After the darkness!

"What else do you want to say?" Lin Xiaofei's voice followed, clearly showing her fatigue, impatience, and irritability.

"Didn't I tell you all that this period is crucial for me? Many people are watching me closely. Do you know how much pressure I'm under?"

It's not that I don't want to help him, it's that I'll help him later, when the time is right, do you understand?

"Once I've established myself in the bureau, and I have resources, connections, and influence, then I'll give him a helping hand. That's true help!"

She was clearly agitated.

"Xiaofei... Xiaofei. Don't panic, let me finish!" Song Huiling's voice was flustered. "We're not talking about that today, it's not about asking you for help." She waved her hand anxiously.

Lin Xiaofei paused, seemingly surprised by this turn of events.

"What we wanted to say is... Yijue has really changed a lot lately!" Song Huiling's voice suddenly carried a sense of relief and a hint of cautious probing.

"You've been away on a business trip recently, so you might not know, but he... he's really different. His grades have improved a lot in the recent school tests!"

And in physical education class, what's that 13-style exercise?

"Eighteen styles," Father Lin Yunming added from the side.

"Yes, it's the Eighteen Forms. He's made great progress with the Eighteen Forms. From what he's said, it seems like he's almost mastered it."

Lin Yunming joined in, his voice tinged with pride: "This kid suddenly got it. I knew it! My 'encouragement-guided education method' has some merit."

"The Eighteen Styles: Getting Started? Or just 'Understanding'?" Lin Xiaofei asked with some doubt.

"Yes, we recently saw him suddenly kick a chopstick away with a 'whoosh,' sending it flying like an arrow," Song Huiling described the scene that night with a surprised tone.

Only after that night did they belatedly begin to observe their son closely.

You wouldn't know unless you looked closely, but my son has indeed changed a lot.

This change is reflected not only in a more mature personality and a more regular daily routine, but also in physical changes.

His physique and muscles developed too quickly.

In such a short time, he has grown to nearly 1.8 meters tall.

Seeing that Lin Xiaofei still looked unconvinced, Song Huiling didn't hesitate any longer, turned around and knocked on the door of Lin Yijue's bedroom.

"I'll take a nap and come out for a bit."

Lin Yijue replied at the opportune moment, "I'll be right away."

Stepping outside, a perfectly measured look of confusion on her face, she asked, "Mom? Dad? Sister? What's wrong?"

His gaze swept over his family members, finally settling on Lin Xiaofei.

"Tell your sister about your current situation quickly," Song Huiling urged expectantly.

Lin Yijue glanced at Lin Xiaofei beside him. She was frowning, her fair oval face expressionless, only showing a hint of impatience at having her precious time disturbed.

A pair of eyes sized him up and down.

"Sister, actually I..." Lin Yijue began, intending to briefly explain the progress, since his parents were so eager to hear it.

"Alright." However, he had barely uttered a syllable when Lin Xiaofei abruptly raised her right hand.

The skin on that hand was very rough, and there was a ring on the little finger made of emerald green jade that looked somewhat like a snake.

"No need to say anything." Her voice was flat, dry, and devoid of any emotional fluctuation. "...Looks alright."

The following comment was rather dismissive.

She turned to Mr. and Mrs. Lin, speaking quickly and clearly: "It's good that they're willing to practice. A little change is better than just drifting through life like before."

Then, her gaze shifted to Lin Yijue's face, her eyes devoid of warmth, and she nodded.

"As for you... you did a good job. Keep up the good work. If you master the Eighteen Forms, even if your college entrance exam score is a little low, I can still arrange a job for you in the city."

His voice and tone were very calm.

"I might have to go out again later, so I'll rest first."

After saying that, she put down the hairdryer and walked a few steps to the bedroom door.

He turned the doorknob, pushed the door open, and slipped inside sideways, his movements fluid and without hesitation.

"Click!"

A crisp, resounding click of the door lock engaging was heard.

The atmosphere in the living room was somewhat awkward.

Lin Yunming, the father, swallowed his words, as if he wanted to say something to ease the tension.

First, he sighed.

"This child is just too independent. Sigh, my problem is that I started using encouragement methods too late." He scratched his head and looked at Lin Yijue as he spoke.

"Son, don't take it to heart! You're a genius! We absolutely believe in you! We have high hopes for you!"

"It's okay, my sister has a lot of work pressure. All I can do is do my best in what I'm doing now," Lin Yijue replied casually, handling the situation perfectly.

He wasn't surprised by the performance just now, since such scenes were common in the original owner's memories.

To be honest, this is good, it saves him from showing off this and that.

"By the way, my club has hired me as a part-time coach. The salary is good, several thousand a month. The only problem is that classes are in the afternoon, so I have to ask for leave frequently. The school might call to ask about it later," he said, talking about what happened today.

"Part-time coach? Is that reliable? And there's several thousand yuan to pay?" Song Huiling, who had been feeling a bit down and pale because of Lin Xiaofei's reaction, suddenly perked up and her eyes brightened.

But immediately, a huge wave of worry washed over her, causing the light in her eyes to dim quickly, and she anxiously pressed for answers.

"This...this salary is way too high! You haven't even graduated yet, why would they give you so much money? You can't be fooled by cheap offers! Let me tell you, Zhang Jie's nephew from the next neighborhood saw some high-paying job online, went there and got tricked into working illegally outside the prison walls, and now he's nowhere to be found..."

In her simple values, the elderly couple had worked hard for decades and this was all they could earn. Could their son, a student working part-time, really earn that much? The temptation was too great, and too frightening!

Lin Yijue nodded and said, "I understand," without refusing this concern.

"Why are you worrying? Martial artists are different. A new young man joined our office. He's supposedly a second-level martial artist, and he's already been promoted to deputy director. His basic salary is over ten thousand, not even including performance bonuses. I think the club must have seen his talent, which is why they invested in him early!" Lin Yunming explained with interest.

"Which club is it? Let me check if it's reliable. Our family isn't short of money, so please don't get scammed." Song Huiling didn't reply, but said worriedly.

"Yunsheng Club," Lin Yijue replied, taking out the contract he had brought back from his bag.

Compared to the quality control director contract signed at Wang Mingde's company, this contract has a clearer origin and is more presentable.

Song Huiling took it and looked at it, but couldn't figure out what it was.

"Let me see." Lin Yunming also took it and examined it a little more carefully.

He then put down the contract, took out his phone, stepped back a few paces, and made one or two calls in a low voice, seemingly verifying information with friends or acquaintances.

A moment later, his expression relaxed considerably.

"Found it. This club is pretty good. It's a joint venture between the police and the community, and it has a government background, so there shouldn't be any major problems," Lin Yunming concluded.

Upon hearing this, Song Huiling's anxious heart finally eased slightly, but her maternal instincts did not completely disappear.

She grabbed Lin Yijue's arm and began another round of tireless admonitions: "It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright... Then you have to do a good job! You're eating from someone else's bowl, so you have to be worthy of them. Also, be careful."

Just as Song Huiling was pulling Lin Yijue along and continuing to give him instructions for about ten minutes, Lin Yijue was thinking of using taking a shower as an excuse to get away.

From behind Lin Xiaofei's tightly closed door next door, the sound of her making a phone call could be heard clearly, her tone cold and serious:

"...Why? Why not me?"

Before the words were even finished!

"Thump! Thump thump!!"

Then came several dull, rapid, almost violent slapping sounds, like fists slamming onto a table!