Lu Qingchan

"Tell me, why aren't you in a hurry to buy training equipment?"

Seeing Chen Lie shake his head without speaking, Chen Gequn pressed further.

"The training equipment in the practice room will still be enough even after Xingyao and I break through a vitality value of 1.

Besides, we usually go to the martial arts gym for full-day training. We rarely train at home.

And the practice room is only so big. It's already packed with training equipment. If we buy more, there won't be enough space, and it'll affect our training."

Besides, with the Central Galactic Empire's profound body-tempering technique, raising one's vitality value would be effortless as long as nutrition kept up. Why follow Blue Star's clumsy body-tempering methods, train until utterly exhausted, and possibly see his vitality value remain unchanged? That would be idiotic, wouldn't it?

As for his younger sister, Chen Xingyao, Chen Lie would definitely teach her this body-tempering technique. But when he had tried to teach her last time, she hadn't taken it seriously, so he would not bring it up again.

He would wait until he reached a height that was beyond his sister's grasp, until she belatedly came to ask him for guidance herself.

"Fine, then we'll talk about it when you two siblings need it. They're only training machines, after all. We can buy them anytime; there's no need to order them in advance." Chen Gequn nodded.

After Feng Yuelan spoke with Chen Gequn for a while, she went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Not long afterward, Chen Xingyao also got up and came out of her room.

The moment she saw Chen Gequn, Chen Xingyao immediately pounced on him.

"Dad, you're back?"

"Mhm." Chen Gequn smiled and nodded, gently stroking Chen Xingyao's head. "Xingyao, your grades have improved quickly lately. Tell me, is there any gift you want? Dad will buy it for you."

As soon as Chen Xingyao heard that, she said, "I want a set of combat technique crystal cards. Mom signed me up for a ten-day combat technique instruction class. Not only do I have to attend class every day, I also have to train every few days. I need to study combat techniques on my own during breaks too. There's simply not enough time.

If I use combat technique crystal cards, I won't need to attend the combat technique instruction class anymore.

One of my classmates only used three sets of combat technique crystal cards before she could use combat techniques proficiently."

Chen Gequn nodded and agreed. "Combat technique crystal cards? Sure, Dad will buy you three sets!"

"That's great!"

Chen Xingyao immediately jumped with joy.

Chen Lie had used quite a few combat technique crystal cards in his previous life. They were collectively known as psionic crystal cards.

Every set of crystal cards was infused with a great deal of spiritual power, which was used to inscribe a martial art onto the cards. When one placed a martial arts crystal card against one's forehead and closed one's eyes to sense it, the spiritual power on the card would automatically enter the mind.

The user could learn the martial art from a first-person perspective, as though they had personally practiced it proficiently once, allowing them to quickly master its use.

The spiritual power infused into a single psionic crystal card could be used three to five times. Its teaching effect was no less than hands-on instruction from a renowned teacher, perhaps even better.

Therefore, a set of psionic crystal cards inscribed with a martial art was extremely expensive, usually costing tens of thousands of star credits. Even a set of combat technique crystal cards that did not even qualify as D-rank martial arts sold for more than five thousand star credits.

Before long, Feng Yuelan had breakfast ready and called Chen Lie and the other three over to eat.

After breakfast, Chen Lie's family of four left the house and came to a miniature airship, then boarded it.

Miniature airships were Blue Star's main means of transportation. Chen Lie remembered that this airship had been bought when he was ten, costing three million star credits after all fees. In his previous life, because of his martial arts cultivation, the family's savings had become impossible to sustain, forcing them to sell it.

The airship's top speed was one thousand kilometers per hour, so Chen Lie's family arrived at the Starlight Hotel in the provincial capital in less than half an hour.

The Starlight Hotel was the largest hotel in Eastern Sichuan Province, and its prices were exorbitant. Even an ordinary family banquet there started at twenty thousand star credits. Chen Lie had only come here a handful of times in his previous life.

After getting off the airship, the family walked through the hotel's dazzling, radiant front entrance.

"Dad, it's so bright here. Which floor are we going to? Has Sister Lu arrived yet?"

