Chapter 15: The Three Promises

Li Yuan’s heart pounded as he listened.

Charging into the top ten, a first-class scholarship of 100,000 Blue Star coins?

Top five, a special-class scholarship of 500,000 Blue Star coins?

That’s Blue Star coins!

If Li Yuan remembered correctly, his aunt, as a middle school teacher, only earned about 100,000 Blue Star coins a year.

As for his uncle, unless he chose to be stationed in dangerous areas, his annual salary was only a few hundred thousand Blue Star coins.

"Teacher, is that for real?" Li Yuan asked subconsciously.

It was no wonder Li Yuan reacted this way.

No matter how mature he was or how good his temperament,

he was still just a seventeen-year-old boy; in his understanding, 100,000 Blue Star coins was already a huge fortune.

"Would I lie to you?"

Xu Bo’s voice remained cold: "The reward is naturally real, but let alone the top five in the grade, when the January adjustment exam comes, can your martial arts results even charge into the top ten?"

Li Yuan also calmed down.

That’s right!

No matter how good the reward is, you have to actually get it in your hands.

If it were the top twenty in the grade, Li Yuan would ask himself if there was still hope, but the top ten? The hope was indeed very small.

The most important reason was martial arts spirituality... Students who awakened spirituality possessed a 10% score bonus in martial arts results; the advantage was too great.

If Li Yuan scored 900, an elite class student only needed a raw score of 820 to have a total score exceeding Li Yuan’s.

"The top ten is indeed difficult, but you still have some hope after all."

"Besides, I have also worked hard to negotiate with the principal; even if you can't charge into the top ten, as long as your raw score reaches second in the grade," Xu Bo looked at Li Yuan, "you will also be given some subsidies, though it certainly won't be as good as the scholarship."

"Raw score, second in the grade?" Hope ignited in Li Yuan’s heart once again.

In the last final exam, his own raw score was already sixth in the grade.

Raw score second? The hope was actually greater than the top ten in total score.

"Thank you, Teacher." Li Yuan said from the bottom of his heart; he only felt that Teacher Xu Bo seemed cold, but was actually cold on the outside and warm on the inside, treating him extremely well.

"It’s so late, go home and rest."

"When you arrive at school tomorrow, you will have the authorization to go to an independent martial arts room; you will receive the specific number tomorrow." Xu Bo waved his hand.

"Yes." Li Yuan nodded and left the office.

And pulled the door shut.

Listening to Li Yuan’s fading light footsteps, a trace of a smile appeared on Xu Bo’s cold face: "Those who seek the highest will get the middle, those who seek the middle will get the lower, and those who seek the lower will get nothing."

"Kid, don't blame me when you find out the truth later."

Xu Bo had observed Li Yuan for so long and knew that Li Yuan’s temperament was steady and his cultivation was diligent and hardworking.

But Xu Bo knew human nature even better; only by giving a certain amount of pressure and temptation could one stimulate greater motivation.

In short—painting a pie!

It’s just that the pie cannot be hung too high, otherwise, not being able to reach it would be discouraging, so in the end, Xu Bo set a goal of 'second in raw score' for Li Yuan.

"Three goals."

"Kid, as long as you reach the middle goal, you will actually be at the top level." Xu Bo thought to himself: "I hope you don't let me down."

Among the two thousand students in this batch, Li Yuan was the second one to catch his eye.

Wan Hua Platinum Mansion, Building 2.

"Muhua, we have to spend 20,000 Blue Star coins this month?" Li Yuan was in his room.

His heart felt heavy.

Although his aunt Chen Hui had just avoided Li Yuan and chatted quietly with his younger brother Li Muhua in the master bedroom, deliberately not wanting him to hear... but Li Yuan’s hearing was too good now.

Standing in the living room, he still vaguely heard a little.

"I need at least 30,000 a month, Muhua needs about 30,000 too, and Qianqian needs nearly 20,000; plus daily expenses..." Li Yuan had calculated this account countless times in his heart.

Household expenses were at least 90,000 Blue Star coins a month.

In reality, if the three children didn't cultivate martial arts, the uncle and aunt’s conditions could fully support them... but simultaneously purchasing various supplements and potions to assist in martial arts cultivation made the expenses truly staggering.

