MORIC - Chapter 6
Chapter 6: Repaying a Debt of Gratitude is a Fine Virtue
During the afternoon class, Xuan Ping found Chi Yueshan sitting in a corner.
She could tell the other girl was in a visibly bad mood.
Could it be that Senior Wen Xinghuo had harshly rejected her?
Xuan Ping mulled over how to comfort Chi Yueshan, only to see her staring at her light-brain screen again, giggling foolishly.
What was going on?
Xuan Ping asked with concern, "Yueshan, are you alright?"
The overall style of the Omega Division was rather French, and even the classrooms exuded a sense of understated luxury. The chairs for this basic course looked so soft you felt like you'd never want to get up once you sat down.
Chi Yueshan nodded and looked at Xuan Ping, who was taking out her textbook. "What electives are you planning to sign up for?"
The Omega curriculum consisted of five required courses and two electives per semester.
Chi Yueshan had always found it absurd that tea ceremony and flower arranging were required courses. In comparison, literature and history seemed the most normal.
As a special admission Omega, she didn't have the option to choose Mecha Theory and could only pick from the courses she looked down on.
Xuan Ping glanced at her notes.
Residents of the Lower World, where they were from, generally didn't have light-brains.
The highly convenient light-brain AI was expensive and had modes for private and public visibility.
The Lower World never permitted unauthorized travel between levels, but one could connect to the network with a mobile phone. People in the Upper World used light-brains for full coverage and application in all aspects of life, with no data fees.
These were all bought out in a one-time payment when certifying a personal light-brain.
The functions of each person's light-brain also varied.
Xuan Ping's light-brain was a second-hand one her parents had bought, with the chip hidden in her bracelet.
Unfortunately, the bracelet wasn't very attractive. Now that the weather was getting colder, she could cover it with long sleeves.
Xuan Ping's light-brain didn't have a note-taking function, and she was used to jotting things down anyway. While opening her light-brain, she said to Chi Yueshan, "Western chess and drama."
Chi Yueshan nodded.
She propped up her face and looked at the open notebook on her desk. Xuan Ping noticed that her notebook was tattered and looked like it had many things inserted into it.
At a glance, one could even see various drawings.
Xuan Ping: "What about you?"
Chi Yueshan: "Design and…"
In Chi Yueshan's eyes, the courses available to Omegas were all too O-like, and with a very high-society atmosphere at that—from fashion to etiquette to wine tasting and so on…
They were completely not Chi Yueshan's cup of tea.
She would have preferred to sign up for some sports courses, but unfortunately, those were courses that required a second payment.
Or perhaps it was just an excuse to placate the students.
"Divination…"
Xuan Ping was a little surprised. "I wouldn't have guessed you'd be interested in that."
Chi Yueshan's somewhat messy hair covered half of her face. Most female students at the academy would wear corseted long dresses under their school robes, emulating Xi Zhoumeng's style.
Chi Yueshan was rather strange. Underneath, she wore a top that was even looser than her school robe, layered several times. The pants she wore below concealed the shape of her legs, easily making her proportions look like a five-five split.
Chi Yueshan pushed up her glasses and called up her light-brain. The page showed the enrollment ratio for the elective courses.
A class could be opened with ten people. If there were fewer than ten, students would be randomly assigned.
Electives were taken together with the second and third-year students.
Chi Yueshan could only pray she wouldn't be so unlucky as to be randomly assigned to something like drama or ballroom dancing, both of which were standard for high society.
There was no point for a bottom-tier Omega like her to learn them. Even if I get permanent residency in the Upper World, I won't be able to attend these high-class events, right?
Even if it was just for the credits, Chi Yueshan still wanted to learn something at Guyun Academy. After all, a year's tuition required her to be a streamer, striking seductive poses for a long time.
Once she reached the planet's legal streaming age of sixteen, her part-time career of saving money became increasingly frantic.
The tuition fee was like a gold-swallowing beast, forcing Chi Yueshan to scrimp and save. Her daytime part-time jobs and occasionally customizing small toys for relatively wealthy people in the Upper World were just small change. Only the galaxy-wide, unobstructed livestreaming was her largest source of income.
After enrolling, Chi Yueshan had temporarily deactivated her account, since she had earned the full year's tuition. Thankfully, the school didn't allow paying for all four years at once, otherwise she would have wanted to scam a little more out of that sucker.
