"Come on... let's eat together, as my way of making amends to both of you."
Seeing Shen Xiao sheath his Thunder Kirin, Hao Xian quickly changed the subject.
He wiped the remaining blood from the corner of his mouth and bowed slightly.
"Thank you, Shen Xiao. If you hadn't stopped me just now, I might have kept doing stupid things out of emotion.
I was truly in the wrong here, I will definitely reflect on this!"
"It's fine, it's good that you know your mistake and want to fix it," Shen Xiao replied calmly.
"Reflect on your actions, then write a self-reflection letter, 100,000 words long, and hand it to me tomorrow morning."
Hao Xian's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"100,000...?! Boss, can you cut me some slack? Writing that much would kill me faster than your lightning!"
"3,000 words then. Take it or leave it."
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Ding!
[Hao Xian's popularity increased, Fate Ticket +1]
"Actually, is 3,000 too little? How about 30,000?" Shen Xiao baited him again.
Watching Hao Xian's frantic expression, he knew that for a muscle-brained practitioner like him, writing was a torture from the depths of hell.
"Two thousand is enough! Please, just two thousand words!" Hao Xian groaned.
"Thank you, thank you so much!"
Ding!
[Gained support from Hao Xian, Fate Ticket +1]
"I meant 20 million words, hahaha! Just kidding."
"Just write two or three thousand words, as long as it's sincere," Shen Xiao patted Hao Xian's shoulder, which still felt warm from the residual electricity.
Ding!
[Gained support from Hao Xian, Fate Ticket +1]
It really is easy to get sympathy from someone with a hot temper like Hao Xian, Shen Xiao thought.
Even if it was just small change, three lottery tickets came in easily.
He decided not to tease "Dog Hao" anymore.
Wasting time for a few points wasn't worth it.
Since Lu Qingyue had chosen to forgive, giving Hao Xian a second chance was the right thing to do.
"Not bad, your apology is sincere enough. I'm returning the Vice Chairman position to you," Shen Xiao said casually.
Hao Xian was stunned. "Returning it? But you won!"
"I don't want the position. Too many administrative headaches and I don't have time for that," Shen Xiao answered.
After all, he'd rather spend time with his future Empress than deal with boring club paperwork.
Besides, the rule was clear, the strongest rules.
If he ever needed the position again, he could just thrash Hao Xian one more time.
Simple.
"You're... giving it back? Thank you!"
Shen Xiao walked closer to the charcoal-man and whispered softly.
"In exchange, handle all her needs and secretly strike back at anyone bullying Qingyue in this school until they don't dare show their faces to her."
"Understood! That's easy—!!"
Ding!
[Received Hao Xian's blessing, Fate Ticket +1]
"Enough, if you're not busy, go treat your wounds. And remember, next time use your brain before your muscles."
Shen Xiao then turned to Lu Qingyue standing beside him.
"Qingyue, you should also go back and rest. Prepare yourself for tomorrow's mission."
"Alright, see you tomorrow, Shen Xiao," Lu Qingyue replied with a genuine, thin smile.
However, before turning around, she lowered her head wearily.
She lifted her loose left sleeve slightly, revealing the glove covering the bare spot there.
"Shen Xiao… thank you for helping me. I'll try not to trouble you tomorrow," she whispered softly before leaving.
Shen Xiao stared at the girl's back in a daze.
In his eyes, there wasn't pity, but burning determination.
Qingyue, you won't trouble me.
In fact, I'll be the one to give you back what you lost.
Although Shen Xiao wanted to linger with Lu Qingyue to "farm" more tickets, his physical condition had reached the limit of cold tolerance.
Go back and shower! Now! he screamed internally.
Under the steaming hot water, Shen Xiao closed his eyes.
Suddenly, a barrage of system notifications exploded in his mind.
Ding!
[Public heroic deed detected!]
Ding!
[Lu Qingyue gives her full trust! Fate Ticket +200!]
Ding!
[Hundreds of spectators in the arena are 'satisfied' seeing Hao Xian get pummeled! Fate Ticket +150!]
[Current Status: Fate Tickets: 1010.42]
As expected, his mind was calm.
Shen Xiao didn't immediately press the gacha button.
He remembered a big secret from his past life.
In a dark future, he had heard that the Empress spent years and sacrificed thousands of lives just to obtain a single dose of regeneration potion to regrow her arm.
Ten years is too long, Qingyue.
Your destiny will change tonight.
Even with my worst odds, with these 1,000 tickets, I will force the heavens to bow before you.
"System, use all the tickets. Target the Alchemy category. Perform a 10-pull!"
The virtual screen in front of him spun violently.
Nine blue lights flashed rapidly, nothing but trash items, until the tenth light exploded in a dazzling GOLD.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You've triggered the Milestone reward 'Healer of Destiny'!]
