"Liu Dan, wait a second!"
Just as Liu Dan dragged his weary body through the front gate, he heard a familiar voice—Auntie Zhang from next door.
He stopped and greeted her politely, "Auntie Zhang, what's the matter?"
Her face lit up with joy. "You've been accepted to Xinhua University! The school called and asked you to pick up your admission letter!"
Liu Dan smiled instinctively. "Thank you, Auntie. I'll head over right away."
As she watched the soft, warm smile on Liu Dan's face, a pang of sorrow struck Auntie Zhang's heart. Such a good child, she thought. So well-mannered, so thoughtful. Why did Heaven have to be so cruel?
Liu Dan once had a happy family. His father was a workshop supervisor at a major company, and his mother worked as a cashier at the same firm. With decent incomes and a loving relationship, they had raised Liu Dan with care and discipline. Everyone in their neighborhood knew him as a bright, polite, and exceptional child.
Then, during Liu Dan's first year of high school, tragedy struck. The family went on a road trip and were involved in a devastating car accident. His parents died on the spot. The drunk driver responsible fled the scene.
Since then, Liu Dan had lived alone, surviving on the five or six thousand yuan his parents had saved. Now, that money was nearly gone.
But his parents had raised him to be strong. After school, he washed dishes at a Western-style restaurant, earning five to six hundred yuan a month—just enough to get by. His academic performance remained excellent, and neither the school nor his classmates ever suspected he was an orphan. He was always gentle and kind but kept to himself, never forming close friendships.
"You should go now," said Auntie Zhang. "And afterward, come have dinner at our place. I asked Xiao Qian's father to make something special to celebrate."
"Thank you, Auntie. I'll head out right away." Liu Dan waved goodbye and went to the parking lot to retrieve his slightly worn bicycle. As he rode toward school, thoughts swirled in his mind—How will I afford college? He had to go. That was his parents' final wish. But no matter how much he scrimped, their savings were almost gone.
Part-time jobs wouldn't help much. He was just a high schooler—no one was going to pay him a real salary.
As the city streets flew by, bustling and bright, Liu Dan felt lost.
—
About ten minutes later, he arrived at school. The academic office was already crowded with graduating seniors collecting their admission letters. Liu Dan recognized a few classmates, but everyone was too caught up in their own joy to chat.
He knocked on the door and saw a group of students laughing with a teacher—his homeroom teacher, surrounded by his classmates.
"Hey, Liu Dan! What kind of super brain supplement did you take? You nabbed the top score in the whole school!" joked a plump boy with huge nostrils and a goofy grin—Huang Daming, Liu Dan's deskmate for three years.
"It's simple. I shrank my nostrils and my IQ went up," Liu Dan replied with a grin.
Everyone burst out laughing.
Back in their first year, Huang Daming tried to impress everyone with a circus trick, only to accidentally suck a rubber eraser into his nose. He had to go to the hospital to get it removed. Ever since, his nostrils had remained red and oversized—a running joke among classmates.
"Boss, I've sinned. Please forgive your humble follower," Huang said dramatically.
Other classmates came over to congratulate Liu Dan, and he thanked each one with a smile.
Once the noise settled, the teacher handed him a thick envelope. "You're the first student from our school ever accepted to Xinhua University. Here's a scholarship from the school—a little reward for your achievement."
Liu Dan thanked her, took the letter, and headed straight to Auntie Zhang's house.
Xiao Qian opened the door. Her full name was Zhou Qian, a second-year middle school student. Their families had been close for years, and Liu Dan had practically watched her grow up. She often treated him like an older brother—and teased him just as often.
"Brother Dan, you're here to steal my mom again!" she cried playfully.
Since his parents passed away, Auntie Zhang had looked after Liu Dan like her own son. Every time he came over, Zhou Qian would repeat that same line, then hug his arm and pout: "I'll share my mom with you, but only if you take me to the park on Saturday. Okay? Promise?"
Liu Dan smiled helplessly. "Alright, alright."
In the dining room, Zhou Qian's father was busy cooking.
"Uncle Zhou, I'm here," Liu Dan called out.
"Xiao Dan, good to see you. Go watch TV with Xiao Qian. Dinner's almost ready."
"Yay! Come play games with me!" Zhou Qian cheered, grabbing his hand and dragging him away before he could respond.
After a while, Auntie Zhang came home, and the whole family sat down to eat.
"Liu Dan," she said gently, "I've watched you grow up. I know you're a good kid. You're heading off to Nancheng soon. If you ever need anything, come to us."
Zhou Qian gasped. "Nancheng?! You really got into Xinhua University?!"
Liu Dan put on a wounded face. "And here I thought we were close. I take you out all the time, and you don't even know which college I got into? So sad. I might have to cancel that park trip…"
He winked at the adults, who chuckled knowingly.
"No, no! I just didn't want you to go so far away!" she blurted, then turned to her mother. "Mom, tell him I care!"
Auntie Zhang laughed. "Silly girl, your brother is teasing you."
Zhou Qian scowled. "You're so mean, Brother Dan. I really do care!"
Liu Dan smiled and patted her head. "Okay, okay. How about this—Saturday, we'll go to the park and I'll buy you a burger at McDonald's."
"I knew you loved me best!" she beamed.
Uncle Zhou raised a glass. "Xiao Dan, here's to your future. May everything go smoothly at Xinhua."
—
After dinner, Liu Dan returned to the apartment where he had grown up. It was a two-bedroom place, clean and orderly, just as his parents had kept it. Maintaining it was his way of remembering them.
He took a shower, returned to his room, and opened the envelope.
"Xinhua University." The bold characters sent a wave of excitement through him. One of the top schools in the nation—world-renowned for economics and business management. His major? Business administration.
Another envelope was tucked inside. Curious, he opened it and found… 8,000 yuan.
He stared. 8,000?! His high school had a reputation for being tight-fisted—other schools gave 3,000 to national award winners, his only gave 1,500. If Daming found out, he'd be green with envy.
"Eight thousand plus ten thousand… That's enough to cover the first-year tuition of twelve grand. The rest—I'll figure out later."
Liu Dan was a natural optimist. To him, the future was full of possibilities.
Everything settled, he sat cross-legged and began his nightly routine—training in the Liu family's secret martial art.
For generations, the Nameless Divine Art had been passed down, its origin unknown. It was said that when mastered, it could unlock boundless potential—sharpening the senses, and perhaps, transcending human limits.
For years, Liu Dan had doubted its truth. Even his father had practiced for decades with little to show for it. But after his parents' death, everything changed.
During one grief-stricken session, he had felt it—a swirl of energy, hot and cold, circulating between his chest and abdomen. Afterward, he could memorize textbooks in a single sitting. When exhausted from work, a few cycles of energy made him feel brand new.
To him, it was a miracle. And now, it was part of his life.
He closed his eyes and began to train, unaware that the greatest change was yet to come…