Even for adult livestreams, there were limits to prevent excessive spending. The maximum single donation from one person could not exceed ten thousand Star Coins.
And yet, the tuition was one million.
The adult platform was divided into public, face-revealing streams and private, no-face-reveal unlocked sessions. Chi Yueshan had chosen the private option.
She didn't have to dance in front of millions; she only had to dance for one person.
Platforms like this had streamers of all genders, and some Alphas came here for a thrill.
Anonymity provided great convenience. Hiding behind a persona, no one could recognize anyone else. For the private, no-face-reveal sessions Chi Yueshan chose, only the area below the neck was required.
She didn't know the gender of the person on the other side of the camera. The voice changer they chose was a very ordinary female voice.
It was a bit deep, and they spoke in a lazy drawl, usually only forming sentences of one or two words.
For example, sit down.
For example, turn around.
"She" was also very generous. Each donation was kept within the platform's daily limit, and no other requests were made.
In the streamer group chats, people often complained about the person who unlocked their session demanding they reveal their face, threatening to terminate the contract, or asking to meet in person.
Chi Yueshan had never experienced any of that.
Compared to those donors who hid behind vulgar words,
her unlocker, named [Y], was generous and taciturn, yet carried the aura of a superior.
Chi Yueshan was clear-headed. She was only in it for the money, and the other person was just looking for some fun to pass the time.
Chi Yueshan rarely thought about Miss Y. When she paid her tuition, she felt completely at ease.
Rather than getting engaged to an Alpha early on, it was better to go directly to Guyun Academy to find her benefactor.
Wen Xinghuo, the benefactor who had saved her.
She heard that Wen Xinghuo had been taken away by her family, that she had become a noble. The shopkeepers in the district spoke with envy. Chi Yueshan, in the gray Lower World, looked up.
She, too, was full of longing.
At first, Chi Yueshan just wanted to see her one more time.
On that rainy night, when she was nearly beaten to death, Wen Xinghuo had seemed to descend from the heavens. Even though her clothes were filthy, even though she herself had been starving for days, she could still fight to the death with a boy bigger than both of them.
That year, Chi Yueshan had just been kicked out of her home and was wandering the lowest-end districts. Wen Xinghuo had always been an orphan, her days spent either fighting for territory or having her territory fought over.
Chi Yueshan was a little lamb who had wandered into someone else's territory. Wen Xinghuo fought for that territory.
Chi Yueshan almost thought Wen Xinghuo was going to die. The clinic wouldn't treat a child who had no money. Wen Xinghuo, her face covered in blood, didn't seem to care much and was about to leave, but the bleeding wouldn't stop, and she eventually fainted.
Eight-year-old Chi Yueshan was so scared she cried hysterically, running around like a headless chicken looking for help.
But by the time she found someone who could help and went back to find Wen Xinghuo,
the other girl was already gone.
To be honest, Chi Yueshan had only met her once.
A debt of gratitude.
After that day, Chi Yueshan never saw Wen Xinghuo again.
She went with the Beta who had helped her find a doctor to the underground mechanical city, and there she stayed until she was fifteen.
Wen Xinghuo became her obsession with the Upper World. Chi Yueshan didn't know why; she just couldn't accept their connection being severed like that.
But as it turned out, Wen Xinghuo didn't recognize her at all.
Only the scar on her face remained strikingly conspicuous after all these years. Wen Xinghuo had grown from a small child into an adult, just as Chi Yueshan had expected—a powerful Alpha.
A cool woman who spoke with her fists, the person Chi Yueshan swore to admire for her entire life.
Unfortunately, Chi Yueshan differentiated into an Omega.
If I can't be a powerful female Alpha like her, I can still become her partner. Family would be fine too.
Sigh, I guess I'll count lover in as well.
Chi Yueshan found another reason for herself.
The one thing she had overlooked was that Wen Xinghuo, having become a noble, would naturally have admirers.
And the one closest to her, Xi Zhoumeng, not only had a stronger family background than Wen Xinghuo but was also devastatingly beautiful.
And she stands in front of Wen Xinghuo, completely blocking me from getting close to my Dream A!
Chi Yueshan grew angry again.
"Not interested… and I don't want to be assigned to drama. I heard Xi Zhoumeng is in the drama class."
Chi Yueshan answered resentfully.
