Wayne felt weak and worthless, thinking of himself as nothing more than garbage. This left Hefei speechless. If he considered himself garbage, what did that make her? And what about those classmates who had failed their first meditation attempts?
Hefei remained silent, blaming herself for speaking out of turn and digging a hole for herself. She felt like garbage compared to Wayne.
Wayne saw Hefei's cold face as a sign of his poor talent. Full of grievances, he dared not speak out. The blame fell on the book of greed, tarnishing his image and keeping the elements at bay.
"Wayne, magic is indeed difficult, but all beginners struggle. One failure doesn't prove anything. You just need to work harder in the future," Hefei said, forcing herself to speak despite running out of words.
Wayne nodded, understanding that diligence could make up for his lack of talent. "I understand. It's okay if my talent is lacking a bit. As long as I put in ten times, a hundred times more effort, I can definitely narrow the gap with the geniuses."
Hefei remained silent, thinking to herself, "Let the geniuses go. They're still just kids!"
The conversation became too heavy, and Hefei felt like she saw one blank face after another, devoid of desire. Her daughter Veronica was among them in the queue. She skipped the topic and flipped the magic book to the last chapter.
"Me!"
The Hexagram Magic Book did not elaborate on the concept of 'void'. The theoretical knowledge was taught uniformly by the academy teachers, and a thick stack of textbooks was not suitable for inclusion.
Of course, the dozen or so magic formulas could also be considered 'void'. Beginners grasped the most basic knowledge, igniting and outlining a complete hexagram pattern.
When the hexagram was formed and stabilized, the essence of the beginner's life was greatly enhanced, becoming a competent magician with enough qualified thinking to access more knowledge.
Wayne's first meditation result was mediocre. He asked Hefei for solutions, wanting to quickly capture elemental light points rather than taking it slow as he was doing now.
The mature teacher immediately answered. This problem troubled all beginners, and there were indeed simple solutions.
Get close to nature, allowing your body and mind to come into greater contact with elemental light points.
"For example, with earth, each of us is constantly in contact with the earth. You can try walking barefoot in the garden... Wait, what are you doing climbing through the window? Come back."
Hefei called Wayne back with a stern face. "Put on your socks. It's not a gentlemanly behavior to have smelly feet in front of a lady."
The methods of contacting the four elements were not complicated. To get closer to the earth, walk barefoot; the earth element would strengthen the magician's muscles, bones, and internal organs.
However, it was not unlimited. It depended on talent. Some mages were destined to be not good at close combat, while others, like the descendants of dragon blood, were strengthened by the earth element far more than ordinary people.
The remaining three elements followed suit. To get closer to the water element, drink more water and take more baths, preferably in the sea; to get closer to the wind element, expose yourself to northwest winds or use an electric fan if there are none; to get closer to the fire element, simply sunbathe, even on overcast days. If you see a fireplace over there, squat by it.
"If you feel that your meditation results are poor, then practice more. Integrate meditation into every aspect of your life. It may be difficult at first because your meditative state will be interrupted by thoughts, but as long as you persist, you can achieve single-mindedness, even maintaining a meditative state while sleeping."
Hefei warned that meditation should not be done in front of outsiders, especially when lurking, as it could easily be noticed by the other party.
She also reminded Wayne that his magical power was latent, which was a huge advantage. It allowed him to hide among ordinary people without being noticed.
As long as he didn't take the initiative, it would be difficult to tell that he was a magician!
However, due to the composition of the hexagram, the magician's aura would change involuntarily, making it distinctly different from that of ordinary people, which was uncontrollable.
One day in the future, if Wayne wanted to continue pretending to be an ordinary person, he would have to learn advanced techniques to conceal his aura.
This was the use of magic power, which Wayne couldn't master at the moment. He couldn't take too big a step; he had to take it one step at a time.
...
Unknowingly, it was late at night. Wayne felt mentally weary after his first meditation.
Hefei stopped teaching and told him to get a good night's sleep and continue class early the next day.
Staying awake for three days and three nights was just talk. Staying up late was the enemy of beauty. Wayne wanted to continue tinkering, but she wanted to have a good night's sleep in the grand mansion.
