The military stationed at sea.
Biological evolution.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.
"Yan Yan really is something else. She told me to record the last scene where that Ye Zhenzhen appeared, and said it lasted several minutes. I recorded it, but a whole minute of it was just her back. You could only see her face for a few seconds when she turned around. But honestly, that young girl was really pretty."
People in the theater began to file out.
Jiang Shu was still sitting in his seat. Unconsciously, he tapped the armrest with his fingers, one beat at a time, while images of the creatures in the deep sea surfaced in his mind.
And this was only the evolution of creatures that humans could observe.
What about the true depths of the sea?
The bottom of the desert.
The heart of the rainforest.
This world was simply too vast.
And humanity was too insignificant.
No matter how far technology advanced, what they could explore was still only a tiny fraction.
"That movie was pretty scary, too. I don't know what kind of shark that was, but it was so huge it could ram a cruise ship right into the depths. I say, from now on, when we go on trips, we'd better drive ourselves. No planes, no cruise ships—they're all too unsafe!"
"That last scene was a bit of nonsense, too. A guy in his twenties becomes a general. Then he goes underwater to fight monsters without bringing any equipment."
"Overall, it was all right, but it wasn't really suitable for an old person like your mother. Next time, Xiaoshu, you should bring Yan Yan to see it instead."
"I think nothing beats having the military show up. I don't know what the director was thinking, either. The actors barely appeared. I thought they'd spend a long time showing what happened on the cruise ship. Your mother hasn't seen much of the world, after all. Heh..."
"Xiaoshu, I'm warning you: you can practice martial arts all you want, but don't go acting recklessly like the people in this movie. Just stay home. One cannon shot from Xia Kingdom, and a monster like that's finished."
Maybe because she was in good spirits, Xu Lizhi chattered on for quite a while. Only when most of the people in the rows ahead had left did she stop talking and start gathering her things to leave the theater.
Just then, a pleasant voice behind her rang out, like a nightingale in a forest: "Auntie, you're absolutely right. But what if those monsters evolve until even missiles can't hurt them?"
Xu Lizhi turned around and saw a girl in sunglasses sitting behind her. She wore an adorable little hat shaped like a bear.
"How could that be? Besides, we have nuclear bombs."
Xu Lizhi didn't take it seriously. After all, as far as she was concerned, it was only a movie.
Movies were made for people to enjoy.
How could something like that happen in real life?
Born in a great nation, she had never worried about safety.
"If conventional weapons worked, Xia Kingdom wouldn't be promoting martial arts. The Free Nation is improving and altering its genes, too. A few days ago, they even released a movie called 'Great Ocean Ring.' The plot was pretty similar to ours, except that a giant mech showed up at the end."
The girl went on, "Auntie, if you're interested, you can watch it at home sometime. There's no way this theater would show it. Some scenes insult Xia Kingdom's martial arts, but it's fine to watch a pirated copy at home."
"Martial arts and genetics are two competing philosophies, but both countries are researching them. Take the martial artists in 'Great Ocean Ring,' for example. They're called New Art Martial Artists. Once their genes are improved and their strength surges, they get a chip implanted, and all kinds of martial arts can be uploaded straight into it. They can learn something like our Horse Stance at a glance."
"Xia Kingdom seeks stability, while the Free Nation seeks speed. We focus on our own bodies, while the Free Nation relies on external means. But whichever way you look at it, both are improving and altering humanity's original genes. I think if both great nations are doing this, then something is definitely changing in the world, something we don't know about."
"History has seen movies come true before."
"This..."
"All right, Mom. Let's go."
Seeing that his mother suddenly didn't know what to say, Jiang Shu smiled and stood up. He replied to the girl, "Thanks for the reminder."
Then, as the girl nodded approvingly, he led Xu Lizhi out of the theater.
Fifteen minutes later.
An anxious figure rushed into the theater. Only after seeing the girl alone in a corner did she pat her chest and let out a long breath.
"Young miss, what if someone took your picture?"
"So what if they did? It's no big deal. Is there anything wrong with me coming to watch my own movie? It'd be weirder if I didn't support my own movie, wouldn't it?"
The girl tilted her head and stretched, showing off every curve of her shapely figure. Then she stood up and said, "Relax. I'm wearing huge sunglasses, and I was tucked away in a corner. Who could recognize me?"
