100 Thunder Bonus

Update]. Aurora Entertainment's got tons of studio divisions. TV, movies—though films haven't kicked off yet, right? Sang Yu agrees on one point.

The big-screen movie rush? Phones, tablets, PCs can't touch it. Especially for effects-heavy flicks. Pure dopamine. Last movie watched?

The unavoidable Golden Legend. Before that? Memory's fuzzy. Just a blur of foreign popcorn flicks. Forget depth or not—forty bucks felt worth it.

But right now? No way Sang Yu's filming anything. Maybe flip through the bookshelf later. Ugh, shortcuts. Sang Yu's feeling good.

Decides to head home. Bought the family a place in Linjiang. But the elders can't shake their hometown. Stay two months, then bounce back.

Whatever. Xi Xingfa recommended this spot last time. Solid joint, delivers. Grabbing takeout. Close by, plus craving that hot milk tea.

Gearing up for another all-nighter. Linjiang's downtown has this old alley. Not just legacy spots with foodie cred. Original cuisine joints, original milk tea shops too.

Saw one charging hundreds a cup. Thought it was a scam. Bought one out of curiosity. Actually decent, strong tea aroma. For someone who sleeps at 9 AM sharp.

Wait, can you even call that dawn? Whatever, 9 AM bedtime. This nuclear-strength tea? Perfect fuel. Crush The Martial World's final two levels in one go.

Milk tea in hand, Sang Yu slides into the car. Not flexing the ride today. The past few days hit too hard. Body feels hollowed out, not fully recovered.

Cruising down the road. Neon nightscape everywhere. Sang Yu: '...' No way I'm seeing things, right? Slight astigmatism kicking in?

The milk tea suddenly feels heavier. Whatever, one final all-nighter. Then it's done. Sang Yu gets home. Empty house. Messages ignored.

Phone call reveals the whole family's out watching drama. 'Who's fighting?' Liu Ping's side is chaotic. 'Some dude kneeling at the school gate for his kid.

Tragic... hurry!' Sang Yu: o_O? Didn't mishear that, right? But why's it so hard to parse? Liu Ping drops a pin. 'North gate of that high school on Tuofeng Road.

Me and grandpa and grandma are all here!' Tuofeng Road, not far. Just walked here—have to walk again? Sang Yu: '...' Three seconds later.

Gossip craving beats laziness. Rushes over. Arrives, crowd's circled up. Everyone craning necks. Tomorrow's mini-holiday, so school let out before 10:30.

Whole gate's packed. Inside the circle, someone's crying, someone's cursing. Sang Yu: peeking-around.JPG Skip finding family for now.

Join the chaos first. Dense wall of heads. Sang Yu's not short. Tip-toes plus weaves through gaps. Barely catches the scene.

Middle-aged dude in a faded delivery-app jacket. Kneeling to a boy in school uniform. Security and what looks like school brass scrambling to block him.

The kid who almost got knelt on? Face pure annoyance. Arms crossed, eye-roll game strong. Lips moving like— Wait, missed the climax?

Sang Yu's bummed. Late. So what's the trio's deal? But pieced it together from bystanders. One-liner: dad kneeling to beg his son to study.

Sang Yu: o_O+1? Actually begging school? But isn't that move kinda... extreme. Sang Yu mulls, hunting for the right word.

Publicly kneeling to your kid is just... something. At least in Chinese culture, that act carries 'filial piety's weight.' The location.

High school gate. Won't classmates and teachers all see? The kid's tiny social world? He just became the main character.

Negative kind. Won't just fuel three years of high school gossip. Next batch, even a decade later, people can flip it back endlessly.

Sang Yu glances again. Hmm, that eye-rolling kid's shoes, watch. None cheap. Watch is entry-level but still tens of thousands.

Look at the dad's outfit again. Could vanity be fueling the school-skipping? Too curious. Grabs a bystander. Bystander's hyped response.

'Sigh, see that boy? That's that dude's son?!' Sang Yu surprised: 'Huh?!' Not father and son?! Looks up. Sure enough, there's someone next to the teacher.

Boy's face red, but not shy. Whole jaw clenched, body wound tight. Like a string pulled to breaking point. Boy's a high school sophomore.

Supposed to be hitting the books, but won't study. Just games. Another kid who almost got knelt on? The boy's classmate.

The 'root of all evil' who led him astray. Family's loaded, so pays the boy 'wages.' Play X matches, get X cash. Boy's got no mom, no guidance, wild streak.

Since dad remarried, even more twisted. Loves clashing with adults. Won't study. Grandparents worried, soft-talked and pressured.

Nothing works. Kid's like money-possessed. Knows cash, not people. So dad storms the school gate today. Pulls this stunt.

Bystanders heated. 'Probably rebellious phase. Gentle methods don't work, so this is the only way.' 'Kid can't be without a mom.

Tragic.' 'Heard mom left before the baby hit one month.' 'Dad waited till the kid grew up to remarry. Not bad.' 'Kid's not grown, doesn't get parents' efforts.

