Chapter 33

The War Orphan School is a welfare program of the Empire. Since its establishment, it has always been praised and is considered one of the important symbols of the Emperor's benevolent governance.

As for the life of war orphans in the school and what happens after they graduate, few people care. After all, these war orphans were originally likely to die in large numbers, but now, only a few die each year. Given the significant number of war orphans, the cycle of birth, aging, illness, and death is a natural part of life...

In this ecological environment, the first priority for war orphans is to survive. Next comes having food, drink, and shelter, followed by basic education.

As for psychological issues, what are those? Ordinary citizens have to pay to see a psychologist, and as war orphans, what more can you ask for?

If we say that every war orphan has a psychological disorder, it might not be entirely accurate. Who knows if there might be a carefree person in the orphan school who thinks everything is just fine?

Overall, the majority of war orphans have psychological issues, with the difference being the severity and the extent of the impact on their lives.

Like Du Qian and Yao Jing, they are better at self-regulation. They definitely have psychological issues, but they haven't reached the level of a disorder.

For example, what Yao Jing is thinking about now is something that most ordinary citizens cannot understand.

The identity of the Iron Guard was given to her by Sikong Yi, but she doesn't feel grateful. His purpose in making her an Iron Guard is to ensure that Du Qian is not bullied.

Du Qian unintentionally helped her, and she benefited from it, taking advantage of Du Qian. In return, she will wholeheartedly protect Du Qian over the next few years.

She doesn't owe the Flying Tiger Team anything, and the Flying Tiger Team doesn't owe her anything. The captain is a good person, and that's a personal relationship. Today's outstanding performance is just that—outstanding. She is paid for her work, so there's no sense of owing anyone.

She just received the combat technique rune, which is extremely valuable, worth over 100,000. She believes that Fei Xue's estimate might be a bit low.

Being able to obtain the combat technique rune is related to Sikong Yi, Du Qian, and Fei Xue. Sikong Yi has a purpose, Du Qian knows nothing, and Fei Xue is doing it for Sikong Yi. After Yao Jing's precise calculations, the favor ultimately falls on Fei Xue and the Flying Tiger Team.

Sikong Yi doesn't count; those with a purpose are usually not good people, and there's no need to be grateful to him. Du Qian is unaware, and the combat technique is meant to protect him, so it essentially belongs to him, and there's no need to be grateful for one's own things.

Well, Yao Jing's way of thinking is something that ordinary people can't understand. Gratitude, thanks, repayment, quantification—these ideas can make people's heads spin.

But to Yao Jing, it's completely normal. If she were to explain it to Du Qian, he would understand and agree with her. Any war orphan who has just graduated from the war school would at least understand, and a small portion would even agree.

It must be said that young people who grow up in the environment of the War Orphan School are very different from ordinary people.

This unusual way of thinking will change over time, as they are repeatedly forged in the melting pot of the Empire, eventually becoming no different from ordinary citizens.

Yao Jing is very busy. With the combat technique rune in hand, she leaves the Flying Tiger Team. This night, she won't be at peace. Those who know her well know that this combat technique rune will definitely not be kept until the next day.

Du Qian is also very busy. After discovering that his citizen level has reached level 4, he was excited for a moment and then dove into the online library to look up the information he needed.

He read "The Later Utilization Value of Spirit Weapons" twice, focusing on the key points, and after reading, he felt even more confused.

The value of later-stage spirit weapons is clear, and the methods of utilization are clear, but it seems to have nothing to do with him.

Unconsciously, it was already past midnight. Du Qian finally recovered from his confusion, threw his phone aside, and took out a storage box from under the bed. He took out the spirit horn and continued to practice.

He felt a noticeable lightness in his hand. Du Qian opened his eyes, and the window was already bright. It was 6:04 AM. It took him more than three hours to absorb the spirit horn.

He did some blood-activating and muscle-relaxing exercises to recover his body. He felt full of energy all over, and even without testing, Du Qian could feel that his combat power had significantly increased.

It was still early, so he took a leisurely cold shower and slowly walked into the kitchen to make a hearty breakfast for himself. He hadn't eaten well for the past few days.

No matter how slowly he ate, a meal can only last so long. War orphans are known for eating quickly.

Time seemed to move slowly. It was not yet 8:00 AM, and the bank wouldn't open until 9:00 AM. Du Qian wouldn't go anywhere without depositing the things under his bed in the bank.

Carrying and hugging, he finally walked into the bank. After half an hour, he walked out with a pained expression. The cost of the bank's safety deposit box was outrageous, 20 yuan per month. It's like they're robbing people.

No matter how pained he felt, he had to deposit the items.

