Mathematics Grades Were Bound to Be Impressive

They sat in a row of three in the cramped, narrow economy cabin.

The scenery outside the window rushed past.

The Jiang siblings' vacation was over.

Four hours later, Jiang Xueming would return to Hung Hom and make a trip to Huating Mountain Scenic Area.

Bu Liuxing lived there—

—to ask A Xing for help with a few things involving Bailu.

Bailu also had to return to school and continue her studies. Jiang Xueming remembered that it was called St. Mary's Secondary School, near Fragrant Incense Peak and very close to A Xing's home.

Leaning against the window, he thought things through carefully. There was no way he could stay by Bailu's side twenty-four hours a day.

If A Xing had also attracted the attention of the Armadillo Hunters and was under the attendants' protection, then sticking together would be much safer than going it alone.

The first thing he wanted A Xing to do was protect Bailu.

That rich young man's family had plenty of money, and he was probably particular about his food, clothing, housing, and transportation. His place would definitely be more reliable in terms of safety than somewhere Xue Ming found at random.

The second thing he wanted A Xing to do was arrange for the two siblings and Seventh Brother to stay with him.

As for the third thing, Xue Ming reached into his pocket and felt the passenger security card.

The card held countless stories and secrets.

He couldn't figure out—

—why his mental strength, will to survive, and Inspiration exceeded the human limit.

—why his combat skills had been rated S-rank, when even the light weapons expert David Byrne hadn't received such an outrageous rating.

He seriously doubted the accuracy of those figures. He needed A Xing to find some proper coaches specializing in martial arts, shooting, and combat, and have them give him a thorough physical assessment.

The changes in his body made him uneasy. He hadn't had time to investigate them before, but now he needed to get reacquainted with himself.

It was like walking into a kitchen: if you didn't even know the size of the knife in your hand or what kind of beast it could cleave, you'd have a hard time cooking a good meal.

It wasn't just his physical coordination. He could tell that his logical thinking and ability to understand diagrams were improving too.

He'd always been quietly worried that his brain was like an overclocked CPU. Sure, its performance had improved, but surely there had to be some side effects? Even overclocking a CPU increased power consumption and heat, didn't it?

But over the past few days, he'd still been able to keep his sleep schedule more or less under control. His body clock was just as punctual as when he used to report to work on time; he could fall asleep and wake up whenever he wanted.

He hadn't increased his intake of water, salt, or sugar, either, and he wasn't eating any more than before.

Aside from a clear improvement in his speed-reading and memorization, he'd also sneaked out into the corridor to sing while Seventh Brother was asleep.

He tapped a fire hose cabinet as a metronome, clapped and snapped his fingers for percussion, and dredged up a bootleg recording of a classic hit from the sixties.

The memory grew clearer and clearer.

Song: "I Will Survive"

Singer: Gloria Gaynor

After Xue Ming finished the first chorus, he realized that the language centers in his brain and his vocal abilities had both improved quite a bit.

He recorded that section and listened to it over and over.

His powerful, husky notes and the playful vocal flourishes of jazz were perfectly matched with the beat of the fire hose cabinet and the percussion of his finger snaps.

He'd once thought about busking for money in a subway station, but with the voice he'd had back then, he definitely wouldn't have earned a steady income.

Now, though, he was sure his voice might bring in a few dozen yuan a day—no more than that.

At that moment, Xue Ming murmured with a sigh, "This is so damn mysterious."

He didn't know whether the changes had come from his adventures in the underground world or from some other side effect of the Universal Elixir. At least, he couldn't see anything unusual about Bailu.

Anyway, to sum it up, he was about to owe Bu Liuxing a huge debt of gratitude.

Either don't borrow at all, or borrow a huge amount from someone reliable and pay it back bit by bit.

That was the simple way of thinking for an ordinary working stiff.

As for whether Bu Liuxing was really reliable—

—on that ashen shore of sand and stones, outside the Canaan Biotech mansion.

