This Is Hope

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Jiang Nannan froze for a moment. After hesitating briefly, she decided to tell the truth:

"I-I chose the Soul Guide Class because of the 100 Gold Soul Coin subsidy."

After saying that, Jiang Nannan looked at Huo Yuhao somewhat guiltily, afraid that he would simply throw her out.

However, Huo Yuhao merely nodded calmly, jotted something down with his pen, and continued asking:

"Second question: before this, have you encountered any knowledge related to Soul Tools?"

"...No."

Guilt +1.

"Third question: do you have any experience in personnel management?"

"...No."

Nervousness +1.

"Fourth question: do you have the confidence to master Soul Tools and become an outstanding Soul Engineer?"

"...No."

Helplessness +10086.

Jiang Nannan lowered her head, trying to find a crack in the solid wood floor beneath her feet and crawl into it!

Out of four questions, she had answered no to three of them!

This teacher must be very disappointed, right? Her chances of getting into the Soul Guide Class were surely gone, right? Sure enough, doing this had been pointless...

She really was hopeless.

"Mm, not bad. Very honest! Congratulations, you've been accepted!"

Jiang Nannan: ???

Her thoughts were interrupted. Jiang Nannan blinked in confusion, but in the next moment, she saw Huo Yuhao use Soul Power to float a stack of books onto the desk in front of her.

She looked over instinctively. When she saw the top book, Identification of Soul Guide Core Types and Precautions, she became even more confused.

What was going on?

While Jiang Nannan stood there in a daze, Huo Yuhao spoke calmly:

"You need to finish these books this semester. I'll test you at the end of the term.

"Also, besides being a student in the Soul Guide Class, you'll be my assistant. Remember, after morning classes end every day, you must come to my laboratory. I'll take you there tomorrow.

"And about the subsidy... Mm, are you badly in need of money?"

Jiang Nannan was a little dazed, but after hearing Huo Yuhao's words, she still nodded instinctively.

"Then it'll be 1,000 Gold Soul Coins per month. This is for this month. Take it."

Huo Yuhao took a Soul Gold Card he had prepared in advance from a drawer, placed it on the desk, and pushed it toward Jiang Nannan.

"...Huh?"

Jiang Nannan blinked, unable to make sense of the situation.

"What? Is it not enough?"

Huo Yuhao was puzzled. Then, on second thought, Jiang Nannan's mother was probably already seriously ill. If she truly wanted to cure her, it would likely cost a considerable sum.

After all, over the past two years or so, Huo Yuhao had spent at least five or six hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, if not a million, nursing his mother back to health and helping her recover as quickly as possible.

Though that amount might not mean much to him now, compared to others, it was still an enormous sum.

He took back the Soul Gold Card containing 1,000 Gold Soul Coins and searched through his Storage Ring. After searching for a while, he realized that the card with the smallest balance had 10,000 on it.

After a brief silence, Huo Yuhao placed a Soul Gold Card containing 10,000 Gold Soul Coins on the desk and pushed it toward Jiang Nannan.

"There are 10,000 Gold Soul Coins on this card. Consider it an advance on your subsidy. Take it and use it."

Huo Yuhao paused, then added after thinking for a moment, "I know roughly about your family's situation. Just use this money without worry.

"If you feel bad about it, treat it as a loan and pay me back later. I know what it feels like to lose a mother. Don't leave yourself with regrets."

Huo Yuhao spoke softly.

Huo Yuhao had experienced losing his mother. That was precisely why, when he guessed that Jiang Nannan's mother was most likely suffering from illness and did not have much time left, he instinctively wanted to help.

Huo Yuhao did not consider himself a good person. In his previous life, he had committed countless crimes. In this life, he was also planning and pushing forward a war, even hoping that its impact would grow as great as possible.

He was not a good person, yet when faced with Jiang Nannan and the tragedy that was bound to happen, he could not help wanting to change it.

As though... he were trying to make up for the mistakes he had once made.

After calming himself slightly, Huo Yuhao looked at Jiang Nannan.

However, Jiang Nannan was standing there dumbly, her head lowered as she stared at the Soul Gold Card before her.

T-ten thousand Gold Soul Coins?

The sudden surprise had crashed down on her so abruptly that she did not even know what expression to make.

Just moments ago, she had still been anxious, convinced that she had no chance of entering the Soul Guide Class or receiving the 100 Gold Soul Coin subsidy she had longed for. Yet in the next moment, 1,000 Gold Soul Coins had been placed on the desk.

She had merely frozen in shock and muttered something instinctively, only for him to slap another 10,000 Gold Soul Coins onto the desk...

The situation was so absurd that she almost wondered whether she was dreaming.

Without realizing it, she hugged her arms and then pinched herself hard.

The slight pain instantly cleared Jiang Nannan's mind, yet everything before her did not shatter and fade away like an illusion.

All of this... was real.

"Th-thank you..."

Her voice was somewhat hoarse, even carrying a slight sob. Her gratitude overflowed in an instant, and with it came emotions she could no longer control.

She stretched out a slightly trembling hand. The moment her fingers touched the Soul Gold Card, she felt its chill. Then she gently picked it up and gripped it tightly against her chest, feeling the weighty "hope."

"I-I'll pay it back!"

She raised her head and looked at Huo Yuhao earnestly.

The girl's stubborn expression, paired with the shimmering light in her slightly reddened eyes, evoked an indescribable flutter in the heart.

Quietly admiring the sight, Huo Yuhao nodded, then pointed at the stack of books before her and spoke softly:

"Remember to finish those books."

"Y-yes, Teacher!"

Jiang Nannan hurriedly answered, then stared fixedly at Huo Yuhao, waiting for his next instruction.

She had already placed Huo Yuhao in the roles of "teacher" + "creditor" + "benefactor." With those three buffs stacked together, Jiang Nannan no longer had even the thought of resisting.

"Mm, that's all. You can go now. See you tomorrow." Seeing that Jiang Nannan had recovered, Huo Yuhao waved his hand and began ushering her out.

"Yes, Teacher!"

Jiang Nannan quickly replied. After carefully putting the Soul Gold Card close to her body, she hastily gathered the stack of books from the desk and rushed out of the office.

The moment she stepped out of the office, Tang Ya, who had been waiting outside for a long time—

"Mm? Nannan! You're out! How did it go? Are you alright?" Tang Ya hurried over. She first looked curiously at the books in Jiang Nannan's arms, but soon noticed something was wrong.

"Wait... Nannan, why are your eyes red?! Did that teacher bully you?!"

Seeing Tang Ya grow anxious, Jiang Nannan hurriedly said:

"No, no! It was my own problem! That teacher is a very good person! He even gave me money!"

Jiang Nannan quickly explained what had happened, finally managing to calm Tang Ya down.

Even so, Tang Ya remained somewhat suspicious:

"Nannan... are you sure that teacher is really that nice? Could he have ulterior motives?"

"No, no! Teacher really is very kind!" Jiang Nannan hurriedly shook her head.

She did not think Huo Yuhao had ulterior motives. The sadness she had felt from him in that moment could not possibly have been fake.

Besides, even if he truly did have ulterior motives... it did not matter anymore.

Jiang Nannan instinctively touched the Soul Gold Card she had tucked close to her body. Beneath the touch of her warmth, the cold card gradually heated up, becoming scorching hot.

This was hope.