The most shameless alchemist in history

"So that construction contractor named Kevin really has frequent contacts and close ties with the Mountain Kingdom?" Du Lei carefully pondered this piece of information, trying to glean any significant details from it.

“That’s right, that’s what the construction worker said. Dure, I still don’t understand whether that contractor has any close ties with the Mountain Kingdom, or what his relationship is with Kelly.” Lance was just following Dure’s instructions to gather information, but he didn’t understand Dure’s intentions.

"Messiah, what about you? I asked you to find out the route Kelly and her brother Keita took to Maple City. Did you find out?" Dure didn't answer Lance's question directly, but turned to Messiah. Not only Lance was gathering information, but Messiah was also involved.

"I've found out. Kelly and her brother did indeed travel from the Mountain Kingdom through Maple City." Messiah nodded in confirmation.

"That explains it." Du Lei nodded thoughtfully, as if he already had a guess.

"Durey, tell me what the connection is! I'm getting impatient!" Lance thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out, so he urged Durey anxiously.

"To understand the connection between them, just look at the current situation and it will be clear," Dure suggested, indicating the general direction.

"The current situation? What situation?" Lance was still completely baffled.

"A situation on the verge of erupting!"

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327 设计图纸

Maple Leaf Academy is a closed academy, and students can only leave the academy on weekends. Since the academy is surrounded by the Academy Mountain, which is infested with magical beasts, there are no entertainment facilities. Therefore, students usually spend their weekends going down the mountain to Maple City for fun.

For Dure, Lance, and Messiah, this weekend was no exception. Just after noon, they arrived in Maple City through the teleportation barrier. However, they were not here to play around. As soon as they arrived in Maple City, they dispersed and started their own activities.

As the second largest city in the Snow Kingdom, Maple City has a permanent population of over 100,000. It's only natural that three teenagers would be lost in the crowd when they enter Maple City. However, Kevin Construction Company is different; they have a certain reputation in Maple City.

Especially after taking on the reconstruction project of Maple Leaf Academy, Kevin Construction Company became even more well-known to the citizens. This construction company from the Swamp Country is indeed quite generous, as evidenced by the fact that it set up its office in the most prosperous area of ​​Maple City.

Even though it's the weekend, Kevin Construction Company is still open for business as usual. There's a large billboard at the company's entrance, introducing Kevin Construction Company's business operations and advertising slogans. Compared to other companies in the area, the billboard is very grand and expensive.

"Hello, is this Kevin Construction Company?" a young woman asked politely at the company's entrance.

"Yes, miss, this is the Maple City office of Kevin Construction Company. Our company has extensive experience in large-scale construction and is a leader in the industry. May I ask what you need?" A staff member immediately greeted her at the company entrance.

The young male staff member saw that the girl who looked to be only fourteen or fifteen years old was a little puzzled as to what she was doing there. However, out of basic politeness, and because the girl's clothes and demeanor were quite remarkable, and because she was not alone, he decided to give her a second opinion.

Behind her followed a young man in a formal suit. The young man was physically strong and handsome, and he did not look like someone from an ordinary family. This made the Kevin Company clerk in charge of receiving her not dare to underestimate him and had to treat him with great care.

"That's wonderful, I haven't made a mistake. Here's the thing, my old house needs renovation, so I'd like to get your company's opinion. May I come in and discuss it?" This young lady spoke with grace and her every move was impeccable, which impressed even the receptionist who was used to seeing many aristocratic ladies.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to have made you stand outside, Miss. It's truly an offense. Please come inside to talk." The receptionist hurriedly ushered the two into the company. He had some experience in handling affairs and figured out that the two had come to the company to discuss business.

"It's alright. I hope our arrival didn't disturb you." The girl smiled gently, appearing very approachable.

"How could it be a disturbance to have such a lovely lady visiting? This is Uncle Sam, a designer from our Kevin Architects company. Uncle Sam, this lady is here to discuss business. By the way, I don't know your name yet, miss..." The receptionist introduced a person sitting at the desk.

