4.92 Million and 100 Million

"By the way," "Dad, do you remember my roommate Wang Mo?" Fang Yu asked. "I remember," Fang Ping'an said. "The son of the president of Shengchuan Group. You mentioned him to me once." "Yeah. He was also admitted to Huguang Martial University through recommendation this time," Fang Yu said. "His dad wants to invite me out to dinner tomorrow evening." "Dinner? Tomorrow?" Fang Ping'an's eyes narrowed slightly. "Did he invite only you? Don't you have another roommate? Does he know you became a direct-pass student? Did his father ever invite you to dinner over the past few years?" Fang Ping'an fired off a string of questions. "Over the past three years, I only saw his dad once, and that was from a distance," Fang Yu replied thoughtfully. "He probably only invited me. Wang Mo must have told his dad about my situation... That's why he extended the invitation." Fang Yu repeated Wang Mo's exact words. "Then that explains it." "Shengchuan Group is a major corporation with billions in revenue," Fang Ping'an said. "It operates across multiple industries. Nationwide, it's completely unremarkable, and it isn't even well-known across the province... but within our Wuling City, it's definitely a large enterprise." "For someone running a company like that," "President Wang's time is extremely valuable... He must have decided to invite you to dinner because he found out you became a direct-pass student," Fang Ping'an said. "By my estimation, he wants to invest in you." "Invest?" Fang Yu looked thoughtful. Such things were not uncommon. When his younger brother and sister had awakened Upper-Rank Star Aspects, multiple martial artist groups had swooped in immediately, eager to sign them early. These days, martial talent was the most precious commodity of all. "There are generally three types of investment." "The most common type is like what happened with your brother and sister: signing an advance contract so you'll work for them once you graduate," Fang Ping'an said. "However, Shengchuan Group isn't a martial artist group. When they hire martial artists, it's mostly for tax deductions... And you haven't even been to the Primordial Star yet, so that's not very likely." "The second type is a marriage alliance," Fang Ping'an smiled. "Marrying off a daughter or an age-appropriate younger relative from their clan to you, accompanied by a hefty dowry to tie you to their family." "A marriage alliance?" Fang Yu's eyes widened. That was something he had never even considered. "In ancient times, when the imperial examinations flourished, there was a custom of 'snatching a son-in-law beneath the results bulletin,'" Fang Ping'an said. "Since the Great Sky-Burning Era began, martial arts have thrived, and humanity has undergone universal genetic evolution. This custom has surged back into prominence... A powerful martial artist not only brings martial might to protect a family, but also enhances the family's genetic lineage." "The superior genes of a martial artist can be passed down from generation to generation. The offspring of the strong have a much higher probability of awakening powerful Void Star Aspects." "That was also why the Parenting Certificate was introduced back then." "If the genetic gap between two individuals is too vast—say, an Earth Martial Artist marrying an ordinary human—the difference in their Life Levels is simply too extreme... In that case, the probability of the baby being born with severe deformities is exceedingly high," Fang Ping'an said. "The Blue Moon Alliance encourages martial arts and encourages martial artists to have children all to drive the genetic evolution of all humankind." Fang Yu nodded. The history of the Parenting Certificate had been specifically covered in his junior college courses. When it was initially introduced, countless people had resisted and protested, but it had ultimately been pushed through with an iron hand. In the old lands of Blue Star, the Parenting Certificate required Level 10, whereas on New Moon, the requirement was Level 20. Having children without a certificate carried exorbitant fines. "Take Remy Dalton, that famous billionaire in Europa," Fang Ping'an said. "He fathered over a dozen children with several powerful female martial artists. Those children went on to marry powerful martial artists as well... Now, their family has become a flourishing martial clan. I hear they even have several Sky-Patrolling Martial Artists among them." Fang Yu sighed inwardly. The Dalton family was widely renowned—not just for their immense wealth, but for their strategic breeding approach. A union between ordinary people could still yield a child with astonishing martial talent. However, the probability of martial artists producing a genius was undeniably far higher. "Of course, you haven't reached that level yet," Fang Ping'an chuckled. "From what you've told me, Wang Mo only has an older sister, so a marriage alliance isn't likely." "What's most probable," "is the third type of investment: relationship-based investment," Fang Ping'an said. "They see you as someone who values friendship, so they invest in you while you're still relatively weak." "Once you grow strong, you might be of immense help to them." "This kind of investment is full of uncertainty and carries a heavy element of gambling," Fang Ping'an noted. "After all, there are no contracts or legal bindings. People's hearts are fickle, and human nature rarely withstands the test of time." Fang Yu fell into thought. "Dad, if Wang Mo's family... really wants to invest in me, what should I do?" Fang Yu hesitated, glancing toward his father. "Haha, worried it'll taint your friendship? Feel like taking their money makes you subservient to them?" Fang Ping'an laughed. Fang Yu listened closely for his father's advice. "When