Wen Qi was about to head to the association to pick up his certificate when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
A thought flashed through his mind, and he instantly realized that if he went in now, it would be extremely difficult to leave afterward.
After all, Wen Qi had just figured out that since he came in first, he would definitely be summoned by the big shots at the association. Just thinking about the pile of unpleasant things that might happen made his head ache.
In truth, it wasn't that Wen Qi didn't want to talk to them, but he knew clearly that most of their conversations with him now would be driven by ulterior motives, dripping with hypocrisy.
Imagining having to communicate with so many people who all had their own agendas made Wen Qi feel like he was developing social anxiety.
Just picturing that scene in his mind was already suffocatingly oppressive. He stood there, brow furrowed, torn with inner conflict.
After some thought, he decided it was better not to go in—that kind of hypocritical, goal-oriented exchange was terrifying just to think about.
But soon, another worry crept in. If he didn't go in, what about his certificate?
That certificate was the fruit of his hard work, significant and meaningful—he couldn't just abandon it. Wen Qi weighed the options in his mind, agonizing for a long time.
He glanced at his phone; time was ticking away, yet he still couldn't make up his mind. In the end, with no other choice, he had to trouble Dr. Chu again.
Taking a deep breath, Wen Qi dialed Dr. Chu's number.
Dr. Chu's steady voice soon came through the line. Wen Qi quickly explained the whole situation to him.
Dr. Chu had no doubt about Wen Qi's achievement—after all, in his view, someone who could create Life Energy Blocks winning first place was only natural.
Even if Wen Qi passed the top-tier breeder exam right now, Chu Feng wouldn't bat an eye.
Wen Qi laid out his concerns and the current predicament in detail to Dr. Chu. After listening, Dr. Chu said he understood. In a gentle tone, he told Wen Qi:
"You can head back now. I'll take care of things at the association for you."
Hearing this, a wave of gratitude washed over Wen Qi. He quickly thanked Dr. Chu, saying:
"Doctor, I'm truly grateful. When I get back, I hope you'll come visit my farm."
Chu Feng, pleased by the invitation, was happy to accept. He replied with a smile:
"Sure, I'm looking forward to seeing your farm. I'll definitely come."
They exchanged a few more pleasantries before hanging up. Wen Qi put down his phone, and a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.
He was glad he'd thought of Dr. Chu at the critical moment and grateful for his kind help. Now, he could head back without any worries, waiting for Dr. Chu to sort out the certificate issue.
Wen Qi knew that with Dr. Chu's assistance, everything would be resolved smoothly. He walked away with a light step, ready to leave this place that had troubled him for so long, looking forward to returning to his farm and continuing his laid-back, carefree life.
Wen Qi left in high spirits, went straight back to the hotel, and flopped onto the bed, relaxing like a happy, lazy fish.
He was so caught up in the joy of dodging a bullet that he had no idea the people at the association had been waiting for ages.
At the association, people came and went, picking up their certificates and badges, but after a long wait, Wen Qi still hadn't shown up.
The other six who had passed the advanced breeder exam had all been received by the association's higher-ups, leaving only Wen Qi, who was conspicuously absent.
Everyone was puzzled, whispering and guessing why Wen Qi hadn't come.
Just then, Vice President Wu Wenfeng's phone rang. He pulled it out and saw it was Dr. Chu Feng calling.
Wu Wenfeng stepped into a quiet corner and answered. The two were fairly good friends, so they exchanged some pleasantries first.
Then, Dr. Chu Feng told him about Wen Qi's situation.
Hearing that Wen Qi wanted to avoid the hassle and not come to the association for his certificate, instead asking Dr. Chu for help, Wu Wenfeng was momentarily taken aback, but then a surge of joy welled up inside him.
Since Dr. Chu Feng and Wu Wenfeng were close, the task of picking up the certificate and badge naturally fell to him.
Far from being annoyed, Wu Wenfeng was actually delighted by this news.
He knew well that so many people in the association wanted to meet Wen Qi, including plenty of young folks, some of them pretty girls, all eager to get to know him.
If Wen Qi actually came to the association and mingled with them, someone might beat him to it—that would be a real loss.
Now that Wen Qi wasn't coming and the certificate was in his hands, he could later have his grandson deliver it to Wen Qi, making the interaction much more natural.
After a few more casual words, they hung up.
Wu Wenfeng returned to the crowd, hiding his excitement as best he could. With so many people around, he couldn't afford to look too smug.
The association president was away at a headquarters meeting, so Wu Wenfeng and Li Lang were in charge. Wu Wenfeng walked over to Li Lang, whispered a few words in his ear, and then left with Wen Qi's certificate and badge.
Li Lang was a bit speechless and even a little annoyed at Wen Qi.
After all, they'd all been waiting for him, and he didn't show. But since Wen Qi had no idea so many people were waiting, and with Wu Wenfeng backing him, Li Lang wasn't about to blow up over it—he just felt like his efforts today had been wasted.
The directors, seeing this, were curious and asked what was going on.
When they learned that Wen Qi wasn't coming and that Dr. Chu Feng had asked Vice President Wu Wenfeng to take the certificate, they were all left speechless, feeling their preparations had been for nothing. Still, their curiosity about Wen Qi only grew—if he could get Dr. Chu Feng to help, he must have a close connection with him.
This only reinforced their desire to befriend Wen Qi. But for now, they'd have to wait for another opportunity. One by one, they left with their juniors.
Li Lang did the same, preparing to leave with his young daughter, Li Moli.
Li Moli was even more curious about Wen Qi. She wondered what kind of person he was, so impressive that he'd essentially stood up the entire association.
At that thought, she couldn't help but smile. Her eyes sparkled, and the corners of her mouth lifted into a playful grin.
She secretly decided to find out where Wen Qi lived when she got back, planning to visit this mysterious young man.
Her eyes gleamed with curiosity, as if she were eagerly anticipating the adventure ahead.
She pictured what Wen Qi might look like, a strange excitement bubbling up inside her. She couldn't wait to learn more about this young man who had everyone so intrigued and see what made him so special.