Chapter 7

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

He had gotten out of bed a little later than usual, so the gym was already bustling with students. Some turned on the gym television in front of the training equipment to see what was happening on the news.

“Good morning, everyone. This is the morning news for Martial Artist Channel 1. First and foremost, I wish the best of luck to all students studying for the college entrance exam. Next, let’s take a look at the latest news…”

The morning news was one of the most authoritative and highest-rated shows in the Empire. Everyone would be able to learn about the latest developments in the Empire from here.

“Recently, the Empire’s northern border troops have been reinforced by 300 B-Rank martial artists. The northern border is now impregnable…

The order has been restored in the city of Nanjiang, which was attacked by alien races last month. The mayor promised that he would live up to the expectations of His Majesty and the people…

The money-printing program conceived by the Imperial Bank last year has now been implemented. The Minister of Economy has great faith in the people’s livelihoods…

It’s almost time for the 35th edition of the Fist of Hope Competition in the Nanjiang Province. The competition will take place in the city of Fei He, according to the organizer…”

“…”

The contents of these messages were not surprising to anyone.

First, the border and the city were safe so that the people could rest assured. Secondly, the economic future was promising, and the Minister of Economy came out to stand for it.

Li Wei could not even remember how often he had heard this news. He was almost able to recite it from memory. In short, the human empire that had been conquered on numerous battlefields by various aliens would always remain in a peaceful state.

This message, though, was understandable.

Now that the human empires were in a weak position, if they did not broadcast some reassuring news, the populace would be in constant fear. Who would guarantee the economy and the market? Warriors and nobles of all classes also had to eat! The stability of the people’s hearts was more important than anything else.

Although the news was dated, one of the pieces caught Li Wei’s attention. The Fist of Hope was going to be held in the province again.

This competition took place every year for 30 years. It was one of the largest, most economical, and most talked-about competitions in Nanjiang province.

Only third-year high school students from the province were allowed to participate in the competition. Every year, the match would begin on June 1st. This scheduling would avoid the college entrance exam by a week early.

During the competition, major companies would send staff similar to “scouts” to watch the game. These big companies would offer sponsorship contracts if they encountered outstanding third-year high school students. These would assist the student in paying for all their college costs and then offering them a job with the company after graduation.

The benefits are not limited to these. If you were lucky, you might even be able to get some endorsement deals for martial artists’ products. The top few would also receive a bonus. This would significantly reduce the cost of attending college.

In short, “Fist of Hope” was a competition and a place for “prospective fighters” and young students to show off. It was not out of the question for solid fresh graduates to gain both fame and wealth.

‘The first place is worth 100,000 Empire Dollars…’ Li Wei was undoubtedly tempted.

100,000 Empire Dollars was nothing to a martial artist, but it was not a small sum to a student like him. He would be able to deal with the Imperial Martial Arts University’s tuition cost if he could get it.

Secondly, he needed a lot of cash for the farm store. Money was the only way to speed up the farm’s growth.

“If my timing calculation is right, I should be able to make it…” Li Wei put down his dumbbells and carefully worked out how long it would take.

According to his plan, the carrots would ripen in 80 days at most, and they might even ripen a few days earlier. It was just in time for the match to start. In other words, he would be able to participate in the competition with 12 points of vitality.

12 points of vitality?

Li Wei could already imagine how much of a stir it would cause if his vitality points were announced during the pre-competition test. Money and resources were beckoning to him!

However, he knew that no matter how perfect a plan was, it still needed execution. Since he wanted to make the carrots grow, he had to bring forward the harvest period as soon as possible.

Therefore, he had to put in more effort to maintain the farm.

…

Li Wei headed to the cafeteria after his morning workout to get bread and milk for breakfast. After a cultural class in the morning, he walked to the fast-food establishment in front of the school to pick up his wages from the previous month.

He received 500 Empire Dollars from them. In addition to the 60 Empire Dollars he had left on him, he had 560 Empire Dollars.

Other than the necessary living expenses, he would invest the rest of the money on the farm. The martial arts class was in the afternoon. Today’s subject was free combat. This was not just Li Wei’s best subject but also his favorite one.

The specialty of this style of martial art was science and practicality. The Zhao family was not ostentatious. They focused on being cautious and defeating the enemy with one strike.

In addition, Li Wei’s physical condition was excellent. He had a good arm span and long, slender legs. That was why he was able to achieve extraordinary effects every time.

If he did not need his vitality, even Zhang Feng, who was in the top five of the class, was no match for him using only martial arts skills.

The college entrance examination was approaching, and the intensity of the school’s courses was very high. After dinner, the students also had night classes.

Li Wei was doing extra training in the gym. He was trying to increase his vitality according to the teaching materials.Only at 10 p.m. did the teacher allow the students to go back to rest.

Many students did not have the energy to do anything else and returned to their dorms to rest their exhausted bodies. As usual, Li Wei leaned on the bed to sleep. At the same time, his consciousness entered the farm again.

Under the blue sky and white clouds, Li Wei was in a great mood. He rolled up his sleeves and put on the bamboo hat, turning back into a farmer. He whistled and got to work inspecting his farm. In the field, the carrots’ sprouts were becoming more evident.

It created the impression that it was about to sprout at any moment. In anticipation, he began carefully carrying out the necessary watering and maintenance work.

“Ding! Completed watering once! Experience points +0.1!”

“Ding! Completed weeding once! Experience points +0.1!”

“…”

Afterward, he went to the warehouse to gather some unused wood planks and fashioned a cushion. He sat beneath the white clouds, leaning on the grass, and listened to the birds chirping in the sky. He was delighted.

Having nothing else to do, he decided to browse the farm store. He wanted to see what he could buy with his few hundred Empire Dollars. He was aware that the warehouse items were insufficient for running a farm.

Preparation for everything from insect repellents to seeds to new farming equipment was essential. He could not develop the new crops otherwise.

However, it was still the same old problem— the price was too high. The seeds of vegetables and fruit trees were worth around 300 Empire Dollars. Brand new Level 1 farming tools were also between 100 and 200. As for livestock, they were all above 1,000 Empire Dollars.

Li Wei’s head ached from staring at these figures.

He did not even have the guts to look at higher-level farm machinery like tractors! “Sigh, I can only wait for the carrots to ripen and the competition to be over before I can free up some funds…”

This spare time allowed him to learn about the system, even though he could not purchase it. As he progressed, he would become more adept at using it. After staying on the farm for a few hours, he was ready to leave.

However, just as he was about to call the system, Li Wei discovered that the field had already progressed. Tiny green sprouts peeked out of the ground. The carrots had sprouted!