chapter 6 Don’t know how to cherish the future

"What's all this excitement about?"

At this moment, Bert Tang's wife, Sylvia Liang, returned. She brought a glass of red wine, sat down, and went straight to the point, "We just had an impromptu meeting. You all go ahead and eat, I'll have some wine to settle my stomach. Oh, Andrew, I heard from Bert that the Western Military District is implementing a new recruitment policy targeting your university and a few others. They're selecting for special forces. If you make it, not only will you keep your diploma, but you'll also be granted a military rank. I think you should give it a try."

"Wow, Andrew, you should definitely give it a shot. After all, your major doesn't have much of a future, and being a special forces member would be great!" Even Rachel, who preferred the tall, rich, and handsome type, thought that joining the special forces was a good opportunity. Although she had a soft spot for the wealthy and handsome, she had recently become obsessed with a South Korean special forces romance drama, so she also found special forces quite attractive. Of course, she wouldn't miss any chance to taunt Andrew.

"By the way, I heard that Ben Qi has already been selected!" she added.

Andrew had expected Bert Tang to ask him about this matter, but he didn't anticipate that Sylvia would beat him to it. Nevertheless, he was prepared and calmly replied, "My grandfather, father, and Uncle Tang are all military men. I have great respect for them. It's just that being a professional soldier isn't my passion. I hope you can understand."

As for Ben Qi, Andrew chose to completely ignore him.

Bert Tang nodded and said, "It seems like you've carefully considered this. That's fine. While this opportunity is good, if it goes against your own interests and aspirations, it won't hold much meaning."

"You talk as if you're already guaranteed a spot!" Rachel lightly laughed.

"How are you educating the kids!" Sylvia gave Bert Tang a stern look, then turned to Andrew with a slightly more serious tone, "Xiao Yu, our families have a long-standing friendship, so I want to advise you—this recruitment by the Western Military District targeting universities is a first. You'll keep your university diploma and be directly granted the rank of Second Lieutenant. This is much better than pursuing an obscure major at university! Moreover, once you take this step and combine it with your family's three generations of military service, you'll have great advancement opportunities within the military!"

Sylvia Liang, as a star figure in the political scene of Jin City, saw the benefits and prospects quite clearly. But Andrew's aspirations didn't lie here. Regardless of whether one attained great power or wealth, a century later, they would all be nothing more than a pile of bones. Andrew's pursuit was in the path of immortality and transcendence from life and death.

Even if he couldn't become an immortal, he wanted to live freely and unburdened, without having to bow and scrape before the powerful.

"Thank you for your advice, Auntie Liang. However, I've already made up my mind," Andrew politely declined.

"Young people, they don't realize how precious opportunities are, and how quickly they can slip away!" Sylvia Liang sighed lightly. She took a sip of the red wine in her glass, then set it down and left the dining table. She was thoroughly disappointed in Andrew.

Out of consideration for her husband, she had spoken these words to Andrew. After all, he was just a freshman, and if he were selected for the special forces and granted a rank, he would be ahead of many young people. Combined with the efforts of both the Qi and Tang families, this young man was bound to have a bright future. Who would have thought that Andrew would be so obstinate and miss this opportunity? So, she was completely disappointed in him. She definitely wouldn't allow him to become her daughter's boyfriend. For the sake of their families' friendship, being ordinary friends was more than enough!

After the meal, Bert Tang called Andrew aside and said, "Andrew, Auntie Liang's words were all for your own good. Don't be upset."

"Uncle Tang, I understand. How could I be upset?" Andrew replied.

"Hmm, you've become more mature compared to before. I was initially thinking of advising you to reconsider, but I'm actually quite pleased now. A man should have his own opinions and take responsibility!" Bert Tang patted Andrew's shoulder. "However, skipping too many classes isn't a big issue, but make sure you don't get caught by your counselors."

After Bert Tang and Andrew finished talking, Viola Su approached Andrew quietly and asked, "Master Andrew... about the charms you mentioned earlier. I actually believe in you. If it weren't for the fact that I only have a bit over two thousand in my wallet, I would've paid in full right away."

Andrew smiled and handed Viola a peach wood warding charm. He felt that Viola was sincere and didn't exhibit any spoiled rich girl behavior. She seemed like she could be a good friend.

Sylvia Liang and Bert Tang witnessed this scene, and it seemed they misunderstood something. Sylvia whispered to her husband, "Bert, this Andrew kid might not be outstanding, but he seems to have pretty good luck. The Su Group has assets in the tens of billions and is about to go public. This young lady Viola seems to have some positive feelings for him."

"Young people's affairs, let them develop on their own," Bert Tang said.

"Let them develop? You say it so casually. Anyway, I've already decided. He can only be friends with our Belle. People who don't appreciate opportunities... they can't rely on luck alone!" Sylvia Liang expressed her opinion firmly.

***

After leaving the Tang residence, Andrew didn't return to the university. Instead, he decided to find a rental near the school as soon as possible. After all, making charms and practicing in the dormitory was quite inconvenient. It would be more straightforward to rent a place on his own.

For Andrew at the moment, time was of the essence!

Having money in hand, finding a place to rent was naturally easy. However, Andrew had relatively high requirements for his living space. It wasn't about seeking luxury and comfort, but rather, he wanted a quiet environment with fresh air.

So, in the end, Andrew settled on a secluded, old courtyard. It had red brick houses with simple and basic amenities. Andrew didn't haggle over the price, and without hesitation, paid a thousand yuan as a deposit. This greatly pleased the landlady, as she knew that this place wasn't easy to rent out.

Afterward, Andrew gave the landlady another thousand yuan and entrusted her to purchase some basic furniture. He planned to move in here in a couple of days and pay the full year's rent upfront.

The landlady was quite impressed with Andrew, this student who seemed to have a touch of a small nouveau riche. She promised to clean up the place thoroughly.

With the rental sorted out, it was already very late. Andrew stayed at a small hotel near the university.

There was no way around it. The two female instructors he had deceived with the "concealment ward" had apparently conducted a nighttime inspection of the male dormitory building. This had startled countless would-be peeping Toms, but once again, they came up empty-handed. So, it was likely that they harbored some grudge against Andrew. It wouldn't be surprising if they were already drafting a disciplinary decision against him.

Andrew not only didn't return to his dorm, but even turned off his phone. He knew that if Dean Qiu had called Belle Tang, it was possible that she might also call his family. So, the best approach at this moment was to avoid seeing or hearing anything. After all, at most, he would receive a warning and a disciplinary action. Why rush?

For Andrew, the most important thing right now was to elevate his strength and cultivation.

In order to prevent the unfortunate events from his "memories" from recurring, avoidance wasn't an option. Only by possessing enough strength could he have the qualifications to point at the sky with one hand and the earth with the other, and say:

"My fate is determined by me, not by the heavens."

Especially now, Andrew couldn't go see Florence Xia. Even though he knew that she was also at Southwest Associated University, the Xia family wasn't as simple as they appeared on the surface. Many of the misfortunes from his "memories" were largely related to the Xia family. But Andrew believed that this wasn't what Florence Xia wanted. Even if she had later become engaged to someone else, he was certain this wasn't her true desire.