Bai Jie did not keep Aya Tone waiting for long.
Before long, she handed him a card emblazoned with the characters ‘North Garden’.
Its material seemed identical to the one the young man had been holding earlier.
“This is your card, and the bonus for your strategy commission has already been tallied and included.”
“Please take it.”
Aya Tone: ‘?’
‘What is this?’
‘Is it a bank card?’
Aya Tone accepted it with a curious gaze, having never encountered a bank card quite like it before.
‘Could it be a special card issued jointly by North Garden University and a particular bank?’
‘It’s quite attractive, actually.’
“Bai Jie, is all the money on this card?”
Aya Tone couldn’t help but marvel at the capital’s efficiency; transfers were processed even before dawn.
Unlike in Yan’an City, where he would have to wait an entire business day.
For large sums, personal verification was even required.
‘Truly, this is the Imperial Capital…’
“Yes, your academic points are all within this card.”
Bai Jie smiled, then continued speaking words that Aya Tone simply couldn’t comprehend.
“Bai Jie, what are ‘academic points’? What are you talking about?”
“I… I don’t quite understand.”
Aya Tone’s mouth twitched involuntarily.
As he stared at the card in his hand, emblazoned with ‘North Garden,’ an ominous premonition began to stir within him.
‘It can’t be, right?’
‘They wouldn’t be *that* devious… would they?’
However, the words Bai Jie uttered next finally extinguished the last flicker of hope in his heart.
“Miss Aya Tone, the branch currently lacks sufficient funds to pay out rewards in cash, so we can only offer compensation through this method.”
The smile on Bai Jie’s face faltered; she herself knew this wasn’t ideal.
But there was no other way; they knew their own financial constraints.
‘After all, weren’t they established within a university precisely to cut costs?’
“So what am I supposed to do…?”
Aya Tone’s previously cheerful expression instantly twisted into a bitter grimace.
‘It’s all gone…’
‘The presidential suite, the Imperial Capital day trip, the souvenirs…’
‘All of it, gone.’
Bai Jie knew these academic points were utterly useless to Aya Tone, yet she still offered reassurance: “Please don’t worry. Within North Garden University, these academic points are even more valuable than money; they can be used to acquire many things unavailable elsewhere.”
Despite everything, they were, after all, a legitimate large-scale guild.
Even though they shamelessly preyed on these fledgling university students, not only refusing to pay them but even making the students pay…
However, they were never stingy with resources; as long as one had enough academic points, even S-rank boosters could be brought in.
Indeed!
For the sake of the guild’s development, the current branch leader would even sell their own body.
It was truly a devotion that could move heaven and earth, and make ghosts weep.
Although the guild’s location within the university was mutually beneficial, the due rent still had to be paid.
Moreover, managing a guild was an incredibly expensive endeavor!
“Can they be exchanged for cash?”
This was the question Aya Tone most desperately needed answered.
“No.”
“Can they be used outside the university?” He pursed his lips.
“No.”
“Then… can I get a refund…?” This was his last hope.
“No.”
Aya Tone felt on the verge of collapse; what good were points that could only be used within North Garden University?
‘Surely, they don’t expect him to book a room at the university with them?’
‘That’s not right… !’
‘Damn it, give me my money back!’
‘He knew it! All those zeros, they were just a trick!’
He whimpered inwardly.
“Aya Tone~ how about you give those academic points to me, and I’ll transfer the money to you? How does that sound?”
Just then, Miao Qingzhu, who had been standing nearby, suddenly spoke up.
“Really?”
Aya Tone’s despair instantly morphed into elation.
He stared at Miao Qingzhu in disbelief.
His gaze was akin to looking at his own benevolent savior.
‘My benefactor!’
‘I was wrong to think you were useless before.’
Aya Tone silently apologized to Miao Qingzhu in his heart.
“Really, really!”
Miao Qingzhu was startled by Aya Tone’s intense gaze.
In her opinion, as an S-rank powerhouse, Aya Tone shouldn’t be getting so excited over such a small sum.
