My basement connects to another world.

Chapter 66 Farewell Dinner

The next day.

A taxi was parked outside the east gate of the university.

Jiang Yuan paid the fare and got off the bus.

The sun was scorching.

He stood for a moment, gazing at the white stone with black lettering bearing the school's name in the distance.

Students came and went in twos and threes through the gate. Some were carrying backpacks and walking in a hurry, some were holding up their phones and discussing with their friends where to have lunch, and some were squatting by the flower bed at the entrance, playing with an orange cat.

The last time he stood here, he was a recent graduate with a three-digit balance, worried about the debt for his old house, and his mind was full of thoughts about how to find a job with a monthly salary of five or six thousand.

But in just about half a month—it was already a completely different world.

Jiang Yuan let out a silent breath.

He's here today to put a period to the first twenty-odd years of his life.

Graduation defense, the last exam in four years of university.

From then on, his battlefield was no longer the cubicle or the office building, but the rocky coast and frozen snowfields of another world.

The school gate was unusually lively.

Today is not only the day of the senior students' graduation defense, but also the 80th anniversary of the university.

A red inflatable archway was erected above the passageway, with the words "Warmly Celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the Founding of the School" printed on it.

On either side of the archway stand a row of display boards covered with photos of past principals and profiles of distinguished alumni.

Several students wearing volunteer vests were handing out commemorative booklets next to the display board, and they smiled and bowed to each person who received one.

Jiang Yuan walked into the school gate and casually picked up a handbook to flip through.

The cover features the school emblem and the words "Passing on the torch for eighty years," and inside is a folded map with several venues for the anniversary celebration marked in red circles.

He put the handbook in his pocket and walked towards the teaching building.

The campus was filled with banners and colorful flags, and there was a sign every few steps along the roadside.

The buzzing sound of sound system testing came from the direction of the main playground, and you could vaguely hear someone testing the microphone.

He walked along the path beside the basketball court.

"atom?"

Shouts came from not far away.

Jiang Yuan looked over.

He saw a tall, dark-skinned, fat man looking at him hesitantly.

He was wearing a faded basketball jersey, his hair was messy, and he was carrying a bag of breakfast buns and soy milk.

"It's Zhao Peng!" Jiang Yuan greeted him with a laugh, "Pengzi!"

Zhao Peng stared at Jiang Yuan for a good two or three seconds, almost dropping the steamed bun in his mouth.

Holy crap!

"Atom? It really is you?!"

He rushed over in two strides, circled around halfway, and reached out to pat Jiang Yuan's shoulder. But he pulled his hand back halfway, his expression slightly awkward: "You've changed so much! It's only been less than a month, how come your skin is so clean?"

"Could I be mistaken—didn't you used to have some acne scars on your face, and they even seemed higher? No, no, I can't quite put my finger on it, it's just that your whole appearance—"

He got stuck, unable to find the right words.

Jiang Yuan knew what he was talking about.

The physical transformation brought about by leveling up is not just as simple as improved skin and recovery from nearsightedness.

Furthermore, after he condensed his magic core, his mental power became stronger and more restrained, and his every move exuded a composure unlike that of ordinary people.

Those who know you well will notice this change in temperament most clearly.

"Alright, stop acting like you've seen a ghost." Jiang Yuan chuckled and playfully punched Zhao Peng on the shoulder. "What's wrong? Are you stunned by my good looks?"

Zhao Peng was stunned for a moment, then grinned, the awkwardness he felt at that moment being dispelled by this familiar gesture.

"Get lost, I'm just afraid you'll become rich and forget about your brothers." He also punched Jiang Yuan back, but subconsciously the force was lighter than usual.

His body instincts told him that the person in front of him was different from before, but he regretted it after punching him and threw another heavy punch: "Let's go, Brother Hao and the others should have arrived by now."

The two walked towards the teaching building.

While munching on a steamed bun, Zhao Peng counted on his fingers: "The school anniversary celebration was in the morning, and after that it was our turn to defend our theses. Several big shots came today, and the dorm group chat exploded."

Jiang Yuan nodded, not paying much attention.

At the entrance of the teaching building, Song Zihao was leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone.

The rich kid was dressed very formally today, in a white shirt and trousers, and his blond hair was styled into a side part with hair gel.

Ding Rui was standing next to him.

In Jiang Yuan's memory, Ding Rui was always taciturn and habitually shrank to the back of the crowd.

