Thank You, On Behalf of the Children

Du Chen’s dormitory entrance used to be flanked by two tents, belonging to the Gambler Jamis and the Charlatan Bovin, those two incorrigible old rogues. These two figures were typically elusive, rarely seen, save for one consistent exception: at the end of every month, they would invariably seek out Du Chen, ostensibly to “exchange sentiments” with their ‘little brother,’ but in reality… it was to negotiate a ‘loan’ for the following month’s living expenses!

By his count, Du Chen had been supporting these two freeloaders for over a year. If he weren’t so acutely aware that they were genuine Eminences from Clandestine Circles, he’d have long ago ordered Harry to sweep them out with a broom. Even a healthy beggar knew how to be self-reliant; at the very least, they possessed some semblance of manners! Even a dog—though the comparison might seem slightly inappropriate—even a dog would wag its tail for its owner. Yet these two, eating Du Chen’s food, drinking his wine, simply drifted through life as if awaiting death, occasionally putting on airs and feigning importance, acting as if bestowing a great honor upon him by deigning to borrow money from an ‘inferior.’ They were truly beyond saving!

Now, a third tent had appeared not far from the entrance of Dormitory Number Eighteen. Earth-yellow, two meters high, and roughly four meters in circumference, it looked identical to the ones inhabited by those two old men. It hadn’t been there when Du Chen left moments ago, so it must have been erected in this short span of time.

From within the third tent, Jamis’s and Bovin’s boisterous laughter echoed. “Our dear little brother, don’t you worry! Our *other* adorable little brother, Francis, is rich—incredibly rich! And supremely generous. Just settle in here, eat his food, drink his drink. No need to be shy!”

“Exactly!” Jamis added, his voice oozing mischief. “And if you ever fancy a few hands at the gambling house, just drop Francis’s name and tell them you’re his friend—I, Jamis, will personally vouch for you! Hehe, that way, should you lose everything, someone will be there to pick up the tab…”

These two shameless old scoundrels! Even if it were true, did they have to broadcast it everywhere?! Du Chen indeed wanted to do good deeds to the point of obsession, but… listening to their words, even a clay Buddha would lose its temper.

Striding forward, Du Chen pulled back the tent flap and took a glance, freezing for a moment in surprise.

Inside the tent were three figures. Jamis and Bovin, of course, were both enthusiastically extolling Du Chen’s various ‘virtues’ to a young man. The young man’s attire… unconsciously reminded Du Chen of Porter!

Porter had a bowl cut that obscured most of his face. This young man, however, had a tangled mass of black-grey hair, cascading over his shoulders, his fringe uncombed and messy, so dishevelled it practically covered most of his face. Only a pair of large spectacles parted the wild strands, allowing a glimpse of his somewhat vacant eyes and an estimation of his age.

Aside from the hairstyle and general aura, the young man’s clothing was also remarkably similar to Porter’s: extremely plain, even somewhat worn grey fabric clothes, flat cloth shoes, a hemp belt around his waist… In short, Du Chen’s first reaction upon seeing him was—*a poor student of the Academy!* Perhaps even poorer than Porter!

“Oooh, our little brother is back!” Jamis enthusiastically greeted him, straightforwardly explaining, “This is our new acquaintance, Martin! We’ll be troubling you to look after him from now on!”

Du Chen felt a surge of exasperation, but upon seeing Martin, the young man had his head bowed, looking shy and somewhat solitary. His posture, hands clasped on his knees, was also rather… demure. He didn’t seem like a gluttonous scoundrel. Du Chen’s anger subsided slightly. *Could this be some poor soul duped by old Bovin?* he mused.

“Senior Francis, hello,” Martin stammered, “please don’t listen to the two sirs… professors speaking nonsense. I, I’m not here to trouble you!” Martin’s words confirmed Du Chen’s suspicion: those two unscrupulous old men had once again been up to no good.

“Hey, what’s all this talk of ‘trouble’!” Bovin cut in. “Francis, he’s in your care now!” Both Bovin and Jamis stood up. Bovin, still holding a jingling money bag, shook it. “Harry has already conveyed the profound brotherly bond between you and us. Ha! See you next month, we have important matters to attend to!”

The two scurried out of the tent, not even bothering to explain Martin’s background to Du Chen. Money in hand, they fled.

“Hey, don’t you dare fight me for it! I’m using this money for a new outfit! Nowadays, even fortune-tellers are judged by their storefronts!”

“Enough, enough! My hands are itching terribly! Give it here, I’m off to the gambling house!”

“You still dare bring that up!? Last time, my ‘storefront’ got smashed because of you!”

The two remaining individuals exchanged an awkward glance. Under Du Chen’s persistent questioning, Martin stammered out his story, answering one question for every three asked…

He was a student from an ordinary Battle God school on Arcania Continent. Due to ranking first in his entire school, he had proudly come to Battle God Isle as a sponsored trainee, making up for his previous failure in the Battle God exam. However, Martin’s family was impoverished, a typical example of the lowest stratum of the Battle God World. His parents toiled on barren land for their livelihood, and he had several younger siblings at home, making even basic meals a struggle… In short, he was an exceptionally poor student!

Martin arrived alone on Battle God Isle, but no sooner had he reached the docks than he encountered old Bovin, who was then swindling people with his fortune-telling. Seeing the boy’s honest and naive demeanour, it was no surprise he became Bovin’s target. The two unscrupulous old men thoroughly swindled him out of a lavish meal—much like when they had previously extorted Du Chen, though the ‘class’ of the establishment differed. These two old rascals had chosen a very high-end restaurant. Halfway through the meal, they vanished, leaving Martin with the bill. Poor Martin! The meager funds he had on him weren’t even enough to cover a fraction of the cost!

