abnabooks Chapter 309 The Ring of Cooperation
Chapter 309 The Ring of Cooperation
Chapter 309 The Ring of Cooperation
The shop is small, but elegantly and quietly decorated. Inside the counter are various exquisite jewelry pieces: necklaces, earrings, hair clips, brooches—each piece is meticulously crafted and subtly exudes a magical aura.
The labels next to it simply indicate the additional effects of the words, such as "calming", "focusing", "luck", "avoiding miasma", "lightness", etc.
As Li Ang knew, these incantations permanently imprinted on objects were usually very weak in order to maintain stability, serving more as symbols or providing minor psychological comfort. Buyers mostly purchased them for their auspicious symbolism or aesthetic appeal, without expecting much from their actual effectiveness.
Looking at the jewelry that shimmered with a soft luster, and then at Eve's serene and beautiful profile beside him, Li Ang suddenly had a thought.
Since becoming her apprentice, Eve had given him countless helpings, and he seemed never to have formally and properly reciprocated with any gift. Now, it seemed like a good opportunity.
So, as Eve's gaze swept over the pieces of jewelry, ultimately choosing nothing and preparing to leave, Leon stopped and began to browse them carefully.
His gaze swept carefully over each piece of jewelry, not to assess the strength of its enchantment, but to find a style that suited Eve's temperament and could express his feelings.
Finally, his gaze settled on a hair clip. The clip had a simple and elegant design, resembling a gracefully unfolding green leaf. The edges were inlaid with tiny moonstones, and the center held a small but pure sapphire. The label next to it read: "Peace".
"Mentor," Li Ang picked up the hair clip, turned to Eve, and said in a gentle but earnest tone, "I am deeply grateful for your care all this time. I would like to give you this hair clip as a token of my appreciation. I hope it will accompany you and keep you safe and sound forever."
Eve was clearly stunned. She looked at the hair clip in Li Ang's hand, then at Li Ang's sincere eyes. A faint blush rose on her fair cheeks at a visible speed. She subconsciously wanted to refuse. How could a mentor accept money from a student? It was against the rules.
But the words were on the tip of his tongue, yet he inexplicably swallowed them back. The hair clip shimmered softly under the light, simple yet beautiful.
Her icy expression softened slightly; her long eyelashes trembled, her gaze wavered for a moment, but she ultimately reached out and took the hair clip.
Her fingertips touched the cool metal and the warm gemstone, and her voice was softer than usual: "—Thank you."
She didn't put it on immediately, but held it carefully in her hand. Li Ang smiled, walked to the counter, and paid one hundred contribution points.
This price isn't cheap for a piece of jewelry whose main value lies in its craftsmanship and materials, but Li Ang felt it was worth it.
After paying the contribution points, Li Ang returned to Eve's side, looking at her still slightly flushed cheeks and the hair clip in her hand, and said softly, "Why don't you try it on, mentor?"
Upon hearing this, Eve's blush seemed to deepen. She turned her head slightly to avoid Li Ang's gaze, hesitated for a moment, and finally raised her hand to gently tuck the hair clip into her light blue hair.
The shimmering light of moonstone and the clarity of sapphire sparkled in her hair, adding a unique beauty to her cool and aloof demeanor.
Looking at the picturesque Eve, Li Ang said softly, "She suits you very well, mentor."
Upon hearing this, Eve's lips curled up slightly, revealing a gentle smile. She gave a soft "hmm" and unconsciously touched the edge of the hair clip with her fingertips.
Behind them, Ginny, Nelson, and Rodney held their breath, carefully avoiding making any noise, afraid of breaking the peaceful and beautiful scene before them.
After buying the hair clips, Li Ang glanced at his pocket watch. It was almost time for the agreed meeting. So he and Eve, along with the still-excited Nelson and Rodney, returned to the entrance of the expo.
Before long, the team members returned one after another. Maya carried a small cloth bag containing several samples of strange minerals that interested her. Olivia didn't buy anything, but her face showed satisfaction, clearly having enjoyed the sights. Helena and Ludick were whispering to each other. Once everyone was present, they returned together to the Quiet Wind Chamber inside the Elemental Tower. Dinner was provided by the Chalk Tower, and the dishes were exquisite and plentiful. Everyone sat around the long table, eating and chatting about their experiences that afternoon in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
After dinner, everyone gathered in the downstairs living room to rest. The warm flames in the fireplace dispelled the slight chill of the night.
Maya was enjoying herbal tea with Harris using the new silver tea set. The Carlos faction leader and Professor Diana sat on the sofa by the window, discussing something in hushed tones. Eve sat quietly to the side, flipping through an ancient botanical encyclopedia she had taken from the bookshelf. Li Ang also took a book about the history of Chalk City and sat opposite her, reading quietly.
At this moment, Helena and Rudick exchanged a glance. Helena coughed lightly, a mysterious smile on her face, and said, "Captain, everyone—actually, Rudick and I have a gift for you all."
Upon hearing this, Li Ang put down the book in his hand and looked over. Then, the members of the First Special Operations Group naturally sat around the low table in the center of the living room.
Nelson dutifully refilled everyone's teacups, then retreated a little further away with Rodney, peering out curiously.
Maya's eyes lit up, and she immediately leaned closer: "A gift? What is it that's so mysterious?" Her emerald green eyes were full of anticipation.
Olivia sat up straight, her small nose twitching slightly as if trying to sniff out something from the air. However, she didn't smell any food, so she lost interest. But she still sat there obediently, her gaze fixed on Helena, waiting for what was to come.
Now, she considers herself a member of the team and no longer acts as a loner as before.
Helena took out a small square box wrapped in dark blue velvet from her bosom, carefully opened it, and found it lined with soft padding, on which were placed five rings side by side.
The rings are almost identical in design, presenting an antique dark silver color with fine, flowing patterns on the surface. However, one of them has an extremely fine inscription engraved on the inside of the ring.
"This is what Ludick and I found at the fair," Helena explained, her voice tinged with excitement.
"We felt that this was perfect for teamwork, so we pooled our money to buy it and wanted to give it to everyone as a gift."
Rudik picked up the conversation, pointing to the inscribed ring and saying, "According to the shopkeeper, this is called the Cooperation Ring. It consists of one main ring and several sub-rings. When worn by several people, it can synchronize their mental energy fluctuations to a certain extent, or—temporarily concentrate some mental energy on one person. All of this can be distributed and controlled through the main ring."
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