Chapter 94: Bearing a Heavy Burden

“Take leave? What leave?” The director’s irritation was growing. “Do you realize you’re shaping the image of our entire institute, building our brand? If you do well, I can keep recommending others after you. But if you mess things up, this path might be closed forever! You’re not just working for yourself—you’re working for everyone who comes after you. How can you be thinking about taking leave now?”

Shi Tiexin frowned. “I have to take an exam.”

The Minor Township Exam was drawing near, but before that, the qualification test for the Minor Township Exam was even closer. He would have to take at least half a day off for that, no matter what.

“An exam…” Situ Zhennan was momentarily speechless. After a pause, he sighed. “Stone, don’t blame me for being blunt. Every year, I try everything to send a few of our kids to the Star Engineering School, but so far, not a single one has made it. Forget passing the Minor Township Exam—no one’s even qualified for it.”

“Every year, our institute pays huge tuition fees, but we never see any results. Not only that, but our kids end up making enemies with the children of the Star Engineering Union, making things even harder for us here. Those spoiled heirs may have no reason on their side, so their parents won’t cause open trouble, but they’ve done plenty behind the scenes to trip us up.”

“There have even been times when I was put in a very difficult position.”

“It doesn’t matter if I’m embarrassed—my face isn’t worth much. But what about those who come after? The path is growing narrower for them, and in the future, there may be no way forward at all. That’s why the number of slots for students we send has been decreasing every year. Your year had five slots; this year there are only two left.”

Shi Tiexin listened quietly. When the director had finished, he spoke up, “Director, what are you trying to say? That I shouldn’t take the exam?”

“I mean… I mean…” Situ Zhennan struggled for words. He stared hard at Shi Tiexin, then, after a long silence, slumped and said, “Fine, fine. When the time comes, I’ll talk to the security company’s leaders and get you half a day off to take the exam! But remember this, Stone—if you don’t even pass the qualification test, you’ll be a disgrace at the security company.”

“If you don’t go, no one knows if you could have passed. But if you take leave and fail the qualification test, you’ll become a laughingstock! If you’re a laughingstock, our institute will be one too, and this road will become even narrower.”

“Stone, you can’t think only of yourself. It’s not been easy for the institute to raise you to this point. Of course, it’s not been easy for you either, working so hard. I have to consider everything, but I also don’t want to crush your hopes. So weigh it carefully—do you really think you can pass the qualification test?”

Can I pass the qualification test?

Before, I’d been full of confidence. I’d basically mastered every subject, except for the second level of Mathematics and Rhetoric, which I hadn’t begun working on yet. My plan had been to start those as soon as I got back, and if time was tight, I could even use the Heavenly Bestowed Golden Light to boost myself—it should have been more than enough.

But I hadn’t expected to fall into debt.

Once in debt, I had no choice but to work to pay it off. If my credit rating dropped, it would have a long-term impact on my future. And once I started working, my time for cultivating Heart Techniques would inevitably be squeezed. Whether I could complete the second level before the qualification test was now in serious doubt.

Still…

No matter how much doubt there was, Shi Tiexin would never back down.

I have struggled with all my might not to give up; Top Scholar Shi studied through the years not to give up; he entrusted me with his experience and memories not so I would give up!

Even if I fall into the abyss, I must keep fighting and flying!

Now, standing at the threshold, how could I retreat without a fight?

Shi Tiexin gazed steadily at Director Situ and declared resolutely, “I can.”

Situ Zhennan looked back at Shi Tiexin, an inner struggle clear in his eyes. After a long moment, he slapped his bald head. “All right. If you have this confidence, I’m glad. It’s settled, then. Even if your ranking isn’t high in the Minor Township Exam, you must pass the qualification test. If you do, you’ll be the first ever in the history of the Orphans’ Institute, and the security company will also look at you with new respect. Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

The motto of Fengming No. 1 Middle School made this clear—survival of the fittest, only the strong endure.

“Good, then go. Tomorrow morning at seven thirty, report to Captain Chen at Xiong’an Security Company. Tell him I sent you—do your best, and remember: make a splash! Make a splash!”

Shi Tiexin nodded solemnly. “No problem.”

No matter what, for himself, for those who would come after, and for the orphanage that had raised him, he was determined to succeed.

The time in Tumubao Space City was synchronized with Earth’s time.

Throughout the various regions and planets of the Solar System, the length of a day and year differed due to the varying rotation and revolution periods. To unify standards in the Space Age, and to align with the human biological clock, all timekeeping methods were standardized to Earth time. As for which Earth time zone each city followed, that was up to the city itself.

Tumubao’s time and even its season system were set according to the east eighth time zone, at thirty-five degrees north latitude.

By the time Shi Tiexin left the institute, it was already afternoon. Riding the maglev rail, he saw the simulated sunset painting the sky. After returning to the orphanage and chatting with the director for a while, by the time he emerged again, it was already dinnertime.

The main dining hall was packed with people; the orphanage consumed enormous amounts of food every day. It was only because this was an agricultural city, where farm goods were cheap, that so many people could be fed at all.

Shi Tiexin picked a piece of meat from his tray.

He didn’t eat it right away, but instead examined it carefully.

It was square, about the size of a palm, much more substantial than the tiny shreds of meat in the garbage-class meal set. Even compared to the big skewers he used to eat before his return, it would take two or three of those to match the amount of meat on this one piece.

All around, children—boys and girls alike—were devouring their food, juices running down their chins, eating with great relish. The meat was indeed quite tasty.

But what Shi Tiexin couldn’t understand was why, in terms of vital energy provided and essence-nurturing effect, this piece of meat still fell far short of the garbage-class meal set at Fengming No. 1 Middle School.

He studied it for a while, unable to figure it out, then finally ate the meat. Sitting quietly for a moment, he took a deep breath—no mistake, it was just as before: in terms of essence-nurturing, this meat was still far inferior to that from the other world.

Why was that?

No—perhaps now was not the time to get to the bottom of it. He didn’t have the energy to investigate further. But there was a very real problem: if essence was replenished slowly, the pseudo-elixir in his lower abdomen would also recover slowly.

During the mass beating earlier, he had lost a lot of vital energy, and now his pseudo-elixir was only the size of a mung bean. It kept drawing essence from the food in his belly, but after one meal, it had grown only by a barely perceptible amount.

Clearly, ordinary food in Tumubao just wasn’t enough.

He would have to set aside strength techniques for now and focus instead on heart techniques.