Gao Neng fell silent.

Gui Zian didn’t press the matter. He gave them a quick tour of the War Academy campus, handed them a class schedule, and then said his goodbyes.

Once Gui Zian was gone, Fang Tangtang went back to trying to convince Gao Neng to join her team. She also invited Kong Kun and Feng Qingqing to join as well.

Gao Neng ignored her.

’If I’m going to be on a team, I’ll be the one leading it.’

’I’m a genius. Why would I ever play second fiddle to Fang Tangtang?’

Kong Kun and Feng Qingqing, however, seemed tempted. Fang Tangtang had boasted that she possessed a "killer move" of incredible power—one that could cut down anyone in her path and would let them climb the combat rankings with ease.

Gao Neng wasn’t buying it.

’If she really had a "killer move" like that, I probably would’ve experienced it this morning.’ He clearly remembered beating her so badly that she’d even dropped her Scythe of Death.

He glanced at the system’s evolution progress.

There was still some time.

He decided to head to the logistics department first. If he recalled correctly, he had 1,100 Merit Points, and he was curious to see what he could exchange them for.

...

The Eastern Capital Military Academy’s logistics department was actually very large.

The place Gao Neng went last time was just the reception for new student registration. Item exchange was in another location, in a very spacious hall.

It was quite busy inside.

The reason was that there was only one service window.

A long line of more than ten people had formed.

Gao Neng waited patiently in line, practicing magnetizing his arm as he did.

After waiting for almost twenty minutes, it was finally his turn.

"What do you want to exchange for?" The person in charge was an old woman in her fifties. She asked with a yawn, without even lifting her head.

"I’d like to know what’s available for exchange," Gao Neng said politely.

"Hm? A freshman?" The old woman lifted her head.

Only then did Gao Neng get a clear look at her. She had half-white hair and wore a pair of glasses, but her complexion was quite ruddy.

’The legendary "sweeping monk"?’

Gao Neng was quite knowledgeable and had read many novels, so he instinctively felt that someone in such a cushy job must be a reclusive master.

"Yes, I’m a freshman. My name is Gao Neng. This is my student ID." Gao Neng handed over his student ID, which contained his information.

"So you’re Gao Neng?" The old woman smiled. "I’ve heard your name. Hmm... you’ve got quite a few Merit Points. 1,100. So, tell me, what do you need?"

"Do you have anything that increases energy?"

"We do. If you want to increase your energy, the simplest way is to take an Energy Pill. Energy Pills are divided into First Grade to Ninth Grade. The higher the grade, the more energy they contain. Which grade would you like to exchange for?" the old woman continued.

"How much is a First-Grade one?" Gao Neng asked again.

"5 Merit Points each."

"Can I buy them with money?"

"You can use money, but the academy’s rule is that if you use money, you pay the market price. A First-Grade Energy Pill costs 20,000 Alliance Coins on the market."

’An Energy Pill is 20,000 Alliance Coins, and that’s 5 Merit Points... which means 1 Merit Point is worth 4,000 Alliance Coins? I have 1,100 Merit Points, so... I have 4.4 million?!’ Gao Neng was startled. He hadn’t realized he was a millionaire.

"Want to exchange?"

"Not yet. Could you tell me the price of a Second-Grade Energy Pill?"

"A Second-Grade Energy Pill..."

...

Gao Neng and the old woman went back and forth, one asking and one answering.

Meanwhile, the students waiting in line behind them were also discussing it.

"So that’s Gao Neng? This year’s top freshman!"

"I heard he broke the Fourth Human Limit, and he’s so handsome! Oh, my poor heart, how can such an outstanding junior exist?" a female upperclassman muttered.

"Outstanding? He’s only at the Tier One Early Stage right now. A genius from the Forgotten Land... just how much of a genius can he really be?"

"Heh, cultivation doesn’t just rely on talent. It needs resources. And to get resources, you need money. No money? What’s he going to cultivate with?"

"Hahaha, true that!"

