Chapter 653
Chapter 653 - 633: Opportunities
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10 min read
For ordinary people, Lu Ping’an, a gardener by trade who moonlights as a Fire Controller, might seem crazy.
But to those who knew him well like Hua Xueyi, this was not surprising at all... A few informed people who’d learned about the unique feature of "investment" wouldn’t be shocked if he suddenly took on other jobs like being a cyborg or a scavenger.
"So what’s your plan lately? Don’t you plan to screw things up like Miss Lo?"
Talking to Hua senior sister, Lu Ping’an was not mincing his words.
Miss Lululu had now become assistance and doing odd jobs for Miss Rou. Ah well, just helping out at the boss’s lab alone sped up her Magic Potion progress quite a bit compared to working independently.
On the other hand, Hua Xueyi, who not too long ago, seemed invincible even with Lu Ping’an’s full-power attacks, had clearly regressed.
She was just a little older than Lu Ping’an and had made great progress in her strength, but she was in a stage of re-evaluating her career path, constantly building her profession puzzle, much like Guan Xinxian and Xia Qin had done before.
This was like laying the foundation unseen on the ground, but for a tall building to rise high, the foundation had to be strong enough... And Guan Xinxian and Xia Qin had built this foundation during their time on campus, leading to rapid growth on the social battlefield.
If data was the only consideration, the actual difference between Ancient City University graduates and college students wasn’t that big. However, one was a half-finished product while the other a finished product; using them in reality would reveal a substantial difference... The true value of training institutions like Ancient City University lied in this period when it was easy to see the true capability of their students who, ten years later, surpassed their peers in average rank.
Hua Xueyi was excellent, having laid a solid foundation in dancing, soldiers, and fighting, and her progress was swift.
Her main focus was to use her professional system to complement her metalization Talent Ability, achieving higher levels in the field of fighting... This was the Main Road, but not necessarily the right strategy at the moment.
Truth be told, she had spent too much time and energy on "fighting," which was originally her career plan and role orientation. Yet, even with the growth of her other professions, her combat capability could not exceed Decree-level.
There was nothing abnormal about this, as the powerful ones always accumulated their strength step by step. Focusing on one’s strengths was the right choice both emotionally and rationally, and the strong needed the power to build their foundation... Except for Lu Ping’an.
"... Your ability is simply so excessive that it tramples on other people’s efforts and mocks them."
Even Hua senior sister had a hint of envy in her voice when she said this.
In the recent sparring sessions, judging solely by martial arts, she was beginning to doubt if she could beat Lu Ping’an when he was serious... This blow had left her somewhat disillusioned, as she had always been proud of her fighting skills.
"Can I take that as complaining that you didn’t get the ’investment’ slot recently? I can share a few days with you."
When it came to verbal sparring, Lu Ping’an was not going to be outdone.
"Just a few days? You really have forgotten your old friends since there’re new people. I remember you used to find me every morning in the past."
Hua senior sister smiled, refusing to concede defeat in their verbal exchange.
Watching the two youngsters’ subtle expressions, fellow bus passengers who stood nearby exchanged glances, perhaps with thoughts like "these kids sure know how to play."
Demands and worries seemed to vanish amid laughter, but Lu Ping’an knew Hua Xueyi was under a lot of pressure.
Overall, she was highly talented, had great potential, and her professional cultivation was both gifted and diligent, with smooth progress. All she needed was time.
If it was just a matter of personal concerns, adjusting her team’s position and psychological expectations could solve the problem, allowing for slow growth over time. However, she...
𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
"Lu Ping’an, sometimes I think about switching to a management position..."
It seemed that Hua Xueyi had been so disheartened that she had lost some confidence.
"... It’s not that I have lost confidence. I know myself very well. Give me two or three more years... If I continue to use that courtyard, it might only take eight or nine months for my professional system to take shape, and then I would enter a rapid growth phase."
Lu Ping’an’s courtyard could cut the growth period by at least half, but professional skills still needed time to polish and accumulate; there was no shortcut.
"I know exactly my own role. My talent has made me a close-range fighter, but I’ve become too vulnerable on the current battlefield. It takes time for me to make up for my weakness."
Some things don’t need to be spelled out.
"You’re worried about those fellow villagers of yours, aren’t you?"
She paused for a moment before turning her head and saying.
