Fang Ping went to the Martial Arts Society and exchanged his credits for cash. Liu Mengyao had no comment.
The Society had quite a lot of cash.
Although they had distributed some welfare and equipped some Rank-1 martial artists with weapons free of charge, the Society had close to 100 million yuan left.
Credits and cash were the same in MCMAU.
“950 million!”
“660 million in cash!”
Fang Ping had a lot of both cash and Wealth.
He did not intend to use his Wealth, though; he wanted to wait until his Wealth was over 1 billion.
“I have to save my Wealth, but I can spend my cash now. Should I invest some in the company?”
It had been a year into the 3G era now.
Some smartphones in the market were fast approaching Fang Ping’s memory of one.
The mobile internet age would probably come during the next year.
It was not difficult to seize a piece of the cake; he would only need to be willing to spend.
Fang Ping needed only Wealth. Cash did not help much, actually. He would need cash to buy equipment and the like, but his Chaos-vanquishing Saber could easily last him till Peak Rank-6.
“And there’s my guandao too. It’s made of B-grade alloy. I can sell it too; it’s a fair bit of money too.”
...
Fang Ping turned over those thoughts in his mind. He was not in a hurry.
The top hundred’s competition would be held the next day.
It was the same whether he appeared or not. His father had called before, though, telling him that the family would be coming to Magic City. Fang Ping still had to go fetch them.
...
October 20th.
The Rank-1 National Championship, after a few days, advanced into the top hundred’s qualifiers.
Fang Ping did not watch the matches. There were only five of them on the first day. The end was far from now. He had loads of chances to spectate.
At the station.
Fang Ping picked his family up.
After they were on the bus, Fang Ping said, “Dad, you should buy a car, get a license, so that you can drive here. Public transport isn’t that convenient after all.”
Fang Mingrong shook his head. “It’s fine. I don’t travel often, and Sun City isn’t that big...”
“Bro, buy one for me. I’ll get a license and drive to Magic City every day!”
Fang Yuan’s expression spoke of her elation. She was interested in buying a car.
“Don’t you have money yourself? Tell me, what did you do? How much money is in your little cellar?”
Fang Yuan grimaced. She said, “Bro, I only have a few thousand yuan in there. How can I afford a car?”
“Several thousand?”
Fang Ping smirked. “Really?”
“Really!”
“Haha!”
“It’s several thousand no matter how loud you laugh. If you don’t believe me, fine.”
Fang Ping was speechless. This girl was really good at hiding stuff. Several thousand? Did she really think that he would believe her?
Luckily this girl did not know that he had left her 2 million last time. She would have become extravagant otherwise.
Fang Ping stopped asking her about it. He said, as he drove, “Let’s go to the school for a look first. I’ll bring you guys to the house I bought later. It’s not fully furnished yet, though, and it’s not fit for people to live in yet.”
Fang Mingrong nodded. He said, after some thought, “I brought some souvenirs here. Can we visit your mentor?”
“I’ll ask her later.”
Fang Mingrong seemed nervous. The past him would not even dare to mention visiting Fang Ping’s mentor.
A Rank-6 powerhouse!
He had worked in the Sun City municipal government for a while now, though. Although he was still nervous, basic manners were mandatory.
“Do we have to pay attention to anything in particular when visiting her?”
“Should be nothing... No...” Fang Ping said after consideration, “Don’t mention anything about kids or family. Just don’t bring up those kinds of topics and talk about something else. That should be it.”
Fang Ping reminded him. Mentioning Lu Fengrou’s daughter was the way to upset her
Fang Mingrong committed this to memory without asking anything else.
Li Yuying looked out of the window for a while. This was the first time she visited a metropolis as big as Magic City. She was nervous about going to her son’s school too, as she feared that she would embarrass him.
Fang Yuan had way fewer thoughts in her mind. She said excitedly, “Bro, say, if some teacher liked me and wanted to take me in as their student, I won’t need to go to high school, will I?”
Fang Ping rolled his eyes. Where did this girl’s self-confidence come from?
Fang Yuan’s arrival meant that he would not need to think about how to sneak Lu Fengrou’s Mentality Detector out, though; he could just let her have a go.
...
MCMAU.
It was full of people due to the start of the qualifiers.
Although the school was not fully open to the public, most of the school (except for the South Area, the dormitories, and the school history museum) was open for tourists.
Fang Ping led his family inside. The entrance itself dazzled the couple.
When they saw the patrolling squad walking by, weapons wielded and heads held high, even Fang Mingrong was intimidated.
