With 236 strands of Humanity Flame remaining, Chen Yansen focused his mind and discovered a new option beside him: a synthesis button.
One hundred strands of Humanity Flame could be smelted into a single strand of Divine Flame.
Damn.
This really is a pay-to-win system.
Chen Yansen cursed under his breath. He had a good guess why his Spirit stat had stalled at 10—it needed higher-grade fuel to grow further.
After a moment's thought, he decided against synthesizing Divine Flame. Instead, he poured the points into his Physique.
A wisp of white mist, about two fingers thick, materialized from nowhere and shot into his brow. The sensation was familiar—a bone-deep chill that seeped into every fiber of muscle and flesh.
His heart hammered violently, like a bronze bell struck with force.
Three minutes later, Chen Yansen slowly opened his eyes. He exhaled long and stretched his limbs.
His Physique had leaped from 4.11 to 6.47—more than double the human limit.
A surge of power coursed through him. But thanks to his enhanced mental focus, he managed to control it instantly. No crushed glasses. No shattered floorboards.
He measured his height and weight—and frowned.
He'd been 87 kilograms. Now he was 94.
Fourteen kilograms gained out of thin air.
His appearance hadn't changed noticeably, but the density of his muscles and bones had increased dramatically.
Chen Yansen placed his hands on his waist and muttered, "I made you suffer in my past life. In this life, I'll make sure you eat seafood feasts every day."
He threw on a short-sleeved shirt, casual pants, and white sneakers, then headed out.
Tomorrow was the May Day holiday, but he wasn't planning to go home.
He'd wanted to take Meng Jie to Southeast Asia. But Meng Zhenguo had insisted she return to Chunshen instead. His intentions were obvious: he was worried Chen Yansen might lack martial ethics and secretly steal his little girl.
Too late. Chen Yansen had already won her over.
He drove to the intersection of Xuelin Road and Xuehai Road. Meng Jie was waiting there with her suitcase.
"Get in." Chen Yansen rolled down the window.
Meng Jie stowed her luggage in the trunk, then climbed into the passenger seat, huffing. "It's all my dad's fault! He insisted I'm good at math and made me tutor my cousin at my second uncle's house. So unfair!"
"Uncle Meng is probably worried I'll use this trip as an excuse to take advantage of a certain little lamb." Chen Yansen grinned and drove toward the bus station.
Meng Jie blushed and shot him a glare. She had her suspicions, but neither father nor daughter wanted to say anything out loud. They all pretended not to know.
Chen Yansen didn't mind. There was always another meal after meal A. He'd sworn that morning he wouldn't go hungry.
Halfway there, the sky opened up. A sudden downpour.
"The weather outside the window is like your ever-changing expressions."
"It's raining. The rain cries with me. I can't see clearly. And I don't want to see clearly..."
Meng Jie kicked off her slippers, barefoot, and hummed the fitting melody.
The rain grew heavier—dense, thick sheets that cut visibility to seven or eight meters.
For safety, Chen Yansen pulled off the main road and turned into a side street.
"Too heavy. Let's wait a few minutes for it to let up."
Meng Jie nodded. She wasn't in a rush. Buses ran every thirty minutes from the station. She had until five. No worry.
She pulled out a bag of QQ gummies. They scrolled through their phones, watching dramas while waiting for the rain to ease.
A Taiwanese idol drama—illogical, unreasonable, the usual.
After a few minutes, Chen Yansen's attention drifted to Meng Jie.
She wore a collared tank top under a sheer chiffon blouse. Her fair arms were vaguely visible through the fabric.
They were close. A faint scent of gardenias reached his nose.
Snap—!
Meng Jie, engrossed in her show, suddenly put down her phone. "Stop messing around! I'm watching. How embarrassing if someone sees!"
"Relax. Privacy screen protector. No one can see in from outside."
Chen Yansen explained. Years later, privacy screens would get you fined and docked points. But in 2011? No one cared.
"Which movie taught you that?" Meng Jie's cheeks flushed as she leaned into him.
"I'm smart. Don't need to learn. Don't worry about me—just keep watching."
"How can I concentrate like this?" Meng Jie held her phone but obediently pressed play.
On screen, the male and female leads argued gently in Taiwanese-accented Mandarin.
Outside, rain poured.
The BMW 750 sat on a small road, surrounded by endless fields of golden-green wheat—almost ripe.
The car swayed gently in the rain. Droplets fell into the nearby stream, pattering softly.
Time passed. The rain gradually eased. The road ahead cleared.
Chen Yansen adjusted his trousers and moved his seat back to its original position.
Meng Jie's pretty face was slightly flushed, her ears pink. She looked at him, affection shining in her eyes.
"Let's go." Chen Yansen smiled and ruffled her hair.
"When I come back, I'll bring you beef soup and tofu skin rolls with fried dough sticks." Meng Jie tugged his sleeve, grinning.
Chen Yansen nodded, started the car, and continued toward the bus station.
A dozen minutes later, they arrived. Chen Yansen held an umbrella and saw her onto the bus.
Back in the car, he was about to return to school when Zhao Maolin called. He invited Chen Yansen and Wang Zihao to a seafood dinner at Galaxy Star.
The implication was clear: his promotion was locked in, and he wanted to thank them properly.
Without FoxTao's help, Zhao Maolin might still have gotten the promotion—but not nearly as smoothly.
Chen Yansen thought it over and declined.
It wasn't a business meeting, and he had no interest in the girls at ShangK. Industry rules might involve monthly checks, but with his 6.47 Physique, he wasn't sure he could handle whatever might happen if he encountered a... biochemical mother.
Zhao Maolin tried to persuade him. Seeing Chen Yansen's firm stance, he chuckled. "Well, I'll come to Xucheng Academy tomorrow. We can eat together then. You have to let me thank you somehow, right?"
Put that way, Chen Yansen smiled and agreed.
Zhao Maolin was transferring at year's end. His successor was someone he'd personally groomed.
He specifically added: as long as Chen Yansen stayed in Xucheng, the campus general agency for Xucheng Academy would always be his.
Chen Yansen didn't refuse. The phone card profits were small change to him now, but finding someone to take over—taking a small commission—would still net him dozens of strands of Humanity Flame.
Not much, but every bit counted. He wouldn't complain.
After wrapping up with Zhao Maolin, Chen Yansen drove back.
He arrived at school at exactly 11:50 and headed to the cafeteria alone.
Both his usual lunch buddies were gone—one back to Chunshen, the other to Qilu.
Holiday meant the cafeteria was empty. The few aunties serving food chatted idly.
Usually, over a dozen windows were open. Today, only four.
Chen Yansen stepped inside and spotted Song Yuncheng hunched over a table, eating rice in small bites. A single grain clung to the corner of her mouth.
She didn't notice.