Chapter 2: Glimmer

“Jiang Zhao, you should be studying at Chen Cang No. 1 High, not working here as a cleaner.”

Jiang Jian stilled his thoughts and looked at the girl holding the trash bin, his tone slightly cold.

Overwhelmed by the pressure, Jiang Zhao stood helplessly.

“The pre-exam break is too long—fifteen days—and school expenses are too high.”

She tilted her snow-white neck, avoiding Jiang Jian’s eyes, speaking softly.

“So I thought I’d go home first, take on some part-time work, and return to school when exam time comes.”

Chen Cang No. 1 High is a private school and doesn’t cover students’ accommodation or meals during breaks.

Jiang Jian shook his head and took the cleaning tools from her hands. “I’ll do it.”

“Jiang Jian, I earned thirty Alliance Coins—I can buy medicine for you now.”

The girl couldn’t resist him and handed him the broom, her voice bright with joy.

Jiang Jian set down his backpack, ready to clean up the trash, but froze at her words.

As his younger sister, Jiang Zhao had always known about Jiang Jian’s illness.

The first time he fell ill was the year they left the public care center.

He slept for five full days.

A box of “Soul-Calming Nutritional Tablets,” costing thirty Alliance Coins, saved him.

“You came back from school, fell behind in your studies, just to save money for medicine?”

Jiang Jian looked up at her. “The Divine Grant Exam is coming soon—how can you be so careless?”

Jiang Zhao pressed her lips tight, hurt inside. “I finished all my coursework before coming back.”

“Finishing only the required coursework will never get you into the Divine Grant University.”

Jiang Jian tapped his wrist device, his tone leaving no room for argument. “After dinner, you return to Chen Cang No. 1 High to review.”

“Transfer successful: 60 Alliance Coins.”

“Your balance: 11 Alliance Coins.”

For privacy, the identity device alters voice frequency—only the bonded user can hear it.

The next moment, Jiang Zhao received the message.

Her expression changed as she looked at her wrist device: “Sixty Alliance Coins is too much—it’s enough for two boxes of Soul-Calming Nutritional Tablets!”

Jiang Jian said, “It’s vacation now—your school doesn’t cover meals or lodging. Take it.”

Jiang Zhao asked, “But do you still have enough left for medicine?”

“My meals and lodging are free at school—the savings are just enough.”

Jiang Jian smiled. “The Chen Cang County subsidy should arrive in the next couple of days.”

Most counties in Guangling City lie within the Shadow Zone.

Chen Cang County is one of them.

Residents of the Shadow Zone receive a monthly “Sunlight Subsidy.”

Seventy Alliance Coins per person.

Together, Jiang Jian and Jiang Zhao receive 140 Alliance Coins.

Though life is tight, they won’t starve.

“Let’s go home.”

After finishing his work, Jiang Jian returned the tools to the cleaning station and took his backpack from Jiang Zhao.

“Wait!”

Jiang Zhao raised her wrist, activated the camera, filmed around the hallway, and uploaded it to the neighborhood’s part-time platform.

A few seconds later, a mechanical voice spoke.

“Hallway cleaning approved. Payment processed: 2 Alliance Coins.”

Hearing the payment had arrived, Jiang Zhao beamed. “Let’s go home!”

“How are you doing with this year’s new textbook, ‘Overview of the Divine’?”

Jiang Jian asked as he unlocked the door with his key.

Jiang Zhao blinked, earnestly replying, “I’ve been studying hard, but I still find some parts obscure and hard to grasp.”

Jiang Jian took out his backpack, pulled out two books, and handed them to Jiang Zhao.

“One is ‘Overview of the Divine,’ the other is ‘Brief Analysis of Stars’—both are required for the Divine Grant Exam. I made notes while studying them. Follow my annotations closely—don’t slack off during this time.”

Jiang Zhao took the textbooks and opened two pages.

Seeing the dense, cramped annotations, she felt a wave of dizziness.

She placed the books on the sofa and rubbed her forehead. “I understand—I’ll work hard.”

Chen Cang No. 1 High is a top-tier school, and Jiang Zhao’s grades rank among the highest.

Yet compared to Jiang Jian, she always felt she could never catch up.

Jiang Jian nodded, about to speak—

when suddenly he gripped the table, swaying unsteadily.

Jiang Zhao saw this and her expression turned serious at once.

“I’m going to the bathroom.”

Jiang Jian muttered and rose to his feet.

“Don’t go yet!”

Under the bright light, the girl fixed her gaze on him. “Jiang Jian, have you skipped your medicine this week?”

Jiang Jian stopped, glancing sideways.

In the changing mirror, he saw his own pale face.

