: An Unexpected Joy

The planetary catastrophe twenty years ago did not shake Silvermoon City, so Qiao Yuan was not worried.

Silvermoon is, after all, the capital of Yaoguang Star, and it also has the Legalist Heavy Industry stationed there.

But the new London Sky City might not be so.

The planetary disaster known as "Parasitic Night" that occurred twenty years ago went from being ignored to a catastrophe that lasted for three months.

According to the data released by Ember, this ultimately led to the destruction of the New Mars Floating City and Bright Moon City, with a death toll of up to 200 million.

But this is only the official figure; the true death toll is said to be no less than 500 million...

Qiao Yuan is no longer worried about the ultimate fate of the new London floating city.

He was only thinking about the past outside the city.

Just as he had previously thought, he was quite fortunate to be born, exactly three years after the [Parasitic Night] occurred.

To be precise, although there were several large-scale invasions outside the city, they were only on a scale comparable to those in Huanxi Prefecture.

He had never experienced an air raid siren level that truly reached that of a major metropolitan area.

As he was thinking this, he suddenly remembered something else and pulled out photos of Yan Baobao when she was little from his phone, browsing through them one by one.

From the orphanage to her high school graduation photos, there are hundreds of pictures in total. The baby is like a pink-haired little elf, growing more and more graceful and elegant, and also becoming more and more arrogant and boundless.

Back when I lived in the Moonlit Community in Huanxi Prefecture, there were many photos hanging on the living room wall. Then, on the night of the closing ceremony, the rental apartment was completely destroyed.

But actually, the photos have always been backed up in the cloud; the only loss is the paper copy.

Qiao Yuan couldn't help but recall that summer three years ago when Huanxi Prefecture was invaded by the Light People. He had taken down all the picture frames, ready to run away at any time.

Although paper copies were not the only ones, some of the ones from the welfare home were printed by Grandma Xu herself back then.

Unfortunately, the closing day was too rushed, and I didn't have time to take any of the photos with me.

Looking at the empty living room walls, Qiao Yuan thought for a moment and finally selected a dozen or so photos of He Yan Bao Bao, which were then transmitted wirelessly to the holographic home theater system.

Through holographic projection, vivid 3D images gradually emerge on the wall.

From a proud little pink-haired boy to someone with cream all over his mouth at his birthday party, to a model student in elementary school, a popular class monitor in junior high, and by high school he was already a renowned genius.

There are graduation photos, holiday photos, photos of going out, and everyday selfies at home.

Oh right, I also took two pictures at Bubble Plaza that night, and Qiao Yuan uploaded them one by one.

These past few days I've felt like something's missing from our new home, and after thinking about it, I realized it's here.

Things are much better now.

He watched for a while with satisfaction, and then began to practice the Azure Sea Force. He had already reached the fifty-fourth level last night, and felt that it wouldn't be long before he reached the hundredth level.

I struggled quite a bit against the third level the day before yesterday, but if I could reach the hundredth level, it would be much easier.

When Yan Baobao returned home late at night, she was immediately drawn to the colorful lights in the living room.

She took off her mecha suit, changed into slippers, and stood in front of the wall, looking at it with a warm expression in her eyes.

From a clumsy little follower to a handsome young man who loved reading, and then a crybaby in elementary school, he grew taller in middle school and became a handsome young man who was often confessed to by girls.

As for high school, he was even more handsome! And there was always a faint gentleness in his eyes.

Yan Baobao laughed as she looked at him, then turned to Qiao Yuan beside her and said, "I thought you had forgotten."

"That's nonsense," Qiao Yuan handed over the phone, "It's always been here, okay?"

He watched the holographic image of the proud little pink-haired girl growing up again and chuckled, "Thinking about it now, it really feels like raising a child, baby."

"Yes, I'll take care of you." Yan Baobao hummed softly from her slender white nose, "As the saying goes, an elder sister is like a mother!"

"?" Qiao Yuan's lips twitched slightly: "Pah!"

"Hehe, wanna play games?" The baby's eyes shone with joy, like bright stars.

Qiao Yuan couldn't help but smile: "Okay, let me cut a watermelon first. Want some durian?"

"Eat!" Yan Baobao licked her rosy lips and enthusiastically opened the refrigerator with him.

The next morning arrived in the blink of an eye.

Despite the overcast sky, the contest with Charlie continued, becoming increasingly competitive.

He seemed a little distracted today.

It wasn't the major news that was about to break this afternoon, but the attack on the New London Sky City.

He was just thinking about how to spend the 1300 million that would arrive from the horse racing later.

The million I earned before was my first pot of gold, and now I have tens of millions in cash, which is even more substantial.

I've never seen so much money in my entire life!