Wherever there are people, there is jealousy. After hearing the female upperclassman’s words, some naturally grew disgruntled. But everyone just discussed it amongst themselves; no one would dare provoke him to his face.

Gao Neng paid them no mind. He’d always been the object of jealousy; he was used to it.

After asking about the exchange prices for Energy Pills from First to Ninth Grade, he started asking about a bulk price. For example: is there a discount for buying 10 Energy Pills at once?

If not for 10, then what about 20?

After being told there was no discount no matter how many he bought, Gao Neng gave up on the Energy Pills and turned to ask about weapons. What was the price for a first-grade one? And a second-grade one?

After he was done asking about weapons...

He started asking about the weapon grading system, and then about how different weights affected the exchange price.

When he was finally done with weapons, he started asking about battle armor.

And there were many types of battle armor: gauntlets, fist wraps, boots, leg guards, chest plates, and also single items like Heart-Protecting Mirrors, Goggles...

「Half an hour later.」

The students waiting behind Gao Neng were finally starting to look grim.

’What the hell?’

’He’s been asking questions for half an hour!’

"Hey, Gao Neng, what are you actually exchanging for?"

"Hang on. I have a lot of Merit Points, so I want to get all the details before I exchange anything," Gao Neng replied without turning his head.

’We’ll endure it!’ The students held back.

After all, the Eastern Capital Military Academy’s rules forbade students from fighting privately on campus. If they really wanted to duel, they could invite a teacher to officiate.

「An hour later.」

Gao Neng had more or less finished his questions.

The students finally let out a sigh of relief, because they saw Gao Neng writing an exchange list. They figured he should be done with his exchange soon enough.

And Gao Neng was indeed writing an exchange list.

’First-Grade Energy Pills are cheap and can boost my energy. To finish magnetizing my arm, I’ll definitely need an energy supplement, so I need to get some.’

’Ten should do for now.’

’I need a weapon.’

’Fang Tangtang’s Scythe of Death looked so impressive. Besides, the old woman advised that using a weapon before reaching Tier Four would boost my combat power.’

However, Gao Neng hadn’t decided what weapon to get yet.

’But armor is a must.’

’I’m only Tier One, so I’ll need leg guards, a Heart-Protecting Mirror, and some other miscellaneous stuff, like a gas mask, night-vision goggles...’

Gao Neng listed a long string of items.

Watching him write that long list, the old woman’s eyes grew brighter and brighter. It seemed this kid was a big spender after all.

Exchanging 1,100 Merit Points all at once.

’This is a huge deal!’

"Alright, I’ll exchange for this much." After finishing the long list, Gao Neng handed it to the old woman for her to calculate the Merit Point cost.

"Hmm, let me see." The old woman took the list and began to calculate.

Meanwhile, the students behind him stared with eyes red with envy.

"Who was it just now who said this kid had no money for resources? I promise I won’t beat him to death!"

"1,100 Merit Points! He’s exchanging it all at once? This kid isn’t just rich, he’s loaded! That’s worth millions on the market!"

"Since when are people from the Forgotten Land this rich?"

The students grew even more jealous.

Just then, the old woman finished her calculations and announced the price. It was a total of 1,050 Merit Points—truly a nice, big transaction.

"So, are you exchanging?"

Gao Neng started to say, "I’ll exch—," but the rest of the word died on his lips. Suddenly, he felt that something wasn’t quite right.

’Did I get something wrong?’

"Is there a problem?" the old woman asked, confused. She calculated it again. 1,050 Merit Points. There was no problem. Her calculation skills were very strong.

"If I exchange for 1,050 points at once, can I get a 20% discount?" Gao Neng asked again.

"I can give *you* a break—a broken bone. How about that?" The old woman had a sharp sense of humor. This was the logistics department of a military academy, not a flea market. Hadn’t this kid asked her the same question at least ten times already?

"Then I won’t exchange. I’ll wait a couple of days until I fight my way onto the combat rankings, then I can get a 20% discount. It’s not a good deal to exchange now." Gao Neng shook his head and turned to leave.