I was so scared that I put all my points into health.

Although alchemists have textbooks and magical query tools at their disposal, some knowledge remains only at the theoretical level. For alchemists, practice is an important source of knowledge, the fundamental driving force for the continuous development of knowledge, and the only standard for testing whether the knowledge they have learned is true and accurate.

There was once a renowned alchemist master, whose academic approach was extremely rigorous. In his view, although textbooks were available as references, the complete accuracy and reliability of their content still needed to be verified personally. Furthermore, many areas of knowledge were quite complex, requiring consultation and discussion with relevant experts; otherwise, many questions would remain unanswered. And so, Wang Xiaoyi found himself stumped.

However, he had a magical system by his side, which had never let him down whenever he encountered difficulties. Sure enough, the passive skill he had activated earlier—"Absolutely a Great Guy"—suddenly kicked in. A strange light flashed, instantly summoning five NPCs resembling university professors and five NPCs resembling senior design engineers from Nintendo. It was as if he had suddenly summoned the expert team he needed for his research project; it was simply brilliant.

What's even more surprising is that these experts and professors also brought their own equipment and a wealth of academic materials. They truly brought everything needed; it's absolutely amazing.

However, a new problem arose. The SVIP room simply wasn't big enough. There was no other way but to convert the meeting room into a research lab. Wang Xiaoyi quickly contacted the construction team, urging them to speed things up. Even if it meant working overtime, they had to meet the deadline so their SVIP and expert team could use the research lab as soon as possible.

Once all this is settled, let the professors and engineers lead the alchemists on their research. Then I won't have to worry about these problems anymore, and I'll be free to manage my own affairs.

However, the sudden appearance of so many NPCs gave Wang Xiaoyi a headache. The issues of food and lodging loomed large in the way of him. He thought, "So many people, three meals a day, and proper accommodation—this is no easy task."

However, Wang Xiaoyi soon realized he had been overthinking things. Initially, the alchemist was infected by the enthusiasm of these experts and scholars, and he too became excited, eagerly joining their discussions and research. But it didn't take long for Wang Xiaoyi to notice that the alchemist's stamina and energy were clearly not keeping up with theirs. These experts and scholars were like perpetual motion machines, full of energy and seemingly never getting tired.

Wang Xiaoyi discovered through careful observation that these NPCs didn't need to eat or rest like humans; they could work around the clock. This was truly a novel phenomenon. However, Wang Xiaoyi also knew that alchemists were living, breathing people just like him who needed to eat, sleep, and rest, and he couldn't let them continue to work day and night like this.

So Wang Xiaoyi hurriedly went to advise the alchemist to get more rest. He knew that proper rest was essential for better dedication to his research. To ensure the alchemist had a comfortable resting environment, Wang Xiaoyi arranged a room for him upstairs. The room was clean, tidy, and very cozy. Moreover, the room was exceptionally soundproof, so the alchemist wouldn't be disturbed by the outside world.

The alchemist followed Wang Xiaoyi's advice and got a good night's sleep. After getting up and eating a bite, he immediately went to the research lab, full of energy, to participate in discussions and research. Watching the alchemist throw himself into his work with renewed vigor, Wang Xiaoyi recalled his own struggles during the middle school and college entrance exams, where he would start studying and doing practice problems as soon as he woke up.

In the few days since the branch opened, the warehouse has been anything but peaceful every night. At first, everyone thought it was just some small animals like rats causing trouble. After all, food and drinks would occasionally disappear, and everyone had already taken standard precautions. They just couldn't understand why thefts were still happening. It was like an inexplicable loophole suddenly appearing in a seemingly secure security system, leaving everyone both confused and somewhat annoyed.

However, they still followed the few clues they had and began their search. They found some small footprints and some animal fur. Judging from these clues, it seemed to be the footprints and fur of a kitten. Although these footprints and fur were tiny, they seemed to be silently telling some secret. Following these traces was like unraveling a mysterious clue, eventually leading them deep into the forest.

When they entered the house hidden in the forest, they immediately saw the food and drinks laid out inside—things stolen from the small shop. The witch, seeing the puzzled and surprised expressions on their faces, smiled. Her smile seemed to contain a hint of disapproval of their overreaction. She then inquired about their purpose and learned that the food and drinks had been stolen from their shop. Then, she slowly recounted the truth.