[You've obtained a GOLD-tier item: Divine Nerve Regeneration Potion!]
(Description: Instantly regrows lost nerve tissue and muscles. This reward is unique and cannot be obtained through regular gacha.)
Shen Xiao exhaled a long breath, hot steam escaping from his mouth.
A faint smile appeared on his damp face.
"It turns out my bet didn't betray me," he murmured, staring at the small bottle of golden liquid now safely in his inventory.
"This item that should have only appeared in the end times... is now in my hands."
With this potion, he not only gave Lu Qingyue a new arm, but he also destroyed the very reason she would fall into black magic in the future.
...
Dawn Academy Dormitory.
The academy dorms were divided into several types based on talent.
Double rooms were the most luxurious, complete with private bathrooms, a heaven for anyone who hated queuing to shower.
Shen Xiao opened the door to his room.
It was pitch black because the curtains were tightly drawn.
In the dim light of a desk lamp, a man and two women were busy playing cards.
The man was his roommate, Lu Zihao.
Shen Xiao didn't know the two women and, frankly, he didn't care.
Mostly because Lu Zihao changed girlfriends so fast that Shen Xiao had stopped trying to memorize their names.
Despite being a narcissistic Casanova and a wealthy young master, Lu Zihao was incredibly reliable.
He was the type of friend who would stay to protect you when everyone else fled during a dangerous mission.
"Boss, where have you been?" Lu Zihao greeted without looking up from his cards.
"Sparring," Shen Xiao replied shortly.
Lu Zihao tossed his cards on the table and waved the two girls away.
Obediently, they grabbed their coats and left the room.
Only after they were gone did Lu Zihao approach Shen Xiao, noticing the flakes of ice falling from his friend's clothes.
"No way, Boss. You couldn't have fought the club president, could you? If not him, who could turn you into an ice block like this?"
"I was just guiding a junior. By the way, my name is Shen Xiao, not 'Boss'. And one more thing, Zihao... you can flirt with anyone, but stay away from Lu Qingyue."
"Got it, got it!" Lu Zihao immediately agreed with a mischievous grin. Curious, Lu Zihao immediately opened his laptop, hacked into the school's backend system, and searched for Lu Qingyue's profile.
"Whoa, she's even in our year? I never noticed her. Your taste is sharp, Boss! She's beautiful in such a classic way."
Lu Zihao then reached into his pocket and took out two very expensive Jay Chou concert tickets from the table.
"Boss, these are tickets for tomorrow night. I'm suddenly busy, take them. You can invite your 'junior'."
"No need, give them to someone else. I have a mission tomorrow."
"A mission?" Lu Zihao seemed to think.
"A mission means more time alone... interesting."
He then pulled a shoebox from under the bed.
When opened, it wasn't shoes, but a dozen keys to luxury sports cars.
"Boss, pick one for your mission."
Shen Xiao glanced at the keys but shook his head.
"Your supercars are only good for showing off in the city. Too troublesome for the potholed roads outside the city."
"Oh? So it's a field mission? Boss, don't tell me you're taking her out of the city?"
"Yes. If you're too bored, come with me."
Lu Zihao's face immediately turned gloomy.
"But Boss…" Lu Zihao's previously relaxed face turned serious.
"Lu Qingyue? That girl who lost an arm? Are you serious about bringing her on a field mission?"
Shen Xiao glared at Zihao from under his towel.
"So what?"
"Boss, you know the outside world is cruel. Losing an arm means she'll lose her balance in battle. She'll just be an easy target for monsters," Lu Zihao sighed.
"But never mind, if Boss guarantees it, I won't ask any questions."
He lifted his shirt, showing a bandage that was still seeping a bit of blood.
"By the way Boss, have mercy! I just got back from the hospital after that Grade A mission yesterday. If I go again, I'll truly die!"
"It's just a Grade D mission. You just need to fill the personnel slot. You won't have to fight."
Shen Xiao reminded him that Lu Qingyue needed to finish her mission assessment immediately so she wouldn't be expelled from the academy.
"Grade D? Ah, that's just playing around," Lu Zihao immediately changed his mind.
"Just catching a thief or some small mutated animal. Okay, I'm in!"
"Good. We leave at one PM tomorrow. Since there's still one empty slot in the team, invite whoever is suitable so the mission finishes faster."
Lu Zihao's eyes sparked.
"A double date? Great idea! I'll bring a girl so I don't look like a third wheel between you two."
Shen Xiao rolled his eyes.
"It's a mission, Zihao. Stop thinking about dates."
"Relax, Boss! I'll find the perfect partner. Maybe I'll invite Lu Qingyue's roommate. That way, the atmosphere will be more familiar and practical for everyone!"
Lu Zihao chuckled, already planning his "double date" strategy for tomorrow.