Jiang Zhao stood and stepped before him, speaking slowly, each word deliberate: “Do you know the doctor said your illness is dangerous—you must take one box of Soul-Calming Nutritional Tablets every week?”

Jiang Jian lowered his eyes, meeting her clear gaze, but said nothing.

“I’ll buy you medicine right now!”

Jiang Zhao bit her lip and tapped her identity device.

“There’s still medicine left—no need to buy more.”

Jiang Jian caught her wrist.

Jiang Zhao couldn’t pull free, her face filled with suspicion. “Then why haven’t you taken it? Show me!”

Jiang Jian released her hand and rummaged through his backpack for a moment.

He pulled out a medicine box and held it before her. “Why would I lie to you? I just forgot today.”

Jiang Zhao still didn’t believe him—she snatched the box, confirmed it was indeed “Soul-Calming Nutritional Tablets.”

She shook it twice, verified there was still medicine inside, then slowly relaxed, urging, “Then take it now!”

“Alright.”

Jiang Jian replied.

The girl warned: “The doctor said your illness is dangerous—if you’re careless, you could fall into a coma. Don’t be stingy with your medicine.”

Her tone turned serious. “Jiang Jian, if you keep doing this, I won’t eat at school—I’ll save every coin for you.”

Jiang Jian couldn’t help but smile wryly. “You’re seventeen—don’t say such childish things. Focus more on your studies.”

As he spoke, he slipped the medicine box back into his backpack.

The mood eased. Jiang Zhao gave a cheerful gesture. “Jiang Jian, you’re top of Guangling No. 1 High—you might actually get into the Divine Grant University!”

“Then we’ll have money to buy better medicine and cure your illness!”

She didn’t notice.

The “Soul-Calming Nutritional Tablets” box in Jiang Jian’s hand was already faded.

In an unremarkable corner, the production year was marked: “3220.”

It was now 3227.

And 3220 was the year she and Jiang Jian left the public care center.

Jiang Jian put away the box and said, “The Divine Grant University isn’t that easy to enter.”

He pointed upward. “Guangling City is huge—we don’t just compete with students from the Shadow Zone, but also those from the Divine Illumination Zone.”

“In my opinion, students from the Divine Illumination Zone aren’t better than you!”

Jiang Zhao frowned. “Your theoretical scores are perfect—even in the Divine Illumination Zone, you wouldn’t be worse than them!”

“You know those are only theoretical scores.”

Jiang Jian looked at his sister, calm and steady. “The Divine Grant Exam: theoretical scores account for fifty points, Divine Grant ability for another fifty.”

Jiang Zhao rolled her eyes. “I’m going to change clothes.”

She walked to the changing mirror and removed her soiled uniform.

“Divine Grant ability has ten tiers.”

“But a Tier-3 talent already earns the full fifty points.”

The girl picked up a tissue and carefully wiped her face. “Remember when we were kids? A Tier-3 talent from the Divine Illumination Zone was hyped for years—we’re sick of hearing about it.”

“Jiang Jian, with your theoretical scores—”

“Even the lowest Tier-1 talent, if you can get twenty Divine Grant points…”

Here, Jiang Zhao’s voice cut off abruptly.

She turned her head, her slender fingers resting on the faucet, gazing at Jiang Jian on the sofa. “It’s time to pay the water bill.”

Tangled strands of black hair brushed past Bai Xi’s earlobe, revealing the girl’s exquisite profile.

Jiang Jian looked at her, fell silent for a moment, then said, “Actually, your theoretical scores and Divine Gift levels aren’t entirely unrelated.”

“Teacher Zhou said studying the ‘Overview of the Divine’ can slightly raise your Divine Gift rank.”

“As Guangling City’s top teacher, Teacher Zhou’s talent is ‘The Unstoppable Tongue’—famous throughout the city.”

“Though unsuitable for cultivation, it’s a genuine Level 2 Divine Gift.”

Jiang Jian, while packing his bag, said, “If you study carefully the two books I annotated, perhaps the Divine will take pity and grant you a Level 3 talent.”

The girl sat back on the sofa, heard this, and instinctively glanced at the ‘Overview of the Divine’ beside her.

“Jiang Jian, stop joking.”

Though she spoke thus, her hand reached out unconsciously.

She took the book Jiang Jian had annotated and flipped through it idly.

The front page of ‘Overview of the Divine’.

“In 2785, on Neptune, thirty astronomical units from Earth, a god was born.”

“Interstellar dust trembled; countless civilizations along the Orion Arm sensed it and turned their gaze toward the Solar System.”

“That year, the tiny Solar System was accepted by the Orion Nebula, becoming one of its protected star systems.”

