bioinnovel Chapter 1: Has Tengteng flown halfway through?
Chapter 1: Has Tengteng flown halfway through?
Chapter 1 Soaring...Halfway to the top?
"Look, look! That girl with the ponytail is Ge Bai. She got the highest score in the entire spiritual awareness development test today. I have reliable sources. This year, only about 10% of people in the city are developing their spiritual awareness, and including her, there are only 7 people in that group."
"9.9%! What kind of monster is that? I heard she's an orphan. I'm only 2.5%. My dad is going to beat me to death."
"She'll definitely break into the top 10% before the high school entrance exam, I'm so envious."
Ge Bai had just completed his spiritual awareness development test, and the 9.9% clearly displayed on the testing instrument brought a small shock to everyone present.
According to the basic law of the Interstellar Federation, all teenagers aged 15-16 are required to undergo a unified spiritual awareness development test before taking the high school entrance examination.
This is also the earliest time that current technology can test the development of spiritual consciousness.
This year, more than 11 students from 15 districts in Beijing and Hong Kong took the test, and Ge Bai's level is undoubtedly among the best.
The meditation method for developing spiritual awareness was made public by the Interstellar Federation 172 years ago and is included in the nine-year compulsory education curriculum for teenagers.
Thanks to this, Ge Bai, who grew up in a social welfare institution, had the opportunity to develop his spiritual consciousness through his own efforts.
"Hey, don't get too excited. Maybe when she takes the second test on her affinity with spirit creatures, she won't have the pet affinity attribute. What's the point of having a high level of spiritual awareness then?"
"How is that possible? Have you ever seen someone who has independently developed 10% of their spiritual awareness and still doesn't have a pet affinity attribute!"
Ge Bai disconnected the testing instrument's cable and walked out on her own. There were envious and amazed voices around her, as well as jealous and sarcastic remarks, but she didn't care.
It's already 11 a.m., and it's her turn to be on duty today. She needs to hurry back to the Blue Star Welfare Home to help Teacher Xiao Lu make lunch.
This year marks the sixteenth year since Gobai came into this world.
In his previous life, after working continuously for more than 30 hours, Ge Bai died suddenly in his office cubicle.
When she regained consciousness, she was a baby in swaddling clothes at the entrance of the Blue Star Welfare Institute.
He thought he could easily live again with the memories of his previous life, but he discovered that this world was completely different from Earth!
221 years ago, under the influence of galactic beta rays, the plants and animals on the ancient planet Blue Star began to mutate, with their intelligence and material resources increasing dramatically.
Some extraordinary species have even evolved incredible skills, resulting in a strong aggression towards cities and villages, plunging human society into chaos.
After more than 20 years of resistance and research, Chinese scientists have taken the lead in exploring a stable path for beast tamers to control spirit beasts, and have made it public to the whole society.
Meditation can develop spiritual awareness. For every 5% increase in spiritual awareness, you can form a contract with a spirit beast, making it your pet and storing it in your spiritual awareness space.
By nurturing and educating pets, we can promote their evolution and help them grow into battle beasts.
With the help of beast tamers and war beasts, humanity has gradually quelled the disasters brought about by global anomalies and has also gradually expanded into interstellar space. Currently, it has occupied and developed five planets that are habitable for humans.
After more than a century of development, Beastmasters have not only become the main force of interstellar teams, but have also become an indispensable part of all aspects of modern social life.
Without the help of pets, humans would be practically helpless in any situation, whether it's construction or logistics.
But not everyone can become a beast tamer.
To form a contract with a spirit beast, two initial conditions are required. One is that one's spiritual awareness development reaches 5%. Most ordinary people can only develop their spiritual awareness to 15%-18% in their lifetime.
There are also a small number of people who, no matter how hard they try, cannot break through 5% in the development of their spiritual awareness.
In addition, contracted spirit beasts also need to have pet affinity attributes. Researchers divide affinity attributes into six levels: extremely low, below standard, standard, good, excellent, and extremely high.
You can only form a contract with a spirit beast if you meet the above requirements; otherwise, the spirit beast will resist strongly, causing the contract to fail.
According to statistics, the number of people whose pets have a friendly or affectionate relationship with them barely reaches half of the total population.
Fortunately, 72 years ago, the Interstellar Federation's Spirit Plant Research Center made a major breakthrough, finding some spirit plants that could be contracted with humans.
Once your spiritual awareness reaches 2%, you can form a contract with a spiritual plant and become a spiritual plant master.
Most of the contractable spirit plants are fruit trees and grains, providing assistance to pets.
Although the compatibility between spiritual plants and humans, and the extent to which humans cultivate spiritual plants, are far inferior to the beast taming system, it has still given many people the opportunity to improve their lives.
Coincidentally, most people who don't have the pet affinity attribute have the spirit plant affinity attribute.
At this time, Ge Bai was not too worried about the self-affinity attribute test.
Just as that passerby said, the higher the level of a person's self-developed spiritual consciousness, the higher the probability of having a high affinity with pets.
