Ch. 1111..1120
Chapter 1111: He Really Loves Making Money_1 “You don’t need to clean up after practice; we have staff dedicated to cleaning.
This includes student apartments, they’re all taken care of.” Billy Houston said, “Our students just need to focus on mastering their culinary skills.”
Unlike what happens when they start working in Restaurants later — where chefs should clean up —
That wouldn’t happen for students at the Academy under Pingla Corp.
Gradually, Pingla students begin their career at a higher level than most.
They won’t start as an apprentice after graduation.
At the very least, they would start as sous-chefs.
Even if they start at Restaurants under Pingla Corp., even newbies won’t have to handle cleaning, special staff will be responsible for that.
Everyone has their roles; there’s no so-called “pressure” or “tempering”.
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If they open their restaurants, there won’t even be such an issue.
Therefore, within Pingla Academy, there’s no intention to make the students clean after themselves.
“Regular exams are held at the school.
Like typical schools, we’ve monthly tests, midterm exams, and final exams.” Billy Houston slapped his head, “I forgot, regular colleges don’t have monthly tests.”
“However, Pingla’s tests are strictly conducted.
It resembles high schools more, with the monthly tests, midterm, and final exams — as well as graduation tests.”
“The monthly exams used to calculate grades, so do midterm and final exams.
Sums of annually obtained points determine eligibility.
If the total score isn’t satisfactory, the lighter consequence is repeating a grade, and the more severe is a recommendation to drop out.
Therefore, not everything’s smooth-sailing in Pingla.”
“While we don’t expect students to handle chores, the school provides you with excellent conditions, allowing you to focus entirely on your culinary arts.
If you still can’t achieve good results in this scenario, then it’s unreasonable.” Therefore, Billy Houston believes that the recommendation to drop the student out in severe cases isn’t excessive.
Cindy Clarke nodded.
“But what if these practice rooms aren’t enough?
Or during exams, if students have secret weapons, or they don’t want others to see their food preparation?”
“Please follow me.” Billy Houston smiled.
They went up to the above level where Billy Houston introduced it as, “This floor is full of separate practice rooms.
You have to swipe your cards to enter.”
Cindy Clarke noticed that each practice room door has a card swiping device.
“These practice rooms have to be booked in advance and come with a usage fee, billed by the hour.” Billy Houston explained, “Otherwise, everyone would abandon the large practice rooms queueing up for these smaller, individual ones, and there wouldn’t be enough to go around.”
But Cindy Clarke suspected that in the end, it was all about Samson Zhekova finding ways to increase income.
She asked Adrian Zhekova, “I suppose this was also Samson’s idea?”
Adrian Zhekova suppressed his laughter and nodded with a quiet acknowledgment to Cindy Clarke, “Don’t underestimate Pingla Academy’s profit-making capabilities compared to companies like Majestic.
Beyond tuition fees, Pingla Academy has plenty more streams of profit.
Samson even managed to elevate the profits from simple things like shared bicycles.”
Cindy Clarke muttered under her breath, “No wonder you want to keep him busy with tasks.
Samson can work wonders when it comes to making money.”
Despite being fully aware of his money-making scheme, no one seemed to object to his methods.
This was indeed impressive.
In daily life, it is inevitable to encounter complaints during consumption.
For instance, the question “why is this so expensive?” or “why not rob us instead?”
Samson never rose such questions, though.
“Although Samson may seem lazy and disinclined to work, he would ensure his leisure time isn’t compromised by finding ways to improve his work efficiency.
Moreover, he enjoys making money”, Adrian Zhekova said.
“It’s a bit of a paradox.”
“He’s fine with work as long as his leisure time isn’t compromised.
Daily work must not exceed 8 hours.
Any extra workload shall never extend these 8 hours.”
“He firmly believes life is short and must not be wasted.
Rest should be sufficient, and one should have opportunities to appreciate the world’s beauty.
Work shouldn’t take all the lifetime away”, Adrian Zhekova further explained.
“As a result, he pays special attention to work efficiency, yet he insists on completing tasks excellently once he accepts them”, Adrian Zhekova said.
“Such an obsessive-compulsive disorder!”, Cindy Clarke commented./p>
Little did she expect the cheerful guest she met during the New Year celebration at the family mansion could have such a complex character./p>
Adrian Zhekova laughed in acknowledgment, “Yes, but he also loves to make money efficiently.
Or simply put, he really loves making money.”
“He doesn’t want to work long hours, yet he loves making money,” Cindy Clarke shook her head in admiration, “Samson is truly interesting.”
Adrian Zhekova held his laughter, and they kept whispering.
Billy Houston maintained a respectful distance and did not listen.
If there was anything along the way that he could introduce, he would stop to introduce it.
Without realizing it, they arrived at Student Apartments.
The overall architectural style of Pingla academy dictates the height of the Student Apartments.
They are all standardized four-story buildings, with architecture that is not too high and doesn’t look out of place.
The exterior is traditional Chinese style, but inside, it is fully equipped.
Though only a four-story building, it still comes with an elevator.
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An automatic vending machine is installed on each floor.
They stock beverages to snacks covering a whole range.
All daily snack needs can be met.
“Most students do not live here and use it only as a rest area, so it’s usually very quiet and without much hustle.
Only during exams when students are busy preparing, they stay up late and live here.
So everyone still pays the accommodation fee, reserves a room just in case.”
“There are still many vacant apartments that will meet our needs.
Each unit has the same layout.
Later, I will show you the record to see which floors are empty.
Feel free to choose.” Billy Houston explained.
He found an empty apartment, opened it, and showed Cindy Clark and Adrian Zhekova.
The room was small but delicately furnished.
It was a one-bedroom and one-living room structure, equipped with a kitchen.
If the demand is not high, one can even prepare food in the apartment.
After familiarizing herself with the academy, Cindy Clarke chose an apartment on the second floor.
This situation, unlike the first floor, where people coming and going could see everything, was not too high and more convenient.
And since she doesn’t intend to live here regularly, it’s best used for resting.
Cindy Clarke’s requirements weren’t too high.
It was all part of the Pingla Corp.
anyway.
Things like tuition and accommodation fees are not required to pay.
All Cindy Clarke needs to do is take her bag and attend class.
As a guest student without an academic record, she needs access to Pingla’s amenities, and all relevant records must be kept.
After everything was sorted, Cindy Clarke, along with Adrian Zhekova and their child, left.
Chapter 1112: No Problem with Psychological quality _1 Cindy Clarke shared the news of her attending classes at Pingla Academy with Cynthia Florine and others.
The friendships formed through the competition weren’t concluded once the event ended.
Actually, they set up a small group chat.
Where they would share the dishes they’d just finished cooking.
If they had unique and interesting ideas, they would brainstorm together in the group and offer advice to one another.
When someone created a dish based on their original idea, they would photograph the finished product and share it in the group.
Cindy Clarke was no exception.
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They would have discussions and exchanges; it was a lively chat every day.
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When Cindy used to be a food blogger, she only had herself for brainstorming.
In fact, it was a rather solitary career; there was no one she could share her culinary thoughts with.
At that time, Cindy was actually in an awkward position.
Professional chefs disregarded food bloggers.
And among her fellow food bloggers, her skills far surpassed theirs.
Her videos for the online community were entertaining to watch, but when it came to serious culinary skills, they were inept.
Plus, with the competition between her peers, Cindy really couldn’t find anyone to communicate with.
Even though it’s said that ‘business rivals are natural enemies’, and she had experienced several unpleasant incidents during the Cooking Competition.
But Cindy never expected such a group of people like Parker Honi, who completely dismissed the notion of rivals among peers.
During competition times, they competed fair and square.
Fought fair and square.
Won fair and square.
Or even lost fair and square.
Even their competition couldn’t affect their friendships off the field.
Because it was fair competition, there wouldn’t be any unpleasant feelings.
Losing with dignity, acknowledging the opponent’s better skills.
Winning uprightly, without any guilt.
