Yu Jing, nineteen years old, was an ordinary Third Phase Disciple from a C-class County Town in District 19 of the Chana Empire.
Although he had ranked first in his class for years, he had only barely reached Supernatural Ability Level 2 in the Ability Test. When he returned to the Potential Institute to collect his results sheet, the instructor solemnly explained to Yu Jing the preparations he would need to make for the long road ahead.
Standing on the central platform in the Playground Zone, Yu Jing received the Completion Certificate worth a fortune amid the envious and jealous gazes of all the Institute's fellow students and the blessings of the various subject specialists. He seemed to be the only graduate in the entire Potential Institute. The moment he accepted the certificate, Yu Jing had no desire to linger there and hurried toward the Institute's entrance with it in hand.
Just as he stepped out of the Institute, Yu Jing looked back inside. Several subject specialists were waving goodbye to him in different "forms," while the instructor stood in the center with a knowing smile.
"Are you back?"
When Yu Jing returned to his seventy-square-meter, two-bedroom, one-living-room home, his mother's familiar voice came from the kitchen.
"Mom... Didn't I tell you not to cook? You're not well. Hurry and go lie down."
Yu Jing's mother was forty-two that year, yet she already had a head of white hair and looked close to old age. The previous year, she had been diagnosed with a strange illness called Kajimo. It was a rare virus originating overseas that caused a disorder in the secretion of growth hormone-inducing factors, making the human body age five times faster than normal.
Only some of the country's major urban districts had the means to treat the illness. However, Yu Jing had learned through online consultations that the surgery would cost at least three million at the lowest estimate, with a success rate of no more than thirty percent.
Setting aside the question of success, even coming up with three hundred thousand was a problem for an ordinary family like Yu Jing's. Moreover, since childhood, Yu Jing had never heard any news about his father. His memories of the man were vague at best, and his mother had never mentioned him. She had worked tirelessly to raise Yu Jing on her own.
Because his mother refused to talk about it, Yu Jing had stopped asking about it after entering the Intermediate Potential Institute. He simply treated his father as if he had already died.
"Have you chosen your Ability Institute? Your mother doesn't care about the ranking. I only hope my son can keep studying. I heard from the neighbors that as long as you choose a good major, it's the same wherever you go."
"Mm... I've chosen one!"
Whenever he saw his mother's white hair and aged appearance, tears were always difficult for Yu Jing to suppress.
Taking over the cooking from his mother, Yu Jing had developed the ability to take care of himself back in the Junior Potential Institute. At noon, mother and son got by on a simple meal.
After lunch, Yu Jing had half an hour to rest. In the afternoon, he would work part-time as a cashier at a convenience store. His mother's illness had accelerated her aging and placed an immense burden on her body. She needed more than eighteen hours of sleep a day and was utterly incapable of holding down any job.
"Mom, go rest. When I get off work at eight tonight, I'll bring you something from the supermarket."
Yu Jing watched his mother disappear into her room, tears slipping uncontrollably down his cheeks.
As for why he had performed poorly on the Ability Test, the truth was that during the medical examination before the test, doctors had discovered the same virus that afflicted his mother in his body. It was merely dormant for now, and no one knew how long the incubation period would last. It could erupt at any moment. Furthermore, treatment required waiting until the virus became active before it could be precisely located and eliminated.
Thus, from the moment Yu Jing learned about it, attending an Ability Institute was no longer something he hoped for. During the period before the test, he had begun planning how to make money in the short term after ending his life as a disciple—and how to earn enough to treat his mother's illness before finding a way to cure himself.
At that moment, this young man who had yet to enter society had already devised three short-term money-making plans. Two of them even involved breaking the law, but judging from his risk assessment, they were still far better than sitting there and waiting to die.
Almost every day, Yu Jing read through all the newspaper reports once, efficiently and precisely locating the information he needed and putting it to use. Today, however, he made an unexpected discovery.
In an inconspicuous corner of the Metropolitan Daily, which Yu Jing often read, there was an advertisement that caught his attention.
"What is this? A test experiment?"
"Those who successfully complete the experimental test will receive a reward of three million five hundred thousand gold." Yu Jing rapidly caught the short line of text in the report.
The bottom-right corner of the newspaper was usually reserved for health advertisements aimed at the elderly. Yet this time, it unexpectedly carried such an advertisement. It contained only a brief description and the research institute's contact number. Under normal circumstances, Yu Jing would certainly have dismissed it as a scammer's trick. But now, he dialed the number, clinging to that tiny possibility like a flickering candle in the wind.
"It's worth a try. Maybe it's real. If it's a scam, I can always hang up."
The call connected instantly. An elegant woman's voice came through the receiver.
"Hello, resident of District 19! Thank you for calling our institute's volunteer recruitment office. May I ask whether you are a gentleman or a lady, and how should I address you?"
"My surname is Yu." Yu Jing did not answer the question about his gender, believing his voice was distinctive enough.
"Please state your gender. This information is very important to us."
"Male." Yu Jing frowned. The other party's questions were highly professional, and her Universal Tongue pronunciation was at broadcast-announcer level.
As someone skilled at analysis and observation, Yu Jing also noticed several clues. Even if this was a genuine scam group, it was a rather sophisticated one. They would not have gone to the trouble of placing an advertisement in the corner of such a small newspaper for no reason.
"Mr. Yu, have you undergone a medical examination at a legitimate hospital within the past three months?"
"A medical examination? Yes. I had a thorough examination a month ago because of the Ability Test."
"Excellent. That will save us quite a bit of trouble. We will retrieve your examination records and conduct a comprehensive evaluation. If you meet our institute's volunteer standards, we will contact you as soon as possible. Please ensure that your current communication device remains reachable. Once again, thank you for calling, and have a pleasant weekend."
The call ended, leaving Yu Jing bewildered. Of course, he did not completely believe the other party. Modern scam groups committed high-IQ crimes, and this kind of baiting technique was quite common. But if the call was genuine, Yu Jing immediately thought of the latent Kajimo virus discovered during his medical examination. Perhaps it would get him directly disqualified from the list of test subjects.
"Ring, ring!"
Yu Jing had just lain down on the sofa to rest when the phone beside him rang. Though he had subscribed to caller-ID notification services, the phone screen displayed only "Unknown Location"...
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