[Rebirth Volume] Chapter 235: Finally, I Have Money?

Xue Dinghai truly could not have imagined that the student before him would say such things. The confidence radiating from the depths of the young man’s heart was like a lion letting out a kingly roar, causing his own arguments to seem diminished and pale by comparison.

"Director Xue, you must have received the A-rank mission completion confirmation form submitted by Mo Xing, right?" Zhang Zhihao asked. "He participated in the operation at the Tower of Divine Weapons and assisted me in capturing Li Qingchi."

"Yes, that is correct."

Xue Dinghai nodded. After the morning theory class ended, he had indeed received the A-rank mission completion form submitted by Mo Xing.

"My goodness, how outstanding," Instructor Long Lian exclaimed. He had not known about this, as the Director had yet to make it public.

"This kid has a limitless future," Chen Musi added with a smile.

"I am in need of a suitable assistant, so I hope Director Xue will agree to dispatch Mo Xing to assist me in this upcoming Dragon Tooth Island operation," Zhang Zhihao continued.

Xue Dinghai fell silent for a moment. He rubbed his temples, took a deep breath, and finally looked up.

"Fine. I agree to send Mo Xing on the Dragon Tooth Island operation."

He had compromised.

For as many years as he could remember, this was the first time Xue Dinghai had ever agreed with someone else's point of view, let alone a student’s. In the past, even if a proposal passed, he would maintain his opposition. For instance, when the elective course "Pet Care" was introduced, nearly every student and teacher supported it, yet he alone had jumped up to scold them: "Neglecting one's proper work to engage in such courses?" Even though the proposal passed, he remained firmly opposed to it.

But this time, he had truly conceded.

"Thank you, student Zhang Zhihao, for that brilliant argument," Grant Shire said, clapping his hands. "In my capacity as the Principal of the Holy Sky Royal Academy, I approve of student Mo Xing’s participation in the Dragon Tooth Island operation."

The instructors erupted into thunderous applause, and naturally, Xue Dinghai joined them.

Zhang Zhihao bowed deeply and said politely, "Thank you all for your recognition."

...

Dormitory 198, Ryan Apartment.

"Achoo!"

Mo Xing, who had just finished his shower, let out a sneeze.

"Autumn is here; remember to put on more clothes, Junior Brother," said Senior Brother Cai Hong, who was feeding the cat nearby.

"O-okay, thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother."

Mo Xing nodded, but suddenly a figure popped out from the chair beside him, giving him quite a scare.

"Senior Brother Mianhua?"

"Shh!" Mianhua gestured for Mo Xing to be quiet.

"Cover for me; I need to get back to my bedroom," Mianhua whispered, glancing warily at Little Yueying. "Don't let that cat notice me."

"Uh... alright." Mo Xing nodded, positioning his body to block the line of sight and shielding Mianhua as he retreated to his room. After these two days of living together, his friendship with his senior brothers had grown deeper, and it was starting to feel more and more like a real home.

Of course, that didn't change the fact that Mianhua was terrified of the cat.

The two were halfway there, just a step away from the small hallway leading to the bedroom, when Senior Brother Cai Hong looked over and said, "Oh? Mianhua, you're back?"

Normally, this wouldn't have been a big deal, but for Mianhua, this was a "critical moment" that was bound to trigger a "butterfly effect."

"Meow?"

Little Yueying looked over, spotted Mianhua’s "fox tail" exposed, and immediately darted toward him.

"Aaaaaah!"

Mianhua was so frightened he nearly lost his wits. Just as he tried to scramble into his room and lock the door, he tripped, and Little Yueying pounced on him, hopping all over his back.

*Cai Hong, you just wait,* Mianhua cursed internally.

"Meow—" Little Yueying chirped happily.

"Mianhua, down already?" Senior Brother Cai Hong laughed heartily.

Mo Xing looked at these three lively characters and couldn't help but smile.

*Click.*

The dormitory door was gently pushed open. Mo Xing turned around to see that Zhang Zhihao had returned.

"Great Master, you're back?" Mo Xing asked. "Have you eaten?"

"I ate at the Student Union," Zhang Zhihao replied with a nod. He then pulled a card from his storage bracelet and handed it over.

"What is this?"

Mo Xing took the card and felt it; the texture was similar to a bank card. Could it be that this world also had the concept of banks?

"Your Magic Card, which serves as your student ID. I had it collected from the Dean's office in advance," Zhang Zhihao explained. "It records your personal information and your Magic Value."

"Oh, thank you, Great Master." Mo Xing scratched his head and tucked the student card into his storage bracelet. "By the way, what is Magic Value?"

"Magic Value is merely a reference figure, data gathered onto the card through special means. Its primary purpose is for currency exchange," Zhang Zhihao explained. "You earned a total of ten thousand Magic Value during the Tower of Divine Weapons operation, which is equivalent to ten thousand gold coins."

"What? Ten thousand gold coins!" Mo Xing was stunned.

He finally had money?

"Yes, it's roughly equivalent to the tuition fees for an average student for one month," Zhang Zhihao added.

"Where can I withdraw the money?" Mo Xing asked. "I still owe someone for breakfast, but I’m broke."

"There is a currency exchange office at the right turn by the school gate," Zhang Zhihao said. "Or you can simply pay with the Magic Card. Almost all shops within the Imperial City support Magic Card payments."

