At noon that day, instructor Jiang Nian took Luo Feng with him to headquarters, where they had a lively meal with some martial artists. It was not until evening that Luo Feng returned home in Yangzhou City.
At dusk, the streetlights in the South Bank residential area had already been lit.
Three middle aged men, covered in sweat, were walking through the neighbourhood chatting and laughing. As they got closer, one could smell the timber and paint on their bodies.
“My waist really hurts badly. I’ll probably have to sleep lying on my stomach tonight,” one burly middle aged man said in pain and frustration while holding his waist. “And my prostate hurts too. I should go to the hospital sometime soon. Damn it, hospitals are so expensive.”
“Old Tian, why don’t you take a couple of days off and tell the boss? Go back to work when you feel better,” Luo Feng’s father, Luo Hongguo, said.
“Yeah, Old Tian, it’s not worth ruining your body,” the slightly fat man beside him added.
“Mm, I know what I’m doing. Alright, I’m heading home first,” the burly man said as he turned toward a residential building. After exchanging a few more sighs with the slightly fat man, he also headed toward another building.
Under the dim streetlights, Luo Hongguo slowly walked toward his home.
“32 floors!” Luo Hongguo stood at the ground floor and looked up the staircase. For modern people, climbing 32 floors was not difficult, but after a day of exhausting work, even walking felt tiring for him. “My neck and waist hurt too. I should find time to rest.”
Step by step, Luo Hongguo climbed all the way to the 32nd floor.
“Ding dong, ding dong!” Standing at his door, he pressed the doorbell, too lazy to even take out his key.
Click.
The door opened, and he immediately saw a very lavish dinner table inside. There were more than ten dishes on the table. Even during the New Year, his family would never be this extravagant.
“What’s going on? Why did you prepare so much good food?” Luo Hongguo said with slight dissatisfaction, though still smiling as he entered.
“Ta da!” Luo Hua, sitting in a wheelchair, shouted loudly. “Dad, welcome home!”
“Dad!” Luo Feng stood nearby, carefully holding a cup of tea and handing it to his father, saying, “From today onwards, you don’t need to wear that work shirt anymore!”
“Hm?” Luo Hongguo froze.
“Old Luo,” his wife Gong Xinlan said with a smile while holding a bowl, “our son just signed a contract with the Extreme Martial Arts School. Once he passes the martial combat assessment, he will get 20 million startup funds. He has also been allocated a standalone villa, and he already brought the keys back.”
“What?” Luo Hongguo was stunned. “Xinlan, what did you say?”
“Dad, look.” Luo Feng handed him the contract.
Luo Hongguo took it and carefully read it from the first line to the last. He did not dare miss a single word, just like when he once carefully read their marriage certificate again and again.
“This, this… isn’t the funding only given after the martial combat assessment?” Luo Hongguo could not believe it. “And how is there 20 million startup funds?”
After passing the trainee martial artist assessment, Luo Hongguo had looked into it before.
New martial artists entering the school normally only received 1 million startup funds.
“Dad, that’s because my brother is a talent,” Luo Hua said with a mischievous grin. “In this era, what is most valuable? Talent among martial artists.”
“We can already move into the villa?” Luo Hongguo looked at his son.
Gong Xinlan smiled. “If you want, we can move in right now.”
“Ha, haha…” Luo Hongguo could not control himself. Tears welled up in his eyes. He had worked so hard for this family for so many years. With his labour job, there was no way he could ever turn things around in his lifetime. But now, everything had changed, and they could even move into a legendary standalone villa.
In this era, standalone villas were like legends for ordinary people. After the Great Nirvana period, each base city had to support 200 million people. Land was extremely valuable. Villas were so luxurious in land use that even rich people could not always buy them.
Even those few who had villas had to pay huge luxury taxes.
“I, Luo Hongguo, also have a day of living in a standalone villa!” he laughed loudly. “Haha, even our boss doesn’t live as well as I do.”
“Mm, mm,” Luo Hua in the wheelchair said excitedly. “From now on, our home will have huge floor to ceiling windows, a big bathtub, and a very large living room. All our TVs and computers will be voice controlled. The living room TV screen will be at least 200 inches. And the bed will be big enough to roll around on.”
“I have always wanted a bed like that,” Luo Hua said excitedly.
Seeing his father and brother like this, Luo Feng felt very happy inside.
What was all his effort for?
Was it not for this day?
“Dad, mum, sit down and eat,” Luo Feng said with a smile.
“I’ll go take a shower,” Luo Hongguo laughed. “From now on, I don’t need this work shirt anymore. I’ll call the boss tomorrow and quit.”
That night, the Luo family was filled with unprecedented excitement and joy.
This home, only 36 square metres, had housed four of them for so many years. Though they had many complaints, such as the parents sleeping on the sofa and barely any sunlight, and a tiny bathroom, there were too many memories attached to it.
But when it came time to leave, they still felt reluctant.
People always move toward better things.
The next morning, a large truck stopped downstairs, and the Luo family began moving their belongings.
“Old Luo, what’s going on? Moving house?”
“Sister Lan, what are you doing so early?”
Their neighbours in the same community kept asking in curiosity.
“Haha, my son Xiao Feng has joined the Extreme Martial Arts School. We are moving to Mingyue Community!” Luo Hongguo replied proudly. “Wang San, remember to come to our celebration banquet later.”
After living in affordable housing for so many years, who would not dream of a day like this?
The Luo family had finally turned things around, thanks to their son.
The news quickly spread through the South Bank community and nearby housing areas.
“Old Luo’s son is amazing, he actually joined the Extreme Martial Arts School.”
“Yeah, if only my son could be that good.”
Everyone admired them.
Luo Feng even told his friend Wei Wen, “If you want to visit, just come to Mingyue Community. Call me first so I can inform the gate.”
“Yeah,” Wei Wen said excitedly, punching Luo Feng’s chest. “I knew you would make it one day. Failing the college entrance exam means nothing. Even among university graduates, only one in ten thousand can live in a villa. I’ll definitely come to your place in a few days. I’ve never even been inside a villa before.”
Soon after, under the gaze of neighbours, the Luo family left South Bank Community by car, with a truck carrying their belongings behind them.
At the entrance of Mingyue Community in the morning, six armed soldiers stood straight on both sides of the gate, scanning the surroundings.
“Stop!” one soldier raised his assault rifle, pointing it at the approaching taxi.
Screech.
The taxi braked hard.
Luo Feng and his family got out. A white haired old man came out of the guard room, smiling.
“You are Luo Feng, right? I saw your trainee assessment before. I knew you had a bright future. I did not expect you to move in so soon. The notice arrived yesterday. Come, let us help with the moving.”
“The movers are not allowed in here,” the old man said with a smile.
“We understand,” Luo Hongguo replied.
Soon, several soldiers came out to help carry their things. Under the envious eyes of the movers, the Luo family entered Mingyue Community.
Luo Feng looked at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall in the centre, then at the bridges, streams, rock gardens, and the villas surrounded by scenery.
“From today onwards, my home is here,” he thought.
A young female soldier smiled and said while holding documents, “Luo Feng, your home is this villa ahead, number 199. It has three floors, a basement, and a large rooftop terrace. The total area is 512 square metres. Including the basement, courtyard, and terrace, it is nearly 800 square metres.”
The Luo family looked at each other.
Then they looked up at the luxurious red and white villa in front of them. This was their new home.
“36 square metres? Nearly 800 square metres?” Luo Hua in the wheelchair could not help murmuring.