Chen Xingyao walked at the front. After passing through the radiant entrance, she turned around and asked Chen Gequn.

"Your Uncle Lu booked the Spring Scenery Hall on the second floor. He said we could head straight there. They should already be waiting inside."

As he spoke, Chen Gequn stepped into the hotel lobby first.

"Hello, welcome. Do you have a reservation?"

As soon as Chen Lie's family entered the hotel, a staff member came forward to greet them.

Chen Gequn nodded. "Second floor, Spring Scenery Hall."

"Certainly. Please follow me."

Led by the staff member, Chen Lie's group arrived at their meeting place.

When they reached the Spring Scenery Hall, the staff member stopped and said to Chen Gequn, "Sir, the Spring Scenery Hall is just ahead. Your friends have already arrived. If there is nothing else you need, I'll return downstairs to attend to other guests."

"Fine." Chen Gequn nodded, then said to Chen Lie and the others behind him, "Chen Lie, Xingyao, let's go."

Feng Yuelan gently ushered Chen Lie and Chen Xingyao forward with both hands.

As they entered the Spring Scenery Hall, Feng Yuelan suddenly stopped. Pointing ahead, she said, "Look, Chen Lie. Qingchan is standing at the door to welcome us!"

Chen Lie looked up and saw a strikingly beautiful young girl waiting eagerly before the private room's door.

Her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall over her shoulders. With bright eyes and delicate features, she stood there in graceful elegance.

Chen Lie took only one look before withdrawing his gaze.

So this was Lu Qingchan? More than seventy years had passed—so long that he had almost forgotten what Lu Qingchan looked like.

Chen Gequn stepped forward and asked, "Qingchan, where's your father?"

Chen Gequn's sudden appearance seemed to leave Lu Qingchan slightly stunned.

After coming back to herself, Lu Qingchan said, "Hello, Uncle Chen, Auntie. My dad is inside. Please go in."

Chen Gequn and Feng Yuelan both nodded.

Chen Xingyao, who was behind them, stepped forward as well. "Hello, Sister Lu."

Lu Qingchan smiled. "Hello. We haven't seen each other for a few months, and Xingyao has grown quite a bit taller. What's your vitality value now?"

Chen Xingyao pursed her lips. "Only 0.91 cards. I'm still far behind compared to where you were at fifteen, Sister Lu."

"That's already very good. Keep it up. I'll be waiting for you in the elite class!"

"The elite class? I guess I'll have to wait until next semester." Chen Xingyao thought for a moment before replying.

Chen Lie walked expressionlessly toward the private room door. As he passed Lu Qingchan, he turned his head slightly and said, "Happy birthday."

Lu Qingchan was slightly taken aback. Then a smile appeared on her face as she softly replied, "Thank you."

Chen Lie nodded and walked straight into the private room.

Feng Yuelan, standing behind him, could not help finding it strange.

What was wrong with her son today? Whenever he faced Lu Qingchan in the past, he had always been full of eagerness to show off, his mouth never stopping. Why was he being so calm and detached today?

After Chen Gequn and Feng Yuelan also entered the private room, Chen Xingyao could not help asking, "Sister Lu, aren't you coming in?"

"No, I'll stand outside for a while. You and Uncle Chen and Auntie can go in first," Lu Qingchan said.

"Alright, then."

Though Chen Xingyao found it somewhat strange, she did not ask further.

After entering the private room, Feng Yuelan could not help asking Chen Lie, "Son, where's the gift you prepared for Qingchan?"

Given her son's usual personality, if he had prepared any birthday gift for Lu Qingchan, he would definitely have taken it out the moment they met. The fact that he could hold back this time was truly not easy in Feng Yuelan's eyes.

"I saw that Xingyao came empty-handed too. What, do we have to prepare a gift?" Chen Lie asked.

"Well... not necessarily." Feng Yuelan was momentarily speechless.

"Then why were you selling the nutritional fluids and nutrition bread at home? Hmph! Hand over the star credits you embezzled!" Chen Xingyao glared at him.

Chen Lie glanced at his sister without saying anything.