Bai Pu, You're Really a Generous Person

Bai Pu understood. Spirit Energy Points were more valuable and could be converted into money at any time, but money rarely had the chance to be exchanged for Spirit Energy Points.

The main reason was that awakened ones generally did not lack money. Poor scholars, wealthy warriors—of those awakened ones who had successfully reached the twenty-point attribute threshold and passed the trial, how many came from impoverished families?

Someone like Bai Pu was an exception.

Even Bai Pu, poor as he was, could not bear to exchange Spirit Energy Points for money. Like with this equipment recovery, he still chose to settle in Spirit Energy Points.

Su Xiaoxiao brought Bai Pu to an abandoned equipment recycling warehouse. Kong Qi shamelessly tagged along as well, claiming he wanted to broaden his horizons.

With a lift of his hand, piece after piece of discarded equipment poured out of the Storage Space, forming a small river of equipment!

Kong Qi's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Holy crap, how many pieces of equipment are there? Don't tell me you emptied out the Dead Bone Mountain Range."

"It's only ten cubic meters of equipment." Bai Pu shook his head. "The Dead Bone Mountain Range is huge. I probably only cleared out ninety percent of the skeleton monsters in Black Mist Valley."

"Ninety percent of the entire Black Mist Valley..." Kong Qi muttered.

Su Xiaoxiao quickly called over the base staff to sort and weigh the equipment while she handled the pricing.

While waiting, Bai Pu took out a book again.

"Bai Pu, have you ever thought about giving yourself a codename?" Kong Qi whispered. "Why not go with an animal theme and match the rest of us? I've even thought of one for you."

Without looking up, Bai Pu replied while multitasking, "Kong Qi isn't an animal-themed name."

"Hey, my name is Kong Qi, so that's why I chose Qilin as my codename. Who says divine beasts aren't animals?" Kong Qi continued in a low voice. "You could be... Honey Badger. Isn't that cool?"

Honey badgers, known as the fearless tough guys of the animal kingdom, were animals Kong Qi somehow felt suited Bai Pu perfectly.

"No."

Bai Pu ended the conversation and continued reading.

"Alright, the total is... 10,928 Spirit Energy Points." Su Xiaoxiao pulled Bai Pu over to look at the itemized list.

Bai Pu glanced it over, confirmed that everything was correct, and nodded right away. After the transaction, his Spirit Energy Points directly surpassed twenty thousand.

"I sold so much discarded equipment. That counts as contributing to the organization, right? Do I get any benefits?" Bai Pu asked seriously.

Su Xiaoxiao looked at Bai Pu staring at her face and somehow got the wrong idea. "W-What kind of benefits? I may look like this, but I'm very traditional."

"Meals and lodging included." Bai Pu barely had any money left in his account. Even eating had become a problem.

"Oh, that." Su Xiaoxiao opened her personal information terminal. "I can make the call on something this small. I'll activate free meals and lodging on your ID card, but it only applies to you."

In fact, professional awakened soldiers of the God Strategy Army all received free meals and lodging. Opening a small back door for Bai Pu was no big deal, which was why Su Xiaoxiao agreed so readily.

Kong Qi sighed. "You earned more than ten thousand Spirit Energy Points in ten days. By that calculation, you're already a millionaire, yet you still care about a little meal and lodging fee..."

Bai Pu coughed lightly. "I have a use for those Spirit Energy Points."

Besides being used for transactions between awakened ones, Spirit Energy Points were mainly used to enhance equipment.

Enhancing equipment to +4, +7, and +10 were all critical enhancement levels, each granting a random enhancement effect.

Of course, Bai Pu did not currently have any equipment worth enhancing.

Manticore's Thorn, his most valuable accessory, had already been enhanced to +4 by Fish Intestine and gained its first enhancement effect. There was no point in pushing it to +5, because accessories gained nothing unless they reached a critical level. Unless he could push it all the way to +7, but that was far too difficult.

After equipment reached +4, the failure rate became very high, and each failure reset the enhancement level to zero. After reaching +7—or when attempting to reach +7—the failure rate became even higher. Failure would not only erase the enhancement level, but could even shatter the equipment itself! As for Smooth Bone Hammer, it was a weapon and should have been enhanced most of all, but Bai Pu had already decided to replace it. Iron Thorn Shoulder Guard was not armor for a major body slot, so enhancing it held little meaning.

