Chapter 116: Chapter 20: Back-to-School Season
Night.
The Lin Family was very quiet.
After finishing his cultivation, Xu Mo was ready to go back to rest when he saw Lin Xi spacing out by the pool.
Hearing footsteps, Lin Xi turned her head and asked Xu Mo, “Cultivating so late?”
“Yes,” Xu Mo nodded. “Sister Xi, why are you also not resting this late?”
It was already late into the night.
“Just clearing my mind.” Lin Xi swam back, climbed out of the pool, and Xu Mo averted his eyes, although Lin Xi’s swimsuit was very conservative.
But that devilish figure was inevitably eye-catching.
Lin Xi noticed Xu Mo’s predicament, draped a robe from the chair over herself, wrapped her body, and sat on a lounge chair beside the pool, flicking off the water from her hair.
“The academy is opening in a few days, how are your preparations going?” Lin Xi initiated the conversation.
Only then did Xu Mo shift his gaze back to Lin Xi.
Lin Xi’s eyes were large and still bright under the light, gentle and serene. She was actually only twenty-five years old.
At this age, in his previous life, he had just stepped out of school and was moving towards maturity.
But Lin Xi was already carrying a lot on her shoulders.
“All right, but much depends on luck,” Xu Mo replied.
The Source Power Fusion Degree was not something he could control.
As for the Source Power Level, being his age was not inferior to students like Su Rou from the colleges, so naturally, that was not a problem.
“Relax, don’t stress yourself. I will try my best by asking familiar college elders to help sort out your identity card issue,” Lin Xi comforted Xu Mo and her bright eyes showed a gentle smile.
The Lin Family was in turmoil now, such a big event happened today, yet their father hadn’t returned.
Perhaps, the Lin Family’s time was really running out.
Before that, she wanted to help Xu Mo and the others sort out their identity issues—if solving it for all five was not possible, at least for Xu Mo, which would make things easier.
If something really went wrong with the Lin Family, she didn’t know what would happen in the future or if she would be able to help anymore.
After all, today’s events were already very serious.
Though it appeared as if the Deceit Street genetically modified people were involved, she knew well that it wasn’t so simple behind the scenes.
A warmth coursed through Xu Mo’s heart; though Lin Xi was already overwhelmed,
she was still trying to solve his identity as an issue.
“Let’s leave my issues to fate, Sister Xi, you don’t have to worry too much. If there’s anything you need, you can tell me, maybe I can help where I can,” Xu Mo said.
Lin Xi paused, looked at Xu Mo’s serious expression, her bright eyes showing a gentle smile.
“If only Lin Jian was as sensible as you,” Lin Xi said with a smile.
She did not really expect Xu Mo to be able to help much, at least not for now.
Maybe a few years later when Xu Mo grew up.
Speaking of Lin Jian, Xu Mo didn’t want to comment any further.
This Second Miss was only a burden to Lin Xi.
“Xu Mo, I know Lin Jian has been excessive, but I still hope you won’t hold a grudge against her,” Lin Xi spoke to Xu Mo: “Mom passed away early, my dad has always been busy with the company and has had no time to manage the household, which has shaped Lin Jian’s character today. My dad and I are also responsible.”
“I won’t,” Xu Mo said. He wasn’t holding any grudge; he simply ignored her completely.
“Sister Xi, sometimes you should let go a bit, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, many things are beyond your control, and not all responsibilities are yours,” Xu Mo comforted.
Lin Jian was not her responsibility, she was merely a sister.
At her age, she should live more freely and unrestrainedly.
“You’re so young, and yet you know how to comfort me,” Lin Xi looked at Xu Mo and laughed, not taking Xu Mo’s words to heart.
She understood the logic, but being born into this family and enjoying the comfort it provided, she naturally had to bear the family’s responsibilities.
“You should head back and get some good rest,” Lin Xi continued.
“And you, Sister Xi?” Xu Mo asked.
“I’ll sit for a while and then go to rest,” Lin Xi replied.
“Alright, see you tomorrow,” Xu Mo nodded.
“See you tomorrow,” Lin Xi replied.
……
Every year, the opening season was an exceptionally lively event in Steel Dome City and was a major occasion in the city.
In the city center of Steel Dome City, large screens displayed the opening scenes of various schools with news reporters broadcasting live.
The most attention, without a doubt, was on the Eight Extraordinary Colleges of Steel Dome City.
Since the war, humanity had experienced its darkest period.
Alien civilization invasions, monster attacks had nearly led to humanity’s extinction.
A group of heroic individuals stood up and saved humanity.
Cities were rebuilt, and the Federation was established.
Beyond schools, humans built the Extraordinary Academy in the cities.
That was where heroes were nurtured, a cradle for warriors.
The founding purpose of the Extraordinary Academy was to cultivate heroes, warriors who could fight for humanity.
Many of them would leave a profound mark in human history.
