The Luo Family

The chime confirming his successful application faded from the screen, and Tang Ping let out a long breath.

Most of his classmates were still agonizing over their applications, but he had already put away his Personal Terminal and headed for the back of the classroom, where Liu Hui sat. He was one of Tang Ping's few good friends in the class.

"Hui, it's done. Galaxy Warrior University." Tang Ping patted Liu Hui on the shoulder, his voice light with relief.

Liu Hui had been frowning at the list of schools on his screen. He looked up sharply, breaking into a delighted smile. "Nice, Brother Ping! I knew you'd get into a top university! I'm still debating whether to apply to the Luo Family's affiliated military academy."

The two gathered beside a desk and started talking about their plans for the future.

Liu Hui wasn't as talented as Tang Ping, so he planned to attend a military academy first and build up experience, then try to join the Luo Family's fleet of escort ships.

"Brother Ping, then it's a deal!" Liu Hui held out his fist. "We have to meet on the virtual network at least once a year. If I'm still just a low-ranking soldier by then, you'd better give your buddy a hand!"

Tang Ping grinned and bumped fists with him. "No problem. I'll show you what a true interstellar powerhouse looks like."

After reminiscing for a while, the two said goodbye at the classroom door.

When Tang Ping left the school building, the golden glow of the setting sun spilled across the campus's energy track, and his mood was exceptionally good.

He'd rid himself of Zhang Min, that awful woman; awakened the Spiritual Telekinesis he'd dreamed of; and had the Luo Family's subsidy and inheritance in hand. As long as he trained hard at university, reaching the Universe Level wasn't beyond his grasp.

"Universe Level..." Tang Ping mused. "If I'm lucky enough to become a Domain Lord, or even the legendary World Lord, I'll enjoy a lifespan of tens of millions of years. By the time Luo Feng becomes the Lord of the Galaxy, maybe I'll benefit from that too and achieve true immortality.

"Then what won't I be able to have? Let's start a chain: I can do whatever I want!"

As for women, he'd long since seen through them.

When he was thirty-two in his previous life, he'd saved up money by working late nights and overtime, only to be dismissed as having an "unstable job" during a matchmaking date. Those women would then turn around and flock to rich men, partying every night.

But things were completely different in this world, where strength reigned supreme.

A clever wife can't cook without rice—but give her rice, and she'll find a way to cook!

Forget World Lords. Even the label "Quasi-Planetary Level Warrior + Luo Family survivor's subsidy" was already enough to draw flirtatious glances from plenty of female classmates.

Zhang Min was young and pretty, but there would always be more eighteen-year-old girls in the world. Strength was the only capital that lasted forever.

As he walked along the tree-lined path across campus, a cool voice suddenly called from behind him. "Tang Ping, are you free right now? There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

Tang Ping turned around and froze.

The speaker was Luo Xiaoyu, not only the class monitor but also the campus belle of Jiangnan No. 1 High School—and the school's universally acknowledged "Iceberg Goddess."

She stood in the sunset, her beautiful hair tied in a high ponytail, the ends swaying gently in the breeze. Her makeup-free face was fair and smooth, with a high nose and naturally pale pink lips.

She wore a simple school uniform with a distinctive elegance. Her tight jeans outlined the full, rounded curves of her calves, while her white sneakers were spotless, without even a smudge along the edges.

Students passing by kept glancing over. A few boys even slowed down, their eyes full of envy.

Luo Xiaoyu wasn't just beautiful; she'd also topped her grade year after year. Her background was mysterious, and no one dared provoke her lightly.

Tang Ping, however, felt nothing. So what if she's beautiful? Once I become a World Lord, what kind of goddess won't I be able to find? In this world, the strong have everything.

"Class monitor, what is it?" Tang Ping asked evenly, without the slightest attempt to ingratiate himself.

Luo Xiaoyu's cheeks flushed faintly, probably because she wasn't used to so many people watching her.

She glanced to either side and brushed a loose strand of hair away from her forehead. It was a small habit of hers when she was nervous, and the smooth skin of her forehead caught the soft glow of the sunset.

"There's something I'd like to discuss. Would you mind talking at the cafe by the school entrance?" she asked in a low voice.

Alarm bells immediately rang in Tang Ping's mind.

He'd seen plenty of gold-digger tactics online in his previous life. He knew that to certain people, his current "money and strength" label was a "shortcut to cultivation."

Just like in the novels, she might set a trap and, like a "senior girl from a martial arts university," grab him as if he were a "cultivation pill," refining him in an instant. Her cultivation would soar, and he'd be left as useless trash.

