Yu Jing, nineteen years old, was an ordinary Phase-3 disciple living in a Class-C county of District Nineteen within the Zhana Empire.
Despite consistently ranking first in his academic performance, he had barely passed the Level-2 ability test. When he returned to the Academy of Potential to collect his results, the disciplinary officer solemnly advised him on the preparations he must make for the long road ahead in life.
Standing atop the central platform in the training ground, Yu Jing received his graduation certificate—an item worth its weight in gold—under the envious and jealous gazes of his peers, and the heartfelt blessings of the various department instructors. He appeared to be the only graduate of the entire academy. Without wasting a moment, Yu Jing took the certificate and made his way swiftly to the academy gates, eager to leave.
As he crossed the threshold, Yu Jing turned back for one last look at the Academy. Several department instructors were waving at him in different "forms," while the disciplinary officer stood in the center, wearing a knowing smile.
"Back already?"
Yu Jing stepped into his seventy-square-meter home—two bedrooms and a living room—where his mother's familiar voice called out from the kitchen.
"Mom… I told you not to cook. Your health isn't good. Please, go lie down and rest."
Yu Jing's mother was only forty-two years old, but she already looked aged, her hair fully white. Last year, she had been diagnosed with a rare and peculiar illness known as Kajimo, a foreign-born virus that caused severe hormonal imbalances, forcing the human body to age at five times the normal rate.
Only a few top-tier cities in the country had the medical facilities capable of treating such a condition. From online consultations, Yu Jing learned that even the most conservative surgery estimate would cost at least three million yuan—with a success rate of less than thirty percent.
But the success rate wasn't even the main issue. For an average family like his, scraping together even three hundred thousand would be nearly impossible. What's more, Yu Jing had never known his father. Since childhood, his father's existence had been nothing but a blur. His mother had never spoken of him, raising Yu Jing entirely on her own with tireless dedication.
Since she had always avoided the subject, Yu Jing had simply come to accept that his father was long gone.
"Have you chosen your ability institute yet? I don't care about rankings," his mother said gently. "As long as you can keep studying, that's enough for me. I heard from the neighbors that as long as you pick the right major, any school will do."
"Yeah… I've picked one."
Every time he saw his mother's prematurely aged face and snow-white hair, Yu Jing struggled to hold back his tears.
He took over the cooking. Having learned self-reliance from an early age, Yu Jing had developed independence by the time he attended the junior academy. That afternoon, mother and son shared a humble meal together—plain and simple, but peaceful.
After lunch, Yu Jing had just thirty minutes of rest before heading to his part-time job as a cashier at a convenience store. His mother's condition severely taxed her body—she needed over eighteen hours of sleep each day, making it impossible for her to hold any kind of job.
"Mom, get some rest. I'll bring back some things from the supermarket after my shift ends at eight."
As his mother slowly walked back to her room, Yu Jing stood silently, tears streaming down his cheeks.
If you asked why he had done so poorly on the ability test, the truth was that a physical exam conducted beforehand had revealed that he carried the same virus as his mother. It was still in its dormant phase, with no clear timeline for its outbreak, which could occur at any moment. Treatment could only begin once the virus activated and could be precisely located and targeted.
So, from the moment he learned this, Yu Jing gave up on the dream of advancing to a higher-level ability institute. Instead, he spent the days before the test planning for a life after graduation—how to quickly earn enough money to treat his mother's illness. Only after that would he think about saving himself.
At that moment, Yu Jing—a young man not yet truly stepped into society—had already drawn up three short-term plans to make money. Two of them, however, would involve crossing the line into illegality. Yet, after careful risk assessment, he concluded that they were far better than simply sitting here waiting to die.
Nearly every day, Yu Jing would read through all the newspapers he could find. He read quickly, efficiently, and with precision, always extracting and analyzing any information that might be of use to him. But today, there was an unexpected discovery.
In the often-overlooked corner of the Metropolitan Daily—a paper Yu Jing regularly browsed—there was a tiny ad that caught his eye.
"What's this? A test experiment?"
—Reward of 3.5 million gold for successful participation in experimental trials—
A brief line buried within a longer article immediately leapt out at him.
This bottom-right corner of the newspaper was usually filled with ads promoting wellness products for the elderly. But today, tucked into that familiar spot, was this strange advertisement. It was only a few lines long and included a phone number for a research facility. Under normal circumstances, Yu Jing would have dismissed it as a scam without a second thought. But now, clinging to a hope as faint as a candle in the wind, he decided to make the call.
"Let's try it. Who knows—maybe it's real. And if it's a scam, I'll just hang up."
The call connected instantly.
A refined female voice came through the receiver, her tone clear and elegant.
"Hello, resident of District Nineteen! Thank you for calling the volunteer recruitment line of our research institute. May I ask if you are male or female, and how should we address you?"
"My surname is Yu," he replied, choosing not to specify his gender, thinking his voice was distinctive enough.
"Please specify your gender. This information is very important to us."
"…Male." Yu Jing furrowed his brows. The caller sounded extremely professional. Her pronunciation in standard dialect was broadcast-quality.
Always quick to observe and analyze, Yu Jing began picking up on subtle details. Even if this were a scam, it was far more sophisticated than most. And besides, how likely was it that a high-end scam would go through the trouble of placing an ad in a small corner of a newspaper?
"Mr. Yu, may I ask whether you've undergone a physical examination at a certified hospital in the last three months?"
"A physical exam? Yes, I had one a month ago as part of the ability test. It was quite thorough."
"Excellent. That will save us considerable effort. We will retrieve your examination data and conduct a comprehensive evaluation. If you meet the qualifications for our research program, we will contact you as soon as possible. Please make sure your phone remains reachable. Once again, thank you for calling, and we wish you a pleasant weekend."
The call ended.
Yu Jing sat there in a daze. Of course, he didn't fully trust what had just happened. Modern scams were incredibly sophisticated—some even brilliant. This kind of baiting tactic was all too common. Still… if it was real, he immediately thought of the Kajimo virus detected in his medical records. If the research facility saw that, they might eliminate him from the candidate list right away.
Ring ring!
Just as Yu Jing lay back on the couch to rest, the phone beside him rang. He had call ID services enabled, but the screen displayed only one thing:
"Unknown Location."