After the competition, they were still good friends.
Moreover, their bond had become even stronger.
Even among Parker Honi and the other nine, they weren’t such close buddies before the competition.
Parker Honi was close to Aiden Huxley and Daniel Vahn, but he wasn’t as familiar with the others back then.
After all, Pingla Academy was huge, and there were a lot of students, scattered across different grades, they couldn’t know each other that well.
It was through participating in the competition that they had more opportunities to learn about, understand and relate to each other.
They found that their philosophies matched and their personalities were well-suited.
After the intense competition, instead of developing disputes and animosity, they deepened their mutual understanding and respect.
They all admired each other, and as a result, their friendship deepened day by day.
This group was created by the lively Daniel Vahn.
Cindy Clarke never thought she would be invited in, yet she was quite pleased about it.
For the first time, she felt the joy of having so many professional chefs to converse with.
Everyone was open and shared their ideas.
The others would all give their own opinions.
Including what areas they thought were not appropriate, and what kind of consequences would occur and so on.
All of them would help make modifications, continuously adjusting the ingredient proportions together.
Whenever Cindy had an idea, she would express it as well, seeking their advice.
While still on her way home, Cindy couldn’t wait to inform the group about her formal attendance at Pingla Academy starting tomorrow.
As it was the weekend, they were all young people, either spending their time leisurely or still working diligently in the kitchen.
Who would have thought that they would have the time to respond immediately, all of them responded within seconds.
Jasmine Hudson: “That’s fantastic, you should have joined earlier.”
Aiden Huxley: “You and Parker are equally skilled, but there are stronger players in school, it would be a perfect chance for you to challenge them.”
Gladys Joy: “Awesome!
You’d surely have your pick at which class to attend, right?
Come to our second class!”
Daniel Vahn: “Our school has many culinary enthusiasts!
Be careful.”
Cindy Clarke: “What’s wrong?”
With Daniel’s remark, she began to feel a bit nervous.
What should she be careful about?
Yannick O’Brian: “Don’t worry.
You performed excellently in the competition.
Although there might be people in our school who are better than Parker, his skill level is still among the top ten of the entire school.”
Upon seeing Yannick’s reply, Cindy thought to herself that Adrian Zhekova was indeed correct in his assessment.
Although Adrian doesn’t directly manage Pingla Academy, it’s evident he has an in-depth understanding of it.
It shows how busy his workload usually is.
“So, those less skilled than Parker will definitely not concede and could think something like ‘If you can match Parker, perhaps it’s because Parker’s skill has declined,'” explained Cynthia Florine, “They could also think that if they can beat you, then they can beat Parker.”
Bartholomew Bailey: “So in other words, before you even get a chance to challenge the more skilled people, you’ll probably be bombarded with numerous challenges.”
Cindy Clarke: “…”
“That sounds scary,” said Cindy Clarke, suddenly not as eager as before to attend Pingla Academy.
Ava Brown: “Haha!
Don’t let them scare you!
Not everyone at our school is a warrior type.
No one is going to challenge you as soon as you’re here, at most you’ll be watched during class to gauge your skill level, then we’ll talk.”
Leon Hernandez: “However, we do have a tradition at our school.
New students should make a base-level dish upon admission.”
“A base-level dish?” Cindy asked, feeling puzzled.
That’s when Parker Honi shows up: “It’s just like a normal school having a placement test.
For our new students who have passed the regular entrance examination, there are placement tests in the first class.”
“Because the examiner and the instructor differ during our entrance exam, the instructor conducts another placement test to assess our skill levels more accurately,” Parker explained.
“Even though guest students don’t formally enroll, if they attend classes at school, they still need to follow the school rule of taking the placement test.
However, the pressure for guest students is much greater than ours,” Ava Brown added.
“At least we all enroll at the same time, so we are all making dishes together and each of us is busy with our own work, we don’t have time to pay attention to others,” Ava said, “But guest students transfer midway, they come one or two at a time, not in large groups.
In general, in one term, new guest students come at different times and they only come in one at a time, rarely two.”
“To the best of my knowledge, you’re the only one attending this time,” said Jasmine Hudson, “Think about it, during class, all eyes will be on you as you cook, especially the resistant students, although they won’t say anything, they will spot all the details and critique every step.”
“Once the food’s done, not only the teacher but we students will also taste it,” explained Cynthia Florine, “So, there will be a lot of pressure.”
While wiping his mouth, Daniel Vahn said, “Anyway, as long as I get another chance to taste Cindy’s cuisine, that’s all that matters.”
Bartholomew Bailey: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, hahahahaha, this is actually good news for us.”
Gladys Joy: “Come on!
Cindy is a Cooking Competition veteran, she’s got the mental strength.”
Chapter 1113: When a Handsome and Talented Schoolboy _1 Everyone immediately realized that there were tens of thousands of spectators at the Cooking Competition.
Not to mention the audience watching the live broadcasts over the Internet.
They’ve all encountered these situations, so could Cindy Clarke potentially be scared of cooking in public at school?
Thus, they stopped worrying about this matter.
As Cindy Clarke watched them chat, she thought of a new question: “How are these classes divided?
Are they divided based on cuisines?”
She had forgotten to ask Billy Houston at school earlier.
“No.” Yannick O’Brian explained, “We need to learn all kinds of cuisines, whether they are domestic or from different countries, and there are special teachers to teach us.”
“However, you can choose a cuisine that you particularly like.” Yannick O’Brian said, “Normally the classes are the same, but they are subdivided into more detailed courses according to individual choices of different cuisines, and you attend them accordingly.”
Cindy Clarke understood, “It’s like different majors in university.”
“Yes.” Aiden Huxley said, “You can choose entirely based on your interests, and there isn’t a rule that says you can only choose one.
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As long as you can manage your time well and don’t feel tired, you can choose many options, there isn’t a problem.”
“If you haven’t decided which one you want to focus on at first, you can choose according to the situation until you determine your selection.” Aiden Huxley said.
Cindy Clarke understood, but she didn’t really know what to choose mainly.
Because she was pretty interested in every cuisine.
And she also loved to make her own modifications and tricks based on them.
As there are many things to say, they began with typing, but they ended up switching to voice messages as it was faster.
Cindy Clarke played it aloud so Adrian Zhekova could also hear it.
Adrian Zhekova glanced at Cindy Clarke’s mobile phone and laughed, “You guys even formed a group.”
“Yes, they all have great personalities and they’re pretty bold.
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We get along really well.” Cindy Clarke said with a smile.
She didn’t mention every little thing about her daily life to Adrian Zhekova.
That’s why Adrian Zhekova didn’t know until now.
“By the way, you heard what they said.” Cindy Clarke said helplessly, “But I really haven’t decided which cuisine I want to concentrate on.
I’m interested in every cuisine, but I’m not proficient in any, yet I find them all fascinating.”
“Then just learn all of them.” Adrian Zhekova said, “Did you forget?
You’re just auditing the class.
Since you won’t have a graduation certificate, the Pingla Academy won’t require you to fulfil a certain amount of credits.”
“You can now freely choose the classes you like and take them at will.
It’s no problem if you don’t want to take certain classes.” Adrian Zhekova said, “So in fact, there’s basically no restriction on your schedules.”
“You can take all sorts of different cooking classes according to your own interests.
Just decide which classes you enjoy, and then follow your preferences.”
You can be totally flexible and there’s no restriction.
Cindy Clarke, reminded by Adrian Zhekova, suddenly realized that this was a possibility.
“That’s pretty good about auditing classes.” Cindy Clarke said.
“That’s just in your case, because you don’t care about a Pingla’s graduation certificate.” Adrian Zhekova laughed, “But for most students, they do care, and hence they can’t be as willful.”
In fact, at her age, Cindy Clarke is just beginning to experience the feeling of doing as one pleases.
In the past, she wasn’t able to.
As Cindy Clarke was wondering to herself, she suddenly heard the little guy in the back seat sigh, “Ah!