martial artists act, what matters is having a clear mind and a conscience free of guilt," Fang Ping'an said with a smile. "My advice is to take it." Fang Yu looked at his father. Fang Ping'an continued, "Even figures as mighty as Star-Sky Martial Artists establish martial artist groups, don't they? Isn't that so they can support one another at critical moments and go further together? Take this time, for instance—without your mother's sect connection, would you have landed that Elite Contract?" Fang Yu nodded slightly. If Jiang Wei weren't his martial uncle, and if Senior Brother Dong hadn't sent that message... he wouldn't have secured the Elite Contract, at least not right now. "No matter the industry," "lone wolves don't go far, because they have zero margin for error." "Becoming roommates with Wang Mo was your good fortune, and it was his destiny as well... You have a bright future, and his family has money. If you two are like brothers, why not help each other achieve greatness?" Fang Ping'an remarked with deep feeling. "Mutual affection comes from interaction in the first place. If you draw a hard line over every single detail, can you still call it friendship?" "By borrowing the momentum of others, your rise will only be faster," Fang Ping'an said. "Accept the favor, keep it in your heart, and repay it when the opportunity arises down the road." "Of course, this is merely my suggestion. The Wang family might not even want to invest; it really could just be a simple dinner." "If they do want to invest, whether you accept it or not is up to you," Fang Ping'an said. "After all, you're an adult now. The final decision rests with you." ... Night fell, and Fang Yu returned to his room. He sat down in front of his computer. *Borrow momentum from all sides to pave my own path?* His father's words had struck a chord with him. In martial cultivation, relying solely on oneself was indeed grueling. His parents had supported him for twenty years. As he grew stronger, his father could no longer carry the burden... Moving forward, he would largely have to rely on himself. Suddenly, Fang Yu's phone buzzed. "Your account ending in 8629 has received 3,700,000.00 Star Coins... Transferred from account ending in... Remark: Elite Contract Development Funds." "Your account ending in 8629 has received 820,000.00 Star Coins... Transferred from account ending in... Remark: Scholarship." "Your account ending in 8629 has received 400,000.00 Star Coins... Transferred from account ending in... Total Account Balance: 4,961,322.52 Star Coins." Three incoming transfer notifications in a row, totaling 4.92 million Star Coins, brought a surge of excitement to Fang Yu's face. All of it had arrived! His account balance instantly leaped to over 4.96 million Star Coins... This was an astounding sum of wealth. For an ordinary martial undergraduate, the combined development funds over five years amounted to only 1.5 million Star Coins. After a brief contemplation, Fang Yu sent another round of thank-you messages to Martial Uncle Jiang Wei, Senior Brother Dong, and his head teacher Yan Fu, reaffirming that he would continue to work hard. Fang Yu knew very well. These teachers and elders who helped him didn't necessarily expect immediate returns, nor did they necessarily count on how much he might repay them in the future. The future was full of uncertainty. Consistently expressing his gratitude and respect was the most direct acknowledgment of their past guidance. Letting them witness his progress reassured them that their efforts had not been in vain... This kind of feedback gave mentors a profound sense of fulfillment and pride. Before long, replies trickled in, all offering words of encouragement. In particular, Martial Uncle Jiang Wei explicitly informed Fang Yu that his information had already been entered into the university's account system. He urged Fang Yu to log in as soon as possible to review the details and prepare for the Primordial Star actual combat. ...With everything settled, *You get what you pay for.* *All these Star Coins represent my martial potential. It's enough to elevate my Life Level by a massive leap in a very short time,* Fang Yu mused. However, Fang Yu was in no rush to place orders online for potions or treasures. Instead, following Martial Uncle Jiang Wei's instructions, he logged into the Blue Moon Civilization Higher Education Network. Upon doing so, he noticed something new. Under his account, in addition to his status as a Wuling Martial Junior College student, a new identity had appeared: 'Huguang Martial University Student (Senior Elite Student).' He was now qualified to access the internal network of Huguang Martial University. He clicked inside. The home page was filled with course listings, public notices, and event announcements. A row of honor roll bulletins immediately caught Fang Yu's eye. "Congratulations! Earth Academy student Yan Tianheng has slain an alien powerhouse. With accumulated civilization points, he has become a Tier-4 Civilization Warrior and been awarded the university's Special-Grade Scholarship of 100,000,000 Star Coins." "Congratulations! Earth Academy student Bei Bai has slain an alien powerhouse... becoming a Tier-3 Civilization Warrior and receiving the university's Special-Grade Scholarship of 5,000,000 Star Coins." "Congratulations..." "Congratulations..." At that moment, all other notifications faded into the background. Fang Yu's eyes were fixed entirely on that staggering figure capable of making any ordinary person's blood pump furiously—100 million Star Coins. "A Tier-4 Civilization Warrior? What on earth is that? A reward of a hundred million Star Coins?" Fang Yu blinked. "Is he still just a martial undergraduate?" Yan Tianheng! Fang Yu etched that name firmly into his memory.