C22 Agreed to the Date

Zhang Yun, the class study representative, suddenly clutched his stomach and cried out in pain.

He had shared a meal with the class monitor, Qian Tong, at noon and had eaten a few bites of kidney beans. Sensing that something was off with the flavor, he spat them out. Now, with his stomach aching, he was certain the beans were to blame.

"Ow, I ate those beans too, and now it looks like I've been hit as well."

Lee Meili, the class beauty, also grimaced and held her stomach; she had eaten her fair share.

"What do I do? I had those beans at lunch too. This is terrible. I don't want to end up vomiting foam like the class monitor did. If that happens, what will become of my image?"

Suddenly, everyone was gripped by fear. They hadn't been too concerned when Qian Tong had passed out, but now that they were affected, it felt entirely different.

"Fen, do you still have any of that medicine? Could you give me some? I'd even agree to go on a date with you if that's what it takes."

Qin Fen nearly choked upon hearing the class beauty's offer, almost regurgitating the beans he'd eaten earlier.

Her proposition was enticing, even though he shared an ambiguous fondness with Su Rou; they had yet to define their relationship.

Of course, if he were to coerce the class beauty into a date over some expired coke, what kind of person would he be?

The classroom was soon filled with cries and groans of discomfort, causing the teacher to become deeply concerned.

He turned to Qin Fen and asked, "Fen, the students are having a hard time. What do you suggest?"

Qin Fen replied confidently, "No worries, Teacher. We're all classmates here. I have plenty of medicine for everyone. Just don't drink too much, in case other students have also eaten those tainted beans—we want to be able to help as many people as possible."

The teacher nodded, expressing his admiration, "You're doing well, thinking of other students as well. On behalf of the school's faculty and students, I thank you."

Hearing Qin Fen's response, the suffering students immediately showered him with praise.

"When it counts, Fen is the one we can count on. Thanks in advance, brother Fen."

"Yes, Fen has always been a gentleman who doesn't dwell on the faults of others."

"Fen, you're so generous. I owe you one."

The teacher gratefully accepted the large bucket Qin Fen offered, brimming with expired coke.

Qin Fen also considerately provided a stack of disposable cups for everyone. Some students, already equipped with their own water bottles, saved him some effort. Yet, when they poured the drink, they filled their cups several times over what the disposable ones could hold.

After their first cup, a few even helped themselves to an extra one or two, finding the medicinal concoction unexpectedly tasty!

Slowly, the students began to look at Qin Fen with admiration.

His medicine was a lifesaver, and with so many in need, it would have been reasonable for him to charge for it. Instead, he chose to distribute it freely, embodying the spirit of a true hero.

"Classmates, continue with your studies. I'll go and inform the principal about this situation," the teacher said, not wanting to waste a moment. Qin Fen's life-saving medicine was a significant development, and reporting it might earn the teacher some recognition from the principal.

Given that Qin Fen's class had this issue, it was likely the same in other classes—a serious concern for the principal. The principal was probably frantic by now, and a prompt report from the teacher could be just the solution needed.

Once the teacher had left, the students' praise for Qin Fen flowed freely, leaving him feeling somewhat elated.

As Qin Fen's teacher had anticipated, the principal was indeed overwhelmed by the situation. Such an incident had never occurred at their school before, and poor handling could lead to scandalous headlines, putting the entire institution under scrutiny.

Indeed, food poisoning at the school was potential headline-making news.

"What are you saying? Qin Fen from your class provided a cure for food poisoning? That's fantastic!"

"Yes, Principal. Many of our classmates have already tried it, and the results are remarkable. The first student to drink it revived in less than two minutes, as if nothing had happened."

The teacher relayed the news with palpable excitement.

"Excellent, truly excellent. I'll commend Qin for his efforts and award him two additional pills for three consecutive months."

The principal finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had feared for his job, but unexpectedly, the tide had turned in his favor.

He needed to properly acknowledge the young man's contribution.

Within the next half-hour, representatives from each class arrived with buckets to collect the expired coke. Qin's class suddenly found itself in the spotlight.

Many students had been poisoned by eating the beans, with varying degrees of severity. Fortunately, having the antidote on hand meant every class was prepared.

The crisis that had erupted so suddenly was quelled within a couple of hours, thanks to Qin's remedy. Back in the principal's office, the principal's complexion had regained its healthy glow.

"That kid Qin really knows his stuff. My job is safe, and I owe him a debt of gratitude. I can't shake the feeling that I need to repay him."

Meanwhile, normalcy had returned to Qin's classroom. The language teacher beamed with hope, showing no signs of fatigue despite having taught two consecutive classes.

Qin, on the other hand, was utterly baffled.

What was happening? Weren't the System's products supposed to be flawed?

He remembered all too well the effect of the Nine-Taste Decoction, which had bloated his stomach significantly.

Yet, his batch of 1982 expired coke had been consumed by the entire school without incident.

He wasn't sure about the other classes, but his own classmates had drunk it without any issues.

Could it be that the side effects were exclusive to him?

But Zheng Xu had experienced the same pregnancy-like symptoms after drinking the Nine-Taste Decoction.

There was no denying it—the expired coke worked wonders, and it worked fast.

Was it possible that the System's products had selective side effects?

Still, with thousands of students in the school, it seemed improbable that only Zheng Xu and he would suffer so conspicuously.

Surely, this was a sufficient sample size?

Yet there was no sign of any adverse reactions.

It appeared that the expired coke probably had no side effects after all.

Qin Fen chuckled to himself and shook his head. No side effects were even better; that was exactly what he had hoped for.

If there were any side effects, I couldn't bear the consequences if something went wrong.

Just when Qin Fen thought the issue had been put to rest, something caught his eye. He noticed the class monitor, Qian Tong, almost standing up before sitting back down.

"This guy was the first to drink the expired coke. Could he be having a reaction? I have no idea what the side effects might be, but shouldn't he be hunkering down at his desk?" Qin Fen mused to himself.