"Part of it, actually, I’m quite grateful to you for this, not only offering job opportunities, but also creating more than a dozen genuine professionals among the young people..."
During this expedition, some people obtained Truth-level treasures, while others gained hope for the future; it’s hard to say whose lives changed more.
Many of the young people staying at the factory were pollution-mutated; during this time, many of them were introduced to the real Extraordinary World. Under Lu Ping’an’s orders, the idle Knights also taught them... and coupled with the "Beastification Lottery," it’s quite normal for more than a dozen Battle-profession people to appear.
Others may need to make a determined effort to accumulate resources and opportunities, but these "newcomers" already have a good starting point, and their growth speed is promising.
Those who had been idling their days away as "Disfigured" had now become half-beastmen and professionals with boundless prospects, their lives completely changed into a different path.
This reality delighted Hua Xueyi, not only because it involved her two relatives but also because it showed that the path she had set for her fellow villagers was beginning to see the light of day.
She sincerely said she owed Lu Ping’an because she initially thought that it would take at least ten years of hard work before she could make a difference to her "fellow villagers."
However, their progress might not be all positive news.
The battlefield where Lu Ping’an now stands may be too dangerous for them, who have just become professionals... If they don’t want to be low-level assistants for the rest of their lives, they too need to build a foundation, learn, and even receive training. It’s inevitable that they will leave for a while.
At this time, like Mei Yuge and several other "mascots" that Lu Ping’an brought with him, they have honestly returned to school to recharge... Considering their recent astonishing progress and their tier far exceeding their normal growth rate, they have many lessons to make up for.
At this point, Hua Xueyi proposed a management position, naturally because she was worried and wanted to lend a hand.
"So, are you not going to the Exotic Realm exploration next time?"
There is no reason for Lu Ping’an to stop her, so he asked casually as he stroked his chin.
"Of course I will go. I don’t want to fall behind... If I don’t go, I might not be able to beat that cat next time."
"Honestly, you might not be able to beat her even now... Uh, okay, you probably can, given her intelligence..."
Because he told the truth, Lu Ping’an was fiercely glared at by his senior sister.
When Lu Ping’an previously divided the spoils, he indeed overlooked Meow, but not just because she was too lazy.
"The equipment on that cat has already caught up to me... Looking at the number of Taboo items alone, she seems to have more than me."
As Lu Ping’an’s first assistant, Meow had already been overfed. During their first division of spoils, Meow single-handedly took two Silver Taboo items most suitable for her.
There weren’t many people in the team inclined towards being agile assassins, so any gain in this category was prioritized for Meow. She had accumulated so many treasures in her small carrying case that it wasn’t clear how many she had.
Although recently she’s been slacking off but up until then, her education had been personally supervised by the big cat. The career planning for her along the way was also given by the big cat, so following it wouldn’t be wrong.
Moreover, as Lu Ping’an’s trump card, he could only use his "Spiritualization" talent for 10 seconds while that Meow could use it infinitely... If Hua Xueyi’s talent was one in a thousand genius, Meow is probably one in a million lucky draw prize. Born at the finish line, there’s no comparing them.
Since the moment Meow showed her talent, she received full investment and automatic hosting from both Lu Ping’an and big cat. The benefits she received from the courtyard were unlimited, and her growth trajectory was no longer just slightly upward but rocketing straight.
Her tier was at most a 2-tier, but with her Spirit Cat talent and guidance from the big cat, she had many tricks up her sleeve... Lu Ping’an’s favorite trump card, "Possession," could instantly multiply her combat effectiveness.
If Meow takes out her treasures and fully uses her Talent Abilities, even Lu Ping’an has to be careful in dealing with her... After several tests, he no longer kept track of Meow’s growth.
Seeing Hua Xueyi’s somewhat helpless smile, Lu Ping’an sympathized with her while admiring her resilience and cheerfulness.
What kind of people were around her... Xue En, Guan Xinxian, Meow, and Lu Ping’an. They were either unreasonably lucky or had growth spurts that made people question their lives, resulting in Hua Xueyi and Xia Qin being the only normal ones left.
It seems reasonable that she wanted to take a break and focus on her hometown affairs first.
"Actually, the maintenance worker who’s always in the courtyard... that Miss Fang, said she could help me. But the Courtyard Manager (big cat) wanted me to ask for your opinion first."
Miss Fang? Oh, Fang Wen.
— End of Chapter 653 —