10: Do you want me to move into Shen Pan's house?

"Damned New World Society!"

"Six hundred people! Six hundred students participating in the entrance assessment! How am I supposed to explain this to the Imperial Capital!"

The mayor, with his short crew cut and bulging muscles that nearly burst through his clothes, looking like a mercenary, slammed the documents onto the floor in anger.

He had been counting on Tianhai City getting a free ride with a Prodigy from the Imperial Capital this year; such a dazzling combat record of one Legendary Class and three Epic talents was enough to earn him a wave of resource allocation.

But the New World Society had gone and pulled a major stunt; this was cutting off his path to the Dao!

"Sigh, Mr. Mayor, I'm in a worse spot than you. I was planning on coasting through this year and then heading back to the Imperial Capital to claim a Professional crystal, skipping the Tier 7 advancement quest. Now my ranking is going to drop again, and I won't be able to reach level 70 for at least two years!"

The female secretary, in a bad mood and having dropped the honorific "you," slumped decadently onto the sofa, scrolling through her phone.

Anyway, she was just here to gild her resume and kill time. Since the plan had fallen through, she couldn't be bothered to act anymore; let whatever happens, happen!

"..."

The mayor's mouth twitched, and he hardened his heart to make a decision.

He had also just signed a four-star confidentiality agreement and clearly knew that Shen Pan was the key to whether he could weather the storm and appease the anger from above!

"I didn't expect Tianhai City to actually give birth to a true Dragon. Even if Shen Pan doesn't reach the height of Sword Immortal Xia in the future, at least he'll be on par with that air force guy!"

But he couldn't give special treatment; normal recognition and rewards would suffice. Otherwise, those guys with nothing better to do would accuse him of buying off a Great Xia Prodigy and attempting to manipulate others' wills...

Didn't the Imperial Capital approve ten skill point crystals? Ten is too few!

There were fifteen outstanding candidates who had formed a wall of flesh and blood first, which was the only reason they held out until Shen Pan arrived!

"Then I'll pay for seven more crystals out of my own pocket so everyone gets a reward!"

The mayor thought with a heavy heart. Seven skill point crystals were the greatest sincerity he could offer. He hadn't even fully leveled up his own skills yet!

"Damned New World Society!"

...

The time came to the next day.

Shen Pan went to school as usual to review and incidentally collect his reward.

Although he was already considered a prospective freshman of the Imperial Capital Academy, whether he participated in the cultural exam in a few days or not wouldn't affect the result.

But as a senior high school student and a straight-A student who had consistently been in the top ten of the grade, if he didn't take the College Entrance Examination, wouldn't these three years have been in vain!

When he arrived at class, returning to this noisy, ordinary classroom, after finishing the luxurious breakfast contributed by his five adopted sons.

"The award ceremony is about to begin. All senior classes, gather in the auditorium!"

"Shen Pan, the class monitor from next door is looking for you!"

Two voices came one after another from the doorway and the broadcast.

?

The class monitor next door is School Beauty Jiang, right? What is she looking for Shen Pan for!

Everyone put on expressions of watching a show and looked towards Shen Pan, who was sitting by the window in the back row.

"It's said that in yesterday's entrance assessment, Shen Pan and School Beauty Jiang led dozens of people to break through the encirclement of thousands of monsters. Those from No. 1 High School all say they owe Shen Pan their lives!"

"Huh? How come I heard that Shen Pan hid his Legendary-rank Profession and slapped School Beauty Jiang in the face? Now she must be here to get back at him."

Thanks to the Special Affairs Bureau's memory modification and public opinion control, all the blame was placed on the New World Society. Therefore, everyone was curious about what kind of dragon-and-tiger fight would occur between the two strongest Prodigies in the city.

A few minutes ago...

"Is this idiotic System serious? Would the future me speak in this tone!?"

Hiding in the restroom, Jiang Ruolai scratched her hair in frustration, looking gloomily at the unserious new task on the System's light screen.

[After the previous life's assessment ended, shortly after Shen Pan refused the A-grade contract, he encountered an attack from the New World Society and was forcibly abducted and disappeared.]

[Task: Please, Host, move in with Shen Pan to protect him at close quarters and ensure he successfully takes the College Entrance Examination. Optional difficulty: Repel an attack from a New World Society powerhouse!]

[Reward: One skill point, one upgrade point, significant increase in basic attributes!]

"Is this System doing this on purpose? Asking me, a girl, to move into someone else's house—isn't that just throwing myself at him!"

Jiang Ruolai was full of helplessness; the tasks of this Wish Diary System were becoming increasingly perverse. She didn't even dare to imagine what kind of strange, uncensored tasks this damn System would issue just to let Shen Pan graduate from the Imperial Capital Academy smoothly.

She didn't want to be investigated for her academic credentials!

"It's all because it's been spoiled. I'm just not going to do this task; it's just some rewards, I don't even want them!"

She was a top-tier Prodigy with a Legendary Class, the mascot... no, school beauty of Tianhai No. 2 High School, and a future level 175 big shot. How could she lower herself for a tiny bit of petty profit!

Besides, she could completely ask her best friend in the Imperial Capital, begging for a few crystals from that fake Three-No Loli.

[Given the high difficulty of this task and the Host's intense desire, an additional reward has been added—a random Epic-Rank Talent!]

Jiang Ruolai, who was pushing the door open to leave, paused. She blinked and stared fixedly at the System.

But then again. As long as Shen Pan doesn't turn evil, he could become a great god who protects the Blue Star in the future.

As a future Blue Star councilor, providing protection for him during his weak early stages to let him grow smoothly—isn't that just a matter of course!

It's just going over to stay for a few days as a bodyguard, not actually living together; she shouldn't be prejudiced!

As for the fact that Shen Pan was stronger than her, Jiang Ruolai didn't care. Official members of the New World Society were at least level 20, and considering they abducted Shen Pan without alerting anyone, there might be level 40 or 50 powerhouses!

Of course, she couldn't beat them, but she could rely on stealth items to take Shen Pan into hiding. Undertaking the important task of saving a future Mythical Grade powerhouse, her efforts today would turn into high returns in the future!

"Now the biggest problem is, how should I tell Shen Pan?"

After asking a passerby at the door of Class Two to pass on a message, Jiang Ruolai kept simulating possible conversations and subsequent impacts in her mind. But she couldn't find a simple way that wouldn't cause misunderstandings.

Just when she was planning to test the waters indirectly, people from Class Two, as well as people from other classes, were walking out of the classrooms one after another.

"Right, the mayor is coming to give out awards today. Announcing tomorrow's Three-City Exchange Meeting, and then we can go home for self-study."

No time left; hesitation leads to defeat! An Epic-Rank Talent, she couldn't miss it.

Jiang Ruolai activated her stealth item at light speed and slapped herself twice. Then, with slightly reddened cheeks, she came to Shen Pan and asked in a low voice:

"Um... er, Classmate Shen Pan. My house has a leak; can I stay at your place for a while?"