"Lin Yi, you're back?"
Suddenly, a bedroom door opened.
Lin Yu walked out.
He was Lin Yi's younger brother, just two years his junior.
Standing over six feet tall, he radiated a powerful, masculine energy.
He was the type of guy who got a lot of attention from the girls at school.
Three traits flickered above his head.
[Heaven Rewards the Diligent (Purple): All hard work will be rewarded.]
[Half the Effort, Twice the Result (Purple): Achieve impressive results with only half the effort.]
[Comprehension Mastery (Blue): Possesses an excellent aptitude for learning and understanding.]
Three traits in total: two purple and one blue.
Every single one of these traits was incredibly enviable.
This was why Lin Yu had always been so dazzling in the eyes of others.
Whether at school or at home.
His presence was like a brilliant star.
It was one that seemed intent on completely eclipsing Lin Yi's own light.
Until nothing of it remained.
And this was despite the fact that his younger brother wasn't related by blood.
Still, Lin Dazhi was more than willing to pour all of the family's money and resources into him.
It was just as Lin Dazhi often said.
If the family ever wanted to change its fate, leave the Old District, and move to the New District…
All their hopes rested on Lin Yu.
Perhaps for this very reason, the original Lin Yi had been gradually marginalized.
Even in his own home, his standing couldn't compare to that of his younger brother, who shared no blood relation with him whatsoever.
But the Lin Yi of today was no longer that person.
"Oh, Xiaoyu, you're out? Come on, let's get ready to eat!"
Seeing Lin Yu, Lin Dazhi put down his newspaper and said with a faint smile.
Lin Yu walked past Lin Yi, shooting him a sidelong glance.
The corner of his mouth curled into a contemptuous sneer.
His disdain and scorn for Lin Yi were on full display.
Sitting at the dinner table, Lin Yi ate in silence, keeping to himself.
It wasn't that he was antisocial or introverted.
It was simply that he had never felt like he belonged in this family, and there was nothing for him to say.
"Oh, right, Lin Yi. Isn't it almost time for you to register for the Martial Arts exam?"
Lin Yu, who was sitting beside him, suddenly spoke up.
As soon as he spoke, Lin Yi shot him a look.
He had never mentioned this to Lin Dazhi.
'Even if I had, it would have been pointless,' he thought. 'The registration fee is thirty thousand. Even if Lin Dazhi was willing to pay it, Liu Hongmei would never agree.'
At that, Lin Dazhi, sitting across from him, looked at Lin Yi in surprise.
"Xiaoyi, you're registering for the Martial Arts exam?" Lin Dazhi asked quickly.
Lin Yi nodded slightly. "Yeah. The deadline is next week."
"Then why didn't you tell me? How much is the registration fee?" Lin Dazhi pressed.
For a moment, a sliver of hope sparked in Lin Yi's heart.
'Could it be? Is Lin Dazhi actually going to pay for me? If he really does…'
Before Lin Yi could say anything,
Lin Yu, sitting beside him, laughed. "Dad, I heard the registration fee is thirty thousand. But with Lin Yi's talent, I think you should just forget it."
"A thirty-thousand registration fee would just be throwing money down the drain, wouldn't it?"
"If you ask me, he'd be better off just sticking to academics. Staying in the Old District isn't so bad. Or better yet, he could just quit school after graduation and get a job. He could even help ease the family's financial burden!"
At these words,
Lin Yi turned to look at Lin Yu.
A flicker of anger was visible in his eyes.
Liu Hongmei, sitting across from Lin Yu, quickly interjected, "Xiaoyu, what a thing to say! No matter what, Xiaoyi is your older brother. You can't talk like that."
"But Lin Dazhi, I actually think Xiaoyu has a point."
"A thirty-thousand registration fee is a real strain for a family like ours."
"If Xiaoyi really had the talent to pass the exam and qualify for a Martial Arts University, that would be one thing. We'd pay it even if we had to sell everything we own. But I'm just afraid that…"
Liu Hongmei trailed off, intentionally leaving the rest unsaid.
But her meaning was perfectly clear.
Lin Dazhi glanced at Lin Yi calmly, saying nothing more.
He picked up his glass and downed the remaining half in one gulp.
"Let's just eat…"
Lin Dazhi picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of food.
A triumphant smirk played on Lin Yu's lips.
Liu Hongmei showed no expression, but her eyes held a look of satisfaction.
Lin Yi just kept his head down and ate in silence.
"I'm done. I'm going to my room to do my homework."
Putting down his chopsticks, Lin Yi stood up and went straight to his bedroom.
It was an old house, but not a small one.
One hundred and eighteen square meters, with three bedrooms.
Lin Yi's room was the smallest, only a few square meters in size.
It could only fit a bed, a study desk, and a small bookcase, with no room for anything else.
Back in his room, Lin Yi took his homework out of his schoolbag.
Even though Martial Arts was now the dominant path, academic subjects were still very important.
He glanced at the time.
It was 7:15 PM.
'I have an hour and forty-five minutes. If I go into 'Absolute Focus' mode, I should be able to finish everything!'
Lin Yi calculated the time.
Luckily, one of his traits was [Absolute Focus].
This meant that no matter what he was doing, as long as he entered this mode,
he wouldn't be easily distracted by any surrounding noise or activity.
His focus wouldn't be broken, no matter how loud the noise outside was.
And this trait was currently purple.
'If I could upgrade it to gold or even red,' he mused,
'the effect would probably be even more staggering.'
The only problem was, he still hadn't figured out how to upgrade his traits or improve their quality.
He'd just have to figure it out as he went.
Time ticked by, second by second.
An hour and a half later, Lin Yi finished writing the last word.
Only then did he emerge from his [Absolute Focus] state.
He put his finished homework away and glanced at his phone.
He was surprised to see several messages from Wei Nan.
[Lin Yi, I finished eating. Heading out soon.]
[On the bus. Be at your stop in fifteen.]
[What's up? Don't tell me you're backing out. I'm almost there!]
[Holy shit, answer me! You didn't get yourself killed, did you?]
From the string of messages, it was clear Wei Nan was getting anxious.
But Lin Yi, who had been in his [Absolute Focus] state, truly hadn't heard a thing.
He quickly replied, [Be right there!],
then hurriedly opened his bedroom door.
The living room was empty; Lin Dazhi and the others were long gone.
However, he could hear the sounds of laughter and conversation between mother and son coming from Lin Yu's room next door.
Lin Yi's expression remained placid.
He was already used to this sort of thing.
He walked to the entryway, put on his shoes, and left without a second thought.
He jogged downstairs and made his way to the bus stop.
From a distance, he spotted Wei Nan, dressed in a black tracksuit with a hat on his head.
He looked like he'd been waiting for a while.
"Sorry, I was doing homework and forgot to check my phone," Lin Yi said with a smile as he jogged up to him.
Wei Nan shot him a look, then glanced down at his watch.
"It's fine. Just a little past nine. We still have time…"