The man looked to be in his forties. He was slightly overweight and wore glasses. He immediately stood up to greet the young woman upon her arrival.

"Just call me Tia. I've heard that Kevin Construction Company has a very good reputation. My old house needs some renovations, so I came to visit. By the way, these are the blueprints for my old house. Uncle Sam, please take a look." The girl took out a blueprint from her handbag.

She handed the drawings to a designer named Sam, who took them, spread them out on his desk, and examined them carefully with a magnifying glass. This revealed his serious work ethic, as well as... poor eyesight.

"Miss Tia is truly capable, working for the family at such a young age. When I was young like Miss Tia, I knew nothing." The receptionist's words were half flattery and half admiration; he had seen many noble ladies of the same age as the girl in front of him.

However, most of them are spoiled and arrogant, which makes people feel very uncomfortable. But being with this girl who calls herself Tia is like a gentle breeze, making people feel very comfortable.

“Sir, you flatter me. I am only doing my part for my family. Mr. Sam, do you have any opinions on the renovation of my old house?” The girl asked in a gentle voice. Sam, who had been silent the whole time and whose eyes were always on the blueprints, asked.

"That's amazing!" Sam exclaimed, completely absorbed in the performance.

"Mr. Sam, Miss Tia is talking to you," the receptionist reminded Sam. He was behaving rather rudely. Sam usually looked down on Sam, who was always engrossed in a pile of blueprints and seemed a bit delusional. How could he be so disrespectful to a guest?

"Who is the master who designed this? Every detail is planned so perfectly, and the design is so avant-garde, it's simply amazing! Wait, you said this is the blueprint for your old house?" Sam seemed to realize something while admiring it, and suddenly looked up to ask the girl.

“This… yes, it is indeed the blueprint for my old house. However, after consulting with an old friend of my father’s who is knowledgeable in architecture, he designed this blueprint and then we hired Kevin Construction Company to build according to the blueprint.” The girl seemed to have not expected Sam to react this way.

After a brief moment of surprise, she quickly regained her smile and offered a reasonable explanation.

"I see. Miss, what is the name of your father's old friend? To be able to draw such excellent blueprints, he must be a senior! I wish I could learn from him in person. Please tell me his name!" Sam seemed very excited.

"Ahem, Mr. Sam, please be mindful of the occasion. This is working time, and Miss Tia is a guest..." The receptionist reminded him from the side. He was very dissatisfied with Sam's reaction. He didn't know anything about architecture, but he knew that there was no reason to neglect business when it came to him.

"His name... well..." The girl was stumped by Sam's question and didn't know how to answer for a moment.

“It’s Mr. Taylor.” Just as the girl was at a loss, the boy next to her gave the answer.

"What? It's Mr. Taylor? Is he in Maple City right now? I knew this style and this work could be Mr. Taylor's. Where is he now? I'm going to ask him for advice right now!" Sam was incredibly excited.

He even shouted it out, holding the blueprints in his hands like a precious treasure. This puzzled not only the receptionist but also the young girl, who looked at the boy next to her with some confusion, as if seeking an answer.

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328. Acting rashly

Sam, as an architect, is a pure technician and knows nothing about marketing or interpersonal relationships. Otherwise, given his seniority at Kevin's company, he wouldn't have been transferred to the Maple City office. This is not to say that Maple City is any bad thing.

However prosperous Maple City may be, for Kevin Company, it is ultimately just a "representative office". It cannot be compared with other branches or even the head office. Many of Sam's contemporaries have been transferred to the head office to serve as managers.

Even the young receptionist at the office, after learning of Sam's qualifications, was initially very polite to him, running errands and currying favor with him very efficiently. However, the receptionist gradually discovered that Sam was a blockhead with no connections or promising future.

The receptionist gradually became less attentive to him. After all, trying to build a relationship with someone like that was pointless and wouldn't help her get promoted at all. In the receptionist's memory, Sam did nothing but look at and create drawings every day, and he always had a stern and unsmiling face.

