Sudden Wealth Overnight

Tang Wulin had no idea how adorable he looked right now, his large, beautiful eyes blinking incessantly at Xie Xie, the cowlick on his head swaying gently along with his movements.

Xie Xie: ...Acting cute is shameful!

But it was effective.

Having been unable to resist anything fluffy even before he transmigrated, Xie Xie's heart softened instantly.

He turned his head away and pretended to cough twice, trying to mask his wavering resolve: "Ahem... alright, alright, stop looking at me like that. I never said I wasn't forgiving you."

Tang Wulin immediately broke into a radiant smile: "Thank you!"

Just as the two were talking, two Marios—one tall and one short—stepped onto the scene to the sound of familiar background music.

Under Xie Xie's dumbfounded gaze, the tall Mario pulled out a small hammer and tapped the wall lightly; a magical scene unfolded as the wall, which had been punched through with two holes, automatically restored itself.

The short Mario walked over to the damaged bed frame, fished a wooden board out of his blue overalls' pocket, jumped in place, and finished the installation.

The broken wall, bed frame, and window were repaired just like that.

The short Mario said expressionlessly: "All done. The window, the exterior wall, and the bed—that will be 34,000 Federal Credits in total."

The tall Mario added a finishing blow: "Remember to go to the Academic Affairs Office to pay tomorrow, or we'll have to notify your families~"

"What the hell?" Zhou Changxi had another mental breakdown.

"Isn't this way too expensive?!" Tang Wulin was completely stunned.

Yun Xiao was also mortified: "Exactly, we could have replaced the bed board ourselves."

But the two Marios ignored them entirely, shouldering the broken wooden scraps as they left, their voices drifting back lazily from a distance: "School regulations, nothing we can do, haha. Feel free to keep fighting; that way, we'll have more to earn~"

Watching the backs of the two Marios as they departed, Xie Xie couldn't help but click his tongue in his heart: The two-dimensional world is still just too magical!

Tang Wulin sat down on the bottom bunk, his small face instantly scrunching up in distress.

After all, for a family like his, just the 30,000 Federal Credits for purchasing a martial soul would take years to save up.

Xie Xie watched Tang Wulin sitting there motionless, rubbing his chin with his fingertips, deep in thought.

Three seconds later, a lightbulb "dinged" on above his head.

Xie Xie clapped his right fist into his left palm and grabbed Tang Wulin's sleeve: "Hey, Tang Wulin, come out of the academy with me, let's have another match!"

He had just transmigrated and wasn't familiar with martial souls or soul power yet; this was the perfect chance to use Tang Wulin to practice.

Using this as an excuse to pay the fine for Tang Wulin would also build up some favorability. Besides, given Tang Wulin's personality, he would definitely find a way to pay the money back eventually—it was a massive profit!

Thinking this, the fox tail behind Xie Xie wagged rapidly, and his face broke into a "mastermind" smile.

"Huh?" Tang Wulin was stunned for a moment before coming to his senses, "I can do that, but I have to find a way to pay the fine first..."

Wait, he just agreed to that?

Xie Xie hadn't expected Tang Wulin to agree so easily.

After a brief moment of surprise, Xie Xie patted his chest and said: "That's simple. You spar with me, and I'll pay that fine for you."

Tang Wulin was stunned again, "You'll pay it?"

Looking at the sudden spark of surprise in Tang Wulin's eyes, Xie Xie felt a bit of heartache over his own money, but he gritted his teeth and said: "I'll pay!"

"Alright!" Tang Wulin agreed instantly, "When are we fighting?"

"Tomorrow."

After setting the time, Xie Xie left.

Exiting the gates of Eastsea Academy, Xie Xie asked for directions all the way to the Federal Central Bank, where he withdrew 40,000 Federal Credits in one go.

Watching the stacks of bills spitting out of the window, Xie Xie's eyes went wide.

Honestly, in all the time he had lived in his previous life, he had never seen so much money at once.

The bank staff skillfully organized the cash and placed it into a small black briefcase.

Carrying the briefcase, Xie Xie looked at the chat history on his communicator; he actually had a full 60,000 Federal Credits in monthly pocket money!

Xie Xie felt like he was floating on air; the feeling of becoming rich overnight—it was awesome!!

Afterward, he carried the case straight to the most famous barbershop in Eastsea City. Under the fluid, professional hands of the stylist, he swapped his look for a sharp, wolf-cut short hairstyle.