When the Faceless Lady wiggled her fingers and used the passenger log and her phone to issue the two of them a [Duel Invitation].

The big-hearted young man, A Xing, had repeatedly asked Jiang Xueming about Bailu's illness, making sure he understood the conditions required to obtain the Universal Elixir.

The two of them had thought they were saying goodbye in front of that mansion.

Without a moment's hesitation, A Xing had run toward that terrifying, bizarre building and plunged into a path with no certain return.

And when they first met—

—A Xing had burst into tears over the story told by a stranger named Xue Ming.

All of that already said a lot.

Xue Ming was a working stiff who scraped by doing hard labor, with a life as fragile as paper.

Liuxing was a carefree rich kid who left home to see the ocean, with ambitions as high as the sky.

Words A Xing had said to Xue Ming.

Xue Ming silently jotted them down now.

With a change of perspective, people became easier to see clearly.

"It's like two parallel tracks. We might never have crossed paths in our lives. We set out from different stations and were headed for different destinations."

"There's no doubt about it. At the entrance to that tunnel, I saved your life."

"You remembered every word I said to you. At last, our paths crossed aboard this train."

"You're going to share life and death with me through thick and thin. You won't leave me until you've repaid this debt of gratitude."

"Thank you."

Jiang Xueming smiled and closed his notebook.

When he opened his phone, he found some strange photos in the album.

One was a selfie of Bu Liuxing. After Xue Ming had fallen asleep, A Xing had taken it on the second floor of the supply station, where they'd been sleeping in a shared dormitory.

In the photo, A Xing flashed a peace sign at the camera, grinning with a mouthful of dazzling white teeth—

—while Xue Ming slept in the background.

A Xing looked as if he could speak in the photo.

He was saying, "Ta-da! Look! This is my new friend!"

The photo had been transferred along with the copied data.

A sharp glint flashed through Seventh Brother's eyes.

She glanced at Mr. Xue Ming beside her.

"Were you just looking at another man?"

Xue Ming: "No. I..."

Seventh Brother immediately grabbed Xue Ming's arm. "Look at me! Look at me!~ What, am I not reliable enough? Not handsome enough?"

Xue Ming: "Don't start acting weird."

Seventh Brother pouted, her eyes full of drama. "Look at me!~ Look at me!~"

They were getting farther and farther from home.

They were getting closer and closer to Hung Hom.

Xue Ming thought it over. There were still plenty of gaps in his knowledge about Spirit Calamities, spirit entities, and people in the ordinary world with exceptional Inspiration.

Mr. Chen wasn't willing to say much, so he could ask Seventh Brother.

He took out his notebook again and spoke softly to Seventh Brother beside him.

"Seventh Brother, did you feel anything strange when you saw Mr. Chen? Do you know anything about his Bodhisattva statues, the paper money, or that sort of thing?"

Seventh Brother shook her head. "I'm not sure, but he explained it pretty clearly himself—he's just a barefoot doctor. Our station has its own way of dealing with Spirit Calamities. Besides..."

Seventh Brother thought it over, rubbing her chin as she searched her memory. "The Spirit Calamities in the station aren't the same as the ones in the ordinary world. You can't lump them all together. Maybe his methods won't work in the underground world."

Xue Ming asked again, "What do you think of him?"

Seventh Brother's eyes lit up. "The master's a fascinating person! Every word he says is full of wisdom. You should listen to wise old souls like him more often. It'd be wonderful if our two altar masters got together and lived happily ever after!"

Xue Ming covered his face. "That's not what I meant."

"Oh, oh." Seventh Brother's expression dimmed again. "You mean people with superpowers like him, who are different from ordinary folks?"

Xue Ming nodded. "Right. How do you people view them?"

"Look at them with your eyes, I guess." Seventh Brother didn't seem to care. "There are so many genius scientists, singers, and mathematicians in the world. Aren't they superpowered to ordinary people? Honestly, I've always thought mathematicians were Kryptonian superheroes. And that master's come up with all sorts of tricks to make a living. He even runs a spooky online channel. You know, don't kick a man when he's down."