But today he was dressed in a formal suit, his back was ramrod straight, and he had a folder in his hand. He didn't look awkward standing next to Song Zihao.

"Brother Hao, look who's here!" Zhao Peng shouted from afar.

Song Zihao raised his head, his gaze falling on Jiang Yuan, and his eyebrows suddenly shot up.

He shoved his phone into his pocket, took a few steps to meet him, looked him up and down twice, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something like "Holy shit," but for some reason he swallowed it back.

He reached out his hand, hesitated for a moment between shaking hands or patting Jiang Yuan's shoulder, and finally just patted Jiang Yuan's arm.

"You've been doing well lately, haven't you?" His tone was a little strange.

Ding Rui also stood up, adjusted his glasses, and said, "—Long time no see."

The familiar old classmate in front of him was completely different. His composure made him swallow back the "not much has changed" that he had prepared.

Jiang Yuan observed the reactions of the three people.

Things are different now.

No matter what he thinks, change is change.

In the past, the guys in the dorm used to joke around and mess around. Zhao Peng would dare to throw his smelly socks on his bed, and Song Zihao would put his arm around his shoulder and call him brother when he was drunk.

Although Ding Rui had a sharp tongue, at least he wouldn't speak to him in such a formal tone.

The three of them are now standing together, as if separated by an invisible layer of glass.

"What's wrong?" He raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the two men's faces. "Brother Hao, how many pounds of hairspray did you use on your hair?"

"And Ding Rui—did you forget to remove the label from your suit sleeve?"

There was a moment of silence.

Zhao Peng couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing, spitting out crumbs of steamed bun from his mouth, which he quickly caught with his hand.

Song Zihao reached out and touched his hair, grinning as he said, "This is called refined. You're dressed like you're coming to class, what do you know?"

His shoulders visibly relaxed, and his tone returned to its usual calm: "But seriously, thank you for the ointment. I've been wanting to thank you in person for a while now."

Thanks to that magical ointment, he managed to get a lot more pocket money from his elders, and he couldn't have been happier lately.

Zhao Peng also thought of this: "Me too, after using your medicine, my mother's cervical spondylosis got better. I'm amazed, it's really that amazing."

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "Didn't we already thank you in the group chat? Why are you doing this again?"

Ding Rui had become reserved after meeting Jiang Yuan, but seeing that Jiang Yuan was clearly different from before, he relaxed and said, "The label was kept on purpose, and it can be returned."

"Be careful, or the businesses will come knocking on your door." Zhao Peng condemned Ding Rui's behavior.

The atmosphere relaxed.

The four people entered the main hall.

The auditorium was almost full, with a few empty seats in the front row. Staff on stage were adjusting the microphone volume.

The four of them found a row of empty seats in a corner at the back.

More students and teachers entered the venue one after another.

About fifteen minutes later, the auditorium was full.

The lights were dimmed by one level, and the spotlight on the stage was turned on.

A middle-aged man with a slightly balding head walked onto the stage.

The vice principal cleared his throat and began reading the list of alumni donors.

"Today, we are honored to have invited several outstanding alumni to share their growth experiences and life insights with us on this special day."

Next, let's give a warm round of applause to Ms. Shen Tinglan, founder and chairwoman of Jinlan Group!

Jiang Yuan leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping across the stage.

Amid applause, a young woman stood up in the first row of the guest seating area, on the left side.

She did not immediately walk to the podium. Instead, she turned slightly to the side and nodded gently towards the students, neither humble nor arrogant.

Then he turned around and walked slowly toward the podium.

She wore dark gray suit trousers, a white silk shirt, and her long hair was loosely tied back with an ebony hairpin, with a few stray strands falling by her temples.

Behind the thin-rimmed gold-rimmed glasses, a pair of almond-shaped eyes appeared calm and aloof.

The noise from the thousands of people below the stage unconsciously subsided a few degrees the moment she looked up.

"Hello fellow alumni, I am Shen Tinglan."

Shen Tinglan walked to the front of the stage, adjusted the microphone height, raised her head, and scanned the thousands of faces below the stage.

The noise from the thousands of people below the stage unconsciously subsided a few degrees the moment she looked up.

"Before standing here, I listened to many stories of success from the audience. But what I want to say is, don't be too superstitious about it. What I really have to talk about in my entrepreneurial journey is not the smooth sailing moments, but the few times I almost couldn't make it through the low points—as long as you're still in the game, the chance to turn things around is always there. I share this with you all."

