After saying goodbye to Zhao Feiyu, Chu Han headed straight home.
He only informed his parents through the communicator that he had successfully certified as a martial artist, without telling them his rank, intending to give them a surprise.
"Xiaohan!"
As soon as Chu Han reached the residential complex entrance, he found both of his parents waiting for him there.
"Dad, Mom, why did you come out to meet me?"
"Ever since your dad received the news half an hour ago that your martial artist certification passed, he hasn't been able to calm down at all, insisting on dragging me downstairs to wait for you," Zhang Meilan said with a smile.
Chu Zhan patted Chu Han's shoulder instead. "Good lad! You became a 1st Rank Martial Artist before the Martial Arts Grand Examination—much stronger than your old man back in the day!" His eyes were filled with pride and gratification.
Chu Han smiled and took that golden Martial Artist Medal out of his pocket. "Dad, I only said the certification passed, but I didn't say I was a 1st Rank Martial Artist."
"Not a 1st Rank? Could it be 2nd Rank?"
Chu Zhan smiled as he reached out to snatch the medal for inspection, his eyes instantly widening, the smile on his face freezing in an instant as he spoke with a trembling voice, "This—this is actually a 3rd Rank Martial Artist Medal!"
He had also been a 3rd Rank Martial Artist before his injury, so he quickly recognized the medal's rank, and earth-shattering billows instantly churned in his heart.
Shock, astonishment, and then wild joy: "An 18-year-old 3rd Rank Martial Artist! Hahaha, as expected of my, Chu Zhan's, son!"
Although Zhang Meilan was not a martial artist, she knew what a 3rd Rank Martial Artist represented.
Her son was only eighteen, yet he had reached the level of her husband's peak.
Yet her husband Chu Zhan had already been thirty years old when he became a 3rd Rank Martial Artist, completely incomparable to their son.
Passing neighbors heard the commotion and looked over one after another.
Someone recognized Chu Han and whispered in discussion, "Isn't this Old Chu's son? I heard he went to take the martial artist test. Could it be he passed?"
"Looking at Old Chu's excited appearance, I'm afraid it's extraordinary!"
Immediately, all kinds of envious and jealous gazes were cast from around them.
Chu Han smiled and said, "I didn't say anything at first because I wanted to give you a surprise."
"You child, this surprise is big enough."
"Let's not talk about that. Dad, Mom, which houses have you looked at these past few days? Let me take a look too. We'll go buy a house right now, and if we're fast, we can move tomorrow," Chu Han brought up the houses.
Chu Zhan pulled a small notebook out of his pocket. "Your mom and I looked at quite a few residential complexes these past few days, and we wrote them all down in the notebook."
This was the notebook he carried with him while house hunting these past few days, filled with the names of different residential complexes, unit layouts, prices, and even hand-drawn simple floor plans.
It seems Mom and Dad are also very enthusiastic about buying a house, Chu Han chuckled inwardly.
"Look, Xiaohan, these are all boutique apartments in ordinary residential complexes. The areas are large, the prices are relatively cheap, and living there will definitely be very comfortable."
Chu Han took the notebook, glanced through it a few times, and shook his head. "Dad, Mom, didn't we agree at the time to look at martial artist residential complexes? The security of these ordinary residential complexes simply cannot compare to martial artist residential complexes."
Even though they lived within River City, there were still times when flying fierce beasts broke into the city, and letting his parents live in a martial artist residential complex could avoid such danger.
After all, there were many martial artists inside martial artist residential complexes, and the security force was also stronger.
Yet Chu Han could also understand his parents' well-intentioned concerns; over a dozen years of bitter days had also made the elderly couple very easily satisfied.
However, Chu Han's decision would not change. He thought for a moment and said, "Forget about these ordinary residential complexes. Let's still go buy a house in Linjiang Residential Complex. Our family used to live right there, and you're familiar with it."
Over the years, Chu Han had also passed by Linjiang Residential Complex a few times, and childhood memories of this place still remained in his mind.
"Linjiang Residential Complex is a star-studded martial artist residential complex now. I heard many big figures from the association live there, and the prices have quadrupled compared to before. A single house costs at least several million..." Zhao Meilan advised.
"It's settled."
Chu Han interrupted his mother's words, grabbed his two parents, and hailed a cab toward Linjiang Residential Complex.
Unlike the dilapidated state of the old city district, Linjiang Residential Complex was extremely luxurious.
Over the past few years, it had even undergone renovations and expansions, making it look all the more imposing and grand.
The sales office of Linjiang Residential Complex was exceptionally bustling today.
Because martial artist certification had just ended, quite a few people who had just become martial artists came here to consult and purchase houses.
"Hello, do you have an appointment?"
A saleswoman came up with a standard smile, yet carrying a trace of unperceived scrutiny.