How I wish I could also freely choose my classes.”
“You?” Adrian Zhekova ruthlessly shattered the little guy’s beautiful illusion, “Forget it.
Just concentrate on studying.”
Though the little guy didn’t join the Kindergarten at Jetaime Academy.
But in order to ensure he can keep up with the curriculum and fit into the new environment quickly and easily when advancing to primary school, so that he doesn’t fall behind other kids, they started arranging for him to learn various classes.
They hired private tutors, each in charge of different subjects.
Compared to the little guy, even the kids at Jetaime Academy already take more classes.
And they take even more extracurricular classes.
The little guy is already behind them.
But since Cindy Clarke wanted the little guy to enjoy his childhood as much as possible and didn’t want him to change his environment immediately, she insisted on keeping him in his original Nursery.
Adrian Zhekova could only try to slowly make him learn more within his capacity.
In addition, the little guy often heard some knowledge he didn’t understand when playing with Frank Smith.
Feeling he shouldn’t lag behind, he volunteered to learn more.
Although that’s the case, sometimes he also feels tired.
Sometimes, the little guy doesn’t want to go to class at all.
That’s why he sighed.
“I also went through that.” Adrian Zhekova decided to lead by example, “Only when you have the courage and foundation to do as one pleases, can you do so.
But right now, you obviously don’t have that.
Start learning now.
Work hard for the future in order to be able to do what you want.”
And the future?
Who can truly act as they wish?
Even Cindy Clarke can only do so in this respect.
She can’t in other areas.
Even at the Pingla Academy, where Cindy Clarke does it, she can’t avoid people gossiping.
There’s no true freedom where there are people.
The more power you have, the more you’re responsible for, thus you’re less and less able to act freely.
Can he act freely now?
Obviously no way.
He has too much on his shoulders.
And the little one who will inherit from him in the future, probably he can’t act freely in his entire life.
The four words “act freely,” sound simple.
But in reality, nobody can truly do it.
“Do you want to be the last in class, or even the last in grade, when you officially start primary school next year?” Adrian Zhekova asked.
The little guy is already five years old this year, so by next year, he can attend primary school.
Time really flies, incredibly fast.
“Absolutely not!” The little guy’s sense of pride kicked in, “I want to be a handsome and talented school hunk.”
Adrian Zhekova: “…”
“You sure are ambitious.
You even want to be a handsome and talented school hunk.”
“Of course, in nursery, I am the nursery hunk.” The little guy somehow learned the term – school hunk.
Chapter 1114: Did You Aspire to be the Sea King from Childhood?
_1 Adrian Zhekova suspected Derek Smith told him.
Derek Smith used to be a chubby little boy because he loved eating just like Morgan Zhekova, never idle with his mouth.
Taking advantage of his young age, both Old Madam Smith and Old Madam Zhekova always said that eating more when you are young would help you grow taller, making him slim now.
Although, Old Madam Smith didn’t utter the phrase “at most he is plump” out loud.
But, for the sake of self-comfort and to continue eating happily, Derek still chose to believe the words of Old Madam Smith.
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Fortunately, Old Madam Smith did not lie to him.
Boys generally hit puberty later.
When Derek Smith started growing, his body grew rather quickly.
His growing height overtook his weight gain, and soon, he became a tall and slim handsome boy.
When he used to be chubby, he was cute, and even a slightly round face could not hide his good looks.
When he slimmed down later, he became even more attractive, immediately captivating the entire Jetaime Academy.
Therefore, Derek Smith always pleased himself by saying that he was the “campus prince” of Jetaime Academy.
Whether he is the “campus prince” or not is debatable.
But in their grade, and even in the junior high department, his good looks were indeed amongst the top.
Adrian Zhekova guessed that Derek Smith always went about chanting “campus prince” to the little guy, so the little guy remembered.
He even applied the same logic to himself and started calling himself the “kindergarten prince”.
Sure enough, as he had expected, he heard the little guy say: “Once I join primary school, I will push Brother Derek off the position of ‘campus prince’.”
“…” Adrian asked, “Are you aware of your ambitious plans against Brother Derek?”
The little brother always being playful, was surprisingly eyeing his “campus prince” title.
It will definitely irk Derek Smith.
The little fellow even shyly covered his face and said: “Um…
If I grow up this good-looking and everyone thinks I am good-looking, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Adrian Zhekova took a glance through the rear-view mirror at the self-absorbed little guy sitting behind and unreservedly poured cold water on him: “You don’t need to worry about this.
No matter what, you are just a little one and Brother Derek has grown up and is much more handsome than you.”
After all, Derek Smith was in junior high school and somewhat of a teenager.
Although he hadn’t fully grown up yet, his facial features were already framed and you could roughly guess his future look.
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And unlike the little guy, who still had a round baby face with a rating of 55.
Pushing Derek Smith off from the “campus prince” throne, would indeed be somewhat difficult.
Adrian Zhekova advised him to face reality: “By the time you grow up to Brother Derek’s age and your facial features develop, he would have already been in high school and would be even more handsome than now.
You’ll always be a few years behind him.”
There’s no option, Derek Smith was older than Morgan Zhekova.
“You can only wait until he graduates.” said Adrian Zhekova, “This is provided no new faces appear.
What if someone more good-looking than you emerges during that time?”
Cindy Clarke, listening to the conversation between father and son, felt like she couldn’t believe her ears.
For a boy to be so narcissistic every day, is it really okay?
“That’s unacceptable,” reasoned the little fellow, following his own logic, “Regardless of whether they are older or younger than me, except for Brother Derek, I have no competition.
If they are younger than me, based on your logic Dad, I will surely develop faster than him, and he will never catch up to my good looks.”
Adrian Zhekova: “…”
But Adrian Zhekova couldn’t stand the little guy’s pride and wanted to strike him down: “Your looks have not yet fully developed.
You seem quite good-looking now, but what if your growth changes that?”
The little guy: “…”
What nonsense is this?
“Look at the cute and pretty child stars.” Adrian Zhekova said, “But when they grow up, their looks all get ruined.”
“Of course, not everyone turns out this way, but there’s still quite a number who might seem good looking when they’re young but turn out not so good looking when they grow up.” added Adrian Zhekova.
The little guy covered his face, momentarily terrified.
But quickly, he was back to his calm self.
“That can’t be.
After all, yours and Cindy’s good looks are right here.” The little guy looked at his parents’ looks and instantly regained his confidence, “Even if I grow out of my good looks, it wouldn’t be too bad!”
The looks of both Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke were stunning, and moreover, their features complemented each other perfectly.
They individually looked great, and as a whole, there was nothing to fault with their looks.
Therefore, regardless of whose genes he inherits, his looks will always remain attractive.
The basic foundation was there, so the little guy had faith in himself.
No matter how he developed, he would always remain within the frame of good-looking.
“Your words make sense.” Adrian Zhekova agreed, stroking his chin, “With our genes, you indeed have a good foundation.
If you still manage to turn out unattractive, it would just mean you are not trying.”
“However, relying solely on your face won’t do any good.” Adrian Zhekova said, “Relying only on your face, you are just an empty pretty shell.
You must have real skills, combined with high looks.”
“You are right, Dad.” The little guy agreed with Adrian Zhekova’s viewpoint.
Cindy Clarke realized a problem and turned back to ask him: “Why do you want to attract people?
Are you trying to be a Romeo, getting all these girls to like you?”
This little guy, he didn’t have plans of becoming a player from when he was young, did he?
Cindy Clarke thought if the little guy really harbored such thoughts, she would keep a strict eye on him.
As for the Zhekova family, Cindy wasn’t very familiar with Ethan Zhekova.
But the others were all virtuous and upright.
There was no need to mention Adrian Zhekova.
If it wasn’t for that previous incident, he would possibly still be single without a girlfriend.
Even after that incident, Adrian Zhekova still remained single.
Even after the incident, he didn’t completely let go and continued to be virtuous and upright.
