Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After dinner, Gao Peng went to the school, as he still cared about the academic situation of the students. Moreover, it would be the new year in half a month. The festive atmosphere in cities and towns all across the entire Huaxia Region, small and large alike, was getting more prominent, and Yuzhou City was no exemption.
The students in the school also needed to consider their travel arrangements. Naturally, the sons and daughters of employees would return home to celebrate the new year, but around half the students in Tiange Academy were orphans.
As he was thinking, Gao Peng reached Tiange Academy. The holiday starts tomorrow, and these students still need to be taken care of, regardless.
It was a rest period after dinner, and groups of students were gathered around the sports stadium. The sounds of horseplay could also be heard from the halls, and students strolled in pairs or trios in the square, while others spoke softly to each other on the sides of the flowerbed.
So this is youth. Gao Peng sighed. I sure do miss these days.
As he reached the grove, a couple holding hands were whispering to each other.
Gao Peng’s face turned black as he saw that. How can they be dating at such a young age?! This is a place for learning and studying!
“Ehem.” Gao Peng cleared his throat. The sound was particularly crisp and clear in the grove.
Da Zi, who was following Gao Peng very closely, like a dog, also acted as if it had authority and tapped its maxillipeds on a tree bark while making the sound, “Tsk, tsk, tsk.” The antennae on its head shook in joy, like a pair of small electric-powered motors.
The startled boy and girl turned around and saw Gao Peng. It was already quite dark then, so they couldn’t clearly see Gao Peng’s face. They probably only saw a stylish young man standing on the other side of the grove with a short centipede on the ground beside him. It seemed like his familiar.
Naturally, with someone around, the atmosphere was ruined, so the boy and girl left the grove in a hurry.
Gao Peng also didn’t pursue them to take them to the moral education department. It would just be treating symptoms and not the underlying root problem. The students were at an age where their hormones peaked, and it was normal for them to feel something towards the opposite sex. The right plan would be to provide them with proper guidance.
As for bringing them to the moral education department, it was unnecessary unless the situation was very severe. Otherwise, it would only incite the rebellious spirit of adolescents during their rebellious age.
What were those two doing?! Da Zi sniffed in suspicion. It detected a strange odor that still hadn’t yet dispersed from the air.
“Gao Peng, were they mating?” Da Zi asked curiously.
“Mind your own business!”
“Gao Peng, have you never mated before?”
“None of your business!”
“Are you one of those alone forever people they mention on the internet?”
Gao Peng left the school and called the vice principal. “Principal Zhang, regarding the students who will be staying back, have you made any preparations or arrangements?”
“Principal, we’ve prepared to distribute a ceremonial porridge dish to all the students during the new year. At the same time, we’ll teach them how to make rice cakes and organize a dance… The main issue is that since there are so many students, some of the smaller-scale activities aren’t suitable.”
Gao Peng sounded his acknowledgment and said, “Okay, all those activities remain unchanged. One thing though: I’ll be staying at the school to celebrate the new year with the students, I’ll leave the preparations to you.”
“Ah.” Vice Principal Zhang was surprised, but he recovered very quickly. “All right, no problem. I’ll notify them tomorrow.”
Gao Peng rested for the night after he returned to his villa. The next day at dawn, Gao Peng and Ji Hanwu were already on the grass lawn with their clothes on.
The White Dragon crawled out of the lake as its clear blue eyes glowed. Gao Peng noticed that the horns on top of the White Dragon’s head had shown signs of branching out. On the top of each of the horns, a tiny branch emerged towards the back, slanted.
The White Dragon’s level had increased to Level 53. Levels increased more slowly after the King tier, and the difference between each level also increased.
For something like this to happen just as the new year approaches… Looks like the higher ups in Chang’an will be worrying throughout the new year. Gao Peng scanned his group of familiars and wondered who he should bring with him.
