After the assessment ended, apart from Lin Kun and the other five, only one of the remaining four candidates had barely held on until the end. However, that candidate was badly injured and ultimately chose to leave. This year, Shrek Academy had taken in only six students—Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and... the extra Lin Kun.
As a senior student, Dai Mubai led the newcomers around to familiarize them with the academy. However, this so-called "familiarization tour" was really just a lap around a run-down village barely bigger than Holy Soul Village.
Several crumbling thatched huts served as the dormitories; a patch of uneven open ground was the training field; a grass shed without even a roof was the cafeteria; and the only building that looked remotely sturdy was the largest wooden house in the center of the village, supposedly serving as both the classroom and Dean Flander's office... and bedroom.
"Th-this is Shrek Academy?" Xiao Wu's eyes widened in disbelief. "It's even more run-down than Nuoding Academy!" Ning Rongrong's lovely brows also drew together slightly. Clearly, this place was far from what she had imagined. Zhu Zhuqing remained expressionless, but an almost imperceptible flicker passed through her eyes. Oscar and Ma Hongjun, meanwhile, looked completely used to it. Tang San was rather calm; he cared more about the quality of the teachers and the cultivation atmosphere.
Although Lin Kun had mentally prepared himself, seeing this extreme level of "hardship and simplicity" in person still made the corner of his mouth twitch. The fact that this academy was still operating was a miracle...
Dai Mubai coughed awkwardly. "Ahem, well... the academy values what's inside, our teaching standards! Dean Flander, Teacher Zhao, Teacher Shao, and the others are all very strong! Besides, our... uh... tuition is cheap!"
That last part was the real point, wasn't it? Lin Kun complained inwardly.
At that moment, Dean Flander's distinctive hoarse voice sounded from behind them. "That's right! Our Shrek Academy charges fairly and honestly, never cheating young or old! And today, you're in luck—you've arrived just in time for the announcement of the academy's new rules!"
Flander walked over with a smile, holding a battered parchment scroll, then pasted it onto the door of the academy's only classroom.
Everyone gathered around curiously and saw the following written on the parchment:
"Shrek Academy Student Conduct Rules and Supplementary Fee Regulations" 1. Tuition: 100 Golden Spirit Coins per person per year. (Dai Mubai and the others sucked in a breath. It had gone up again from last year!) 2. Dormitory fees: 10 Golden Spirit Coins per month for a single room, 5 Golden Spirit Coins per month for a double room. (They charged money for thatched huts?!) 3. Meal fees: At your own expense. (Oscar weakly raised his hand. "Dean, isn't the cafeteria free?" Flander replied, "It starts charging now! Teacher Shao works very hard cooking too!") 4. Water and electricity fees: 1 Golden Spirit Coin per month. (Did the village well cost money too?!) 5. Facility usage fees: Using facilities such as the training field and mimic cultivation grounds costs 1 Golden Spirit Coin per hour. 6. Teacher consultation fees: Asking teachers questions privately will be charged according to the difficulty of the question, starting at 5 Golden Spirit Coins. 7. Uniform fees: ... (This was followed by a long list of fees under all sorts of names.)
Everyone was dumbfounded! What school rules? This was clearly a list of ways to fleece them!
Xiao Wu stamped her foot angrily. "Dean! This is robbery!" Even Ning Rongrong was stunned. Not even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had this many different fees! Dai Mubai covered his face, unable to bear looking at it.
Flander adjusted his glasses and said righteously, "What do you mean, robbery? This is called the reasonable use of resources! Our academy is small and our resources are limited, so of course we need to charge fees! Otherwise, how can we keep the academy running? How can we hire good teachers for you? Don't want to pay? Fine! See over there?" He pointed at the vast fields outside the academy. "You can work while studying and help the villagers farm to pay off your debts!"
Looking at the exorbitant list, Lin Kun's scalp went numb. He touched his flat money pouch and felt that his future was bleak. This Flander really was a profiteer!
Ding! The host has been detected facing a severe financial crisis. A long-term survival mission has been triggered: Shrek's "Debt Tycoon." Mission requirements: Repay all fees owed to the academy (initial debt: estimated at over 200 Golden Spirit Coins per year). Mission reward: For every certain amount of debt repaid, receive corresponding point rewards. Reward for completely clearing the debt: 1,000 points. Failure penalty: None. (However, Dean Flander may send you to mine or perform various forms of "debt repayment" labor.)
Lin Kun: "..."
System, you're ruthless enough! "Debt Tycoon"? That punishment is scarier than failure!
It seemed that at Shrek Academy, the first priority for survival was not cultivation, but... making money!
