Chapter 96: Completed
Nan Yu didn't rush him and quietly waited for him to regain his composure.
"I... I can't pay it back..."
Nan Yu smiled.
"How could you not?"
Chen Yuming stared blankly at him.
Nan Yu continued,
"Don't forget. If you seize this opportunity, you'll be able to return to the academy for up to three years. After those three years, you'll have the chance to take Marshal Yu's legion assessment. As long as you work twice as hard and improve yourself during those three years... you might just pass it."
"And once you've entered Marshal Yu's legion, tell me—what kind of money won't you be able to earn? You can pay me back then. Or, if you feel you owe me, you can pay me back with interest. How about that?"
Chen Yuming trembled slightly as he listened.
"R-Really...?"
Nan Yu narrowed his eyes with a smile.
"Of course it's true! When I first enrolled, you were still at the academy. Although we only overlapped for a year, I saw you fight when you graduated. Back then, you probably failed to receive Marshal Yu's assessment invitation because of your records. If you get another chance, I'm sure you'll succeed. So, Senior... are you willing to give yourself another opportunity?"
How could Chen Yuming not want another chance?
But one hundred million...
Was it really possible?
Could he truly have a free future again?
Nan Yu simply smiled at him.
Chen Yuming didn't hesitate for long. His gaze drifted through the transparent glass toward the room inside. The man lying on the bed was still waiting for him to go back and serve him.
His fingers tightened around the balcony railing.
"I accept... Thank you..."
Nan Yu nodded.
"My name is Nan Yu. You don't know me now, but once you arrive on the Capital Star, you'll become familiar with me very quickly."
Chen Yuming didn't quite understand what he meant, but becoming acquainted with such a cute junior certainly didn't sound like a bad thing.
"Alright."
Nan Yu blinked.
"By the way, Senior, you can't leave on your own right now, can you?"
Embarrassment flashed across Chen Yuming's face.
"That's right... If I break the contract, I'll have to pay him one hundred million in compensation. So someone else has to be present during our discussion."
Nan Yu smiled.
"Then there's no time like the present. Let's do it now. I'll negotiate with him. All you have to do is say you're terminating the contract. Leave everything else to me."
"And don't worry."
Seeing the hesitation on Chen Yuming's face, he comforted him.
"Don't forget that I'm contacting you on behalf of the Royal Military Academy of the Capital Star. No one has the right to interfere with your return. This isn't just backed by the academy. The Imperial Family and Marshal Yu are also behind this. Who do you think would dare openly oppose us?"
Perhaps Nan Yu's words truly reassured him.
Chen Yuming took a deep breath and finally revealed a genuine smile. He looked much more relaxed than before.
"You're right... Thank you..."
Nan Yu shook his head.
"Let's deal with the important business first. There'll be plenty of time to thank me later."
Chen Yuming nodded before sliding open the floor-to-ceiling window and walking back inside.
Standing at the foot of the bed, he looked directly at the man lying there.
"I'm terminating the contract."
The man who had been about to call him back into bed immediately changed expression.
He sat upright, the blanket barely covering the important parts of his body.
"Chen Yuming, do you know what you're saying?"
Chen Yuming answered seriously,
"Of course I do. He'll handle the rest."
He shared the communication screen with the man.
The moment Nan Yu saw him, a trace of disgust flashed through his eyes.
Earlier, the scene had been rather inappropriate, so he hadn't looked closely.
But now...
He realized the man looked extremely familiar.
Wasn't this Ye Zhiwu—the businessman who had always been crushed beneath the Lan brothers, Lan Feng and Lan Yu? And as time went on, the gap between him and the Lan family would only continue to widen.
"So it's President Ye Zhiwu. I've heard so much about you."
Ye Zhiwu dealt with countless influential figures on the Capital Star.
Although he had never formally met Nan Yu, he certainly knew what he looked like.
"You're Nan Yu?"
Nan Yu looked pleasantly surprised.
"Oh? I didn't expect President Ye to recognize me. In that case, let's keep this brief. I'll personally pay Senior's contract termination fee. Name your price."
Ye Zhiwu stared at him with an ugly expression.
"Nan Yu... I respect you very much. But this is a private matter between us. Are you certain you want to interfere?"
Nan Yu shook his head.
"If this were merely a private matter between the two of you, I naturally wouldn't interfere. But today I'm not acting on my own behalf. I'm representing the academy in contacting Senior. As for the exact reason, it's not convenient to disclose yet. You'll know in another couple of months."
"I hope you don't make a decision you'll regret for the rest of your life."
Ye Zhiwu's expression softened somewhat.
Since Nan Yu said he represented the academy, then the academy and the Imperial Family must be standing behind him.