Ji Hanwu patted the White Dragon’s head and rubbed it soothingly. “They don’t have it easy. We’re living for ourselves while they have to take care of the population of an entire city.”
In an era where it was already quite difficult to survive alone, someone who would stand up to protect other people, regardless of the person’s private morality, showed public morality, so they weren’t usually spoken rashly about.
“Yes.” Gao Peng nodded. On this, he agreed with his grandpa. “Desolate Lion, Da Zi, Goldie, the three of you are with me.”
“Zhi, zhi, zhi.” The Treasure Sniffing Rodent crawled out from somewhere and hugged Gao Peng’s leg as it looked at him with sad puppy eyes.
Gao Peng frowned and said, “What’s the use in you going? You’re so weak, I would be distracted taking care of you.”
The Treasure Sniffing Rodent felt as if it had been stabbed in the heart. It stared in disbelief as its crying grew even worse.
“Gao Peng, take it along,” said the Desolate Frost Lion suddenly. “I heard about what happened in the desert. The more hazardous the place, the higher the chances of there being treasure there. Although this rodent is weak as sh*t, when it comes to looking for treasure, it’s still quite useful.”
“Okay. Then… you’ll also join us.” Gao Peng finally gave in.
The Treasure Sniffing Rodent looked at the Desolate Frost Lion in gratitude with teary eyes.
Da Zi started to say, “Gao Peng, why don’t we give the Treasure Sniffing Rodent and the White Steel Bladed Beast names? Everyone else has names, but they don’t—”
“Right. What Da Zi said makes sense,” Goldie interrupted.
Wisdom glowed in Goldie’s eyes. All the names Gao Peng made are absolute rubbish. It can’t just be us who have these ugly names!
Gao Peng didn’t decline. He glanced at the Treasure Sniffing Rodent and was quiet for a moment. Then he said, “Then we’ll call you Moneymaker, since you make money and find treasure. The White Steel Bladed Beast will be called Flowing Light, since I hope that one day it will move faster than light.”
What!? Goldie’s body trembled as it looked at Gao Peng in disbelief.
…You’ve changed.
“We can come back early if we go early. We’ll go there earlier, and we’ll be back for the new year once we’ve settled things!” said Grandpa loudly.
Ever since the Cataclysm, the festive mood of the new year became thicker every year. The new year was a time for everyone in the family to gather together and become closer to each other.
Fundamentally, it was to gather and stay warm. Surviving hadn’t been easy since ancient times, making it difficult just to live. Therefore, people from the same clans would maintain close relationships because they also hoped that if an accident were to happen to them, someone would at least come if they screamed for help.
As the quality of life increased for modern people, the festive mood of the new year also became lighter. People also became more independent, but after the Cataclysm came, the world returned to its initial status.
In Yuzhou University, the atmosphere was loud after school. It was a holiday, and the students and cars filled the school’s entrance. The sound of cars honking and familiars roaring, mixed in with the sound of students talking, was so loud that they dispersed the clouds in the sky.
Most cars were directed to park on the street outside, as they couldn’t enter the school. Only a handful of cars could enter.
Students with Flying-type familiars installed flight chairs manufactured by the Southern Sky Group on their familiars as they rode stylishly on their familiars to avoid the traffic congestion. As they flew past people, they also glanced at the people below them as smiles appeared on their faces. This was the benefit of choosing a Flying-type familiar!
The flight chair was actually just a small fixed chair installed on the backs of Flying-type familiars. It also came with a helmet and a jacket, and it could effectively avoid sad situations where monster trainers shivered after being hit by the cold and chilly wind high up in the air.
Gao Peng had even specially hired the guy who had held onto his Volcanic Vulture with snot dripping from his nose back during the National Youth Trainer Championship as a brand ambassador.
However, perhaps due to the clear before and after difference, the sales of the product were quite decent. It had the potential to become popular throughout the Huaxia market, but recently, many copycat products had been coming out. So, at that time, there was competition in terms of branding and product quality.