Moreover, she hadn't been on vacation in the grand mansion for many years, and she couldn't help but feel nostalgic.
It would be great if Veronica and... if Veronica were here too!
The next day, during class, something unexpected happened.
At night.
Wayne was engrossed in the teacher's lecture, forgetting to feed the pigeons at mealtime. The pigeons crawled out of the hat by themselves and happened to be seen clearly by Hefei.
"Wayne, where did you get the carrier pigeon from?"
Hefei was very surprised. Wayne had no systematic training from the academy, nor was he a qualified believer. Where did he get the carrier pigeon from?
"I got it from the gathering point of the followers of the Sun Goddess. A friend gave it to me."
"Is it a man or a woman? Wait, you've been to the gathering point of the Sun Goddess's followers?"
Hefei was greatly surprised. First, it was the Moonlight Goddess, and now the Sun Goddess. Did the followers of death and darkness, too? Would their believers also make a move?
"Yeah, I just walked out of there yesterday. They are really enthusiastic."
Wayne complained, releasing silky moves. Then he said, "Teacher, since you don't allow me to try elemental magic, how about teaching me carrier pigeon magic during the break?"
Hefei didn't answer, but pushed her glasses and realized that things were not simple.
She felt a serious sense of crisis. The student was too outstanding, a hot commodity. It was possible that the Sun Goddess's followers had already made a move on him with their honeyed words.
Disgraceful, openly snatching someone else's student in broad daylight! How could they?
Little did she know that Wayne had been subjected to various disdainful looks in the gym, so he imagined that Wayne had been seduced by the Sun Goddess's followers.
This was unacceptable. Wayne was her student, a outstanding disciple she had cultivated for the development of the Goddess of Nature. He might even become a God's Patron in the future. She couldn't let anyone take him away.
Hefei pondered for a moment, then suddenly brightened up, smiling as she lifted the hem of her skirt, revealing her smooth, straight legs. "Wayne, let me ask you, what does my brand lack?"
You're still thinking about that!
"Teacher, let's talk about bird magic instead!"
Wayne glanced over, feeling speechless. His elder sister teacher was impeccable in every aspect, with both knowledge and beauty, but that also led to him being distracted during class.
That's why he preferred the old scholarly mentor with a white beard. The old man might not have much appeal, but he could keep Wayne's attention focused on the lessons rather than on the teacher.
"Let's talk about clothes, or there won't be any magic lessons in the future."
"Pantyhose, nylon pantyhose."
Wayne sighed in resignation and finally spoke up.
This time, there was no hesitation or concealment. Previously, Hefei was just a passerby, but now she was his mentor on the path of magic. Just three days of classes had taught him a lot, and presenting the patent for pantyhose as a gift to Hefei seemed reasonable.
Acquiring patent rights was too difficult, and even if he managed to buy them, he might not be able to hold onto them. But Hefei was different; as a high priestess, she needed money and power. Associating with her might even bring some benefits.
To illustrate pantyhose more vividly, Wayne asked a maid for a piece of charcoal and started sketching on his own legs in front of Hefei.
"Pantyhose can be used to beautify the legs, keep them warm, prevent swelling, protect from sunburn and sweat..."
"Their greatest allure lies in their aesthetics; they can cover up minor flaws on a woman's legs. Furthermore, the softness and smoothness of pantyhose can enhance the beauty of the legs, providing viewers with a sense of elegance and sophistication."
The focus shifted, with Wayne explaining the uses of pantyhose, turning into a teaching moment for him and a learning experience for Hefei.
"In my estimation, ultra-thin pantyhose should be worn in summer, medium-thick ones in spring and autumn, and thicker ones in winter..."
"High-quality pantyhose should be breathable, allowing women to stay cool even in summer, thus preventing sticky sweat and allowing better contact with air."
"At the same time, pantyhose should be elastic, firming up any excess flesh on the legs and making the leg lines more graceful. Good adhesion helps them conform closely to the skin, making it look smoother and more radiant."
"And they should be durable..."
Wayne pointed to his own dark legs, becoming more animated as he described his concept for pantyhose.
Someone once said, "Don't leave home without a hat, and don't leave home without pantyhose."
