Afterlife Department

Chapter 367 - Poor

Iris Hudgeson grew up to be tough. Because he doesn't want for his children to suffer the same life he had when he was young, nor to have a wretched parent like his parents, he decisively had a vasectomy. Even though he is already very wealthy, but life is unpredictable. He might be rich tonight, then go sleep under a dirty bridge tomorrow. So, he decided not to have children.

Not long after his vasectomy, he adopted five children whom he will train to inherit his multiple businesses. There is no familial warmth nor comfort between them so that after they grew up, and if Iris Hudgeson would become bankrupt by that time, they can find a job using the skills he taught them.

Iris Hudgeson, of course, after tormenting these five children, doesn't expect them to become filial to him, nor take care of him when he was old or if he became poor. Actually, he also isn't worried if they would plot against him and make him bankrupt, or worse, kill him. If he was bankrupted, then he can just start again. If they wanted to kill him, however, that is a different case.

If he can bring them to the peak, then he can definitely pull them into the abyss.. Harris, Rene, Rhyan, Quinn and Odrey. These are the five children he adopted. He chose them because he could see the tenacity in their eyes, which made them different from the other kids who only knows how to rely on the adults around them.

"Hahahaha…" Iris Hudgeson laughed.

Lin Ze remained silent and slightly trembled from Iris Hudgeson's creepy laugh.

"So, they finally retaliated against me." Iris Hudgeson grinned. A flash of delight was seen on his eyes. "This is great. I was getting bored, anyway, since life has been too easy for me to live." He said.

Lin Ze didn't speak and just lowered his head.

"How was the public's reaction right now? Proceed with Harris' arrangements." He told Lin Ze.

"Yes, sir." Lin Ze answered.

"Oh, right. Call the president for me. I have to something to notify him. Tell him it's urgent." He added.

"Understood." Lin Ze spoke before he quietly left the room.

After the door closed, silence returned to the room. But, it wasn't long before there was a knock on the door and the door opened again, revealing Lin Ze. "What is it?" he asked him.

"Sir. I've already called some people to repair the glass wall. They won't disturb you and will work silently, so you can take a rest, or remain sitting on your seat if you have something to do." Lin Ze explained.

"I'll wait for the president's call." He answered. Meaning, he won't move.

Lin Ze nodded in understanding. "Then, I'll tell them to minimize their area of activity." He said and then left.

When the door closed once again, a smile formed on Iris Hudgeson's lips as he leaned his back on his seat. "How conscientious." He spoke.

Meanwhile, Yi Bing was pushing Huo Ling's wheelchair on the pathway and passed by some students.

"Wasn't he the one on the news this morning? That highway incident?" someone spoke in a low voice. "How awful it is! That teacher was very optimistic! I didn't know that he was actually harboring some enmity towards us students?" he said. His voice and face full of disbelief.

Yi Bing and Huo Ling just silently left. That's right. The video of the interview of the driver who is a Fughlia High teacher was uploaded in the internet, so it became more widespread. The teacher hates the students because he is of a humble origin. But, unlike Iris Hudgeson who became very wealthy, he lamented his life because he can never be rich like Iris Hudgeson, despite the sky-high wage he is receiving from the Fughlia High School.

It was envy. He hated Iris Hudgeson. He also hated his wealthy students. The matter that he was kind is just actually him being kind to the poor students. But, it's not only because they were poor like him. Actually, it was also because he looks down on them of being poor.

"He is so unfortunate…"

"Yeah. He is just about to enter the school through a scholarship, but he has to just get into an accident."

"He is an orphan, so he has no one to accompany him in the hospital. Fortunately, there's the new teacher…" they heard the students said as they left.

"I am unfortunate?" Huo Ling spoke and looked at his leg wrapped in cast.

"You have a head concussion. For an ordinary human, he should be waking up tomorrow, or even in a week, depending on how hard his head suffered." Yi Bing spoke. "But, you woke up." He stared at Huo Ling. "Fortunately, the doctors treated as a human's tenacity – his determination to live. And the nearest hospital you were sent to is actually poor, so they didn't have you admitted." He explained.

