In 2022, Norman was preparing for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) exams. Since his fourth year of secondary school, he had been studying diligently to achieve better results, even pushing himself to catch up in mathematics, a subject he struggled with. The issue of poor math skills: The Huyan Hu Letters mention that multiple members of the family were extremely weak in mathematics, and all four of his clones also struggled with math. Although experts analyzed that this was not a genetic disorder, the irrefutable evidence in the family letters made Norman firmly believe it. To ease his doubts, his father Anthony once mentioned that as an infant, at his great-uncle's request, Norman underwent an IQ test which showed no abnormalities. Tutoring sessions were tried, yet his grades showed no improvement. A deep sense of helplessness enveloped him.
Seeing such dismal results, he pounded his purple necklace daily with hard objects, complaining: "Hu Xianyong, it's all your fault! Married at 15, fathered a child at 16, and had another son by 19! Became a dad before finishing school! No wonder Chengyan isn't bright—you passed the bad genes to me, not to Nathan! Hu Yue also struggles in school and has mental issues. You passed the poor academic genes to me!"
Crack! A sudden sound erupted from the purple necklace, revealing a crack. Norman picked it up, and a strange image appeared within. The vision showed a man with long hair bound, clad in night attire and wearing a mask, standing on a snowy plain. From afar came a voice brimming with resentment: “It's the artifact Hu Xianyong snatched back from Zhang Jiao all those years ago. Our son actually heard Xianyong's cries...” That man turned out to be a descendant of Hu Yuanhua from the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The eldest son of that descendant retorted: “Nonsense! Xianyong was no villain. He served as Liu Bei's general and successfully led civilians to safety. They even called him ‘Boss Hu’!” Another descendant shook his head and raged: "Before meeting Liu Bei, he disobeyed all orders, stormed the palace, massacred eunuchs, and even slaughtered officials who witnessed the killings! The witnesses were innocent! He sucked the blood of all the dead, and when that wasn't enough, he turned his sights on the common people. He even attacked children, because the younger the blood, the more delicious it was to demons..." But the footage quickly faded.
After watching the footage, Norman decided to lock the purple necklace in a glass case and hand it over to his father, thereby freeing himself from its influence. Upon learning of this, Anthony patiently explained to Norman that he knew the truth could no longer be concealed. To avoid disrupting Norman's studies, he chose not to elaborate further. Anthony said gently, “I heard you complaining about Xianyong earlier. Please don't blame him. He endured immense suffering back then. Historical records are often unreliable; many so-called truths are merely later generations' misunderstandings and fabrications. As for the purple necklace, I'll keep it safe for you. Your top priority now is preparing for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education exams. You don't want to enter the workforce prematurely, do you?” "
Before his father left the room, Norman asked, “Father, if I hear the purple necklace speaking again, what should I do?” His father only replied, “There is a way to prevent the purple necklace from disturbing you again. You must maintain positive energy at all times and not let negative energy erode your will.” “After you finish the DSE, we'll find a solution together. Remember, you're not alone.” With that, his father embraced him. This warm embrace, like the unbreakable bond between Huyan Hu, successfully fueled Norman's determination. If he didn't meet the university admission standards, Hong Kong still offered other pathways to higher education.
Time flew by, and before he knew it, the day of the Diploma Examination results had arrived. The scores were out, and to his shock, Norman had slipped up—failing to meet the standards in Chinese and Mathematics, earning a grade of Level 1. His parents were utterly disappointed. When he returned home, though people were still there, the atmosphere felt eerily quiet. His parents said nothing, and Nathan remained silent too, knowing that if he spoke up now, he would surely face a harsh scolding. The purple necklace once again sensed Norman's negative energy. He found the key and unlocked the glass case holding the necklace. A voice within it spoke: “Child, I too faced many failures in China. Hong Kong may no longer be the right place for you. My journey in Russia went smoothly. Perhaps you should look abroad to find what you truly need.” This voice illuminated the darkness before Norman's eyes.
Two days later, Dario called Norman. Norman confided in him about failing his diploma exams and ultimately disappointing his parents. Though Dario was two years younger than Norman, he had already decided on his future path. Through years of observation, he noticed Norman's fascination with the unsolved mysteries of technology. He intended to recruit Norman into the Timing Police. The rupture of temporal fissures threatened the collapse of the timeline, prompting the Timing Police's establishment. They urgently needed new recruits to combat the Timing Thieves—an enigmatic organization exploiting AI technology for nefarious ends. Their mastermind remained unseen, leading some to question whether the mastermind itself was an AI. Dario knew Norman possessed formidable physical strength and willpower, believing him the ideal candidate for the new recruits. Without his parents' knowledge, Dario sent Norman's resume to the Timing Police. After reviewing it, they were highly impressed and invited Norman to their New York headquarters for training on August 5th to assess his suitability for joining their ranks.
After ending the call, the purple necklace spoke again: “You actually resorted to using connections to decide your future this time. I'll help you now, but who's to say I won't next time? Even the closest friends will betray you eventually. Be careful.” Norman chose to ignore the voice. He knew Dario's character well, and Dario's strict upbringing meant his parents would never let him off lightly if he betrayed Norman. Even if the necklace might offer misleading advice, Norman simply had no time to dwell on it. He felt he needed to take responsibility for his family.
He stepped out of his room and informed his parents of his decision to study in New York. They wholeheartedly approved, especially since his two uncles lived there, offering some support. The couple promptly arranged his flight and visa. However, as they left, Norman secretly changed his student visa to a work visa. His parents merely verified his ID and passport numbers, completely overlooking the altered visa type. After completing all arrangements, Norman departed Hong Kong on July 30th. This farewell would likely be a long-term separation.
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and then Add to home screen.