278: Family phone call

That period of time was like a dream, yet Lin Yu still felt a strange sense of nostalgia.

His goal, from beginning to end, had actually only been one thing.

To research a serum capable of breaking through attribute caps.

This idea had been set in stone the moment he first used a serum and felt that cold bottleneck.

But after that, too many things had happened.

Old Ghost Hall, Zhao Tianyang, Lin Yao's awakening, the black market Insect Dwelling, Chen Ao, the Abyss Domain...

He felt as if an invisible force was pushing him forward, stepping him, one step at a time, onto an increasingly vast and complex stage.

Caught in the currents of the world, one cannot always act according to one's own will.

He now had a personal understanding of this saying.

Clearly, his goal from start to finish had been very small—so small that it was just for him and his sister to possess the strength to absolutely protect themselves.

But now, he was entangled with the Fangs Special Operations Team, had swallowed a massive serum empire, and even had an unbreakable connection with the mysterious Abyss Domain.

In the dark, he always felt that something monumental was brewing beneath the undercurrents.

And he was being drawn, step by step, into the center of the vortex.

Therefore, he had to make all necessary preparations.

He had to possess the power to overturn the chessboard.

While lost in thought, he had already returned to the entrance of the "Insect Dwelling."

He walked through that familiar, dark, and damp passage, and pushed open the heavy metal door of his suite, which looked so out of place with the surrounding environment.

Warm, bright light instantly dispelled the chill from outside the door.

"Brother! You're back!"

Lin Yao was sitting cross-legged on the soft carpet, holding a pillow in her arms, and chattering away into her phone.

Seeing Lin Yu enter, the little girl's eyes curved, and she flashed a big smile.

"The busy man is back! Look who's calling!"

She turned the phone screen toward Lin Yu.

On the screen were two heads squeezed together.

Dad, Mom.

On their faces was an unconcealable gratification, mixed with concern, pride, and a hint of cautious excitement.

"Xiao Yu is back!"

On the other end of the line, his mother's voice carried clear joy.

"Is work finished? Are you tired? Have you eaten?"

His father, standing to the side, although not speaking, was nodding incessantly with a simple, honest smile on his face.

The string in Lin Yu's heart, which had been taut from managing a massive empire, quietly relaxed at this moment.

He walked over, sat down next to Lin Yao, and naturally leaned his head in front of the camera.

"Just finished, and I've eaten."

"That's good, that's good." His mother nodded repeatedly, seemingly relieved. "You and Lin Yao must take good care of yourselves out there. Don't be afraid to spend money; if you don't have enough, ask your dad for more."

His father added from the side.

"Your mom is right, don't overwork yourself."

Lin Yu smiled.

Don't be afraid to spend money?

Just the monthly rent for these two rooms cost a fortune.

"I know, Mom, we have enough money."

Lin Yu's response satisfied his mother, who then chattered on, giving a few more instructions about taking care of his health and not staying up late.

Lin Yu agreed to each one, but he kept feeling that something was wrong with the video background.

It wasn't a scenic tourist spot, nor was it a hotel; it looked more like a... somewhat old-fashioned courtyard.

"Dad, Mom, aren't you on vacation? Where is this?"

Lin Yu asked casually.

This question made the two elders on the screen exchange a glance, chuckle, and look a bit embarrassed, as if they had been caught red-handed.

His mother moved the phone away a bit, widening the view.

Only then did Lin Yu see clearly that behind them were no tourist attractions, but a familiar two-story building that bore the marks of time, along with a courtyard planted with a few fruit trees.

It was their old home.

The place where Lin Yu and Lin Yao grew up.

"Traveling isn't that interesting. Your mom and I played for two days," his father said, scratching his head with an honest, simple expression. "We were thinking, let's come back and fix up the old house."

His mother took over the conversation, gesturing excitedly.

"Your dad and I have discussed it. We plan to spend a little money to renovate this place inside and out, and tidy up the courtyard too."

"You two are both grown up and will be going to college soon. By then, you'll be all over the place, and your dad and I don't want to stay in that empty house in the city anymore."

"The old home is better; it's quiet, and we know all the neighbors."

Lin Yao immediately perked up upon hearing this.

"Really! Then I want a large south-facing room, the kind with floor-to-ceiling windows!"

"No problem! We'll save it for you!" his mother promised readily, beaming with joy.

Watching his parents excitedly planning their retirement life on the screen, a wave of softness washed over Lin Yu's heart.

Spend a little money...

In his mind, that asset report uncontrollably flashed by.

250 trillion.

A number that would make every nation on Blue Star choke.

Yet his parents, the people he most wanted to protect, had, at this moment, a greatest wish that was nothing more than renovating their old house and living a stable, peaceful life.

This huge contrast made his heart, which had been slightly unsettled from controlling a massive empire, instantly settle down.

He felt incomparably grounded.

"Is the money enough? If not, I'll transfer some to you," Lin Yu said.

"Go on, go on, keep your own money for yourself," his father immediately waved his hand. "Your mom and I have enough to renovate a house; you kids don't need to worry about it."

"Exactly, exactly," his mother chimed in. "You and Lin Yao just need to take good care of yourselves."

The family chatted aimlessly for a long time, talking about trivial household matters.

From whether the fruit trees in the courtyard would bear much fruit this year, to the fact that Uncle Wang's dog next door had another litter of puppies.

Lin Yu didn't feel impatient; he just listened quietly, occasionally chiming in with a word or two.

This feeling was very good.

It felt as if he had been pulled down from the clouds back to the mortal world.

Until the night grew deep, and his mother yawned, preparing to hang up the phone.

"Alright, alright, we won't delay your rest. Your dad and I should sleep too."

"Mm, Mom, you guys get some rest early too," Lin Yao waved obediently.

Just one second before the video was about to end, his mother on the screen seemed to suddenly remember something of the utmost importance.

Her originally relaxed expression instantly became somewhat complex—filled with anticipation, nervousness, and a trace of imperceptible worry.

Her lips moved, and in the end, she couldn't hold back.

"Lin Yao, Lin Yu... for the College Entrance Examination, you must do your best."

As her words fell, her eyes actually turned slightly red, and a thin mist of moisture welled up.

Especially when she looked at Lin Yu.

Other people's children took the College Entrance Examination at eighteen, opening a new chapter in their lives.

But her son had wasted five whole years.

In these five years, what had he experienced, and how much suffering had he endured? As a mother, how could she not feel heartbroken, how could she not be nervous?

That was five full years of waiting and torment.

"Look at you! Didn't we say not to bring this up, not to put pressure on the kids!"

His father, standing to the side, pushed her complainingly.

"I... I couldn't help it!" His mother's tears finally rolled down, and she wiped them away haphazardly with the back of her hand. "If everyone were like you, keeping everything bottled up inside!"

Watching the mother whose eyes had instantly reddened on the screen, and the father who was at a loss, Lin Yao's heart also tightened.

Just as she was about to speak to comfort them, Lin Yu, who was beside her, had already stepped in front of the camera first.

On his face was his usual calm and confidence.

"Mom, don't worry."

"And you, Dad, don't worry either."

Lin Yu's voice was not loud, yet it carried a power sufficient to soothe the heart.

"It's just a College Entrance Examination."

"For me, it's not difficult."

Lin Yao also nodded vigorously, clenching her little fist to cheer her parents up.

"Right! My brother is super amazing! I'll work hard too! You guys just wait to receive the good news from us both!"

Watching the confident and determined expressions of the two children, the parents' hanging hearts finally slowly settled down.