Chapter 99

What was the promise made back then?

Jin Hyun-tae was really at a loss about this.

After all, he didn't even know these 'little friends,' especially the Latina girl Selena, who was jumping for joy in front of him. He had no connection with her at all.

But that unscrupulous alien elementary school student somehow made these children familiar with him, giving them memories of living with him, which forced Jin Hyun-tae to face the 'reality.'

"Brother William said he would make a lot of money, and when he made it, he would come back to give us a better life, pay for our tuition, buy us delicious food, and nice clothes..."

Selena, who was excited, told the children around her, who didn't know about this, about the promise Jin Hyun-tae had made in the past.

This finally helped Jin Hyun-tae understand the situation.

He looked around at the children and noticed that many of them, big and small, showed signs of malnutrition.

When he saw this, he understood.

To be honest, in his previous life, he had also lived in an orphanage, so he was very familiar with the living conditions of the children there.

Indeed, the nuns took very good care of the children.

But it was impossible to take care of everything.

The convent had limited manpower and funds, and most of the expenses had to be covered by voluntary donations from the local community.

However, most of the people living in the surrounding area were undocumented immigrants from Mexico, earning the lowest wages in the United States and living in poor conditions.

Therefore, life at the convent was also quite difficult.

The clothes the children were wearing were mostly donated by locals, so many of them didn't fit well and were even somewhat worn out, but the children didn't mind at all.

For the children, having clothes to wear was already very good, and no one would complain about wearing old clothes.

In his previous life, Jin Hyun-tae, as an orphan, was very satisfied with having enough to eat and wear, and he didn't have too many desires.

Thinking about his past and the experiences of these children, Jin Hyun-tae felt a deep sense of empathy.

He felt sympathy, pity, and heartache... and in an instant, he made a decision. He felt that he could really help these children.

Although he couldn't help more children now, he believed that with his current financial resources, he could help the children in front of him.

Thinking of this, Jin Hyun-tae smiled at the children who, after listening to Selena's story, were looking at him with admiration and anticipation, waiting for him to tell them that he had come back to fulfill his promise. He then slowly said, "Yes, I came back not only to fulfill my promise but also to give you a new home."

The children were all stunned and didn't understand what Jin Hyun-tae meant for a moment.

A new home?

Isn't this place already everyone's 'home'?

What did Brother William mean by this?

Could he have found some families willing to adopt the children from the convent?

His words sparked a flurry of speculation among the children.

Some of the children even thought that families looking to adopt wouldn't come to a place like this, considering they grew up in the notorious San Juan area.

The environment here was known to be bad, which made families hesitant to adopt from here, fearing that the children might have bad habits.

Therefore, the children of the San Juan convent had almost no chance of being adopted, and the children here, who were mentally sound, were well aware of this.

So, what did Brother William mean?

"I'll keep this a secret for now, but you'll know in a while. However, I did bring some money to donate to the convent to improve your lives, and Uncle Dave also brought you a lot of books."

Jin Hyun-tae didn't tell the children his plans, which made them protest and express their dissatisfaction. Jin Hyun-tae just smiled and brushed it off.

Some of the younger children, upon hearing that Dave had brought a lot of books, cheered and ran over to where Dave was talking with a middle-aged nun, clearly more interested in the books.

Selena, along with a few older boys and girls, stayed behind, looking at Jin Hyun-tae with a curious expression.

Perhaps because Selena's memories were 'very familiar' with Jin Hyun-tae, she broke the silence after a moment.

"William, what are you up to?"

Selena was referring to the secret Jin Hyun-tae mentioned.

The girl didn't know Jin Hyun-tae's plans, but it didn't seem like he was up to anything bad.

However, curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn't help but ask.

Looking at the girl's inquisitive expression, Jin Hyun-tae maintained his smile and met her gaze.

At first, the girl bravely held Jin Hyun-tae's gaze, but gradually her courage faded, replaced by a deep shyness, making her avoid his eyes, which made the other children laugh.

