Lin Fang stared at the little eagle, which puffed its feathers proudly once again, electricity dancing across its wings.
He didn't think long to name the eagle. "Lei Fei," he said softly. "Like thunder flying."
The eagle let out a sharp, proud cry, as if it approved.
Lin Fang shook his head with a smile. "Welcome to the family, Lei Fei."
He reached out, running a gentle hand over the soft, golden-edged feathers. They sparked slightly, but didn't hurt him. "First Po and now Lei Fei. A plainfolk like me can bond with such powerful monsters. I wonder how many I could control..."
He couldn't help but glance at the baby Po as it was trying to reach its paw as if patting the fledgling eagle. The latter screeched, swatting its chubby paw away.
"Even though it was just born, it already looked proud." He grinned at the sight."
A beat of silence later.
"Whatever the case…" Lin Fang shook his head and smiled faintly. "As long as I get them to Commander Tier, I could venture into the wilderness on my own, whether to hunt down the monsters or solo the dungeons. Leveling up is not a big deal for me, though. I have Growth Pills. All I need is more money…"
His facial expression froze for a moment. He grabbed his head, rubbing his forehead. "Ugh… just thinking about earning lots of money is stressing me out… I wonder when I will get used to this."
He leaned back and stretched, cracking his knuckles one by one.
"Let's not think too much... focus on things one after another."
A soft smirk crept up his face as he lay down for the final time and closed his eyes.
He imagined walking into the wilderness, riding a Giant Eagle while a giant Panda is clearing up the field. He exhaled slowly, a small laugh escaping his lips. "This house… This house is ridiculously lucky for me."
Po let out a tiny sneeze, waddling up to his chest and shutting its eyes while Lei Fei tilted its head in confusion before curling up beside him, going to sleep instead of exploring the room.
As the two monster companions slept, Lin Fang took out his phone and opened notes, mumbling.
"Alright, with two monsters as my arsenal, even if I don't possess mana, I can have the future of a hunter. With that said, a few things that needed to be noted down, based on today's date: June 14th, 2016.
The date is unknown, but I'm sure that somewhere in the second half of this year, a stellar rift will open up on Mt. Hua. By that time, I need to get the hunter license. And have some experience in fighting.
*One, Get a Hunter's License. *
*Two, Evolve Po and Lei Fei to Commander Tier*
*Three, Join a reputed guild*
After writing those three points in notes under the title: Goals, he once again mumbled, "If I remember correctly, on the eve of the upcoming Global New Year, there will be a terrorist attack on the City Hall, resulting in the death of the Mayor and dozens of casualties. It has nothing to do with me, but since I know it, I should do something about it to save those people. Unlike me, those poor souls don't have such miracle crystal pendants to give them second lives."
He typed in the notes.
*Four, Stop the Terrorist attack on City Hall on Dec 31st.*
"Hmm, of course, since I'm living in this house, I cannot lose this opportunity to connect with Li Liu. Whether she is straight or bi, doesn't matter, as long as her feelings for me are real."
*Five, get back together with Li Liu if she is not in a relationship with anyone else.*
"What about my business. I need steady growth, but I still need to earn money. But I cannot just depend on selling Panda King eggs. I need to think about investments, but…" He let out a sigh, massaging his forehead. "Due to the lack of money all the time, I never paid attention to the stock market before. But in the upcoming seven years, a few companies in Zhonggou will vastly grow to become behemoths. Luckily, I'm nothing but a tiny and lone butterfly. No matter what I do, I won't have enough power that I can create hurricanes with flapping my wings. So, I don't have to worry about it and invest a part of my savings. It would be nice if it were a small-time company, though. Is there anyone like that I can remember? Let's research it later."
*Six, look for companies and invest 500,000 credits. Use 200,000 credits in mutual funds. Keep the remaining for emergencies.*
"Okay, these six goals should be enough for now."
Lin Fang put away the phone and closed his eyes.
The next morning arrived like any other; like the past couple of days, the sunlight spilled into the shared apartment, there was a faint clattering from the kitchen, and the scent of ginger porridge wafted through the air.
Lin Fang stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the collar of his slightly outdated blazer.
He had chosen something modest but presentable.
His pants were ironed, his shoes were cleaned, small things, but today felt like a first step. Today, he intends to take a first step to achieve one of his goals.
