Cafeteria Conflict, Encounter with the Grandmaster

"What does 'doomed to die alone' mean? Does it mean being destined to be lonely for life?"

Hearing Bai Ge's words, Tang San asked in confusion.

"It's nothing. I mean your life is probably destined to be very Hasa Ge~"

With a helpless sigh, Bai Ge shook his head. If the target had not been Xiao Wu, Tang San's move would probably have doomed him to become a Man Like Wind in the future—Wind Man for short, commonly known as: Hasa Ge!

"Hasa Ge?"

Tang San was even more confused.

"Um, you're called Bai Ge, right? I'm Xiao Wu. Thank you for giving up a set of bedding with Tang San for me!"

Taking the bedding from Tang San's hands, Xiao Wu darted over to Bai Ge like an elf and giggled.

"No need to thank me. I'm happy to be able to help you."

Seeing Xiao Wu's smiling face, Bai Ge naturally returned her smile. As the saying went, one did not slap a smiling face.

"That's good."

Knowing that Bai Ge did not mind, Xiao Wu also breathed a sigh of relief. After all, she had inconvenienced someone because of herself.

"Alright, let's hurry up and make our beds. It should be time for lunch now."

Looking at the sky outside the window, Bai Ge noticed that it was already getting late and could not help reminding them.

"Yeah! Yeah!"

The other children nearby hurriedly voiced their agreement.

Eager to get lunch, Bai Ge, Tang San, and Xiao Wu began making their beds.

Because the bedding the Grandmaster had given them was huge—at least larger than the dormitory beds, and nearly twice as large—what had originally been Tang San and Xiao Wu sharing a bed became Bai Ge and Tang San sharing one.

Xiao Wu folded up the mattress and spread it over her bed. Since it was folded, it was very soft to sleep on. The quilt was large, so they would need to curl up in it at night, but that was fine.

After tidying up their beds and daily necessities, everyone prepared to head to the cafeteria for lunch.

"Um, what tasty food does the cafeteria have?"

After leaving the dormitory and walking toward the cafeteria, Xiao Wu hopped along excitedly and asked.

"What good food can us Work-Study Students eat? We can just buy some food at the cafeteria and make do."

Hearing Xiao Wu's question, Wang Sheng gave a bitter smile.

Having enrolled as Work-Study Students, they had mostly come from rural villages and poor families. At a Soul Master Academy, where prices were extremely high, they simply could not afford any good food.

"Huh? We can't eat tasty food? Why not?"

Xiao Wu did not understand Wang Sheng's words.

"Meals cost money. We don't have any money!"

Wang Sheng explained helplessly.

"Money? Eating costs money too? You mean those Spirit Coins?"

Hearing Wang Sheng's words, Xiao Wu seemed to understand something, and the excited expression on her face immediately froze.

"Sister Xiao Wu, which village did you come from? How could eating outside possibly be free in this world?"

Hearing Xiao Wu's words, Wang Sheng could not help twitching at the corner of his mouth.

"Xiao Wu, just like Tang San, leave your meal expenses for the next two days to me. I don't have much money either, but covering your food for these two days won't be a problem."

Bai Ge had known that Xiao Wu definitely had no money. If Bai Ge still only had the dozen or so Silver Spirit Coins Grandpa Jack had previously given him for living expenses, he might have felt a little pained.

But since the academy had just returned the tuition Grandpa Jack had paid, a full Gold Soul Coin, it was more than enough to cover Tang San and Xiao Wu's meals for the next two days. Thus, Bai Ge acted generously.

After that, the three of them could Earn Money by cleaning the academy, and Bai Ge would no longer have to pay out of pocket.

"Wow, Bai Ge, you're so nice!"

Hearing Bai Ge's words, Xiao Wu's eyes immediately curved into happy crescents.

The group continued onward. After crossing more than half of the Playground, they finally arrived at the cafeteria.

The cafeteria of Nuoding Junior Spirit Master Academy was enormous, large enough to hold more than three hundred people from six classes along with their Teachers. At that moment, long lines had already formed at the serving windows.

"Oh~ Isn't this Wang Sheng and his bunch of poor wretches? What, got some newcomers?"

