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Lin Yu's thoughts paused for a moment.

The scene before his eyes was too absurd.

The bustling crowd at the school gate automatically parted, creating a vacuum.

In the center of that vacuum, a giant stood.

Over five meters tall, with a physique so massive it didn't resemble a human, his muscles were gnarled and bulging, as if carved from granite. Just his presence exuded a suffocating pressure.

The specially made, oversized school uniform he wore was stretched like a leotard, threatening to burst at any moment.

Dark red patterns slowly flowed across his exposed skin, adding an eerie and violent touch.

"Is that... Zhao Tianyang?"

"A Mythic-grade profession, [Asura]! My heavens, it's only been a few days, how did he become so terrifying?"

"That physique... he's practically a humanoid beast!"

"So cool! This is what a true top-tier professional looks like!"

The surrounding students and parents erupted in uncontrollable gasps and discussions.

Envy, awe, fanaticism.

Countless emotions intertwined into a giant net, pushing the giant named Zhao Tianyang into the spotlight.

He became the center of attention.

Lin Yao, beside Lin Yu, also gaped, her face full of disbelief.

"Brother... Tianyang... what brand of protein powder did he eat?"

Lin Yu: "..."

This couldn't be explained by protein powder.

This was a morphological change brought about by the [Asura] profession.

It seemed Zhao Tianyang's cultivation through combat over the past few days had progressed quite well.

Just as everyone was looking up at this "giant," two discordant gazes came from within the crowd.

They belonged to a man and a woman standing on the other side, also surrounded by many people.

The boy was handsome, the girl beautiful, and they wore casual clothes that seemed understated but were actually quite expensive. On the cuffs of their clothes, an inconspicuous Fengxing Technology logo, composed of three streamlines, was embroidered.

They were the two other talented students who had replaced Lin Yu and Lin Yao, signed by Fengxing Technology's "New Star Project."

At this moment, looking at the much-anticipated Zhao Tianyang, their faces showed no awe, only a faint, almost imperceptible disdain.

"What's the use of being big? He's just a brute with brute strength," the boy whispered to his companion.

"Exactly," the girl nodded in agreement, "The upper limit of a profession is determined by talent, but how far one can go depends on resources and connections. Relying solely on self-exploration, one will only ever be a high-level thug."

During their days in the New Star Project, they had been exposed to a completely new world.

A world built by massive wealth, top-tier resources, and a vast information network, belonging to the upper-echelon professionals.

There, they deeply understood one truth.

Talent was merely an entry ticket.

True Growth, every step of the way, required astronomical sums of money to build up.

In their view, Zhao Tianyang's current exaggerated form was merely a stroke of luck, a distorted Growth of his body beyond his control after awakening a rare profession.

As for Lin Yu and Lin Yao... two fools who gave up the New Star Project for laughable "freedom."

Even with the highest talent, what kind of waves could three poor people stir up?

They had the most top-tier engine, but without fuel, they would probably run slower than a bicycle.

However, they only dared to think such thoughts to themselves.

After all, everyone knew that if Lin Yu and Lin Yao hadn't firmly rejected all contracts, the two of them would never have had the opportunity to stand here and enjoy the endless resources brought by Fengxing Technology.

So, they simply watched from afar, with a pitying and superior demeanor.

Just then, the giant standing like a demon god, Zhao Tianyang, suddenly moved.

His huge head turned, his gaze quickly sweeping through the crowd, finally settling on Lin Yu and Lin Yao.

In an instant, the violent and ferocious aura around him dissipated completely, like a punctured balloon.

His massive body even bowed slightly forward, attempting to make a "bowing" motion.

This gesture, made by a five-meter-tall giant, seemed incredibly comical, yet carried a chilling reverence.

He didn't walk over.

He knew his size would cause a commotion.

He simply stood in place, facing Lin Yu, and raised his palm, as large as a cattail fan.

Then, he extended a finger thicker than a carrot, and somewhat clumsily, pointed repeatedly at his palm.

The action was full of urgency.

The people around were bewildered.

What was this Mythic-grade Asura doing?

Who was he signaling?

Only Lin Yu, after a brief moment of surprise, instantly understood Zhao Tianyang's meaning.

He was telling him to check his phone.

Lin Yu's movements paused.

The word "phone" was somewhat unfamiliar to him.

During the five years he had been in seclusion, his old phone had almost become a dedicated tool for debt collection. Every time it rang, it meant a barrage of insults and ever-increasing debt pressure.

Over time, he had developed the habit of completely ignoring his phone.

Aside from the occasional call from Lin Yao, he hardly checked any messages or answered any calls.

But now... Lin Yu looked at the anxious giant in the distance.

Watching his loyal and urgent gesture.

Times, it seemed, had truly changed.

This isolated habit really needed to be changed.

"Brother? What's Tianyang doing?" Lin Yao tugged at his sleeve curiously.

"Nothing."

Lin Yu shook his head, ignoring the probing glances around him, and also ignoring the complex looks of disdain and curiosity from the two "New Star Project" geniuses.

Slowly, he pulled out the brand-new phone from his pocket.

Old Ghost had forced it upon him before he left Old Ghost Hall, a customized test model.

He hadn't even had time to get used to using it.

The screen lit up.

Instantly, a deluge of notifications poured down like a waterfall.

Dozens of missed calls.

Hundreds of unread messages.

The senders of the calls and messages almost all pointed to two names.

Li Mo.

Zhao Tianyang.

Lin Yu's finger paused on the screen.

He first opened Li Mo's messages.

The latest few were sent this morning.

The content was concise, concerning the meeting arrangements with the executives of the three major pharmaceutical companies.

The originally agreed time was the third day after the Old Ghost Hall incident.

Li Mo had arranged everything punctually, even reserving ample preparation time for Lin Yu.

But Lin Yu had forgotten.

He was engrossed in the frenzy of creating the [Growth] card, completely forgetting about this matter.

Lin Yu continued to scroll down.

Seven hours after the agreed time was missed, Li Mo sent a second message.

"Boss Lin, I have re-communicated with all three parties. Whenever you are free, we can arrange it. They will wait."