Pretending to be a genius starts with the civilization advancement assessment.

Chapter 207 The New Generation, Lin Yi Emerges from Seclusion (3-in-1 6K)
At exactly six o'clock in the morning, a soft glow of energy slowly emanates from the light guide plate embedded in the ceiling, precisely simulating the color temperature and brightness changes of sunrise.

Li Wei grumbled in bed and reluctantly opened his eyes.

He is a second-year high school student at Changhai No. 3 Middle School, a typical "new generation of energy".

"Xiao Wei, get up quickly, you have an early class today, don't be late."

Lin Wei's mother's voice came through the door, accompanied by the sizzling sound of eggs frying in the kitchen and the rich aroma of natural oatmeal—produced by a newly built large-scale vertical farming factory on the outskirts of the city, affordable, with a stable supply, and now a mainstream breakfast choice for ordinary families.

Li Wei slowly got up.

He walked to the window and whispered, "Open," and the smart curtains silently slid open.

The morning scene of Changhai City comes into view outside the window.

Dozens of light pillars of energy condensers of varying thicknesses stand like giants, their tops disappearing into the light morning mist. They not only provide a continuous source of energy for the entire city, but also maintain the concentration of energy particles throughout the city, subtly improving the environment and the physical condition of the residents.

Several low-altitude hoverbuses glided silently along the fixed route, the "Changhai Municipal Government" emblem on their bodies clearly visible in the morning light.

After quickly washing up, Li Wei arrived at the restaurant, where breakfast was already laid out on the table.

Golden fried eggs, steaming hot oatmeal porridge, and a small dish of precious braised meat from the source beast.

Source beasts are specially bred and grown in a highly controlled environment with strong source energy. They not only have an excellent taste, but also contain active source energy that is more easily absorbed. Their price is dozens of times that of ordinary meat. Strictly speaking, they can be considered a tonic.

Therefore, his parents always saved food for him.

The father, Li Liming, sat there, looking at the miniature news screen projected on his wrist, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Good morning, Dad and Mom." Li Wei pulled out a chair and sat down.

"morning."

Li Liming responded without looking up, his finger swiping across the screen.

"Tsk, the launch of the 'Dawn' deep space probe has been postponed again. They say that the core propulsion array's stability fluctuations exceeded the safety threshold of one ten-thousandth when simulating extreme inter-satellite environments, and at least three more years are needed for material iteration and algorithm optimization. These researchers are really rigorous."

Lin Wei placed a glass of natural milk in front of Li Wei and said, "It's better to be safe than sorry. Space exploration can't be rushed. Our generation is already very fortunate to have witnessed Yuan Neng Technology take the first step in restarting space exploration."

Her voice was tinged with emotion as she looked at Li Wei, "When your father was young, his biggest dream was to be an astronaut, but alas..."

"Unfortunately, the end of the world has come."

Li Liming finally raised his head, a complex smile on his face, a smile that contained both vicissitudes and relief. "Back then, let alone dreams, just surviving was a blessing."

Li Wei ate his breakfast silently, listening to his parents occasionally mention the past.

He knew that his parents were from the "pre-disaster generation," and they were only in their early twenties when the apocalypse came. They were lucky to survive and became one of the first civilian martial artists to struggle on the brink of life and death, relying on each other in the same civilian team.

The turbulent times fueled their feelings for each other, and they married early, but never dared to have children.

In her mother's words, "We ourselves are barely surviving, risking our lives, how can we support the next generation? Are we going to be born into this hellish world to suffer?"

Until the situation initially stabilized, a large amount of lost territory was recovered, and source energy technology began to be systematically popularized, the two of them were stuck at the threshold of the third level of the Stardust level, wasting nearly ten years. Seeing no hope of breaking through, they decided to have Li Wei at the "advanced age" of over forty years old, placing their hopes on the next generation.

"Eat quickly, or you'll be late."

Lin Wei urged, glancing at the plate of braised meat in front of Li Wei, "Eat more of this; it will help with sensing and guiding source energy. Look at Xiao Bin from the Zhang family across the street; he's at Dongfeng Preparatory Academy, and I heard he gets a high-energy nutrition meal ration every day. He's almost at Stardust Level 2."

"Okay, Mom," Li Wei replied, but felt a little helpless.

Although parents accept the fact that their child's talents are limited, they always hope that he can go further. This earnest expectation sometimes becomes an invisible pressure.

