The South Shore Residential Area, as a public rental housing complex, pushed land utilization to its absolute limit. Every residential building seemed like a colossal, square concrete pillar, and the spacing between them entirely disregarded sunlight exposure.

Luo Feng's home was situated on the 32nd floor of one of these structures, a towering 36 stories high.

“A’Feng, going to the Martial Arts Hall tonight?” Wei Wen called out as he headed toward a neighboring block.

“I have a tutoring session tonight. I might swing by the hall afterward, but it’s hard to say exactly when. Don’t wait up for me tonight,” Luo Feng replied with a wave, then immediately began sprinting up the stairs as if pursued, taking four steps at a time. Like a swift leopard, he vanished upward in the blink of an eye, reaching the second floor in just a couple of heartbeats.

Third floor, fourth floor…

“Thump! Thump!”

Luo Feng moved with effortless agility during his ascent, expertly weaving around residents coming down the stairs.

“A’Feng, back from school already?”

“Yes, Uncle Wang.” Luo Feng’s breathing remained perfectly steady. For an Advanced Martial Arts Student, climbing this many flights at such a speed was equivalent to a leisurely stroll.

The tenants of the public housing complex, by overwhelming consensus, had voted against installing elevators. Installing elevators would necessitate increased rent payments. Furthermore, for the vast majority of residents today, climbing dozens of flights of stairs was a manageable feat.

To them, elevators in residential buildings were an extravagance they couldn't afford. After all, electricity was precious; the entire city’s ‘Defense System’ ran on electrical energy, making power conservation a national imperative.

The 32nd Floor!

On this level, there were eight apartments, one of which belonged to the Luo family.

“Click!” Luo Feng unlocked the door with his key.

“Brother, you’re back?” a voice called from inside.

“Yeah.” Luo Feng closed the door behind him. A quick scan revealed the entire layout: a single room with one living area, totaling 36 square meters.

He, his younger brother, and their parents—four people in total—lived crammed into this meager 36 square meters. They had lived there for as long as he could remember.

“A’Hua, what are you reading?” Luo Feng walked toward the small balcony.

On that balcony sat a thin youth with a sickly pale complexion, perched in a wheelchair, engrossed in an English book. Luo Feng glanced at the cover and smiled. “Oh, it’s about the investment master ‘Price’? Aren’t stock market gurus like ‘Buffett’ the most famous among investment masters?”

Luo Feng knew absolutely nothing about investing or stocks.

“Buffett’s isn’t quite right for me. Price’s theories and ideology align closely with some of my own thoughts; they offer useful reference points,” the slender youth said, looking up at Luo Feng and offering a slight smile.

“Keep reading, then,” Luo Feng said softly.

Inadvertently, Luo Feng’s gaze swept over his brother’s legs, and a familiar pang of pain struck his heart… When his brother was very young, a vehicle crushed both his legs, pulverizing them completely from the thigh down, leaving him disabled. For a handicapped person to survive in modern society carried immense pressure. His brother could only pursue his education remotely, via online courses.

Lacking sunlight exposure, his brother’s complexion carried a morbid pallor. Moreover, having few friends had made him somewhat introverted.

Dad and Mom’s salaries aren't high, yet they must support both me and my brother—and my brother is disabled… The family burden is too heavy; we have no choice but to live in this public housing.

My brother is disabled and has minimal contact with the outside world. Finding a wife later in life will be incredibly difficult. Who would marry a man whose legs are shattered?

“I must change the destiny of this entire family!” Luo Feng resolved silently.

Why haven't I pursued Xu Xin, the girl I secretly admire? Why haven’t I dated?

The law states one can marry at eighteen, so many people date in high school and marry right after graduation. Few people reach high school without dating. Why not me?

Because I have no time to waste on romance! My family isn't wealthy, nor do I have a renowned mentor guiding me. I have to rely solely on myself. Luo Feng’s eyes fell upon the old sofa in the living room—a piece that folded out into a bed. “For so many years, four of us have lived in this tiny place, one room, one living area. My brother and I share the only bedroom, while Mom and Dad have slept on this living room sofa all these years…”

“I must get my parents and my brother into a big house, a big house with an elevator.”

“So that Mom and Dad can finally sleep in a proper large bed.”

“So that my brother doesn't have to struggle so hard just to come downstairs one time.”