His feelings changed quickly though.
“Good day, President!”
“Good day, uncle and auntie!”
“...”
The MCMAU students greeted Fang Ping at the sight of him.
Although the freshmen wanted nothing except to be as far from him as possible, everyone’s eyes were sharp. Fang Ping seemed to be taking his family on a tour around the school. If they shied from him this time, Devil King Fang would remember, and that was worse.
Fang Ping was satisfied too. His smile seemed brighter.
Look, this was a show of his popularity!
He raised his brow at Fang Yuan’s gaze. ‘Look, your brother has so many martial artists under him! How inferior is your Club in comparison?’
Fang Yuan pouted and said nothing. ‘Is that something worth bragging?’
...
After touring the school for a while, Fang Ping called Lu Fengrou.
She was at home, and she did not refuse his parents’ visiting her.
Soon, Fang Ping accompanied his family to the instructors’ dormitory area.
Villa No. 8.
Both Fang Mingrong and Li Yuying appeared shy in front of Lu Fengrou. Fang Yuan was intimidated as well, judging from her obedient demeanor.
Lu Fengrou was not too courteous toward them, but she was not too cold either.
After they were asked to sit down, Fang Ping took up the role as a waiter, serving and pouring tea for everyone.
They had few common interests, so they talked about Fang Ping mostly.
When Li Yuying stammered questions about Fang Ping’s academic results and his behavior, Fang Ping did not know how to react.
Li Yuying was treating him like a kid, wasn’t she?
Fang Ping did not tune in for longer. He waited till they had talked for a while to interject. “Mentor, I’m going upstairs for a look. I want to borrow the Mentality Detector. Do you allow it?”
“Mm.”
Lu Fengrou inclined her head. She eyed Fang Yuan, silent.
...
After the two of them went upstairs, Fang Yuan, who had been silent until then, exhaled loudly. She whispered, “Bro, your mentor’s so scary?”
“Scary?”
“Mm. No, she feels stern. I feel afraid at the sight of her.”
Fang Ping muttered. Before she came, she had intended to put up an act, see if she could make the instructor take her in.
She gave up on the thought. The instructor was scary.
Fang Ping said with mirth, “Then you better be obedient.”
Fang Ping took her to the practice room, where the Mentality Detector was stored.
After picking up the helmet, Fang Ping eyed Fang Yuan and said, after some consideration, “Put this one and think of how you hit your best combat technique.”
“What does this do?”
“Check first, I’ll tell you later.”
Fang Yuan seemed curious. She put on the helmet, and the numbers on the screen started to fluctuate.
Seeing her antsiness, Fang Ping scolded. “Don’t play around. Do as I say first.”
“Fine. My best combat technique...”
Fang Yuan thought about it for a while. Her Basic Leg Technique was quite strong.
As she thought of it, Fang Ping’s brow furrowed. His sister’s natural talent was indeed lacking.
The number fluctuated, but it was always about 140.
The Mentality of a once-honed aspiring martial artist was not that strong, but the difference between the Mentality and Vitality of an aspiring martial artist was often small
Fang Yuan’s Vitality had exceeded 150cal, so her Mentality was slightly weaker than that.
That meant that her determination was weaker. Before one’s Mentality could be used externally, its strength was directly related to determination.
Determination could be taught, though.
All in all, she was middling. There was nothing particularly outstanding.
Fang Ping exhaled lightly. That was normal. There were few geniuses in the world.
He had wanted to take off the helmet when he noted that his sister’s eyes were looking everywhere. It was evident that she was not concentrating. He wrinkled his brow. “Don’t think about combat techniques. Think about what if your little piggy bank is stolen...”
“Ah?”
The number on the screen fluctuated almost immediately!
Fang Ping almost choked on air, but he continued saying, “Your money was stolen and you caught the thief. You’re beating him up with combat techniques!”
Anger crept up Fang Yuan’s face. She thought of how she would beat up a thief who stole her money.
Soon, the numbers changed.
“160Hz...”
Fang Ping felt exasperated. The disparity was too big! What was the little girl thinking?
160 Hz was not much, but she was not too weak either. At least it matched her Vitality. This meant that she had determination.
A difference this huge was rare, though!
Of course, it was related to Fang Yuan’s current status as an aspiring martial artist.
Martial artists were capable of concentrating and focusing their minds on one thing. Aspiring martial artists had not experienced many huge changes, and they were young, so it was normal that they could not do it.
The difference of 20Hz was a bit too huge, though.
