Chapter 30

Finally, Zeng Ya decided to leave Yun Gang, despite having recently met Ding Hao, a young man she felt quite attracted to. However, reason told her that she was a 24-year-old teacher, while Ding Hao was only 18 and would soon be entering university. The good life at university might make Ding Hao quickly forget his English teacher. Concerning her future, Zeng Ya naturally wouldn't take the risk, especially since Ding Hao hadn't shown any passionate pursuit.

Ding Hao could only express his regret. He had no reason to ask Zeng Ya to stay, and he himself was also about to leave, at most staying until after the college entrance exam. Originally, Ding Hao was worried about how he would face this beautiful and familiar teacher in English class after school started, but now that Zeng Ya was leaving, this problem was solved. However, Ding Hao also lost one of his perks!

In the following days, Ding Hao devoted all his energy to the magical space. Many things had happened in a short time, and Ding Hao hadn't been able to systematically level up. With school about to start, he feared he would have even less time in the future, so he couldn't afford to waste these remaining days. First, to earn more money, and second, to become stronger in case of emergencies.

Ding Hao spent all day in the magical space, and Xiao Die and the golden baby dragon were undoubtedly the happiest! Especially the golden baby dragon, who fought with extra enthusiasm! After two days of hard work, Ding Hao finally reached level 10. Originally, Ding Hao wanted to continue increasing his strength, but the system warned him not to focus on a single attribute, as the monsters in the system were varied, and some special equipment required intelligence and agility.

Ding Hao thought it made sense. If he only increased his strength, he would soon become a brute with a developed body but a simple mind. Moreover, constitution and agility were also very useful in real combat. Intelligence was even more important. Ding Hao's grades had dropped significantly, and with only a few months left until the college entrance exam, if his IQ could improve, his grades might catch up to Xia Lin's, and he wouldn't have to endure the teachers' cold looks.

Furthermore, due to the changes with Deputy County Magistrate Zhang, Yu Feng and others would likely avoid him at No. 2 High School. So Ding Hao decided to increase his intelligence first. After adding points, Ding Hao's status changed again:

Level 10

Strength 155

Constitution 110

Intelligence 115

Stamina 110

Agility 110

...

With such base attributes, plus the 15% movement speed increase from Logistics Skill and the 15% defense increase from Stone Skin, Ding Hao would be hard to beat in this small county, unless he encountered professional special forces or professional killers. Ding Hao was very satisfied with this change and wanted to find a chance to thank the old immortal, but since Xiao Die became the game guide, the old man had never appeared again, seemingly not very concerned about Ding Hao's progress.

Ding Hao thought about it and let it go. He imagined that while he might be doing well on Earth, from the old man's perspective, he was probably no more than an ant. Moreover, leveling up made him stronger, and killing monsters earned him money. The old man probably wasn't worried about Ding Hao slacking off. Who would complain about being too strong? Who would complain about having too much money? Ding Hao certainly wouldn't, so whenever he had free time, he would enter the magical space to kill monsters and level up.

On the day before school started, Ding Hao reluctantly said goodbye to Xiao Die and the golden baby dragon, took two gold bricks out of the space, and went to the bank to exchange them for cash. Then he went to Xia Lin's house to prepare to persuade her to board at No. 2 High School. In Ding Hao's view, with Xia Lin's current grades, getting into a university in Jiangsu or Zhejiang should not be a problem. However, the final year of high school was crucial, and the teachers were pushing the pace every day. He didn't want Xia Lin to have financial pressure!

Of course, if Xia Lin's parents and Xia Lin herself insisted, Ding Hao wouldn't force them. His changes were already hard for them to accept. Everyone has self-respect, especially a girl like Xia Lin, who might not easily accept gifts, despite being very familiar with Ding Hao. This time, Ding Hao would have to lie again. He told Xia Lin's parents that he and the younger brother of the police station chief, Yang, were working on a project together!

Ding Hao was confident this wouldn't be exposed. With Yang Xinmin's cooperation, Xia Lin's parents had no way to verify. When they heard that Ding Hao was making at least 5,000 yuan a day and had already prepared for college tuition, Xia Lin's parents were very surprised. They also thought Ding Hao was a good kid, reliable even when he had no money, and now that he had money, he hadn't forgotten them.

"Uncle, Aunt, Xia Lin's grades are much better than mine. The teachers said that the final year of high school will be managed in a fully enclosed manner, with a very fast pace. We can't fall behind at this critical moment. I have some extra money, so consider it a loan. Xia Lin can pay me back after she graduates and starts earning money. Let her board at the school!"

