Around 2 PM, not long after Chen Chuan returned from lunch, a familiar knock ca from the dormitory door. He opened it to find Cheng Zitong standing outside with a beaming smile.
To put it mildly, he looked radiant. His face was practically glowing.
Chen Chuan's heart fluttered slightly. He greeted, "Teacher ," and welcod him inside.
Cheng Zitong , holding a briefcase, walked in and said with a smile, "Little Chuan , I ca specifically to tell you that the Main Academy has approved your application to go to Central City."
Although Chen Chuan was ntally prepared, he still felt an irrepressible surge of joy upon hearing the news.
Cheng Zitong chuckled, "The mont I received the news this morning, I thought…"
Chen Chuan said sincerely, "I'm really troubling you, Teacher ."
"No trouble at all. With such good news, shouldn't I eat a few more bowls of rice? That's why I just ca from the cafeteria."
Cheng Zitong patted his round belly, sat on the sofa, took out a form from his briefcase, and handed it to him. "Here, take a look."
Chen Chuan took the form, which read: "Upon review by Wu Yi Main Academy and the Processing Bureau, this student's conditions et the enrollnt standards. Admission to the Main Academy is hereby granted. This approval is effective from the date the student receives this notification."
Below were the stamps of Wu Yi Main Academy, the Processing Bureau, and the review committee, along with the signatures of relevant personnel—a long list of over a dozen nas.
This seemingly weightless piece of paper had kept the vast majority of students outside of Central City for years, a place both desired and unattainable.
But now, he held it in his hands, grasping a turning point in his destiny.
After reading it twice, he looked up and asked, "Teacher , it says it's effective from the date of notification. Does that an I can go to Central City now?"
Cheng Zitong nodded. "That's right. With the notification, you can go to Central City anyti. However, the sester is nearing its end, and there are many things to take care of at the end of the year, Central City included. Going now would be a bit rushed.
So, I suggest you don't hurry. Wait until after the New Year. This trip might require a long stay, so take so ti to prepare and settle things on your end."
Chen Chuan nodded.
Cheng Zitong then smiled and took out a stack of tickets from his briefcase, placing them on the table. "These are the admission tickets for this year's Academy Arena Tournant. I specifically saved them for you."
Chen Chuan didn't stand on ceremony. "Thank you, Teacher ."
"Alright, you go about your business. I should get going. The year's end is approaching, and I have a pile of things to do. I've been so caught up in the good news that I haven't touched them."
Cheng Zitong put on his decorative glasses, got up, and headed out, humming a tune. His steps were light, indicating his genuine happiness.
After seeing him off, Chen Chuan returned and picked up the notification. He felt that this matter should be shared.
Then he changed clothes, slung a bag over his shoulder, left the dormitory, and walked outside. Although the winter month held a chill, the sunlight was bright and dazzling, warming him.
He retrieved his bicycle from the shed, hopped on, and rode ho. As he left the campus, his students greeted him, and he responded to each one. After leaving the school, he sped up and rode straight ho.
He parked his bike in the yard and entered the house. The family was ho for the holiday. Nian Fuli was listening to opera on the radio, tapping his fingers to the rhythm and swaying his head. His younger cousins were building blocks. Yu Wan was knitting and greeted him with delight, "Chan'er is back. Have you eaten?"
Chen Chuan smiled. "Little aunt , I've eaten."
Yu Wan smiled. "Is everything alright at school? Stay ho for dinner if you don't have evening classes."
Chen Chuan said, "Okay."
Yu Wan continued knitting.
"Little aunt ," Chen Chuan called softly.
Yu Wan looked up.
Chen Chuan then looked at Nian Fuli and said, "Uncle ." He took off his bag, walked a few steps, and placed it on the table. Seeing this, Nian Fuli instinctively turned down the radio.
Chen Chuan took out the notification and handed it to Yu Wan . "Little aunt , this is the admission notification from Wu Yi Main Academy in Central City. I'll be going to Central City Headquarters to study."
"Central City…"
Yu Wan was initially dazed but quickly seed to realize sothing. She hurriedly reached for the notification but paused halfway, wiping her hands on her apron before carefully taking it.
Upon seeing the words on the notification, she felt a mix of sincere joy and a sense of sudden loss. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Nian Fuli stood up, ca to Yu Wan "s side, and put his arm around her shoulder. He glanced at the notification, looked up, and said, "Central City…"
He chuckled. "When I was in the army, the company commander always said that his biggest wish before enlisting was to go to Central City to see the world. Little Chuan , you getting into Wu University is like having a gold brick in your pocket, and now going to Central City is like using that gold brick as a stepping stone." He squeezed Yu Wan "s shoulder. "Yu Wan , your child is doing well. You should be happy."
Yu Wan wiped away her tears. "Yes, I should be happy. Chan'er , what do you want to eat? Little aunt will make it for you."
Chen Chuan smiled. "I've had a lot of good food at school and outside, but what I like most is the chicken soup you make, Little aunt ."
"Alright…" Yu Wan stood up, wiping the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand. "Little aunt will go make it for you."
Nian Fuli then said, "Whenever it's a holiday, whether you co back or not, your Little aunt always buys a chicken to stew."
Chen Chuan humd in agreent. He then took out the tickets Cheng Zitong had given him from his bag and handed them over. "Uncle , these are the admission tickets for this year's Arena Tournant."
"Good stuff."
Nian Fuli took them. Even as a captain , he couldn't get his hands on these things. It was a pity that he had been promoted and couldn't easily show off to Wei Laohu anymore.
Chen Chuan looked at his younger cousins. "Let's go, your cousin will take you out to play today."