There will always be ups and downs in my heart.

Back in Huanxi Prefecture, let alone millions or tens of millions, even ten thousand yuan was a considerable sum for him.

The baby who was specially recruited by Ember only received a monthly salary of 15,000 during the internship period.

Only a few days have passed.

At lunchtime, Charlie frowned and shook his head at him, saying, "Hey, you didn't even go all out. What? You went easy on me?"

"Uh, no," Qiao Yuan shrugged slightly.

Charlie, however, was unconvinced: "That's pointless. All that effort I put in to help you the other day was for nothing."

"Ahem, I'll definitely do it next time."

Qiao Yuan couldn't help but chuckle. He hadn't expected Charlie to be so persistent. It seemed like he was determined to achieve his goal, just like a martial arts fanatic.

Was the other person originally a martial arts fanatic, or was he constantly being suppressed into becoming one...?

That remains to be seen.

He hurried to the cafeteria and specially got an extra bowl of steamed mandarin fish for Tu Shanlin. The lunchboxes that used to contain two pieces now contain three, with an extra box of fish.

I promised yesterday.

Upon arriving at the pavilion, he could clearly see a faint glimmer in the little fox's eyes.

The other person was still wearing fluffy clothes today, but unlike yesterday, they had changed into a gray wool knitted cardigan, with traces of handmade customization everywhere.

And as always, she always carries a fluffy backpack in the shape of various small animals; now she carries a snow-white rabbit bag with big ears.

Although the food at Galaxy University's cafeteria was delicious, Tu Shanlin, as a top-tier noblewoman, was never picky about food, which surprised him quite a bit.

"Thank you~" Tu Shanlin looked happily at the lunchbox filled with mandarin fish, his big tail wagging back and forth.

She ate very slowly today, and by the time she finished eating, Qiao Yuan had already received the horse racing proceeds.

Meanwhile, news of the attack on the New City of London was everywhere, with newspapers rushing to report it, and it even caused some stock market fluctuations.

Qiao Yuan watched with great interest and noticed that the small-cap stocks from New London City had all seen gains.

Companies like Genji Technology, which focuses on neural chips, have been stagnant for ten years since their IPO, but now they have finally seen a slight increase in stock price.

There's also World Tree Corporation, whose technology allows you to enter a virtual realm while asleep. Unlike ordinary metaverse games, it's suitable for a new life under high-pressure daily routines, where you'll greet another version of yourself every night.

There's an old saying: "Gold is valuable in times of chaos, jade is valuable in times of prosperity, and antiques are worth a fortune in times of peace."

Once the situation becomes chaotic, there are more ways to make money, so as long as it doesn't affect Silver Moon City, everyone will be happy.

Qiao Yuan hesitated for a moment. He had originally planned to go to the wreckage area to try to break through four times today, but now, after being swayed by the stock market, he couldn't help but feel a little itchy.

and so……

He suddenly knew how to spend money.

I currently have 1300 million in my account. I'll take out 1000 million to buy medicine so I can go to the wreckage area tomorrow to grind for breakthroughs and exchange for Night Stones to improve my strength.

Leave three million to invest in stocks. According to the T+3 rule, you can make another profit in four days. Then, go into the wreckage area to break through and directly advance to awakening!

Earning money and increasing your skills can go hand in hand.

He quickly sent Hu Tu information on several stocks that had seen price increases, asking him to take a look.

There are only four predictions of the future each day. Although the number is not small, we still need to strive for perfection.

There are currently nearly ten stocks that have risen, but how much they can rise and whether they will fall later are all unknowns. It may just be a flash in the pan.

He soon received a reply from Hutu.

[Received, received. Let me check it out first. Remember to include me in this money-making venture, my good bro.]

After finishing her meal, Tu Shanlin remembered something. She reached into her Big Ear Rabbit backpack and rummaged around, taking out a palm-sized bag of fresh and fragrant dried fish, which was full of chopped small yellow croakers, bulging with moisture.

She shyly handed it to Qiao Yuan: "Here."

Qiao Yuan smiled and accepted it, saying, "Thank you, Lin."

"Hehe, I made all of these myself, they're all authentic and delicious."

"Okay," Qiao Yuan tore open a piece and ate two pieces, immediately feeling as if his taste buds were blooming.

That's really great.

He gave a thumbs-up, praising, "Better than me. All I can do is cook."

Tu Shanlin chuckled at the praise, feeling more relaxed than ever before. These past few days, she had clearly felt herself talking much more, as if she were in a dream.

Qiao Yuan was eating dried fish when he received Hu Tu's reply. He clicked on the details to take a look.