Apart from Adrian Zhekova, Lyke Zhekova was not ready to date until he met Peggy Lewis at the age of 37.
Before that, he preferred to remain single rather than settle down or to fool around aimlessly.
There’s no need to mention Samson Zhekova.
He too remained virtuous and upright.
With such great genes in the Zhekova family, if the little guy dared to become a player, Cindy Clarke would never forgive him!
Cindy Clarke decided to keep a close eye on the little guy from his childhood.
She estimated that if the little guy really turned out to be a playboy, the family would not spare him.
“Of course not.” The little guy’s head shook like a rattle drum.
“I can’t do anything if I am that outstanding and attracting people’s attention.
Dad is so remarkable, can he stop people from admiring him?”
“Is your dad deliberately attracting admiration?
Is he being extraordinary just to attract attention?” Cindy immediately asked.
Chapter 1115: Overestimated Her _1 “Oh!” Adrian Zhekova blushed to the tips of his ears.
Whenever these two started complimenting each other, they really didn’t hold anything back!
“I just want to stand out.
Even if many people like me, I only like one,” the kiddo said, “like dad.”
Cindy Clarke: “…”
The kiddo had been taking quite a few supplementary classes lately and had learnt a lot of characters.
He was not the same person who had made Adrian write a guarantee in pinyin on a full sheet of paper anymore.
So, had the kiddo secretly read some CEO romance comics or books?
Otherwise, where did he get these romantic ideas?
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Cindy’s mouth twitched slightly, as long as the kiddo didn’t plan to become a sea king, she would let him think as he pleased.
Eager to change the subject, Cindy asked Adrian, “By the way, what does Samson usually do when he’s not working?”
According to Adrian, Samson was someone who very much stuck to an eight-hour work day.
No matter how much work was thrown his way, he would always manage his time effectively, ensuring he completed his work within eight hours each day.
He was very keen on ensuring he had sufficient rest time.
Cindy was curious, what did he do with all his spare time then?
He must have had a very enriching and colorful life outside of work for him to not devote so much of his time to his job, right?
Unexpectedly, Adrian simply replied, “Nourishing his health.”
“What?” Cindy was sure she must have heard him wrong.
“He uses his remaining time to nourish his health,” Adrian explained, “Although he is able to finish his work within eight hours, due to his intense focus and heightened work efficiency, both his body and spirit become depleted.
Therefore, it is necessary to ensure he has enough time to rest and rejuvenate himself.”
Cindy: “…”
She never imagined that Samson would be such a health-conscious boy.
“I didn’t realize that when I saw him over the New Year,” Cindy said with a pondering expression.
Upon hearing this, Adrian let out a wistful sigh of agreement.
“His current character, although shaped partly by third uncle and third auntie’s openness, it also has other reasons.
He believes in keeping an open and relaxed mind to maintain good physical and mental health.
You know the saying, ‘A smile a day keeps the aging away’, that’s the philosophy he lives by,” Adrian shared, “You can’t deny it, overtime his personality has become rather good.”
Cindy: “…”
She had really underestimated Samson.
My apologies, my sincere apologies.
The three returned home.
Cindy started preparing for her first day at school the following day.
She also had some daily necessities that she could take to the student apartments.
This way, if she needed anything all of a sudden, she could directly grab it from her apartment, which would be very convenient.
Before she knew it, she had filled up a 28-inch suitcase.
And she hadn’t even finished packing all her things.
As Adrian watched on, he said, “It looks like you’re leaving home for good.”
His heart ached at the sight.
Cindy: “…”
“What are you talking about?” Cindy opened the suitcase and let him have a look, “I’ve just packed some daily snacks and other convenient items to keep in the apartment fridge.
Additionally, I have also packed some extra beddings, bed sheets, duvet covers and pillows from home and brought them to the apartment.”
“It’s convenient for when I need to take a nap at noon,” Cindy explained, “Even though the school provides all these items, I just feel more reassured using my own.”
Everything else was fine, but the bedding took up a lot of space.
Even though she had compressed them using vacuum storage bags, they still took up a significant amount of space.
At this moment, her timetable was also sent to her.
Adrian had a look at tomorrow’s classes.
The first class started at 10 am.
They could set off from home at 8 am and they would still make it on time.
“I’ll take you there tomorrow,” Adrian offered.
“But won’t you be late for work?” Cindy asked.
She didn’t want to hinder his work.
“I’ll just go a little later than usual, it’s not a big deal,” Adrian said nonchalantly, “Tomorrow is your first day there, who knows what might happen.
Even if everything goes smoothly, I just want to give you some moral support on your first day.
As for work, it’s just a matter of taking half a day off.”
Actually, Cindy was also hoping Adrian could accompany her.
It’s much like a child’s first day at school, wanting their parents to accompany them.
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“Now that I think about it, it’s been such a long time since I attended school,” Cindy became excited at the prospect.
Adrian remembered that she had taken a hiatus in college, and later just decided to drop out.
“So, do you want to return to college now?” Adrian asked.
Cindy shook her head: “I don’t have an intense urge to do so now.”
“How should I put it?” Cindy thought about it and said, “Actually, when I was in Nork City studying so hard to get into a good university, it was because I wanted to leave home, to escape my mother’s and Wendy’s control.”
“I didn’t want to stay in Nork City, under their watch.
At that time, the only way out for me was to apply to a university outside of Nork.
I thought to myself, since I’m going to apply outside anyway, why not apply to the best there is?
If I were to get into a university that ranks among the best, my mum, no matter how stingy, wouldn’t let the opportunity slip, would she?”
“The more prestigious the university, the higher the chances of me leaving Nork City,” Cindy explained.
So, she set her sights on Belfard University and S University.
These were two universities that were ranked in the top three nationwide.
Getting into either of them was something any family would boast about.
If she got accepted, even if Christy Xenos was unwilling, there’s no way she could turn the opportunity down.
Cindy smiled bitterly, “But I didn’t expect to overestimate her.
She would rather let me attend a free university in Nork City with a full scholarship, rather than spend a bit more to let me go to S University.”
“Actually, if she had told me beforehand, I could have told her that she doesn’t need to pay for the tuition.
Even though I couldn’t get a full scholarship at S University, with my grades, I would still be eligible for a half scholarship.
I could work part-time to cover the rest, without needing to use any family money.”
“But there are no ifs and buts in life, my family never discusses anything with me.
My mother made the decision to change my college application on her own.”
Deliberately fiddling with someone else’s college application is illegal.
But what could she do when that person was her mother?
Could she have reported her to the authorities?
Even if she was brave enough to do so, Joshua and Wendy wouldn’t let her.
In the end, she had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill.
“Then I thought, what’s the big deal about going to Nork University?
I had already endured for 18 years.
What difference would another four years make?
At worst, I could take a postgraduate exam to get into another university or maybe find a job in another city after graduation.
There had to be a way to leave Nork, it just depended on it happening sooner or later.”
Chapter 1116: So Cool!_1 “But in the end, plans can’t keep up with how fast things change,” Cindy Clarke said with a laugh.
She talked about these past events – from which she had long since found peace – and added, “After all, If I hadn’t had the determination to sink or swim, even peferring to leave school to go to Belfard, I wouldn’t have come this far, would I?” “My goals from childhood were to leave Nork City and to own my own restaurant.
A higher goal would be to have my cuisine recognized by more and more people.” Cindy smiled as she spoke.
“Being forced to sink or swim back then was, in hindsight, a giant step towards my goal.
These days, common college courses don’t really work for me.
I’m not saying education is useless.
It’s just that for what I currently aim to do, a formal education doesn’t help much.” If she wanted to open a restaurant, she could study finance or a relevant major.
...
Not to mention, she has Adrian Zhekova, the professional big shot, at home.
Instead of going to university to study those general courses on varied topics, why not learn something more specialized?
“Actually, if I had the choice back then, setting aside other factors like tuition fees, my preferred choice of school would have been under Pingla Academy,” Clarke said.
