Starting First Grade, Facing Lightning at a Breakthrough

"I've got it!"

"Mr. Zhang, what have you thought of?"

"The Maglev Train. I've thought of a way to combine it with what I know."

What finally came to Zhang Hongxing's mind was none other than the Maglev Train he had once stepped aboard. That unfinished prototype, whose trial had ended in an explosion, had become the project he felt most confident about.

"Mr. Zhang, are you sure you want to choose this project?"

"Yes, I'm very confident about it."

Zhang Hongxing's determination put Huang Sheng in a difficult position. Compared with adding a Maglev Train, upgrades to weapons and warships would deliver immediate results.

Besides, the Xia Kingdom already had a dense high-speed rail network.

Adding another Maglev Train would not bring any groundbreaking progress.

The purpose of establishing a Maglev Research Center in Xinzhou had not been to develop one immediately, either. Their target had been twenty years down the line.

Gradually replacing the high-speed rail system then would certainly be far more appropriate than doing it now.

"Mr. Zhang, forgive me for being blunt, but even if you develop this, it might not be put to use right away."

"That no longer matters to me. If possible, please help me set up a Maglev Research Base as soon as you can, and arrange for the relevant specialists to staff it as well."

Now that a viable approach had finally occurred to him, Zhang Hongxing naturally would not let it slip away.

Even if it really proved useless in the end, he could still gain some experience from it.

The experience of creating something from nothing was clearly very important.

"All right, Mr. Zhang. I'll get things underway as soon as possible."

Since Zhang Hongxing insisted, Huang Sheng could hardly keep trying to dissuade him. Besides, he had some experience establishing a maglev research base, which would help save Zhang Hongxing a considerable amount of money.

He even had some maglev researchers he could assign directly to him.

That would spare him some trouble, too.

Once everything was settled, Huang Sheng called his wife and daughter over and left the Zhang home with them. As the mayor, his schedule was actually very tight.

Early the next morning.

Zhang Hongxing got out of bed early. Today was the day Lele and Wenwen officially started first grade.

Once again, he had claimed the glorious task of taking them to school.

Elementary school was quite different from kindergarten.

Being late, something that had barely been restricted in kindergarten, became a thing of the past from the day children entered elementary school. Many teachers even imposed minor punishments to teach latecomers a lesson.

Most of their classmates would also give them disdainful looks for being late.

Naturally, Lele and Wenwen knew nothing about this on their first day of school.

As their grandfather, Zhang Hongxing had no intention of hurrying them along, either. So they followed their old kindergarten routine, leisurely getting up, dressing, brushing their teeth, washing their faces, and eating breakfast.

By the time the two children reached school, it was already 7:45.

At kindergarten, that would have counted as early.

At elementary school, however, it meant they were already fifteen minutes late.

"Hello. They're starting school today, both in First Grade Class 4. Could you tell me where their classroom is?"

The security guard looked at the new uniforms Lele and Wenwen were wearing and immediately understood the situation.

"Go straight to the end, then turn right."

"All right, thank you."

"Hey... adults aren't allowed inside during lessons."

Seeing that Zhang Hongxing intended to follow them in, the security guard immediately stepped forward.

"It's their first day here. I'll take them over so they can learn the way, then come straight back out."

"There's no need. I'll find someone to take them... never mind, go on in. Just remember to come out quickly."

The security guard had intended to take them in himself, but after glancing around, he realized there was no one else at the gate. He simply let them through.

Leading the two children, Zhang Hongxing soon reached the door of First Grade Class 4.

Lessons had only just begun. A middle-aged woman wearing prescription glasses stood at the front of the classroom. Seeing the three of them outside the door, she immediately waved to the students and said:

"Class, the two new students joining us today are here. Let's welcome them with a round of applause."

Clap, clap, clap...

To the students, a teacher's words were practically an imperial decree.

"Hello. You're Zhang Le and Qin Wenwen, correct?"

"Hello, teacher! I'm Zhang Le! (I'm Qin Wenwen!)"

"Hello, Zhang Le. Hello, Qin Wenwen. Who is this grown-up with you? Could you introduce him to me?"

"He's our grandpa."

The teacher quickly looked Zhang Hongxing over. It was her first time seeing such a young grandfather. Just as she was about to introduce herself to him, she suddenly realized that he looked familiar.

"You... you're that, that..."

"Hello, teacher. My name is Zhang Hongxing. Sorry for the trouble my two grandchildren will cause you from now on."

Zhang Hongxing interrupted the teacher's speculation.

"Hello, Mr. Zhang. My surname is Liu. You can just call me Ms. Liu."

"All right, Ms. Liu."

"Lele, Wenwen, pay attention in class. Grandpa will head home now, and I'll come pick you up when school's over."

"Bye, Grandpa!"

Zhang Hongxing turned and walked away.

"Is your grandpa the great hero who appeared on television?"

"Yes! My grandpa is amazing."

Ms. Liu's conversation with the two little ones drifted over from behind him, but Zhang Hongxing thought little of it. After thanking the security guard who had let him in, he headed straight home.

Meanwhile, under Ms. Liu's guidance, Lele and Wenwen began their first day of elementary school.

Although both of them had joined the class partway through the term.

They quickly caught up with the lessons. Having lived somewhere rich in spiritual energy for so long, their intellectual development was naturally faster and more advanced than that of ordinary children.

Once home, Zhang Hongxing did not continue idling around.

Instead, he focused his mind and began his attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage.

Even with cultivation experience at the immortal venerable level, breaking through a major realm could not happen in an instant.

Especially when the spiritual energy on Earth was so thin.

The electricity meter at Zhang Hongxing's home began spinning faster. According to his estimates, this breakthrough would consume at least two hundred thousand kilowatt-hours of electricity.

For that reason, he had not only warned his family.

He had also had Huang Sheng pass a warning along to the department responsible for the town's electricity supply.

"Come on!"

Zhang Hongxing murmured the words, then grasped the positive and negative wires he had prepared.

Electric current began flowing toward his dantian.

His aura rose steadily under the surging current.

Outside, the once-clear sky gradually filled with dark clouds.

Lightning appeared along with them.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking straight toward Zhang Hongxing. The great mulberry tree in the backyard immediately thrust its branches upward and caught the entire bolt.

The price was that all its branches and leaves were scorched.

Boom!

A second bolt followed close behind. This time, the great mulberry tree could not withstand it.

"Hmph! Mere lightning dares to stand in my way!"