The light brown hair was fresh and stylish, the sides were trimmed clean, the top had subtle layers, and the hair at the nape of his neck was slightly elongated.

His forehead was no longer covered by heavy, messy bangs, leaving only a few light, wispy strands that completely revealed those clear, bright, ink-green eyes. His gaze was nimble and cunning, making his entire face look even more handsome and spirited.

The slightly childish features were complemented by the new hairstyle, adding a touch of capability and dash.

Xie Xie stared at the brand-new version of himself in the mirror, shocked for the umpteenth time today.

Who said this kid Xie Xie wasn't handsome? Once the hairstyle changed, he was practically off-the-charts handsome!

In the end, the stylist didn't even mention payment; there wasn't a hint of greed for money in his eyes, only the ultimate appreciation for his own work.

By the time Xie Xie hurried back to school, it was already noon.

Returning to the dormitory, Tang Wulin had just finished lunch and was sitting cross-legged on his bed, preparing to meditate.

Xie Xie opened the black briefcase and casually tossed a stack of bundled Federal Credits to Tang Wulin: "Here."

Tang Wulin opened it to take a look, and inside was a stack of Federation Credits.

Looking at this thick stack of money, he couldn't help but feel a bit dazed.

Xie Xie watched his expression, secretly feeling smug: Shocked, aren't you? My jaw nearly hit the floor when I withdrew the money too.

Xie Xie put the briefcase away and spoke indifferently, "School officially starts tomorrow. Follow me after class in the evening."

"Alright." Tang Wulin hesitated for a moment before nodding gently, "I will definitely pay you back for this money later."

"Got it, got it," Xie Xie replied dismissively.

After a whole day of busyness, everything was finally settled. Xie Xie climbed into bed, feeling content, just wanting to have a nice, peaceful rest.

However, the moment he lay down and turned over, he was met with a pair of familiar, sparkling black eyes staring at him without blinking.

"Um... I want to go out for a bit this afternoon, is that okay?" Tang Wulin stood on his tiptoes, leaning over the edge of Xie Xie's upper bunk. The cowlick on his head swayed back and forth, and his eyes were filled with such curiosity that he looked incredibly soft and adorable.

Xie Xie: ...Don't force me to slap you when I'm at my happiest.

Xie Xie pulled the quilt over his head, and a muffled voice came from beneath it: "Ask Yun Xiao."

Yun Xiao, on the other upper bunk, had no choice but to say helplessly, "School hasn't officially started yet, so it's definitely fine. Just make sure you're back before lights out, or you'll be disciplined."

"I will."

With that, Tang Wulin left the dormitory.

He didn't even need to think to know that Tang Wulin was definitely going off to take his rank exams to earn money, but what did that have to do with him? Sleep!

Xie Xie drifted into a beautiful dream.

During it, he seemed to have a dream. In the dream, two daggers—one gold and one dark—circled around him.

One was entirely a brilliant, pale gold.

The blade was slender and long, like a sharp edge forged from sunlight. Its surface flowed with fine, warm dragon patterns, and as the light shifted, it seemed as if tiny light dragons were coiling and swimming along the blade.

The other was entirely a deep, ink-like silver-black.

The blade was nearly transparent, yet it seemed to swallow the surrounding light, appearing as if it were condensed from a flowing shadow. A faint, dark purple glow flickered along the edge, the power of the shadows restrained yet sharp.

The two daggers, one light and one dark, one day and one night, created an extreme visual impact.

The moment Xie Xie grasped the two daggers in his dream, light and shadow intertwined. Two halos, one gold and one black, swirled and coiled around his body, at times merging, at times separating.

At that very instant, the world suddenly went silent.

Light and darkness simultaneously fell quiet, smoothed over by a force more ancient and vast.

In the void, a expanse of nothingness in white slowly unfurled. The flow of time slowed to an imperceptible crawl, and space rippled with fine tremors, bringing with it a sense of near-eternal tranquility.

Within the nothingness, an eye slowly opened.

It was a dragon eye, entirely silver-white, with a pupil that was a perfectly regular golden rhombus.

Unlike the bloodlust and bestiality of other dragon eyes, this dragon eye held only absolute rationality and a near-divine indifference.

With just a single glance, it was as if a deity were gazing down upon the mortal realm.