“Now that I have the chance, it’s like fulfilling a dream.” Regarding university education.
If she had been younger, in her late teens or early twenties, she would gladly enter college.
Now, however, her mindset has changed; she just can’t buckle down for school like she used to.
She’s 25 now, surrounded by eighteen- or nineteen-year-old youngsters.
She simply doesn’t fit in.
Besides taking care of her family, the rest of her life is devoted to cuisine, and she can’t spare much time for school.
Although Pingla has its fair share of young boys and girls, it is different from a university.
Some people enter Pingla after graduating from university.
Pingla imposes no age limit on enrollment, nor does it set any requirements for high school graduation scores.
Therefore, as long you pass Pingla’s own entrance exam, you’re in.
Given her passion for the field, Cindy isn’t worried about fitting in.
To be honest, even if she starts her own brand and opens a restaurant in the future, she’d be content to focus on researching recipes.
For restaurant management, she’d leave it to the professionals.
She could just leave it to Adrian and let him take the lead.
Adrian and their kid were both delighted about Cindy’s decision to go to Pingla and experienced no discomfort.
In the daytime, Adrian is at work while their child goes to the nursery school.
Neither of them would be home.
By the time the two of them get off work and school, Cindy would be back.
After tidying up, Cindy goes to cook for them.
The weather is too hot now.
Even at night when it’s a bit cooler, the lingering heat is palpable.
Even with the air conditioning on at home, it’s hard to avoid feeling overwhelmingly hot.
So, Cindy figured why not keep it simple and make some cold noodles.
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First, she soaks the dry noodles in water until they’re soft and ready to cook.
Then, she pours some mineral water into a bowl.
She uses a blender to puree apples and pears, dissolves them in the water, adds soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt, and some Sprite.
In the end, she puts the cooked noodles in the seasoned soup.
She takes out a block of ice from the refrigerator, which is always kept ready for use, and places it in the cold noodles.
Finally, she slices apples, pears, onions, and cucumbers and places them along the edge of the bowl, encircling the noodles.
The middle of the dish is still empty.
She fills it with chopped pickles, topping it with tomato slices, beef slices, and finally half a boiled egg.
She brings out some pickled cucumbers she prepared earlier from the fridge.
These pickled cucumbers are prepared by slicing off only the outer parts of the cucumber, leaving the pulp to be juiced.
Cindy has turned this cucumber juice into a fruit-vegetable juice for Adrian and her child.
The cucumber slices with skin are mixed with salt, white sugar, and white vinegar and marinated for about thirty minutes.
When the marinated cucumber slices are thoroughly dried, having had their excess moisture absorbed by kitchen paper, the step of air drying is skipped.
This way, the cucumber slices maintain a refreshing and crispy texture after being pickled.
She finely chops ginger and garlic and shreds some hot peppers which she then adds to the dry cucumber slices.
Mix in light soy sauce, aromatic vinegar, white sugar, pepper oil and chili oil, and blend well with the cucumber slices.
All of this is then stored in a glass jar for marination.
Whenever one fancies a snack, just scoop out the marinated cucumber slices and enjoy.
It’s especially convenient.
The cucumber slices are refreshingly crispy and perfect for cooling off in the summer heat.
The kid would eat them at every meal if he could.
Cindy, fearful of her boys getting tired of it, changes the dishes regularly, so they don’t eat pickles every day.
Pickled cucumber slices paired with cold noodles today are just perfect.
Today, Cindy paid a visit to Pingla, and afterwards, had quite a bit of luggage to take care of.
So it was a smart choice to keep dinner simple and easy.
Upon entering the living room, the kid could already smell the appetizing sweet and sour aroma, causing his mouth to water.
It’s rare to have such a good appetite during this intense summer heat.
When Adrian walked into the kitchen and saw that Cindy had already portioned the noodles, he considerately took his bowl out, not wanting her to do any more work.
Cindy simply washed her hands and called the kid over for dinner.
The little fellow climbed up onto his chair.
Everyone’s bowls were the same size, and the kid’s portion was smaller given his appetite.
Nothing beats a big bowl when it comes to eating cold noodles.
As soon as the kid sat down, the bowl seemed twice as big as his face.
The kid had a slurp of the noodle soup first.
Because the ice was always in it, the noodle soup was refreshingly cold and felt exceptionally heartening.
With its chilled touch and tart sweetness.
In this sweet and sour combination, one could taste the flavor of sugar, the sweet coolness of Sprite, and the fruity aroma of apple.
It was incredibly thirst-quenching.
“It’s so good!” The kid gave a thumbs-up, “Totally refreshing!” Adrian took a sip of the soup and couldn’t help but give a contented sigh.
Next, he picked up a portion of cold noodles, along with apple slices and cucumber slices dappled with a bit of onion slices.
The cold noodles provided a great balance of smoothness and elasticity, mixed with the crispness of the cucumber and apple slices as well as the onion slices.
The mildly spicy and sweet onion slices; the refreshing cucumber slices; and the sweet and subtly sour apple slices.
All soaked in a sour soup, the sweetness of the ingredients had an additional tartness from the soup.
Its complexity and layers were indescribable.
Cindy dipped a slice of beef in the soup.
She chose beef tendons to braise for the beef slices.
Unlike brisket, beef tendons, although soft, have some bite due to the tendons.
Sliced thin, the beef tendons are tender and chewy, unlike the brisket, which is prone to getting stuck in your teeth.
Chapter 1117: Plotting Bad Ideas _1 The beef, by wrapping the noodles and adding some round onion strips, perfectly mitigated the greasiness of the beef.
The slightly heavy taste of the beef was neutralized by the sweet and spicy round onions.
The little guy was also extremely food-loving, raised by Cindy Clarke.
He usually found the yolk of the egg too choking and couldn’t appreciate the aroma of the egg.
But now, he scooped up some soup with a spoon and poured it onto the yolk of a half-sliced egg.
The sweet and sour cold noodle soup soaked the egg yolk.
There was still a bit of cold noodle soup left in the hollow of the yolk.
...
The little guy took a big bite, eating more than half of the egg.
The egg yolk, soaked in cold noodle soup, wasn’t so choking anymore.
It carried the sweet and sour flavor of the soup, making it exceptionally delicious.
Adrian Zhekova was even more adept, directly using a spoon to hold half of an egg, then layering a slice of beef on the egg, and picking up a few pickled cucumber strips to place on top of the beef.
His mouth was obviously much larger than the little guy’s.
He ate half an egg, beef slices, and cucumber strips in one bite.
The cucumber strips were tart and refreshing.
The beef paired with the egg was just perfect.
Coupled with the sour and spicy cucumber, it was incredibly satisfying.
Just one bowl of cold noodles could be eaten in so many different ways.
All three of them ate with relish.
After finishing, they each had a piece of mint candy to mask the onion aftertaste.
The little guy, rubbing his round belly, asked Cindy Clarke, “Cindy, if you cook something delicious at school, don’t forget to bring some back for me.”
“Ambitious.” Adrian Zhekova disdainfully said.
By the time Cindy brings it back, how long would that take?
Couldn’t he crave something fresh?
“By the time I bring it back, the food won’t be fresh anymore,” Cindy said.
“When I learn something new at school or have a new idea, I will cook it fresh for you after I get home.”
The little guy eagerly agreed, saying, “And snacks!
If you made snacks, they wouldn’t go bad for a long time, so don’t forget to bring some back for me.
Don’t share them all.”
Cindy laughed.
So that was what the little guy was thinking.
Then Adrian Zhekova said, “Cindy needs to make friends at school too.
How could she save everything for you?
She should share some with her friends.”
Otherwise, she would have no friends due to self-centeredness.
The little guy nodded and said, “That’s no problem at all, just make a bit more, as long as you save some for me.”
Adrian Zhekova raised an eyebrow, “What about me?”
Where was he, the father, in this equation?
“Cindy definitely wouldn’t forget about you!” The little guy replied.
