I Start with a Mysterious Island-Chapter 71: Countless Roads, Safety First

"Liu Yanmin, congratulations! Now that you’re a Cultivator, finding a job will be so much easier than for a normal person." Li Lin congratulated Liu Yanmin, her face filled with envy.

Lin Li, Zhang Dawei, and the others also congratulated her, but afterward, they all turned to look at the impassive Lin Li.

Among the six of them, only Lin Li and Liu Yanmin had awakened their Spirituality, possessing the qualifications to become a Cultivator.

While Liu Yanmin’s cultivation aptitude wasn’t outstanding, it was much stronger than Lin Li’s. Case in point, she hadn’t even trained much, yet she still managed to become a Cultivator after graduation.

Meanwhile, they had heard that Lin Li had put in a great deal of effort to become a Cultivator, training diligently for years.

But because his aptitude was so poor, he made very little progress. It was practically impossible for him to ever become a Cultivator in this lifetime, so he eventually faced reality and gave up on the idea.

’Hey, don’t look at me with such pity!

I’m a Cultivator now—a Second Rank Initial Stage Cultivator, even. I’m countless times stronger than Liu Yanmin, who just barely reached the First Rank Initial Stage.’

Unable to reveal his true situation, Lin Li chose to ignore the pitying looks from his classmates. He silently picked up his chopsticks and devoted himself to demolishing the delicious dishes on the table.

Seeing his reaction, they all mistakenly assumed he was feeling down, so they subconsciously decided to drop the subject of Liu Yanmin becoming a Cultivator and switched to other topics.

As he ate, Lin Li secretly extended his Spiritual Perception, trying to probe for Spiritual Energy Waves from Liu Yanmin, who was sitting to his right.

Oh well! No luck.

’After all, she isn’t channeling her Spiritual Energy right now, so of course there are no Spiritual Energy Waves. No matter how I use my Spiritual Perception, I’m not going to get anything.’

It’s hard for classmates to get together again after graduation.

Someone was always busy whenever a get-together was suggested.

Today was a rare occasion where everyone managed to gather for a meal to celebrate Zhang Dawei’s birthday, and the conversation was naturally lively and cheerful.

It’s only after you graduate, enter the workforce, and start dealing with the real world that you truly appreciate how relaxed and carefree your school days were...

By the time the birthday dinner ended and everyone left the restaurant, it was already dark.

The dim yellow glow of the streetlights mingled with the dazzling colors of neon signs, weaving together to clothe the city in a vibrant garment.

Lin Li said his goodbyes to his classmates and headed for the parking lot.

During the birthday dinner, thanks to Zhang Dawei’s goading, Lin Li had had quite a bit to drink.

He had felt fine inside the restaurant, but the moment he stepped outside, a sudden gust of wind hit him. The alcohol rushed to his head, leaving him feeling dizzy.

"My head is spinning. This feels awful. I really don’t get what’s so great about drinking..." Lin Li mumbled to himself as he slowly walked toward his parking spot.

It’s like they say: a million roads, but safety comes first. One reckless move behind the wheel, and your family pays with tears.

’Oh, right. I still need to call for a designated driver!’

Suddenly remembering he hadn’t called for a driver, Lin Li stopped in his tracks. He leaned against a roadside tree, pulled his phone from his pocket, and opened an app for designated drivers.

After placing the request with a few taps, Lin Li continued toward the parking lot.

WHOOSH...

RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE...

The wind, which had picked up suddenly, began to blow harder, making the branches of the roadside trees sway back and forth with a loud rustle.

’The weather’s turning. Is it going to start pouring soon? I still have clothes hanging out to dry on the balcony!

And if it is going to rain, I hope it gets it over with tonight. If it’s still raining tomorrow morning, the Mutant Beast cleanup operation organized by the Exotic Beast Hunter Guild might get postponed.’ 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Muttering to himself, Lin Li felt the wind grow even stronger as he walked into the parking lot.

Happiness Garden District.

CLICK.

The door to the steam-filled bathroom opened, revealing a slender figure.

Su Yue, fresh from a shower, glided out of the steamy bathroom. She was wearing a black silk slip.

Her sleek, jet-black hair cascaded over her fair shoulders. Her lovely face was slightly flushed, her rosy lips plump and alluring. She radiated a seductive charm.

RING RING RING...

Su Yue had just stepped out of the bathroom when her phone, which she’d left on the living room sofa, suddenly began to ring. She hurried into the living room.

’Why is he calling me so late!’ Su Yue picked up the phone from the sofa and glanced at the caller ID. It was Zhang Xiaohao, the guy who kept asking her out to dinner.

"Hello."

"Su Yue, it’s me. You’re not asleep yet, are you?" Zhang Xiaohao asked, a hint of excitement in his voice as he heard her pleasant tones.

Su Yue sat down on the sofa, phone in her left hand, her right index finger twirling a strand of her silky hair. "Not yet," she said. "Is there something you needed?"

"I heard from your mom that you’ll have a day or two free after you finish subbing tomorrow. I was hoping to ask you out to dinner and a movie."

"..." Su Yue went silent. ’What is Mom doing?’ she complained internally. ’Why does she keep telling him my schedule?’

When he was met with silence, Zhang Xiaohao thought the call had dropped. He pulled the phone away from his ear to check the screen and saw they were still connected. "Su Yue, are you there?" he asked.

"Sorry," Su Yue said, quickly racking her brain for an excuse. "I have plans with a friend the day after tomorrow..."

"..." This time it was Zhang Xiaohao’s turn to fall silent. But he recovered quickly, organizing his thoughts before speaking.

"Su Yue, I know you’re not looking to date anyone right now, and I’m not asking you out with any other intention.

I just think that since our parents have been good friends for so many years, we, as their children, should at least meet up and get to know each other a little, you know?"

His words were so reasonable that Su Yue couldn’t find another excuse to refuse his earnest invitation.

"I don’t have time during the day," she relented. "Would sometime in the evening work?"

"Yes, of course! I’ll book a restaurant for tomorrow night then. I can drive over and pick you up." Seeing that his appeal to their family connection had worked, Zhang Xiaohao was ecstatic.