The next day.
Morning sunlight gradually shone into the bedroom.
Lucy Han stretched out with a big yawn, scratched her head with her little hands, then rolled over to continue sleeping, her small mouth making popping sounds.
"Mmm."
"So bright, and warm."
She muttered, kicking off the thin blanket with her little legs.
Andrew Han sat in his chair, quietly pondering the Raging Downpour technique. He glanced at his little sister, who was still sleeping, shook his head, and went over to help Lucy turn over so she lay on her back.
"Warm."
Lucy covered her face with her hands.
"It's already past eight in the morning and you're still lazing in bed." Andrew Han shook Lucy's head, but it was no use. He walked to the window, pulled the curtains shut to block out the sunlight. "Alright, you can keep sleeping."
Click.
The bedroom door closed softly.
...
In the living room.
Linda Chen came out carrying two plates of food. "Go wake Lucy up, it's time for breakfast."
"Let her sleep a bit more. She went to bed too late last night." Andrew Han chuckled. "Mom, I won't be home for dinner tonight. There's a class reunion."
Thump.
Linda Chen set down the plates and nodded. "That's a good thing. After you graduate, you'll all see each other less and less. Make the most of these gatherings while you can."
Andrew Han shook his head.
Among the classmates in Class Seven, the only friends he was really close to were Gavin Bright, Sam Sun, and Cathy Feng. He barely spoke to the others.
Besides, Gavin Bright had already left, saying he was moving to another city.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh. "Honestly, I don't really want to go. We probably won't cross paths again anyway."
"What's gotten into you, child?" Linda Chen frowned. "You studied in the same classroom for three years. Who can say what the future holds?"
She thought—
Her son, Andrew, had been admitted to Southland University. She felt proud and assumed he looked down on his classmates, which wasn't a good sign.
Andrew Han shook his head, looking at the steaming dishes. "Mom, it's not what you think."
For now, he was destined to become a part of the Martial Arts World.
Once he became a martial artist, his way of thinking would change completely, making casual conversation difficult. Most importantly, he wasn't close to his classmates—their bond was shallow.
But if he failed to become a martial artist, not to mention the threats from demons and monsters, even the punishment from Miles Ning would hang over him like a mountain, forcing him to keep moving forward.
Gradually—
Andrew Han's mindset was quietly changing.
Before, he just wanted to quickly reach a higher martial arts rank, ace the college entrance exam, get into a top university, and give his parents a satisfying answer. Now, things were different—he longed for true power, not only to uphold his beliefs, but also to pursue a life of freedom.
—
By dusk—
A storefront with a touch of elegance hung a sign for Riverside Pavilion, its gold and silver lettering exuding sophistication.
This was a well-known Sichuan restaurant in Greenfield City, spanning four floors. The average meal cost about a hundred Huaguo dollars. The food was decent, but its real highlight was the atmosphere.
Riverside Pavilion was famed for its elegant, spacious environment and steady stream of guests.
Beep beep.
Cars occasionally stopped at the entrance.
The sweltering sunlight shone on the main entrance, filtering through the awning and onto the arms of several burly men. The leader wore a sharply tailored suit.
At first glance, he even had the air of a business elite.
But his indifferent face gave way to an unquestionable command: "Xiao Guo, go up first and let them know. Reserve the top-floor suite for us. Tonight, I'll treat the brothers well—eat and drink to your heart's content."
"Yes, sir."
One of the burly men turned and entered Riverside Pavilion.
...
After a while—
A taxi stopped at the entrance. Andrew Han, dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans, stepped out, glanced at the elegant Riverside Pavilion sign, and walked toward the main entrance.
"Huh?"
The suited leader paused in surprise, then quickly descended the steps to greet Andrew Han. "Mr. Han, are you dining here too?"
Andrew Han looked at the suited man and recognized him. "Weren't you the one who delivered the package the other day?"
The suited man awkwardly replied, "Ah, yes. I always uphold professional standards. I was delivering a package to Sir Newman... Didn't expect to run into you here. My name is Victor Dong. Here's my business card."
