"Delete the photos, immediately! Also, don't ever sell any photos of mine to the girls again!" Furious, Lu Chen warned Finger.
However, Lu Chen was never one to get upset over his leaked photos as he held no concept of portraiture rights. Rather, he even felt slightly thrilled getting to know he had so many admirers. After all, he was still in his teens, so it was inevitable for him to have a sense of vanity.
Nonetheless, he was discontented by the fact that Finger had reduced him into a mere product for sales, making him feel rather cheap! Worse was the fact that Finger allowed Milana to pay ten times the photo price! What was that if not fraud?
Still, he couldn't figure out whether Milana had one too many brain cells or just a shit ton of money. How could she even think of paying a thousandfold?
"As your senior, I'd like to advise you to think this through. You haven't even asked me how much we've made." All of a sudden, Finger's expression turned into a frighteningly serious one.
Stunned, Lu Chen subconsciously questioned, "How much?"
"3,360$. And, I'll have you know that the products were all priced at a buck each!" Casually, Finger spat the figure they had made.
At once, Lu Chen kept quiet as he thought about how they had been spending a couple hundred on supper. Although he ate a lot, the food in the college cafeteria wasn't very expensive, and they had only reached hundreds because of the alcohol they bought.
"Don't worry. I've transferred half of the money to your account. No matter how business-minded I am, I won't ever forget to reimburse you."
Seeing Lu Chen remaining voiceless, Finger earnestly continued, "Think about it. This way, you could consume more food and drinks that are of better quality."
Hearing that, Lu Chen pondered, Am I, the God of War, going to earn a living not by going to war, but by selling my appearance in this world?
Recalling how he used his card to purchase foodstuff, he realized the credits were possibly from his "admirers". Wouldn't that mean he had been feeding himself with fraudulent money?
However, upon recalling the supper he had had earlier—barbecued ham and some wine he didn't even remember the name of—he couldn't help but drool.
"Fine, then. I'll allow this, but stop jacking up the prices." Eventually, Lu Chen turned his body away to take his sleep as he stopped to pursue the issue any further.
"Heh! To be able to earn an income this way is something to be proud of, you know? I was also once a celebrity with my own album and they were all sold out thanks to my pretty juniors."
As Finger finished speaking, he popped open the bottle of unfinished wine and chugged it down.
"Also, don't feel guilty over the jacked-up prices. You're still new to the college, so, naturally, you haven't the slightest idea of how wealthy the girls are. They're all from families of rich capitalists. Just like Milana—she's from one of the most influential families in France. Even if I had sold your photos for millions, it'd just be a small fraction of her pocket money."
As he went on, he shook the empty bottle in the end. "If you're able to please her, there's no longer a need for this garbage wine. We could hold a party every night, and you can select any wine from any year you desire! Hasn't that always been our dream?"
"You mean your dream?" Then, Lu Chen turned over as he was visibly speechless upon seeing how Finger could constantly break his own record at being the world's greatest cheapskate.
"You're in your prime, Lu Chen. You'd better not take this for granted as I have." With a face looking so wronged and disappointed, Finger advised.
***
"Uh-huh. By the way, do you know about scrimmages?" As Lu Chen was continuously disrupted by Finger, he lost his mood to fall asleep and thus decided to change the topic.
"Scrimmages? Are they sending you to the field?" Withdrawing his grin, Finger showed a stern face.
"Not yet. But the chancellor mentioned it to me earlier today, so I assumed they would soon. Why don't you tell me something I should know about field missions so I can prepare in advance?"
Sitting straight up on the bed, Finger faced Lu Chen and claimed, "Scrimmages are essential for freshmen. As there are all sorts of missions to be handled in the world, everything would be spontaneous. Since the chancellor had brought it up, it must mean there'll soon be a mission that suits you."
"And what kind of mission would that be?" As a person who enjoyed engaging in combat, Lu Chen feared that his first mission would be a series of tedious, patrolling tasks.
"Typically, the missions for freshmen are rather simple. Remember the time when you were discovered by the college? Students who participated in that mission were at least of Grade B, and that was one of the harder ones. Other than that, the missions are mostly investigations and examinations."
"But Lutecia and her peers always went outstation."
"We're merely students. There's no way they would let freshmen fight with feral hybrids on their first mission. Even if it's a scrimmage, the main purpose is for us to get used to working in the Executive Department and to realize that actual dragon slaying isn't just child's play."
"There must be exceptions, right?" Watching as Finger's face turned stricter, Lu Chen expected more information to come.
"Certainly. If it weren't for your unforeseen presence, the feral hybrid would have broken through our defenses and we would have to fight him. In other words, scrimmage classes aren't for the faint-hearted."
Then, Finger continued, "And that was for students below Grade A. Based on my experience in the college, the scrimmages for Grade A freshmen are significantly more advanced as they are more likely to engage in real combat. There were even students who died on their first mission."
Keeping silent, Lu Chen realized that was indeed the first impression he had toward Cassell College. Back then, he had watched as groups of individuals in black descended from choppers as if they were a squadron of soldiers marching into the battlefield, and that moment indicated certain deaths.
Furthermore, Grade A students of the college were all exceptional. Despite the fact that they were students, the college had no intention to cultivate them slowly like those of lower grades. Instead, they had to undergo intensive training as they would develop into a warrior as lethal as a polished blade.
"And we're back to the question. What danger should I expect during my first scrimmage?"
"Man. Why are your eyes glowing after hearing all that? Most people, by now, would be trembling in fear, clinging on to me for comfort while showing absolute reluctance to partake in their scrimmages." Upon seeing the thrill on Lu Chen's face, Finger was stupefied.
"That's not the point. Besides, would you be happy to see me piss my pants then?" Lu Chen mocked, clearly annoyed by Finger's insightless words.
"No. Feeling no fear is good as that is a trait of a survivor even in dire states. But still, I would hate to lose a wonderful roommate like you." Awkwardly, Finger smirked.