Genius Beast Taming: Starting from Awakening an S-Rank Talent

"As the saying goes, even a fine steed needs a discerning eye to recognize its worth. It is precisely because the Star-Devouring Kunpeng met you that it has been able to soar soaring to new heights and fully realize its potential! You and the Star-Devouring Kunpeng are a perfect match, complementing each other perfectly, and are destined to leave a significant mark on the history of the universe!"

The principal of No. 3 Middle School used exaggerated and eloquent language: "It is a great honor for our No. 3 Middle School to witness the growth of you, our young leader, and your contracted partner! With you in ASEAN, the future is bright! With you in humanity, what is there to worry about but prosperity!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Heng sipped his tea and smiled without saying a word.

Not long after, Li Lang walked in and greeted the principal of No. 3 Middle School.

Seeing this, the principal of No. 3 Middle School flattered Zhou Heng again before taking his leave.

As soon as the principal of No. 3 Middle School left, Li Lang rushed to the sofa and sat down next to Zhou Heng.

"You're finally back!" Li Lang nudged Zhou Heng with his shoulder, his tone filled with undisguised joy.

Zhou Heng chuckled softly, turning her head to look at him: "It hasn't even been ten days, and you already miss me again?"

Li Lang sighed dramatically, leaning back on the sofa: "Sigh, you have no idea how bored I am when you're not at school."

Zhou Heng raised an eyebrow, a hint of mockery in his voice: "Since I'm not usually at school, you're the strongest in the second year of high school, surrounded by a retinue. How could you be bored?"

"It's boring."

Li Lang shook his head, his nonchalant expression vanishing, and his voice lowered: "There are plenty of people around me, but not a single one I can truly confide in. I've long since grown accustomed to the days when we went to class together, trained our beasts together."

"You get along really well with Xiao Gao and Pang Jie, don't you?" Zhou Heng asked casually.

"This is different."

Li Lang immediately retorted, "I'm good friends with them, and it's fine for us to fool around and brag together, but you and I are my true brothers. Only in front of you can I speak my mind. Besides..."

He paused, somewhat sullenly: "Xiao Gao and He Hongmei are too close. They're childhood sweethearts. Every time I'm between them, I feel like a super bright third wheel, so it's incredibly awkward. As for Pang Jie, Shi Jingqi, and Wang Xuwen, they're not from the same school, so there's always a gap between them."

Zhou Heng smiled upon hearing this.

His gaze inadvertently swept over Li Lang's wrist, where he wore a brand-new red storage watch, shimmering with light and engraved with gold patterns, its energy fluctuations quite obvious.

Zhou Heng was somewhat surprised and said, "I said I would give you a level 5 storage watch, but I haven't had a chance to deliver on that promise yet, and you've already bought one yourself."

Li Lang raised his hand and shook his wrist, the watch face reflecting tiny starlight in the natural light: "I didn't buy it, my parents bought it for me."

"Your parents?"

Zhou Heng was even more surprised. He remembered clearly: "The storage watches your parents wear are only level five, but they actually bought you one of the same level. Didn't you always complain that they favored your brother? Why do I feel like they favor you more?"

"It's mainly thanks to you. Now you've awakened your SSS-level second talent and become the alliance's junior leader, soaring to new heights."

Li Lang's lips curled into a complex smile, tinged with sarcasm and a hint of relief: "My parents are the most pragmatic people out there. They used to think our relationship was just childish squabbles, like fair-weather friends, unreliable. Plus, raising my brother for so many years had been a huge sunk cost, so they didn't put all their eggs in one basket with me. But now they've discovered that even though you've become the little leader, you still consider me a good friend, proving our friendship can withstand the test. Their attitude towards me has completely changed; they're no longer biased towards my brother, but instead, they're starting to favor me. The resources they originally planned to save for my brother are now being poured into me."

Zhou Heng paused for a moment, then gently patted Li Lang's shoulder: "No matter what, you've finally overcome your hardships."

"What does 'after hardship comes happiness' mean?"

Li Lang chuckled, a hint of clarity in his eyes that was unusual for his usual demeanor: "It's nothing more than a matter of profit."

Zhou Heng knew that even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes: "Is your brother about to graduate from university?"

"He's graduating soon, he's already a senior this year." Li Lang nodded.

Zhou Heng rested his chin on his hand, stroking his jaw: "If your brother knew that all your family's resources were being allocated to you, wouldn't he have a problem with that?"

"So what if they have opinions? My parents don't care about these things."

Li Lang shrugged, his tone as indifferent as if he were talking about someone else: "In their eyes, whoever can bring them more benefits is their favorite child."

Zhou Heng remained silent, unsure how to comment on this kind of kinship built on a balancing act of self-interest.

Li Lang seemed to remember something and continued, "Oh right, I told my parents about the Mystic Realm token."

Zhou Heng's eyes narrowed, and his tone became more serious: "The token from the Myriad Blessings Secret Realm was secretly given to you by your grandfather. It's extremely precious, worth at least an eighth-tier treasure. What was their reaction when they found out you gave it to me?"

Recalling the scene, Li Lang's expression became even stranger: "After the initial shock, my parents weren't angry at all. Instead, they were very pleased and praised me for my excellent judgment and decisiveness. They felt that this meant I had invested in you in advance, and I would definitely benefit from it in the future. In fact, this might be the main reason for their change in attitude towards me. After all, I was about to be carried to new heights by you, and I would be much more useful to them than my brother."

Zhou Heng nodded: "That's good too. No matter what the reason, as long as they're good to you now, that's fine."

"They are doing incredibly well now."

Li Lang smirked: "He even formally apologized for neglecting me before, and said he would make it up to me in the future."

Zhou Heng looked at Li Lang and suddenly asked a profound question: "If you become stronger than them in the future, and you don't need to rely on them at all, and they even need to depend on you, what do you plan to do?"

"I will still be filial to them. After all, although they favored my brother in the past, they didn't skimp on my food, clothing, or daily necessities. They gave me what I was entitled to."

Li Lang answered almost without hesitation, "Although they are treating me exceptionally well now because of you, which may seem like they care too much about their own interests, I can actually understand them. People and things in this world are inherently intertwined with emotions and interests. No one can only talk about emotions without considering interests, and no one can only talk about interests without considering emotions at all. Family members are no exception."

Zhou Heng looked at Li Lang with some surprise, as if he were truly getting to know this friend for the first time: "Everyone usually thinks you are carefree and rough around the edges, but now I realize that you have a delicate mind that others don't have and a transcendent insight into the coldness and warmth of human relationships. It makes me think of the phrase 'great wisdom appears as foolishness'."

Li Lang was a little embarrassed by his praise and waved his hand, "Come on! Don't give me that. Because you're an only child, you don't understand this kind of psychology of reading between the lines. If you were born into a family with multiple children, you would be the same as me."

Zhou Heng suddenly understood: "I get it."