Around two in the afternoon, not long after Chen Chuan returned from a meal with his classmates, a familiar knock sounded on his dorm room door. He went to open it and saw Cheng Zitong standing outside, his face wreathed in smiles.

It would be no exaggeration to say he was radiant. His face looked like it was literally about to start glowing.

Chen Chuan’s heart stirred. "Teacher," he said, welcoming the man inside.

Cheng Zitong walked inside, his briefcase tucked under his arm, and said with a chuckle, "Xiaochuan, I came here specifically today to tell you some good news. Your application for a spot in Central City has been approved by the Central Hospital."

Although Chen Chuan had been mentally prepared for this, he still felt an irrepressible wave of joy surge through him upon hearing the news.

Cheng Zitong smiled. "I wanted to tell you the moment I got the news this morning, but you were out for lunch, so I’ve been waiting for you to get back."

Chen Chuan said sincerely, "Thank you for going to all this trouble, Teacher."

"No trouble at all! With good news like this, I had to celebrate with a few extra bowls of rice. In fact, I just came from the cafeteria."

Cheng Zitong patted his round stomach and sat down on the sofa. He took a document out of his briefcase and handed it over. "Here, take a look."

Chen Chuan took the document. It read: "Upon verification by the Wuyi General Hospital and the Processing Bureau, the aforementioned student meets all conditions and admission standards. Permission is hereby granted for enrollment at the Central Hospital. This approval is effective from the date the student receives this notice."

Below were the official seals of the Wuyi General Hospital, the Processing Bureau, and the review committee, followed by a long list of signatures from the relevant officials—more than a dozen names in all.

It was just a flimsy piece of paper, yet for years, it was what had stood between the vast majority of students and Central City, a dream so close yet unattainable.

And now, he held it in his hands, grasping the turning point of his destiny.

After reading it twice, he looked up. "Teacher, it says here the approval is effective from the date of receipt. Does that mean I can go to Central City now?"

Cheng Zitong nodded. "That’s right. Now that you have the notice, you can go to Central City whenever you like. However, the semester is almost over, and things get very busy at year-end, both here and in Central City. It would be a bit rushed to go now.

"So, I suggest you don’t rush. You might as well wait until after the New Year. You could be living there for a long time, so you should use this time to prepare and get all your affairs in order."

Chen Chuan nodded.

Cheng Zitong then took a stack of tickets from his briefcase with another smile and placed them on the table. "This year’s tickets for the academy tournament. I saved them especially for you."

Chen Chuan didn’t stand on ceremony. "Thank you, Teacher."

"Alright, I’ll let you get back to it. I should be going. It’s almost year-end, and I have a pile of work to do. I’ve been so busy celebrating today that I haven’t touched any of it."

Cheng Zitong put on his glasses, stood up, and headed for the door, humming a tune. His steps were quick and light; he was clearly overjoyed today.

After seeing him off, Chen Chuan returned and picked up the notice. He felt he should share the news with his family right away. After a moment’s thought, he went to his wardrobe, took out a satchel he hadn’t used in a long time, and placed the notice inside.

He then changed his clothes, slung the satchel over his shoulder, and left the dormitory. Outside, though there was a winter chill in the air, the sun was bright and dazzling, its warmth pleasant on his skin.

He went to the bike shed, got his bicycle, and mounted it, heading for home. As he left campus, students who saw him greeted him, and he returned each greeting. Once off school grounds, he picked up his pace and rode all the way home without stopping.

He parked his bike in the courtyard and walked into the house. It was a day off, and the whole family was home. Nian Fuli had the radio on, tapping his fingers and bobbing his head to the rhythm of the opera performance. His younger cousins were building with blocks, while Yu Wan sat to one side, knitting a sweater. Seeing him come in, she said happily, "Chan’Er, you’re back! Have you eaten?"

Chen Chuan smiled. "Auntie, I’ve already eaten."

Yu Wan smiled. "Is everything alright at school? If you’re free, stay for dinner tonight."

Chen Chuan said, "Okay."

Yu Wan went back to her knitting.

"Auntie," Chen Chuan called out softly.