In this era, becoming a beast tamer by contracting a pet is everyone's pursuit.
As for spirit plant masters, they are far inferior to beast tamers.
As Ge Bai walked out of the testing building, he passed the peregrine falcon berthing area and saw rows of tall and handsome peregrine falcons standing neatly in the designated berthing area by the roadside.
Drivers wearing helmets and uniforms stand around the peregrine falcons soliciting customers, and occasionally preen the feathers of their falcons. The large birds, which are much taller than people, will lower their heads and nuzzle the drivers affectionately.
"Young lady, today 'Eagle Flying' is giving away exclusive student discount coupons! Get half-price rides on our Eagle Flying ...
The brown-and-black peregrine falcon also flapped its wings and raised its head high, showing Ge Bai a beautiful profile of its neck.
Ge Bai was itching to try it himself, thinking, "Why don't I get a large bird as my first pet contract? They're so cool!"
Despite his thoughts, Ge Bai patted his pockets and firmly shook his head.
Taking the Eagle Peregrine back to the Blue Star Welfare Home, even with a half-price coupon, would cost 12 Alliance Coins, while taking the bus would only cost 1 Alliance Coin.
The alliance's levitating electric bus isn't actually slow. Taking the bus back now won't delay me from helping Teacher Xiaolu cook.
"Abi, Abi." As soon as Gobai reached the entrance of the Blue Star Welfare Home, he saw Komira, who was perched on a eucalyptus tree in the yard, waving her right paw at him.
Ge Bai quickened his pace, walked to the eucalyptus tree, and opened his arms. "Bibi, were you waiting for me?"
The chubby, gray-haired Comilla, only as tall as an adult's thigh, slowly climbed down the tree trunk. Halfway down, Gobai couldn't wait any longer and pulled him into his arms.
Comila didn't resist, and instead hugged Gobai's neck, resting her head on Gobai's shoulder, calling out "Abi Abi".
"Eat less eucalyptus leaves, or they'll make you dumber!"
"Abby! Abby!"
"Even if it's delicious, eat less. I'll bring you some eucalyptus leaves when I get back tonight. They taste better than eucalyptus leaves."
"Abby".
This Comilla named Bibi is Teacher Deer's pet. Although it is only at level 2 of evolution and far from meeting the standard of a battle beast, it is gentle by nature and can take good care of the little ones in the orphanage.
Ge Bai and Bi Bi grew up together almost from childhood.
Holding Comila, Gobai went straight to the kitchen, where Teacher Lu and two other aunties were busy.
"Bai Bai is back?"
"The test results were pretty good, weren't they?"
Ge Bai greeted the aunties with a smile, sat down next to Teacher Xiao Lu, and helped her pick vegetables. Everyone was even happier after hearing the results of Ge Bai's spiritual awareness development test.
"Don't bother yourself, go and rest. You still have to go to the research institute this afternoon to test your affinity attributes." Teacher Xiaolu looked to be in her early thirties, not very tall, and appeared exceptionally gentle.
She is the daughter of the former director of the Blue Star Welfare Home, who passed away a few years ago. She single-handedly supported the Blue Star Welfare Home.
"It's alright, it's not like taking a break will increase your affinity attribute." Ge Bai shook his head, his hands continuing to work.
She can still clearly remember 16 years ago when her teenage teacher, Ms. Lu, carried her, still an infant, through the door.
Back then, Teacher Lu was always busy preparing formula, but she still raised me little by little, like a mother and a sister.
Teacher Xiaolu didn't insist. She shook the water off her hands, tapped Ge Bai's forehead, and said, "You always have so many reasons."
"Have Wu Dami and Liu Hao returned? How were their test results?"
"They came back an hour earlier than you. Da Mi got 5.7% and Hao Hao got 6.2%. They should be in the activity room checking the kids' homework right now."
There are only three junior high school students at Lanxing Welfare Home this year.
Upon hearing the result, Ge Bai paused for a moment, but remained silent.
Teacher Xiaolu understood what she wanted to ask and said gently, "They just told me that they have already decided. After the affinity test this afternoon, it doesn't matter whether they are affinity with spirit beasts or spirit plants."
"I'm not going to high school. Tomorrow I'll apply for a loan, choose a partner, submit my resume, look for a job, and then go to night school. I'll be able to support myself eventually. I'm a good kid."
This is the cruelty of this era.
Federal compulsory education lasts only nine years, with high school divided into full-time high school and part-time evening school.
Every ninth grader faces a major life decision.
Although theoretically, anyone who can form a contract with a spirit beast or spirit plant is eligible to enroll in a full-time high school.
However, the high tuition fees for high school and the cost of purchasing and cultivating spirit beasts and plants are not affordable for every family.
Therefore, many children from poor families, as well as orphans from welfare homes like Ge Bai, mostly choose a work-study model.
He bought spirit beasts with loans, worked during the day to repay the loans, squeezed out money to buy medicine to raise the spirit beasts, and attended night school for working professionals.
However, this means that the cultivation of spirit beasts will be much slower. Let alone evolving into battle beasts, they will struggle to make a living and may live a mediocre life.