‘She should be the one excited,’ she thought.
After a moment of hesitation, she proposed a seemingly reasonable exchange rate: “Aya Tone, how about one to five? Is that acceptable?”
These academic points could be exchanged for many valuable items within North Garden University.
These were exclusive university benefits, unobtainable even with money outside.
For students, academic points were far more useful than actual money.
If the exchange was truly one to five, she would undoubtedly be making a profit.
“One to five?”
Aya Tone frowned.
‘Five academic points for just one dollar?’
‘Then over six hundred thousand would only be…’
‘A little over a hundred thousand?’
“No! One to one!”
‘I’m not doing anything that makes me lose money!’
“One to one?”
Miao Qingzhu was equally astonished.
‘One academic point for one dollar?’
‘Aya Tone is being too generous with me.’
“Deal!”
“Really?”
Aya Tone’s heart swelled with joy.
He had only said it on a whim, never expecting Miao Qingzhu to actually agree.
‘Sure enough, little fans are good people.’
“Bai Jie, this isn’t a problem, is it?”
Such private transactions always gave Aya Tone a vague sense of money laundering.
It was better to consult Bai Jie, the ‘guild representative,’ just in case.
‘If Fire Finch ever caught wind of it, at least he’d have someone else to take the fall,’ he reasoned.
‘I’m truly a genius.’
Aya Tone secretly gloated.
“There are no overly strict regulations concerning this. As long as both parties are willing, it’s not impermissible.”
Bai Jie pondered for a moment before giving her answer.
After all, not everyone within North Garden University was wealthy.
Some students would indeed sell their academic points for cash.
“That’s fantastic!”
Thus, with both parties convinced they were getting the better deal, the transaction commenced.
“I only have a little over one hundred thousand right now. How about I buy one hundred thousand first, and give you the rest later?”
Miao Qingzhu had initially intended to use her one hundred thousand to purchase twenty thousand academic points.
Twenty thousand points would have been enough to rent a training ground for a considerable time, and even purchase a weapon suited to her ability.
Now, with Aya Tone offering a one-to-one exchange, she couldn’t help but consider acquiring all the academic points he possessed.
‘This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!’
‘Opportunities like this don’t come around twice.’
‘I must seize it!’
“One hundred thousand? No problem at all.”
Aya Tone agreed without a second thought.
After all, these academic points were useless in his hands, so exchanging them all to Miao Qingzhu seemed like the best course of action.
‘One to one!’
‘A full six hundred thousand, my friend!’
‘This whole deal far surpasses anything that unscrupulous merchant Fire Finch would ever offer.’
“Oh, you’re truly wonderful~”
****
Ring-a-ling…
The persistent ringing of a phone echoed through the room.
Aya Tone opened his bleary eyes, blindly fumbling around his pillow in the direction of the sound.
‘Who is it?’
He couldn’t tell where his phone had fallen; he just couldn’t find it.
The incessant ringing only served to irritate Aya Tone further, who was already far from fully awake.
Finally!
Just as the ringing was about to cease,
“Hello!”
Aya Tone roared into the phone, addressing the person on the other end.
‘What time is it? Why are they calling so early?’
Aya Tone had just glanced at the time.
8:45 AM.
‘Seriously, he only checked into the room after six, almost seven this morning!’
‘Give me a break.’
“…”
From the other end of the line, as if startled by Aya Tone, came a series of soft sobs.
One could sense the speaker’s profound grievance just by listening.
‘Huh?’
Aya Tone’s eyes snapped open, and he bolted upright from the bed.
All traces of sleep vanished from his pupils.
He pulled the phone away and looked at it.
The caller ID read: Boss…
‘Oh, crap… !’
‘Fire Finch’s call, and a crying voice.’
‘It couldn’t possibly be Fire Finch crying, could it? So, who exactly did he just yell at…?’
‘If he wasn’t mistaken…’
‘It should be…’
‘Possibly…’
‘Probably…’
The words that followed from the other end of the line sent a chill through Aya Tone’s heart.
“Daddy…”
‘OMO!’