More than two months had passed between the end of the ability test and his mother's admission to the hospital.
During that time, Yu Jing had been carefully tending to his mother's recovery while also contemplating the logistics of moving. After all, the Di Hua Academy of Extraordinary Abilities was located in Central Zone One—quite a distance from District Nineteen. Even the fastest aircraft required over two hours to cover the journey, and getting from their rural home to the nearest airport was even more time-consuming.
Although Yu Jing now had 3.5 million in cash, a quick search of Central Zone One's property prices online revealed a harsh reality—this amount was barely enough for a down payment. Considering that his mother had lived in their rural village for decades, surrounded by old friends and familiar faces, he ultimately decided it would be best for her to stay. He deposited 3 million into her account and resolved to return home during school holidays.
With his luggage packed, Yu Jing arrived at District Nineteen's airport. Though fully recovered, his mother insisted on accompanying him to see him off. Only after much gentle persuasion did she finally agree to stop at the airport entrance.
"Once you're at the Academy, you'll be on your own. Big cities..."
Like any parent seeing their child off to study far away, she repeated all sorts of practical reminders. Yu Jing never once felt annoyed; he simply nodded at each piece of advice with sincere patience. After giving one final reassuring promise, he took his boarding pass and walked into the terminal.
"Mom, I'll be back to visit during the holidays. Call me if anything comes up."
Without lingering sentimentality, Yu Jing turned and walked toward the direction indicated by the airport signs—his destination: the VIP lounge reserved for top-tier passengers. He hadn't paid for this flight himself. The price for this luxurious first-class ticket was 32,000 yuan—far too extravagant for Yu Jing, even if he had the money.
The ticket had arrived ten days prior, anonymously mailed to his home. But Yu Jing had a very good idea of who the sender was.
Inside the exclusive VIP lounge, he encountered a sharply dressed man in a well-fitted suit, briefcase in hand. His high-bridged nose, deep-set eyes, and striking blue crystalline irises suggested mixed heritage, though his skin tone revealed East Asian roots.
The night before, in the research institute, this same man had worn a brimmed hat that cast a shadow over his face. Coupled with the invisible pressure he radiated, Yu Jing hadn't been able to clearly see his features. But now, with all the clues lined up, Yu Jing could reasonably conclude that this was none other than the director of the District Nineteen Research Institute.
"Sit."
The first-class lounge had a total of eight seats. With only forty minutes left until boarding, no one else had entered the room. Yu Jing took the seat across from the man. True to his quiet nature, he tugged his hat brim lower and showed no intention of making conversation.
"Didn't expect you to have any connection with the Yu family. If you get the chance, try to spend more time around Yu Xiaoxiao."
"The Yu family… I'll definitely repay her for what she's done," Yu Jing responded calmly.
"You're a straightforward one," the man remarked. "Alright, let's board. This isn't the safest place to talk. I've reserved the entire top-tier first-class cabin on the plane. We can speak in absolute privacy there. From now on, address me as 'Agent Liang.' I'm your designated handler at Di Hua Academy."
Yu Jing nodded slightly and followed Agent Liang through the VIP passage to board ahead of the others.
Once inside the spacious first-class cabin, Agent Liang instructed the flight attendants to stay out for the duration. In the self-service beverage area, he prepared two extra-strong cups of hot coffee, handing one to Yu Jing.
"Your family matters should be settled by now. Once you're admitted, it'll be very difficult to return home. After two months, you should have some understanding of the plant inside your body. No need to demonstrate—just give me a brief report."
Though confident in the plane's security, Agent Liang still took precautions.
Yu Jing spoke in a low voice: "I haven't figured out much. Just two things. First, the plant in my arm can extract energy from any organic substance. Second, as long as I get enough sunlight during the day, both it and I can survive without food—though my daily water intake is triple that of a normal person."
Just as Yu Jing had described, he always kept a large bottle of mineral water in his backpack, ready to rehydrate at any time.
"No more?"
Yu Jing replied in a low voice, "Because you told me the organism in my body was of great importance, I didn't release it from my arm once during the entire break. I also didn't try to explore any of its other abilities."
"Good. Being able to restrain your curiosity about your own body is commendable. The specifics can wait until we're in my research lab at the Academy, where we'll have the proper environment to explore everything in detail. The reason I asked to meet you before enrollment officially begins is because, after some careful consideration, I decided there are certain things you need to know about Di Hua Academy—mainly to increase your odds of not dying during orientation... After all, while your test results were technically passing, you still ended up being killed in the simulation. I have to take that into account."
Yu Jing immediately latched onto a critical word. "Killed?"
Agent Liang gave a solemn nod. "Before official classes begin, all new students undergo a standard physical training assessment. According to historical records, the fatality rate during this training is as high as 11%. Even though all of you were carefully selected, you're still just a bunch of newly hatched chicks. When faced with real danger, your chances of dying are high."
"What kind of danger?" Yu Jing asked at once. "Will it be similar to the threats we faced during the test?"
"More dangerous. Far more lethal. As for the specifics, I don't know—that depends on what the Academy's leadership has planned this year. But one thing's for sure: they won't make it easy for you. Still, if you manage to survive and perform well during training, your first year at the Academy will be full of opportunities."
"Agent—" Yu Jing caught himself, "—I mean, Mr. Liang, what exactly is this Di Hua Academy?"
Liang looked at him for a moment, then said, "Even many graduates can't answer that question. It's something you'll have to uncover yourself during your four years there. Now, let's move on to your abilities. If, during training, you find yourself in danger—or even if you're killed—the organism in your arm is... not normal. You will inevitably be forced to use it. That means you'll need a reasonable explanation for its existence."
"You mean... you want to establish a formal connection between us? Since you're a biological specialist, you'll vouch that the plant in my arm is just some kind of rare but natural species?"
"You catch on quick, kid."
Agent Liang gave him a look of approval, then pulled a stack of documents and an official ID from his briefcase, handing them to Yu Jing.