Stepping outside, the community was already bustling with activity.

Students dressed in blue and white school uniforms, just like him, hurried past.

Along the community roads, cylindrical cleaning robots are silently absorbing fallen leaves and dust, while gardening robots shaped like small multi-legged insects are carefully trimming the faintly fluorescent "star grass" and "moonlight moss" in the green belt.

Several elderly people who got up early to exercise were performing the "Eighteen Basic Body-Strengthening Exercises" in the community square, which was slow and rhythmic, with faint energy fluctuations flowing through their bodies.

This is a popular fitness method that became widespread after the war. Long-term practice can strengthen the body and delay aging.

"Li Wei!" Classmate Wang Hao caught up from behind, his face flushed with excitement, waving an energy bar package in his hand. "Have you heard? Next week's 'Energy Practice Week' means our class has been selected to visit the newly built 'Near Earth Orbit Energy Transfer Station' holographic simulation center, and it's an in-depth experience!"

"Really?"

Li Wei also became interested, and quickly finished the energy bar in his hand. "So, does that mean we can see a full-scale model of the 'Dawn'? And we can even go into the simulator to experience the feeling of controlling it?"

"necessary!"

Wang Hao gestured wildly, imitating the pushing and pulling of the control stick, "I must become a deep space explorer in the future, piloting the latest type of spaceship to find out if there are any planets like Earth."

Another classmate, Sun Xiaoling, also came over. She was wearing a pair of smart glasses, and some personalized data streams were flashing on the lenses in real time, such as schedules, to-do items, and even the source energy concentration readings of the surrounding environment.

She adjusted her glasses and calmly analyzed, "Relaying energy from near-Earth orbit is theoretically feasible, but there are still many problems to be solved. Otherwise, the launch of 'Dawn' wouldn't have been postponed again and again. Also, Wang Hao, with your barely passing score on the last energy theory exam, if you want to become a prospector, you'll probably have to cram on 'Advanced Energy' first."

Wang Hao's face instantly fell, and he wailed, "Hey, Sun Xiaoling, can you stop talking about data and difficult problems all the time! Don't you understand dreams? Don't you understand passion? I heard that General Chen Yu wasn't very good at theory classes back then, but he still became a Star Core level powerhouse."

Li Wei smiled and smoothed things over: "Alright, alright, General Chen Yu has a deep understanding of the rules; he has a special talent. But Xiaoling is right, basic knowledge is still very important. However, I do think it's pretty cool to be able to participate in the design and construction of such large-scale projects."

Chatting and laughing, we arrived at school.

The gate of Changhai No. 3 Middle School is quite unique. It is a miniature design modeled after the famous "Gate of Judgment" of Dongfeng Military Academy. Although the energy fluctuations are not on the same level, the sword-like shape, the dark silver metallic texture, and the faint golden energy patterns flowing on the gateposts are still very impressive.

After all, not just anyone can get into Dongfeng Military Academy.

A huge electronic honor roll stands at the school gate, displaying school notices and stories of outstanding students.

Li Wei noticed that the name and photo of Xiao Bin from Aunt Zhang's house across the street were prominently listed, with the label "Outstanding Student of Dongfeng Preparatory Academy" below.

As you enter the campus, the main road is lined with "glowing sycamores" whose branches and leaves naturally emit a faint fluorescent glow.

These mutant plants not only beautify the environment, but also slightly regulate the energy concentration in the campus area.

However, the only slightly annoying thing is that this thing also perfectly inherits the shortcomings of the sycamore tree. In summer, the sycamore fluff flies everywhere, which is really annoying.

On the huge playground, several classes were doing morning energy-guiding exercises led by their physical education teachers. Hundreds of people moved in unison, their breathing and movements coordinated, drawing out the sparse energy particles in the surrounding air and forming a weak but spectacular energy flow.

The exterior walls of the teaching building are covered with high-efficiency solar and energy absorption panels, which reflect a technologically advanced metallic luster in the morning light.

In some inconspicuous corners or on rooftops, you can see fixed surveillance cameras and defensive sonic transmitters that occasionally rotate slowly; these are all part of the campus's intelligent security system.

The first lesson was history.

With slightly gray hair and a vigorous spirit, Teacher Zhang is one of the few "pre-disaster generation" elders still teaching. It is said that he was once a member of a certain folk martial arts team. He has an old leg injury and still feels some discomfort on rainy days.