Wayne couldn't remember who said this, but he knew the person held significant sway in the fashion world. Industry insiders had sharp eyes; this was why he was confident that pantyhose could make a fortune.
After listening to Wayne's explanation, Hefei became excited. As a woman and a fashion designer, she immediately recognized the bright future of pantyhose.
Whether it made money or not didn't matter; she had to have them in her wardrobe!
Hefei lifted the hem of her skirt and was about to darken her legs with charcoal on the spot, even asking Wayne to help, one leg each.
Wayne declined; he wanted to respect his teacher and asked her not to tease him from time to time.
After all, it was really teasing!
Hefei changed into an evening gown, standing in front of the mirror and carefully examining herself. Her legs were already colored black with charcoal, not real pantyhose, but it was symbolic.
Wayne was curious where Hefei found such a fitting evening gown. It seemed normal for a magician to have a storage space, so it wasn't surprising.
Hefei looked more and more satisfied as she gazed at herself, eager to get her first pair of pantyhose. "Wayne, are you worried about the patent for nylon?"
"That's right. As far as I know, the patent for nylon is held by a company in Lunden, but I haven't investigated which company specifically. Currently, nylon is mainly used for producing military supplies." Wayne replied truthfully.
"What a waste; it would be much better to use it for making socks."
"It's not that easy. Currently, it's just a blueprint, and there are technical challenges to overcome. Obtaining the patent rights doesn't mean we can produce pantyhose right away..."
Wayne sighed. "The key is the patent rights; I'm afraid that once pantyhose hit the market and they see the huge profits, they'll kick us out directly."
"Hehe, that won't happen."
Hefei was confident, brushing off concerns about her husband's shady dealings. She didn't want to reveal Veronica's mother's identity prematurely. Instead, she smoothly changed the subject. "Wayne, are you interested in becoming a designer for the Sister brand? In the future, your designs, including pantyhose, will count as your technical contribution, and you'll receive half of the net profit."
So much, are you trying to keep me?
Wayne was surprised by Hefei's generosity, suspecting that she didn't fully understand the value of pantyhose. With so much money involved, it wasn't just about being a student; it was a matter of life and death. So, what exactly was her aim?
Wayne didn't realize his own talent fully, nor did he understand Hefei's sense of crisis. He ended up signing a temporary draft agreement, becoming the second fashion designer for the "Hefei Valentine" brand, unintentionally.
The first designer was Hefei herself, the founder and chief designer.
He signed it without understanding fashion, but he dared to confidently say that in this era, nobody understood pantyhose better than him!
Don't ask, just understand.
Haven't seen or worn pantyhose? Haven't seen the provocative pictures your friends share?
Wayne didn't know much about fashion design, and that was okay; ignorance was nothing to be ashamed of. But he had seen plenty of pantyhose.
Black ones, white ones, flesh-colored ones;
Long ones, mid-length ones, suspender ones;
Fishnet ones, patterned ones...
If he couldn't design pantyhose, it would be like dumbing down. If he failed, it would only show the industrial level of this era was lacking.
Speaking of understanding, Wayne also thought of women's underwear and swimsuits. He suddenly realized that he had been in the wrong direction before, always trying to invent simple and practical gadgets.
In reality, just the provocative pictures his friends shared could make him stand out in this era.
He might even top the list as the year's friendliest designer for women, becoming the most popular fashion designer on the chosen continent, the dream lover of millions of young girls.
The key was to make money!
Those perverted friends were really useful!
In a daze, Wayne saw countless queen heads flying towards him.
He tried to dodge desperately.
Guess what?
Hey, he couldn't dodge at all!
"Hehehe—" x2
Wayne laughed lowly, but as he laughed, he felt something was off.
Why was it two laughs?
When he looked up, he saw Hefei staring at him with a smile.
"Teacher, why are you laughing?"
"Nothing, I saw you laughing, so I laughed too."
Hefei covered her mouth with her hand, thinking, "Young people are easily manipulated with a little trickery."
Kid, make money properly. My daughter has no concept of money. She spends lavishly and even has to pay to work outside. If you don't earn enough, you won't be able to support her.