Xuan Ping let out an "oh." "The divination class is a bit of a long shot. It hasn't reached ten people for the second and third years, and I heard they haven't even hired a teacher yet."
"What?!"
Chi Yueshan looked up, startling Xuan Ping, who stammered, "Y-Yes."
She let out an "uh." "You haven't submitted it already, have you?"
Chi Yueshan nodded, her heart like dead ashes.
Xuan Ping pursed her lips and comforted her, "It's okay, you won't necessarily be assigned to the drama elective. By the way, did you add Senior Wen's communication number?"
Chi Yueshan shook her head, her plain glasses making her look as if she were turning to stone.
Xuan Ping gasped, asking in disbelief, "How did Senior Wen reject you?"
Chi Yueshan felt as if she could hear her own heart shattering. "I was forced to add Xi Zhoumeng's communication number."
Xuan Ping looked envious. "Can you send it to me?"
Chi Yueshan gave a wooden "oh" and asked, "In that case, if you know anyone with my Wifey Xinghuo's communication number, have her add me, okay?"
Xuan Ping: "That's impossible. I only add Omegas."
Alphas had always been arrogant. The Omegas they added were either exceptionally beautiful or from prominent families.
The two of them had neither looks nor family background. It was simply impossible.
Xuan Ping: "I don't dare add Senior Xi. I'd probably be rejected, right?"
Chi Yueshan: "Are you adding her to chat with her?"
She found it hard to accept her classmate's deep affection for Xi Zhoumeng.
Unexpectedly, Xuan Ping looked a little shy. "How could I be worthy? Just being able to see her social media feed is satisfying enough."
Chi Yueshan: "I heard the content she posts on her feed is the same as what she posts on her Star-T account."
Star-T was the most popular social app on their planet, so popular that even people in the Lower World loved to use it.
After all, it was the quickest way to close the distance with the Upper World, and you could even catch up on gossip about the wealthy and noble families.
Xuan Ping: "Her fans on Star-T don't get to have her communication number."
She said it with such conviction, her blushing face making Chi Yueshan wonder about her orientation. "You're not…?"
A TV series about an OO relationship was currently airing, but since it was a niche genre, it usually updated late at night. During the summer vacation, when Chi Yueshan had snuck into the Upper World's mechanical city for work, her boss would talk about the plot in his office all day.
Xuan Ping understood instantly. "How could that be possible!"
The teacher had already started the lecture, though most of the students below weren't listening.
This was also a daily occurrence in the Omega Division. There was even someone drinking milk from a wine glass.
Chi Yueshan: "I don't discriminate."
She asked seriously, "Then do you think Senior Wen could like Xi Zhoumeng?"
The pity in Xuan Ping's eyes for Chi Yueshan was about to overflow. She retorted, "Haven't you noticed that there hasn't been any news about a grassroots Omega marrying into a wealthy family for a long time?"
Oh god, Yueshan is so naive. Does she really think those two aren't dating?!
The polls on the forums overwhelmingly say they are!!
Chi Yueshan: "So what? I can work hard and get into the Council."
Becoming a public official would make me a worthy match for an Alpha who goes to war, right?
Even if the Council only had three exam slots for Omegas each year.
It meant she had to defeat every eligible Omega on the entire planet.
Xuan Ping hadn't expected her to have such lofty ambitions and felt that Chi Yueshan might have forgotten another requirement for applying to the Council.
"You need a letter of recommendation from a noble."
Chi Yueshan's expression was as if she had swallowed a fly.
Her pride was strong, and she possessed the reckless courage of a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger. She quickly recovered.
"Then I'll transfer majors to Mecha Theory. That way, I can join the combat readiness logistics team."
Xuan Ping put a hand to her forehead. "You need a letter of recommendation to transfer majors too, Yueshan. Mecha Theory was originally only for Alphas and Betas with high spiritual power. It's only in the last ten years that Omegas have been allowed to study it as an exception."
Chi Yueshan: "It's fine. There's one more option."
She revealed a smile, and her unkempt appearance seemed to gain a few glimmers of starlight. "Get the top comprehensive score in the entire department for the semester."
Xuan Ping didn't pour cold water on her again. She felt she needed to take Chi Yueshan to the bathhouse for a good soak to clear her head.
The top comprehensive score naturally included tea ceremony and the art of flower arranging. Those were noble etiquette. How could an Omega from the lower class possibly reach heaven in a single step?
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