But right now, Sam seemed unusually excited, something the receptionist had never seen before. The receptionist was good at building relationships and was eager to climb the corporate ladder, but he knew absolutely nothing about blueprints. He couldn't see anything special about that unremarkable blueprint.

“Well… Mr. Taylor was indeed in Maple City a while ago, and he was staying at our mansion, but he left recently for some business, so he’s not in Maple City right now.” The boy told Sam about Taylor’s whereabouts, which he was concerned about.

"What? He's already left? That's a real shame. I thought I could ask Mr. Taylor some questions about architectural problems. I've read every single one of Mr. Taylor's architectural works; I've always been his loyal disciple!" Sam looked very disappointed.

“Mr. Taylor would be very happy to know that someone admires him so much,” the boy said gently.

"Although it's a bit of a pity that I couldn't meet Mr. Taylor in person, it's already a great honor to see his work!" Sam exclaimed, holding up the blueprints in his hands. It was clear that he had a heartfelt admiration for the man named "Taylor".

"So, Mr. Sam, is there anything about this drawing that needs to be modified?" The girl looked confused, but she still asked for Sam's advice. He was a designer at Kevin Architects, and drawing or modifying architectural drawings was his job.

“No, miss, you’re mistaken.” Sam’s attitude toward the girl became much more polite.

"What?" The girl didn't quite understand why Sam would say that.

“This is the work of senior artist Taylor, a work of art! How can I, as a junior, modify it? It’s completely beyond my capabilities, so let’s just build according to the blueprints, there’s absolutely no mistake!” Sam said with great certainty.

“Um… Mr. Sam, you are the company’s designer. Is it really okay to just leave the drawings like this without reviewing them and making any changes?” The receptionist subtly reminded Sam from the side. He didn’t know any Tyler, but he knew that the company’s interests came first.

If they have no objections to the architectural drawings and even strongly advocate for them, doesn't that mean that the designers at Kevin's company are useless?

"Are you trying to question Senior Taylor's abilities? By the way, miss, may I make a copy of this design?" Sam ignored the receptionist's opinion and immediately found paper and pen, trying to copy the design.

"This... of course, no problem..." The girl found it hard to refuse his request and agreed with a smile.

"This is great... cough cough, what's that smell?" Just as Sam was excitedly about to copy it down, he suddenly smelled a very pungent odor, and soon smoke rushed into the room, making his vision gradually blurry.

"Oh no, miss, there's a fire! Please come this way!" the boy exclaimed, beckoning the girl to run towards the exit.

"What happened? How did a fire suddenly start? This is terrible! Miss, come over here to take refuge! Hey, Sam, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and leave!" The receptionist was also startled by the sudden fire and immediately called for the young man and woman to evacuate.

Just as he rushed to the door, he found Sam still standing at his desk, and by then the flames had already leaped up.

"No, Professor Taylor's work must not be consumed by the fire! We must get it back!" Sam, who had already escaped, went back. He took off his clothes and beat the flames, searching on the table for the drawing that was of great significance to him.

"Are you crazy? You'll burn to death if this continues! Get out of here!" the receptionist shouted. He couldn't understand Sam's actions at all and tried to pull Sam away, but the raging fire forced him back.

"Durey, what should we do? If this continues, he'll..." The girl, who had already reached the door, panicked at the sight. She immediately asked the boy next to her for his opinion; she couldn't just stand by and watch Sam be consumed by the fire.

"This guy is really persistent. Don't make any rash moves, or you'll ruin our plans!" It was Dure who knew that the girl, who was using the alias Tia but whose real name was Messiah, wanted to turn back to save Sam. According to their original plan, everyone would be forced to escape by the flames.

But Sam stubbornly insisted on going back to salvage the blueprints, something even Dure hadn't expected. He gritted his teeth and waved to stop Messiah.

“But this is…” Messiah could listen to Dure’s advice on other matters, but this was something she found extremely difficult to accept.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine!" Du Lei said firmly, not backing down an inch.