Although Ye Zhiwu couldn't understand the reason, after thinking about it carefully, there was no way someone like Nan Yu would personally contact a senior who had fallen so low after graduation unless it involved the academy.
"One hundred million."
"The total compensation is exactly that amount. Once I receive the money, I'll destroy the contract."
Nan Yu nodded.
"No problem. I can transfer it immediately. As for the contract..."
Ye Zhiwu interrupted,
"Don't worry. I still have that much integrity. I just don't know whether I'll ever see him again."
Nan Yu understood.
Ye Zhiwu probably did genuinely like Chen Yuming.
Unfortunately, he had never learned how to treat someone he loved as an equal when their social statuses differed so greatly.
That was how things had ended up like this.
Still...
It had nothing to do with Nan Yu.
His mission was simply to contact these seniors.
"I've already transferred the money. You can destroy the contract now. I hope you'll keep your promise."
Ye Zhiwu pulled up the contract in front of him and destroyed it without hesitation.
At the same time, Chen Yuming received a notification informing him that the contract had become invalid.
He was free again.
Without saying another word, Chen Yuming turned around and left.
Without the slightest embarrassment, he stripped off the bathrobe, opened the wardrobe, quickly changed into a fresh set of clothes, and walked out.
Outside the room stretched a long corridor.
It appeared to be the main residence of a private villa.
Nan Yu said,
"By the way, Senior, the academy has also prepared five hundred thousand credits for you, along with an access pass. Once you arrive at the academy, simply show the pass and you'll be able to enter without any problems."
Chen Yuming nodded solemnly.
"Thank you."
Soon afterward, another five hundred thousand credits appeared in his account.
Nan Yu smiled.
"Then my task is complete. Hopefully the next time we meet, it'll already be at the academy."
Chen Yuming nodded.
"Alright. See you then."
Nan Yu ended the call.
Meanwhile, Chen Yuming hurried out of the private estate.
He didn't even own a hovercraft.
But even if he had to leave on foot, he would walk as fast as he possibly could.
He had endured enough.
Now that he had another chance to choose his own future, he absolutely would not let it slip away.
He would seize this opportunity with everything he had.
Nan Yu looked at the third name on the list and took a deep breath.
He knew this person very well in his previous life.
At least... later on.
In the beginning, he hadn't known him at all.
It was only after Nan Yu himself became a High-Tier Mental Power User—and even Bai Zhouyun had become a High-Tier Ability User—that this man gradually entered his field of vision.
Always standing faithfully behind Bai Zhouyun.
Like an utterly loyal dog.
Back then, Nan Yu had thought the man had willingly degraded himself by becoming someone else's dog.
He had never actually investigated the man's past.
He had never imagined that this name would appear on today's list.
Which meant...
He, too, had been one of the victims of this incident.
Nothing like this had happened in Nan Yu's previous life.
Perhaps those people who deserved punishment had never been exposed.
Or perhaps Bai Zhouyun had only helped eliminate them after obtaining this loyal dog.
Unfortunately, Nan Yu had never cared enough to investigate.
But if he contacted him now...
Maybe it wasn't too late.
He dialed the communication number.
No answer.
He called again.
Still nothing.
A third time.
Again unanswered.
Without giving up, he placed a fourth call.
This time, it finally connected.
Looking at the person who appeared on the screen, Nan Yu had just opened his mouth when he was struck by the despair and numbness filling the man's eyes.
For a moment...
Neither of them spoke.
The other party finally broke the silence first.
"What is it?"
Nan Yu snapped back to reality.
The sorrow and despair in those eyes ran so deep that it was obvious something terrible had happened.
Even so, he still had to speak.
"Hello, Senior Zheng Fengyin. My name is Nan Yu."
Zheng Fengyin didn't seem interested in talking.
He merely stared at Nan Yu with lifeless eyes, silently indicating for him to continue.
Nan Yu said,
"I'm contacting you today because there's something very important I'd like to discuss."
"A short while ago..."
He repeated everything once again.
From beginning to end.
Including the academy's decision to allow him to return and continue studying.
Including the opportunity to take Marshal Yu's legion assessment after at most three years.
After hearing everything...
Zheng Fengyin remained completely unmoved.
As though none of it had any meaning whatsoever.
Nan Yu couldn't understand why.
Should he ask?
Zheng Fengyin spoke first.
"I know."
"This is probably the best solution the academy could come up with."
"And I can see your sincerity."
Nan Yu asked,
"Then... are you willing to come back?"
Zheng Fengyin slowly shook his head.
There wasn't even the slightest hesitation.
"No."
"I don't need it anymore..."
Nan Yu frowned.