"I'm clever as can be!"
"Xiaoshu... could that all really be true?"
Xu Lizhi looked worried. Her whole life had revolved around business and family, and she had never considered the possibility of anything like this. But the more she thought about it, the more sense the girl's words made. All of Xia Kingdom's various policies seemed to suggest that a great upheaval was just around the corner.
She looked at Jiang Shu and couldn't help asking.
His steadily increasing appetite had led her to suspect that her son had a talent for martial arts.
He should have no trouble getting into an ordinary university.
But now, all she wanted was for Jiang Shu to be safe. Even a vocational college would be fine, as long as it was in Ji City and close to home.
"Mom, it's all right. If monsters really invaded, Xia Kingdom would start a massive draft."
On the bus, Jiang Shu smiled and tried to reassure his mother.
Martial arts were absolutely not a shortcut to instant results.
If things really became urgent, Xia Kingdom would surely adopt genetic modification like the Free Nation.
The fact that movies like this could be shown, and that the college entrance exam could be reformed gradually, proved that everything was still under control.
Since it was still early, Jiang Shu went with Xu Lizhi to buy some vegetables at the market. When they got home, Jiang Yongyi and Jiang Yanyue arrived at just about the same time.
"Those movie promotion accounts tricked me again. They said she'd be on screen for several minutes, but it was barely over one minute! Mom, the movie was pretty good today, wasn't it?"
"I don't understand this stuff. Ask your brother. Lao Jiang, take a break today. I'll cook." As she spoke, Xu Lizhi carried the vegetables into the kitchen.
"Rare. Unusual. Extraordinary. High quality."
Jiang Shu gave Jiang Yanyue a thumbs-up, then went into the kitchen to rinse the rice and wash the vegetables, helping his mother out.
Before long, he carried four dishes and a soup to the table.
The aroma of the food curled above the table. The family of four sat down, but unlike usual, Jiang Shu didn't serve himself first. Instead, he sat in his chair and spoke solemnly. "Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you."
"Your son has completed Full Body Vital Energy Circulation. He can enter an academy without taking the entrance exam."
"Shengjing Academy, Donghai Academy, Jiangnan Academy, or Tianshu Academy."
"Mom, Dad, you can choose one."
Only after saying that did he go to serve himself a heaping bowl of rice. When he returned, the table was utterly silent.
Jiang Yongyi, Xu Lizhi, and Jiang Yanyue all stared at him, their eyes wide.
If Jiang Shu hadn't said it himself, they would never have believed it.
"J-Jiang Shu, you're not joking?"
"Mm. Study hard in high school, and you can become my junior at an academy someday."
Seeing Jiang Shu nod so seriously, Jiang Yanyue felt as though her mind had gone numb. More than two months ago, she had guessed that her brother might have already mastered Qi and Blood Transportation, and that he might unleash his hidden potential during the college entrance exam and get into a top-tier university.
But an academy...
She had never even considered it.
Even she, a prodigy at school, couldn't guarantee she'd get into an academy in the entrance exam.
Jiang Shu had practiced martial arts for only six months.
He'd gone from being at the level of an ordinary university to getting into a top-tier one?
So martial arts really could change your fate.
Could he really be a genius?
"Xiaoshu... which of the four academies do you think would suit you best?" Jiang Yongyi had seen more of life than the others. He took several deep breaths and quickly collected himself.
Choosing a university.
It was undoubtedly the first major decision in an ordinary family's child's life.
The university they enrolled in and the major they chose could even determine the child's future job and life.
"Each has its own advantages."
Jiang Shu explained his thoughts on all four academies as he ate, giving his parents plenty of time to think.
"Xiaoshu, how about... you choose between Shengjing Academy and Jiangnan Academy yourself?"
After a long pause, Jiang Yongyi gritted his teeth and said.
He didn't dare make a decision about something so important. His son had made it this far; his perspective might even be broader than his own.
As his father, all he could do was support him.
Shengjing Academy was the best academy in all of Xia Kingdom, bar none. It was the very pinnacle. If Jiang Shu could get in, anyone who heard about it in the future would give him a huge thumbs-up.
As for Jiangnan Academy, that was his own personal wish speaking. Yan Yan's grades were good. If she did exceptionally well in the entrance exam, she might get into an academy, too.
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