Behind the Extraordinary Academy were the cities, the military, the Federation Government, and even all of humanity.
They are the future of humanity.
Under such conditions, it’s no wonder that the Extraordinary Academy received immense attention during the annual school opening season.
All major news media followed the enrollment of new students closely.
They broadcasted it in real time on various big screens throughout the city.
The people of Steel Dome City could see those vibrant faces whenever they looked up, from anywhere in the city.
Triumph Street, one of the busiest shopping districts in Steel Dome City.
It was packed with people.
The solemn yet bustling steel buildings stood tall. If you looked up, you could see the huge screens on these buildings displaying the enrollment scenes from various colleges, including the Extraordinary Academy.
The streets were extremely clean. Walking here, Xu Mo truly felt the prosperity of Steel Dome City for the first time.
This was a city of steel with hundreds of millions of inhabitants.
“Hurry up,” Ye Qingdie pulled Xu Mo along.
Xu Mo felt somewhat odd.
Ye Qingdie had brought him to buy clothes.
She said it was to look nicer.
This left Xu Mo somewhat speechless, but Lin Xi actually agreed with Ye Qingdie’s idea.
“Can we not buy?” Xu Mo awkwardly said, and before he had taken Sister Butterfly to a high-end shopping street, Ye Qingdie had already brought him there first.
“No,” Ye Qingdie decisively refused. “You’re going for a test today, and it’s important to make a good impression. Look at the clothes you’re wearing, what do they look like?”
The clothes Xu Mo was wearing were from the Underworld and seemed somewhat outdated in the upper world, standing out like they were obsolete.
“I’m not a student, just going to check the fusion degree,” Xu Mo replied with slight resignation.
“You still have to take it seriously,” she said.
Ye Qingdie pulled him in one direction.
At the very least, she took it very seriously.
No matter what the results were, she wanted Xu Mo to look dazzling, just like the new students entering the school, so he wouldn’t look odd.
She did not want Xu Mo to be treated as an outsider, even though they had no identity cards.
But what if?
What if Xu Mo’s fusion degree was high, and the academy admitted him despite the odds?
Although it was hardly likely for them, with no identity cards and no foundational academic background, Ye Qingdie still harbored a sliver of hope.
It was Xu Mo, after all.
Perhaps, he could make it happen.
In Ye Qingdie’s eyes, Xu Mo could do anything—at least in the Underworld.
They arrived in front of a clothing store.
“Hello, is there anything I can help you with?” The staffer at the door bowed politely. Despite Xu Mo’s ragged clothing, the staffer was still respectful.
Ye Qingdie was a bit nervous, surprisingly. In the Underworld, she was fearless.
However, entering such a high-end clothing store still made her feel somewhat intimidated.
Steelng herself, she said, “We’d like to pick some clothes for him.”
“This way, sir,” the staffer said with a smile. Seeing that Xu Mo was very young and also quite handsome, she couldn’t help asking, “Are these for a new student entering school? If you have the Extraordinary Academy’s enrollment card, you can enjoy a seventy percent discount, and other schools have a thirty percent discount.”
Xu Mo was somewhat surprised; from this statement alone, one could deduce the status of Extraordinary Academy students in Steel Dome City.
Even a profit-oriented clothing store had the highest discounts for students of the Extraordinary Academy.
“None,” Ye Qingdie said, her head slightly lowered and her voice tinged with embarrassment.
“No problem, feel free to look around and try on anything you like,” the staffer maintained her smile.
“Okay,” Ye Qingdie nodded.
The store’s decor was extremely luxurious, and many mannequins were mounted on monsters, exuding a knightly style.
Ye Qingdie quite liked this style.
She had Xu Mo try on many outfits, and finally, they bought three sets.
When paying with cash, the server gave them a strange look; it was rare for anyone to carry cash these days.
But they didn’t care at this point.
Walking out of the store with packages in hand, Xu Mo felt a little pain in his wallet.
Three outfits had cost more than ten thousand Federation dollars.
No wonder it was one of the most prosperous shopping streets in Steel Dome City.
If they didn’t have some savings, they really couldn’t afford such expenses.
“Sister Butterfly, let’s check out some clothes for you,” Xu Mo suggested to Ye Qingdie.
“No need, Sister Xi is waiting for us at home. Let’s head back quickly,” Ye Qingdie reluctantly responded.
They hadn’t brought much Federation money with them.
If they kept spending like this, it would quickly run out.
However, as Ye Qingdie pulled Xu Mo along, her face was filled with smiles.
She was quite excited and curious about what the outcome would be today.
Ye Qingdie looked up at the screens on the steel buildings along Triumph Street.
The favored sons and daughters of the skies were stepping into the academy.
Seeing this scene, she couldn’t help but feel envious.
All these wonderful opportunities, she had missed, but she hoped Xu Mo could embrace them.