The clock on the wall of the instructor's office ticked quietly, marking the exact hour of noon.
The previously tense atmosphere had now shifted into an awkward silence.
Shen Xiao glanced toward Lu Qingyue; the girl stood frozen in the corner of the room, as if her soul had only just been forcibly pulled back into her body.
She stared at Shen Xiao with a hollow gaze, still unable to believe that the most brilliant student in the entire grade had just invited her to join a team.
"My name is Shen Xiao. Since the sun is right above our heads, how about we head to the cafeteria first?"
Shen Xiao broke the silence with a thin smile that appeared relaxed yet authoritative.
"We need to discuss the mission plan, and in my opinion, the brain cannot work at its peak if the stomach is protesting."
Lu Qingyue blinked her eyes repeatedly.
Her voice was nearly drowned out by the noise of her own thoughts.
"I-is that really okay? Brother Shen... my name is Lu Qingyue. I... I am just an ordinary student."
"Of course it's okay. My experience and abilities are guaranteed, and I have a simple principle: I won't let my teammate die of hunger before the mission even begins,"
Shen Xiao joked, trying to melt the stiff atmosphere.
Behind his desk, Instructor Yan could only gape.
His eyes followed the backs of his two students as they began to walk away.
As an instructor who had seen thousands of students, he was truly lost for words.
Shen Xiao was known as an arrogant loner, a man who had repeatedly rejected team invitations from the most talented and beautiful female students in the academy.
Yet today, he had reached out his hand to a 'nobody' girl who was on the very brink of expulsion.
Ah, whatever.
Whatever the reason, at least my report won't be stained red by a student dropping out, Yan thought while letting out a long sigh, trying to calm his startled heart.
Ding!
The phone on Yan's desk vibrated.
A short message appeared on the screen:
'Teacher, please transfer the reward for the A-Rank mission I just finished directly to my card in full. Don't you dare try to cut it for class administration fees.'
"Tch, this kid... truly a little devil who refuses to take a loss!" Yan grumbled quietly.
However, even as his lips cursed, there was a thin smile he couldn't hide.
Shen Xiao was indeed a naughty boy, but he was the most reliable naughty boy.
...
The moment they set foot in the cafeteria, the previously boisterous atmosphere suddenly went silent.
Hundreds of pairs of eyes were fixed on the highly mismatched pair.
Whispers began to spread like fire across dry grassland.
"Look at that... isn't that the Genius Shen Xiao? Why is he walking side-by-side with 'The One-Arm' from Class E?"
"Maybe he's doing community service? But still, carrying a burden like that on a mission? That's the same as throwing your life away!"
Shen Xiao turned a deaf ear.
Instead, he was busy staring at the transparent panel floating before his eyes.
His thoughts drifted far back.
For the first six months after his rebirth, he had to sweat, help civilians, and exterminate low-level monsters just to collect a measly amount of lottery tickets, only 86 tickets.
But now?
Just by walking and sitting down to eat with Lu Qingyue, the number was skyrocketing.
Ding!
[Received Favorability from Lu Qingyue (Future Empress). Reward: 100 Lottery Tickets!]
Again?!
Shen Xiao nearly choked on his own saliva.
His eyes gleamed with triumph.
As the saying goes, effort indeed does not betray the results, but finding the right "Golden Thigh" is the ultimate shortcut to the top of the world!
School prestige, elite resources, or teacher's praise?
All of it was trash compared to a single interaction with this future Empress.
"Qingyue, why are you only stirring it? Eat up, the meat will get cold," Shen Xiao said softly while pointing at the plate in front of the girl.
Lu Qingyue looked down deeply, her remaining hand gripping the edge of the wooden table so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
In Shen Xiao's memory from his previous life, Lu Qingyue was the figure of the Frost Empress, cold, cruel, and feared by all races.
But now, the person in front of him was just a pitiful girl broken by the burdens of life.
"Brother Shen... why?" Qingyue asked in a hoarse voice, almost a whisper.
"I have nothing to give you. My talent is low, my arm is disabled, and I will only be a burden that slows your steps. Everyone in this academy has rejected me over the past month..."
Shen Xiao set his spoon down slowly.
He could feel the anguish in that voice.
He knew the dark secrets behind her eyes, about her comatose mother, her deceased father, and her starving little sister.
"Because I see potential that their narrow eyes cannot see," Shen Xiao replied with an undeniable tone.
He had to find a logical reason so this girl wouldn't be suspicious.
"Listen, Rank-D missions are too easy for me. Just consider yourself my lucky charm."
Qingyue bit her lower lip until it nearly bled. "I... I will do all the dirty work! I'll carry your things, clean the equipment, anything! I don't need the mission reward; take it all for yourself. I only need my name registered so I won't be expelled next month."
Shen Xiao shook his head firmly, his facial expression turning serious.
"That won't do. I am a man who upholds justice. The split remains 90/10. I take 90%, and 10% is for you. If you refuse, people will think I'm extorting a poor girl on my own team. You have to protect my reputation as the top student, right?"
"B-but that benefits me way too much..."
"Enough, let's not discuss it further. The decision is final. Oh, and one more thing, during the mission, all costs for food and lodging are my responsibility," Shen Xiao added, closing the debate in the style of a big boss.
Ding!
[Received Favorability from Lu Qingyue. Reward: 100 Lottery Tickets!]
Shen Xiao smiled triumphantly in his heart.
Keep feeling indebted to me, Qingyue.
These tickets are far more valuable than all the gold in any kingdom's treasury!
"Now, finish your meal and rest for a bit. Tomorrow at one in the afternoon, we depart. But before that..." Shen Xiao's gaze sharpened as he looked at Qingyue's empty left sleeve.
"Don't you have to pass the physical test at the Supernatural Club this afternoon to get the mission permit?"
Lu Qingyue flinched, her shoulders slumping despondently.
"Yes... but without a complete team, they usually won't pass me. Especially with my condition like this..."
Hesitantly, she slowly removed her left glove, revealing the missing base of her arm, an old wound that was the primary reason she was ostracized.
"This will only trouble you, Brother Shen. They, the people at that club... they are very arrogant and will surely make things difficult for us."
Shen Xiao stood up from his chair.
Suddenly, the air around them felt heavier, and faint sparks of electricity seemed to dance in his eyes.
"Let them try," Shen Xiao said in a cold tone that made several students at the next table shiver.
"This afternoon, I will accompany you there. We will show them exactly who dares to call my teammate a burden."