The next day.
Ikelite City-State, east side, Wilford New Residence.
In the spacious, brightly lit dining room on the first floor, the morning sunlight streamed through the window lattice, carrying the outlines of the leaves outside and casting a gentle glow into every corner.
Now and then, a summer morning breeze drifted through the courtyard, bringing with it the delicate mixed fragrance of various flowers from the distant garden.
Breakfast at the Wilford Family home was different from usual today.
Besides the head of the family, Noe, there was another special figure at one side of the dining table.
"Dad, could you give me some money?"
"No!"
The head of the family, Noe Wilford, sat at the head of the table. His expression was as usual, but when his gaze fell on Lanchi, a hint of complicated emotion involuntarily surfaced in his eyes.
Noe grew angry whenever he thought about it. Because of this boy, the number in his bank account had plummeted over the past year. Now the company's international trade had shrunk by more than half, and buying a new residence in Ikelite had added another huge expense.
If Lanchi's academic performance hadn't been so outstanding, he would have been no different from one of those good-for-nothing delinquents!
"All right."
Lanchi knew he had already wrung quite a bit of money out of his dad over the past year. He had finally reached the point where there was nothing left to squeeze out.
But he really was short of money now.
Apart from the bonus he had received from the Southern Continent Shadow World Management Association after completing the Tier 7 Shadow World, as well as the small amount of savings he had left before that, he actually had no other money.
He had brought back quite a