Chapter 20: Gold Coins, My Life

In the afternoon, Lin Qi unusually carried his schoolbag and entered the classroom.

Many students were already seated in the huge semi-circular stepped classroom. Gromm and Yulian followed closely behind Lin Qi, swaggering as they took seats right in the middle of the first row. The other students in the first row glanced at them, then quickly got up and moved to the back rows.

Wherever they went, no other students remained within five meters around them—this was the result of Lin Qi’s group’s overwhelming and fierce reputation.

Vic was captured alive by the Round Table Knight Society, and all the countermeasures were left for Enzo to prepare. That afternoon’s class was a major course taught by “Professor Kouen,” the most famous ‘Professor Gold Coin’ in Fifth University’s Finance and Accounting Program. For two years, neither storms nor obstacles had stopped Lin Qi; no matter how big the issue, he never missed a single one of Professor Kouen’s classes.

Professor Kouen, nicknamed Gold Coin, was notorious in Fifth University as a parasite among vampires and a vampire among parasites. He once held great power as the Chief Minister of the Logistics Department in the Imperial Military Ministry. However, due to suspicions of embezzlement, he was expelled from the Military Ministry and stripped of all his official titles by Saint Louis XIII. He had no choice but to sorrowfully come to Fifth University, using his financial expertise to get a job as a professor in the Finance and Accounting Program to make a living.

What attracted Lin Qi were the various clever financial tricks and methods that Professor Kouen unreservedly taught in class—methods that could make any auditor or accountant dizzy, practical skills that allowed for massive deficits and embezzlement without leaving any trace.

Moreover, if you gave Professor Kouen a bit of shiny Wowo Call in private, just a few casual pointers from him could help someone gain substantial profits. That’s why, come hell or high water, even if knives fell from the sky, Lin Qi never missed any of Professor Kouen’s classes.

As the bell for the first afternoon class rang, Professor Kouen, with his thin figure, sharp face like an awl, triangular eyes, and sickly green pupils resembling a hungry wolf always seeking prey, walked steadily into the classroom with his hands behind his back and a slight stoop.

When Professor Kouen entered, all the third-year students of Fifth University’s Finance and Accounting Program, including Lin Qi, Gromm, and Yulian, stood up simultaneously and applauded vigorously to show their respect for this major figure in the field of finance and accounting.

Before Professor Kouen, who came from a poor background, took up the position of Chief Minister of the Logistics Department, he had debts of over a thousand gold coins outside. But after serving as Chief Minister of the Logistics Department for three years, and by the time he was expelled from the Military Ministry and stripped of all his official positions by the Imperial Emperor, he had already deposited a huge sum of fifty thousand gold coins in a secret bank account!

If it weren’t for that banker betraying Professor Kouen, no one would have known he had such a hefty fortune.

Moreover, no one knew whether Professor Kouen had more secret accounts with other bankers.

Everything was shrouded in mist. Professor Kouen served as Chief Minister of the Logistics Department for three years. Before his removal, the Imperial Emperor gathered thirty-six auditors and accountants to conduct a thorough three-month review of all the Logistics Department’s accounts for those three years. Yet there were no flaws; even the spending of every single Copper Coin could be traced. On the books alone, Professor Kouen appeared as clean as water.

But the fifty thousand gold coins in that secret account were real—no one knew where Professor Kouen got that money!

If that banker hadn’t been a close friend of one of Professor Kouen’s political rivals, if that banker hadn’t violated the first rule of bankers by betraying Professor Kouen, he might still be sitting in the position of Chief Minister of the Military Logistics Department—even before his expulsion, there were rumors that the Emperor intended to make Professor Kouen the Empire’s Minister of Finance.

Such a remarkable figure—how could Lin Qi, Gromm, and Yulian, who had a strong desire for gold coins, not revere Professor Kouen like a god?

Professor Kouen stood firmly on the podium, looking down at Lin Qi seated in the middle of the first row and nodding with satisfaction. He especially appreciated Gromm, letting his gaze linger on him for two seconds; he favored Gromm even more for his money-grubbing nature.

Clearing his throat lightly, Professor Kouen slowly raised his right hand: “What is our purpose?”

“Gold Coins! Gold Coins! Gold Coins!” All the students in Fifth University’s Finance and Accounting Program roared with reddened eyes.

“What is our belief?” Professor Kouen continued to ask.

“Gold Coins! Gold Coins! Gold Coins!” All the students continued to shout loudly.

“What is our life goal?” Professor Kouen’s voice suddenly rose three pitches higher.

“Countless Gold Coins! More Gold Coins! As many Gold Coins as possible!” The atmosphere in the classroom reached a boiling point.

Professor Kouen lowered his hand contentedly and nodded reservedly: “Good, you are all excellent students. Remember what I taught you: the purpose of us finance and accounting professionals is to use every legal and non-violating method to safely put shiny Gold Coins, gleaming Silver Coins, and lovely Copper Coins into our pockets.”

Sighing softly, Professor Kouen said slowly, “Once again, I seriously remind all children present: choose a reliable banker!”

Shaking his thin, withered hand slightly, Professor Kouen began his afternoon lecture. The topic of his lecture that afternoon was: ‘Based on the Noble’s rank and property, how to accurately calculate the safe limit of gold coins that can be embezzled from a noble family in one year’!

Lin Qi and the others listened to Professor Kouen’s teachings with rapt attention; every word and phrase carried the fragrance of shiny gold coins!

The two-hour class passed in a flash. Professor Kouen, just as when he arrived, walked steadily into the teacher’s private passage. Lin Qi hurriedly caught up with Professor Kouen, silently slipped a gold coin into the professor’s pocket, and then handed him the Parchment from Master of Secret Medicine Kocha.

The Parchment listed the types and quantities of various experimental materials requested by Kocha from Fifth University’s logistics department. As a Master of Secret Medicine, the materials Kocha used were extremely rare, and consequently, their prices were extremely high.

Professor Kouen glanced reservedly at the materials recorded on the Parchment, narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment, and then gently patted Lin Qi’s shoulder.

“In the three thousand Moonflower Herbs, you can mix in ten-leaf Moongrass. Their shape, smell, and other characteristics are almost identical. One Moonflower Herb is worth three Gold Coins, but Moongrass is horse feed. Here, three thousand Moonflower Herbs are needed, and they have to be ground into powder before delivery—then there’s even less of a problem.”

After calculating on his fingers, Professor Kouen nodded and said, “Mixing thirty Moongrass plants into three thousand Moonflower Herbs is absolutely risk-free.”

Lin Qi’s eyes lit up, and he bowed deeply to Professor Kouen with reverence.

Professor Kouen smiled with satisfaction and gently patted Lin Qi’s shoulder again.

“You are good material. Work hard!”