Just as Bai Ge and the others stepped into the cafeteria, an extremely arrogant voice drifted over from not far away.

Following the voice, Bai Ge looked up at the Second Floor.

There, a group of Young Men, almost all over ten years old, looked down at them from above. The one speaking was a rather handsome-looking boy among them.

"Poor wretches will always be poor wretches. I'm afraid you'll never be able to eat on the Second Floor."

Another Young Man beside him added mockingly.

"What are you supposed to be? Does eating on the Second Floor make you so impressive?"

Xiao Wu had a fiery temper. Moreover, Wang Sheng had already told her on the way that the Boss of Seventh Dormitory had to stand up for the Work-Study Students. So, upon being mocked, Xiao Wu immediately shot back.

"Oh? She's even a pretty little girl. Too bad she's a Work-Study Student."

Hearing Xiao Wu's words, the Young Men on the Second Floor immediately noticed her. But upon discovering that she was a Work-Study Student, they quickly lost interest.

"Wang Sheng, I'm going to eat. I'll let you off this time."

After tossing out those final words to Wang Sheng, the leading Young Man on the Second Floor left.

"Damn it! Is eating on the Second Floor really such a big deal?"

Watching the Young Man from the Second Floor disappear into the corridor by the stairs, Xiao Wu clenched her fists and said angrily.

"It really is a big deal. Eating on the Second Floor means ordering dishes separately, and it's very expensive!"

Hearing Xiao Wu's words, one Young Man could not help sighing.

But unlike Xiao Wu's anger, Bai Ge and Tang San both remained calm. They were both transmigrators, and their mental ages were nearly over thirty. Naturally, they would not become furious over irrelevant mockery from others.

While Xiao Wu was still fuming, Bai Ge had already spent quite some time observing the nearby students and had figured out how people ate here.

In fact, the dining system at Nuoding Academy's cafeteria was similar to the cafeterias at Bai Ge's high school and university in his previous life.

Everyone first collected a meal tray, then lined up at the windows serving the dishes they wanted, and finally found a table in the cafeteria to sit down and eat.

But unlike Bai Ge's previous life, high schools and universities there used card payments, so the lines moved relatively quickly. Nuoding Academy did not have those conditions. Students had to pay while lining up to receive their dishes, which made things much slower.

However, Nuoding Academy definitely had far fewer people than Bai Ge's high school and university in his previous life, so the speed was about the same.

"Hey, Bai Ge, I see Teacher."

Just as Bai Ge was observing the cafeteria, Tang San suddenly patted him on the shoulder.

Following the direction Tang San pointed, Bai Ge spotted a familiar figure. It was the Grandmaster!

"Teacher, are you here to eat too?"

Pulling Bai Ge along, Tang San quickly walked over to the Grandmaster.

"Oh, it's you two. How is it? Have you finished organizing your things?"

Hearing Tang San's voice, the Grandmaster noticed Bai Ge and Tang San beside him and asked.

"We've already put everything away. Thank you, Teacher, for the bedding."

Pulled over by Tang San, Bai Ge also spoke respectfully.

"It's nothing. Do you want to come to the Second Floor with me for a meal? I can show you where I stay."

Hearing Bai Ge's words, the Grandmaster shook his head and said.

"No, no!"

Bai Ge and Tang San immediately refused together.

They both thought the same way. Neither wanted to become someone who stood out in Seventh Dormitory, an oddity among the Work-Study Students. Perhaps once Bai Ge could Earn Money himself, he could go eat on the Second Floor. Of course, by then, Bai Ge would definitely invite his dormmates along.

But if they followed the Grandmaster now, it would undoubtedly make them easy targets for criticism.

"That works too. You're right to do this. Go on, but remember to wait for me at the cafeteria entrance after you finish eating. I have something to discuss with you."

Hearing Bai Ge and Tang San refuse, the Grandmaster's expression did not change. He seemed to think their refusal was perfectly normal. After telling them to wait for him at the cafeteria entrance after lunch, he went up to the Second Floor.

Watching the Grandmaster disappear onto the Second Floor, Bai Ge turned to Tang San beside him. "Come on, let's eat too."