Yu Wan looked up.

Chen Chuan then looked at Nian Fuli. "Uncle." He took off his satchel, walked a few steps, and placed it on the table. Seeing this, Nian Fuli instinctively reached over and turned down the radio.

Chen Chuan took the notice out of his bag and handed it to Yu Wan. "Auntie, this is the admission notice for the Wuyi General Hospital in Central City. I’m going to be studying at the main campus there."

"Central City..."

Yu Wan seemed dazed at first, but then, as if something had just dawned on her, she hurriedly reached for the notice. Halfway, she stopped to wipe her hands on her apron before carefully taking the paper.

As she read the words on the notice, she was filled with heartfelt joy, yet simultaneously felt as if she had lost something precious in that instant. Tears streamed down her face.

Nian Fuli stood up and came to Yu Wan’s side, putting an arm around her shoulder. He glanced at the notice, then looked up. "Central City..."

He chuckled. "Back when I was a soldier, my Old Company Commander always told me that his biggest wish before enlisting was to go to Central City and see the world. Xiaochuan, you getting into Wuda was like pocketing a bar of gold. Now, getting into Central City... that’s like using that gold bar as a stepping stone." He squeezed Yu Wan’s shoulder gently. "Yu Wan, the boy has made it big. You should be happy."

Yu Wan wiped away her tears. "You’re right. I should be happy. Chan’Er, what do you want to eat? Auntie will make it for you."

Chen Chuan smiled. "I’ve had plenty of good food at school and out in the city, but my favorite is still your chicken soup, Auntie."

"Alright..." Yu Wan stood up, wiping the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand. "I’ll go make it for you right now."

Nian Fuli added, "Every day off, whether you’re coming home or not, your aunt always buys a chicken to make soup."

Chen Chuan hummed in acknowledgment. He then took the tickets from Cheng Zitong out of his bag and handed them to his uncle. "Uncle, these are for this year’s tournament."

"Nice."

Nian Fuli took them. Even as a captain, he couldn’t get his hands on something like this. ’Too bad I got promoted,’ he thought. ’It wouldn’t be proper to go show these off to Wei Oldhu anymore.’

Chen Chuan looked at his young cousins. "Come on, I’ll take you two out to play today."

"YAY YAY YAY..."

The two little ones didn’t really understand what the adults had been talking about, but they understood this. They cheered, ran over to Chen Chuan, and tugged on his pant legs while looking pleadingly at Nian Fuli.

Nian Fuli waved his hand dismissively. "Go on, go play with your cousin."

"YAY, WE’RE GOING OUT TO PLAY..."

Chen Chuan bent down, putting an arm around each of them, and opened the door, shepherding the two little ones outside.

Nian Fuli followed them out, watching as Chen Chuan led the two skipping children out of the courtyard. Yu Wan came out as well, standing beside him and watching.

Nian Fuli said, "When we first took Xiaochuan in, he was about Xiaolu and Xiaomo’s age, wasn’t he?"

"Yes, he was so little then."

Nian Fuli thought for a moment. "Xiaochuan was so young then. How much time has passed? It feels like in the blink of an eye, he’s ready to spread his wings and fly."

"It reminds me of my second sister. She also went far away when she left... I hope Xiaochuan doesn’t follow in her footsteps."

Nian Fuli said, "Xiaochuan is different. That boy has a good head on his shoulders."

Yu Wan hummed in agreement. She looked at the swaying branches outside the courtyard, wrapping her arms around herself. "When I was little," she said, her gaze distant, "my mother told me that in a parent’s eyes, children are like kites. You watch them soar into the sky, but you can never bring yourself to let go of the string."

Nian Fuli turned to block the wind from her and gestured back toward the house. "Come on, let’s go inside. It’s cold out here. The children are growing up; they’ll each find their own way to live. You don’t need to worry so much."

Chen Chuan took the two little ones to a nearby playground. They spent the whole afternoon there, after which he bought them lots of snacks.

As they left, Nian Mo licked his candied hawthorn skewer and looked up. "Cousin, are you going on a long trip? Are you going to be gone for a long, long time?"

Chen Chuan laughed. "How did you figure that out?"