Adrian Zhekova conceded the point, but added, “Then you must count me in as well.”
“Deal!” The little guy replied, “But dad, when we didn’t know you were my father, you frequently ate my snacks.”
Back then, the snacks Cindy made were all for him, with no one else in mind.
But ever since Adrian Zhekova arrived, he had swooped in and claimed a large share of the snacks.
“Consider it a tribute to your father.
Don’t be so calculating,” Adrian Zhekova said.
The little guy: “…”
“Okay, I’ll be sure to save some for both of you.
If they all get shared, it’s just as well.
When I return, I’ll adjust and make a superior version for you,” Cindy reassured.
“Cindy, you’re the best!” The little guy hugged Cindy’s waist.
Mentioning snacks, the little guy went to the kitchen and took out his snack box.
All the snacks Cindy made were kept in there.
This week, Cindy made Snowflake Crisp, cheese strips, and dried beef.
The little guy generously shared them with Adrian Zhekova.
As the little guy munched on a cheese strip, his small body suddenly stiffened and he shivered violently.
Cindy was extremely familiar with his every movement.
Although he usually behaved tough and seemed free-spirited, not being particularly delicate.
In fact, all of Cindy’s tenderness was accumulated in her heart.
She carefully observed the little guy without letting him realize it.
If there wasn’t anything major, Cindy wouldn’t show it.
To prevent the little guy from becoming spoiled.
But as soon as something was off about the little guy, Cindy was always the first to notice.
“What’s the matter?” The little guy shivered, and Cindy immediately noticed.
She also noticed that the little guy was completely frozen.
The little guy looked somewhat dazed at Cindy, then turned his head to look at Adrian Zhekova: “I don’t know, I just feel a bit uncomfortable.”
As soon as the little guy brought it up, Cindy was frightened.
She quickly touched the little guy’s shoulders, then his arms.
She touched everywhere on his body: “Where don’t you feel well?”
“Not physical discomfort.” The little guy shook his head.
He was young and couldn’t quite express himself accurately at times.
“It’s…just a bad feeling in my heart,” the little guy said.
“Heart discomfort?
Let’s go to the hospital!” Adrian Zhekova immediately advised.
Usually, he was disdainful of the little guy in different ways, but now he was more anxious than anyone else.
He quickly stood up, his face sinking.
One look and you could tell how anxious he was.
The little guy was deeply moved.
At critical times, it was clear that his father loved him very much.
“I’m not unwell in the way one is when sick.” The little guy hurriedly explained.
But his explanation wasn’t clear.
The little guy simply stretched out his arm for Cindy and Adrian Zhekova to examine.
He was wearing short sleeves, so it was very convenient for them to inspect.
At first, Cindy wasn’t clear what the little guy wanted her to see.
She saw that the little guy’s arm was fair and tender, with nothing unusual.
On the contrary, it was Adrian Zhekova who immediately grasped the little guy’s arm, his expression grave.
“My hair is standing on end.” The little guy stated.
Only then did Cindy understand what the little guy meant.
She hurriedly looked over.
Indeed, she saw that the little guy’s hair was standing upright.
The little guy’s skin was fair, and his hair was also light-colored.
The light brown was close to white.
The strands were exceptionally short, and without a close look, it would be hard to notice.
Upon a detailed inspection, she found that not only were the hairs standing straight up, but his skin was also covered in goose bumps.
“How did that happen?” Cindy hurriedly asked.
She looked at Adrian Zhekova with concern.
The little guy rubbed his chest, “It’s….I just feel strange inside, somewhat anxious, somewhat uncomfortable, like…like…like the feeling of about to take a roller coaster ride.
Extremely anxious, and also somewhat scared.”
Cindy looked at Adrian Zhekova, puzzled.
What was going on?
Did they really not need to go to the hospital?
Adrian Zhekova thought for a while, then said, “Do you feel like you’re about to encounter some kind of danger?”
The little guy thought for a moment, nodded, then shook his head.
“I don’t feel in danger, it’s just…” The little guy furrowed his brow, unable to articulate an accurate expression for his predicament, causing him much distress.
“It’s like someone is going to harm someone else, like me, or like Cindy, or, in other words, someone around me,” the little guy said with a distressed frown, “like they are plotting something.”
The little guy’s explanation was rather mysterious.
Chapter 1118: Can You Confirm?_1 This mysterious feeling was hard to explain or understand.
Cindy Clarke had no clue, and could only look at Adrian Zhekova.
But Adrian Zhekova had more to ponder over.
“It might be a Family Head power,” Adrian Zhekova suggested.
“Family Head power?” Cindy Clarke was taken aback.
Of course, she knew about the Family Head power.
Adrian Zhekova had explained it to her in great detail before.
...
But to be honest, Cindy Clarke wasn’t prepared for Morgan Zhekova to awaken the ability.
Even though her husband had the Family Head power.
But for her, it still felt elusive and intangible.
Cindy Clarke never imagined it would appear in Morgan Zhekova.
Surely, Cindy Clarke acknowledged the contradiction.
While she knew it was possible, she had never anticipated it would happen to Morgan Zhekova.
She always felt such a thing to be far from Morgan Zhekova’s reach.
Even if he was to awaken, it wouldn’t be this soon.
This sudden situation left Cindy Clarke unprepared.
It felt unexpectedly sudden.
“Are you certain?” Cindy Clarke asked.
Adrian Zhekova chuckled: “It’s really hard to confirm right now.”
“After all, the awakening of the Family Head’s power doesn’t suddenly provide you a hint, making it clear that something is different with your body.
It’s not like those movies where superpowers are suddenly able to fly, run fast, or shoot lasers from their hands.”
“We can only wait and see if such situations occur again in future,” Adrian Zhekova explained, “and try to verify when experiencing such feelings.”
“With my power, the first time it happened was due to an inadvertent event.
But I did not know what triggered it initially, and every time I attempted to test it afterwards, I failed to activate it.
I thought it was just coincidence or psychological.”
“It was only after observing my body for a long time and trying little by little that I gradually discovered the trigger,” Adrian Zhekova said, “At that time, it wasn’t about being obsessed with Family Head powers.
I was just skeptical of whether I had awakened the Family Head power, and wanted to see if it was a coincidence or reality.
I paid attention to it, though it didn’t hinder anything.”
“As for Morgan, we probably have to manage it this way too.
When it comes to these sensorial things, without a clear reaction, it’s tough to make a one-time assessment,” Adrian Zhekova said.
“Dylan, too, has an ability to discern truth from lies,” Adrian Zhekova said, “But verifying his ability was simpler than ours.
If we tell a few more people to tell a few more lies, verifying it a few times will suffice.”
“In cases like Morgan and me, we can only rely on the results for verification,” Adrian Zhekova said.
The little guy looked at Cindy Clarke, then at Adrian Zhekova: “Dad, does this mean I have the Family Head’s power now?”
The little guy blinked: “Am I going to be the Family Head in the future?”
Adrian Zhekova lightly tapped his forehead: “Don’t overthink it, we’re not certain yet.
We need to verify it again.”
“Let’s go to the family mansion,” Adrian Zhekova looked at the time, it was only half past seven, there was still plenty of time, and it was not too dark yet.
“In this matter, the elders in Zhekova Family have much more experience than us, let’s go and consult them,” Adrian Zhekova said.
There were already some emerging signs in the little guy.
Whether it was true or not, he had to tell the elders about it.
Adrian Zhekova was more inclined to believe that the little guy was about to awaken his power.
The little guy was not a blabbermouth.
If the feeling wasn’t strong, he wouldn’t have casually mentioned it.
Never before had the little guy said anything like this.
Adrian Zhekova thought carefully and asked: “Did you have this feeling before?”
The little guy shook his head: “No.”
However, no one had tried to harm him before.
Even when he had a fight with Arthur Woods in the nursery.
That was just a result of the spitefulness of Arthur Woods’ family.
But that little spite was just about gossiping and saying idle words.