Then Seventh Brother smacked her lips a few times, looking a little embarrassed.

"I can't just go up and ask him about it. I don't know him that well. The station doesn't pay much attention to people like that. Every now and then, someone with exceptional Inspiration gets a ticket and comes to the station with some incredible natural talent. But they're still nowhere near the station's VIPs."

"What's a VIP?" Xue Ming asked.

Seventh Brother leaned close to Xue Ming's ear and explained in detail, in a whisper.

"VIP means a Very Important Passenger. When you've traveled through the underground world for a long time and gotten to know a few regions, you've also learned lots and lots of combat skills, and you're handsome and good in a fight. You've spent months at the Great Library and learned all about Star Realm People's customs and habits."

"By then, you'll have plenty of experience and be in good physical and mental health. You can consider submitting an application to transfer to the Boss. You could report to the customer service department and become an attendant, teaching new passengers."

"You could also join the armed forces or the medical department. If your Inspiration is good enough, you could try your luck at the Research Station, though you'd probably have to read a whole lot more books."

"Of course, you can also quit and start a small business at one of the trade transfer stations, then find somewhere to start your life over."

"But none of those jobs is as hard as being a VIP."

Xiao Qi gestured as she described it.

"VIPs are the station's prized assets. They venture into remote, uninhabited regions, exploring wild territories where no tracks have ever been laid. They're active in places the assault teams and engineering crews have never been."

"They might face all kinds of extreme environments, all sorts of undiscovered life-forms, deadly ancient viruses, or even the Canaanites you encountered before."

"The protective gear the station provides can only handle temperatures as low as minus fifty degrees and as high as three hundred degrees. If VIPs run into even harsher terrain, they have to rely on their own survival skills. And on top of that, there's the Vita Imprint."

"All right, I get it." Jiang Xueming decided to drop the subject. That miserable job was for whoever wanted it. It was the sort of career an ordinary working stiff would never consider in a lifetime. It sounded like a recipe for an age-old injustice.

"But most Armadillo Hunters won't attack VIPs." Seventh Brother's voice dropped to a near-whisper. "The reason's simple. Ordinary passengers and VIPs are worlds apart in terms of survival experience and combat skills. Once the station gives you that kind of certification, no Hunter would dare come looking for trouble."

Xue Ming remained unmoved and whispered back, "Of course. What rat that lives in the dark would pick a fight with a cat?"

Seventh Brother looked smug, turning into a fangirl. "That's not all. In the underground world, VIPs get treated like heroes. Hunters don't harbor any ill intentions toward heroes, either. Some even try to help VIPs complete their missions, because after all—"

"Hold on." Xue Ming was even more confused now. He interrupted her. "Seventh Brother, there's something I've wanted to ask you for a while. After all that you've just said, I'm even more curious."

Xiao Qi's gaze began to wander.

Xue Ming checked his notes point by point, then asked in a low voice,

"You've stood on the Hunters' side more than once, speaking from their point of view. First you quoted the station's regulations to warn me to watch out for Hunters. Then you told me privately that Hunters played by the rules and didn't drag family into it, so I shouldn't worry so much. Aren't you basically giving away that you're a werewolf? And just now, when you talked about ordinary passengers changing careers, you mentioned becoming an attendant as an option. If I take that to mean you're a respectable young lady, you used to be a passenger too, right? For quite a while? And you became an attendant after transferring?"

Seventh Brother didn't say a word. She just nodded over and over, cold sweat covering her face.

Jiang Xueming added, "Don't lie to me."

Seventh Brother became the captain of the frantic nodding squad.

Jiang Xueming closed his notebook. "All right. I believe you."

Seeing that Xue Ming had calmed down, Seventh Brother still wouldn't let it go. She pressed him again.