"Yeah. Because I am poor, an orphan, and a 'minor' at that, so no one would pay my hospital bills if I was admitted." Huo Ling sarcastically spoke. "Blame my poverty." He added.

"And I am just a new teacher with no background, so I am also be considered poor. So, they won't dare bother me to pay for your bills if you were admitted." Yi Bing spoke. "Blame the poverty." He added.

"Pft – " Huo Ling finally can't hold back his laughter. Yi Bing also laughed.

Under a good atmosphere, they ushered into the dormitory when they arrived.

Stable World, Afterlife Department.

"WHAT?!" Gu Shi exclaimed when he heard what Sha Jiu said. "The Normal World 9999's energy is…" his eyes widened in shock.

"Are you sure it wasn't Di San's and his group's destination?" Sha Jiu asked, still holding onto the hope that it was a Soul Fragment's doing that the Normal World 999's energy weakened.

"No. Di San, Feng Er, Liu Lin and Si Shui went to Special World 38 to search because they received a signal of an abnormal world energy activity there." Gu Shi explained.

"What about Jin Wu?" Sha Jiu asked when he remembered that Jin Wu, along with his apprentice Mo Shi, was also dispatched.

"He went to Normal World 102." Gu Shi answered.

Sha Jiu fell into a contemplation. "Right." he said when he remembered something. "What about the angels?" he asked. "They are of a pure nature beings, so the energy must have clung onto them, resulting to the weakening of the energy of the Normal World 9999…" he said. His voice trailed off when he saw Gu Shi wryly smiled.

"It is really Yi Bing and Huo Ling who went to the Normal World 9999." Gu Shi spoke.

Sha Jiu frowned. "Could it be that they did something to weaken the world energy in that world…?" he asked.

Gu Shi didn't answer and just stared at him. "Sha Jiu. You seem to be very hostile to Yi Bing." He said.

Sha Jiu fell silent when he heard what Gu Shi said.

"Now that I remember, Huo Ling has now the same code as you…" Gu Shi stared at Sha Jiu. "Hai Ba was also replaced by another grim reaper." he added.

Sha Jiu's lips were pressed into a thin line, indicating he is suppressing his anger.

"And now, Huo Ling became Yi Bing's apprentice – " Gu Shi continued.

"Shut up." Sha Jiu snapped.

Gu Shi watched him as he clenched his fists. "Why do you hate Yi Bing?" he asked. "Before, you even lent Anji Li to him…" he said.

"That's for work." Sha Jiu sharply inhaled.

Gu Shi looked at Sha Jiu, reading his expression. "… does this have something to do with Hai Ba?" he asked.

Sha Jiu instantly froze.

"It's already been two thousand years when you've become a grim reaper." Gu Shi said. "But, before you could complete the rite to become one… before Shen Taizi could confer you the Seal, you…" he looked at Sha Jiu. "Before Shen Taizi could complete his 9999 grim reapers, you refused the Seal and instead chose to become a non-combatant grim reaper like Hai Ba. Although it made Shen Taizi decide to depose the old grim reapers who lost their edge and replace them with new ones – just like Mo Shi, who replaced the former 4626… but you – " he speechlessly looked at Sha Jiu.

"Not necessarily hate him." Sha Jiu finally spoke. "After all, if not been for him, Hai Ba would've already been thrown to the Rainbow Tower." He said. "But… I just can't let go." He closed his eyes.

Hai Ba was a combative grim reaper before. He once partnered up with Yi Bing to save a soul which a Soul Eater was chasing. That soul was Sha Jiu. Yi Bing was tasked to delay the Soul Eater while Hai Ba would hide the soul in a safe place before he goes back to help Yi Bing. But, something happened to Yi Bing.

Yi Bing suddenly lost his power and he and Hai Ba were struck by the Soul Eater. But, because Yi Bing was stronger, it was Hai Ba who suffered more. Sha Jiu have seen it all.