The holographic projection screen behind him lit up, displaying stunning images of the battle to recapture the capital forty years ago.

Burning city ruins, charging warriors, dense artillery fire, and finally, the massive vortex of the nest collapsed under the continuous impact of hundreds of energy beams that embodied humanity's hope and determination.

"Students, 'Operation Dawn' not only recaptured our capital, but more importantly, it proved that under Commander Lin Yi's leadership, humanity has the ability to directly confront advanced nests with Star Core-level Source Beasts."

Teacher Zhang's voice carried the unique passion of someone who had lived through that era. His gaze swept over the children living in peacetime below the stage, as if looking through them back to the past. "However, victory is not the end. The next forty years will be the forty years in which our civilization is truly reborn from the ashes and begins a new chapter."

The projection switched to show an image of the six main hives being firmly locked onto a global map by clear blue defense circles.

"Look, they are still there, but we are no longer afraid. Our army, like the most loyal and powerful guardians, watches over these former nightmares day and night, conducting regular 'sweeping' operations to curb any possibility of expansion."

"At the same time, under the strict control and risk contingency plan formulated by Commander Lin Yi, their surrounding areas have also become a testing ground for honing the combat capabilities of the new generation of Origin Warriors and testing new equipment."

The next two "Source Energy Theory and Application" classes put real pressure on Li Wei.

Teacher Zhao, who taught the theory class, was a young mid-level Stardust-level Source Warrior. His explanation of the complex source energy particle motion model, the conversion efficiency formula of source energy with different attributes, and the energy field superposition principle of large source energy arrays made Li Wei dizzy.

The practical lesson on "multi-threaded energy micro-operation" left him flustered and mentally exhausted.

Looking at the ten tiny energy nodes of different colors and with different sensitivity on the "Ingenious Matrix Disc" in front of him, Li Wei felt that his mental power was like a ball of yarn that had been played with by a cat. It was difficult to separate ten stable and delicate source energy threads at the same time to accurately light up and maintain them.

From the next cubicle, Wang Hao's strange cries and the piercing alarms from the equipment could be heard from time to time, so he was clearly in no better shape.

In contrast, Sun Xiaoling and a few others appeared quite adept. The source energy threads flowing from their fingertips seemed to possess a life of their own, connecting the nodes flexibly and stably, demonstrating exceptional control. "Concentrate! Carefully perceive the energy of each node, not by brute force," Teacher Zhao said sternly as he surveyed the laboratory. "Source energy cultivation requires mindset, comprehension, and control—all are indispensable!"

"Think about your parents' generation. When they first came into contact with Source Energy, they probably couldn't even guide the most stable Source Energy. They could only rely on handwritten notes and tutorials broadcast on the radio to explore little by little, and to fight to the death with the Abyss Beast to verify their ideas. But you now have a safe training environment, systematic theoretical guidance, and advanced auxiliary equipment. What reason do you have not to work hard and cherish it?"

At lunchtime in the school cafeteria, Li Wei and Wang Hao sighed as they looked at the standard "natural meal" on their plates.

In contrast, Sun Xiaoling and some classmates from better-off families, or those who earned a lot of merit points by completing simple tasks assigned by the school, had "high-energy nutritious meals" on their plates that cost more.

"It's over. I feel like I've perfectly inherited my parents' 'talent bottleneck.' I guess I'll be stuck at the third level of Stardust for the rest of my life."

Wang Hao looked miserable as he rummaged through the braised pork and potatoes in his bowl with a spoon, showing little appetite.

“I’m pretty much the same,” Li Wei said, poking at the stir-fried bok choy on his plate, somewhat dejected. “My parents were stuck at level three, which is why they decided to have me. They always say they hope I can go further and see scenery they’ve never seen. But this ‘micro-management’ is just too difficult.”

Sun Xiaoling encouraged them: "Don't be so pessimistic. Times have changed. Cultivation methods, resource acquisition channels, and the overall source energy environment are all much better than forty years ago. According to statistics released by Xuanji, with systematic education and resource support, the average age at which the new generation of source warriors breaks through the low-level bottleneck is at least eight years earlier than our parents' generation, and the success rate has also increased by nearly 30%."

