Enemies Are All Nourishment for My Fungi..

Scientists flocked to the site, setting up numerous detection devices to record any data that could be recorded.

Drones also took to the sky, circling the shrinking space channel.

At this time, however, Ye Nai was too preoccupied to pay attention to the spectacle; Yu Jiao had started school.

Ye Nai took Yu Jiao to school, while Yu Qing went to work as usual.

She still had to stay at home for a few days, the intermediate accounting exam was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, and Yu Qing’s night school classes would continue until the day before the exam.

During the day when the house was empty, she went to the car market and bought a small, adorable entry-level smart-drive model for over fifty thousand, in lemon yellow, which was especially dazzling in the sunlight.

Including the nuclear battery for the vehicle and insurance taxes, she paid a little over a hundred thousand in full, choosing an Awakener license plate for registration, just like for motorcycles.

Then she drove to a car beauty shop to get a clear car cover and window films installed, also buying necessities such as antifreeze coolant and windshield washer fluid before finally storing the vehicle in space; job done.

It took several days just to look at cars in the car market, and by the time the car was ready, the weekend had arrived. Over the weekend, as Yu Qing entered the exam room, the space channel at Town No.1 had shrunk to only allow pedestrian and bicycle access, not wide enough for cars; even the "chopped chili fish head" models couldn’t fit.

Yu Qing finished her exams on Sunday morning and just had to wait until October to check her results. She finally had some free time and returned to her regular schedule, but seeing the current situation in East Ridge City, she couldn’t help but worry about how Ye Nai was going to manage in the future and where she would find a job.

Taking advantage of dinner time, Yu Qing brought up the topic.

"It looks like the Secret Realm is really closing, what are you going to do? Where will you find work?"

"Head out of town then, there are plenty of Secret Realms across the country."

"And what if all the Secret Realms nationwide shut down too? Where will you earn your money then?"

"That would be great, it would mean the domestic conflicts are over, and enemies can no longer use the Secret Realms for roundabout sneak attacks. Only border conflicts would remain, the country could start post-war reconstruction, and there will be plenty of job opportunities then; making money will be easy."

"Don’t just focus on making money, you can never earn enough of it. You’re nineteen already, shouldn’t you be thinking about getting married?"

"Why? Will I immediately die if I don’t get married? Is marriage for prolonging life? How many years of life has it prolonged for you?"

Ye Nai swiftly finished the last two bites of her meal, put down her bowl, and glared at her mom.

"Ah..."

Yu Qing was at a loss for words due to Ye Nai’s retort when suddenly, a notification sound came from Ye Nai’s mobile phone at the dinner table.

She picked it up, smiled briefly, and saw that in the long-silent team captain’s group, members were calling each other to ask about future plans; Ye Nai was also tagged.

She promptly replied that she would return tomorrow.

"Now that everything here is settled, I should head back to the danger zone. If you find me a burden, then I can leave tonight."

"Big sister, stay with me for one more night," Yu Jiao pleaded after throwing down her rice bowl, tears welling up as she threw herself into Ye Nai’s arms.

"I didn’t say much, don’t overreact like that, little sister is asking you to stay, so just leave tomorrow morning instead."

Yu Qing hastily finished her meal and got up to clean up the table.

Ye Nai took Yu Jiao back to her bedroom, pulled out a wheeled luggage bag from beside her desk, and began packing in a rather perfunctory way.

"Big sister, will you come back after going out of town?"

"Why come back if there’s no money to be made here? Instead of wishing for me to return, it’s better for you and mom to strive—first, get her to pass the intermediate accounting exam, which gives her a chance for promotion through an external transfer. You’ve good grades, so if I work hard outside, I might be able to get you into a top school."

"Remember what I told you? The better the school, the more they prioritize students’ performances, especially for transfer students. Why should they accept you? Of course, grades speak for themselves—the most equitable measure is the capability tests on the online platform."

"It’s not just about one or two tests, but multiple ones. The more tests you take, the better they illustrate your true ability through your score’s trend, showing that you are indeed a diligent and studious student because this totally depends on self-discipline. If you slack off, you won’t be able to do so many tests."

Yu Jiao nodded as she listened.

"Let me tell you something, but keep it to yourself and don’t tell anyone."

"You can tell me," Yu Jiao glanced back at the living room, listening to the sound of water and the faint clinking of dishes in the kitchen, and whispered, "Mom is still washing dishes; I promise I won’t tell."

"Dad is now disabled, and mom is unreliable as she’s too inconsistent. You have to make sure she stays on track and doesn’t start doubting and think of turning back halfway. If she were alone, it would be her own problem, but she’s with you, and I can’t let her drag you down. You must transfer to a school out of town to access better educational resources."

"What if my grades aren’t good enough? Can I still get into a top school?"

"There’s a group known as the Awakener’s family. Using this status, you can transfer to a good school, but your grades still need to be decent. If not the very top, then at least at the lower end of the top tier. With this, I can spend some money to get you in, but if your grades aren’t up to mark, then you’ll only be able to go to an ordinary school. Still, there are benefits; education resources in big cities, even at ordinary schools, are better than what we have here in East Ridge City."

"Hmm, I will keep an eye on mom, and I will try hard, for sure—I’ll head to a big city."

Yu Jiao listened to the kitchen sounds for a moment, then continued in a very low voice, "How did dad become disabled?"

"The guys told me dad has no interest in passing the intermediate electrician exam. Every time they bring it up, he loses his temper. He also got fired because he couldn’t focus on his work due to his untreated leg, and now he’s just living off the money from the divorce. He’ll be calm until he runs out of money, but what happens when he does? Keep a close watch, and if you see him coming to mom, message me right away, and I’ll come back to handle him."

"How could dad change like this...?!"

"He has always been like this, always complaining about how hard the electrician field team works, running here and there every day, but when he’s home, he’s like a paralyzed old man. He won’t even pick up a tipped cup to wipe up the water. Mom married him because he was generous with money and didn’t fuss about it. His generosity was only because the field team made good money, and he liked mom because she kept the accounts clear and didn’t mess up the finances. Both had their needs met initially, but now that the foundation of their alliance is cracked, of course they divorced. Dad’s been waited on all his life; he’s bound to cause trouble sooner or later."

"What about my brothers? With dad like this, will he still care for them?"

"Of course not; I’m the one supplementing their living expenses. Thankfully, they haven’t asked me to help with tuition yet. But regardless, dad treats his two sons this way, and when they grow up, they’ll do the same to him. You and mom should keep away, don’t fall into this pit. If she wants to jump in, let her, but don’t you follow."

"I definitely won’t, but it’s hard to say the same for mom, those are her sons too."

"Hmm, think carefully. If mom can’t part with Ye Yong and Ye Ji, then she definitely won’t be as motivated to transfer, and there goes your top-tier school. Their grades aren’t good enough for a transfer, and mom, a single woman managing two teenage sons, simply can’t handle it."