"Young Lord, things in Seacrest aren’t very clear right now. A lot of people came from River City recently, trying to find out about you. I’ve already handled it.",
"That Zuo family isn’t here with good intentions, and Master Morgan Yang looks like real trouble.",
Inside the car, Big Tank drove, his face full of worry.
Sitting in the back seat, Evan Lin looked calmly out the window. "It’ll last until February 14 at most. Just keep your head down for now."
"Also, how are the projects in Whitewood County going?"
Big Tank considered his tone. "There are two projects in Whitewood County. The county plaza is going smoothly, and Secretary Thomas Liu gave us a lot of resources and discounts. Local people have been very cooperative, so things are running smoothly."
"The other project is the Whitewood Hills Resort. Since there was already a foundation, we’re just upgrading and rebuilding on top of it. The overall progress is good, and we’ve already had a few groups of tourists."
Speaking of this, Big Tank’s face lit up with excitement.
These two projects in Whitewood County are his first real business ventures. He used to rely on his fists, but this time it’s all by the rules. Now, when he goes out, people call him Boss Niu, and he’s especially proud.
When this news got back to Big Tank’s family, they were all proud and felt he’d brought honor to the family.
"Mm."
Evan Lin listened to the report. Most of it was just as he expected.
Even though Big Tank’s businesses now added up to assets worth several hundred million, there wasn’t much cash on hand.
Besides, compared to the Xia family or the Su family in River City, what Big Tank had was nothing special. Evan never expected him to make a fortune anyway—he just wanted to do something for Whitewood County.
The car stopped in front of a five-star hotel.
Big Tank had already booked a room here for Evan Lin.
As soon as the car door opened, Evan saw Dongzi and Shawn Shi waiting outside.
The moment they saw Evan Lin, both of them got excited.
With just a few tips from Evan, Dongzi and Shawn Shi had already stepped into the ranks of Inner Strength martial artists. Their lives had completely changed.
After a brief greeting, Evan went to his room. The next morning, he had Big Tank drive him back to Whitewood.
Along the way, Big Tank kept talking about Lily Zhong. Compared to before, she’s much more independent now and makes decisions quickly. Big Tank couldn’t stop praising her.
"I called Miss Zhong last night. She’s at the Whitewood County office right now—do you want to go see her?"
Big Tank glanced at Evan Lin in the rearview mirror and asked.
"No need for now. Just drop me off at the county dam, then go take care of your own business. Also, keep an eye on the Zuo family—if anyone from their side steps into Whitewood, tell me immediately."
Evan’s tone was calm as scenery flashed by outside. The familiar sights of his hometown stirred up complicated feelings he couldn’t quite put into words.
Right now, Evan just wanted to get home to see Joy Zheng. With the Foundation-Cultivating Pill in hand, he could finally help her frail body. As for Lily Zhong, he wasn’t planning to see her yet—he didn’t want to disrupt her work.
The car pulled up outside Whitewood County. Big Tank hit the brakes and stopped.
Evan grabbed his bag, got out of the car, took a deep breath, and started walking.
Because the Hundred-School Joint Exam was scheduled early, but the elementary school’s finals in Whitewood County were later, Evan arrived home while Joy Zheng was still at work.
Mooncrest Manor’s villas were still a ways from the county center. When Evan got home, he found all the fancy sofas and tables in the living room had disappeared, replaced by rows of student desks. At the front, a big blackboard stood upright.
Beside the desks, there were plates of snacks and fruit—clearly for the kids coming to cram school.
Only Mom would turn a villa into a tutoring center like this.
Evan shook his head. He’d thought Joy Zheng would rent a place for the tutoring, but she’d just set it up right in the living room.
But Evan didn’t really mind. As long as Joy Zheng was happy, that was enough.
He picked up an apple from the table, took a bite, and turned on the TV.
Around five o’clock, he heard the sound of a bicycle outside. Soon, someone pushed open the door.
"Xiao Yi? Why are you back?"
Outside the door, Joy Zheng looked tired as she saw Evan sitting in the living room. She was briefly stunned.
She frowned and said, "Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?"
"I finished my exams yesterday. Staying in Capitalview was boring, so I came back early." Evan stood up as Joy Zheng came in. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the old bicycle parked in the villa courtyard and sighed. "Mom, why not get a new bike? Or an e-bike—it’d be easier to ride."
Or you could sign up for driving school. Once you get your license and learn to drive, just buy a car.
That old bicycle outside the villa had been around for years. Ever since Evan could remember, Joy Zheng rode it to and from work. Back when Evan was in kindergarten, Joy wasn’t a teacher at Whitewood Elementary yet, but just a substitute in a nearby village.
During those days, Joy Zheng rode that battered bike every day, with little Evan on the back, commuting to and from work.
The trip always took over an hour each way. Even now, thinking about those times made Evan feel a bit sad.
Joy Zheng went through so much hardship, but she never became ‘someone important.’ Evan used to believe that good people would be rewarded, but after being KO’d by Big Tank in Minghai and sent to the Immortal Martial Continent, he finally understood: good people don’t always get good fortune. Heaven often turns a blind eye. All the fairness and justice you want—you have to fight for it yourself.
"No need to buy anything. This bike works fine, and I’m used to it."
Joy Zheng shook her head. "Besides, you should save your money. What if something happens to you in the future?"
"Xiao Yi, I know you’ve made some money because of your master, but don’t waste it."
"Mom doesn’t need you to spend money on me. I don’t need much—just want you to live a happy life."
As she spoke, Evan felt something was off about Joy Zheng today, but figured it was just because they hadn’t seen each other in a while.