He still had two boxes, which were for gifts. Gifts? The term wasn't unfamiliar, but it was quite new to Du Qian. It was the first time he had ever given a gift.

"Sis, I'm at the Westde Tea Restaurant. Do you have time to come over now?"

"You must be out of your mind. It's not even 10:00 AM. Why are you going to a tea restaurant?" On the other end of the phone, his cousin Zhang Xiu's voice was furious. How could such a delicate girl be so rude?

It really ruins one's worldview. Du Qian felt that when he chose a wife in the future, he would have to be more careful and not just look at the surface.

"I have something urgent," Du Qian said honestly. He chose the Westde Tea Restaurant for a reason. It was said that the food here wasn't the most expensive in Pingchuan, but it was the best. The teachers at the orphan school often talked about it, and their faces would light up when they mentioned it.

Even if it wasn't the most expensive, it certainly wasn't cheap. Now that he had money, he naturally wanted to enjoy it. He had just eaten breakfast, but he was hungry again. There's no way around it; he was a growing young man, and it's normal to eat a lot.

Du Qian didn't think too deeply about it. It's normal for young men to eat a lot, but that usually means eating three large meals a day, not getting hungry within a few hours.

This was related to his rapid increase in combat power over the past few days. Spirit energy continuously fused with his body, transforming it, a process that consumed a lot of energy. Most of the energy the human body needs comes from food.

In the past, his combat power increased slowly, only a few points a day, so it wasn't noticeable. But in the past few days, it had increased like a rocket, so it's no wonder he was hungry.

His cousin's spirit deer was parked downstairs. He quickly walked inside and, guided by the service staff, sat across from Du Qian. "What's wrong with you? Is this a place you should come to? I know you've made a little money, but are you going to stop living? Do you want to get married, buy a house, or have children in the future?"

"Stop..." Du Qian had a bitter smile. From what he knew, his sister was usually not like this, especially at home, where she was as gentle as could be. She could be considered somewhat independent, but in front of him, she seemed like a different person. Was he that easy to bully?

"Alright, I won't scold you. I'm not hungry, so let's get to the point." Zhang Xiu took a sip of tea, her frown easing. The food at the Westde Tea Restaurant was indeed quite good.

"These are gifts for Aunt and you. Don't be picky. I have to give out a lot of gifts, so there won't be much left." Du Qian started to complain about his poverty. Forty spirit horns weren't a lot.

Don't think that Aunt needed to support him with thousands of yuan under pressure, but she could easily buy luxury goods worth tens of thousands. Money has different uses, and the pressure at home is different. At most, she would be called a fox spirit, which is harsh, but no one would object. But if she gave him even 100 yuan, it would easily cause gossip.

After saying this, Du Qian took a paper package from under the table, placed it on the table, and gently pushed it to his cousin.

"Gifts? For me and my mom?" Zhang Xiu was surprised. She opened the corner of the paper package and quickly closed it, her expression changing. She was a girl from a noble family, with many siblings. Apart from her appearance, she wasn't particularly outstanding in the family, and being a girl, she naturally didn't receive much attention from her father.

Still, as a noble lady, her discernment was far superior to Du Qian's. One glance at the box was enough to know what was inside, its grade, and its value.

Forty combat spirit-level storage boxes, at the lowest value, the items in the paper package were worth at least 5,000 yuan on the market.

Seeing his cousin's expression change, Du Qian felt a sense of pride. He wanted to show off a bit. His little brother had also made it big, and even when he did, he wouldn't forget Aunt and her.

"Alright, I'll take it. Is there anything else?" Zhang Xiu instantly calmed down and guessed the source of the items. After all, a big event happened yesterday, and it had already spread throughout her social circle. Adding the information she got from her parents, she had enough to piece it together.

"Thank you."

Zhang Xiu accepted the gift too quickly. You could at least say something polite. Orphans are extremely sensitive, and while he didn't resent his cousin, he felt a bit uncomfortable.

"Don't be polite."

Zhang Xiu finished speaking, took the paper package, stood up, and walked out without another word.

Looking out the window, he saw his cousin Zhang Xiu, wearing high heels and black stockings, put the paper package in the trunk, get in the car, and drive away without even looking up.

He touched his chin, smacked his lips, and couldn't figure it out. His cousin was definitely not a person who would be swayed by money. The gift he gave, which he considered a huge sum, meant nothing to her. Her spirit deer alone cost over 30,000 yuan.

Forget it, if he couldn't understand, he wouldn't think about it. He was really hungry, so he decided to eat.

He called the waiter to bring the dishes, and as his gaze swept over, he saw an elegant man in white sitting at a nearby table. They made eye contact and nodded at each other.