I Have Infinite Skill Points

All-night revelry, all-night fireworks, all-night wishes.

New Year's Eve is just one night, and the arrival of the New Year is also just one night.

With only a slight ripple in the heart, the first day of the New Year arrived.

On the first day of the New Year, most shops and businesses would close. This phenomenon, unique to Jade Country, demonstrates the country's devout dedication to this festival.

However, entertainment venues were not among those closed. After all, wouldn't everyone off work want to play? Normally so busy and hardworking, why not have a great time during the New Year?

Cinemas, theme parks, and amusement parks became the best destinations for those staying in Suzhou City to celebrate the New Year.

Wang Lan originally didn't plan to go out, but Jiang Xinyu called inviting him to hang out. After giving it serious thought, Wang Lan couldn't bear to refuse. He felt guilty about standing her up so many times over the past six months.

When he met up with Jiang Xinyu, Jiang Xinchen was walking towards him, arm-in-arm with Jiang Xinyu.

"Huh? Why is it just you two? Where are Xu Xiangwen and Gong Feiyu?" Wang Lan asked in confusion as he approached. The group of four usually went out together, and those two were always especially keen on hanging out, typically the first ones to arrive.

Even the girls, who needed to get ready, had arrived earlier than them. Could those two still be sleeping in?

Jiang Xinchen looked at Wang Lan with a face of despair, covering his forehead heavily. In Jiang Xinchen's impression, Wang Lan was a genius with off-the-charts intelligence. But it seemed geniuses couldn't escape one universal law: extremely high IQ, but pitifully low EQ.

And this seemed especially pronounced with Wang Lan, whose thought processes were astonishingly unique.

"They both have to go to their relatives' houses for New Year greetings, so they're busy," Jiang Xinyu said calmly, handing over a cup of milk tea she had just ordered for him.

"Thanks," Wang Lan took the cup casually. "So, where do we go on the first day of the New Year when hardly any place is open? Even if I go shopping with you, there's nowhere to really go, right?"

"Why don't you guys go watch a movie?" Jiang Xinchen suggested. "There's a sci-fi blockbuster from White Eagle Country that just got released, and a mythology film from West India Country has good word-of-mouth."

Movies, huh...

Wang Lan used to work in the movie industry in his past life. But after coming to this world, it was as if his soul had been affected along with his body. He seemed uninterested in anything fictitious.

He rarely watched TV and almost never saw movies. He used to use the excuse of having to relentlessly study to complete tasks, but now, Wang Lan had come to terms with himself. It was just an excuse; he simply didn't like that kind of entertainment, which didn't seem to offer any real help in life.

Wang Lan loves studying... Damn, why does no one believe it when I say it?

"Xinyu, what do you think?"

"Since we have nothing better to do... let's just watch a movie. Xinchen, go buy three tickets."

"Two. I have a gathering with classmates soon, so I'll be leaving shortly," Jiang Xinchen said, winking at his sister.

This kid is teachable! Jiang Xinyu was satisfied.

"School starts again in just over ten days... In less than three months, the Provincial Martial Arts Tournament will take place. Three years of effort are about to be put to the test."

"I've always heard the Provincial Martial Arts Tournament is more important than the college entrance exams. But from the official information I gathered, it seems like just an annual competitive event organized by the Ministry of Education for third-year high school students. Is it the same nature as the annual autumn sports meet?"

"That's what is publicly claimed, but it's not really the case. Star Martial Academies from all over will send special inspectors to all twenty-five provinces to observe and evaluate the strength and potential of the participating students.

If they take a liking to you, thinking you might have talent, they'll send you an invitation to enroll."

Upon hearing this, Wang Lan immediately understood. So, it's just like getting a direct admission offer!

"The reason it's considered even more important than the college entrance exams is that the Four Great Star Martial Academies will also send inspectors. As you know, these academies do not recruit new students every year.

If their discretionary admission quota is filled, they won't admit students through the standard examination process that year. If we're unlucky and they don't recruit externally this year, no matter how well we do, it won't matter.

Moreover, these academies have a quirk: they either all recruit together or none of them recruit at all. So, if your goal is one of the Four Great Star Martial Academies, you must participate in this Provincial Tournament."

"I'll participate if I have to. Why are you telling me this so solemnly?" Wang Lan was relaxed, but Jiang Xinyu's serious expression made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"You're only at the Star Shine Stage! Almost everyone who dares to compete in the Provincial Tournament is a top fighter from the third year of high school in cities across Jiang Province. Not to mention others, for dominant cities like Tong City, Zhen City, and Jin City, their ten-person representative teams are almost entirely comprised of Star Cloud Stage experts."

"It shouldn't be a big problem, right? I'm not just any Star Shine Stage practitioner, and the number of Star Cloud Stage experts who've died at my hands is more than one or two. Are you perhaps feeling too much pressure? You need to remain calm to perform consistently."

"The pressure is indeed great! My goal is to get into one of the Four Great Star Martial Academies. But it's incredibly difficult to be admitted. Every year, they only accept one thousand students. With so many hidden dragons and crouching tigers among the nation's senior high school students, picking just one thousand from among so many experts is daunting.

Moreover, many real geniuses receive invitations very early on. There might not even be three hundred spots left in the Four Great Star Martial Academies. Thinking about the terrifying elimination rate, I'm not feeling confident at all."

At that moment, Jiang Xinchen came running back, four tickets in hand, thrusting them into Wang Lan's. "My classmate just called me, I'm off—"

"Wait, why are there four tickets?"