"When Qian’Er left on his long trip, he did the same thing. He played with us for a long time, but he hasn’t been back in forever."

Nian Lu corrected him, "You’re supposed to call him Brother. Mom said not to be rude."

"I won’t call him that if he doesn’t give me snacks. I will if he does."

Chen Chuan chuckled. ’What a practical kid.’ He glanced at the sky, saw it was getting late, and took his cousins home. Before dinner, he asked Yu Wan, "Auntie, is Cousin coming home this year?"

His aunt replied, "I don’t know. In past years, we’d have gotten a telegram by now, but there’s been nothing this year. That boy is so thoughtless. Old Nian, maybe you should send a telegram to hurry him up?"

Nian Fuli said, "I’m not going to rush him. Let him be. Our family will celebrate the New Year together, same as always."

Chen Chuan smiled to himself. He knew Nian Fuli was just putting on a tough act; he was probably sending and waiting for telegrams every single day.

After dinner, he stayed the night and returned to the university early the next morning. Now that going to Central City was a sure thing, there was no need to overthink it. He would just use the remaining time to improve himself as much as possible and prepare for the move.

Only a day later, the university’s Recruitment and Preparation Department posted this year’s admission list for the Central City General Hospital at the main gate.

In the past, only Recommended Students were able to go to the Central Hospital; it had nothing to do with the ordinary students. This time, however, was different. The name on the list was unmistakable: "Wuyi University Hall, Second-Year Student, A-Class Student, Chen Chuan."

The announcement immediately caused a sensation both on and off campus. It had been a very long time since any student who wasn’t a Recommended Student had been admitted to the Central City General Hospital.

A-class and Class B students alike had long since accepted that this was an opportunity exclusive to Recommended Students. It had nothing to do with them, and they had long given up even thinking about it.

But with Chen Chuan’s name on that list, everyone felt that, from this moment on, everything was different. The ripples from this news were so great that even some recent graduates, and others who had left years ago, returned to the university to see the notice for themselves.

Tai Dong stood in front of the display case, staring at the name and official seals on the notice. "I never would’ve expected this. Do you guys think that in the future, students like us will be able to go to Central City too?"

Deng Fu, standing beside him, said, "Us? You and I have already graduated. We’ve missed our chance. But Junior Geng might still have a shot. He has an Unlimited Defense Certificate, after all, and few in his year are more outstanding. His chances are good. The only problem is that we joined the Mutual Aid Association. That’s a major demerit."

Geng Zheng thought for a moment, then said with determination, "I have to go."

His family’s treatment relied on medicine from Central City. Now that the Mutual Aid Association’s supply line was cut, he had no choice. Although some could be bought on the black market, the only real solution was to get to Central City himself.

Tai Dong looked at the notice, saying without thinking, "I’m so jealous of Junior Chen."

Deng Fu said calmly, "Don’t be jealous. There’s nothing to be jealous of. He earned this himself. If you can single-handedly slaughter the Mutual Aid Association and topple the Molan Company, then you can go to Central City too."

Tai Dong was surprised. "I know about the Mutual Aid Association, but the Molan Company... wasn’t that handled by the authorities?"

Deng Fu gave him a meaningful look. "You really think Junior Chen had nothing to do with it? Let me put it this way: the guy dared to go before the Judgement Court and face down all those powerful families connected to the Molan Company. Do you really think he could do that without some serious backing? Think about it."

Tai Dong and Geng Zheng were both taken aback. They thought about it carefully and realized he might have a point.

After a moment, Geng Zheng couldn’t help but ask, "The Molan Company is gone, but I heard other companies are taking over its assets. Won’t another ’Molan Company’ and another ’Mutual Aid Association’ just pop up in its place?"

"Yes. They definitely will," Deng Fu answered without a moment’s hesitation.

"Then what’s the point?"

Deng Fu said, "What’s the point? If it comes to it, we’ll just have to kill them all over again."

"But doesn’t that mean nothing has changed?"

Deng Fu turned, shoved his hands in his pockets, and started walking away from the crowd. "Nothing has changed. And yet, everything has."

...

...