"Mr. Xue Ming, are you really not going to give it a try? I think you have great potential to become a VIP. Aren't you worried about Bailu's safety? Listen—"

At that moment, Xue Ming's gaze was as intense as a cat's when it spotted a mouse with its tail sticking out.

He wondered—

—before becoming an attendant, had 9527 also been an Armadillo Hunter? Maybe she hadn't taken part in any actual hunts herself.

At the very least, she knew Hunters well and probably had quite a few friends in the business.

She hadn't made any serious mistakes. The Boss had put her through reform through labor, then let her register and work as an attendant.

She looked very young, not like a passenger who'd been on many trips. In the eyes of the other attendants, she was probably a rebellious little wildcat.

Jiang Xueming didn't spell out his suspicion.

He simply spoke to Seventh Brother in a friendly tone.

"I never even considered any of that. To me, being a VIP sounds like a huge raw deal. Didn't you say I had decent skills back when we were at the shooting range? If I'm worried about Bailu's safety, I could try my luck with the armed forces. Those rat-like Armadillo Hunters would run when they saw a cat with a gun."

"You want to be a cop?" Hearing that, Seventh Brother tensed up from head to toe. The moment the words escaped her mouth, she clapped a hand over it, thoroughly regretting what she'd said.

She looked as if she'd lost her mind. She didn't even dare meet Xue Ming's eyes.

That reaction made Xue Ming even more certain—

—Seventh Brother had definitely done plenty of things she felt guilty about in the past.

Just then.

His little sister Jiang Bailu leaned over and asked innocently,

"Big Sister Xiao Qi! Big Sister Xiao Qi! How many boyfriends have you had?"

Xiao Qi muttered to herself as she worked it out, reciting a multiplication rhyme. "Hang on, let me count. Three times one is three, three times two is six, three times three is nine. Three? Oh, no. Do my two fictional husbands count?"

Jiang Bailu sneaked a glance at her big brother, then said to Xiao Qi, "Of course they don't."

Xiao Qi nodded. "Then none."

Bailu smiled brightly. Like Xue Ming, this girl was not only clever, but sometimes her eyes could flash with an intimidating brilliance, as if she were scrutinizing, suspecting, and interrogating someone.

Xiao Qi immediately offered evidence, explaining herself to Xue Ming.

"Really! Everything I said was true! I swear! Other things I said just now might have been lies, but the number of boyfriends I've had was definitely the truth."

Bailu: "..."

Xue Ming: "..."

Xiao Qi continued, "All right, I'll come clean. I do sometimes watch girl groups, and I imagine having a bunch of pretty girls to share a bed with and fight over me. Ah!~ Just thinking about it makes me so happy."

Bailu: "..."

Xue Ming: "..."

Xiao Qi nervously reached for Xue Ming's chest. "I swear on my conscience—"

Bailu: "I can already guess the next cheesy pickup line, bro. I think your wife might have some issues."

Xue Ming didn't care about the word his sister had tossed out, or the hand on his chest. "Mm."

Bailu smiled at Xiao Qi. "The next line should be, 'Has my brother already stolen your heart, sis-in-law?'"

"Uh..." Xiao Qi giggled. "I just learned that online. How'd you learn to jump the gun, you little brat?"

Xue Ming had already closed his eyes, ready to get some rest. He sent Bu Liuxing a text and arranged to have dinner together that evening.

"I don't know much about you, Seventh Brother. You do like to lie, but I don't really mind, because you've been good to me and my sister."

Xiao Qi smiled. "That's okay! We have plenty of time to get to know each other."

"I'll sleep for a bit first." Xue Ming was going to catch up on sleep. He pulled the curtain shut as he said, "The only thing I know for sure is..."

Bailu finished her brother's sentence for him. She was incredibly socially perceptive.

"Big Sister Xiao Qi, your math grades must be amazing."

The royalties came in today!

I'm sending you all a red envelope!

It's fine to read other people's books too, but remember to come back and visit now and then!

OwO