Hearing Zhong Yun's words, Old Huang was overjoyed, "What conditions? Just name them." He certainly had the capital to promise anything; the President had granted him extensive authority just to acquire those rare flowers.

But what Zhong Yun said was unexpected, "Absolutely no one can know that I grew these flowers, not even the President. If you agree to this one condition, I'll help you." Old Huang said solemnly, "I promise you." "Then I'll deliver the goods to you in four months.

As for the payment," Zhong Yun smiled with satisfaction, "we can discuss that after the flowers bloom. I know you won't let me suffer any loss." Just thinking about shaking down the President sent a thrill of excitement through him.

Zhong Yun took his leave immediately after speaking. "Huh?

He actually came to your place," at the doorway, as Zhong Yun left Old Huang's residence, he was spotted by a man and a woman returning home. It was the beautiful woman with long, brown hair who spoke.

The handsome man beside her, with golden hair, snorted coldly, "He must be here begging my grandfather for a favor." The two entered the Huang family residence, and the man's face instantly broke into a bright, sunny smile, "Grandpa, I've come to see you." Seeing his grandson arrive, coupled with having just resolved a major concern, Old Huang appeared exceptionally happy. Old Huang had three sons, but whether due to unfavorable ancestral grave Feng Shui, all three married foreign women and settled abroad after growing up.

This was Old Huang's greatest lifelong regret; sometimes he bitterly regretted taking his sons overseas, leading to this outcome. This grandson was Huang Litian, whose foreign name was Leon.

He was the second son of the eldest son and had grown up in the Ethan Empire, only visiting Davo to see relatives this year. The girl was his fiancée, named Lily.

"Grandpa, was there a guest here just now?" Huang Litian asked calmly. "Mm.

That's an old friend I've made across generations." Old Huang looked at his grandson with benevolence. His sons had been abroad for over twenty years.

His wife had passed away early, leaving him alone for these two decades. Suddenly having a grandson to keep him company was a great comfort in his old age.

Huang Litian paused slightly. He had expected that young man was there to beg his grandfather for a favor, but he hadn't expected the old man to hold him in such high regard.

It seemed he needed to re-evaluate that kid. "Oh, he looks younger than me.

What's his name?" Huang Litian inquired. "His name is Zhong Yun.

He’s seventeen this year." Old Huang recalled Zhong Yun's request and spoke vaguely, "I met him at the flower market. A very talented boy." Zhong Yun.

Huang Litian firmly imprinted this name in his mind. After leaving the Huang house, Zhong Yun began pondering which flowers would be best to plant.

He had some ideas, but seeds were the biggest hurdle. Rare species weren't conjured from thin air; one needed good seeds to start.

Perhaps he should ask Chen Wen for help. Zhong Yun remembered the Chen family also maintained their own extensive garden.

Upon returning home, Zhong Yun was surprised to find a visitor. "Xiao Ruo!

What are you doing here?" Zhong Yun looked at Xiao Ruo, who was engrossed in conversation with his mother, his mind momentarily struggling to process the situation. How did Xiao Ruo know his mother?

And judging by the atmosphere, they seemed quite familiar. "Zhong Yun…" Seeing Zhong Yun appear suddenly, a layer of mist gathered in Xiao Ruo's eyes, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

Yun Rong gently stroked her shoulder with sympathy. Noticing his mother's reproachful gaze and Xiao Ruo’s pitiful expression, Zhong Yun suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.

He had been back for two days and hadn't even called Xiao Ruo. Few people actually knew about his trip aboard the Tongguang Star.

His parents hadn't known initially; they were only informed by Yang Siqing after the Tongguang Star incident. He hadn't expected Xiao Qing to know either.

Now it seemed likely that Xiao Ruo had found out from his parents during his absence. What puzzled him was why his parents would tell Xiao Ruo but not even inform Tian Hai.

Zhong Yun couldn't quite figure it out. The truth was simple: when Xiao Ruo came to visit that day, news about survivors from the Tongguang Star was being broadcast.

Zhong Pingjiang and his wife, agitated by the news, inadvertently let the information slip. "Um, please sit.

I need to go upstairs to put my things away first." Unable to bear Xiao Ruo's watery gaze, Zhong Yun fled upstairs. What a huge complication.

As he went up, Zhong Yun sighed internally. With his relationship with Liu Yunqi stabilizing, Xiao Ruo's presence felt slightly like an eyesore.

Although Yunqi hadn't said anything, he knew that Xiao Ruo was like a thorn in her side. But Xiao Ruo was different from other girls.

She was so docile, so quiet, always watching him silently from the sidelines, never demanding anything. To say Zhong Yun was completely unmoved would be a lie, which was why he had deliberately ignored Xiao Ruo, hoping she would gradually fade from his life.

Yet, he hadn't expected her to infiltrate his home so unknowingly. Did he really have to cruelly crush her hopes?

Zhong Yun hesitated. After changing clothes in his room, Zhong Yun went downstairs.