She nodded slightly, and then applause erupted.

After Shen Tinglan stepped off the stage, Zhao Peng finally let out a breath he had been holding in for so long.

"Wow, when this senior stood on the stage, I didn't dare to breathe. Not only is she that beautiful, but she's also incredibly rich. What did God do to her?"

Song Zihao leaned back in his chair and said lazily, "Turn off your door."

"You don't know that guy from a while back?" Ding Rui said, "The one who said I had two husbands? It was Jinlan Group who arranged it."

""

Zhao Peng was taken aback. "Now that you mention it, I vaguely remember it."

Ding Rui shook his head: "Jinlan hasn't been doing well lately. For over a week, Jinlan's stock price hasn't risen at all; it's been steadily falling. I heard that many collaborations have been suspended, and suppliers are also watching and waiting. If this continues, it might really go bankrupt."

Zhao Peng found it strange: "That Google ad is indeed disgusting. But can a single piece of copywriting really bankrupt a company worth billions?"

"Not surprising." Ding Rui scoffed: "You don't understand the cosmetics industry. There are no core technological barriers in this stuff. It all depends on GG and brand recognition."

"This product is all about creating a persona. Before, using Jinlan, you were an independent woman. Now, using Jinlan, you're instantly labeled a cheating housewife. What woman would dare put that label on herself?"

Zhao Peng suddenly realized: "Holy crap, now that you mention it—I feel a little sorry for my senior."

Jiang Yuan listened to their conversation, but he wasn't interested. He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and began to organize the magical energy within his body.

The subsequent anniversary celebrations proceeded as planned.

Several alumni representatives continued to speak, student representatives expressed their gratitude, and the university then gave a concluding speech.

Jiang Yuan paid no further attention until the event ended.

After the show ended.

The defense was conducted in order of student ID number, with the four students scattered in different rows.

Gangwon was in the middle, by the window.

When it was Li's turn, the examiners asked a few questions about neighboring regulations, which were very simple for Li at that time.

He answered smoothly and fluently, and easily got through the situation.

As he stepped down from the podium, Zhao Peng stood in the front row and gave a thumbs-up, while Song Zihao also stood in the front row and winked.

-

After all the defenses were completed, the four of them went back to their dorm and reminisced for a while.

Then I walked through the crowd toward the school gate. The sun was stronger than in the morning. There were several graduating girls in their graduation gowns taking photos at the school gate, their laughter ringing out.

Jiang Yuan picked a decent restaurant near the school.

The four of them sat down, and the dishes were served quickly.

Braised prawns, braised pork ribs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, pickled fish, tomato and beef brisket soup — plus a few bottles of beer.

The topic circled around several times, but eventually returned to Jiang Yuan.

"Atomic, tell me about Xian." Song Zihao put down his chopsticks, his expression unusually serious: "What have you been doing lately? I asked a doctor my dad knows about that ointment, and he said that there's nothing on the market with that kind of effect."

"You, the archery champion? And you, frankly speaking, if you just stand there without saying a word, I'm almost afraid to joke with you."

Zhao Peng stood to the side holding chopsticks, not interrupting, but his expression clearly indicated that Li also wanted to ask.

Ding Rui silently took a sip of beer, his gaze behind his glasses falling on Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan, holding his beer glass, thought for a moment and said, "Maybe it's because people have money that they become more energetic."

He picked up his glass and raised it to the three of them: "No matter how things change, I'm still Jiang Yuan. If you ever need any help in the future, just let me know."

There was a moment of silence.

"Okay." Zhao Peng was the first to raise his glass. "Just hearing that is enough."

Song Zihao picked up his glass, clinked it with Jiang Yuan's, and took a big gulp.

Ding Rui was also somewhat moved, realizing that he had become a bit arrogant after getting a good job, but Jiang Yuan still didn't mind.

His glass clinked against the other three, making a crisp sound as the glass struck each other.

It was already evening when the show ended.

The four of them stood outside the restaurant for a while.

Zhao Peng said they should get together again around this time next year. Song Zihao said he would take the guys for a drive after he bought a new car. Jiang Yuan said that they should buy a seven-seater, since Zhao Peng's size takes up two seats.

Zhao Peng kicked Li.

After they finished laughing, they went their separate ways.