After the winter festival, there comes a vacation of about two weeks, giving the students a good chance to rest.
Tilan doesn't plan to go anywhere during the vacation, intending to first catch up on sleep for several days and also to alleviate the awkwardness of meeting friends, as more and more acquaintances have recently been asking about her album.
After instructing the maids on various matters, the young girl sat on her bed, yawned slightly, then pulled the covers over herself and lay on her side, soon drifting into a peaceful sleep.
As her breathing became steady, her eyebrows relaxed, revealing a sense of tranquility and quiet that was different from her time at the academy.
The ring on her slender finger also subtly changed in brightness with her breaths.
In another corner of Academy City, due to the arrival of the holiday, the entertainment venues and commercial districts also saw an increase in foot traffic.
However, not everyone was resting or having fun; some students were making use of the vacation to work or complete tasks to make up for the lack of living expenses and credits.
"You're here, welcome, welcome, come on in."
Inside a high-rise residence in the central 7th zone, a middle-aged woman, acting as both the homeowner and task publisher, opened the door to welcome three young people.
She was plump and fair, wearing a fashionable designer coat, with expensive Superior Gems jewelry adorning her fingers and wrists, exuding obvious wealth.
"It's , I want to renovate the house. My two children are over five years old now, and I want to create a beautiful childhood for them, so I'm thinking of changing the interior design style of the house," she said, stating her goal.
The three students from 'Lapis Lazuli Academy' readily agreed, with the leading young man even promising to create an indoor wonderland that's close to nature and full of fun.
"Ahahaha, you are indeed full of energy. Here is the key card, take it, you can come and look anytime during this period. I have other houses elsewhere and won't be staying here for now," the plump lady handed over the key card to the trio and granted them access, so they wouldn't be attacked by the Autonomous Unit security system of the residence.
"Then take your time to figure it out, I'll head back now. If there's a problem, contact me through the personal terminal." After saying this, the lady picked up her bag, accompanied by her beloved pet red crocodile, and left the place.
Once the homeowner had left, the three began to look around, amazed by the lavish furnishings and decor.
"The place is about 600 square meters, this whole level is hers, truly enviable," a slightly chubby boy remarked.
Next to him was 'Ze,' also a first-year student, his face equally filled with wonder.
"Hehe, you'll get used to it after a while." The team was led by a third-year senior who pushed his glasses up and used the scanning device in them to analyze and record the structure and environment of the place.
"This task isn't very difficult; upon completion, I can get 40 credits, and each of you can also get 20 credits, so work hard~"
After the task requirements were issued by the landlady, they were synchronized across several engineering academies in Academy City, and if students who met the criteria accepted it, the task would temporarily be locked until they completed or failed it.
To nurture newcomers and promote mentorship, the task stipulated that a third-year student who mastered interior design and renovation skills would guide two same-academy freshmen to complete the project together.
In order to snatch this task quickly, Luna, a third-year student, had called upon Ze and Lumai whom he met during school activities.
"How about it, after seeing this, isn't it quite fresh and enviable?" After completing the tour, Luna beckoned the two to sit on the sofa in the central hall, and also skillfully took out a few cans of drinks from the refrigerator to share.
"Can we just drink this? After all, this belongs to someone else," Ze took over somewhat embarrassedly.
"Don't worry about it, she won't miss this little money, and besides, this isn't even any expensive drink," Luna reassured them to drink without concern.
"The rich have a completely different mindset from us. Besides, these pieces of furniture, after the renovation, a lot of it will likely be thrown away and replaced. If you like any piece, just tell the landlady, and you can take it away. Even if you don't use it yourself, selling it to the second-hand market can be quite a nice income," Luna said.
Lumai's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he began to look around, suddenly feeling motivated for the task.
"Are all the tasks posted by the school this lucrative? No wonder those students are so energetic when they hear about a task," he and Ze were taking on a task for the first time.
"Not all tasks are this lucrative, but there are many such opportunities. As long as you take on many tasks, you'll occasionally come across a few. Don't forget, this is the Central Star Domain, a gathering place for the wealthy; a little bit given by them is a huge sum for students from poorer regions like us," the senior explained with a smile, watching the two who reminded him of his younger self.
"I didn't understand it at first either, but now I've slowly become numb to it. Looking at items worth tens of thousands of Federation Coins doesn't seem expensive anymore," he said with some emotion.
"In a few more years, you'll understand the value behind the name 'Lapis Lazuli Academy.' It may not be the top school in Academy City, but in the eyes of the entire Federation, it's one of the very best," he stated.
"There's a whole bunch of alumni who make a yearly salary of a million, so with a little effort, you can reach that level," he said, revealing a reality that shook their perception.
"That high?" Ze's mouth fell open slightly; a yearly salary of a million was almost like a legend to him. Even though he did well in high school, he never dreamed he could reach that level.