Chapter 414 - 203: Return to Dongjiang, Mechanism Mission
Chapter 414: Chapter 203: Return to Dongjiang, Mechanism Mission
Chen Meng made an "OK" gesture. With that, he slammed his foot on the gas. The SUV roared to life and quickly disappeared into the night.
The moment he stepped through the door, Lin Ye’s keen senses told him something was off.
’The house seems... a lot emptier.’
The old TV stand that used to be in the corner and the coffee table next to the sofa—which they’d had for years—were both gone.
Meanwhile, the other side of the living room was piled high with cardboard boxes of all sizes, covered in various shipping labels and emitting faint fluctuations of source energy.
Lin Ye recognized several of the boxes at a glance. They contained the cultivation resources he had redeemed with his points at the training camp. He hadn’t expected them to arrive so quickly.
Most of the other boxes, however, looked brand new.
"Mom, Sis, what’s with the house...?"
Lin Wei gave him a mysterious smile, pulled him down onto the sofa, and began speaking as if she were presenting a priceless treasure.
"Ta-da! I have some great news for you!"
"First things first, Mom has already taken early retirement, and her work gave her a very handsome pension!"
Li Wan shot her daughter a playful glare, though she couldn’t hide the smile on her face. She added, "It’s all thanks to you, Xiaoye. The leadership at my unit said you’re the pride of Dongjiang City, so they made a special exception for me."
Before Lin Ye could even process this news, Lin Wei spoke again.
"And for the second thing... well, as you can see, the stuff that’s missing from our house has already been moved to our new home!"
"New home?"
"That’s right! A new home!"
"You have no idea! Just a few days after you left for the training camp, people from the Dongjiang Education Bureau showed up. They said they wanted to give a reward to the city’s number one student, so they assigned us a 180-square-meter subsidized apartment in Hanlin River Garden!"
"You won’t believe how nice the neighborhood is! It’s nestled between a mountain and a river, with separate roads for pedestrians and vehicles, and the security is military-grade! Our new place is fully furnished and move-in ready!"
As Lin Ye listened to his sister’s description, waves of emotion stirred in his heart.
He had heard of Hanlin River Garden. It was one of the most high-end residential communities in Dongjiang City.
And now, because of him, his family had been given a unit there.
"And then there’s your big sis!" Lin Wei pointed to herself, looking smug. "I also landed an amazing job! In the laboratory department of the city’s First People’s Hospital. They gave me a permanent position directly—great pay, low stress, and close to home. And I haven’t even graduated yet!"
As a student at a top medical university, Lin Wei’s future was already bright, but landing a permanent position at the city’s best hospital before graduation was clearly a benefit stemming from Lin Ye’s influence.
In less than half a year, because of him alone, the trajectory of his entire family’s life had undergone an earth-shattering change.
Just then, as if remembering the most important thing of all, Lin Wei leaned close to Lin Ye’s ear and lowered her voice, though it was still laced with uncontrollable excitement.
"Oh, right, you probably don’t know yet—Dad is coming back!"
"Next Sunday. That’s in nine days!"
A great weight was lifted from Lin Ye’s heart.
This was one of his longest-held wishes.
"We video-chatted with him last night."
Lin Wei recalled the scene, the corners of her mouth turning up unconsciously. "He’s a grown man, but he was a blubbering mess on the call. He just kept talking about you over and over again. I’ve never seen Dad get so emotional!"
"Emotional? You and your big mouth!"
Li Wan chided.
"He was happy! Your father said that the proudest thing in his life is having a son like Xiaoye! He said his son always had him in his heart, asking for healing medicine for him in front of all those high-ranking provincial leaders... He said it made his whole life worthwhile!"
As Li Wan spoke, her eyes reddened once again.
She walked over to the dining table and lifted the mesh food cover, revealing a table laden with a sumptuous feast.
"Alright, alright, stop standing around. Xiaoye, sit down and rest for a bit. You must be exhausted."
"Xiaowei, come and help me reheat the dishes."
The mother and daughter carried the plates into the kitchen, and soon, the aroma of food filled the entire house.
They hadn’t eaten dinner at all, waiting for Lin Ye to come home so they could have this reunion meal together.
After dinner, Lin Ye returned to his small bedroom.
He lay on his bed, feeling the familiar, almost overly soft mattress beneath him. The comforting scent of sunlight and soap from the sheets filled his nostrils.
An unprecedented sense of comfort and tranquility enveloped him.
’Nothing feels as safe and reassuring as being home.’
...
「The next day, at Dongjiang First Middle School.」
Inside the comprehensive combat training room.
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"
The crisp sound of spear striking spear echoed through the spacious room like a dense drumbeat.
A layer of crimson, flame-like Gang Sha materialized on the surface of Chen Meng’s body. The standard-issue spear in his hands danced like a dragon, each strike carrying the power to split mountains and shatter stone.
This was the first time he had ever used his full strength without reservation while sparring with Lin Ye.
However, after just a few dozen exchanges, Chen Meng took a step back and lowered his spear.
He looked at Lin Ye, who stood opposite him, calm and composed, his breathing not even slightly disturbed. A gratified smile appeared on Chen Meng’s face.
"You rascal. You actually managed to perfectly fuse that new spear technique you learned with the Cloud-Piercing Army I taught you."
"Not bad. Not bad at all."
"Your understanding of spear techniques is now no less than mine."
"And your strength... is also no less than mine."