Compensation?

After returning to the dorm, none of them spoke.

The room was still a mess.

One windowpane was broken, a corner of the desk sat crooked, and wood chips and glass shards still littered the floor. The upper bunk of the bed on the left was damaged too. A large section of its board had split and sagged at an angle, clearly unfit for anyone to sleep on.

Tang Wulin put his belongings back in place first.

He tucked his quilt against the inside of the lower bunk, folded his clothes neatly, and put away his toiletries. Still, his gaze lingered on the little flower embroidered on the corner of the quilt. The dusty footprint had been washed away, but remembering that foot stomping down on it still left him upset.

Zhou Changxi stood nearby with an ugly expression. Several times, he tried to speak, but in the end, nothing came out.

Yun Xiao had already climbed onto his upper bunk and sat on the edge, looking down. His eyes shifted behind his glasses; clearly, he had yet to fully recover from the day's string of events.

Xie Xie stood by the door, half his face still swollen, looking even colder than usual.

While they stood in that awkward silence, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

"Room 205."

A middle-aged man came in carrying a new bed board. Dressed in the Academy's maintenance uniform, he glanced at the four boys, then surveyed the damage. He showed no surprise; clearly, this was not his first time seeing something like this.

"Move aside."

As he spoke, he lifted the board. With practiced movements, he removed the broken old board in a few quick motions, then fitted the new one securely into the bed frame.

Once he finished, he dusted off his hands and turned to the boys.

"Which of you is Tang Wulin? And which is Xie Xie?"

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie looked up together.

"I am."

"Me."

The middle-aged man nodded.

"The window, the wall, the bed board, plus labor, come to thirty-four thousand Federation Credits. The Academic Affairs Office has already recorded it. Pay the compensation as soon as possible."

"Thirty-four thousand?" Tang Wulin shot to his feet.

He had expected to pay for the damage, but he had never imagined it would cost this much.

One bed board, one window, and one wall actually cost thirty-four thousand Federation Credits?

"Sir, could we repair it ourselves, or buy replacements outside?" he asked almost immediately.

The middle-aged man glanced at him, his tone level.

"This is the Academy, not your home. You damaged Academy property, so the Academy handles the repairs. What if you buy the wrong model? Who takes responsibility?"

Tang Wulin was suddenly at a loss for words.

Thirty-four thousand.

The living expenses his father had given him when he came to Eastsea City were nowhere near that much. Even if he emptied his pockets, he would still fall far short.

The thought alone made his head feel ready to burst.

The maintenance teacher clearly had no intention of explaining further to a few children. He left with a final, "Take care of it soon."

Once he was gone, the dorm fell silent again.

Tang Wulin plopped onto the edge of his bed and stared at the floor, motionless for a long while.

Thirty-four thousand Federation Credits.

The number had sounded so light on the lips of Xie Xie and the Academy's maintenance teacher, yet it weighed terribly heavily on him.

That was money.

Not just a string of numbers.

Zhou Changxi had still been angry, but hearing the cost of the damages made his expression stiffen too.

His family was of ordinary means, and every everyday expense had to be carefully budgeted. He knew better than anyone what thirty-four thousand Federation Credits meant. If his family really had to pay that, all hell would probably break loose.

So he had the good sense to keep his mouth shut.

Even some of his earlier resentment had been pressed down.

Yun Xiao gave a soft cough from the upper bunk but said nothing.

He was poor too.

At a time like this, even one extra word could draw the flames onto him.

Only Xie Xie remained standing there. Watching Tang Wulin's expression grow steadily worse, he began to frown as well.

After a few moments, he finally spoke.

"I'll cover the money for now."

Tang Wulin froze, then jerked his head up to look at him.

"You will?"

His stare made Xie Xie a little uncomfortable, and his tone only grew harsher.

"I said I'll cover it for now."

He paused, then added, "But not for nothing. Once my face heals, we fight again."

Before Tang Wulin had fully processed the fact that someone would pay the thirty-four thousand, the first thought to spring into his mind was—

The money was taken care of.

In that instant, nearly half the distress in his eyes vanished.

"Really?"

Xie Xie's face darkened.

"Do you think I've got nothing better to do than lie to you about this?"

Tang Wulin looked at him and immediately nodded, as though afraid he might change his mind.

"Fine. We'll fight."

He agreed so quickly that even Yun Xiao could not help leaning over the edge of the upper bunk to look at him.

A moment ago, he had looked utterly miserable. Now, the instant he heard someone would cover the compensation, he perked right up.