Under Dean Flander's threat of "no money, no food, no place to sleep," the newcomers could only grit their teeth and prepay part of the fees. Ning Rongrong directly tossed out a bag of Golden Spirit Coins—being a young lady, she was certainly not short of money. At last, they received the keys to their respective dormitories.
The dorm assignments were as follows: Tang San and Oscar shared a room; Dai Mubai had a room to himself—an old student privilege, perhaps; Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong shared a room; Zhu Zhuqing had a room to herself because her aura was too cold; Ma Hongjun had a room to himself, presumably to prevent his evil fire from erupting and harming bystanders; and Lin Kun... shared a room with Oscar? There were not enough rooms, and Oscar's still had one empty bed.
Lin Kun had no objections to this arrangement. Oscar was cheerful and lively, easy to get along with, and his sausage martial soul... might be able to develop some commercial value?
After putting down their luggage, it was already nearing dusk. Everyone was starving.
Oscar enthusiastically patted his chest. "Hungry, brothers? Leave it to me! I've got a big sausage!" As the soul chant rang out, his first Spirit Ring flashed, and a steaming, fragrant sausage appeared in his hand.
Other than Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, who already knew about it, the newcomers all wore strange expressions. Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong in particular blushed faintly as they looked at the suggestively shaped sausage, their faces full of resistance.
"Uh... thank you, but I'm not very hungry." Xiao Wu waved her hands repeatedly. Ning Rongrong also declined tactfully. "I brought dried provisions." Tang San coughed dryly and silently took out his own rations. Zhu Zhuqing simply closed her eyes, out of sight, out of mind.
The smile on Oscar's face froze. He looked hurt and embarrassed. His martial soul's effects were excellent, but its soul chant and appearance were simply too easy to misunderstand.
However, Lin Kun's heart stirred at the sight. He stepped forward, took the sausage from Oscar's hand, and bit into it without hesitation!
The taste was unexpectedly good! Moreover, a gentle energy instantly flooded into his body, easing his exhaustion and hunger.
"Mmm! It's delicious, and the effect is great too!" Lin Kun praised sincerely. At the same time, he winked at Oscar. "Brother Oscar, your sausages have such amazing recovery effects. It'd be a waste to use them only as rations!"
Oscar froze. He had not expected the first person to calmly accept his sausage to be Lin Kun, a newcomer. He was immediately touched. "Brother Lin Kun... you really have good taste! But... everyone else..."
Lin Kun smiled and lowered his voice. "Brother Oscar, have you ever considered... slightly changing your sales strategy?"
"Sales strategy?" Oscar looked utterly lost.
"Think about it," Lin Kun analyzed. "Your sausages have first-rate effects, but they lose out because of the soul chant and the way they look. What if we packaged them differently? For example... slice them up, skewer them on bamboo sticks, sprinkle on different seasonings, and give them new names. Something like 'Super Recovery Meat Skewers' or 'Soul Power Replenishment Energy Bars.' If we avoid that soul chant and their original shape, wouldn't people find them much easier to accept? We might even be able to sell them to people outside the academy and make money!"
Oscar's eyes suddenly lit up! It was as if a door to a whole new world had opened before him!
"That's right! Why didn't I think of that?" Oscar grabbed Lin Kun's hand excitedly. "Brother Lin Kun! You're a genius! Come on, come on, come on! Let's go try it in the kitchen!"
Watching Oscar and Lin Kun leave arm in arm, eagerly discussing "a hundred ways to eat and sell sausages," the others were all stunned.
Xiao Wu blinked. "They're going to sell something that disgusting... for money?" Ning Rongrong fell into thought. "That business sense... is rather interesting." Tang San looked at Lin Kun's back, his gaze becoming more complicated. This fellow villager always seemed able to come up with strange yet effective ideas.
Dai Mubai rubbed his chin and said to Ma Hongjun, "Fatty, I think... we may have found a new path to getting rich? Whenever we get injured in fights later, maybe we can buy sausages from Oscar wholesale?"
Ma Hongjun nodded in deep agreement.
Thus, Shrek Academy's first day began in a stumbling fashion amid Flander's profiteering fees, Oscar's bizarre sausages, and Lin Kun's sudden "business plan."
Lin Kun knew that if he wanted to survive at this "black-hearted" academy and repay his debts, relying only on system missions and the miserly tasks Flander might issue would not be enough. He had to actively find new sources of income! And Oscar's sausages might just be the starting point for him to first "ruin" Shrek and earn his first pot of gold!
His academy life was destined to be anything but peaceful. And his journey of "ruin" would begin with a vigorous Sausage Revolution?
Before you continue