There was really no harm done.
Perhaps that’s why the little guy didn’t sense it.
As for when he awakened, who knows?
Perhaps he had already awakened a long time ago, but it was only because of the intense malice this time, that the little guy felt it.
Or perhaps, he had just awakened and was experiencing this for the first time.
There are many possibilities, and no way to tell.
Before this, Cindy Clarke was the only one taking care of Morgan.
They had a simple life and mingled with ordinary people.
Regardless of how they schemed, things wouldn’t get too out of hand.
The most they encountered was like what Arthur Woods’ family did, gossiping about Cindy Clarke, or even saying unpleasant, defaming words.
Idle talks or suppression through the nursery.
However, they would never harm their lives.
It was just a small matter after all, it wasn’t worth risking their lives for.
But now that they had entered the Zhekova family, things were different.
The problems they faced were beyond just a bit of malice.
Let alone outside people, even within the family, there was the threat of Gabriel Zhekova and his son.
So, Adrian Zhekova couldn’t tell when the little guy had actually awakened his power.
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When Adrian Zhekova said he wanted to go to the family mansion, Cindy Clarke swiftly got ready.
She quickly packed up and rushed out the door.
It was better to go earlier before the elders went to bed.
Elderly people generally sleep less.
However, due to their diminished physical strength compared to when they were young, they tire easily.
So they lie down early, although they might not be able to sleep.
Their sleep quality might not be as good, some are light sleepers and some even suffer from neurasthenia.
They lay down early and are in a daze, sleeping but not deeply, awake but lacking energy.
Then they wake up when the day is not yet bright, around four or five o’clock.
However, the elders in the Zhekova family are different.
Better off than most elderly, the elders have a more robust financial condition.
Ordinary elderly people cannot afford to upkeep their health from a young age like the elders.
They have nutritionists following them to adjust their daily intake and supplementation, doctors conducting regular check-ups for them.
Aside from these two points, even the daily diet maintenance, ordinary elderly people may not be willing to spend.
They are used to saving money, thinking in terms of saving money, believing it’s wasteful to eat these things.
It would be better to save for their old age, or to subsidize their children’s lives, or simply to save money.
Even for daily vegetables and fruits, they prefer to buy the cheap ones.
Not to mention buying supplements to boost their health.
Many elderly people think this way, sacrificing so much for their children and neglecting themselves.
However, the elders have always maintained well.
They can keep up with the younger generation.
From Cindy Clarke’s past experiences living at the family mansion, though they tend to sleep earlier than younger people, they usually go to bed after 10 PM.
It’s not like the current young people who drink Coke with Goji berries, staying up all night.
When the three of them reached the family mansion, it was only half past eight, the timing was just right.
Chapter 1119: Can’t Bear to Do It_1 Even though Cindy Clarke has the passcode to the entrance of the family mansion, she rang the doorbell before entering.
The elders didn’t know they were coming.
They had not informed them during their journey.
Adrian Zhekova was confident that not just his mobile phone, but also Cindy’s mobile phone and even their car, were all being monitored.
However, they had not called to ensure safety.
After all, this was indeed a matter of great importance; it was better not to have any surprises.
Butler Howard was somewhat surprised when he saw them abruptly show up.
...
But he immediately opened the door for them.
“Elder Sir, Old Madam, Master Adrian and his family are here.” said Butler Howard.
“Why have they suddenly come over?” the Old Madam wondered, “They should have notified us beforehand.”
The Old Master asked, “Is there any urgent matter?”
Butler Howard responded, “Upon observing them through the monitor, they seemed normal with no odd behavior.”
The Old Master replied, “No problem.
Anyway, since they are here, we will ask them about this once they arrive.”
After a while, the three of them entered. Having felt uneasy before and breaking out in goosebumps..
Morgan immediately headed to the Old Master’s arms seeking comfort.
“Great Grandfather.” The moment Morgan entered the house, he ran towards him.
This affectionate behavior from Morgan truly touched the Old Master.
Even if Morgan was away for just a day, the Old Master missed him as if they had not met for ages.
“Great Grandfather, I missed you a lot.” Morgan said.
It was only Saturday when they last met.
It’s merely been a day.
But upon seeing his Great Grandfather, Morgan immediately felt a deep sense of longing.
It was better when he didn’t meet him.
But once he saw him, he missed him even more.
The Old Madam was unable to contain her laughter on the side.
No matter how frequently she and the Old Master bickered..
It was rare for the Old Master to show such unabashed closeness to anyone.
Especially when Morgan was acting so adorable.
Although the Old Madam outwardly appeared to be jealous, she was truly delighted inside that Morgan was so close to the Old Master.
“Why have you suddenly come?” questioned the Old Madam.
Normally, neither Adrian Zhekova nor Cindy Clarke would visit unannounced.
Sitting down with Cindy Clarke, Adrian Zhekova replied, “I suspect that Morgan has awakened his Family Head abilities.
But it’s hard to know for sure since it’s similar to my situation earlier, it can’t be simply verified with one or two tries.”
The Old Master was warmly holding Morgan; the two of them were inseparable.
Upon hearing these words from Adrian Zhekova, the Old Master paused and looked down at Morgan.
Morgan was innocently blinking his eyes.
The Old Master: “…”
“What exactly are the circumstances?”, the Old Master immediately asked.
Adrian Zhekova then explained the feelings Morgan was experiencing.
The Old Master, then looking down, asked Morgan, “Have you got anything to add?”
Morgan shook his head: “Dad has fully explained.”
The Old Master nodded: “It could be that Morgan’s ability to detect danger early was triggered due to someone harboring ill intentions.”
“However, it is hard to gauge how early he can detect the danger.” The Old Madam seemed puzzled.
“But it can be attributed to his ability to sense danger ahead of time.” said the Old Master.
Listening to the conversation, Cindy asked, “Grandpa, Grandma, are you sure that Morgan has awakened his Family Head abilities?”
The Old Master nodded: “Don’t think just because this feeling is so ethereal, it can’t be judged.
In fact, whether there is a feeling or not, you are absolutely clear in your heart.”
“If you truly don’t possess this ability, even if the danger is right in front of you, you might not be able to sense it.
Or maybe it’s another ability.
If you don’t have it, you really don’t, but once you do, you can sense it to some extent.”
“The fact that Adrian rushed you guys over here tonight without even daring to give us a heads up, his caution confirms his suspicions.
He just wants to hear our views to make the final determination,” said the Old Madam.
Cindy looked at Adrian Zhekova, who chuckled and said, “I really can’t hide anything from you.”
“However, proving Morgan’s abilities is difficult compared to mine.
Who knows who the ill intentions are coming from?
When these sinister plots will arrive?
Moreover, even if they do arrive, it’s hard to say whether Morgan is able to sense them.”
Could it be a coincidence?
A coincidence that Morgan feels uneasy, and that someone plots against him at the same time?
“Yes.” sighed the Old Madam, “We can’t put Morgan in danger.”
Just to verify.
“We would have to follow the same path as before and take it slow,” said the Old Master.
“We don’t know who exactly holds ill intentions or who plans to conspire against you,” commented the Old Master, “but at the very least, this serves as a warning and you can be prepared in advance.”
“In any case, Morgan is still young.
The matter of awakening the Family Head’s abilities, which has been confirmed through calculations, shouldn’t be disclosed.
Now that it hasn’t been proven yet, it’s even more necessary to keep it a secret.
Wait until Morgan grows up a bit and has sufficient self-protection capabilities.
We should at least send him to Lanarn Training Ground to train for a while, and only after he has grown into a small teenager, that we disclose this,” echoed the Old Master.
Adrian Zhekova nodded: “I have the same opinion.”
Cindy looked sympathetically at Morgan.
He could relax a bit before school starts next year.
The reason why he can relax a bit is because Adrian Zhekova has already arranged many courses for him.
Compared to most children of his age, he is already quite busy.
But compared to children at Jetaime Academy, Morgan is still rather relaxed.
