Chapter 114: Recent Developments

“I don’t understand, I don’t know, I didn’t…”

Qin Qing would never admit to her ability in alchemy.

Her teammates had their own thoughts. Having benefited from her skills, they wore expressions that said, “We get it,” and adhered to the principle of quietly making a fortune, refraining from further questioning Qin Qing.

Now, she found it even harder to explain.

After being away for a while, Qin Qing took some time to call Wuyong to inquire about the studio’s operations.

As the boss, she wasn’t sure how things were running in her absence.

In the video call, Wuyong appeared calm and composed, as if everything was under control.

She even brewed tea for Qin Qing through the screen, using fine white porcelain as smooth as jade, with amber-colored tea steaming within.

Wuyong placed it in front of the camera.

Qin Qing felt a bit strange.

Was she being worshipped?

Wuyong retorted, “Nonsense, it’s clearly a tribute.”

She added, “Don’t worry, I’m here. The place is well taken care of; it won’t collapse anytime soon.”

She flipped through some files and sent a document page her way.

“The order processing volume isn’t as high as when you’re here, and the accuracy can’t match yours. But because we’ve stabilized a batch of high-quality old clients, the revenue hasn’t dropped.”

Wuyong’s modest words belied the truth; not only had it not dropped, it had actually increased quite a bit.

Qin Qing was naturally pleased. She knew Wuyong was capable.

After all, she was a legitimate Celestial Master Successor.

She didn’t hold back her praise, showering her with compliments.

Wuyong waved it off, “It’s not all thanks to me. Because of you, the temple has received actual protection from above, with plenty of benefits. The head senior brother knows you’ve been away, so he sent two junior nephews to help me. You don’t need to worry.”

Qin Qing was pleasantly surprised.

“Oh… how could I trouble the Daoists and disrupt their cultivation?”

“They’re on a rotating schedule, and it’s not always the same two people. Cultivating while gaining worldly experience is beneficial for them. When they’re not busy, they can even help train the staff.”

“How do they train them?”

The camera moved as Qin Qing saw Wuyong stand up with the phone, leaving the office and turning left into a meeting room.

Without entering, she filmed the scene inside through a clear gap in the frosted glass wall.

In front of the room, a young Daoist, familiar but unnamed to her, was teaching people to sing Daoist songs, and those learning were her employees.

Some held copper coins and turtle shells.

“You’re not planning to turn my studio into a Baiyun Temple branch, are you?”

Wuyong switched back to the front camera, “Ha, do you know the criteria for accepting disciples at Baiyun Temple? You’re getting a good deal and still complaining. If I were to spread the Dao, I wouldn’t choose here.

This is all because of you. Some employees are interested in these techniques for finding things and breaking spells. I thought if they could learn, they’d be like studio assistants, so I had the junior nephews teach them in their spare time. Do you think teaching from scratch is easy?”

Qin Qing asked, “Is there anyone particularly talented?”

“Yang Sang is learning quickly. He can already find small items I intentionally hide, though he hasn’t practiced with clients yet.”

Yang Sang, who used to pretend to be a Pet Communicator to deceive people, seemed to have some talent.

Qin Qing hadn’t expected so much to happen while she was away.

Wuyong gave a mysterious smile, “There’s something else you wouldn’t expect.”

“What?”

Qin Qing followed the camera to the studio entrance.

The studio’s main entrance had been remodeled, with a smaller door opened on the right near the stairs. The former reception area was opened up and separated from the front desk.

The expanded room had no main light, using small decorative lights and mirrors to create a starry night effect.

In the center of the room was the Crystal Ball Qin Qing had first made, full of cotton impurities.

This Crystal Ball didn’t have the advanced effects of the upgraded System Panel, only reflecting the background color of the person touching it.

Every time a client visited the studio, they would touch it, and it had been quite popular for a while.

The Crystal Ball’s pedestal was replaced with a transparent tube, with a small pool below and electrically controlled kinetic energy causing water to rise.

The visual effect was like a wave over a meter high supporting the sphere, making it appear even more mysterious.

At this moment, two girls were in the starry room touching the Crystal Ball and taking photos.

One of them touched it, and a pink mist filled the entire sphere.

“Ahhh… it’s pink! It’s pink! The guide says this pink means true love, and sweet romance is finally coming my way!”

She asked her friend to take a picture with the pink Crystal Ball.

The starry room had thick blackout curtains, so Qin Qing couldn’t see inside from there, only the long line of people waiting outside, young and old.

The inside view was shown to Qin Qing through the employee passage.

Qin Qing knew about the plan to remodel the Crystal Ball’s display area.

Wuyong had reported it to her beforehand.

She had only heard that the Crystal Ball was popular again, with many people coming to touch it, affecting normal reception, hence the need for a separate room.

But she hadn’t expected the final result to be so stunning.

Nor had she anticipated the long line of people waiting to touch the ball, stretching all the way to the stairwell.