Chu Han's family was dressed ordinarily, completely out of place with the brightly dressed and glamorous crowd around them.
Yet she did not show it, because anyone who could come here was at least a 1st Rank Martial Artist, and not someone she could afford to offend.
"No appointment."
"If you don't have an appointment, you might need to wait a bit. The daily quota of houses sold is limited."
"Didn't Linjiang Residential Complex just finish expanding? There should be a lot of new houses, right?" Chu Han asked.
"Apologies, sir, this is the decision of our upper management." The saleswoman revealed a professional smile.
"Alright, then we'll wait for a while."
Chu Han did not make things difficult for her, and went with his parents to the rest area over there to wait.
Just as they sat down, they heard a wave of boasting sounds coming from beside them: "Manager Wang, my son successfully certified as a 1st Rank Martial Artist. We can sign the contract today for that house we agreed on previously!"
The speaker was a middle-aged man wearing a name-brand suit with a thick gold chain hanging around his neck.
The teenage boy beside him held a 1st Rank Martial Artist Medal, his face full of arrogance.
Manager Wang hurriedly smiled and went up to greet them. "Rest assured, CEO Li, your house has been reserved for a long time. Is this the young master? Truly a hero out of youth, awakening and becoming a 1st Rank Martial Artist right away."
The people around all cast envious gazes toward CEO Li and his son one after another. An 18-year-old martial artist held immense value, and his future was bound to be boundless.
Feeling the surrounding gazes, that middle-aged man became even more smug, his vanity immensely satisfied.
Although their family could not be considered super wealthy, they were still the type with plenty of money, owning their own company. Yet precisely because there were no martial artists in the family, they could not live in a martial artist residential complex and thus could not enjoy the security guarantees of a martial artist residential complex.
Now that his son had become a martial artist, his feelings were actually about the same as Chu Zhan's, except he wanted to show off more—which was also human nature.
Chu Han's family waited for a very long time, but more and more people came to buy houses, and it still hadn't become their turn.
At this moment, the roar of a car engine came from outside, and a black sedan bearing the emblem of the Martial Arts Association slowly pulled to a stop.
The car door opened, and a middle-aged man wearing a black uniform stepped out, followed by a young man in his early twenties stepping out behind him.
"Director Ling! What brings you here?"
Manager Wang's expression changed, and he hurriedly abandoned CEO Li, running out in quick steps, bowing deeply with an extremely respectful attitude. "Why didn't you give a heads-up before coming so I could personally go to the entrance to welcome you!"
"This is my nephew, Ling Hao. He certified as a 1st Rank Martial Artist last month, and he also plans to buy a house in this residential complex. I happened to come help him take a look," Director Ling said calmly.
"Director Ling?"
Following the sound, Chu Han looked over and discovered that the person who had arrived was precisely the person in charge from the day he collected the Night Owl Squad's bounty.
He didn't expect to run into an acquaintance here.
As soon as many martial artists at the scene heard that Director Ling had arrived, they enthusiastically went up to greet him, and even CEO Li and his son did not dare fall behind.
Director Ling's attitude remained indifferent, long accustomed to this kind of scene.
His gaze casually swept across the lobby, suddenly catching sight of an unexpected figure in the rest area, and his eyes instantly lit up.
"Make way, make way."
Parting the crowd, he walked over in quick steps. "Little Brother Chu Han! You came to buy a house too?"
Chu Han was currently someone the president himself paid special attention to, and it was rumored that Chu Han had even caught the eye of a Grandmaster Level figure. Naturally, he had to greet such a genius properly.
And this single sentence, "Little Brother Chu Han," caused the entire sales office to instantly quiet down.
Everyone froze. Director Ling was a leader of the Martial Arts Association, a 4th Rank Martial Artist, and belonged to the ranks of big figures in River City. Why would he be so enthusiastic toward a young man?
Chu Han smiled and nodded. "Director Ling, I accompanied my parents to take a look at houses, only I didn't make an appointment. I've already waited for over an hour, and it hasn't become our turn yet."
"How does looking at houses even require an appointment?"
Director Ling frowned, turned his gaze to Manager Wang, and his expression instantly sank. "Little Brother Chu Han is a 3rd Rank Martial Artist. I remember 3rd Rank Martial Artists have priority selection rights when purchasing houses in martial artist residential complexes. Didn't you know?"
Manager Wang's face turned pale in an instant. Previously, he felt Chu Han was ordinary, so he had no objections to the subordinate's arrangement letting Chu Han's family wait.
Yet he never expected this young man to actually be a 3rd Rank Martial Artist!
He hurried over, bowing in apology to Chu Han. "I'm sorry, Mr. Chu! I was blind and failed to recognize Mount Tai, it was my oversight. Please go right ahead, let's head to the VIP room—30% off, whichever house you want will do!"
Before you continue