Xiao Ruo had returned to normal, at least outwardly. Yun Rong insisted on keeping Xiao Ruo for dinner.

The four of them sat around the table, truly resembling a warm, four-person family. However, Zhong Yun felt profoundly uncomfortable, especially with his mother's attitude towards Xiao Ruo—it was as affectionate as if Xiao Ruo were her own daughter.

Even though I know you really want another daughter, Mom, you don't have to go this far. This puts me in a terrible position, Zhong Yun thought glumly.

After Xiao Ruo left, Zhong Yun finally found an opening to tell his mother, "Mom, I already have a girlfriend." "Oh?" Yun Rong replied absently, her eyes never leaving the television. "We are very serious," Zhong Yun tried to persuade her.

"Is that so?" Yun Rong responded lightly, "Then what are you worried about?" Zhong Yun was momentarily speechless. Seeing his mother's attitude, he knew further discussion was pointless and said no more.

Actually, Yun Rong's attitude wasn't entirely unreasonable. Zhong Yun was still young; the legal age for marriage in Davo was twenty-five, still seven or eight years away.

Who could say what might happen in seven or eight years? Furthermore, at his age, emotions were volatile.

As far as Yun Rong knew, this was his first serious relationship. How many couples managed to maintain their first love all the way to marriage?

Discussing these things now was premature. She genuinely liked the quiet, beautiful girl that was Xiao Ruo, so she naturally wasn't going to change her approach just because her son was in his adolescent years.

Back in his room, a slightly depressed Zhong Yun plunged into the "Combat Simulation" space. Since learning the Yuan techniques, his control over his Yuan had become increasingly smooth, especially during the more than five months inside the life pod.

Under the constant pressure of death, he had practiced desperately every day. Now, he was barely qualified.

However, he had only mastered the beginner techniques. What he needed now was continuous practice.

The more advanced techniques would only be granted once his Yuan reached the second level—meaning his physical conditioning needed to surpass Level Ten. He had already passed the fourth stage while returning to Davo on the spacecraft and was now stuck before the fifth.

In the "Combat Simulation," each stage's enemy possessed distinct characteristics, like the giant exceeding two and a half meters tall in the fourth stage. The fifth stage was different; its opponent looked no different from a normal person, but his prowess lay in his mastery of various combat techniques.

Zhong Yun originally thought his own fighting skills were quite good, but in front of this opponent, he was like Linghu Chong encountering Feng Qingyang—utterly incapable of fighting back. After five more consecutive failures, Zhong Yun entered the playback space again.

This time, he learned a new technique: Entanglement ("Chan"). After reviewing the system's demonstration and explanation, Zhong Yun was both astonished and delighted.

The so-called "Entanglement" involved releasing Yuan from the body and spreading it around the body like tentacles to impede the enemy's movements. Moreover, due to the unique nature of Zhong Yun's internal Yuan, its distribution around his body not only hindered the enemy but also acted like radar, sensing the enemy's movements and thus predicting their next action.

This was truly a highly useful auxiliary technique, especially in close-quarters combat. However, mastering it was not easy either.

Listening to the system's step-by-step explanation on how to mobilize the internal Yuan, how to release Yuan externally, and how to maintain the connection with the released Yuan... The "Entanglement" technique was far more complex than any technique he had learned before, but knowing the method was the crucial first step; the rest was practice.

Zhong Yun spent the entire night immersed in the "Combat Simulation" until the system ejected him. Waking up the next morning, Zhong Yun felt refreshed, all the previous night's frustration swept away.

Just Xiao Ruo? If he couldn't even handle her, what future did he have to look forward to?

Yuehu Private Academy. The teacher was lecturing at the front, and Zhong Yun occasionally zoned out below.

High school coursework differed somewhat from junior high. In high school, beyond a few core subjects like Literature, Mathematics, Physics, and Common Language, the rest were offered as electives.

The school regulations mandated that besides the four basic subjects, every student must choose at least three elective courses. At this stage, choosing a specialization was crucial, as it influenced one's entire life.

In a medium-level civilization like Davo, misaligned employment was unheard of. Due to refined social division of labor and immense technological development, achieving success in any single field required decades of dedicated study.

Modern society consisted only of specialists, not generalists—this was the inevitable progression of societal development. Therefore, specialization needed to begin in high school.

Generally, students chose three related courses. For instance, if Liu Yunqi wanted to become a musician, she would typically choose Basic Music Theory, Music History, and Instrument Performance.

The correct combination was two theoretical courses and one practical training course. Furthermore, every high school had a professional counseling office to offer students relatively specialized advice.

Zhong Yun still hadn't decided on his future direction, and he needed to submit his course schedule in a couple of days. He should probably go back and discuss it with his parents.

P: Thanks to all the brothers. It's the eighth chapter now.

As promised, I owe three bonus chapters. I'll deliver one tonight and the rest tomorrow.

Thanks again to all the brothers; if you have votes, keep casting them! If we hit seventh place, I'll add another bonus chapter.

^-^