The Beginner Treasure Chest wasn't the most important thing!
In truth, Gao Neng had many other things to consider right now.
'For example: What would happen to Tang Weiwei and Ah Si? Could they even survive? If they did, would they rat me out? And what if Qin Tianxiong's investigation really leads to me? Is it possible Shen Ning'Er saw me?'
So many questions.
An ordinary person would carefully ponder them one by one.
But Gao Neng was not an ordinary person. He didn't bother mulling them over, because every single one of these problems was potentially fatal. Since that was the case, he might as well just firmly believe in his own good luck.
"Beauty is justice!" Gao Neng pumped himself up and prepared to open the chest. He reached out and touched the wooden box. No reaction?
"Open!"
Still no reaction.
"Open, treasure chest!"
"..."
"Beginner Treasure Chest, open!"
"..."
"Damn it! If you don't open right now, I'll smash you to pieces!"
CLICK!
The treasure chest opened.
Gao Neng watched as a flash of white light flew out and landed in his hand.
Ding! You have obtained one Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill.
Hint: The Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill has two effects. First, if your Vitality and Energy values are not full, it will forcibly restore them to maximum and temporarily increase their upper limits. Second, if your Vitality and Energy values are already full, it will 'randomly' refresh the host's Vitality and Energy value ratings.
'Refresh the ratings? Randomly?' Gao Neng understood the first effect—it was basically a full heal plus a temporary power-up. But he wasn't entirely sure what the second one meant yet.
However, he did know the benefits of having high Vitality and Energy.
To put it simply, hidden talent was a person's upper limit, representing the maximum amount of a single type of energy they could extract and control. Vitality and Energy, on the other hand, were a person's lower limit, representing how much of that energy they could contain.
Right now, Gao Neng's hidden talent was maxed out, but his Vitality and Energy were completely ordinary.
It meant he had a high ceiling but a low floor.
Therefore, his immediate priority was to raise that floor.
He opened his Attribute Panel.
Gao Neng glanced at it. Vitality: 95/101, down by 6 points. Energy: 43/50, down by 7 points. He must have used some up while escaping earlier.
'Should I do some broadcast calisthenics right now?'
He looked at his surroundings.
In the end, he gave up on the idea. Doing broadcast calisthenics in the middle of the night on this dilapidated roadside... wouldn't have been a problem, really.
The real issue was that the effects of taking the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill were still unknown.
'What if I pass out?'
'And what if some eighteen-year-old girl—nimble, supple, adorable, wearing white stockings, a miniskirt, her hair in pigtails with butterfly bows—happened to pass by and get ideas...'
The consequences were too dreadful to imagine.
Gao Neng shivered and quickened his pace, heading for home.
...
...
The Forgotten Land was clearly stratified. You could tell the difference between the rich and the poor just by looking at where they lived.
Gao Neng lived in the poorest of the poor parts of the slums. His home was a simple wooden shed. It didn't offer much protection from the wind and rain, but it did deter thieves.
When he returned home, it was already one in the morning.
In the darkness, a single lamp cast a lonely glow.
Energy was scarce in the Forgotten Land. Although the electricity bill wasn't ridiculously high, for those living in the slums, it was still a considerable burden.
Gao Neng's family was very poor.
But his family's lamp was the only one lit in the slums.
CREAK! Gao Neng carefully pushed open the wooden door, but it still let out a sharp noise.
At the same time, a woman slumped over a table lifted her head.
"You're back? I'll go heat up the two eggs and the piece of meat Aunt Liu gave us." Xu Zilan stood, picked up two chipped bowls from the table, and went into the kitchen.
Gao Neng didn't stop her. He just carefully closed the door, sat down at the table, and quietly watched the busy figure in the kitchen.
Warm air, mingled with acrid cooking fumes, drifted out of the kitchen and filled the small room, making the already dim light seem even hazier.
Ten minutes later, Xu Zilan came out of the kitchen.
"Did the smoke get to you?"
"Not at all. The delicious smell completely covers it up; I can't smell any smoke," Gao Neng said with a smile, trying his best to suppress a cough.
"Hurry and eat." Xu Zilan placed a bowl of eggs, a bowl of diced meat, and a large bowl of rice in front of Gao Neng.
Gao Neng glanced down. The two eggs were perfectly intact. There was a small bowl half-full of diced meat mixed with some wild vegetables. The ingredients were simple, but the aroma was rich and inviting.
"Mom, the college entrance exam is in a few days. I want to register for the entrance exam for the Military University in the City of Hope. Don't worry, I'll definitely get in."
"Mm," Xu Zilan nodded. She didn't say anything more, just fell silent.
"I'll figure out a way to get the one thousand Alliance Coins for the registration fee myself. You don't need to worry about it," Gao Neng added, before picking up a piece of meat and popping it into his mouth. He followed it with a large mouthful of rice.
"Mm." Xu Zilan nodded again, still not saying anything more.
"Mom, this meat is delicious. Here, you have some." Gao Neng picked out a large piece from the bowl and held it to Xu Zilan's lips.
"I've already eaten," Xu Zilan said, shaking her head.
"Just one more bite?"
"Alright." Xu Zilan didn't refuse this time. She slowly opened her mouth and took the morsel, chewing it slowly. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she savored the taste.
Gao Neng quietly watched Xu Zilan.
He saw the wrinkles that had formed on her delicate face and the few strands of white that had appeared in her dark hair. Her lips were chapped from the wind, and several simple bandages were stuck to her hands.
"Mom, once I get into the Military University, we'll move to the City of Hope, and we'll eat meat every day!" Gao Neng waited for Xu Zilan to finish chewing and swallow, then immediately offered her another piece.
"Alright." Xu Zilan nodded, but she didn't take the meat. Instead, she slowly stood up and walked away from the table toward her room. "I'm tired, so I'm going to bed. You should get to sleep soon too, you have school tomorrow. Remember to turn off the light when you do."
"Oh..." Gao Neng felt a pang of disappointment, but he didn't say anything more. He just secretly tightened his grip on his chopsticks. "Mom, don't you worry. I'm all grown up now. I can support this family!"
Beep. Detected host's intense obsession with money.
Activating: A Man's Responsibility.
As a man, you must hold up your own piece of the sky. You can lack power, but you cannot lack money. Youth must burn with passion! A mere one thousand for a registration fee is not enough to prove a man's greatness. A real man must constantly raise the stakes. Bravely challenge yourself to one hundred times that amount!
Mission Objective: Earn one hundred thousand Alliance Coins in three days.
(It's after midnight, which means it's a new week! I'm sure you've all seen how Xin Yi's updates have been this past week—basically, every chapter has been nearly 3,000 words long. It makes me so happy to see so many new and familiar faces. So I'm shouting out: Please give me recommendation votes, add this to your library, and send some gifts! I'm going to start climbing the rankings! How can a man not fight for the top? Everyone, please lend me your strength!)