"Is there some difficulty, Senior? If you don't mind... could you tell me about it?"
Zheng Fengyin looked through the communication screen directly into Nan Yu's eyes.
It was as though he wanted to see straight into his heart.
The gaze made Nan Yu somewhat uncomfortable.
Still, he didn't look away.
"He..."
"...doesn't have much time left."
Nan Yu froze.
"Who?"
"My older brother..."
Nan Yu immediately understood that something serious had happened.
"What exactly happened?"
"If possible... tell me about it. Think of it as sharing some of the burden."
Zheng Fengyin silently turned the communicator.
Only then did Nan Yu realize that inside the room—outside the camera's previous angle—there was actually a hospital bed.
Someone was lying on it.
No...
He was tied to it.
One glance was enough to tell he was an Ability User.
The maddened appearance was painfully familiar.
He had been almost completely consumed by Mental Contamination.
Nan Yu had seen far too many Ability Users like this in his previous life.
"Is that your brother?"
Zheng Fengyin seemed not to hear the question.
Instead, he continued speaking.
"I'm an adopted child of the Zheng family."
"My brother was the one who found me on the street and brought me home."
"Only because of him did the Zheng family accept me."
"If it hadn't been for him, I would've starved to death long ago... or been picked up by traffickers. I don't even know what kind of life I'd be living now."
"But good people..."
"...never seem to live long."
"Or maybe they're simply the ones who get bullied the most."
"A few years ago, my parents offended someone because of business."
"That person's younger sister was a Mental Power User."
"She was married to the adjutant of a legion's general."
"They had tremendous influence."
"They never attacked us openly."
"They simply used underhanded methods behind the scenes to destroy the entire Zheng family."
"And in the end..."
"They got exactly what they wanted."
"My parents were killed."
"And even my brother..."
"My brother only wanted to protect me."
"Because of what happened to my records, he didn't want me joining another legion only to suffer discrimination."
"So he invested an enormous amount of credits so I could build my own team."
"But..."
"I was set up by their people."
"I became trapped on a planet overrun with Ability Beasts."
"There was no way out."
"My brother came to rescue me..."
"And that's why he ended up like this."
By this point, tears streamed down Zheng Fengyin's face.
He hadn't even realized he was crying.
Nan Yu opened his mouth, wanting to comfort him.
But he couldn't.
Because...
The moment he heard the story, he already understood everything.
It sounded melodramatic.
Yet things like this truly happened in reality.
While Zheng Fengyin spoke, Nan Yu carefully observed the man tied to the bed.
If he treated him personally...
Perhaps...
He could still be saved.
"Have you already had Mental Power Users examine him?"
"Is there really no hope at all?"
Zheng Fengyin remained dazed for a moment before finally realizing Nan Yu had asked him a question.
He looked at the person lying on the bed.
"Every Mental Power User who came..."
"...said he couldn't be saved."
Nan Yu blinked.
"Senior, I'm afraid I can't agree with that."
"From what you've told me, the Zheng family has already completely fallen, right?"
"I'm sorry—I don't mean anything by it."
"I simply mean that if that's true..."
"How outstanding could the Mental Power Users you were able to hire really be?"
"Or let me ask differently."
"Among every Mental Power User you've consulted..."
"What's the highest level?"
Zheng Fengyin blinked.
It was as though he'd only just regained his senses.
"I'm... not sure."
"I think..."
"...Mid-Tier Mental Power Users."
Nan Yu continued,
"Then compared to the Mental Power User students back when you studied at the Royal Military Academy..."
"How do they compare?"
Zheng Fengyin hesitated.
"They're... probably about the same."
Nan Yu smiled.
"If that's what you think..."
"Then why do you believe that just because they said he couldn't be saved..."
"...it means he truly can't be saved?"
Zheng Fengyin was speechless.
Panic slowly spread across his face.
"Th-Then..."
"What should I do now?"
Nan Yu immediately realized he'd completely lost his composure because the person most important to him was on the verge of death.
He couldn't even think of the simplest solution anymore.
"Senior."
"Don't panic."
"If you want the best Mental Power Users..."
"You should come to the Capital Star."
"And once you're here, you won't have to worry about those people causing you trouble anymore, right?"
Zheng Fengyin's eyes widened.
"That's right..."
"That's right..."
"Why didn't I think of that before?"
"Why didn't I think of it?"
"I'll go."
"I'll leave for the Capital Star immediately!"
Nan Yu smiled confidently.
"By the way, Senior..."
"Do you know who the strongest Mid-Tier Mental Power User on the Capital Star is right now?"
Zheng Fengyin froze before quietly looking at him.
"You're Nan Yu..."
"That's right..."
"I remember now."
