Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Monday, and it was time for Isaac to go to school, which he hated most.

Since regaining his memories, Isaac's most hated thing is going to school, and today is his first time going to school since regaining his memories.

"Damn it, I, a lieutenant general, commander-in-chief of the three armed forces, and owner of a future technology company, am actually going to have to attend classes in the same classroom as a bunch of little kids."

Inside the school bus, Isaac's face looked terrible, and even Chika, who was standing next to him, sensed that something was wrong.

"Isaac, you look terrible. Are you sick?"

"That's right, I'm sick, so I'm using that as an excuse to skip school today."

Isaac is in a very bad mood today.

“That’s not a good idea…” Chika seemed to remember something, so she continued to ask, “Are you worried that someone at school will bully you? Don’t worry, just run away to our classroom after class.”

"Don't worry, it's definitely not a matter of being bullied."

Today is the day I arranged to meet George; he'll be bringing the gun he got his hands on.

Therefore, skipping classes is a must; otherwise, you won't earn money.

The school bus slowly drove into the school. After parting ways with Chika, Isaac walked into the classroom alone with his schoolbag on his back.

This made him feel ashamed.

As soon as they entered the classroom, some students started snickering again, thinking that the classmate they thought was easy to bully was here to amuse them again.

Ignoring the group of nominal classmates, he was about to sit down when his chair was pulled away from behind him again.

"You guys are so boring, aren't you tired of playing the same trick all the time?"

Isaac didn't say much, and simply pulled the chair back and sat down.

He's actually over twenty years old; there's no need for him to argue with a bunch of kids.

But just then, that brat who usually stole Isaac's meal money came looking for Isaac again.

"Hey, Isaac, hand over the money, or I'll beat you up."

"..."

Isaac, who was already in a terrible mood, immediately stood up and, to the man's astonishment, hooked his arm around his shoulder.

"Come on, you little brat, let's go to the toilet and have a chat."

Chapter 489: The First Business Deal

"Gurgle gurgle..."

Are the children happy?

In the restroom, Isaac cornered the burly kid who had been bullying him in a private booth, grabbed his head, and shoved it into the toilet.

"Waaah... I was wrong, please let me go."

The child's face was covered in snot and tears. Although he liked to bully others, he had never been treated like this before.

After all, he's still just a child, and he couldn't take it anymore and burst into tears.

The boy he had always bullied was now bullying him in return. He initially tried to fight back but found himself no match for the boy.

'If you're so amazing, why did I bully you before?'

"I'm not some kind of demon. I'll charge 50% interest on the money you stole from me before. How about that?"

"I...I have no money..."

He had barely finished speaking when Isaac pushed his head into the toilet again.

"Gurgle..."

"No money? Where has all the money I give you every day gone?"

"I'm going to buy...I'm going to buy some food."

"Really none left?" Isaac asked.

"It's...it's really gone..."

"Then go find a way to pay me back. Go steal, rob, or engage in prostitution. There must be some perverts in the slums next to my house. Go there and sell your ass."

"No!"

Having been called a school bully since childhood, he finally learned today what a real bully is.

Seeing the trembling little kid, Isaac squatted down and looked at him, saying, "How about this, I'll give you a chance you don't have to pay me back."

"what?"

“You skip class the most times, can you tell me how you manage to get away?” Isaac asked.

"Well... actually, I asked the teacher for leave using a sick leave slip from the infirmary, and then the people at the infirmary covered for me," he quickly said.

"Would the people in the infirmary cover for you?"

“I give her money every month.”

This was the first time Isaac had ever learned that, in addition to the dark side of society, there was also a dark side to school.

“Oh~” Isaac pulled him up. “Come on, come with me to the infirmary.”

……

Inside the medical room.

A plump woman in a white coat was dozing off when Isaac and his men walked in.

The fat woman slightly opened her eyes and immediately saw the person in Isaac's hand.

"Oh, isn't this Rooney? Here to ask for a leave slip again?" The plump woman looked closer and noticed that the man was soaking wet. "What happened to you?"

“Ms. Jennifer, my… older brother wants to ask you for a leave slip,” said the boy named Rooney.

"Oh?"

Jennifer turned her gaze to Isaac.

"What illness do you have, student? Would you like me to take your temperature?"

"Madam, I have acute gastroenteritis."

"How did you know? This needs to be checked..."

Five hundred US dollars.

"Oh, poor child, you must be quite ill. Here is your medical report and leave slip. Take them to your teacher."

Jennifer quickly wrote several lines on the paper, and judging by her skill, it was definitely not her first time doing this.

After exchanging money for goods, Isaac took the leave slip to his teacher.

“Listen, Rooney, I don’t need to tell you what you’d do if anyone else knew what happened today,” Isaac said, making a gesture across Rooney’s neck.

"Of course, I will never tell anyone about my brother's affairs." Rooney shook his head frantically.

He had already seen what Isaac was like, and now he was absolutely obedient.

“Very good.”

In a small corner outside the slum, a dilapidated car was parked.

This is where George and Isaac agreed to meet.

George was leaning against the car smoking when Isaac arrived shortly afterward.

"Hey boss, I've been waiting for you for ages."

"It wasn't easy for me to get out of school... Give me one of your cigarettes."

Isaac approached George, asked for a cigarette, and put it in his mouth. George, being an employee, kindly lit it for him with a lighter.

"I'm surprised you managed to get the goods in just one day."

“I’m not bragging when I say I have a way.” George chuckled and patted his beat-up car. “I spent two thousand of the money you gave me yesterday on a used car at Meijing, and it still works.”

"Yes, where's the gun?"

"Here."

As George spoke, he opened the trunk of the car, inside which lay a hundred black submachine guns.

"...What is this?"

“Uh…Sten.” George looked a little embarrassed.

The Sten, also known as the Sten submachine gun, was invented during World War II. It had no other special features, but its ability to jam and fire was incredibly seamless.

How did you get your hands on something like this?

“A friend of mine had several of these guns hidden away, but he couldn’t sell them at all, so he had to give them to me at a low price.”

You want me to sell things that can't be sold?

Isaac was speechless at his first employee in the world.

"Don't say that, boss. This gun has many advantages, such as being lightweight and having a rate of fire of 500 rounds per minute, which is also very powerful."

"Then why don't I use an AK-47?"

"This……"

Isaac rolled his eyes at the Sten cars, then closed the trunk.

"Well, something's better than nothing. We still need to make the first deal." Isaac said, opening the passenger door. "Drive."

"Huh? Where are we going?"

"Go find a buyer."

……

In the dimly lit room, Isaac sat in a chair while George stood behind him like a bodyguard.

In front of them stood fifty or sixty menacing-looking men, each with a murderous aura. The leader was a middle-aged white man wearing a gold chain.

"I never imagined I'd be doing business with a kid."