“That year, the Earth Alliance was founded, and technology underwent an unimaginable explosion of development.”

That year, the god appeared before mortals; all things in the world were bathed in divine grace, igniting a surge of biological evolution.

…

The girl, lost in reading, murmured to herself, “It’s been centuries since the god’s birth.”

“No wonder Divine Gifts have ten ranks, yet in centuries of Earth’s history, the highest ever recorded was Level 7…”

“So the god isn’t Earth’s god.”

“It’s the god of the entire Solar System.”

Bedroom.

“Water fee paid successfully: 2 Alliance Coins.”

“Your balance: 9 Alliance Coins.”

After paying the water fee, Jiang Jian glanced at his sister reading on the sofa and closed the door.

He swiped his identity device; a translucent screen instantly appeared.

In the corner of the screen lay a sheet covered in text.

The top four characters glowed brilliantly.

Divine Proof Contract.

…

One day earlier.

“Jiang Jian, have you decided?”

The middle-aged man set down his paper cup, striving to sound calm.

“If you agree to dissolve the engagement.”

“I’ll immediately transfer one hundred thousand Alliance Coins to your citizen account.”

Steam from the coffee filled the air.

Sunlight streamed through the carved window, making dust motes dance in the beams.

Jiang Jian leaned back in the padded chair, gently swirling his cup, saying nothing.

A silence lasting over ten seconds.

The middle-aged man cleared his throat, unconsciously brushing his suit sleeve, then spoke again: “Jiang Jian, think carefully—even with the Divine Proof Contract as proof, your gap with her is too great. I advise you to give up…”

Jiang Jian suddenly gripped the paper cup, stared at the swirling mocha inside, and interrupted: “You misunderstand.”

The middle-aged man was stunned: “What do you mean?”

Jiang Jian smiled, extended his pale finger, and tapped the identity device.

A translucent sheet appeared.

Neat rows of small text glowed with a deep blue light.

The middle-aged man’s eyes widened; his breath quickened.

“Earth Alliance, Guangling City, Divine Proof Contract No. 785639.”

“Contract type: Engagement; Contract date: Earth Calendar 3210; Contract method: Blood Pact.”

“Contractor: Earth citizen Jiang Jian, citizen ID concealed.”

“Contractor: Earth citizen Zhao Jianxue, citizen ID concealed.”

The middle-aged man stared fixedly at the contract, his hand reaching out unconsciously.

Jiang Jian smiled faintly, shook his wrist.

The paper shattered into light.

“Dissolving the engagement? Of course.”

Jiang Jian’s expression was calm.

“But Zhao Jianxue and I have been classmates since childhood, raised together, deeply fond of each other…”

“Nonsense!”

The middle-aged man’s eyelid twitched. “You live in the Shadow District—you’ve never even met Zhao Jianxue. Where’s this ‘childhood friendship’?”

“Then I’ll be blunt.”

Jiang Jian sneered. “The money’s too little.”

The middle-aged man cursed inwardly but forced a smile. “How much do you want?”

Jiang Jian pointed upward. “The Zhao family is wealthy beyond measure—offering only one hundred thousand Alliance Coins is pitiful.”

The middle-aged man adjusted his expression, stared at the boy in his school uniform, and lowered his voice: “I can authorize fifteen thousand Alliance Coins.”

Jiang Jian’s smile vanished. “Are you treating me like a beggar?”

The middle-aged man gritted his teeth. “Two hundred fifty thousand Alliance Coins!”

“You look like two hundred fifty thousand.”

Jiang Jian’s face darkened. “So the Zhao family has already decided to marry Zhao Jianxue into the Shadow District.”

“Jiang Jian! How much do you want?!”

The middle-aged man’s eyes grew red.

The Zhao family’s bottom line for him was four hundred thousand Alliance Coins.

The rest was his commission.

As a master of deception in negotiations.

Each time he raised the offer, his heart bled.

“Five hundred thousand Alliance Coins. Deposit it into my citizen account. Not a single coin less.”

Jiang Jian stood up.

Slung his worn backpack over his shoulder and walked straight out of the café.

“H-how much?!”

“Five hundred thousand?!”

The middle-aged man gnashed his teeth, sat frozen for a long while, then muttered under his breath, “Fuck you…”

The café’s entrance was opulent.

A staff member approached Jiang Jian with a warm smile.

“Sir, your total today is 3 Alliance Coins. Could you…”

Jiang Jian’s clothes were faded from washing, but the staff member recognized them.

They were the uniform of Guangling No. 1 High School.

Jiang Jian tilted his head and nodded toward the middle-aged man seated behind him.

The staff member understood, smiled, and stepped aside.

…

(End of Chapter)