Although purchasing and cultivating spirit plants is cheaper than cultivating spirit beasts, spirit plant masters currently have very low growth potential and basically no ability to fight independently.
Most of them can only become senior gardeners, or become raw material suppliers for spirit beast potion companies.
Even the most outstanding plant masters who have the opportunity to join interstellar teams can only play logistical support or auxiliary roles, which is why full-time high schools are extremely strict in their admissions process for plant masters.
This results in most of the plant practitioners you see in high schools and universities being leisurely rich kids or second-generation officials.
Ge Bai didn't want to be a corporate slave again in her second life, even though in her previous life she was a high-level corporate slave earning millions a year.
From beginning to end, her only path was to become an outstanding student.
Students with outstanding basic skills are required to develop 10% of their spiritual awareness and form a contract with a spirit beast, which will exempt them from high school tuition fees.
In addition, the two provincial key high schools, St. Lan High School and Beijing-Hong Kong No. 1 High School, have also opened up channels for the separate recruitment of outstanding students.
The special admissions program uses a pet battle format. The five winners will not only have their high school tuition waived, but the school will also provide generous scholarships that are more than enough to cover the cost of purchasing a pet.
Last year, the number one seed player selected by Jinggang City for the Star Alliance battle was a special recruit from St. Lan High School, and I heard that he also came from a poor family.
So ever since Ge Bai learned meditation, she practiced day and night. Around this time last year, she felt that her spiritual development had reached a bottleneck and she couldn't improve it any further.
I just didn't know my level because I couldn't test it. I only found out today that I'm stuck at 9.9%.
Haven't you heard of teenagers under 16 years old experiencing stagnation in spiritual development? Ah, generally, it's people over 50 who reach the limit of spiritual development.
Ge Bai felt uneasy, wondering if it was because his soul and body were not in harmony.
She silently prayed, "I hope the affinity test goes well."
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15:30 PM, Beijing-Hong Kong City Research Institute Affinity Attribute Testing Center.
Name: Ge Bai
"Level of spiritual awareness development: 9.9%"
"Pet Affinity Attribute: Not up to standard"
"Plant affinity: Extremely high"
"Career planning: It is recommended to form a contract with spiritual plants and become a spiritual plant master."
A clear, mechanical female voice entered Ge Bai's ears, booming like thunder.
The surrounding testers were also whispering among themselves as they looked at the data.
"This is the first time I've seen someone with such a high level of spiritual development yet lacking pet affinity."
"What a pity."
"However, her affinity with spiritual plants is 'extremely high,' which is quite rare."
"What's the use? No matter how high you go, you're still just a spirit plant master."
Ge Bai gritted his teeth and forced himself to get off the testing equipment.
She knew that fate had no intention of making things go smoothly for her.
Others who are reborn have smooth sailing and have a system by their side, but I, an orphan, started out like this and have worked hard for almost 16 years without seeing a trace of a system.
I had already given up and was ready to forge my own path, but I ended up digging such a big hole along the way!
Ge Bai was on the verge of collapse; she didn't know what she had been working so hard to practice meditation for all these years.
You should know that she had even chosen her pet beasts, and planned out the early training program again and again. She knew the effects and prices of all the potions by heart.
She even prepared herself for the special recruitment battle, having watched countless pet battle videos and rehearsed the scene of commanding pet battles countless times in her mind.
Now, it's all useless. She really doesn't know what to do in the future—grow a fruit tree and become a corporate slave?
Returning to the Blue Star Welfare Home in a daze, Ge Bai found Teacher Xiao Lu holding Bibi at the gate. He forced a smile at her.
She didn't realize that her pale face, stiff muscles, and forced smile looked absolutely awful.
Looking at Ge Bai like this, Teacher Xiao Lu understood everything. There was no need to ask any more questions; she just felt extremely sorry for him.
She put Bibi down and went over to hug the little girl tightly.
Bibi sensed Ge Bai's sadness, climbed to her side, and hugged her legs tightly.
"Go back to your room and rest for a while. You'll be alright, everything will be alright."
Teacher Xiaolu's words of comfort seemed particularly weak.
Ge Bai nodded, rubbed his face hard against Teacher Lu's shoulder, his eyes were red, and he rushed back to the girls' dormitory with his head down.
Teacher Xiaolu watched Ge Bai's retreating figure and let out a long sigh.
This is a huge blow to such a hardworking young girl.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
Midnight, girls' dormitory at Blue Star Welfare Institute.
Ge Bai covered himself with the blanket, unusually not meditating, but just staring blankly with his eyes open.
She had long forgotten what day it was, and had no expectations whatsoever.
But sometimes, surprises come unexpectedly.
Midnight.
"Ding, Shennong 2.7 system awakened."
A crisp electronic sound rang in Ge Bai's mind.
She sat up abruptly.
The moonlight was bright outside the window, and the children in the beds around them were fast asleep. The clock on the wall pointed to midnight.
Only then did she realize that she was sixteen years old today, at this moment.
(End of this chapter)