"You're the Mid-Tier Mental Power User everyone talked about after enrolling."
"I always thought those were just rumors..."
Nan Yu smiled.
"Senior."
"Once you arrive on the Capital Star with your brother, contact me directly."
"I'll examine him myself."
"If even I can't save him..."
"Then there really won't be any other choice."
"At that point..."
"...we'll probably have to seek out a High-Tier Mental Power User."
But with the Zheng family's current status...
Their wealth...
Their contribution...
It wasn't nearly enough.
"Really?"
"Really...?"
Nan Yu nodded.
"Of course."
"So I hope you won't give up this opportunity."
"What do you think?"
At that point, Zheng Fengyin couldn't care less about anything else.
Whatever Nan Yu said...
He would do it.
To him, Nan Yu had become the timely rain that arrived in the middle of a drought.
His savior.
After giving him everything he was supposed to receive and repeatedly confirming the details, Nan Yu finally ended the communication.
He let out a long sigh.
Judging from the condition of the man tied to the bed...
He wasn't completely confident.
And when Zheng Fengyin said there wasn't much time left...
He wasn't exaggerating.
At most, the man probably had another two or three years before his Mental Sea completely collapsed and he died.
It was obvious that he'd been flooded with an enormous amount of Mental Contamination within a very short period.
Did Nan Yu have confidence he could handle a case like this?
Honestly...
It would be difficult.
But everything depended on the actual situation.
He had to see the patient in person before making a decision.
If even he couldn't save him...
Then they really would have to wait until Nan Yu himself became a High-Tier Mental Power User.
Fortunately...
He wasn't very far from that level anymore.
In his previous life, it had taken another three or four years.
This lifetime...
Perhaps only one or two years would be enough.
After all...
His talent and potential were genuine.
They were real.
Nan Yu contacted the remaining two people.
Their situations were much more ordinary.
They hadn't suffered enough to completely lose their desire for another chance.
Once his task was finished, he stood up and left the room.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw Yang Zhou waiting outside.
Yang Zhou looked surprised.
"Nan Yu, you're so fast. I heard everyone else takes a long time."
Nan Yu smiled.
"I'm responsible for fewer people. That's probably why I finished earlier than everyone else."
"It's getting late."
"Let's hurry and eat."
"I'm starving."
Nan Yu had no intention of telling Yang Zhou about the people he'd contacted.
As for the first three...
He had already mentally reserved them.
As long as nothing unexpected happened...
They would definitely become members of Marshal Yu Lanfeng's legion in the future.
He truly was conscientious.
He hadn't even officially become the legion's other master yet, and he was already recruiting talented people for himself.
Yang Zhou rubbed his completely flat stomach.
"I'm starving too."
"Let's eat!"
With that, the matter came to a temporary end.
After every former student had been notified...
Not a single one of the three hundred and fifty people declined.
Every single one chose to return.
Rumor had it that they were all incredibly excited.
The student living closest arrived at the academy only two or three days later.
As soon as they arrived, they were taken to the dormitory building that had been prepared for them.
They settled in first and were allowed to attend public classes so they could gradually readjust to academy life.
Otherwise, once formal studies began, they might not even understand what was happening.
These seniors who had already been beaten down by society truly worked harder than anyone else.
More than once, Nan Yu and Yang Zhou saw them training all over the academy in their own ways.
As time slowly passed...
The first of the three people Nan Yu cared about finally arrived.
As expected...
Zheng Fengyin was the fastest.
The moment he reached the Capital Star, he came directly to the academy.
After completing the enrollment procedures and settling into his dormitory, he immediately contacted Nan Yu.
Unfortunately...
Nan Yu was in class.
The instant he saw Zheng Fengyin's name on the communicator, he rejected the call and quickly sent a message.
"In class. Wait until I'm done."
After reading the reply, Zheng Fengyin simply lay motionless in his dormitory.
Until he knew whether his brother could be saved...
He would probably remain like this.
For the first time ever, Nan Yu desperately wished class would end sooner.
He wanted to contact the senior who had already lost all hope.
Finally...
Class ended.
Nan Yu immediately sent Yang Zhou away before contacting Zheng Fengyin alone.
Very quickly, Zheng Fengyin arranged to meet him at the academy entrance.
Nan Yu had no objections.
He simply headed over.
Before long, he spotted Zheng Fengyin waiting outside the school gate.
Without saying a word, Zheng Fengyin immediately led Nan Yu away.
Because they met right outside the academy gates, plenty of people saw them.
Everyone immediately began guessing that Nan Yu had accepted another commission.
But they quickly dismissed the idea.
After all, Zheng Fengyin was one of the recently returned students—one of the victims.
Perhaps...
It was something else entirely.