"Selena! You were never a match for Brother William, and it's the same now. Do you really think your gaze is that fierce?"

"Hehe, you don't understand. Selena has other thoughts in her heart, which is why she can't match Brother William. Haven't you noticed this for years?"

Hearing the children's off-the-mark comments, Jin Hyun-tae lost his playful mood, worried that they might say something even more inappropriate.

At the same time, Jin Hyun-tae seemed to sense something. It appeared that this girl, Selena, had some feelings for him in her memories.

Oh no!

Jin Hyun-tae inwardly groaned. He couldn't imagine that the silly alien elementary school student would implant such false memories in this young girl.

Looking at Selena, whose expression was not very natural, as if her thoughts had been revealed, Jin Hyun-tae was speechless.

The situation was a bit awkward.

But as a man in his thirties, Jin Hyun-tae coughed to attract the attention of the young people and decided to change the topic to ease the somewhat awkward atmosphere.

However, before Jin Hyun-tae could speak, Selena spoke first with a deeply aggrieved tone and a look of utmost sorrow.

"Everyone, please don't say such things. Don't forget Sister Xiaoxiao."

When Selena mentioned 'Xiaoxiao,' the expressions of the boys and girls, who had been teasing her, instantly changed.

Xiaoxiao?

Jin Hyun-tae quickly realized who she was.

This must be the girl he hadn't met in this timeline.

Her name is Xiaoxiao?

A nice name, but a tragic fate.

Seeing the atmosphere become even more somber, with a faint sense of melancholy and sorrow, Jin Hyun-tae felt a bit oppressed.

"I want to buy a piece of land in Los Angeles and build a welfare home. When it's ready, we can all move there, away from the environment here in San Juan, which is not good for your growth."

To break the atmosphere, Jin Hyun-tae decided to share his plans with the children.

Sure enough, when Jin Hyun-tae shared his plans, the children's attention was diverted.

"Brother William, are you serious? You're going to build a big house for all of us to live in?"

"Brother William, are you that rich? There are so many of us, and it will cost a lot of money."

"William, be realistic. It's actually not bad here. Don't try to be a tough guy."

Seeing the children, who were actually very happy but still considering his well-being, Jin Hyun-tae felt a warm feeling in his heart.

He knew very well that children growing up in such an environment matured much faster than their peers and considered things more comprehensively.

So, they were genuinely thinking about him, not just saying it.

Selena also spoke up, "William, we don't know how you are now, but it seems you've made it. But even if you're rich, you can't support so many of us. There are over fifty children in the convent. Just the food and drink alone cost a lot of money, not to mention our education."

Jin Hyun-tae gently patted Selena's shoulder, which made her blush.

"I can afford it! I promise, I have the ability. Besides, the nuns at the convent are getting old, and the donations they receive are decreasing. How long can they keep going like this?"

Before coming to the convent, Jin Hyun-tae had done some research and learned about the current situation at the San Juan convent.

Therefore, he knew something about the current state of the San Juan convent.

Clearly, Selena and the older children were also aware of the current situation at the convent, so when Jin Hyun-tae said this, they all fell silent.

"Don't worry. I'm a successful writer now, and I earn a good income from royalties every month. So, buying a piece of land and building a welfare home for everyone to move into is not a problem."

The children had seen in the media that William was now a novelist, but they didn't know how much money he made.

However, seeing William's confident demeanor, it seemed he was making a lot of money.

"Really? You're not just putting on a brave face? Sister Xiaoxiao used to say that you boys like to boast to show off your manliness."

Selena was skeptical, clearly not fully believing Jin Hyun-tae.

Uh!

The girl's words made Jin Hyun-tae freeze for a moment.

Uncle here is worth millions, would I lie to you kids?

Regaining his composure, Jin Hyun-tae looked at Selena's disbelieving face and inwardly sighed.