Universe Infinite Canteen-Chapter 643: Reinforcements Arrive Again

After a week of management, Ma Lu reviewed the gains from this period.

He now had 14 million in cash reserves and had also accumulated more than 230,000 Star Currency.

Unconsciously, he was nearing the goal of earning 280,000 Star Currency.

That meant, barring any accidents, Ma Lu could pay off the debt he owed Yan Wu from purchasing the Desktop Farm and the Phase Shifter as early as next week.

At this point, only a quarter of the two-year agreement with Yan Wu had passed.

He had to admit that the speed of earning money had somewhat exceeded his own expectations.

But since there was still a year and a half to repay the debt, Ma Lu was not in a hurry to do so.

After all, this money was interest-free, and it made more sense to use it for investment rather than paying it off early.

It just so happened that No.6 had been idle for a long time, with its old value accumulating to 293,713 points.

Ma Lu planned to go hunting for more High-Dimensional Artifacts that were incomplete or even completely broken from the Werewolf Boss next week, repair them, and have Lao Hei sell them off discreetly for a good profit.

Furthermore, keeping cash in the bank wasn't the best use of it, as interest rates were getting lower and lower, so it made sense to take some out for investment.

As for what to invest in, Ma Lu hadn't decided yet. He would study it when he got back; there was no rush for now.

Picking up the Chef's Knife and the Collection Bag, and also the voice recorder that had just been delivered from an online order and onto which he had stuck a Radish Patch, Ma Lu set off again to another Plane to collect ingredients.

Upon entering the school gates, what caught his eye first was the Principal Statue, raising its right fist towards the sky with a proud posture.

Ma Lu had been too hurried to appreciate it last time, but this time he took a good, careful look around the statue.

The more he looked, the more he thought it was truly handsome, with the original figure's outstanding image accounting for seventy percent of it, and the remainder credited to the sculptor's talent in faithfully capturing the real person's temperament and likeness.

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The statue could certainly be considered a work of art.

Ma Lu stood there with his hands behind his back, admiring it for a good six or seven minutes, until a light cough interrupted him, and he turned to see Cao Youyi waiting on the side.

"Oh, Teacher Cao, when did you arrive?"

"I've been here for a while, but seeing Principal Ma so engrossed, I didn't want to disturb you."

"Oh, I was indeed engrossed in thought just now," Ma Lu said, without a blush, "I have no idea who left this statue at the foot of the mountain. Have you found out anything?"

"No," Cao Youyi shook her head, "I specifically had someone inquire with the Carriage Shop in town, and nobody had received an order to deliver a statue.

"Moreover, the people from Heroic Concealment said the statue wasn't there when they descended the mountain, which means it was likely delivered around noon.

"Logically, there should have been plenty of people on the mountain road at that time, and considering the size of the statue, it's strange that no one saw how it was brought over."

"Hmm, this is indeed suspicious," Ma Lu posed thoughtfully, "Who did this, and what was their intention... I've only been the principal for a month, and though I have made some contributions, it's not to the extent of erecting a statue.

"They couldn't be trying to destroy me by flattery, now could they? Oh dear, what should I do? We should send this statue back."

"But we can't find the person who delivered the statue now, so there's no way to send it back," analyzed Cao Youyi.

"Besides, I believe whoever did this means us no harm. Creating a bronze statue like this is not cheap; the materials and craftsmen were all top-notch.

"If it were just for flattery, there was no need to go to such lengths. Also," Cao Youyi paused, "I think even though you have been in office for a short time, Principal Ma, your contribution to Hou De has already surpassed that of the previous principals, and you absolutely deserve a statue."

"So, Teacher Cao, you mean... we should keep it?"

"Let's keep it. I've already checked, and there's nothing wrong with the statue."

"Then let's just leave it here for the time being, but once we find the person who sent the statue, we must have them take it away," Ma Lu insisted.

After discussing the statue, Cao Youyi reported on the results of the new teacher recruitment.

Since he hoped the new teachers would start as soon as possible, this time Ma Lu didn't handle it personally but left it to Cao Youyi.

His requirements for recruitment were simple and were already indicated in the newspaper: the individuals Hou De was looking for must have extensive teaching experience and be skilled in High-level Talismans, the more the better.

These requirements were certainly high, but Principal Ma offered very high salaries, 200 per month, and if there were exceptionally talented individuals, there was room to negotiate even higher.

The salary level was directly on par with the top-ranked schools.

At the same time, to appease the old staff and reward them for their enthusiastic participation in several school challenges, Ma Lu increased the salary of the existing teachers by 20 Star Currency per person, and issued corresponding bonuses as well.

Thanks to several sponsorships and endorsements accepted earlier, Hou De's finances had improved considerably, allowing for further investment in personnel.

It turns out, everywhere has its share of buried talent.

As soon as this recruitment notice was published, Cao Youyi received numerous telegrams and phone calls, and some candidates even came directly to pitch themselves.

Cao Youyi interacted with each applicant individually, eliminating those without genuine substance who just wanted to muddy the waters. After that, she was left with several individuals who were both strong and experienced.

Among them, two impressed her the most: One was Gu Peilun, who had fourteen years of teaching experience at the Bright Rune Master School, ranked seventh by the Ministry of Education.

Another was Sheng Tongwen, who had published hundreds of articles in In Education Newspaper and Peiwen Newspaper, had two published works, and had also been a principal himself.

In Cao Youyi's opinion, both were rare talents, and she found it difficult to decide whom to choose.

Finally, thinking of Ma Lu's consistent approach, Cao Youyi bit the bullet, disregarded the budget, and boldly decided to keep both with salaries of 260 per month and 300 per month, respectively.

However, this meant that the school's monthly salary expenses for teachers alone reached 875 Star Currency, and with bonuses included, the cost easily exceeded a thousand.

The expenses had almost doubled overnight, which put considerable pressure on the finances.

But, as expected, Ma Lu, the new principal, was pleased when hearing about it. In his view, nothing was more important than resolving Hou De's current talent dilemma.

Moreover, the effects of Gu Peilun and Sheng Tongwen's addition were immediately evident.

They had only taught for two days, but Hou De already gained more than thirty students proficient in High-level Talismans, many of whom had mastered more than one, leading to a qualitative leap in their combat abilities.

If Heroic Concealment came to challenge again now, Ma Lu was confident he could ensure they wouldn't win a single match.