Chapter 15: Goal of 860 Points

Li Yuan's heart pounded.

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

Top five, a special 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 had an annual take-home salary of about 100,000 Blue Star coins.

Like his uncle, if he didn't choose to be stationed in some dangerous places, his annual take-home salary was only a few hundred thousand Blue Star coins.

"Teacher, really?" Li Yuan asked subconsciously.

It wasn't Li Yuan's fault for being like this.

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

He was still a seventeen-year-old boy after all, and in his cognition, 100,000 Blue Star coins was already a large sum of wealth.

"Would I lie to you?"

Xu Bo's voice remained cold: "The reward is naturally true, but let alone the top five, during the January adjustment exam, can your martial arts score rush into the top ten of the grade?"

Li Yuan also calmed down.

That's right!

No matter how good the reward was, he had to be able to get it.

If it were the top twenty of the grade, Li Yuan asked himself if he still had hope, but the top ten? The hope was indeed very small.

The most important reason was martial arts spirituality... students who awakened spirituality had a 10% score bonus in martial arts results, which was too great an advantage.

Li Yuan scored 900 points, but an elite class student only needed a raw score of 820 points to exceed Li Yuan's total score.

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

"Also, I have fought hard with the principal; even if you can't rush into the top ten, as long as your raw score reaches second in the grade." Xu Bo looked at Li Yuan: "I will also give you some subsidies, but it certainly won't be as good as a scholarship."

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

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

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

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

"It's so late, go home and rest."

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

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

He closed the door behind him.

Listening to Li Yuan's light footsteps fading away, a smile appeared on Xu Bo's cold face: "Seek the best, get the middle; seek the middle, get the worst; seek the worst, 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 was steady in temperament and worked hard in his practice.

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 couldn't be hung too high, otherwise, not being able to reach it would make people discouraged, so in the end, Xu Bo set a 'raw score second' goal for Li Yuan.

"Three goals."

"Kid, as long as you reach the middle goal, it will be the actual best." Xu Bo thought to himself: "I hope you don't let me down."

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

Wanhua 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 avoided Li Yuan just now 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.

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

In reality, if the three children weren't practicing martial arts, his uncle and aunt's conditions could fully support them... but purchasing various supplements and potions to assist in martial arts practice at the same time was a staggering expense.

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

"I awakened the Soul Divine Palace, and the 《Great Sun Starry Sky Sutra》's effect on body relaxation and recuperation is likely worth more than the high-level physiotherapy that costs tens of thousands of Blue Star coins a month." Li Yuan's cognition 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."

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

As for Teacher Xu Bo's three promises?

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

"500,000 Blue Star coins!"

"If I can get it, the family's economic pressure will be alleviated by more than half."

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

On the way home.

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

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

The top five students in the grade were all elite class students; their raw scores alone all exceeded 800 points, and then 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 rush into the top five of the grade, the 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.

Placed in the second-year final exam, that was already the second raw score in the grade.

"Work hard."

"By the January adjustment exam, 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.

Master bedroom, Chen Hui was having a video call with Li Zhangzhou.

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

"Hmm."

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

"Hmm, hmm." Li Zhangzhou laughed: "Wife, don't worry too much; by the end of the year, the company will have a subsidy, plus my salary... once Xiaoyuan finishes the college entrance exam, it will be easier."

Chen Hui nodded and tried hard 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 slightly ajar door was knocked open, and one could vaguely hear huge explosions outside.

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

"Okay."

Li Zhangzhou nodded repeatedly, turned to Chen Hui on the video end 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 the smart ring.

She closed her eyes.

Opening them again, Chen Hui had returned to being relaxed and walked out of the master bedroom: "Qianqian, Xiaohua, you two hurry up and sleep."

"Xiaoyuan, don't stay up too late either."

"Okay, Mom!"

"Got it, Aunt."

The next day at noon.

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

"... Last night, the 'Tier-Two Star Realm Luobuhai' in the Northern Frontier Province erupted in fierce conflict again. Our National Defense Army and the Alliance Support Army were heroic and fearless..." The news played continuously.

"It's been fighting all along."

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

"Hope they can hold it." 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) ===== CHAPTER 16 =====