“Du Lei…” Messiah looked at Du Lei, her expression somewhat complicated.

"Finally got it! It's great that the blueprints are safe and sound!" The flames inside the office had spread and were burning fiercely. Sam successfully obtained the blueprints and exclaimed in surprise. However, at this moment, he was also surrounded by the fire and it was difficult for him to leave smoothly.

"Sam! The fire is too big, we can't get in at all! Hey, all of you come and help!" The receptionist tried to rush into the fire, but to no avail. At this moment, the nearby staff were attracted by the fire. The receptionist shouted at them, but the staff looked at each other and no one dared to step forward.

"Rushing into such a huge fire would be suicide."

"That's right, that's right. We're not professional firefighters, we're just employees. There's no need for us to risk our lives."

"Hey, look over there, what's going on with that fire? It seems like the flames have gone out on their own?"

Just as the employees were passing the buck and no one was willing to step forward, the flames surrounding Sam suddenly parted to make way for him. This scene looked very strange, leaving the employees dumbfounded and completely confused about what was going on.

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329 Who started the fire?

Thanks to the sudden avoidance of the flames, Sam, who was originally trapped in the fire, finally escaped. Ignoring his disheveled state, he hugged the blueprint in his arms and laughed heartily. For him, nothing was more important than the blueprint being intact, a fact that puzzled his colleagues.

"Sam, you're a senior colleague, how can you be so willful? No matter how important the blueprints you have are, they're not as important as your life. Do you know that your reckless behavior almost caused trouble for everyone?" The receptionist scolded Sam.

He looked down on Sam's actions and didn't treat him like a senior at all. However, Sam's behavior was indeed incomprehensible to most people, so the receptionist's words received a lot of support, and everyone looked at Sam with confusion.

"Architecture is the soul of a city's rise. Without architecture, we humans would still be living in caves. You would never understand its importance. It's not just the soul, it's art!" Sam didn't care about other people's opinions; he always stuck to his beliefs.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. I never expected something like this to happen today, Miss Tia. I'm so sorry, but you weren't frightened... Huh? Where is Miss Tia?" The receptionist scoffed at Sam's words, completely disagreeing with his opinion.

Just as he was about to comfort the girl who was frightened by the sudden fire, he suddenly realized that the girl and her entourage had disappeared. He looked around but couldn't find them anywhere, which puzzled the receptionist.

"Miss Tia? Miss Tia? She's left? But a gentle and charming noble lady like her must have never encountered anything like this before. It's understandable that she's leaving like this. Everyone, stop standing there and hurry up and pack up. We don't know how to explain this to Mr. Kevin."

The receptionist sighed and quickly turned to work clearing the rubble from the fire.

Meanwhile, in a secluded alley not far from Kevin's office, Dure and Messiah, who had just left the office, were standing there. They looked back in the direction of the office, where they could see black smoke billowing into the air.

"Du Lei, I'm so sorry, I held you back." Messiah apologized to Du Lei as he turned around.

"Holding everyone back? What did you do wrong? You did a great job just now." Dure didn't think Messiah deserved such praise.

“Du Lei had clearly planned everything, but I had doubts, and even my confidence wavered for a moment. This is really wrong of me!” Messiah looked very remorseful, her hands clenched tightly, her guilt evident in her words.

"Question? What are you questioning?" Dure raised his head to look at Messiah, carefully examining her expression.

"I..." Messiah hesitated, then swallowed the words back down her throat.

“Let me answer for you. You think I stood by and watched that designer named Tom die, right?” Dure understood what Messiah was thinking. He sighed and voiced the question that had been weighing on Messiah’s mind.

“This…” Messiah lowered her head, neither confirming nor denying, which in a sense was tacit agreement.

“It’s perfectly reasonable for you to think that way. It was already wrong of you to set a fire for them, but I not only set a fire, I almost killed someone. At that moment, you must have thought of me as a murderer, right?” Du Lei continued to press.