After freeloading a meal in the cafeteria, Bai Pu returned to his room and fell asleep the moment he lay down. During his ten days in the Intersection Lands, he had not gotten a single good night's sleep. At most, he had taken two-hour naps to restore his depleted Spirit Energy. He badly needed to catch up on sleep now.

He slept until the next day. After getting up, Bai Pu received a string of messages from his Intelligent Assistant, Xiao Bai.

Bai Pu skimmed through them and picked out the important ones to reply to.

966xxxx4068: Bai Pu, I'm Taurus. I'm sorry. I didn't know those people wanted to kill you, and I definitely didn't know they had prepared a bloody item. I thought they only wanted to drive you out of the Intersection Lands and teach you a lesson. I'm willing to compensate you, and I hope you can forgive me.

Then came a message from Li Ling.

Li Ling: Bai Pu, I spoke with Taurus. He wants to compensate you with a set of virtual combat training equipment. Do you think that works?

Bai Pu replied to Li Ling first.

Bai Pu: No need. I never expected him to sacrifice his own interests to protect me anyway. At most, I just won't add him as a friend in the future.

Li Ling: Are you sure? A set of virtual combat training equipment costs more than three hundred thousand.

Bai Pu's eyes widened.

He replied immediately.

Bai Pu: Since he's apologizing so sincerely, it wouldn't be right for me to refuse. We're all part of the same organization, after all.

Li Ling: Alright. Where should it be installed? Your room probably isn't big enough.

Bai Pu thought for a moment.

Bai Pu: Install it at Xi City Seventeenth Middle School. The college entrance exam is about to begin, and I happen to be going there. I can focus and study properly.

Li Ling: Is it a donation or a loan?

Bai Pu: A donation. After the college entrance exam, I probably won't need that equipment anymore.

Li Ling: On behalf of our alma mater, thank you.

Bai Pu: Don't thank me yet. There are conditions if the school wants that equipment.

Bai Pu: The cafeteria has to provide meals. Free ones.

Li Ling waited for quite a while before replying.

Li Ling: Alright, no problem. We'll arrange a dorm room for you too.

Bai Pu: Thanks.

After ending his communication with Li Ling, Bai Pu sent another message to 966xxxx4068: Thank you for the compensation. I'm not angry at all anymore.

966xxxx4068: That's great. Thank you, Bai Pu. You're really a generous person.

System Notification (blue text): 966xxxx4068 has requested to add you as a friend. Accept?

Bai Pu tapped "No" without hesitation.

Xi City Seventeenth Middle School.

The army-green jeep came to a stop.

The Combat Class students of Seventeen Middle School stood on both sides of the main road, welcoming them in formation.

The Old Principal held Li Ling's hand. "Thank you, thank you! Li Ling, you really haven't forgotten your roots. I don't even know how many times I applied to the bureau for this equipment. Every time, they just gave me the runaround. Now it's finally here. The Combat Class students can finally train more efficiently."

Li Ling gave Bai Pu an awkward glance. "Old Principal, our Great Tang Group's donation does come with conditions. Bai Pu must be given priority in using this equipment..."

"Of course." Teacher Ren, the homeroom teacher standing beside the Old Principal, hurriedly assured her.

"Also, we'd like the school to help cover Bai Pu's meals and lodging before the college entrance exam."

The Old Principal froze. "Then... does he have any special requirements for food or accommodations?"

"No special requirements. The same as the other students will do," Li Ling confirmed.

The Old Principal laughed heartily. "Then there's no problem."

Bai Pu looked at the students standing stiffly along both sides of the road like rows of little poplars and frowned slightly. Li Ling understood at once. "Teacher Ren, dismiss the students. There are only around ten days left before the college entrance exam. Everyone's time is precious."

Teacher Ren nodded and called for the Combat Class students to leave.

The Old Principal called over a girl. "This is Shi Yi, my granddaughter. Shi Yi, take Bai Pu to look around the cafeteria and dormitory so he can get familiar with the place."