“The house absolutely must have massive floor-to-ceiling windows, letting the sunlight pour in completely!”

These thoughts had echoed in Luo Feng’s mind countless times. It was precisely for this reason that he had worked relentlessly since childhood.

And so—

He became one of only three students among the five thousand pupils at Third High School to earn the title of ‘Advanced Martial Arts Student.’ Among those three, he was the only one from a modest background. The other two were children from wealthy families.

…

“Swish~~~” Water streamed continuously from the faucet, quickly filling the electric kettle.

“Hiss…” Luo Feng plugged in the kettle, then picked up his history book and sat on the sofa, memorizing key points.

Suddenly—

“Drip!”

The kettle whistled its readiness. Luo Feng set the book down, poured water into his thermos, and filled a large plastic mug with hot water, placing it on the table.

“In the year 2026, the ‘Hongze Battle’ occurred at Hongze Lake… yes, 2026.” Luo Feng committed historical events to memory. Among all his academic subjects, Luo Feng excelled most in mathematics. However, history was his greatest passion. Because whenever he read about the history of the 21st century…

He couldn't help but sigh deeply.

This was an era of human transformation!

“A’Hua,” Luo Feng walked over to his brother.

“What is it, Brother?” His brother, Luo Hua, set down the book he was holding.

“There are 139 key points in this book. I’ve already marked them. Quiz me,” Luo Feng handed over the history book. Luo Hua grinned upon seeing it. “Great! It’s rare for me to get a chance to test you, Brother. Listen up, I’m going to ask you some tough questions. If you get one wrong, it’ll be embarrassing for you.”

“Ask away,” Luo Feng said, settling onto the sofa.

“Who single-handedly slew the ‘Tiger-Headed Monster Dragon’ on the banks of the Yangtze River, saving hundreds of thousands of citizens and ensuring their successful evacuation to the Jiangnan Base, ultimately sacrificing himself heroically? Where was he from? His age at death? The exact date of the event?” Luo Hua carefully flipped through the pages before posing the first question.

“The one who died heroically, posthumously awarded the Four-Star Hero Medal by the state, was ‘Dong Nanbiao.’ He was originally from Taixing, Jiangsu. He was 39 when he died. The precise date of the event should be in the year 2018…” Luo Feng furrowed his brow slightly.

Brother Luo Hua pressed him: “The exact date, Brother? What day and month in 2018?”

“Hmm, it seems like…” Luo Feng hesitated slightly. “It was June 18th, I think.”

“Haha, you got the first question wrong!” Luo Hua shook his head. “The one awarded the Four-Star Hero Medal, ‘Dong Nanbiao,’ was indeed from Taixing, Jiangsu, and he was 39 when he died. But the exact date of the incident was June 16th, 2018.”

“Ah!”

Luo Feng slapped his forehead, shaking his head with a wry smile. “I always mix up the 16th and the 18th. Ask me the next one.”

“Okay, listen closely, Second Question.” Luo Hua looked visibly excited. “In 2023, in…”

…

The brothers quizzed each other, and time flew by quickly.

“I’ve finished half the book. I asked 68 questions, and you answered 63 correctly, missing five,” Luo Hua noted, glancing up at the wall clock. “Mom and Dad will be home soon. I’ll ask you just one last question, and we can cover the other half next time.”

“The last question? Fine, ask it,” Luo Feng focused intently.

“This question is fundamental. Recount the major events of the ‘Great Nirvana Period,’” Luo Hua stated.

Luo Feng’s expression grew serious. The history of the Great Nirvana Period was the most crucial chapter in humanity’s transformation: “In the early 21st century, the globe experienced several successive viral flu outbreaks—from the SARS epidemic in 2003, to the H1N1 swine flu in 2009, culminating in the far more terrifying R-type viral flu in 2013. As the R-type virus spread, it evolved into over twenty variants, making epidemic control vastly more difficult. Every nation on Earth recorded fatalities.”

“As prevention efforts continued, the outbreak was eventually controlled.”

“However, in January 2015, the R-type virus evolved into its most fearsome variant, known as the RR virus!”

“The previous R-type variants spread through bodily fluids, and some could transmit through water, but they survived only briefly in water. But—this RR virus could spread through bodily fluids and water flow. Most terrifyingly… it could transmit through the air! And it could survive in the air for an astonishing three hours!”