Chapter 53: Hardened Resolve

The country needed to expand its territory, and powerful figures had a great advantage when it came to achieving that.

Therefore, the government was willing to subsidize them.

The country needed powerful figures, and the city needed them even more.

However, the agents present did not have a say in the amount of subsidies that would be given to a talented person with a gold rating. They apologized and reported Lin Yao’s situation to their higher-ups, awaiting their decision on the amount of subsidies that Lin Yao would receive.

Lin Yao was shocked that they could not make this decision.

‘Do they have to go this far?’

Chief Shi smiled. “Of course, don’t underestimate your talents. Although there may be talented people with diamond ratings in our city, such talented people can’t be retained. Many of them have gone to big cities like Shanghai or the capital. It’s good enough if we retain half of the talented people with gold ratings. In order to retain them and keep the city safe, the leaders will naturally do their best to make them stay.”

After learning about Lin Yao’s talent, the city made up its mind to have him stay there. The agent approached Lin Yao and informed him that they would reward him with extraordinary resources. He would be given a lakeside villa as well.

“Student Lin Yao, after learning about your situation, the city leaders think that it would not be safe for your family to live in the community, and it would not benefit your training either. Therefore, the city has specially rewarded you with a lakeside villa. You will have 70 bottles of nutrition drinks per month and a monthly subsidy of 70,000 yuan. There is no king combat skill in our city, and diamond combat skills may not be suitable for you. However, if you need them, the city will help you trade for them.

“There is also a resource application. The city will be giving you one diamond resource application opportunity. I wonder if you have any other needs?”

The city leaders invested a large sum of money in order to keep Lin Yao in the city. The 70 bottles of nutrition drinks and the villa were nothing. However, the diamond resource application opportunity and the diamond combat skill were very valuable.

Of course, the municipal government could not afford the total cost of the subsidies. Large companies that were based in the city would cover part of the expenses. After all, this was related to the safety of the rich.

To put it bluntly, if there was no way to stop the city from being attacked, there would inevitably be heavy casualties. However, there was no way everyone would be wiped out. With the powerful figures around, they could make an escape, and people who had connections to the powerful figures would have a higher chance of surviving.

Of course, that was the worst-case scenario. In the past ten years, there had been almost no such attacks in China.

Lin Yao was satisfied with the subsidies given by the city and did not stand on ceremony with the other party.

“Will there be any attribute crystals? Light attribute and thunder attribute crystals are the best. I need them to improve my talent.”

“I will report this to the higher-ups. We will do our best to satisfy your request.”

“Then that will be all.”

Along with the increase in talent, the subsidies given to Lin Yao had also undergone a complete change.

[State Subsidies: 30,000 yuan per month, 30 bottles of low-level nutrition drinks, 2 diamond techniques (1 remaining from the previous allocation), 3 opportunities to apply for gold resources, 1,000 grams of attribute crystals per month.]

[City Subsidies: 70,000 yuan per month, 70 bottles of low-level nutrition drinks, 1 diamond combat skill (nationwide), 1 villa, 1 opportunity to apply for diamond resources (Ninghai City), 1 opportunity to apply for gold resources (Ninghai City), attribute crystals to be determined.]

There were indeed a lot of subsidies. However, considering that gold talents were the highest talents that could be retained in the city and there was a possibility that these people would become the city’s protectors in the future, it was reasonable to reward them with these subsidies.

‘If I go to the big cities, the state subsidies are likely to remain unchanged, but the city subsidies will definitely decrease significantly. In fact, Shanghai and the capital do not lack basic personnel. They would only give subsidies to talented people who have a gold or higher rating. Those with a rating below gold, or even those with a silver rating, would only be rewarded with state subsidies.

‘Forget it, I won’t think that far ahead. 100 bottles of nutrition drinks are enough to last me 10 days.’

As Lin Yao became stronger, he had to drink more and more nutrition drinks. Of course, after he drank them, his advancement speed was increasingly faster.

Everything else aside, after drinking 10 bottles of nutrition drinks, ordinary martial artists would already be able to condense one vital energy seed.

Since Lin Yao was stronger, he only needed to drink seven bottles of nutrition drinks and have one day of sun to condense a vital energy seed.

‘Seven bottles of nutrition drinks a day… These nutrition drinks could last me for about 15 days. As long as my body can keep up during these 15 days, I will be able to condense 15 vital energy seeds… That would be 15 vital energy seeds in half a month. Is this the amazing speed achieved after combining cultivation materials and talents?’

Without talent and nutrition drinks, ordinary martial artists could only condense one vital energy seed a month by absorbing the impure spirit energy in the city. It would take more than a year to condense 15 seeds. The more powerful one was, the wider the gap between oneself and others was.

Of course, Lin Yao had to cultivate during the day in order to improve tremendously. If it was cloudy or raining, it would be troublesome for him.

‘Come to think of it, since I awakened, it’s only rained at night. It has been sunny during the day. I am considered quite lucky.’

While Lin Yao was lost in thought, Professor Li had already told the laboratory to get ready so that Lin Yao could take the day off and make a trip there tomorrow.

After the talent evaluation, everyone who had gathered for Lin Yao’s evaluation started getting ready to leave. However, before leaving, Professor Li grabbed Lin Yao and said earnestly, “I just want to tell you that no pain means no gain. Having the thunder talent allows you to enjoy exceptional advantages. Don’t give up on your advantages because of your weakness.”

Other people also cast encouraging glances at him. Lin Yao finally understood that tomorrow’s stimulation of thunder and lightning potential would not be an easy task.

Lin Yao was even more shocked by what Professor Li said next.

“Don’t eat or drink water before you come here tomorrow. If you need some nutrition, drink nutrition drinks instead. Anyway, if you don’t want to get embarrassed, come here on an empty stomach.”

“I… understand.”

…

‘I have the feeling that something bad is going to happen tomorrow.’

On the way to the orphanage, Lin Yao did not dare imagine what terrible things would happen the next day. He was slightly fearful of what would happen, but he had no intention of giving up.

‘For the sake of becoming stronger, everything is bearable.’

In order to harden his resolve, Lin Yao took out his cell phone and looked at the news on the Internet.

There were reports of trivial news, as well as the breakthrough of some powerful figures. He also saw some shocking images on the Internet.

“An invisible monster sneaked into Tianhai City. After killing hundreds of people, it was killed by the armed police. Tianhai City has already ended the blockade.”

“There are new plant monsters near Wutian City that can split into spores to live on the human body as parasites. 10,000 people have now been infected. The national army has moved to Wutian City to hunt the mutant plants…”

“A king lord in Japan has caused natural disasters. The affected areas are seeking international help…”

There had been many shocking incidents recently. Although the country had an army, an armed police force, an Abnormal Ability Department, private dojos, and high schools, there were too many mystic realms that were linked to the Blue Planet. Many monsters had sneaked into this world, and there were too many types of monsters with various abilities that they could not guard themselves against. There was no way to prevent these threats.

In fact, it was considered safe in China. If a disaster occurred in a certain place, the state would get mobilized and send support. However, small countries would crumble completely or seek international help.

‘This is not a secure world.’