Wuyong explained, “After the renovation, countless people have come to check it out. I’ve scheduled employees in two shifts, with operating hours different from the studio’s. The Stargazing Room… or Crystal Ball Room, opens at 8 AM and closes at 10 PM. The fee is 99 yuan per person, with a 150-second experience time. If multiple people enter together, the time can be accumulated.”

“How much?” Qin Qing exclaimed, “Just for a touch, you’re charging 100 yuan? That’s even more than me. When I charged 2000 to find a cat, I felt guilty for a long time.”

“Is it expensive? Our prices are clearly marked, fair to all. We’ve registered with the business bureau and advertised it as a magic experience. Whether to try it is entirely voluntary. Compared to many tourist spots charging 666, 888, or 999 for a single incense stick, our price is quite reasonable. This project alone can generate over a million yuan a month for the studio. You don’t need to worry; you can check online. Our ball has a great reputation.”

Qin Qing commented, “…The Old Celestial Master really chose the right successor. Whether in expertise or management, Baiyun Temple is sure to flourish under you.”

Wuyong modestly replied, “You’re too kind.”

She also shared another piece of news with Qin Qing.

The General Manager He of Luoshen Technology had successfully found a new experiment leader. He recently visited Baiyun Temple to fulfill a vow, donating a lot of incense money, but he didn’t meet the “already traveling Daoist Master Wufang,” leaving somewhat disappointed.

Qin Qing coughed lightly, “It’s normal not to encounter immortals; true masters aren’t so easily found.”

After hanging up, she checked the merit feedback notifications and indeed found an unread message about He Luo’s merit increase.

Now that she was involved in more events, many didn’t provide immediate feedback, or the development of an event would add new follow-up feedback. Her Merit Value increased daily in small, frequent increments. To prevent these notifications from affecting important ongoing tasks, Qin Qing had turned off merit feedback alerts, checking them in the background when needed.

Qin Qing still couldn’t understand how that Crystal Ball could earn a million a month, so she searched online.

Having been busy with tasks recently, she hadn’t had time for gossip.

Using the city name and Crystal Ball as keywords, she found countless vlogs and posts from netizens.

She quickly pieced together the story.

It all started with a travel blogger named “Fengfeng Loves to Play.”

Fengfeng was known for her unique travel tips, focusing on niche, in-depth tours.

The studio had always had a good reputation online, expanding from the pet community to other social circles.

When planning her city exploration, Fengfeng included it as a tourism experience.

She released two vlogs documenting her journey to becoming a studio fan.

The first video:

Fengfeng, curious, visited the studio and discovered people dressed as Daoists coming and going.

She asked if she could film the process, and Wuyong agreed, but external filming required an additional location fee.

Fengfeng paid the fee, complaining about the studio’s greed behind the staff’s back.

She spent nearly a thousand yuan trying to find a long-lost item. Wuyong asked for her city’s location, house layout, and the approximate time the item was lost. After a quick calculation, he told her where it was in her home. Skeptical, she guided her family remotely and found it in less than 10 minutes!

Fengfeng was shocked!

Fengfeng was excited!

Fengfeng wanted a fortune-telling!

She was eager to pay more!

Greedy Wuyong refused, saying fortune-telling required a higher level, with appointments and queues at the front desk.

Not being a local, Fengfeng regretted not being able to spend her money sooner.

As she left, she saw the Crystal Ball and, out of curiosity, Wuyong allowed her a free touch.

After a cool effect, Fengfeng touched it and saw a pale gray color. Wuyong calmly advised her to see a doctor.

Fengfeng hesitated but, wanting to complete her video, booked a hospital check-up. She shared that she’d had a check-up six months ago with no issues, guessing she might find some sub-health condition at most.

The results came back.

A benign tumor in its early stage.

The second video:

Fengfeng quickly scheduled surgery.

After recovery, she visited the studio again.

Fengfeng wanted to touch the Crystal Ball.

Greedy Wuyong charged her for the location and touching fees.

Fengfeng touched it and saw a water-blue color with a hint of purple.

Wuyong congratulated her on an upcoming financial windfall and a promotion or status upgrade.

The third video:

Fengfeng’s first two studio exploration videos went viral, with views surpassing her previous ones. This wave of traffic brought her some business collaboration offers.

She was invited to an influencer event, where her on-camera appearance matched her video look, winning her more fans.

The increase in traffic led to a qualitative change, with Fengfeng receiving a new collaboration contract from the platform, with better revenue sharing and support.

Fengfeng became a devoted studio fan.

After watching these three videos, Qin Qing saw some others.

Fengfeng’s viral exploration videos attracted many clients to the studio.

Most of these people didn’t have any core demands.

Some were simply curious, and the more they explored, the stranger it became, reshaping their worldview…

Others came to debunk, but the more they tried, the more real it seemed, leaving them questioning themselves.

Some people have even written guides on how to interact with the Crystal Ball. These include charts matching colors to reactions, tips on how to make the most of the 150 seconds you get for 99 yuan, and advice on which angles create the most mysterious photos…