Joe Di did not return to his old place. Not only was that house rented, but he also didn't want to get entangled with Henry Zi from the Di Family. Di Pharmaceuticals sounded impressive, but Joe truly didn't care about it. Besides, he knew very well that he had no relation to Vincent Di.
Once again, carrying his bag and walking through bustling Luojin City, Joe's mind was filled with the question—where should he go now?
He didn't know how long he'd walked or thought, when suddenly a phone number popped into his mind. It seemed that in his previous life, whenever he needed help, he would call this number.
The call was answered by a slightly tired male voice. When the other party heard Joe's voice, he exclaimed in surprise, "David, where are you? Why haven't I heard from you for over a year?"
A familiar name surfaced—Felix Yu (Fox). What a strange name. Clearly, Felix and Joe shared an extraordinary relationship; after anxiously asking Joe to wait where he was, he hurriedly hung up.
Joe didn't have to wait long. Within half an hour, a taxi stopped in front of him.
Out of the car stepped a short, chubby young man. He looked ordinary, his hair a bit messy, but his face radiated genuine happiness. Joe knew at a glance that this was Felix Yu (Fox).
"David, where have you been this past year? Why didn't you call me even once?" Felix shouted loudly before even reaching him.
"I went out to clear my head. Now I don't even have a place to stay. Also, I've changed my name to Joe Di," he said.
"Why change your name for no reason? Come on, let's go to my place—it's really spacious," Felix Yu (Fox) said cheerfully, slapping Joe's shoulder as if he were family.
Felix called his place spacious, but to Joe, it was at most twenty square meters. Even so, that wasn't the main issue—the real problem was that there was a woman in the room.
Even without an explanation, Joe guessed she must be Felix's girlfriend. She looked pretty decent and had a nice figure.
"Lena, this is my best buddy, David Di—no, he goes by Joe Di now," Felix Yu (Fox) introduced.
After introducing them, Felix Yu (Fox) looked proudly at Joe and said, "Joe, my girlfriend Lena Teng just moved in recently."
Lena Teng wasn't as enthusiastic toward Joe as Felix was. She glanced at the bag on Joe's back, then looked uncertainly at Felix Yu (Fox) and asked, "You're not really going to let him live here, are you?"
"Of course! This place is huge. We can just put something in the middle to divide it..."
Before Felix Yu (Fox) could finish, Joe spoke up, "Fox, I mainly came to see you. I'll be leaving soon."
Hearing Joe's words, Lena Teng's expression softened a bit.
Felix Yu (Fox) noticed Lena Teng's attitude and his face darkened. Before he could say anything, his phone rang. Suppressing his frustration, he answered, "Brother Hu, sorry, I couldn't make it to work today. I won't be able to work at Tan's Apricot Hall anymore... Yes, I'm thinking of trying my luck at Northlake University... Alright, thank you, thank you."
After hanging up, Felix Yu (Fox) took a deep breath and looked at Lena Teng with a stern gaze.
Joe could guess what Felix wanted to say. He didn't want to be the cause of tension between Felix and Lena Teng. From what he saw, Lena Teng was someone Felix had pursued with a lot of effort; he didn't want to be the reason they broke up.
Blocking Felix Yu (Fox), Joe smiled and asked, "Fox, you used to work at Tan's Apricot Hall?"
"Yeah, haven't you been to Tan's Apricot Hall? I've always worked there. At first, I just did odd jobs and learned a few things. Now that Tan's Apricot Hall has closed, I was basically just a doorman," Felix Yu (Fox) replied.
"So why did you quit?" Joe asked again.
Felix Yu (Fox) perked up at Joe's question, his eyes lighting up. "Joe, did you know that Celestia is about to open to everyone? Soon, anyone will be eligible to go to Celestia. I have no power or influence, so my only way in is through the new Martial Arts Academy at Northlake University. Tan's Apricot Hall's Yvette Tan, the granddaughter of Old Man Tan, went to Yanda Martial Arts Department, and even abandoned Tan's Apricot Hall for it."
Lowering his voice, Felix Yu (Fox) continued, "You must have heard that Celestia has many rare herbs and top-grade minerals, right? I also heard that the Earth Alliance discovered cultivation secrets on Celestia. Do you know why all universities must get approval from the Alliance to open Martial Arts Academies? Because once approved, the Alliance gives them those cultivation secrets. Otherwise, what do you think students learn in Martial Arts Departments?"
Joe chuckled to himself. He didn't believe in so-called cultivation secrets—at most, they were just martial arts techniques. If Celestia had such things, it must be a planet similar to Yalen Continent, somehow appearing next to Earth.
As for those martial arts techniques, Joe didn't care. The Di Family Seven Blades was the top technique in Jade Nation, and he had the manual right in his backpack. Why would he need to search elsewhere?
"You're not wrong, but I heard the Martial Arts Department at Northlake University is extremely hard to get into. Even money can't buy your way in. If you go, it might be a waste—you'd just lose your job for nothing," Joe said, puzzled by Felix Yu (Fox)'s confidence.
The feverish excitement faded from Felix Yu (Fox)'s face, and he sighed. "Joe, even though I don't have a chance to join high society, I do have some foresight. I'm certain that one day Celestia will be fully open, and you won't need to be a martial arts student to go there. Celestia might even become the place for humanity's migration from Earth. By then, if we go, we won't get a taste of anything good—all the treasures will be taken by others, and we'd just be helping build a new Earth. If we're lucky. If not, we might not even get the chance to help build it."
My chances of getting into Northlake University's Martial Arts Academy are slim, but there's still hope. As long as I get in—even if it's just working in the cafeteria or as a gatekeeper—I'll be the first to hear any news from the Martial Arts Academy. Who knows, maybe I'll get a chance. After all, I have a junior chef's certificate."
Felix Yu (Fox)'s words made Joe feel a bit ashamed. In Jade Nation, the Di Family was second only to the very top. After suffering setbacks, Joe had been aimlessly drifting, never having ambitions like Felix. The saying goes, 'A man without long-term plans will have immediate worries.' It's true.
Now the Di Family and Nine Di Clans were destroyed, and he himself had escaped from Yalen Continent. If not for that Graystone drawing a golden bolt of lightning, there would be no Joe in this world.
"Joe, I know you don't think much of me..."
Joe patted Felix Yu (Fox)'s shoulder. "Fox, not only do I believe in you, I know you won't need to cook or be a gatekeeper. You'll get into the Martial Arts Academy soon."
"Huh...?" Felix looked at Joe in surprise, not understanding what he meant.
Joe pulled a blue card from his backpack and said, "This is the Martial Arts Academy Admission Certificate for Northlake University. With this, you can directly enroll."
Felix Yu (Fox) snatched the certificate from Joe, held it up to the light, and then, in shock, asked, "Joe, how did you get this? I've heard of it—yours is definitely genuine. If it's real, when you hold it up to the light, you can see a floating image of Celestia."
"Don't ask where I got it. Just take it and sign up," Joe interrupted. "Don't ask why I don't need it—I'm not interested for now. When you make it big, just don't forget about me."
"But, but..." Felix Yu (Fox) was at a loss for words. This was his dream come true, but taking Joe's spot at Northlake University's Martial Arts Academy wasn't what he wanted. Besides, the value of this Martial Arts Academy Admission Certificate was immeasurable.
Joe smiled. "No buts. But you can help me with something. I'm studying medicine lately. Since you're not going to Tan's Apricot Hall anymore, could you introduce me there?"