"To the launch of the competition platform—cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Inside the revolving restaurant, the soft piano music flowed gently like a trickling stream. Two glasses filled with vibrant pink strawberry juice clinked together as Locke and Gwen looked at each other and smiled.
Today was a day worth celebrating.
Locke was in high spirits. With twenty high school student councils successfully signing the agreement, it meant his plan to fleece the system during the upcoming eleventh and twelfth grades was completely set in stone.
A guaranteed minimum of 500,000 Achievement Points and Potential Points was no longer a mirage in a mirror or a reflection of the moon in water.
If the system allowed for borrowing, Locke would feel a strong urge to advance the points directly from the system, completely spending all the points for the next two years right away.
Fortunately, the system did not encourage spending beyond one's means. Otherwise, leaving aside a divinity like the Sun God, even something like the Superman lineage would likely remain out of reach for his entire life.
Advance spending was a trap. Once you fell into that pit, the probability of crawling out was basically zero; one might even pass away still bearing debt.
Gwen was also genuinely happy for Locke.
'Perhaps this is what Mom meant by wishing one's husband would become a dragon,' Gwen thought to herself, resting her chin on one hand as she looked at Locke.
Locke didn't lack money, so he definitely wouldn't pursue a future in business. After all, Locke himself was already the equivalent of Wall Street. Furthermore, given Locke's temperament, when it came to people he wasn't familiar with or felt no need to interact with, he was so lazy he wouldn't even bother to open his mouth.
As for scientific research?
Gwen felt she had completely figured it out. Locke simply enjoyed solving problems and taking tests; he didn't possess the slightest urge to turn theory into reality. He wasn't that kind of research talent at all, operating entirely on the rhythm of being the number one test-taker in New York City.
Therefore, only one direction for development remained. And it happened to coincide perfectly with what Locke was doing at this very moment.
Taking the Washington route.
Gwen pursed her lips, set down the strawberry juice in her hand, looked at Locke, and said with a smile,
"Once this project launches, it won't just be a matter concerning twenty presidents. It will involve the elite of New York State's younger generation. With the right management, it will indeed provide massive assistance for the future."
If one carefully examined the happy high schools and elite high schools in the country, a very interesting pattern emerged: the student councils of happy high schools gravitated toward the Democrats, while those of elite high schools leaned toward the Republicans. After all, the Republicans represented the old patriarchy of the country.
Midtown High used to be nothing special. The school board directors wanted to lean Republican, but unfortunately, the students they backed weren't capable enough. If Locke hadn't taken office this time and stepped on the gas to pull Midtown High onto the right track, things would be different.
Or rather, if Gwen hadn't intentionally expressed her and Locke's party inclinations while discussing things with those student council presidents, this cooperation would definitely have fallen through. To put it plainly, could you expect former masters and slaves to play happily together? That was completely unrealistic.
"However..." Gwen thought about it seriously, looked at Locke, and offered a slight smile. "Because of this, it's a good thing we didn't graduate early. We can have two years to consolidate the results we've created."
Using this competition platform over the next two years would allow them to expand and deepen the network established on its foundation. It could even be passed down; the network hatched from this competition platform would only continue to grow larger.
Gwen spoke quite naturally, then looked at Locke.
"You must have already thought about this, right? That's the exact reason you chose not to graduate early."
In fact, Gwen had brought up this topic with Locke again over the summer break. But Locke's response at the time was that he preferred a steady and solid approach rather than advancing too erratically.
Gwen hadn't thought much of it then—if he didn't want to graduate early, then so be it. Once you entered college, graduation followed, and after graduation came work. It certainly wouldn't be as pleasant as student life.
Locke blinked.
What?
'Why is it that I understand every single word you say, but when you put them together, I feel completely baffled?'
Locke looked at the gaze Gwen directed toward him, feeling somewhat lost.
'I launched this plan just to enter politics? How come I didn't know that? This is entirely a quest given by the system.'
But... whatever. Locke let out a chuckled laugh and nodded. Could a girlfriend ever say anything wrong? No. Even if she did, it wasn't her fault.
I knew my guess was right.
'I'm starting to understand you.'
Seeing the strained expression on Locke's face—which looked like he had been completely seen through—Gwen smiled inwardly. A second later, however, her expression turned serious as she thought of another issue.
"Locke, there is one issue you need to pay attention to, though."
"...What is it?"
"Haven't you seen the tabloids lately? Your biological parents from all over the country are popping up."
