The next morning.
The Sea Salt Lizard advanced across the calm waters.
Jiang Xiu was clearly not very familiar with the location of the Water Luana Species Research and Protection Center, relying on navigation the entire way to reach the destination.
At the main entrance, where a statue of a Water Luana stood, Dr. Jiang and his assistant had already been waiting for some time.
When Dr. Jiang saw the shorter figure among the two approaching silhouettes, his eyes lit up. He hurried forward and greeted them enthusiastically
"Qiao Sang, I've finally met you!"
"Dr. Jiang?" Looking at the middle-aged man in the white lab coat, Qiao Sang called out with some hesitation.
She couldn't help it; a relatively young man was standing beside the middle-aged man.
And this was a world where one could not easily distinguish age or identity by looks alone.
After all, a living example was standing right beside her at this moment.
"It's me," Dr. Jiang smiled.
Jiang Xiu took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and reached out with a smile: "Dr. Jiang, I am Jiang Xiu."
Despite being a professor himself, his status was several tiers below Dr. Jiang's. If he hadn't been specifically tasked with receiving Qiao Sang and managing Ice Kexilu's nutritional meals this time, he likely wouldn't have been able to contact Dr. Jiang at all.
Heaven knows that when he received Dr. Jiang's call yesterday, he almost hung up, thinking it was a scam call.
"Hello!" Dr. Jiang shook his hand, then turned to Qiao Sang and said, "Let's chat as we walk."
The four of them entered the Water Luana Research and Protection Center together, arriving at a massive, aesthetically stunning aquatic landscape garden.
"This is where the Water Luanas usually spend their time," Dr. Jiang introduced.
Qiao Sang looked over and saw a dozen or so Water Luanas playing in the ponds and by the artificial waterfalls.
Beside her, Jiang Xiu wore a look of pure adoration. *Is this heaven...*
Just then, Qiao Sang remembered something. She formed a hand seal and summoned Lubao.
"Bing ke..." As soon as Lubao appeared, it saw members of its own species for the first time, and its expression froze.
"Lu lu!"
A playing Water Luana happened to look up at that moment and let out an excited cry.
All the playing Water Luanas instantly looked toward Lubao in unison, with several more popping their heads out of the pond.
Then, they all happily ran over and surrounded Lubao.
"Bing ke..."
Lubao looked bewildered and turned to its beast tamer for help.
"Go play with them," Qiao Sang smiled.
In terms of age, Lubao wasn't even a year old yet; it was exactly the age where it should be playing.
"Bing ke..."
Hearing its tamer's words, Lubao paused. It looked down at the little ones surrounding it, its gaze gradually softening. Its tail began to wag slightly as it walked toward the edge of the pond.
"Lu lu!"
"Lu lu!"
A group of Water Luanas followed closely behind, trotting happily.
Seeing Ice Kexilu and the Water Luanas getting along so well, Dr. Jiang remarked with emotion
"The Ice Kexilu you raised has such a good temperament. The few Ice Kexilus in our research center aren't very willing to play with the Water Luanas."
*Good temperament... you've probably never seen how it was when it was still a Water Luana...* Qiao Sang complained inwardly, but said aloud
"Not at all, the Water Luanas here are the ones with the good temperaments."
Dr. Jiang smiled. "Water Luanas are gentle by nature; they are symbols of beauty and peace."
*Huh?* Qiao Sang was stunned.
To be honest, having spent so much time with Lubao, she had almost forgotten the introductions to Water Luanas she had read online.
Dr. Jiang continued, "However, as they evolve, the temperament of a Water Luana gradually changes."
*That is indeed the case...* Qiao Sang agreed internally.
"Do you know the next evolution of Ice Kexilu?" Dr. Jiang asked.
"I do," Qiao Sang nodded. "The next evolution is Ice Aipalu."
It was written in the materials about the Water Luana species that the vice principal had given her.
Dr. Jiang said
"Statistically speaking, Ice Aipalu is the most sensitive stage in the entire evolutionary chain. You'll have to be very careful then; otherwise, one wrong move could cause the trust you've worked so hard to build to collapse."
Qiao Sang thought for a moment and asked, "Is it related to the evolution conditions of Ice Kexilu?"
"Exactly," Dr. Jiang nodded. "For an Ice Kexilu to evolve, it must experience extreme despair in its heart during a sandstorm. Naturally, its personality will be affected to some extent."
Despite having learned about the evolution conditions from the materials beforehand, hearing someone mention it again made Qiao Sang sigh
*What a tragic species...*
For the remainder of the time, the four of them toured the areas where Ice Lugia and Ice Kexilu were active.
Jiang Xiu maintained his look of adoration throughout.
When they reached the Ice Kexilu activity zone, Qiao Sang suddenly remembered something and asked, "Dr. Jiang, yesterday you had Professor Jiang tell me not to rush into using a Water-type Awakening Stone on Ice Kexilu. Why is that?"
Dr. Jiang explained with a smile
"The purpose of an Awakening Stone is to awaken the dormant talent skills within a pet's bloodline, but the success rate after use is not one hundred percent. Research shows that when a pet evolves, its bloodline surges. Using an Awakening Stone at that time increases the chance of awakening a talent skill by about 30%."
"I see!" Qiao Sang thought to herself that she had learned something new.
Awakening Stones were rare items that she normally had no access to, and they weren't in high school textbooks.
If she had followed the standard path of schooling, she probably wouldn't have encountered knowledge about this until university.
Although there was a huge age gap between Qiao Sang and Dr. Jiang, because they were discussing the Water Luana species, the conversation felt very pleasant.
In just over an hour, Qiao Sang gained a relatively detailed understanding of the Water Luana species.
As the conversation reached the research center's clock-out time, the young assistant, who had been acting as background scenery, coughed and reminded
"Dr. Jiang, isn't there something you forgot to ask?"
Dr. Jiang paused, then laughed
"Look at my memory."
He looked at Qiao Sang, his expression suddenly becoming serious: "Are you interested in becoming a researcher?"
Qiao Sang was stunned: "A researcher?"
The vice principal wanted her to be a researcher, and now Dr. Jiang wanted her to be one too. Could it be that she really had a talent for research?
"Yes, a researcher. The moment I saw you, I felt you had a great talent for it," Dr. Jiang praised.
*Oh boy, even though I guessed it, it's kind of embarrassing to have it said to my face...* Qiao Sang scratched her head, looking slightly shy
"Actually, I'm already a trainee researcher."
"I know that," Dr. Jiang smiled. "My assistant, Xiao Qian, knows your vice principal. The materials about the Water Luana species you have were passed over by him with my permission."
"Xiao Qian told me that you are a trainee researcher."
*Xiao Qian...* Qiao Sang looked at the man who appeared two or three years older than Professor Jiang.
Xiao Qian smiled.
"I'm talking about a Junior Researcher," Dr. Jiang said.