NOVEL NEXT Chapter 265: 24 Years Later
Time flew by, months and days passing like a shuttle.
In an inconspicuous corner of Pangu Continent, the 18th human civilization developed unprecedentedly for twenty-four years.
This year, Lu Yuan was sixty-six years old.
Compared to his long lifespan, this period of time was just a drop in the ocean.
Apart from a temperament that grew even more composed, his appearance had barely changed.
Yet these twenty-four years were unprecedentedly fulfilling, as if he had switched from a wandering, destitute life to a relatively stable one.
He was mainly responsible for the education of over fifty thousand children, teasing the girls (and only teasing), researching engravings, studying the science of creating extraordinary items, and reflecting on the development of civilization—it was indeed a very comfortable twenty-four years.
On this day, a grand graduation ceremony took place at Green Grass School near the Opium poppy tree.
The first batch of the smartest children... graduated!
[My name is Lu Tiantian, and I am 24 years old this year.]
[After 20 years of study, I have obtained my doctorate and graduated smoothly from the school.]
[Oh, right, as a super-thinker, I have completed doctoral courses in six majors, being one of the most outstanding students among all.]
[Sigh, I can't hang around at school anymore...]
[I am about to enter society, feeling somewhat bewildered, meaning I have to make contributions to the whole society.]
[I am not sure about my personal ability—whether I can achieve results, or perhaps, I am just wasting the resources of human civilization?]
[Although I have participated in some societal internships, I feel like I am quite impressive, but real practice and experiential knowledge are two different matters.]
[What new and interesting future is waiting for me?]
"Lu Tiantian, hurry up! Stop writing in your diary and go see Dada! He's definitely coming today. Give me some money; I want to buy a gift for him."
A female voice rang beside him, his elder sister by two months.
"Why think of bursting Gold Coins as soon as we meet..."
"Haha, that's just a saying... from the interesting expressions of the human mother civilization."
Their entire family, starting from kindergarten, gradually reduced contact with Lu Yuan and the virtual images of Conch Mother.
There were six children, growing up together.
Though they had no blood relation, as time passed, a bond of kinship still formed.
The sister always had a fan-like enthusiasm for "Dada," that is, Lu Yuan.
Lu Tiantian said displeasedly, "The last time he came to school, his clothes were almost torn off by you guys. You all swarmed around him like madmen, I think you lacked elegance."
The sister puffed her cheeks: "I still want to go see him! Hurry up! If we take too long, he'll run away."
"You go with our younger sister, I'll come in a bit."
"You're really not serious, always writing in your diary every day!"
After his sister and younger sister left, Lu Tiantian continued writing in his diary: [When we were very young, we were raised by Dad Lu and Conch Mother, although as I grew older, I gradually realized that those were virtual images, not real parents.]
[But he indeed held us in his arms...]
[Actually, many people, including my siblings, don't really care about these matters.]
[If really pressed, we are all children without parents; we became orphans in that disaster.]
[Having someone to give us love is better than having no one at all... Anyway, we just muddle along like this.]
[Only I, as a super-thinker, would want to explore some truths.]
[I still have some childhood memories.]
[I remember Dad Lu always held me, lifted me high, prepared formula milk, and changed diapers.]
[Mommy was more like a little child, responsible only for looking pretty. She laughed constantly by the side, occasionally reaching out to touch my feet.]
[Undying Giant Turtle prepared formula milk, and Old Wolf accompanied me as I grew up.]
[They, that day, seemed more alive than usual, leaving a deep impression on me.]
[Dad Lu was researching engravings, he said that engravings are our future, that if we don't establish a solid foundation, we will ultimately be eliminated... that made me nervous for a while, I almost cried out loud.]
[So, I also secretly studied, and Dad Lu was so much better than me! He is indeed impressive.]
[They are also quite loving, often flirting in front of me? Sometimes even coyly hesitating for a while before showing affection.]
[I highly doubt whether they are really a couple?]
[Could there be some incredible secret? Truly puzzling, I want to uncover this truth on the day of graduation.]
While writing, Lu Tiantian couldn't help but laugh.
[Maybe, they thought I wouldn't retain any memories. But unexpected to them, I am indeed a possessor of Divine Skill.]
[I had memories from when I was a month old... The very first memories were indeed not ordinary, recalling them now feels like a nightmare...]
[I can recall the scene of being rescued... Never mind, let's not talk about that.]