It turns out that the child mistaken for a petty thief was actually an abandoned orphan. When the witch found her in the forest, she was pitifully curled up in a clump of grass. She was hungry and cold, her breath weak, as if death could take her life at any moment. Her body was curled up like a leaf shivering in the cold wind, a truly heartbreaking sight. Seeing the child's pitiful state, the witch felt compassion and took her in.

This child, named Flint, was inherently kind. In the witch's house, she often volunteered to help with chores, doing laundry and cleaning meticulously. She would also venture out to find food; her little nose was like a sensitive detector, always finding small fruits or prey hidden in the forest. However, because she lacked proper guidance from a young age, and no one around her taught her right from wrong, she developed some petty theft habits.

After hearing the witch's story, Wang Xiaoyi felt a pang of sympathy. He knew in his heart that perhaps the child was simply confused for a moment, like a lamb lost in the dark, which led her down the wrong path. Deep down, he believed that if the child could be guided correctly, like lighting a lamp for her to guide her forward, she still had a good chance of becoming a better person.

Think about it, how could anyone scold such an adorable girl? She's like a little angel who's made a mistake; her innocent and pure appearance makes it impossible to be angry. Just then, the petty thief slowly emerged from the corner. The moment she appeared before everyone, they were all stunned by her appearance. She was a beastwoman with cat ears and a cat tail, and she looked incredibly cute.

She wore a small pink hat adorned with a fluffy little pom-pom. The pom-pom was incredibly soft, as fluffy as a cloud, swaying gently with every movement, as if interacting with her, like a playful little pet playing with her. In her hand, she clutched a toy-like magic wand, its tip shimmering with starlight, appearing fantastical, as if it held the secrets of the entire universe. She wore a pink magician's outfit, the skirt of which flowed like blooming flowers, layered and cascading, exuding a soft and dreamlike beauty; every step she took was like dancing gracefully among the blossoms.

She gently raised her head, her large eyes sparkling with a lively light, as bright and pure as twinkling stars in the night sky. Looking at Wang Xiaoyi in a childlike voice, she said, "I'm sorry, brother, I shouldn't have stolen it." Her voice was like a gentle breeze in spring, soft and tinged with regret.

Looking at the adorable, porcelain-doll-like girl before them, Wang Xiaoyi, Alpha, and Allen felt all traces of reproach vanish. Wang Xiaoyi smiled instead and said to the witch, "Actually, I think this child is very intelligent. I'd like to invite her to be my employee, so that she can eat delicious food openly and honestly just by working."

After hearing Wang Xiaoyi's words, the witch hesitated. She was worried that the child might be unwilling. After all, the child had always lived in this small forest house, and she didn't know if the child could adapt to suddenly going outside. However, when she saw the sincerity in Wang Xiaoyi's eyes, she thought to herself that perhaps this really was a good opportunity for the child to grow. Like seeing a ray of light in the darkness, perhaps this was the moment to change the child's destiny. So, she turned to the little thief and softly asked for his opinion.

Upon hearing Wang Xiaoyi's suggestion, Fulin's eyes lit up instantly, as if a bright lamp had suddenly been lit in the darkness. The thought of eating delicious food and having fun filled her with boundless anticipation. She looked at Wang Xiaoyi with sparkling eyes and nodded vigorously, indicating her willingness. That nod was filled with unwavering determination, like a warrior heading into battle with resolute resolve.

And so, Flint became a member of Wang Xiaoyi's Elparan City branch. Their relationship was now employer-employee; Wang Xiaoyi was the employer, and Flint was the employee. All actions had to be carried out according to Wang Xiaoyi's instructions, just as a soldier obeys a general's command. However, Flint's adorable appearance and hopeful eyes filled everyone with anticipation for her future performance.

Wang Xiaoyi provided Fulin with basic etiquette training; all employees need pre-job training before starting work. As a shop assistant, one needs to serve customers with enthusiasm, patience, and professionalism. Fulin is so cute that even when she makes small mistakes or is a bit clumsy, customers are very forgiving, which makes her very happy. However, there are also some unreasonable customers whose aggressive behavior almost makes Fulin cry. Seeing that the cute girl has been bullied, the customers feel bad and even apologize to Fulin. Fulin accepts the apology and performs some small magic tricks for the customers to express her remorse.