Gao Wu: From a poor man in the outer city to a martial saint of the ten directions

Lin Yao's father must have done something for Anlei Company that was not something that could be done openly or even be insured.

Otherwise, in a situation like this where someone has to go to the ICU, the insurance company could cover it, and Anlei's people wouldn't need to get involved.

In this era, it's not surprising that a conglomerate like Anlei Group would do some shady things.

Anlei Company paid 300,000 yuan as hush money, completely absolving itself of responsibility.

And Lin Yao...

A seventeen-year-old girl, under such pressure, had to take the night bus alone and face the behemoth that was An Lei all by herself.

Wei Xiu recalled the way her profile looked when he saw her earlier, facing out the window.

The bus passed two more stops.

A rustling sound came from the back row, followed by footsteps.

Lin Yao stood up, holding the black briefcase, and walked towards the back door of the car with her head down.

As she passed Wei Xiu's seat, she seemed to notice the passenger by the window and paused slightly.

But in the end, he didn't turn around; he simply got off the bus quickly.

The car door closed.

Through the car window, Wei Xiu saw the beige figure standing under the dim streetlights, holding a briefcase. She stood there in the cold wind for several seconds before turning and walking into a narrow alley next to her.

He turned his gaze back, leaned back in his chair, and let out a soft breath.

outer city.

Lin Yao's family also lived in the outer city.

A girl whose martial arts performance ranks among the top ten in her grade, and a "genius" with a Yuanli value of 400, actually live in the outer city.

This discovery stirred up a complex mix of emotions in Wei Xiu that he couldn't quite explain.

In my memory, those who excelled in martial arts at No. 7 Middle School were either exceptionally talented like Zhou Xiong, who could disregard his family background, or like Huo Quan, whose family was wealthy and powerful, and who had been padded with resources since childhood.

Unexpectedly, there was also a Lin Yao.

Through her own hard work, she fought her way into the top ten of her grade from a resource-scarce area like the outer city.

Moreover, he was the class monitor and his grades in both arts and sciences were not bad.

How hard must one work to achieve that?

What's more, she doesn't even have a control panel yet.

The car swayed and bumped along in the night, and after another forty or fifty minutes, we finally arrived at Xiahe District.

Wei Xiu jumped out of the car, and the cold wind rushed into his collar, making him involuntarily shrink his neck.

In the distance, towards the western mountains, one can occasionally see a few beams of light sweeping across the sky.

The sirens had stopped, but a tense atmosphere still hung over the city. The crisis was far from over.

He quickened his pace, walked through several dimly lit alleys, and returned to the apartment building.

Fifth floor, room 501.

As you push open the door, warm yellow light and a rich aroma of meat waft out.

"You're back?"

Yan Yu's voice came from the kitchen, tinged with a hint of reproach.

"You're back so late, have you eaten yet?"

"I've already eaten, Mom. I ate at a classmate's house." Wei Xiu put his schoolbag on the sofa and walked towards the kitchen.

On the stove, a small earthenware pot was bubbling away, the rich, dark sauce of braised pork glistening invitingly under the light.

Yan Yu, wearing an apron, was using chopsticks to pick out pieces of stewed pork belly and arrange them on a plate.

I made your favorite Dongpo pork.

"Mom knows you've been studying hard lately, so I'm giving you some nourishing food."

"Mom, I've told you so many times, if your legs aren't good, don't stand for so long." Wei Xiu walked over and tried to take the casserole from her.

"Go away, don't make things worse." Yan Yu gently tapped the back of his hand with her chopsticks.

"Mom isn't disabled, can't she cook a meal? Go sit down, it'll be ready in a minute."

Wei Xiu had no choice but to retreat to the dining table and sit down.

Looking at her mother's slightly hunched back, a mixture of warmth and bittersweetness welled up in her heart.

Thirteen years ago, during the monster disaster, a human-level monster rushed into the Xiahe District. When the mother was carrying her four-year-old son and trying to escape, she was hit in the back by a collapsing wall.

He survived, but suffered permanent damage to his spine.

Over the years, my mother has relied on painkillers and inexpensive rehabilitation treatments to get through the years, and she has never uttered a sound of pain in front of me.

But whenever it's cloudy or rainy, or when there's a disaster warning or a change in air pressure, my mother's back aches so badly that she can't sleep all night.

He secretly observed all of this.

"Alright, eat it while it's hot."

Yan Yu turned around with the plate in her hand and saw her son sitting at the table in a daze. She couldn't help but smile.

"What are you thinking about? Eat."

"Mom." Wei Xiu picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth.

"I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I found a part-time job."

Yan Yu paused in her act of picking up food, and her brows immediately furrowed.

"Part-time job? You're a senior in high school, why aren't you studying? What are you doing working?"

"It won't interfere with my studies." Wei Xiu swallowed the meat in his mouth, trying to sound relaxed.

"I just do odd jobs at the dome-shaped martial arts gym, like tidying up the equipment. I earn a few dozen yuan an hour, and it's not tiring."

"Dome Martial Arts School?" Yan Yu's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.

"That's the domed martial arts school in the inner city?"

"Yes, that one."

Wei Xiu nodded, took out his phone, opened the bank app, and handed over the transfer record of 2,300 yuan that he had just withdrawn that day.

"Mom, look, they just gave me two weeks' salary in advance."

Yan Yu stared at the string of numbers on the screen, stunned for several seconds.

"You... are you really just a handyman?" Yan Yu looked at Wei Xiu with suspicion.

"It's really just menial work," Wei Xiu lied without batting an eye.

"You know the Dome Martial Arts Academy, it's a big place, and they're generous with their pay. Plus, they provide meals, and the food is exceptionally good."

Yan Yu remained silent for a while, then her eyes suddenly reddened.

She lowered her head and used her chopsticks to put the largest piece of lean meat from the plate into Wei Xiu's bowl.

"Then... then take care of yourself. Don't overwork yourself."

"Don't worry, Mom." Wei Xiu grinned and tapped the screen a few more times.

drop.

Yan Yu's old cell phone, which was on the table, rang once.

She picked it up and saw it was a bank deposit notification.

Transfer amount: 1000 yuan.

"this……"

"Mom, go buy the medicine tomorrow." Wei Xiu said casually, his head down as he ate his rice.

"Buy whatever you need, don't always try to save money. I've already earned enough for next month's rent, so don't worry about it."

Yan Yu's hand holding the phone trembled slightly.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something.

In the end, he just hummed in agreement, put down his phone, picked up his bowl and chopsticks, and ate slowly with his head down.

Wei Xiu knew his mother was crying.

But he didn't look up.

Some things don't need to be said out loud.

After dinner, Yan Yu went to the kitchen to clean up the dishes. Wei Xiu said, "I'm going back to my room now," and went into his room.

The door closed.

The room was small, with a single bed, an old desk, and a wardrobe—that was almost all.

Several yellowed posters were pasted on the wall, featuring silhouettes of several martial saints from the Dome Federation. Next to them hung a wooden sword, a toy his father had made for him when he was still alive.

Wei Xiu took off his coat, walked to the bedside, and sat down cross-legged.

Instead of lying down immediately, I closed my eyes and focused my attention on my body.

The next second, semi-transparent text appeared in the lower right corner of the field of vision.

【Elemental Power Value: 406】

Experience points: 0

[Talent Unlocked: Immortality]

[Next title unlock progress: Quasi-Martial Artist (500 Yuan Power)]