"Besides, even if the final level is not high, as long as you lay a solid theoretical foundation, you can still contribute to the community by engaging in industries such as energy technology research and development, Xuanji network maintenance, energy system management, or high-end equipment manufacturing. Your quality of life and social status will not be bad either."

She pointed to the high-energy nutritional meal on her plate, "This will allow us to achieve 'consumption freedom' once we are able to take on higher-level missions and earn merit points ourselves."

The afternoon class, "Basic Energy Guidance and Physical Training," was held in a spacious indoor training hall.

First, a collective energy circulation exercise was conducted to soothing music and guided chanting. Hundreds of people guided the energy together, and the field effect made the energy particles in the hall exceptionally active.

Next, various basic physical training equipment and massage devices and resistance fields with weak energy stimulation are used to strengthen the body, expand the meridians, and better carry and operate the energy source.

Although the process was tedious and arduous, Li Wei could feel that after each class, his body's affinity for the source energy and his physical endurance seemed to have improved slightly.

The last lesson was an "immersive history class".

They donned lightweight virtual reality helmets and entered a highly realistic historical scene constructed by the Xuanji mainframe.

Today's theme is "Perseverance: The First Micro Tide in a Settlement".

Li Wei's "consciousness" seemed to have attached itself to a settlement's source warrior soldier. Facing the surging abyss, he followed his teammates, rushing to provide support and fighting desperately until an hour later, when the course ended, he finally came to his senses.

When the school bell rang, Li Wei took off his helmet, still feeling a little dazed, as if the smell of gunpowder from the virtual world still lingered in his nostrils.

When I got home, my mother was busy in the kitchen, and a delicious aroma filled the air.

"Mom, I'm back!"

"Wash your hands and get ready for dinner. Your dad will be back soon. I made your favorite braised pork today, and it's made with source beast meat—it smells amazing!"

At 6:30 p.m., Li Liming, the father, arrived home on time. His face showed some fatigue from a busy day, but his eyes were bright and he had a smile on his lips.

The family sat around the dining table, enjoying a heartwarming and delicious dinner.

"Dad, did you get a lot of bonuses this time?" Li Wei looked at the glistening, trembling braised Yuan Beast meat in the bowl and couldn't help but swallow.

"Ah."

Li Liming poured himself a small glass of wine, a satisfied look on his face. "The optimization plan for the old energy pipeline in the western part of the city, which our team was responsible for, was rated 'A' by the Xuanji main brain. The overall transmission efficiency was improved by 3.2 percentage points, and energy consumption was reduced by 5%. We were rewarded with a lot of merit points."

"Hehe, now it should be about time to get you that new 'Qidi-VI' learning aid that you've been eyeing for so long."

"Great, thank you, Dad!" Li Wei cheered.

The new version of the assistive device is said to use more advanced bioelectric feedback and weak energy field synergy technology, which can more efficiently help organize knowledge points, deepen memory, and even provide a slight experience of accelerated thinking.

"No need to thank me. Just study hard and be more successful than your father in the future."

Lin Wei picked up the largest piece of meat, with a good balance of fat and lean, for Li Wei, and then said to Li Liming, "I ran into Sister Zhang downstairs today. Her son, Xiao Bin, is at Dongfeng Preparatory Academy. I heard that he has been noticed by a senior Stardust-level high-ranking instructor and might be recruited into his special training group."

Li Liming took a sip of wine, smacked his lips, and his eyes revealed deep emotion: "Dongfeng, that place is truly extraordinary. Just think back to forty years ago, when Principal Lin Yi first established the Dongfeng Military Academy on a site of ancient ruins, how small was it and how many students did it have? Now, it's a complete transformation, becoming a holy land that all the elites of Blue Star would fight tooth and nail to get into."

He patted Li Wei on the shoulder, "Xiao Wei, Dad knows you're under a lot of pressure. Your mother and I probably won't get much further on the path of Source Energy cultivation in our lives. Back then, we had already exhausted all our strength and luck to survive and become Source Warriors. Breaking through bottlenecks? Advancing to higher levels? Those were things we only dared to dream about."

"Now that conditions are better and resources are more plentiful, of course Dad hopes you can be better than us, go further, and see the stars we can only look up at in the news. But..."

Li Liming softened his tone, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself, don't push yourself too hard. Being safe and sound, healthy, doing what you like and are good at, living happily and with a clear conscience, is actually quite good."

Li Wei felt a warm glow in his heart upon hearing his father's words, yet also a strange pang of sadness.