"This..." Xia Lin's parents looked at Ding Hao and then at Xia Lin, a bit hesitant. They didn't want their financial situation to affect their daughter's studies, but they also felt sorry for Ding Hao, who had worked hard to earn money.

"Will you need money for college? Besides, I might not have money to pay you back after I graduate." Xia Lin knew that Ding Hao had been more financially flexible lately but didn't know what he was doing or how much he had earned. Spending Ding Hao's money like this wasn't a good idea.

"Uncle and Aunt, you've watched me grow up and helped me a lot. You often spend time helping me with my studies. Now that I have some extra money, I can help with the boarding fees. Plus, if Xia Lin boards, you'll have more freedom to find other ways to earn money." Another reason Ding Hao wanted Xia Lin to board was Zhou Fuquan.

To raise tuition and future college fees, Xia Lin's parents would be very busy this year. Being busy earning money would make it hard for them to provide meals for Xia Lin. Moreover, with Zhou Fuquan, the old pervert, in the village, Ding Hao was really worried. Since he often entered the magical space to level up, if Zhou Fuquan found an opportunity, Xia Lin might not be so lucky.

When Ding Hao mentioned this reason, Xia Lin's parents nodded in agreement. They felt that Ding Hao had grown up a lot. They had been thinking about ways to earn money, but taking care of Xia Lin's meals had tied Xia Lin's mother, Wang Zhen, to the house.

Xia Lin naturally thought of the terrifying incident last time and knew that Ding Hao was concerned about her safety. Since she had evening classes in the final year, Ding Hao couldn't always be by her side. So when Ding Hao mentioned this reason, she wasn't as insistent.

"What about you?"

"I rented a house in the teacher's dormitory at the school, where I can cook. If you're interested, you can come over to improve your meals!" Ding Hao, of course, followed Xia Lin's schedule. If she didn't board, he would accompany her to and from school every day. If she agreed to board, he would stay in the house Yang Xinmin rented for him, as he needed more freedom to level up.

Seeing their daughter's tacit agreement, Xia Lin's parents also agreed with Ding Hao's suggestion. A few days ago, when Wang Zhen saw her daughter's new phone, she thought Xia Lin had spent money recklessly. When she asked, she learned that Ding Hao had bought it. Today, seeing this situation, she realized that Ding Hao was indeed making money.

"Okay, let's do it this way. But I have to tell you, Uncle and Aunt, if I have any problems, I'll ask Xia Lin for help, and you can't be stingy!"

"Of course not," Wang Zhen smiled. They couldn't stop Xia Lin from helping Ding Hao anyway, and Ding Hao wasn't a bad kid. He had fallen behind in his studies because he had to earn money after Grandpa Yang's death. Ding Hao said this to make Xia Lin feel better, as mutual help made it easier for her to accept the loan. At least it let her know that Ding Hao also needed her help.

In the end, Ding Hao convinced Xia Lin's family. He took out 5,000 yuan for Xia Lin to pay the boarding fees, and kept the rest for buying study materials. Xia Lin, unable to resist, pouted and said, "I owe you more than 10,000 yuan before even going to college..."

"No problem, if you can't pay me back, you can sell yourself to me as a slave!"

"Huang Shiren, you really have bad intentions!" Honestly, Xia Lin was grateful to Ding Hao. Boarding was what she wanted, but she was also a filial and sensible girl who didn't want her parents to run around raising money for her. Now, although she owed Ding Hao a big favor, she could board as she wished. She believed that with her good grades, she could pay back what she owed Ding Hao in the future. Of course, if Ding Hao insisted on not taking it back, that was another matter.

Ding Hao never thought about making Xia Lin pay back the money. He hoped that Xia Lin would go to Qianjiang University with him, but he couldn't be too obvious. The most important thing now was to improve her grades. Ding Hao didn't forget Xia Lin's words: "No matter how much money you have, if you don't study, you're still a rich person, and I don't like that!" Being a rich person was fine, but Ding Hao's current status was at the bottom of society. Xia Lin's words, "I don't like that," constantly reminded him.

Indeed, modern girls, especially pure girls like Xia Lin, definitely preferred boys with good grades. Ding Hao wasn't sure what Xia Lin thought of him, but as long as she was happy, he didn't mind. He felt that with his current physique and muscles, he could attract some fangirls. If he studied harder and made money from the game, he would have the capital to have a good relationship in college.

Of course, there was always Chen Fang. Ding Hao knew that if he wanted, Chen Fang would always satisfy him. But this was Ding Hao's backup plan. He felt that there should be some feelings between men and women, especially since he had preserved his virginity for 18 years and didn't want to give it up so easily.