The contrast left Xie Xie somewhat speechless too.

He had expected the fellow to put up at least a token protest, or stubbornly insist he did not need help. Instead, the moment someone offered to advance the compensation, he agreed.

"You really are practical," he said coldly.

Tang Wulin saw nothing wrong with that at all.

"That's thirty-four thousand Federation Credits." He looked at Xie Xie very seriously. "It's no small sum."

For a moment, Xie Xie had no answer.

Money was not a problem for him, at least not an amount like this. Yet seeing Tang Wulin's expression, he suddenly realized the other boy was not pretending. He truly was worried about paying for the damage.

Their lives were that different.

Xie Xie fell silent for two seconds, then finally tossed out one last remark:

"We'll talk tomorrow."

With that, he turned and left the dorm.

From the look of it, he was probably going to get the injury on his face treated first.

The three boys left in the dorm felt rather awkward for a moment.

Yun Xiao was the first to break the silence.

"It's lunchtime," he said. "Are you two hungry?"

Tang Wulin had still been caught up in the compensation, but at those words, his stomach immediately rumbled in agreement.

He really was hungry.

Terribly hungry, in fact.

After all that running around—entering the academy, registering, fighting, then being summoned to the Academic Affairs Office—he had not eaten a single bite.

"Yes," he answered honestly.

Yun Xiao pushed up his glasses and climbed down from the upper bunk.

"Then let's go to the cafeteria first. If we wait any longer, it'll get even more crowded."

Zhou Changxi hesitated beside them, then got down from his bed as well.

He glanced at Tang Wulin, still looking a little embarrassed, but he was clearly much more subdued than earlier, when he had seemed itching for a vicious fight.

"Coming?" Yun Xiao asked.

Tang Wulin nodded. "Yes."

The three left the dorm together.

The Intermediate Division's cafeteria stood beside the Main Teaching Building, in a small three-story building. First- and second-year students ate on the first floor, third- and fourth-years on the second, and fifth- and sixth-years on the third. The building bustled with new students and the parents accompanying them.

As soon as Tang Wulin entered, he smelled food.

Then he noticed that the cafeteria had no chairs.

Only long tables.

"Academy rules say we have to stand while eating." Noticing his confusion, Yun Xiao explained as they walked, "They say it's to keep students from getting too lazy or lingering in the cafeteria too long."

Tang Wulin nodded.

There were three serving windows, labeled A, B, and C.

Yun Xiao quickly explained the differences as well.

"Category C meals are free, and you can eat your fill. Category B costs a little extra, but the dishes are better. Category A is the most expensive, but also the best. Most people eat Category C normally and only get Category B when they want something nicer."

Tang Wulin listened carefully.

When they drew closer and he saw the day's offerings posted above the Category C window, his eyes lit up.

Steamed buns.

And there was no limit.

Standing beside him, Zhou Changxi saw them too and could not help turning to glance at Tang Wulin.

He still resented the beating he had taken earlier, but having just been beaten, he could hardly swallow the humiliation. After holding it in for a long while, he suddenly blurted out:

"Tang Wulin, want to compete?"

Tang Wulin blinked.

"At what?"

"Eating steamed buns." Zhou Changxi raised his chin. "Whoever eats more wins."

Beside them, Yun Xiao's mouth twitched.

They had just finished fighting, and now they wanted a bun-eating contest. What on earth went on inside his roommates' heads?

Tang Wulin actually gave it some serious thought.

"What happens if you lose?"

Zhou Changxi said, "Whoever loses handles cleaning the dorm for the month. If I lose, I'll wash those clothes of yours I dirtied too."

Tang Wulin glanced at him and suddenly felt that, although this fellow was certainly asking for a beating, he was not entirely beyond saving.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Of course," Zhou Changxi said. "What, scared?"

Tang Wulin did not immediately take the bait.

He merely glanced again at the neatly stacked buns behind the window and asked a more important question.

"Do they really give you as many buns as you want?"

Zhou Changxi paused.

"Obviously. C Cafeteria Meals are unlimited."

Only then did Tang Wulin nod.

"All right, then."

Standing beside them, Yun Xiao suddenly had a bad feeling.

That feeling grew stronger when he saw Tang Wulin actually let out a small, deliberate breath after saying that, as though preparing for something.

Zhou Changxi clearly did not notice. He thought he had found a suitable way to save face.

"Then it's a contest."

Tang Wulin gazed at the steaming buns behind the window, his eyes now completely different.

"I'm actually pretty hungry."