However, the unscrupulous old men weren’t *entirely* heartless. When Martin genuinely couldn’t produce enough money to pay and was on the verge of tears, they reappeared. Upon hearing that Martin’s family was dirt poor, that his scholarship funds had all gone to help his younger siblings and children, and that he was currently preparing for a work-study program, the two old men experienced a flicker of conscience. They settled the bill, then led him to Du Chen, entrusting him to the famed great benefactor, Francis…

Oh, and by the way, they settled the bill using Du Chen’s name, so the receipt would be sent to him shortly! And as for who would pay for this third tent… that went without saying. Certainly not them!

Du Chen carefully considered Martin’s words and found nothing amiss. Stories like Martin’s seemed to happen daily across the Three Continents! “I understand. Those two aren’t *entirely* scoundrels, after all… Martin, you don’t need to live in a tent. I’ll arrange a dormitory for you shortly. Also, I’ll have my butler prepare some funds for you to use in an emergency…”

“No, no, Senior Francis, how could I accept your money!” Martin vehemently waved his hands.

“Student Martin,” Du Chen patiently explained, “wishes may be beautiful, but reality is often harsh. The truth tells us that a Battle God is built upon a mountain of Gold Coins—you must have heard that saying. For the sake of your studies, please accept it! Besides, this is all I can directly help you with. If you wish to continue your studies and develop within the Battle God Academy, I suggest you apply for a scholarship at the Lotus Charitable Foundation branch in the Sixth Street District. As long as your conduct evaluation is good each semester, and your strength shows improvement, you will receive next semester’s tuition fees…”

This was Du Chen’s usual method for assisting impoverished students, and he had already helped no less than three hundred individuals this way.

Unable to refuse further, Martin reluctantly accepted Du Chen’s money bag, smiling shyly. “Senior, please don’t worry. I’ll repay you once I graduate and start earning money.” He then glanced up at the tent, chuckling awkwardly. “I, I’ll move this tent to an open space later…” Clearly, Martin intended to save on accommodation fees.

Du Chen sighed inwardly but didn’t stop him. After pondering Martin’s words carefully once more, Du Chen’s eyes lit up. “You just mentioned that your family has many children, and many children in your hometown often don’t have enough to eat. Could you tell me the exact address of your hometown? I can try to find a way to help them. At the very least, they could eat their fill and attend school…”

Martin waved his hands repeatedly. “Thank you very much, you’re truly a great person, but another benefactor has already helped them…”

“Dear Student Martin,” Du Chen gently interrupted, “the children in your hometown might indeed have received help from another kind soul, but wouldn’t *more* funding be even more beneficial to them? Please don’t refuse; this money isn’t for you. Please accept this humble hundred Gold Coins on behalf of those children!” With that, he handed over a bag of Gold Coins.

Martin visibly froze for a moment. He solemnly accepted the money bag and bowed deeply to Du Chen. “I thank you for your kindness on behalf of those children! I am truly grateful!”

Du Chen felt a sense of satisfaction at having performed another good deed, yet also a slight tinge of regret. *Good deeds are getting harder to find these days,* he mused, *it seems others have already claimed half the opportunities. From now on, I can’t wait for chances to fall from the sky; I must actively seek them out!* “Alright then, Martin, you can pack your things. Later, come to my dormitory for dinner. Don’t refuse now, is it really too much for me to treat a junior to a meal? Hehe!”

Having tearfully seen Du Chen off, Martin looked at the heavy money bag in his hand and suddenly smiled faintly. The smile, glimpsed through his dishevelled hair, was remarkably elegant, imbued with a certain… carefree grace, an air of aloof transcendence! He removed his spectacles, and a flash of sharp light glinted in his slightly vacant black eyes—lonely, wise, a hint of solitude. It was the gaze typically possessed only by those who had long held positions of great power!

Meanwhile, Du Chen had returned to his own doorstep, loudly calling out, “Harry, stop playing with Miss! Prepare dinner! I’m home… my home!”

*CRASH!

*The attic of Dormitory Number Eighteen, that incredibly sturdy second-story loft, seemed to have been violently scalped by a long blade. The roof shattered, walls collapsed, and in the blink of an eye, Du Chen’s dormitory was “decapitated”!

Following that, Dormitory Number Nineteen, right next to Du Chen’s, suffered the same fate. Fat Jason’s “den” was also scalped. Dormitory Twenty, Dormitory Twenty-One… In a flash, three dormitories collapsed in succession!

Du Chen stared dumbfounded at his home, which was rapidly turning into rubble. Astonished and enraged, he roared, “WHO!?” Thankfully, everyone else was out performing good deeds, and little Beibei and Harry were playing by the river. Otherwise, even without casualties, utter chaos would have been inevitable!

With three dormitories collapsing in a row, it looked as if a sacred artifact cannon had been aimed at this row of buildings. With just one shot, all three dormitories were annihilated… And the “muzzle” was…

Du Chen’s gaze fell upon Dormitory Number Seventeen. Sure enough, a massive hole had appeared in the wall of Dormitory Number Seventeen, precisely aligned with Dormitory Number Eighteen. Yet the other side remained completely intact. There was no doubt: the cannon had fired from here!

The owner of Dormitory Number Seventeen was… Annie!

Given Annie’s temperament, it was impossible she’d be responsible for demolishing someone’s home. So that meant…

“Madam Betty, what is the meaning of this!?”

From the large hole in the wall, a head with dishevelled hair emerged—it was indeed Betty. “Francis, don’t you dare falsely accuse me! This wasn’t my doing! It was your mother-in-law’s!”