Chapter 12: Nine Stars Surround the Moon (First Update)

"Zhong Yun."

Half-awake, Zhong Yun heard someone call his name. He lifted his head in confusion and saw the face of a woman—their class monitor.

"Zhong Yun, you're leaving tomorrow. You need to pay your fee," she said.

Seeing his sleepy demeanor, the class monitor frowned, thinking to herself that it was no wonder he always came last; he slept through every lesson.

"Fee? What fee?" Zhong Yun was a little more awake now.

Chen Wen, who sat in front, noticed the commotion and said to the class monitor, "I'll pay his fee." He took out a card and swiped it on the monitor's transaction device.

The class monitor glanced at the device in her hand and, seeing the transaction was successful, left with a look of disdain for Zhong Yun.

Now fully awake, Zhong Yun didn't ask how much Chen Wen had just paid, but instead inquired, "Is there some activity happening in the class?"

"You don't know?" Chen Wen gave him a strange look. "No wonder your grades are even worse than mine. Clearly, you don't pay attention in class."

A few lines of embarrassment crept across Zhong Yun's face. Poor grades were a perpetual pain for him. Back on Earth, he used to rank among the top ten in his class; now, here, he was dead last. How humiliating.

"I've taken a month's sick leave. How would I know?"

"Oh, right," Chen Wen remembered.

"Tomorrow is the long-awaited academic trip," he said, though his expression was indifferent.

"So it's the academic trip," Zhong Yun said with sudden understanding. Academic trips were a benefit for students: twice a year, each lasting seven days, organized by the school, usually to famous scenic spots.

For students, it was indeed something to look forward to—escaping parental supervision, no studying, and the freedom to play to their heart's content.

More importantly, it was a legitimate opportunity to ask out one's crush.

Students here were truly fortunate, Zhong Yun thought. Back on Earth, during six years of junior high and high school, his school had never once organized a field trip. He couldn't help but envy these students.

"Where are we going this time?" Zhong Yun asked.

"Fenghua City."

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At Zhong Yun’s home, the door was suddenly flung open. Zhong Pingjiang and Yun Rong rushed in, breathless and anxious, heading straight for the backyard.

Seeing the pot of "Nine Stars Surrounding the Moon" safely placed there, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

With utmost care, they moved the flower to the table in the living room, then sat by its side, holding their breath, not daring to disturb the precious flower.

The "Nine Stars Surrounding the Moon" radiated an enchanting allure. The two watched silently for a long time.

"Did you find out for certain… is this really what you think it is?" Yun Rong asked softly, still feeling as if she were in a dream.

"I've seen the panoramic image. There's no mistake," Zhong Pingjiang replied, though a hint of uncertainty remained. It was simply too unbelievable.

Earlier today, he’d seized a chance to chat with a flower-loving manager. When he mentioned "Nine Stars Surrounding the Moon," the manager was visibly surprised.

"I didn't expect you'd heard of this long-lost treasure," the manager said.

Zhong Pingjiang feigned casualness, claiming he'd stumbled across it online.

The manager laughed, "Of course you've never seen one in real life."

"Nine Stars Surrounding the Moon is cultivated from the seeds of the Zilan flower. It's said Zilan could produce a whole series of varieties, but with the disappearance of the Jialan civilization, it vanished as well."

This manager truly knew his stuff—few were aware of these details. In fact, he was vice-president of the Mingzhou Flower Association.

Zhong Pingjiang showed just the right amount of surprise. Years of corporate experience had honed his emotional intelligence; he wouldn't give himself away in such a situation. Still, his heart raced.

Rarity brings value; that’s a universal truth. Since the method to cultivate "Nine Stars Surrounding the Moon" was lost, its worth was self-evident.

He had an intuition: his son might have grown something extraordinary.

"The last appearance of 'Nine Stars Surrounding the Moon' was decades ago, at an exhibition on Liberty Star. Later, it was mysteriously stolen. The case caused a huge stir but the thief was never found, leaving behind an unsolved mystery."

"Then it must be very valuable," Zhong Pingjiang said, following the manager's lead.

The manager shook his head regretfully. "Money can't buy it."

"But recently, Fei'er Flower Garden bought a 'Seven Fairies,' which is from the same series. I heard they paid two hundred million Omi coins."

"'Nine Stars Surrounding the Moon' is even rarer than 'Seven Fairies.' Its value wouldn't be less than two hundred million."

The words "two hundred million Omi coins" thundered in Zhong Pingjiang’s mind. He worked at a bank and handled sums larger than that daily, but when such an amount might become his own, no one could remain calm.

If I had two hundred million, I could fulfill my dreams, he thought, blood rushing to his head.

Learning the true value of the flower in their backyard, Zhong Pingjiang could no longer sit still. He took leave from the manager, drove home, and for the first time ever pushed his car to two hundred kilometers an hour.

At the doorstep, he ran into his equally anxious wife, who had learned from her "flower fanatic" cousin about the value of "Seven Stars Surrounding the Moon" and hurried home with the same feelings.

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The couple exchanged a glance, understanding each other perfectly without words.

"That fool Xiao Yun, leaving such a valuable thing in the backyard. What if someone stole it?" Yun Rong, a member of the sales planning department at a large company, had a keen sense of risk.

Zhong Pingjiang smiled wryly. As an assistant manager in the administrative department, he considered himself worldly, but faced with hundreds of millions, he could not keep calm.

Both were filled with immense doubts—what had happened to their son?

No one knows a child better than his parents. They knew exactly what kind of person Zhong Yun was. The results of his school IQ test were still a sore spot in their hearts.

Their greatest hope was for their son to attend an ordinary university, find a steady job after graduation, and marry a sensible girlfriend, living a peaceful life. Anything else was too much to hope for.

But now, he had cultivated a legendary, priceless flower worth billions. The contrast was staggering. Especially with last semester's school notice, the glaring red "D" grade still fresh in their minds.

Could it be that some hidden talent in their son had been overlooked?

They waited eagerly for their son to return from school and explain everything.

They were a little late, however. Just as Yun Rong was about to call her son to urge him home, his recorded message played in the house: "Dad, Mom, today is the academic trip. I’ll be back in a week. If you need anything, call me."

The couple looked at each other in disbelief. At this critical moment, their son had gone on the academic trip. He was probably on the plane now, so they would have to wait to call him later.

With no other choice, they could only wait patiently.

Yun Rong suddenly asked, "Honey, what should we do with this flower? Should we really sell it?"

Zhong Pingjiang slowly exhaled. "We should sell it, but we need to ask Xiao Yun first. After all, he grew it."

Yun Rong grew excited. "With this money, we can finally realize our dreams."

"Yes," Zhong Pingjiang said, after a moment’s silence. "What’s the best way to sell it?"

Yun Rong thought for a moment. "If we want to maximize profit, the best way is through an auction house. But that would expose Xiao Yun and could bring a lot of trouble."

"In that case…"

"The black market," they said together.

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