Sigh, prime study years now. Earning has decades ahead.' 'Dad paid tuition, kid games. Complains dad's allowance too small.

Ungrateful wolf. Deserves those blood-and-sweat bucks?' Sang Yu asks: 'Too little? How much does dad give monthly?' Bystander: 'Huh?

Dunno. High schooler, how much they need?' 'That rich kid probably won't pay classmates to game anymore. His buddy's dad almost knelt to him.' 'Kids today, life too easy.

Don't appreciate. Classmates, not employees.' 'Cover food, clothes, what else?' Sang Yu: '...' Flashback. Sang Yu's teen years had zero rebellion.

Post-system? Maybe a brief forget-everything phase, yeah. But hearing everyone roast the kid. Instinct kicks in. Stands on the other side.

The boy's side. Maybe Sang Yu's weird 'contrarian' itch acting up. Or maybe was once a student too? Maybe he's got reasons?

This drama never wrapped up clean. School pulled out all stops. Finally got everyone inside. Conflicts fine, just not at the gate.

Bad for optics. Before dispersing, someone clicked their tongue. 'One kneel, kid's whole face gone.' The kid not studying, gaming.

Needs education. But kneeling at school to teach him? Sang Yu gets it. Called a bodyguard to tail the boy. Just in case the temper flares.

Does something irreversible. Plus, this drama was half-baked. Need the full tea. ... Next day. All clear. The 'Peng Lejia' file lands on Sang Yu's desk via assistant.

Yesterday's boy is Peng Lejia. In elementary, classmate invited him over. First FPS exposure, insane dynamic aim. Word spread, people sought him for games.

That rich-kid classmate tracked him down. Took Peng Lejia straight to international servers. Live stream with high-rank pro in the chat.

Pulled off a 'seven-kill streak.' Instant legend. Got invites from domestic youth training camps, clubs. But underage. Needs guardian signature.

Peng Lejia talked to family, result was obvious. Some clubs offered great terms, all rejected. Not even gaming. Locals always prioritize studying.

But dad splurged 10k+ sending the little brother to summer camp. E-sports summer camp. Like spitting in his face. Peng Lejia didn't blow up at first.

Knew he wasn't welcome. Kept taking gigs, saving up, waiting for adulthood. Adult money equals training base startup funds.

Then got caught. Hence yesterday's school-gate kneel. Sang Yu: '...?' Son? Enemy. Sang Yu sighs: 'After this stunt, Peng Lejia's side hustle is wrecked.' Before eighteen, he's stuck depending on adults, or odd jobs.

Like milk tea shops. Some hire sixteen-plus. Assistant Yin Rong smiles. Doesn't let Sang Yu's words drop: 'Peng Lejia hits eighteen in a year.

Not too brutal.' 'His grit beats his peers. Last night, publicly shamed by dad. No running away, went home and slept.' Sang Yu raises an eyebrow: 'Really?' A high schooler, stabbed in the back by his own dad in front of everyone.

Who keeps it together? At the gate, Peng Lejia was clearly red-hot from dad. But adjusted before heading home. No wailing, no fighting family, no smashing stuff.

Instead, left the family unsure. Their attitude cautious now. Yo, this kid's something... Sang Yu gets it. Right. Choosing to run would just give that family a show.

Might even invade his own space. Plus, using the runaway move to prove their wrong. Now playing it cool. Can choke them out.

Sang Yu admires this revenge style. Peng Lejia pulled the most effective counter within his limits. Right, those investments from before.

Any e-sports related? Sang Yu can't recall. If yes, convenient. Send Peng Lejia an invite early. One invite valid till adulthood, anytime he's down.

Sang Yu had Assistant Cao compile and send files earlier. Investment project summaries. Some 'died,' failed investments.

Some hit milestones. Sang Yu hasn't looked. This procrastination is terminal. Sigh... Sang Yu sighs while opening it. Assistant's smart.

First page is the milestone projects. 'On XXX Vaccine Delivery System Clinical Research.' 'Targeted Drug Development for XXX Mutant Cell Cancer.' 'XXX Model Framework.' 'Detecting AI Forgery and Traceability Tech.' 'Aerial Imaging—Display Light Field Tech Development.' '3D Digital Human High-Precision Facial Motion System R&D.' ...

Can read it. But word-dizzy incoming. Assistant right there, Sang Yu puts on a front. Holds it a bit, then auto-gives up.

Yep, no willpower, quits easy. Sang Yu scans. Among milestone projects, some can use more cash. Like that display light field.

That tech takes years to develop. Worth the wait. Once it's out, Aurora Fairyland dungeons' fun factor jumps a level. Can't say how sick it'll be.

Another 3D digital human. Sang Yu processes. 3D modeling tech, can keep investing. Saw some Chinese animation before. Not one, several.

Sang Yu's take. In the earphones, voice actor's on fire. Camera cuts. A pretty model, but a silicone person who can't even open their mouth.

Total immersion break! How about. Next show, no, movie, no real people? Use 3D models? Perfect use for that tech!