The Interstellar Queen of Scavengers-Chapter 1103: Xuzhou’s Inner Journey

Xuzhou’s mother is a Material Processing Master. Not only has she low talent herself, but her material processing talent is also very poor, placing her at the bottom tier of the material processing industry. She works in a large material factory doing the most basic tasks.

Every day she works overtime, earning a monthly salary of 5,000 credit points.

Xuzhou’s father is a Mechanical Repairer. Although his spiritual power is only B-level, not particularly high, his ability to repair machines and mecha is quite impressive. He started as an apprentice, working diligently until he reached his current position. Because of his excellent skills, 20 years ago, he was hired by a branch of the Alliance Mecha Manufacturing Bureau on Xuzhou’s home planet, earning a national salary. With his monthly wage plus bonuses and performance pay, the Xu family’s living conditions significantly improved.

Father Xu and Madam Xu are honest people, the kind who don’t rely on connections and only work diligently. They struggled for most of their lives, and only after their living conditions improved did they have their only child, Xuzhou.

It’s fair to say, Xuzhou is the apple of their eye. They are the type of parents who would rather endure hardship, scrimp and save, just to make sure their child is well-fed and clothed.

Xuzhou didn’t grow up in wealth and luxury, but the Xu family lived harmoniously, embodying the simple warmth of ordinary people.

Under such circumstances, when their son’s abilities faced a real obstacle, Father Xu and Madam Xu were genuinely anxious, leading them into a fraudster’s trap.

To purchase a mid-level Soul Device from a Soul Artifact Master introduced by this ’friend’, priced at ten million, even using their lifetime savings was far from enough for Father Xu and Madam Xu.

So, after some discussion, the old couple resolutely sold their current house, took a bank loan, and also advanced ten years’ worth of salaries from their work units...

Thus, they barely managed to gather ten million.

Then,

they were swindled.

At that moment, the world of Father Xu and Madam Xu completely collapsed.

After the Xu family reported to the police, an investigation revealed that the so-called ’friend’ was actually a notorious interstellar fraudster who fled with the money. The Alliance police pursued them with full force, but these interstellar fraudsters operated in gangs, with exceptional skills and experience in evading capture; it’s currently impossible to solve the case.

...

The Xu family’s life plummeted.

Without a house, the whole family had to live in government welfare housing, which was small and inconveniently located. Father Xu and Madam Xu didn’t dare to waste a single credit point, wishing they could divide each one into ten parts to spend.

The various hardships faced by the Xu family don’t need to be detailed here.

Xuzhou, fully aware of his parents’ struggles, was unwilling to attend school on Lanyue Star, but!

His entire life, Father Xu and Madam Xu only hoped their son would become successful, capable of defending himself, and surviving during a Beast Tide... How could they not let him go to school?

Xuzhou was practically dragged to Lanyue Star by Father Xu with a whip.

Despite Xuzhou’s straightforward and naive appearance, he is inherently stubborn. Forced by his parents to attend school, they even practically disowned themselves as they worked six to eight hours while their parents worked all day, except for eating and sleeping. Their meals consisted solely of low-level nutrient solutions, and to save money, the parents would share a single nutrient solution...

All these things made Xuzhou feel uneasy, deeply saddened and painfully lost...

So, upon entering Lanyue Star Military Academy, Xuzhou intended to mess up deliberately, hoping the school would expel him, but...

Whenever he thought of doing so, he’d think of his parents, their graying hair, and he just couldn’t bear to do it.

Thus——

He decided to boil the frog slowly in warm water, allowing himself to slack off, hoping his parents would realize that he wasn’t suited for studies or becoming a Mechanical Warrior...

But!

The class teacher was Mu Jianling, reputed to be the most terrifying, cold, and sharp-tongued teacher on Lanyue Star, and Teacher Mu would not tolerate anyone slacking off in her classroom. If one did, they wouldn’t face expulsion, but rather a brutal beating!

It was a complete all-out attack from Teacher Mu, leaving one’s soul trembling, even making one not want to be human.

Xuzhou no longer dared to slack off.

An important change came when he was unexpectedly acknowledged by Ji You. From Ji You, Xuzhou saw endless possibilities and was deeply inspired.

It was also the first time Xuzhou truly realized what he needed to confront, the direction in which to strive, was always to recognize himself, challenge himself, and never stop!

Comparing himself with Ji You, where was he lacking?

Nowhere.

But why wasn’t he as capable?

Because he never truly confronted himself, challenged himself, or defeated himself... Instead, he consistently compromised with himself, with his parents, with circumstances, and society as a whole...

His parents raised him with painstaking care, hoping he’d amount to something, so was he really unable to? It was simply a lack of courage to forge ahead and an absence of responsibility on his shoulders.

Cowardice.

Timidity.

Selfishness.

...

Such a self, how could he compare to Ji You?

There’s no comparison.

Xuzhou didn’t want to live the previous life anymore; from Ji You, he learned the most about responsibility.

...

Watching Ji You on the training ground, facing fierce competitors yet standing tall and confident, Xuzhou silently clenched his fists!

[The gap widens once again.

But!

I’m not afraid.

I will catch up. If not today, then strive for tomorrow, if not tomorrow, then the day after, or next year, or a decade, two, three, even a hundred years...

I believe in myself.]

On the field,

After finishing with Penny, Ji You faced three more opponents, each looking fierce. Standing before them, Ji You seemed rather pitiable.

Ji You took a deep breath and pondered whom to choose for her next match when, merely a few meters away, Shen Changqing fiercely battled a boy.

This boy was amongst the top in the entire 131st cohort. His talents were well-rounded, similar to Sheng Qingyan’s Dual A Talent. He cornered Shen Changqing, who wasn’t skilled in close combat, and was slightly weaker here. Her opponent launched fierce attacks, each move deadly.

And Shen Changqing?

She could only defend, narrowly avoiding hits multiple times.

...

This battle made spectators anxious.

Lou frowned and said, "From the moment she got entangled and forced into a melee, Shen Changqing’s been on the back foot."