"For you and my sister. Two people, two movies, four tickets. Any problem?"

"Two movies?"

Looking at the ticket times... a blockbuster lasts two hours, and there's only a ten-minute interval between the two movies, both of which are visual effects extravaganzas. Isn't this just asking for us to watch until we puke?

"Lan, Sis, I'm off! Have fun!" Jiang Xinchen waved goodbye, leaving Wang Lan feeling somewhat duped.

"The movie is about to start. Let's go," Jiang Xinyu said.

"Mhm!" Jiang Xinyu responded softly, her cheeks blushing, looking very cute.

The cinema was crowded, perhaps because entertainment was quite scarce on the first day of the New Year. Just as they sat down, Wang Lan's phone buzzed with a barrage of messages.

DING-DONG—

DING-DONG—

Jiang Xinyu sat next to Wang Lan, holding a tub of popcorn. With a gentle toss of her head, her loose hair wafted a delicate fragrance as it brushed past Wang Lan's nose, causing his heart to stir unexpectedly.

In the dim cinema, Wang Lan turned to gaze at Jiang Xinyu's profile. It seemed like a very long time since he had taken a close look at this girl he had known since childhood, whom he had practically grown up with. She was no longer the girl with the ponytail who liked to wear floral dresses from his memory.

DING-DONG—

Wang Lan pulled out his phone, only to see a message from Xu Xiangwen.

"Lanzi, save me, please... I'm so bored... Someone, please come... Keep this poor kid company..."

"Lanzi, are you at home? I'm dying of boredom... Feiyu was taken out by a girl. It's the first day of the New Year! What's the point of studying? Let's go have fun, my treat! Whatever you want to do, I've got it covered..."

"Lanzi, say something! If you don't, I'll take that as a yes. I'm coming to your place right now. Let's go for barbecue, fishing, or even clubbing if you're up for it."

As he read each message, Wang Lan's expression grew increasingly strange.

Jiang Xinyu, with her keen senses, had noticed Wang Lan secretly watching her. Is this blockhead finally getting a clue? she had thought, a thrill of pleasure shooting through her. But her joy was short-lived; barely three seconds passed before he was engrossed in his phone, his expression growing increasingly bizarre.

"What's up? The movie's about to start."

"Didn't you say Xu Xiangwen was going to his relatives' place and wouldn't be hanging out with us?"

"Ah? What happened?"

Wang Lan placed his phone in front of Jiang Xinyu. "He's on his way here."

"He's always like this every year." Jiang Xinyu snatched Wang Lan's phone and immediately sent Xu Xiangwen her location.

Xu Xiangwen had just stuffed a bunch of things into the trunk of his car: fishing rods, barbecue gear, a flashy leather coat. He hadn't even started the car when his phone chimed.

Finally, a response! I thought you'd disappeared on me. When he saw the location details, his brows furrowed...

Weilong Cinema? Doesn't that kid Wang Lan never watch movies? Would he go to a cinema by himself?

A crisp cracking sound suddenly echoed in his heart, as if he had chipped a tooth.

Heavy-hearted, he replied to the message.

"You're at the cinema watching a movie? With whom? Little Song Jia?"

"With Xinyu. Just the two of us. Are you still coming?"

CRACK— SNAP—

Xu Xiangwen's heart shattered on the spot.

In his mind, he could almost see a chibi version of Wang Lan laughing triumphantly.

Single dog... single dog... single dog...

WAAAH! Xu Xiangwen collapsed onto the steering wheel, wailing!

So lonely... so alone... so bored...

DING-DONG—

Just as Jiang Xinyu was about to return the phone to Wang Lan, another message popped up. It was a text from Xie Sisi.

"Wang Lan, Happy New Year! What are you doing?"

The corners of Jiang Xinyu's mouth curled up in a rare smile. Her thumbs quickly danced over the phone, and a message flew out.

"I'm watching a movie with Xinyu; it just started."

Far away, Xie Sisi, dressed in beautiful new clothes, was twirling in front of the mirror. Her phone rang, and she quickly picked it up. After a glance, the light in her eyes slowly dimmed.

"Sisi, aren't you going out with your classmates today?" her mother asked, puzzled to see her daughter changing out of her going-out clothes.

"Not anymore..."

The movie was very exciting; at least, the laughter in the cinema never seemed to stop. Wang Lan's assessment? It was okay.

After back-to-back movies, their butts were a little numb. Coming out of the cinema, it was already two o'clock in the afternoon. Jiang Xinyu, walking ahead, looked very excited, her steps in high heels resembling those of a prancing fawn.

"Xinyu, are you playing a prank? The way you're walking is making me uneasy." Wang Lan understood Jiang Xinyu very well; his knowledge of her was comparable to that of her own younger sister. They had been classmates for nine years and had known each other for fifteen.

"Shall we go eat?" Jiang Xinyu immediately changed the subject.

"I've been hungry for a while. I thought you weren't."

At that moment, Wang Lan's phone rang.

"Wait for me, I need to take this call."

The call was from Song Jia, and Wang Lan casually answered.

"Wang Lan, come quickly! Mom was taken away by the guards..." Song Jia's voice broke into sobs. "Hurry!"

"Jiajia, don't cry. What happened?"

"Just now, lots of guards came... They took Mom away," she sobbed again. "I'm so scared..."

"Stay at home. I'm coming right away."

Hearing Wang Lan's words, the smile on Jiang Xinyu's face vanished. "Wang Lan, what's wrong?"

"Not sure yet. You drove here, right? Take me to Fragrant Courtyard Bay."

"Okay!"