"Yay…"
The two little ones didn't quite understand what was being said, but upon hearing this, they cheered and ran to Chen Chuan , grabbing his pant legs and looking expectantly at Nian Fuli .
Nian Fuli waved his hand and said, "Go play. Go play with your cousin."
"Yay, let's go play…"
Chen Chuan bent down, scooped them up, opened the door, and guided the two little ones out.
Nian Fuli followed, watching Chen Chuan lead the two bouncing children out of the yard. Yu Wan also ca out, standing there watching.
Nian Fuli then said, "When we brought Little Chuan back, he was about the sa age as Little Lu and Little Mo, wasn't he?"
"Yes, he was so small back then."
Nian Fuli thought for a mont and said, "Little Chuan was young then. How long has it been? It feels like a blink of an eye, and now it's ti for him to spread his wings and fly high."
"I rember my second sister. She also went far away back then. I hope Little Chuan doesn't follow her path."
Nian Fuli said, "Little Chuan is different. That child has his own ideas."
Yu Wan humd in agreent. She looked at the swaying branches outside the yard, hugged her arms, and said absentmindedly, "When I was little, my mom told that in the eyes of adults, children are like kites in the sky. You watch them fly into the sky, but the string in your hand is sothing you can never let go of."
Nian Fuli turned around to block the wind, gesturing inward with his hand. "Alright, let's go inside. It's cold outside. Don't just stand there. The children are grown, and each of them will have their own way of living. You don't need to worry too much."
Chen Chuan took the two little ones to a nearby children's playground and played with them all afternoon, also buying them many snacks.
As they were leaving, Nian Mo , licking his candied hawthorn, looked up and asked, "Cousin, are you going on a long trip? Will you be gone for a long ti?"
Chen Chuan smiled. "You know about that?"
"Qian'er was like this when he went on a long trip. He took us to play for a long ti, but he hasn't co back for a long ti."
Nian Lu corrected, "You have to call him older brother. Mom said you can't be impolite."
"I won't call him unless he gives sothing good to eat."
Chen Chuan chuckled. This kid was quite practical. He looked at the sky, saw that it was getting late, and took his cousins ho. Before dinner, he asked Yu Wan , "Little aunt , will cousin be back this year?"
Little aunt said, "I don't know. He usually sends a ssage around this ti of year, but he hasn't yet this year. That child doesn't know how to keep in touch. Why don't I send him a ssage to urge him?"
Nian Fuli said, "I won't urge him. I don't care about him. Our family will still celebrate the New Year together as usual this year."
Chen Chuan smiled inwardly, knowing that Nian Fuli was just putting on a tough act and was probably checking his ssages every day.
After dinner, he slept there for one night and returned to school early the next morning. Since the matter of going to Central City had been settled, there was no need to think too much about it. He would make good use of this ti to improve himself as much as possible and prepare for going to Central City.
Just one day later, the school's Recruitnt and Preparation Office posted this year's enrollnt list for Central City Headquarters at the school gate.
In the past, those who could go to the Main Academy were all recomnded students, which had nothing to do with ordinary students . But this ti was different. The na listed was: "Chen Chuan , second-year student of Wuyi University[-], A-grade student."
This imdiately caused a sensation inside and outside the Academy because, for a long ti, no student other than recomnded students had entered Central City Headquarters to study.
Whether A-grade or B-grade students, it had long been assud that this was the exclusive privilege of recomnded students, and it had nothing to do with them. Even they themselves had long given up on the idea.
But after Chen Chuan's na appeared on it, everyone could feel that, from this mont on, everything seed different. The ripple effect of this event even caused so students who had just graduated or graduated a few years ago to return to the school to observe.
Tai Dongwei stood below the notification sheet in the window, looking at the na and stamp on it. "I never expected this. Do you think that students like us will be able to go to Central City in the future?"
Deng Fu next to him said, "Us? You and I have already graduated, so there's no chance. But Geng Zheng might still have a chance. Anyway, he also has an Unlimited Self-Defense Permit, and there are few more outstanding than him in the sa grade. The opportunity is great, but we joined the Mutual Aid Society, which is a drawback."
Geng Zheng thought for a mont and said firmly, "I want to go."
His family still relied on dicine from Central City to treat illnesses. Now that the Mutual Aid Society's route was cut off, although so could be bought on the black market, the only way to solve this was to go to Central City.
Tai Dongwei looked at the list and said involuntarily, "I really envy Junior Chen ."
Deng Fu said leisurely, "Don't envy him. You can't get it just by envying him. He earned it himself. If you could kill everyone in the Mutual Aid Society again and overturn Molan Company, then you could also go to Central City."
Tai Dongwei asked in surprise, "I know about the Mutual Aid Society. But Molan Company… wasn't that done by the higher-ups?"
Deng Fu said aningfully, "Do you really think it has nothing to do with Junior Chen ? Let put it this way, this Junior Chen dared to go to the courtroom and face so many powerful families connected to Molan Company. Do you think he didn't have anything to rely on? Think about it."
Tai Dongwei and Geng Zheng were both stunned and thought carefully, feeling that there seed to be so truth to it.
After a while, Geng Zheng couldn't help but say, "Molan Company has fallen, but I heard that other companies have taken over lan's assets. Will there be another "Molan Company' and "Mutual Aid Society' appearing then?"
"Yes, definitely," Deng Fu replied without hesitation.
"What should we do then?"
Deng Fu turned his back, put his hands in his pockets, and walked out of the crowd. "What can we do? We'll just kill them again."
"Doesn't that an nothing has changed?"
Deng Fu said, "Nothing has changed, but it has changed!"
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