"Last year's exam, the full score was five hundred, and you scored forty. How did you manage that?" James Thompson's voice was extremely stern as he threw Henry Clark's report card onto the bed and said, "Tell me, how did you manage that? Who are you protesting against? Who are you giving up on? Is it that Du family of yours in the capital?"

　　"I'm sorry," Henry Clark said in a low voice.

　　When a leader criticizes you, it's because they care about you, and you should accept it gratefully. Henry Clark behaved as obediently as possible.

　　"That's right, the Du family may have let you down. But has our Eunuch Faction ever let you down? With this kind of attitude toward your studies, this kind of self-destructive attitude, aren't you wasting our Eunuch Faction's precious resources?" James Thompson said harshly, "Do you know how difficult it was for our Eunuch Faction to openly form a party, to openly establish the Eunuch Academy? How many of our predecessors sacrificed themselves for this? What right do you have to trample on that?"

　　"I'm sorry," Henry Clark said, even more sincerely.

　　James Thompson continued, "If everyone were like you, what right would our Eunuch Faction have to stand tall in the Great Ning Dynasty? What right would we have to shelter the poor souls who have been castrated? What right do we have to eat the food bestowed by His Majesty? Our Eunuch Faction doesn't want useless people, nor can we afford to support them, so what you're doing is a crime!"

　　James Thompson's voice was like thunder, truly making one's heart pound with fear.

　　"Tell me, what were you thinking?" James Thompson's voice softened slightly as he said, "Why, while giving up on yourself, were you still willing to risk your life to save me?"

　　Henry Clark thought for a moment and said, "My life isn't worth much, but the Eunuch Faction can't do without you."

　　"Your life isn't worth much," James Thompson said coldly, "But my life isn't as valuable as you think, either. For the interests of the Eunuch Faction, for His Majesty's interests, anyone can be sacrificed, myself included."

　　After a moment of silence, James Thompson said, "You saved me, and I am very grateful. But don't ever expect me to use my position for personal gain, to go easy on you in the assignment six months from now, to let you go to the Mining Department, the Weaving Bureau, or the Shipbuilding Department. Don't even think about it. I, James Thompson, will never show favoritism, will never use the state's resources for personal deals."

　　"I understand," Henry Clark said.

　　"With these grades, there's no hope for you," James Thompson said. "From now on, stay by my side and handle clerical chores, and you can learn a few things along the way. If you want, you can even call me godfather."

Chapter 7 Young Master Clark! Flag!

　　Immediately, Henry Clark looked at James Thompson in disbelief, never expecting such a generous reward from him.

　　Becoming a godson was a very common practice in the Eunuch Faction, but no chief eunuch would take on too many godsons. Only the closest and most outstanding confidants could become a chief eunuch's godson, usually just four or five.

　　And James Thompson had only one godson, his most prized disciple, personally trained by him, who was currently serving as deputy chief steward in the Prince of Gui's residence, commanding two thousand armed guards.

　　James Thompson was a man of extremely high standards, and becoming his godson was extremely difficult. Yet now he was actually offering to make Henry Clark his godson.

　　James Thompson was not only the head of the Eunuch Academy, but also one of the major figures in the Guangxi province. Staying by his side as a so-called menial worker was actually more like being a personal secretary. Henry Clark would instantly become a prominent figure in the entire Eunuch Faction, and even in all of Guangxi, with countless people eager to curry favor with him.

　　As long as he became James Thompson's personal attendant, even military officers at the rank of Qianhu and local magistrates would compete to give Henry Clark gifts, not to mention wealthy merchants and local underworld bosses, who would go all out to win his favor.

　　Moreover, James Thompson was only forty-three this year, which was considered very young among the upper ranks of the Eunuch Faction. He was not only exceptionally talented in literature, but also a second-rank martial artist of the empire—a true all-rounder in both civil and military affairs. Within ten years, James Thompson had a good chance of becoming the Grand Director of the Eastern Depot, one of the most powerful figures in the entire empire.

　　And as his godson, Henry Clark could enjoy a lifetime of wealth and glory, truly soaring to the top. So under normal circumstances, Henry Clark should have immediately jumped out of bed, wept with gratitude, and knelt to call him godfather. Then he could throw his weight around, enjoy the best food and drink, and live the good life.

　　But Henry Clark couldn't do that, because he remembered very clearly that, when he was unconscious, the strange light and shadow from the dream system had said plainly: if he didn't get first place in the graduation exam, he would be completely erased. He didn't want to die, so he couldn't take that risk.

　　So Henry Clark didn't immediately kneel and kowtow. Instead, a conflicted expression appeared on his face.

　　"What, you don't want to?" James Thompson asked.

　　"Of course I want to be your godson," Henry Clark said, choosing his words carefully. "But... but..."

　　James Thompson said coldly, "But what?"

　　Henry Clark hesitated for a long time, then gritted his teeth and said, "I don't want it to seem like a transaction, as if I risked my life to save you just to become your godson, as if I'm some kind of opportunist."

　　"Too proud to accept charity?" James Thompson said sarcastically. "You sure have a backbone, huh?"

　　Henry Clark lowered his head.

　　"Childish, ignorant..." James Thompson scolded. "So you don't even want to do chores by my side?"

　　Henry Clark mustered his courage and said, "That's right."