A business card?
Andrew Han took the card and glanced at it.
Sunlight gleamed on the silver card, engraved with: Victor Dong, General Manager of XX Company—Wide range of services, call for inquiries.
...
Andrew Han was stunned.
Victor Dong grinned sheepishly. "Our business covers a lot—anything for money, as long as it's legal. If you ever have any trouble, just call me. I'll handle it for free."
He smiled with infectious enthusiasm.
The so-called company was just his public persona... Nearly a third of Greenfield City's gray industry was under his control.
That was truly terrifying.
Victor Dong owed his current position to Sir Newman's daily instructions, which he was responsible for carrying out.
So—
Victor Dong continued, "You're Sir Newman's disciple. Don't be shy."
"Alright."
Andrew Han nodded and accepted the business card.
After all, he was Sir Newman's only disciple, carrying the hopes of the sect. There was no need to reject the status and privileges he deserved.
Just then, Cathy Feng and Rina Xu walked by arm in arm, passing Andrew Han and greeting him casually.
Andrew Han nodded.
Rina Xu glanced at Andrew Han and Victor Dong, feeling a bit intimidated, and said nothing.
Cathy Feng waved before leaving, reminding him, "The gathering is about to start. Our class is in the private room on the right side of the fourth floor. Don't get lost!"
"Mm."
Andrew Han replied with a smile.
Once they entered Riverside Pavilion, Victor Dong spoke up, "Sir, are you here for a high school reunion? I won't keep you, but contact me anytime if you need anything."
Andrew Han replied quickly, "Alright. If I ever need help, don't turn me down."
His father, William Han, ran a supermarket and occasionally faced minor troubles. It wouldn't be strange to ask Victor Dong for help then.
After all—
Victor Dong certainly had an impressive presence.
Plus, working for his master meant he had plenty of influence. For small matters, there was no need to trouble his master.
Victor Dong, still smiling politely, eyes brightened, and he hurriedly said, "Sir, rest assured, I'll do my utmost to help you with any trouble... Of course, if it's something from that other world, I'm afraid I can't help."
"Alright."
Andrew Han smiled faintly and entered Riverside Pavilion.
Victor Dong, thoroughly satisfied, smacked his lips and sauntered back to the entrance. He instructed the other two burly men, "Go upstairs and find Xiao Guo. If there's no room available in the Moonriver Suite on the fourth floor, we'll move to the third."
Mr. Andrew Han is attending a class reunion in the fourth-floor suite.
If there's any conflict with guests in other rooms and it leaves a bad impression on Mr. Han, that'll be a huge problem.
...
Fourth floor, right side—Moonriver Suite.
Three round tables covered with golden tablecloths sat in the center of the suite. Each table was surrounded by twenty pale yellow chairs, exuding an air of elegance.
At this moment—
Most of the Senior Class 7 students had already taken their seats, along with Ms. Lee, the homeroom teacher, the math teacher, the Chinese teacher, and the martial arts theory teacher, Mr. Jiang.
The students were either enthusiastically discussing college entrance preferences and exam scores, or chatting about their plans for the break.
"Andrew Han, sit here."
Cathy Feng, seated at the left round table, waved her hand.
Andrew Han glanced around casually, then strode over and took a seat.
On the other side of Cathy Feng sat Rina Xu, whose face subtly changed color. She instinctively put away the little makeup box on the table in front of her.
The left round table was mostly occupied by female classmates, with three or four boys as well.
As soon as Andrew Han sat down, he drew the girls' attention. With the college entrance exam over, some were headed to university, others about to join the workforce. The intimidation of being a Martial Arts Program Student had faded.
A moment later—
A girl with an oval face couldn't help but look at Andrew Han and timidly asked, "Andrew, is it true you're a Third Rank Martial Arts Program Student and got into Southland University?"
Andrew Han smiled. "That's right."
Although the rumor had spread in class, Andrew hadn't confirmed it himself, so only a handful truly knew.