[Of course, maybe influenced by this couple from a young age, our temperaments are pretty mild and kind.]
[My sisters, just like Mommy, possess a naive and kind beauty.]
[We three brothers are also quite composed; the eldest is a cultivation fanatic, the second loves engineering technology, and I prefer reading, wanting to learn a bit of everything.]
[My own personality, actually, is not very simple, kind land can also sprout black flowers.]
[But I like everyone's simplicity; I want to protect this world! I love human civilization!!]
Writing this, Lu Tiantian laughed again, finding his adolescent fantasies very serious—"protecting this world" and such, was rather embarrassing.
But he really thought that way; he liked it here and was eager to make a mark.
"Hurry up!" The silly sister was actually waiting for him at the door, grabbing his ear and rushing towards the school gate.
Today was the last day of the final exams.
Green Grass Paradise was temporarily closed to the students, and everyone was to engage in outdoor activities.
The playground and various large sports halls were filled with recruitment advertisements.
Since the first batch of students was about to enter society, finding a job in Sky City was easy given the current labor shortage.
Moreover, those who graduated first were the sharpest minds, making them highly sought-after talents.
From afar, Lu Tiantian could see the bustling crowd...
"Ho, I told you, don't join the crowd."
...
Every time he came to school, Lu Yuan was overwhelmed with excitement.
He was too popular, each child cheering to greet him, as if they couldn't wait to snatch a piece of him.
But how could he embrace so many people?
After all, he wasn't a real father, so to make a little distinction, the children called him "Dada." Of course, many children privately called him Dad Lu.
Conch wasn't a real mother either, so the children addressed her as "Mommy."
These two nicknames were quite amusing...
Conch was a little jealous seeing how popular Lu Yuan was, wondering why everyone loved you every time and not me?
Shouldn't it be the other way around, loving Mommy?
Lu Yuan rolled his eyes secretly: Duh, didn't you see who cares more?
Who is the one giving out benefits?
"Everyone... hold on a second."
Finally calming the restless crowd, Lu Yuan looked at those youthful faces and smiled— he couldn't speak all formally like a boss, after all.
With so many children, what to do, online waiting, very urgent!
"What gifts do you want? With so many people, the salary saved over the years isn't enough to give away."
Everyone was roaring with laughter.
"How about this, what do you want to know? I can answer anything." Lu Yuan was originally planning to answer some life questions, "I'm the man who ventured alone on Pangu Continent. With my old buddies..."
"We've heard that a hundred times, we want to know the gossip!" someone shouted from the crowd.
"Yes, we want to know the gossip, not anything else!"
Human Civilization Number 18 wasn't particularly powerful.
But this batch of children was indeed raised lavishly, possessing a modern mindset and being very diligent and eager to learn, deeply loving their own civilization.
In other words, their ideological stance was somewhat similar to the Green Grass People, somewhat naive and innocent.
It was an unavoidable thing.
Without external diverse disturbances, people tend to be more naive but perform better academically and have a more idealized ideology.
"What gossip? But don't ask anything too weird, although you're adults too and can marry and have kids," Lu Yuan bemoaned with a straight face.
"When are you and Mommy going to have a baby? With so many big brothers and sisters around to protect him, let the little kid be born soon!" Lu Tiantian, hidden in the crowd, sneakily stirred up trouble.
The crowd immediately turned uproarious, hilariously happy.
"..." Lu Yuan was silent, who asked that, step forward!
"Can you kiss each other? I don't remember you guys kissing when I was little, I want to see!"
"Ah? It seems to be true..."
The crowd was confused and grew wildly agitated.
Conch covered her face.
"Do you guys sleep together at night?" Lu Tiantian once again sneakily hiding among the crowd, mischievously adding, "You haven't... divorced, have you?"
The crowd was immediately in an uproar, blockbuster news, shocking all of humanity!
Lu Yuan, looking at all those curious faces, was sweating bullets, what kind of bizarre questions were these? Who asked that?
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Should you be talking about your elders like this?
He turned around and kissed Conch on the face.
Then, dragging the girl, he fled!
The crowd burst into laughter and cheers, noisy and truly overflowing with youth.
Someone began shouting, "Do it again."
24 years had passed, and Lu Yuan was now at a level 6 grandmaster's standard.
Escaping from the students was still a breeze.
He flew through the crowd like a whirlwind, finally dropping a line: "We're doing well!"
...
(PS: Mid-month plea for monthly tickets!)