"Ha."
Locke thought it was something major, but hearing Gwen say this, he raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but shake his head with a laugh.
Yes. Biological parents from all over the country. As of yesterday, roughly eight pairs of parents had approached the media claiming to be Locke's biological parents.
In Locke's view, this kind of occurrence couldn't exactly be called vulgar, but it was certainly commonplace.
In his past life, this happened all the time. When an orphan achieved success and fame during an era without DNA testing or when technology was immature, were there ever few trash parents who jumped out to claim kinship?
It was the same here, it was even more pronounced. Who made the essence of happy education entertainment to death?
With the massive success of Locke's photobooks, combined with the series of events since last year, Locke's reputation had gradually matured.
After a piece of trash in Texas discovered this trending topic and chose to detonate it first, trash from all over the country chasing the spotlight immediately popped up.
But...
Locke looked at Gwen. "I have a family trust. It's true that I'm an orphan, but I know the names of my parents."
Although he was an orphan, he wasn't an orphan in the traditional sense. At the very least, he had seen and remembered his parents' names from the handwritten birth certificate the moment he opened his eyes. Otherwise, on what basis would he possess a family trust?
This family trust was established using his nominal mother's surname—Broughton. Locke had expended a vast amount of energy to orchestrate this family trust.
However, beyond knowing his parents' names, everything else stopped right there. He hadn't investigated further, nor did he have any desire to discover what kind of people his deadbeat parents were, whether they were alive or dead, or if they died of natural causes or vendettas. This brought zero psychological burden to Locke.
Gwen nodded. "I know, but don't you plan to explain it?"
Locke shook his head. "No need. In this kind of matter, no matter what happens, if I personally step into the arena, I lose in the end."
The moment he stepped into the fray, regardless of the outcome, he lost. Simply put, the onlookers didn't care about the truth of the matter. The media cared even less. What they wanted was a carnival—to chase a trend and then detonate it.
As for the consequences, even if it left a complete mess, it was the party involved who had to deal with the aftermath, while they simply turned and left once the heat dissipated.
The onlookers behaved the same way. Much like tagalongs, they would follow the departing media to chase the next trend for their pleasant amusement. Currently, it was just a few pairs of trash individuals and the media performing a one-man show.
A one-man show with no one reciprocating would pass after a bit of noise, but if Locke entered the arena—even if he did so under the identity of the Peerless Assassin—the media would write it up as a two-man act. And a two-man act could go on for a very long time.
Don't look. Don't ask. Don't speak. This remained the best strategy for now. He would just note down the names of those trash individuals and the unscrupulous journalists driving the momentum. Once the trend passed and autumn arrived, he would dispense with any talk and simply proceed with the execution.
Locke could take revenge immediately, but similarly, a decade was not too late for him to settle a score. Executing after autumn was a tradition branded deep within his soul; it was just that under normal circumstances, he didn't need to use it because he usually took his revenge on the spot.
Gwen frowned.
"So you're just going to let them slander you like this?" This was far too lenient on those unscrupulous media outlets.
Locke smiled and looked at Gwen.
"You forgot, I have a legal team."
Gwen's eyes lit up. "Oh right, the legal team! Wait, didn't you say you wouldn't step into the arena?"
Locke laughed. "I won't step in, but that doesn't mean my legal team won't. Rest assured, Mr. Laun will teach those media outlets to remember that I am the man who defeated the FBI and Homeland Security!"
And furthermore, he was the one living the most comfortable life to date. Tsk tsk. Based on this achievement alone, Locke felt he could be recorded in history forever.
Hearing Locke say this, Gwen felt reassured. "With Mr. Laun and the others helping, that's excellent. It won't cause any major chaos."
Since he intended to take the Washington route, he needed to pay attention right from the start, lest future political rivals find some loophole to launch a fierce attack. Gwen thought to herself.
However...
On the way driving Gwen home, Gwen rolled her pretty eyes, then looked at Locke with a trace of curiosity.
"Locke, you seem to have never mentioned your parents' names before."
Locke smiled.
"Is that so? My surname comes from my mother. Her name was Lorraine."
"Lorraine?"
"Mm."
"That's a very beautiful name. She must have been very beautiful."
"Perhaps."
Locke smiled. He only knew the name and hadn't even bothered to look up the records. Choosing not to talk about it simply meant it was still kept close to his heart, so Locke was completely indifferent to uttering her name.
***
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