However, once he starts attending Jetaime Academy next year, he won’t be able to relax at all.
Furthermore, with the additional requirement for him to study at the Lanarm Training Ground…
It could be said that Morgan’s good days are over.
The Old Master looking at Morgan, this chubby little boy, honestly, he didn’t want him to go through all this.
But there was no way around it.
After all, he was born into the Zhekova family.
If you wish to wear the crown, you must bear the weight.
That’s the simple truth of it.
“Traditionally, every family sends their children to train at Lanarn Training Ground from the age of 5,” said the Old Master.
“They don’t necessarily have to live there and endure rigorous training like Walter,” added the Old Master.
Walter Wells, not being a direct descendant of the Wells family and needing to fend for himself, was sent to train at Lanarn Training Ground from a young age.
They have to go through a series of assessments.
Only after passing the assessments can they officially become a soldier in Lanarn Training Ground.
In case they cannot pass, they would be sent back and have to find another way.
Moreover, Lanarn Training Ground is not so easy to get into.
Even with the influence of the Wells family, they can only get an entry ticket.
What happens afterward still relies on their own efforts.
The hardships that Walter Wells went through always distressed his parents.
But fortunately, he has made it through now.
Walter Wells has retired successfully from the position of Shadow Troop Leader in Lanarn Training Ground and has opened an internationally renowned special effects production company.
Chapter 1120: Destined to Stand Alone in The Future_1 Lanarn Training Ground has reserved a certain number of places for The Big Eight Families.
There are people like Walter Wells who aim to stay at Lanarn Training Ground for good.
Then there are children like little Morgan, who are groomed by the family to be the future inheritors.
For members of influential families, safety is a serious concern.
Having bodyguards is one thing, but they also need to be equipped with self-defense capabilities.
Hence, some slots are reserved for youngsters like Morgan Zhekova and Adrian Zhekova
They don’t need to endure life-threatening rigorous training like Walter Wells to stay at the Lanarn Training Ground.
However, Lanarn Training Ground is known for its toughness.
...
Even the basic training here is far stricter than anywhere else.
But these inheritors can endure it.
At least there are no immediate threats to their lives and current strictness ensures their future safety.
Hence, none of the families objected.
As long as the children don’t die from training, no matter how stringent the workouts are, it’s all fine.
Cindy Clarke immediately turned to query Adrian Zhekova, “Did you also start at this age?”
Since she cherishes Morgan, Cindy did not want Morgan to undergo rigorous training at this tender age. As it stands, Morgan is already shouldering a slew of extra courses Adrian Zhekova had planned, and Cindy could tell he was exhausted.
Born into a wealthy family, these children experience the comfort of a golden spoon.
But the efforts they put in are equally substantial.
You reap what you sow.
Morgan may not have been born with a golden spoon in his mouth.
After all, his first four years were a simple, middle-class life.
Only returning to the Zhekova family now, he has been thrust into an intense inheritors’ nurturing programme.
Sometimes Cindy wishes Morgan had an ordinary family background instead.
Although no extraordinary wealth can be obtained, contentment brings happiness.
Now, he’s facing dangers, learning a lot, sacrificing a significant amount of time.
While the other children are still playing with toy cars and digging in the sand, Morgan has to be sent to Lanarn Training Ground for hard training.
Adrian Zhekova understood Cindy’s concern, knowing her hesitation stemmed from her doting.
Adrian Zhekova nodded and said, “It’s a longstanding practice of The Big Eight Families.
Once a child turns five, they’re sent to Lanarn Training Ground.”
Others envy the ability of The Big Eight Families to seize such opportunities.
Common folks yearn for these rewards as they’re out of their reach.
Cindy nodded.
Since it’s an established practice, even if it causes pain, it must be abided by.
She knew fully well that her son Morgan is growing up, and he cannot be cosseted too much.
He is destined to take up responsibilities in the future.
“Daddy achieved it, and I know you can too,” Cindy assured Morgan.
Morgan was silent.
He had only heard about Lanarn Training Ground from Adrian Zhekova.
He did not know the specifics, but the serious expressions of Adrian Zhekova and Cindy told him that the place must be tough.
The uncertain child asked, “How long do I have to stay there?”
The old master laughed and reassured him, “Don’t worry, it’s not a permanent arrangement.
You go for training during summer holidays, and once school commences, you return.
You’ll be tutored by the Masters of Lanarn Training Ground alongside your regular studies.”
“During school time, you will only train at the Lanarn Training Ground on weekends,” the old master stated, “So, you won’t be away from home for a long period.”
Children of this age usually do not prefer being away from home for long.
Though the old master didn’t express it, he too was reluctant to see him go.
But he knew it was necessary for Morgan to become self-reliant in the future.
When strictness is required, it cannot be avoided.
Any reluctance had to be swallowed down.
“Let’s start next month,” the old master suggested, allowing a transition period for both Morgan and Cindy.
He did not want Morgan to begin at the training ground abruptly.
“Beginning next month, send him to the Lanarn Training Ground for drill,” the old master finally decreed.
“Also, it’s not clear yet whether the danger is aimed at Morgan or the people around him,” the old master added.
“We can’t be sure at the present,” the old master sighed, “Usually, an individual is more sensitive to personal threats.
Sensing the danger around others signifies their perceptiveness.”
“Another scenario is that he was with the person who was going to be endangered, so he sensed it as well,” Adrian Zhekova reasoned.
The old master looked at Adrian Zhekova then at Cindy.
At that time, Morgan was with Adrian Zhekova and Cindy.
Indeed, there was a possibility.
Because of the proximity, they may sense the impending danger to each other as well.
“At the very least, Lanarn Training Ground is very safe,” the old master assured Cindy, “It is safer than staying with us.”
“In this world, no place is absolutely safe.
But, Lanarn Training Ground is one of the safest places,” the old man stated, “If Lanarn Training Ground is unsafe, it means we’re unsafe as well.”
“Morgan staying at Lanarn Training Ground is safer than here with us,” the old master stated, “If the adversaries are targeting Morgan, they won’t be able to infiltrate there.”
“Unless they can find an organization equivalent to Lanarn Training Ground.
Even with strong attacks, the intruders can’t easily get in,” the old master mentioned, “The only organization on par with it is Thorne.”
“Fortunately, Thorne is on our side,” Adrian Zhekova said, smiling.
The Thorne’s main base is in the Star Stripe Nation, and there is no conflict with the Lanarn Training Ground.
They have never thought of encroaching on Lanarn Training Ground.
Except for this, there are no other threats to Lanarn Training Ground.
The possibility becomes even slimmer when it comes to individuals.
Cindy may be concerned for Morgan, but considering this, she was now more willing to send him to Lanarn Training Ground.
“The safety of Morgan is our first priority.
The adults’ safety, we can deal with,” the old Master confirmed.
Both Cindy Clarke and Adrian Zhekova nodded, agreeing with the old master’s viewpoint.
However, when Cindy pondered the fact that Morgan had to go to Lanarn Training Ground for training in just a month, she couldn’t help but feel reluctant.
She even regretted deciding to go to Pingla Academy.
If only she had decided to go a month later.
She could have spent more time with Morgan during that period.
Without triggering the Family Head’s abilities, Adrian Zhekova could understand Cindy’s thoughts.
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He comforted, “He won’t be in Lanarn Training Ground forever.
Now he has his summer holiday and he is not at home during the day for his remedial classes, even if you were home, you wouldn’t see him.”
“Next month when Morgan is to go to Lanarn Training Ground, his Nursery would also commence,” Adrian informed.
Seeing the old master’s countenance showing he had more to say.
Adrian Zhekova looked at the old master.
“In my opinion, for now, Morgan can skip Nursery and stay at Lanarn Training Ground for at least a month.
Going only on weekends will just help him get a grasp of the basics.
Suddenly bringing him back home won’t really help much,” the old master suggested.
The old master usually cherished Morgan.
But when it mattered, he was unflinching.