He was just stepping out of his room when the kitchen filled with movement. Li Liu was there, her back facing him.
"Morning." He greeted her with an amiable smile.
"Ah… Yes. Morning." A quiet greeting escaped Li Liu, her back still facing him.
Lin Fang smiled, shaking his head. "I'll be back by lunch." He said. There was a subtle nod from Li Liu.
Lin Fang didn't mind it. He continued to walk away. He was about to exit the apartment. Just then, the door creaked open, and he saw his old classmate.
Zhi Yan had just returned from her jog. Her black tracksuit clung to her like a second skin, damp with sweat, hugging her form. The zipper was down halfway, her tank top underneath sticking to her curves, and her ponytail was pulled high, swaying with each step.
Lin Fang blinked. Then blinked again.
"Hey," she greeted, swiping a towel across her neck. "Morning."
He tried his best to keep his eyes locked on her face.
"Hi," he managed, offering a faint, composed smile.
Zhi Yan raised a brow, then glanced at his attire. "All dressed up this early? Where are you off to?"
"Research," Lin Fang said, clearing his throat. "I need to look into feed for avian-type monsters. Also… I'm heading to the Association. Planning to get a Hunter license."
She stopped mid-wipe, her eyes narrowing slightly. "A what? Hunter license? I thought your goal was to become a rich pet shop owner."
He chuckled dryly, subtly nodding his head. "That's still the plan. But right now, I'm nothing more than a middleman. I buy from someone and sell to someone else. No real growth. It's not sustainable in the long run. I want to acquire the monster eggs through my own efforts, you know, cutting the cost to nothing, thereby increasing the revenue."
Zhi Yan's towel stilled. She frowned, her expression shifting from amusement to concern. "But… you don't have mana, Classmate Lin. You're a plainfolk."
He nodded firmly with a steady gaze on her face. "I'm willing to risk it. And I have a plan."
She stared at him for a long moment.
Then, without a word, she glanced down the hallway, looked back at him, and said softly, "Let's go together."
"Huh?"
She didn't explain. "Just wait for a bit. I know someone. I'll introduce you to an expert."
Lin Fang blinked. "You… do?"
After a brief pause, he nodded. "Okay."
Zhi Yan gave a satisfied nod, flashed a small smile, and disappeared into her room.
Li Liu, who seemed like a silent spectator, couldn't help but glance at her room door and chuckled. "And she says they are just friends."
Meanwhile, Lin Fang stood in the hallway, heart beating just a bit faster. Maybe… It's because this seemed like a date? Or is it because he was nervous that Li Liu was going to misunderstand it? His gaze was fixated on Li Liu's back for a while, but she never turned back. She continued to be busy in the kitchen.
Exactly twenty minutes later, her door opened again.
Zhi Yan had changed into something simple like clean jeans, a light blouse that fell just below her waist, and a cardigan that softened the sharpness of her athletic frame. Her hair was down now, falling around her face in soft layers, and for a moment, Lin Fang just stared at her in a daze.
She looked… she just looked like this image of a girl next door who you want to see every day.
"Man, she is beautiful…" He couldn't help but think, but swiftly shook his head, "No… No… what are you doing… You want to get back together with Li Liu. Why are you getting attracted to Zhi Yan instead? Lin Fang… control your thoughts and emotions. She is nothing more than your old classmate and your landlord. Moreover, she was born with a silver spoon."
That calmed him down quickly, and he got up.
Zhi Yan adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag and met his gaze. "Let's go?"
He forced a smile, brushing a hand through his hair. "Yeah."
"Bye, Liuliu." Zhi Yan walked outside, waving her hands without looking back.
Li Liu didn't speak about that. Only after they finally exited, she exhaled in relief and turned around from the cooking. "Finally, they are gone." She put a hand on her thumping heart. "Why should Yan'er's friend have such good looks? Why wasn't he like Brother Hao? No, he isn't just handsome. It feels like he kinda went through some kind of transformation last night. Or else, why would my attraction toward him suddenly spike up today? But at the same time, I don't feel any jealousy. So, what I'm feeling is definitely not in line with romance." She grabbed her own cheeks, further mumbling. "I wonder what's wrong with me…"