[I just spoke with my dad on the phone. He's quite optimistic about Gengri Technology, saying that although the stock has been languishing, the company is constantly engaged in research and development, and it's very likely that it will be acquired by Huanghun Group in the future.]

[Besides Genri Technology, my dad also said that World Tree and Tata Biopharmaceuticals in New London might see significant gains, but both carry certain risks, and he plans to observe them for a few more days.]

Qiao Yuan blinked: "Okay, I'll take another look. We'll talk about it when we get back to class."

He took a deep breath and decisively invested the lowest threshold in Genri Technology first, using it as an anchor point to predict future returns.

As time passed, Qiao Yuan found himself on September 4th, where he saw the news of Gengri Technology's stock price soaring, hitting the daily limit for several consecutive days.

Furthermore, the crisis in New London is becoming increasingly severe, as those skeletal pterosaurs seem to be merging together!

Normally, according to the T+3 rule for small-cap stocks, profits could be realized on September 2nd. However, similar to the previous case of David Bella Individual Weapons Company, it actually took until the sixth day, and they received new funding.

This is the second round of investment that Gengri Technology has received from Huanghun Group. Hu Tu's father was right. It is estimated that there is an intention to acquire it next.

With an investment of 300 million, even if the increase is 40%, it would only amount to a paltry 120 million, which is pitifully small. He suddenly lost interest.

That won't work. It won't be cashed out until September 4th, and in the meantime, he can only keep a few tens of thousands of yuan for pocket money.

Making quick money in the stock market is not an easy thing; as the saying goes, fortune favors the bold, and the ways to make big money are all written in federal law.

Otherwise, all that's left is gambling.

Qiao Yuan shook his head. Actually, a stock rising by 30%-40% in just a few days is already quite high.

But his needs have changed. To maximize his profits from each entry into the wreckage area, he needs to make as much money as possible to make it worthwhile, otherwise he will lose money.

He felt a little regretful, but soon, Qiao Yuan smiled again and discovered that the Federal Professional Free Fighting Tournament had started on the evening of September 1st!

This is what he truly likes.

Forget it, I'll just invest 100,000 as a token gesture, and let Hu Tu make some money along the way.

Back in class, he briefly said to Hu Tu, "Anyway, I'm betting 100,000."

Seeing his confidence, Hu Tu laughed and said, "Haha, alright, then I'll also invest 100,000."

……

Meanwhile, details of the attack on the New London Sky City had already landed on Simon's desk.

He grinned, his eyes gleaming. "What a fine disaster. It's a pity it didn't attack Silvermoon City."

Veronica offered a suggestion: "How about we secretly lure some over? But this scale is still too small; it won't pose any threat to Silvermoon at all."

"It's a good idea to have brought some people along," Simon nodded slightly. "It seems that apart from being jealous, you are still quite valuable to me."

"Don't forget, the Parasitic Night was just beginning twenty years ago, and it wasn't even as bad as it is now."

"Whether this catastrophe will come to an abrupt end or escalate further, no one can say for sure."

"But we can make this disaster worse!"

"Internal turmoil and external chaos make this the perfect time to execute the Night Plan," Simon said with an excited laugh.

Veronica narrowed her eyes as well: "Then New London will have to bleed a lot first."

"Yes, speed up the process of planting informants in all the Ember bureaus," Simon instructed. "Give them a little incentive, but make sure you have a firm grip on their weaknesses."

"I understand. What about him?"

"Him?" Simon looked at Veronica with a half-smile and said, "Don't meddle in his affairs. I'm going to meet him myself."

"He's my friend after all!"

……

This morning's and afternoon training sessions consisted of squats and frog jumps, which were truly grueling.

By the time school ended in the evening, most of them were exhausted. It was the first time they had experienced such a high intensity of training since the start of military training. Many girls suffered leg cramps and sat on the side of the playground using blood circulation ointment.

Qiao Yuan was also panting heavily, sweating profusely, and had even forgotten to buy medicine.

But then Tu Shanlin walked over shyly, her face flushed, and handed him a bottle of ointment: "Here."

The small, fluffy backpack seemed to contain everything. Qiao Yuan looked up and smiled, "Thank you, Lin."

Tu Shanlin's heart was pounding. Without saying a word, she wagged her big tail and ran away. Even in a crowded environment, she still felt very nervous.

The other students whispered among themselves when they saw this.

Meng Ziming looked on incredulously: "What?! He's really talking to Tu Shanlin?"

Finn snorted and looked away.

Charlie was no longer so jealous, but the afternoon's fight ended in a draw, which made him somewhat unhappy and extremely dissatisfied with himself.

But the most surprised was Hu Tu, who leaned in with a wink and said, "Hey kid, come on, tell me honestly, how far have things progressed with her?"