He nodded heavily, buried his head and shoveled down a large mouthful of rice, swallowing the complex emotions along with the fragrant rice.

After dinner, the family of three sat on the comfortable sofa in the living room. Li Liming turned on the large high-definition holographic projector that occupied almost an entire wall and tuned it to the Blue Star Community news channel.

Ever since high school, Li Liming has required Li Wei to watch the news with him every day.

Under the soft lighting, the family atmosphere is peaceful and warm.

A poised and capable female news anchor is reporting today's top news:

"[Community News] Commander Lin Yi has officially emerged from his deep seclusion this morning."

Li Liming immediately sat up straight, his expression becoming extremely solemn, even with an almost devout focus: "Principal Lin Yi has emerged from seclusion!"

Lin Wei echoed, "Over the years, every time Principal Lin Yi emerges from seclusion, it feels like the entire community's technological advancement or understanding of source energy takes a giant leap forward. He's truly an unimaginable presence. With him around, I feel at ease."

Li Wei watched with bated breath. His understanding of Lin Yi was limited to books and news, but the awe and hope in his parents' eyes made him clearly feel the weight that the name carried.

Moreover, the fact that something as seemingly personal as the end of a retreat could be broadcast as headline news to the entire community demonstrates his status and influence.

Next, we will cover military and defense developments:
"[Defense Update] The Southern Theater Command issued a notice today that it will launch a new large-scale clearing operation at the beginning of next month in the C-7 to C-9 sector area surrounding the main nest of 'Mount Everest'."

"General Chen Yu, spokesperson for the war zone and a Star Core-level powerhouse, stated that this operation will, for the first time, deploy three fully-equipped companies of the new 'Guardian III' heavy combat robots to test their swarm combat and anti-jamming capabilities in complex environments. Simultaneously, within the community, certain areas will be opened for collaborative combat missions to civilian Source Warrior teams with a reputation rating of four stars or higher, with merit rewards increased by ten percent from the base value."

The footage shows General Chen Yu giving a brief interview. He is wearing a crisp, dark blue general's uniform, with the general's stars on his shoulder insignia and the Dongfeng emblem on his chest shining brightly.

"It's General Chen Yu!"

Li Wei couldn't help but exclaim softly that this powerful figure, known for his bravery and strength, had a large number of admirers among the new generation.

"Ah."

Li Liming nodded, his expression one of reminiscence, his gaze distant.

"He was one of the earliest members of Dongfeng Military Academy, a fierce warrior who fought his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. He was also one of the best in the first batch of Star Core Special Training Class personally presided over by Principal Lin Yi. Back then, your mother and I were just ordinary Source Warriors. We often saw his news on various forums. At that time, he especially loved to post and show off, hehe. He even replied to my post. Now, he's become a general who commands a region. Time really flies."

Hearing this, Li Wei muttered under his breath, "Dad, you've said this so many times already, can you please stop slandering my idol?"

"hey-hey."

Li Liming smiled, unconcerned about his son's complaints.

The latter half of the news report covered the grand occasion of the "Urban Obstacle Energy Off-Road Race".

In the video, contestants wearing various lightweight energy-assisted devices run, climb, and leap in a highly complex and simulated urban ruin environment, using various ingenious energy techniques to overcome obstacles, drawing cheers and applause from the audience.

"Look at all the creative things young people do these days, they really know how to keep things going."

Looking at the energetic figures on the screen, Lin Wei smiled and said, "Back then, we used energy to save our lives and kill enemies. We never imagined we could use it in so many creative ways like we do now."

"Times have changed."

Li Liming smiled, leaned back on the sofa, and looked relaxed.

"The fact that you can use your energy for fun shows that our lives have truly improved and that peace has truly taken root. Seeing your generation freely pursuing what you love under the sun makes all the hardships and suffering we endured back then worthwhile."

After the news ended, Li Wei returned to his small but cozy and tidy room and began reviewing today's lessons and previewing the three crucial energy-related lessons for tomorrow.

Outside the window, the eternally stable light emitted by the energy condenser intertwined with the warm lights of thousands of homes in the city and the contrail lights of patrol aircraft streaking across the sky, illuminating this city that had risen again from the ruins.

　The updates will mostly consist of longer chapters of around 6 characters each, with extra chapters added in the evenings. There will be another update tonight.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)