Chapter 49: Storage Ring

Linjiang City.

Martial Artist Tower.

Ma Shan turned off his live stream and immediately jumped up from his leather chair.

“Hurry, prepare a few bottles of Spirit Gathering Liquid for me. I’m going to personally go to the examination hall to meet the first-ever top scorer in Linjiang City’s history!”

Linjiang City Government.

“Draft a notice: all workers in the city will have three days off, and primary and secondary school students will suspend classes for a week.”

“Xiao Liu, bring the prepared items and come with me.”

The exam had just ended, but these influential figures in Linjiang City were already preparing to welcome Jiang Yan with a grand celebration.

Reporters from various regions had been waiting for a long time. As soon as Jiang Yan stepped out of the examination hall, they would swarm around him for exclusive interviews.

Southeast Province, provincial capital, Changchuan City.

“Old Shen, since you’ve already established a good rapport with that young man, you’ll represent our Southeast Province to meet Jiang Yan this time. Make sure to convey our stance clearly.”

“Hahaha, now you see how sharp my, Shen Donglin’s, judgment is, don’t you?”

“Get lost, stop showing off here. If it were me back then, I would’ve brought Jiang Yan to Changchuan long ago. He might’ve even broken through to the fourth rank by now.”

“Bullshit! Even when I invited him to the training camp, he refused. Looking back now, Jiang Yan’s choice was truly wise. Could those small-time instructors at the training camp even teach properly?”

“Hahaha, I’m done talking with you.”

“Get lost.”

Shen Donglin walked out of the conference room.

In the sky above, a streak of light sped toward Linjiang City.

…

Jiang Yan was teleported out of the alternate space.

The venue was almost empty. Most of the examinees from Linjiang City had been eliminated before reaching the final stage and were teleported out days earlier.

Jiang Yan anticipated that the outside would be crowded with people. He glanced around, looking for any back doors or similar exits.

“Is that Jiang Yan?”

Suddenly, a voice came from behind.

Jiang Yan turned around and saw a middle-aged man with a prominent belly.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Lin Yuanshan. You can call me Uncle Lin.”

Lin Yuanshan gave a kindly smile.

Lin Yuanshan, the mayor of Linjiang City. As a native of Linjiang, Jiang Yan naturally knew who he was.

He smiled and said, “Hello, Uncle Lin.”

Addressing someone by their title in official settings shows seriousness, while using a personal address in informal settings shows closeness.

Clearly, Lin Yuanshan was pleased with Jiang Yan’s affectionate “Uncle Lin” and walked up to him with a smile.

“The outside of the examination hall is already packed with people. There’s a back door here. Follow me out first.”

Jiang Yan followed Lin Yuanshan out of the examination hall.

“Heh, Old Lin, I knew you’d come this way.”

Ma Shan stood at the entrance, teasing Mayor Lin Yuanshan with a cheerful tone.

Then, ignoring Lin Yuanshan, he flatteringly approached Jiang Yan.

“Bro Jiang, do you remember me? I’m Little Ma.”

Lin Yuanshan shot Ma Shan a disdainful look but said nothing more.

Not far away, a black car was parked. The three of them got into the car together.

“Bro Jiang, how about coming to my place for a chat? I have a daughter who’s a year younger than you. Maybe you two would have some common topics to discuss.”

“No, thanks. It’s been a long time since I’ve been home. I’d like to go back and take a look first.”

“By the way, Bro Jiang, my daughter is really beautiful. You might slowly…”

Ma Shan chatted casually with Jiang Yan, occasionally bringing up his daughter in a way that anyone could understand the underlying meaning.

“Isn’t she still underage?”

Jiang Yan ended the conversation with a single sentence.

…

Knock, knock—

Jiang Yan rapped on the door a few times.

A few seconds later, the doorknob turned.

Wang Zhong appeared before them, his expression as calm as ever.

“Hey, kid, how did the exam go? I’ve been so busy these past few days, I haven’t even had time to watch the live stream.”

Wang Zhong spoke with an air of nonchalance, as if he didn’t care at all about Jiang Yan’s exam results. Though, he would have been more convincing without the heavy dark circles under his eyes.

Ma Shan, ever the shrewd one, played along by stating the obvious.

“Hahaha, your Jiang Yan has really made a name for himself. He took the top spot in this year’s College Entrance Exam.”

“Oh, really? What a pleasant surprise. Come on in, have a seat.” Wang Zhong tried to keep his tone casual, but the corners of his mouth were practically reaching for the sky, leaving Jiang Yan and the other two utterly speechless.

Jiang Yan patted Wang Zhong on the shoulder. “Uncle, if you want to laugh, just laugh.”

“What nonsense are you talking about, kid?”

Jiang Yan walked into the living room and touched the tablet on the coffee table.

“Uncle Wang, your computer is so hot~”

“Get lost! Don’t think just because you got the top spot you’re all that. No matter how great you are, you still have to call me Uncle!” Wang Zhong retorted, his face flushing slightly with embarrassment.

Ma Shan and the other man didn’t overstay their welcome. After leaving a gift and exchanging a few pleasantries, they took their leave.

Sometimes, it’s best not to overdo it when trying to get close to someone. These two old-timers were seasoned veterans of the Jianghu and knew this well.

After they left,

Wang Zhong could no longer contain his smile. He even burst into laughter for no apparent reason, leaving Jiang Yan utterly bewildered.

Jiang Yan spoke with a tone of earnest advice. “Old Wang, you need to stay calm. Titles like top scorer in the College Entrance Exam are just routine for me.”

Wang Zhong shot back defiantly, “Hmph, I raised you with my own hands, what’s wrong with being happy for a bit?”

At lunchtime, another big shot arrived at Jiang Yan’s place.

Shen Donglin sat on the living room sofa, chatting and laughing with Jiang Yan, while Wang Zhong, sitting to the side, seemed somewhat uneasy, unsure where to put his hands and feet.

After all, Wang Zhong was just a retired soldier and a high school teacher. The highest-ranking official he usually encountered was someone like Lin Yuanshan. He had never met a figure as prominent as Shen Donglin.

“Young man, you’re quite famous now. Within a day, universities will be sending you admission offers. When that happens, make sure you stay composed and negotiate for the best terms.”

“Don’t worry, Uncle Shen, I know what I’m doing.”

Shen Donglin smiled with satisfaction and took out a ring from his pocket, handing it to Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan said, “This… isn’t appropriate, is it?”

Then, he accepted the ring.

No reward without merit—but since I earned the top spot and brought honor to the province, that’s merit enough.

This reward, I deserve it!

“Good kid, straight to the point.”

Shen Donglin praised him.

Indeed, no matter what a genius does, it’s always reasonable and worthy of praise.

“This spatial ring has a capacity of one cubic meter and was crafted by a spatial-type expert.”

“Inside the spatial ring, there’s a basic Martial Artist permission upgrade card. Take that card to the Martial Artist Tower to activate it, and your Martial Artist account will unlock more permissions. You’ll also be able to purchase items that aren’t available on the open market.”

“Aside from the permission card, there are also ten bottles of Spirit Gathering Liquid inside. After consuming the Spirit Gathering Liquid, your absorption rate of Qi will increase by about half. This should be enough to last you until the start of the school term.”

“And also…”

…

“These items are considered the rewards prepared by Southeast Province for you achieving the top score in the national college entrance examination.”

“If any universities come to recruit you tomorrow, make sure not to sign anything in the heat of the moment. Those old foxes are all cunning, without exception.”