As if she'd seen through his concerns, a trace of relief flashed in Luo Xiaoyu's eyes. Then she spoke softly. "My surname is Luo. The Luo Family."

"The Luo Family?" Tang Ping was taken aback, and most of his wariness vanished at once.

The Luo Family was the hegemon of the Milky Way Galaxy. The annual salary and benefits of its direct descendants exceeded his total assets, and Luo Xiaoyu was a talented member of the family as well as the top student at Jiangnan City's No. 1 High School—Luo Feng's hometown. Her benefits were among the best of her generation. There was no way she'd care about the little bit of "money" he had.

Still, to be safe, he discreetly raised a hand and tapped the face of his smartwatch, activating video recording just in case.

After all, people's hearts were hard to fathom. Better safe than sorry.

His future was boundless. He wouldn't take even a one-percent risk.

A ninety-nine-percent chance of success? What was that if not waiting to die?

"Beep~"

The electronic voice of the smartwatch suddenly rang out, and rather loudly, instantly drawing everyone nearby's attention. "Video recording has started. Please respect the privacy of those nearby.

"Friendly reminder: only the owner can view the recording. Do not use it for illegal purposes."

Tang Ping's face froze.

Damn it!

He saw Luo Xiaoyu's startled expression and the other students trying to stifle their laughter. He wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

Luo Xiaoyu stared blankly for a moment, then burst out laughing. Her cool demeanor shattered, and amusement rippled through her eyes. "You're pretty cautious."

Tang Ping coughed awkwardly a couple of times but didn't stop the recording. "Ahem... It's a habit. There are a lot of scammers around these days. Class monitor, let's go to the cafe and talk."

In everyday life, whatever happened—even if you took a dump in the street—as long as you weren't embarrassed, the other person would be.

A little while later, the two entered the Stardust Cafe by the school entrance.

A private room.

Tang Ping accepted the coffee. His fingertips brushed the warmth of the cup, but his gaze kept drifting toward Luo Xiaoyu across from him.

Her legs were lightly crossed, a perfectly natural pose, not a hint of tension in it. Yet somehow it made her legs look even longer.

The tight jeans traced the smooth curves of her calves. Where her legs crossed, they fit together almost seamlessly, without a single unnecessary gap. Her physique was clearly that of a strong warrior, yet she had a delicate, almost fragile beauty, like a willow just budding in early spring—supple, yet exquisitely delicate.

No wonder she came from the Luo Family, Tang Ping thought to himself.

He watched Luo Xiaoyu's every movement closely. When she raised a hand to brush back her hair, her elbow never rose too high; it stayed within an elegant arc. When she spoke, she leaned forward slightly, showing respect without seeming overbearing.

Even the way she occasionally looked out the window held a calm composure. She had none of the restlessness of her peers, nor the arrogance often seen in children of great families.

This wasn't some "performance" she'd learned through deliberate training. It was a quality rooted deep in her bones, the poise and grace that came from growing up in comfort, accustomed to the grand sights of the interstellar world.

Tang Ping could even imagine that from childhood, she might have practiced holding a cup, sitting, and speaking countless times in her family's etiquette classes, allowing her to remain so poised in any situation.

He suddenly remembered his previous life, when he'd had no eloquence, only spitting.

At thirty-two, he'd squeezed into crowded subways every day. After working overtime late into the night, even his hand would tremble as he held a cup of coffee. During matchmaking dates, he'd stiffen up just from the other person's scrutinizing gaze.

Back then, he'd never have had the chance to meet someone from a great family like Luo Xiaoyu. He could barely even have dreamed of regularly visiting a cafe this tastefully decorated.

A girl like this—I probably would never have had the chance to meet one in my whole life before. Tang Ping lifted his coffee and took a sip. The warm liquid slid down his throat but couldn't quell his feelings.

In this world, where strength reigned supreme, he'd barely touched the edge of the "upper circles" thanks to his awakened Spiritual Telekinesis and the Luo Family's subsidy. Yet compared with Luo Xiaoyu, who'd grown up in Rome—the Luo Family—there was still an invisible gulf between them.

Then.

"Tang Ping, would you marry me?" Luo Xiaoyu's voice was soft, but the words struck like a thunderclap, exploding in the quiet private room.

Tang Ping hadn't even swallowed the coffee he'd just taken into his mouth. The moment he heard her, his throat caught, and he instinctively opened his mouth. "Pfft~"