area51novel Chapter 60: Hou Hao Leaves
Chapter 60: Hou Hao Leaves
[To Luo Yan]
Dear Luo Yan (crossed out)
My friend Luo Yan:
Seeing this letter is like seeing you in person. To be honest, I really want to have a good chat with you, but I don't know where to start. You know, there are some things that are not easy to say in person, so I decided to write them down.
Please forgive my sudden departure; I did not mean to abandon you.
After the last accident, I truly realized something. I think you're right. Proving myself shouldn't be the goal, but rather the motivation. I must find my own path, and only I can explore that.
I've been fantasizing about us teaming up for a long time. In my imagination, we'd be invincible, defeat the strongest dojo, and date the prettiest girl.
But now, I've come to terms with it.
Don't get me wrong, it's not the kind of enlightenment I'm looking for that leads to becoming a monk. I just feel like I should step out of my comfort zone.
There may be stumbles and bumps along the way, and there may be thrills and excitement. I can't be sure what my future will be like, but this is the first time I've mustered the courage to do what I believe is right.
Don't try to persuade me or come looking for me. Let me face this alone.
Please help me apologize to my dad and Brother Lu. It seems I'll be canceling from the Beginner's Alliance, and I probably won't be coming back for Chinese New Year this year.
Finally, Luo Ge.
I left you a card. You can use the money in this card to tide you over until the prize money arrives, since your baby Tyrannosaurus can eat more than all my Pokémon combined.
Let's meet at the summit.
Your godfather—Hou Hao.
...
Luo Yan: ......
Luo Yan's eyes twitched as she looked at the letter.
Good grief, they just ran away from home without saying a word!?
It's no wonder Hou Hao was able to slip away so easily. Everyone was busy dealing with the prehistoric Pokémon matter during this time, and Hou Zhi also needed to deal with matters related to the Advent Church. No one expected that Hou Hao would choose to pack his bags at this time.
However, Luo Yan could understand Hou Hao's choice.
Anyone who has experienced a disaster of that magnitude will undergo some changes in their mindset.
Although it's not yet clear whether this change is good or bad, Luo Yan trusts Hou Hao's choice. There's no use relying on outsiders to help him in this state of confusion; this grandson should start thinking about his future.
Perhaps, when they were chatting inside the old suitcase, Hou Hao already had the idea of running away from home.
But what left him speechless was why he had to go and tell the innkeeper on his behalf when the innkeeper ran away from home!
Thinking of this, Luo Yan made a phone call immediately.
The call was quickly connected, and Hou Hao's voice came through the receiver.
(Hey, Luo-ge, you're already missing me?)
"I miss you...you little...brat, you're trying to pull some dirty tricks on me right now!"
(Hahaha, sorry, there's no turning back now. Don't even think about finding me. I'll let you in on a secret: I bought a blind box of plane tickets, so I have no idea where my next stop is.)
"Go wherever you want, but you should talk to your dad yourself."
(Hehe, it's not that I'm too scared.)
Hou Hao's laughter subsided, and his tone quickly became much more serious.
(Brother Luo, you should understand me the most. There are some things I don't know how to talk to my dad about. Maybe this is everyone's trouble. Unlike my sister, I don't have as many choices, but this time, I want to take a chance.)
(As my brother, would you support me?)
This was the first time, or rather, the second time, that Luo Yan had seen Hou Hao so serious.
He was silent for a moment, then slowly asked.
"...How much money is in that card?"
(More than 200,000 yuan; all my New Year's money and pocket money since I was a child are in there.)
Luo Yan's vision went black. "So you've left this card with me, what are you going to do with yourself?"
Hou Hao smiled and replied.
(Don't worry, my sister gave me 300,000 yuan. I told her about it, and she was quite supportive of my choice. In her own words, "You've finally matured a bit after all these years.")
(Alright, I'll stop here for now. Time to board the plane. Good luck with the Beginner League, Luo Ge! I'll be silently supporting you from somewhere. Bring the championship back to Jiangcheng!)
After hanging up the phone, Luo Yan's gaze fell on the bank card under the envelope.
On the back of the bank card, Hou Hao thoughtfully pasted a piece of paper with the password written on it.
It must be said that Hou Hao's sudden departure disrupted Luo Yan's original plan, but in a sense, it also gave him a more unrestrained environment.
If Luo Yan is carrying the Star Compass, this magical artifact, and there are always people around, then one day it will be discovered, which is something Luo Yan definitely doesn't want to see.
Especially since I haven't matured yet, and with Hou Hao following me, I can't use many of my trump cards. It's not that I don't trust Hou Hao, it's just that there are some secrets that I have to bear myself.
When Luo Yan took the letter to Hou Zhi, Hou Zhi seemed to have anticipated this.
"This kid really does take after me in his stubbornness," he said. "Back when Grandpa Hou Hao asked me to take over the dojo, I secretly packed my bags and slipped away. It wasn't until I ran into a few walls outside that I realized there are always people more capable than me."
"However, there's one thing this kid said that's quite true: some paths are only effective if you walk them yourself."
"So, Uncle Hou, you're agreeing to let Hou Hao go?"
"Originally, I felt more at ease having a friend like you by my side, since you are much more mature and stable than that kid. But since he has made his decision, although I don't agree with it, as his father I still have to support him."
Hou Zhi chuckled and shook his head, then continued.
"Don't worry too much. I know Hou Hao's personality. Although he seems carefree, he's not sloppy when it comes to serious matters. He chose to go out and make his own way, so he should be mentally prepared. There shouldn't be any problems."
"The college entrance exam is just around the corner, so you should prepare well during this time. You can ask Yueyue to tutor you. There's also a beginner league to play afterward. I'm quite confident in your current abilities, but if you lack confidence, you can still learn from Bai Tianwang."
"I understand." Luo Yan nodded slightly.
In fact, when Luo Yan saw Hou Hao's letter, she also thought about taking a spontaneous trip.
Anyway, for me, the college entrance examination and the Beginner League are not necessities. I just need to keep fighting to get more Wishing Stars and then summon all my old friends from the Kingdom of Rock.
But on second thought, Luo Yan decided to postpone her departure.
The college entrance exam and the Beginner League might be the key to finding the right way to improve one's "Trainer Level".
...