, but you never replied." The girl continued.

Now Qiao Sang remembered—she was Bai Yunmiao, the girl who had sat next to her on the bus the day she received 50,000 alliance coins.

"I haven’t checked my messages much recently." Qiao Sang explained.

She had been busy training the Fire Fang Dog and studying, barely looking at her phone.

"That's so admirable, not even looking at your phone. I could never do that." Bai Yunmiao said, impressed.

Then, noticing the materials in Qiao Sang's hand, she asked curiously, "Why are you buying high school entrance exam practice tests?"

"Aren't the exams coming up in a few days?" Qiao Sang replied with a question of her own.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with you... Wait, what?!" Bai Yunmiao finally understood.

Her voice, no longer restrained, echoed loudly in the quiet bookstore, drawing frowns from those around them.

Bai Yunmiao quickly covered her mouth, then looked at Qiao Sang in disbelief, whispering, "You're still a middle schooler?"

"Don't I look like one?" Qiao Sang was a bit annoyed. Did she really seem that mature?

"No, no, it's not that. I just didn't expect it." Bai Yunmiao hurriedly shook her head.

Now that she thought about it, the girl in front of her did look younger than her. She just hadn't connected her with being a middle school student.

Who would have thought that the person who had seen through the Eight-Tentacled Coral scam, caught a thief, and contracted with a Fire Fang Dog was still in middle school?

A middle schooler who hadn't even graduated yet, contracting a pet beast—that meant she was a self-awakened genius!

No one at their school had talent like that.

No wonder she had the confidence to contract a fire-type pet beast as her first, and even trained the Fire Fang Dog to be so obedient.

Bai Yunmiao subtly glanced at the Fire Fang Dog standing beside them.

"Why are you even taking the high school entrance exam? Someone as talented as you should be getting a direct admission." Bai Yunmiao asked.

"Do you have some misunderstanding about what it means to be talented?" Qiao Sang replied helplessly.

What kind of genius still had to worry about barely passing the minimum score for the high school entrance exams?

Bai Yunmiao took her words as modesty and asked, "Which school are you aiming for?"

"Shengshui High School." Qiao Sang answered.

Bai Yunmiao looked at her with a knowing expression.

Qiao Sang didn’t bother explaining how poor her grades really were. Knowing time was precious, she said her goodbyes, "I need to get home and work on these papers. I’ll be off now."

As she turned to leave, Bai Yunmiao grabbed her hand, pleading, "Genius, you haven’t even told me your name yet."

Qiao Sang: "..."

On the bus ride home, the Fire Fang Dog, as usual, was admiring the view outside the window.

Qiao Sang took out her phone, intending to save Bai Yunmiao's name in her contacts.

It was only then that she noticed the conspicuous red "99+" in the top corner of her messaging app.

Surprised, she opened it.

Her classmates, who usually didn't contact her much, had all sent messages asking if something was wrong.

In their eyes, taking such a long leave just before the high school entrance exams must mean something serious had happened.

Qiao Sang was touched and replied to each message, reassuring them she was fine.

After responding to them all, she saw a message from her mother, sent two hours ago.

[What time is the special admissions test for Hanggang Sixth Beastmaster High School? I'll call your teacher and ask for leave on your behalf.]

Qiao Sang panicked and quickly dialed her mother.

The phone was picked up after a few rings.

"Mom, did you call my teacher?" Qiao Sang asked, feeling a bit guilty.

"I did."

"Mom, actually I—"

"But I couldn’t get through."

Qiao Sang immediately gave up on what she was about to say.

"What were you going to say?" Her mother asked.

"Actually, I want to apply to Shengshui High School." Qiao Sang quickly changed the subject.

There was a moment of silence on the other end. "Do the two schools' special admissions tests overlap?"

"No, Hanggang Sixth Beastmaster High School's test is on June 9th, and Shengshui High School's test is on June 10th. There's a day in between." Qiao Sang explained.

"Then there’s no problem. Just take both tests." Her mother said.

Ye Xiangting hadn't asked about Shengshui High School’s test date earlier because she hadn't paid much attention.

That day, she couldn’t stand the attitude of the school’s teachers and that woman anymore, so she impulsively suggested her daughter apply for Shengshui High School's special admissions.

After calming down for a couple of days, she realized that her daughter was 99.99% unlikely to pass, so she hadn't mentioned Shengshui High School again.

But it was clear her daughter still had Shengshui High School's test on her mind, and since she had brought it up in the first place, there was no way around it.

Ye Xiangting was now just relieved that Hanggang Sixth Beastmaster High School's test was scheduled before Shengshui High School's.

Otherwise, if the Shengshui test had come first and affected her daughter's mindset for the Hanggang test the next day, it would have been a problem.

"Mom, there's no need to call anymore. I already asked my homeroom teacher for leave." Qiao Sang said.

"Alright, I understand." Ye Xiangting replied.

Since she had already tried calling, she wouldn’t make another attempt. If it weren't for her daughter's sake, she wouldn't want to deal with those teachers at all.