Chapter 57

Wu Hai smiled.

“I’ll use my authority to assign you the learning task of repairing buildings.”

“This Saturday night.”

“It’ll be sent directly to your identity device.”

Saying this,

Wu Hai picked up the textbook *Introduction to Theology*, “Go back to the classroom first. I’ll be there shortly.”

Jiang Jian replied and walked out of the administrative pavilion.

Beneath the white stone pillar,

Mu Ying stood at the entrance, smiling gently: “Jiang Jian, have you formed a study team yet?”

Jiang Jian nodded: “I’ve teamed up with Liu Tiezhu.”

Mu Ying looked slightly disappointed. “I’ve formed a team with Shi Luohua. If you joined us, the three of us could earn a lot of credits.”

Hearing this,

Jiang Jian raised an eyebrow and glanced behind her.

A few meters away,

A girl with a ponytail was lowering her head, scrolling through her identity device.

Jiang Jian smiled and shook his head: “I’ve already agreed to team up with Liu Tiezhu. I’m sorry, Mu Ying.”

Mu Ying waved her hand. “It’s fine. Next time, let’s do a study task together.”

A few seconds later,

Jiang Jian passed by Shi Luohua’s side.

The girl suddenly spoke: “Jiang Jian, you’re not my match anymore.”

Jiang Jian stopped and turned his head.

Shi Luohua turned around, her gaze calm. “Last time I lost to you, I was careless. In the Ladder Ranking Match, will you fight me again?”

Jiang Jian gave no answer. “I’ll fight, but there must be a stake.”

Shi Luohua asked: “What do you want to bet?”

Jiang Jian said: “Twenty crates of cultivation herbs.”

Shi Luohua frowned.

Twenty crates of cultivation herbs meant 200,000 Alliance credits.

She had access to the Shi family’s resources, so she could afford it.

But staking 200,000 Alliance credits on a single duel was unwise.

Seeing her silent,

Jiang Jian chuckled and walked away.

Shi Luohua watched his back, silent for a long while, even forgetting to pause the short drama on her identity device.

Jiang Jian’s attitude was clear.

Fight if you want, but put money on the line.

This left Shi Luohua feeling helpless.

In her mind,

student sparring was meant to be a cost-free way to improve together.

But Jiang Jian’s blunt reply left her at a loss.

It was like a heavy punch landing on cotton—no resistance, no effect.

At 9 a.m.,

only forty students showed up for the *Introduction to Theology* theory class.

Wu Hai seemed utterly unconcerned.

Throughout the entire lecture, he spoke calmly, finishing the lesson as if no one else were there.

“Ironwood is this rare?”

After class, Jiang Jian browsed the Linjiang network, searching for ironwood.

The Linjiang network showed it was out of stock.

On the academy platform, ironwood was available—but at an extremely high price.

Each piece cost 500 credits.

And delivery was irregular.

Order today, and you might wait months to receive one piece.

“Wu Hai really dares to ask—for ten pieces of ironwood at once.”

“Three hundred thousand Alliance credits is still too little.”

Jiang Jian remained calm and sent Liu Tiezhu a message: “Meet me in the cultivation academy lobby.”

A few minutes later,

the lobby of the cultivation academy, first floor.

Liu Tiezhu sat on the sofa, sipping coffee.

Shan Ye was fiddling with her fingers.

“Sorry, I just went back to the dormitory building to get something.”

Shi Xuan walked over, carrying Yueyue Dao, apologetic.

Jiang Jian shook his head: “No problem. Sit down.”

Shi Xuan sat beside him.

Jiang Jian said: “I have a learning task.”

Shi Xuan smiled. “I knew something good was coming.”

Liu Tiezhu’s eyes flickered. “Is this task assigned to you by Teacher Wu?”

Jiang Jian being called to the office before class wasn’t a secret.

Jiang Jian nodded. “I’ll forward it to you both. Take a look.”

As he spoke,

Jiang Jian operated his identity device and sent the learning task “Repair Buildings” to all three of their inboxes.

A few minutes later,

Shan Ye looked up first. “1,200 credits. The reward isn’t bad.”

Liu Tiezhu glanced at Jiang Jian. “This task isn’t simple—the bonus reward is empty.”

Jiang Jian smiled. “The bonus task is verbally assigned by Teacher Wu: we need to collect ironwood. Each piece earns us 100 credits.”

“Ironwood!?”

Liu Tiezhu’s face showed surprise. “That stuff is extremely valuable.”

Shan Ye rolled her eyes. “Wu Hai is ruthless—500-credit material, and he gives us 100. He’s stealing.”

Jiang Jian glanced at her and stayed silent.

Liu Tiezhu thought for a moment. “Ironwood is used to forge top-tier tech gear, but output is extremely limited.”

“Wu Hai is just a theory teacher. For him to manipulate a learning task like this, someone must have instructed him.”

As he finished speaking,

Jiang Jian looked at Liu Tiezhu and raised his evaluation of him again.

Meanwhile,

Liu Tiezhu turned his head, his gaze fixed on Jiang Jian: “I’ve calculated—this task is highly profitable. We should take it.”

“Because ironwood? We have no right to use it. Keeping it just invites risk.”

“But at a critical moment, we must record everything.”

“If anything goes wrong,”

“we expose Wu Hai.”

“The one violating the *Non-Official Citizen Protection Act* is Wu Hai.”

As he spoke, Liu Tiezhu looked indignant.

“But Shan Ye’s right—100 credits per piece of ironwood.”

“Why doesn’t he just rob a bank?”

“He looks so virtuous, but he’s actually so corrupt.”

Shan Ye nodded. “True. You can’t judge a person by appearance.”

Shi Xuan said nothing throughout, only taking Yueyue Dao in hand and silently polishing it.

Jiang Jian’s expression didn’t change. “Teacher Wu is still decent. This task is practically free credits. He gave it to us today—he can give it to others tomorrow.”

Liu Tiezhu’s lips twitched. “From that angle, there’s no real issue.”

Jiang Jian said: “At least it’s easier than dredging the Gray River.”

Liu Tiezhu seemed to realize something, staring at Jiang Jian. “Jiang Jian, could you complete this task alone?”

At these words,

both Shan Ye and Shi Xuan turned to look at Jiang Jian.

Jiang Jian smiled softly. “Something like that.”

A few seconds later.

Liu Tiezhu looked at him with complex eyes and said, “Thank you, Jiang Jian.”

Shan Ye also showed surprise: “Jiang Jian, I didn’t expect you to be so kind—you’re willing to share a task that gives free credits!”

Jiang Jian offered a formulaic smile: “No need to thank me. We’ve formed a study team—we must stand together.”

For a moment.

In the sofa booth, the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious.

Jiang Jian picked up his mocha, took a sip, and remained calm.

This time, he decided to find Liu Tiezhu and the others to jointly take the “Repair Structures” study task.

It wasn’t out of benevolence or to play the generous benefactor.

He knew well that a semester was long.

Such study tasks didn’t come often.

Most of the time, to earn credits, one had to leave the academy and undertake high-difficulty large-scale study tasks.

Now, by giving away a small portion of his own earnings,

he could gain teammates with higher trustworthiness.

This was a long-term deal that wasn’t a loss.

Moreover,

the mutated iron demon wasn’t someone to be taken lightly.

The true nature of the task was unknown to anyone.

He couldn’t afford to believe Wu Hai’s word alone.

(End of Chapter)