"Just friends," Qiao Yuan shook his head slightly.

Hu Tu clicked his tongue twice: "Got it, got it, more than friends, but not quite lovers, right?"

Qiao Yuan didn't speak this time. Perhaps so. He was now using the ointment that Tu Shanlin had given him. He didn't know how much it cost, but he felt an immediate and refreshing sensation as soon as he applied it to his legs. All the soreness, swelling, and muscle strain disappeared completely.

He marveled at how effective it was, like a magic pill, having never seen such a powerful medicine before.

Qiao Yuan couldn't help but recall that two days ago, when Li Chonghu was on the verge of death, he only took a blue pill and immediately became energetic again.

He then received an email.

It was sent by Tu Shanlin.

[Okay, I'm going home now~]

He replied with a radiant smile: "[Great! The medicine works wonderfully. See you tomorrow.]"

Tu Shanlin, who was walking with his phone in his hand, smiled subconsciously when he saw Qiao Yuan's reply.

Qiao Yuan went to the cafeteria for lunch with Hu Tu. On his way home, he started thinking about buying medicine.

Spending ten million on medicine is far too extravagant.

Ultimately, he decided to buy a bottle of flagship gene-enhancing liquid worth tens of millions of yuan, which was delivered by a dedicated driver from the Flounder Company.

In addition, the single expenditure of ten million made him a VIP customer of the flounder company.

As soon as he placed the order, a dedicated customer service representative called him and gave him a brief introduction.

However, it doesn't seem to be of much use.

The only perks are the complimentary coffee and lunch at each store, personalized medicine, and a 24-hour VIP hotline – better than nothing.

The only thing he learned was that his current level was one-star VIP, and it would cost 100 million to upgrade to two-star VIP, although the benefits would also increase accordingly.

He wasn't really interested in those things, but the fact that the company provided the entire delivery service was a good thing.

Half an hour later, Qiao Yuan received the [Starry Sea Source Series] Ether-type D2PRO Flesh and Blood Gene Enhancement Fluid, worth ten million.

Despite the numerous prefixes and suffixes, this bottle of D2 potion is actually just the basic, cheapest version of the [Starry Sea Essence Series].

However, the 100ml emerald bottle contains an almost completely transparent silver liquid that looks like a flowing mist, which is very beautiful.

He even wanted to drink it and try it.

That's still too extravagant!

I'll practice Canghai Jin as usual tonight, and play games together after the baby comes home.

As August 30th finally arrived, the students, on the last day of military training, were all eagerly anticipating the end of school.

Military training is finally coming to an end.

While having lunch with Tu Shanlin, he casually asked, "Tomorrow's a holiday, are you going out?"

Tu Shanlin listened intently, then shook his head slightly: "Hmm, it seems like relatives are coming to visit tomorrow, so I probably won't be able to go out. What about you?"

"Yeah, Hu Tu, Jack (who's in the Lieyang class), and I are going to Yunxi District for a stroll."

"Oh, okay," Tu Shanlin muttered, "You can tell me if you encounter any cases~"

Qiao Yuan smiled and nodded: "OK."

He then called Jack to confirm that they would go and take a look together the next day.

Tu Shanlin, who was still eating, was quite surprised. Qiao Yuan had just said that he was going out tomorrow, but it seemed that he only agreed to Jack's agreement after confirming that she wouldn't be going out tomorrow...

In other words, Qiao Yuan might want to investigate the case with her tomorrow or something.

Although not entirely certain, it seems that Qiao Yuan prioritizes her needs.

Tu Shanlin's mind was filled with thoughts, and his fluffy tail couldn't help but wag again.

……

As evening fell, Qiao Yuan went straight into his bedroom and closed the door upon returning home. He excitedly took out the three black masks and, to distinguish them, pasted the names of their respective owners on the surface of each mask.

I remember Caesar has three more chances left, the bearded man has one more chance left, and the bald man's chances are unknown.

He finally picked up the D2 enhancement fluid, put it on the bald man's Night Mask, and returned to the wreckage area.

Having come here before, he was already quite familiar with the place. However, the area where the bald man was located this time was not the same as the area where Caesar had the beard. It should be another area separated by the black mist. In any case, they were pretty much the same.

He continued to search for his "soulmate," and through the timeline time again, he gained a great deal.

The first two cultists are in the fourth main city, and the third cultist is in the new district of Velen. They seem to be quite close, but it will not be easy to capture them.

Until the very last one, his eyes suddenly lit up; it was truly an unexpected delight.

He is currently in the floating city of New London. After learning the location of the fourth cultist, he unexpectedly saw the cultist practicing an extremely domineering ancient martial art!

Since things have come to this, let's learn from their experience first.