"Moreover, Qianqian and Muhua are not like me."

"I awakened the Spiritual Palace, and the 'Great Sun Starry Sky Sutra' has a relaxation and healing effect on the body that I fear is worth more than the high-level therapy that costs tens of thousands of Blue Star coins a month." Li Yuan’s understanding was very clear: "But Qianqian and Muhua, especially Muhua."

"If they want to achieve great success in martial arts, the resources invested now are not enough."

"This scholarship has 50,000 Blue Star coins."

"On the weekend, I must charge to the Gold rank with 500 points and get another 50,000 Blue Star coins." Li Yuan secretly made up his mind.

As for Teacher Xu Bo’s three promises?

On the way back by electric train, Li Yuan calmed down and had already thought it through thoroughly.

"500,000 Blue Star coins!"

"If I can get it, the family’s financial pressure will be relieved by more than half at once."

"But, top five in the grade?" Li Yuan thought about it, and his heart sank to the bottom.

On the way home.

Through his smart ring, Li Yuan re-examined the final exam rankings of the second year of high school.

His total martial arts score was 802 points, sixth in the grade for raw score and twenty-ninth in total score.

The top five students in the grade were all elite class students; just their raw scores all exceeded 800 points, and when adding the bonus points... the total score of the first in the grade even reached a staggering 962.5 points!

"The first in the grade is too powerful; I have no hope."

"Without awakening martial arts spirituality, my raw score is my total score."

"To charge into the top five in the grade, my raw score must reach at least 860 points to have a glimmer of hope." Li Yuan thought to himself: "Even for the top ten in the grade, the raw score must be around 840 points or more."

Raw score 840 points.

In the second-year final exam, that was already the second place in raw score for the grade.

"Let’s work hard."

"By the January adjustment exam, I will strive for physical fitness to exceed 410 points, martial arts skills to exceed 375 points, and cultural subjects to exceed 75 points." Li Yuan set three individual subject goals for himself.

He must achieve every one of them.

Only then would there be a slim hope of reaching the top five in the grade.

In the master bedroom, Chen Hui was on a video call with Li Zhangzhou.

"Wife, you received the money, right?" Li Zhangzhou’s face looked even darker.

"Yes."

"Don't worry, I will plan things well at home." Aunt Chen Hui nodded: "This 500,000, plus what we had before, is enough until February or March next year."

"Mm-hmm." Li Zhangzhou laughed: "Wife, don't worry too much; at the end of the year, the company will have another subsidy, plus my salary... once Xiao Yuan finishes the college entrance exam, we can relax."

Chen Hui nodded and tried to smile, wanting to appear more relaxed.

Suddenly.

"Buzz~" The other end of the video call shook violently, and Li Zhangzhou, who had been sitting on a chair, suddenly stood up.

"Clang~" In the video, the half-open door was suddenly knocked open, and one could vaguely hear huge explosions outside.

"Manager Li, hurry! Hurry!" A worker in work clothes, covered in mud, rushed in and said urgently: "The higher-ups told our team to end the break and get up there immediately."

"Okay."

Li Zhangzhou nodded repeatedly, turned to Chen Hui on the other end of the video and said: "Wife, I have to work overtime, I’ll call you back later."

Buzz—the video hung up.

"Old Li." A trace of worry appeared on Chen Hui’s face, and she immediately closed her smart ring.

She closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, Chen Hui’s face had returned to being relaxed, and she walked out of the master bedroom: "Qianqian, Xiao Hua, you two go to sleep quickly."

"Xiao Yuan, don't stay up too late either."

"Okay, Mom!"

"Got it, Aunt."

The next day at noon.

In the school cafeteria, students were eating and occasionally looking up at the news on the large electronic screen.

"...Last night, the 'Level 2 Star Realm Luo Bu Sea' in the Northern Xinjiang Province broke out in fierce conflict again; our National Defense Army and the Alliance Support Army were heroic and fearless..." The news played continuously.

"They’ve been fighting the whole time."

"During this period, it hasn't stopped; I heard many people died, and some star realm creatures even broke through the defense line."

"I hope they can hold it." The students whispered while eating.

Li Yuan sat next to Zhou Qi, silent, only occasionally glancing at the news, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes.

(End of chapter)