"That's right, and there are student discounts for Magic Card payments too!" Senior Brother Cai Hong chimed in, seeing the two deep in conversation.

"What if the Magic Card is lost? If someone else finds it, can't they just spend all the money on it?" Mo Xing asked.

"Try not to lose it, as it's quite troublesome to replace," Senior Brother Cai Hong advised. "The Magic Card is bound to your personal information; it cannot be used for payment unless it is operated by the owner."

"I see, that's pretty good," Mo Xing realized.

So that was it—Magic Card payment was the WeChat Pay of this world! The civilization of this world seemed quite advanced; he wondered if they had computers or something similar.

"Mo Xing, prepare yourself. You will be sent out by the Academy for a mission in ten days," Zhang Zhihao said.

"Huh? What kind of mission?" Mo Xing looked confused.

"Not bad, Junior Brother, getting an off-campus mission arranged by the school as soon as you enroll," Senior Brother Cai Hong praised.

"An aid mission; you'll know the details when the time comes," Zhang Zhihao continued. "Starting tomorrow, come find me whenever you have free time. I will put you through the necessary training."

"Huh? What kind of training?" Mo Xing scratched his head.

"Training to improve your chances of survival," Zhang Zhihao said with a calm smile.

"I see! Is this off-campus mission that dangerous?" Mo Xing asked.

"Yes," Zhang Zhihao nodded in response.

"Alright, it's getting late. I'm going to shower, and I still have to read for a while."

Zhang Zhihao walked past Mo Xing and patted him on the shoulder.

"Keep it up; there are many challenges ahead."

With that, Zhang Zhihao walked into his bedroom.

"Mianhua, stop playing dead and get up," Senior Brother Cai Hong said, carrying Little Yueying away and poking Mianhua’s arm with his finger.

"Ugh... where am I..." Mianhua muttered, sounding like a drunken man.

Mo Xing took a deep breath and whispered to himself:

"Keep it up."

Wednesday morning.

Light Wing Teaching Building.

Mo Xing arrived early at the classroom where Instructor Long Lian was teaching, and half the seats were already taken. As the saying goes, the early bird catches the worm, but Mo Xing hadn't expected so many freshmen to arrive earlier than him!

Mo Xing chose a seat near the front and took a notebook and a pen out of his storage bracelet.

Early that morning, he had been woken up by Mianhua’s snoring, and finding that Zhang Zhihao was also awake, he had asked him to help with his training.

The Great Master said the first day's training would be simple, focused mainly on endurance. Mo Xing had agreed, thinking it was just running, only to find himself being led on a run that covered every major road in the entire Academy.

His weary body and numb heels told him he had run at least a half-marathon that morning; he was exhausted and gasping for air. In contrast, Zhang Zhihao, aside from a light sheen of sweat, looked completely relaxed.

Although it was tough, it was all worth it. At the very least, he had learned the layout of many campus buildings during the run and received encouragement from Zhang Zhihao.

"Ah—"

Mo Xing stretched slightly to relieve the fatigue from his morning run, but unexpectedly, he knocked against the head of the person sitting next to him.

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to!" Mo Xing quickly bowed his head to apologize.

"It's fine," the person replied softly.

Mo Xing thought the voice sounded familiar, so he looked up, and it was—

"Li Xiangcao!"

"Idol, long time no see," Li Xiangcao smiled.

"Lo—long time no see," Mo Xing hurriedly responded.

Seeing Li Xiangcao, Mo Xing felt a complex mix of emotions. He was grateful to her for motivating him during the team competition, which helped him turn the tide, yet he also felt guilty because that same evening, he had assisted the Campus Guard in arresting her older brother, Li Qingchi, at the Tower of Divine Weapons.

"How have you been lately?" Mo Xing asked.

"Fine," Li Xiangcao said, suddenly lowering her head. "It's just that I haven't seen my brother for two days. I don't know where he went, and even his band can't find him."

"Hmm..."

Mo Xing fell silent for a moment. He, of course, knew exactly what had happened.

Although the news hadn't been officially announced in the last two days, rumors were already circulating among the students. Paper cannot wrap up a fire; eventually, the truth of Li Qingchi’s arrest would be made public. Honestly, he didn't dare imagine Li Xiangcao's expression when she heard the news.

She would surely be devastated. Her brother, who she thought was so kind, turned out to be a demon who manufactured forbidden drugs.

He hoped that moment would come as late as possible.

"Idol, could you help me look for him?" Li Xiangcao asked.

"Ah, y-yes, I suppose I could," Mo Xing stammered, collecting his thoughts.

"Thank you, Idol!" Li Xiangcao smiled. Her smile was like a sunflower, always so bright.

"Uh, you're welcome," Mo Xing said, gesturing to the crowd pouring into the doorway. "Let's start class."

"Mm," Li Xiangcao nodded.

Mo Xing let out a sigh of relief and began to focus on the lecture.

A gentle breeze blew in through the window, the girl's hair dancing in the wind and lightly brushing against the boy's shoulder. The instructor lectured on, and the students' pens rustled against their desks as they took notes.

It was a beautiful moment in the classroom; he wished it could be captured forever, like a painting frozen in time.