Fang Ping glared at his sister while she took the helmet off. He scolded her, “You’re too untalented. You can’t concentrate, your mastery of combat techniques is just average, and your determination is too weak. I feel embarrassed to say you’re my sister.
“Look, just how small that number is!
“You’ve only achieved 160 later. You only had 140 previously!
“Do you know how many other people have reached?
“The lowest is 300 to 400, while the highest can reach 600 to 700...”
“Fang Ping!”
Fang Yuan was unhappy. She said softly, “What’s this number mean?”
“Your level of Talent.”
Fang Ping shook his head. “Whether you can become a martial artist depends on your Talent. 700 is the highest, while 100 is the lowest.
“Your brother’s, mine is 699. Although it’s not the maximum–the maximum number only exists in myths–your brother’s the most talented martial artist in Sino Nation.
“You? 160. Sigh.”
“You got 699?”
Fang Yuan looked desolate. ‘Really? Am I that weak?’
Fang Ping did not wait to put the helmet on. Soon, the numbers changed and after a while, stopped at 699.
Fang Yuan was confused. Was this real?
‘Fang Ping’s Talent is 699, while mine’s 160?’
“Bro... This... Can I change this?”
“One’s Talent is innate, but it can increase, of course, by focusing on the martial arts, for example. If one’s determined and has honed his bones multiple times, his talent can be changed, but you... Your starting point is too low. It’s only 160. There’s too big a difference between you and other people.”
Fang Ping shook his head, sighing. After a while, he said, “But it’s nothing. You’re my sister. You can be weaker, it’s fine. I’ll take care of you in the future.”
Fang Yuan fell silent, biting her lip.
She had fancied herself a genius, but her brother told her that she was lacking in talent. This made her sad.
“Ah, don’t be sad. Cultivate properly after you get home. If you hone your bones twice, your talent might increase too, more so if you’re thrice-honed.
“Your brother’s a genius among billions, so it’s expected that my stats are better. The Talent of the average person in MCMAU is about 300.
“If you thrice-hone, you may be able to reach 300. You won’t be the worst among them, then.”
“Thrice-hone...” Fang Yuan pouted. That seemed difficult.
“Go downstairs. Don’t be arrogant in the future. Look, do I look proud to you? I heard Dad say that you’re really arrogant recently. I thought, it’s fine if you’re talented; geniuses can be more arrogant, there’s no problem.
“But you’re not one, so you have to train diligently so that you can catch up to those who are.”
Fang Yuan nodded. Her pride had already taken a hit only after a day in Magic City.
That was why Brother’s mentor was so stern toward her. It was because she was not a genius.
If she was a genius like her brother, would his mentor be kinder to her?
...
Fang Yuan’s head was down all the way to the lower floor.
Lu Fengrou eyed Fang Ping. She heard every word of the conversation between the two siblings clearly.
This kid Fang Ping was quite good at lying to people.
The point was he had tricked his sister into doubting herself. The nerve of him.
Fang Ping grimaced when his eyes met hers, cowed. ‘I did this for my sister’s benefit.’
Fang Yuan’s arrogance was not good.
As for if Fang Yuan would beat him to death when she knew of the real deal... That would have to wait until she was better than him.
After the siblings walked downstairs, the couple exhaled a breath of relief. Chatting with Lu Fengrou was stressful.
Lu Fengrou did not ask them to stay for a meal, and so Fang Ping did not disturb her for longer. He bid farewell to her along with his family and went to the logistics department.
Old Man Li at the logistics department was kinder.
After chatting for a while, he noted that Fang Yuan was still at a stage where Vitality had to be taken care of, so he gifted Fang Yuan with so many normal Vitality Pills it was like they were jelly beans.
Of course, he did not mention wanting a student too.
Fang Yuan was all the more certain that she was untalented. Instructors would fight for her, otherwise–that was what the TV told her.
...
After they left the logistics department, Fang Yuan was still moody. Even Old Man Li’s pills did nothing to cheer her up.
Fang Ping looked at her for a while. He speculated, ‘Did I hurt her too badly?’
Fang Ping would know that he had overthought soon after.
The girl did not realize that they were pills. She had assumed that Old Man Li had handed her jelly beans, but she quickly realized that something was not right when she fished one out–she had eaten Vitality Pills before, after all.
She stared at the pills for a while, and a huge grin broke out on her face.
It was almost as if she had forgotten that she was feeling moody before.
Fang Ping did not know whether he should laugh at or lament her antics. People never change. Whatever. Whatever stage this girl reached, so be it.