A week after the gymnasium incident, Li Li's life returned to peace. The five members of the Paranormal Investigation Society hadn't contacted her again, suggesting the matter was completely resolved.

  The payment from the exorcism had alleviated her financial crisis, **significantly boosting** the probability that she would survive until her next allowance deposit.

  Li Li's life went back on **track**: raising her scorpion and ghost, crafting paper items, attending classes, and doing homework.

  However, this incident sparked a new train of thought.

  Living abroad was inevitably more expensive than living at home. **Plus**, she had the Immortal Ascension plot to investigate, and a scorpion and a ghost pet to support. Her expenses were naturally higher than the average international student's.

  If she relied solely on the monthly allowance Li Chengxian sent, it wouldn't be nearly enough.

  Fortunately, she had skills. Besides ghost-catching, she was proficient in fortune-telling, Feng Shui consultation, and conducting rituals. She was also skilled in paper crafts like folding figurines and making Protection Charms. **Thanks to Xiao Mei's influence**, making paper haute couture wasn't an issue either.

  Since she had no **competitors** abroad, if she planned this properly, she could turn this into a side hustle to earn some pocket money.

  Li Li stroked her chin, **thinking**, and wrote four big words on a piece of paper: **"Money-Making Plan."**

  The only difficulty was her status. As an ordinary international student, she wasn't close with her foreign classmates, and her Chinese classmates thought she was weird. She had no connections for referrals and no channels to **proactively reach clients**. Without a reputation, the chances of clients **coming to her door** were minimal.

  She couldn't exactly walk around campus asking random people: *"Do you need ghost-catching?" "Do you need Feng Shui?" "Does your family need a ritual?"*

  She wouldn't make money; she'd be arrested by campus security and either deported or sent to a psych ward.

  *Then I'd definitely have free food to eat, but without a diploma, Dad would probably make me eat inside the **Soul Banner** for the rest of my life.*

  Li Li was **at her wit's end**. She **irritably crossed out** the words on the paper.

  This couldn't be rushed; it needed **long-term planning**. She’d have to rely on **fate** for odd jobs for now. If absolutely necessary... maybe she really would have to become an influencer.

  *Li Li, oh Li Li, why are you such a failure? Almost a month abroad and not a single friend. Now look at you, nothing is progressing.*

  *Back in China, at least Liu Hailin would never abandon me.*

  But Li Li forgot—Liu Hailin was a staunch Materialist Warrior. No matter what strange things Li Li did in high school, Liu Hailin just assumed she hadn't outgrown her *Chuunibyou* (Eighth-Grader Syndrome) phase and was simply **trapped in her own fantasies**.

  *Ring—*

  The class dismissal bell rang.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Li Li packed her bag, **lost in thought**, and left the classroom.

  This was her last class of the day.

  *Are there enough ingredients in the fridge? Should I stop by the supermarket? The leafy greens looked wilted; maybe I should buy fresh ones to stir-fry. Did I finish the eggs last time? Sigh, the price of eggs here rises so fast, I can barely afford them.*

  Li Li mentally tallied her fridge inventory and **calculated how much cash she had left**.

  *I think the supermarket has discounts after 8 PM. I’ll go then. It’s cheaper.*

  Head down and **thinking hard**, she followed the flow of students out of the room.

  She **bumped right into** someone. Distracted, Li Li couldn't dodge in time and crashed into them.

  She quickly steadied herself. "Sorry, sorry."

  "No problem."

  The voice sounded strangely familiar. Li Li looked up and **squinted**—it was Sylvia!

  Sylvia was still dressed in all black, face deathly pale, lips pitch black, and hair styled into sharp, geometric angles—clearly holding **an ungodly amount of hairspray**.

  Seeing Li Li, Sylvia's eyes sparkled. She **opened her mouth**: "Want to attend club activities with me?"

  Li Li: "?"

  *What club activities?*

  She thought it, and asked it aloud.

  "The Paranormal Investigation Society," Sylvia said patiently, reciting the full name.

  "?" Confusion was written all over Li Li's face. "I never joined the club."

  "But now, **I'm the only one left**," Sylvia said.

  Beneath the thick, pale foundation, Li Li detected a hint of pitifulness.

  It turned out that after the **Gang of Five** experienced a genuine, life-threatening paranormal event, they suddenly gained a **brand new understanding** of life and death.

  The two freshmen, Duke and Lacey, went without saying—they had joined out of curiosity. This **horror experience** on the edge of death ensured they would never touch anything paranormal again. Naturally, the morning after waking up, they notified the veterans they were quitting.

  They didn't even give the veterans a chance to **persuade them to stay** before deleting all contact info.

  As for Jack—he considered it for two or three days, but **eventually** decided to quit too.

  Gothic fascination with the "aura of death" and *actually experiencing death* were two very different things. **After this ordeal**, he was **thoroughly humbled**. He didn't want to deal with death, ghosts, or Satan ever again. He didn't even want to wear black. The hair gel, nose rings, eyebrow studs, studded shoes—all dumped in the trash.

  Now, he just wanted to live a mundane life, **soaking goji berries in a thermos**.

  Hearing this, the corner of Li Li's mouth **twitched**. She **thought to herself**: *Chinese culture is truly **profound**—the idiom "Lord Ye Who Loved Dragons" **predicted** these people exactly.*

  As for Mary—she liked Jack, so when Jack quit, she quit too.

  Finally, only Sylvia remained.

  The Paranormal Investigation Society was **in name only**.

  Sylvia was introverted. Making her handle recruitment alone was impossible, so she could only find Li Li. She felt that after everything they'd been through, they counted as friends.

  *If absolutely necessary, she could pay Li Li to keep her company.*

  *If Li Li knew Sylvia's plan, she would have immediately shouted **"Sugar Mommy! Adopt me!"** and clung to Sylvia's leg without letting go.*

  But Li Li didn't know, so she just scratched her head. "But I can't join the club."

  She was a Taoist priest, **a registered member of the Taoist Association**—how could she join another spiritual club?

  Sylvia **seemed to have anticipated** this. Her eyes sparkled as she said **excitedly**: "Then I can join you!"

  "Join me?" Li Li pointed at her own **nose**.

  Sylvia nodded. "You're Taoist, right? I researched it when I got back—I know it's China's traditional religion. I can join you! I'm very interested in Chinese culture!"

  Li Li: "..."

  *This kid has quite the imagination.*

  Seeing Li Li **hesitate to reply**, disappointment crept onto Sylvia's face. "What's wrong? Can foreigners not enter the Tao?"

  "That's not it," Li Li thought for a moment and said. "The Taoist Rules don't specify that foreigners can't join."

  Sylvia's hope **reignited**. "Then..."

  "Then..." Li Li said hesitantly, "I guess you can enter."

  After all, China emphasized **freedom of belief**. Li Li wasn't forcing Sylvia to convert; she volunteered.

  Hearing this, Sylvia **excitedly** dropped to her knees with a loud *THUD*, raising her hands to **kowtow**.

  "Master! Please accept your disciple's bow!"

  It was exactly **break time between classes**. The hallway was crowded. Sylvia's dramatic action **startled passersby**, causing them to back away and creating a **wide, empty circle** in the middle of the jam-packed corridor.

  Li Li: "..."

  *She saw someone raising a phone to film again!*

  * **"Goji berries in a thermos":** In China, this is the universal symbol of middle-aged/elderly people taking care of their health (养生). Jack going from Goth to "Goji Berry Lifestyle" is the ultimate sign of retirement.

  * **"Sugar Mommy" (富婆):** Literally "Rich Woman." The universal cry of broke students everywhere.

  ---