Chapter 7: Artificial Rainfall

Just then, the door opened, and the Yellow-haired trio walked in, chatting and laughing. Seeing Su Ming, they immediately approached him, slinging an arm around his neck and eagerly asking,

“Brother, we heard there’s an open-air fashion show on Blue Valley Street today, with lots of hot girls. How about we take you to feast your eyes and clear your head?”

Although this was a boarding school, the rules weren’t very strict, so they could still go out.

“No, thank you. I need to go to the library.”

Su Ming politely declined the Yellow-haired trio’s offer. He was very pressed for time now and had to seize every second to catch up.

“The library?”

The Yellow-haired trio stared blankly at Su Ming.

In their memory, Su Ming was quite diligent, but he wasn’t diligent enough to frequent the library, was he?

“Yeah, see you later!”

Su Ming didn’t explain further and hurried out of the dormitory.

About ten minutes later, Su Ming appeared at the library’s main entrance.

He looked up at the cylindrical building, lost in thought.

The Mient Intermediate Academy, where he was studying, ranked third in the Thirteenth District and was an academy many people desperately wanted to enter.

Not only was the teaching quality excellent, but most importantly, the hardware facilities were also outstanding. Not to mention anything else, their school could provide numerous mech training pods, allowing an entire class of students to train for long periods.

Other less reputable schools, as well as schools on other backward planets in the Old Federation, might only have one training pod, with students in the entire class taking turns to study.

Moreover, their school also had a very large library with relatively complete collections of various materials.

This was also why Su Ming was eager to return to school; only by returning could he most efficiently catch up on his studies.

Su Ming strode into the library, and soon a spacious and bright hall came into view. Sunlight streamed through the glazed windows, illuminating the polished marble floor.

Along the edges of the cylindrical building, rows of bookshelves lined the walls, standing a full seven meters high, filled with a dazzling array of books.

Next to each bookshelf was a miniature automatic levitation device that one could step onto to easily reach books on the upper shelves.

In the center of the hall, a spiral staircase elegantly ascended, leading directly to the second-floor reading area. The handrails were crafted from antique bronze-colored metal, exuding a sense of age.

The vast library was filled with students studying, yet it was remarkably quiet.

However, Su Ming’s arrival still drew the attention of many students.

Their gazes fell on Su Ming, and some students in groups whispered amongst themselves.

“Isn’t that Su Ming, the one who tried to hang himself? Why is he at the library?”

“He’s probably still clinging to hope, wanting to run into Lin Chuyu here.”

“He’s already a joke, and he still won’t give up. I don’t know what to say. He has no self-awareness at all.”

Su Ming ignored the unusual stares and whispers from the crowd, walked to the circulation area, and quickly scanned the dazzling array of books on the shelves.

From time to time, he reached out and pulled out a book he needed.

A moment later, Su Ming, carrying five books, walked up the stairs to the second-floor reading area.

He found a seat by the window and then opened the first book he borrowed: “Chronicles of the Old Federation’s Recent History.”

The entire book was at least twenty centimeters thick, with very small print, but the content was recorded very comprehensively.

Although history-related topics did not account for a large portion of the basic score in the City Exam, they were still very important.

Su Ming took a deep breath and began to read intently. He flipped through the pages quickly, pausing for less than ten seconds on almost every page.

Some students in the distance saw how fast Su Ming was flipping through the book and showed disdainful expressions.

“Flipping so fast, just skimming.”

“This guy isn’t here to study at all; he’s just here to show off.”

“Never mind him, let’s hurry up and study ourselves. It’ll be over if we mess up the City Exam.”

“You’re right.”

Time passed bit by bit. Su Ming remained highly focused, continuously poring over the chronicles of the Old Federation.

The content of the Old Federation’s recent chronicles, though very dry to some, was exceptionally interesting to Su Ming.

Su Ming was immersed in his own world, oblivious to everything around him.

At dusk, the glow of the setting sun gradually faded, and the sky slowly darkened.

At this moment, a pleasant broadcast suddenly echoed throughout the Thirteenth District.

“Dear respected citizens, it is now 6:00 PM on May 7th, old era 4618. The Thirteenth District will usher in its annual Rain Festival. Chief Zhou Jinglan, the administrative district head, has officially authorized the activation of the rainy season system. The Thirteenth District will experience 60 minutes of artificial rainfall. We wish all citizens a pleasant enjoyment of this wonderful festival.”

As the broadcast concluded, gentle breezes stirred outside, and pattering raindrops began to fall from the dim sky.

The ground and rooftops made soft dripping sounds.

Many citizens and students came outdoors to embrace the fine rain.

Although the entire Thirteenth District had a complete rainwater collection and water resource recycling system, initiating artificial rainfall still resulted in a considerable loss of water resources.

The most direct reason was that many residents of the Lower City District would collect rainwater with various containers, which could save them a significant amount of money.

Therefore, artificial rainfall was only initiated during the annual Rain Festival, and its duration was not fixed, but rather determined by the water resource reserves of the Thirteenth District.

This demonstrated how scarce and precious water resources were.

At this moment, Su Ming, who had been engrossed in reading, turned the last page of the chronicles. Feeling a bit unsatisfied, he instinctively looked up and turned his head to gaze out the window.

Outside the window, pattering raindrops continuously fell, washing the spotless ground. Streetlights along the rows lit up in the rain. Students joyfully rushed into the rain, some tilting their heads to let the cool rainwater wash over them, some kneeling down to embrace the falling rain with outstretched hands, while others danced gracefully in the rain.

Su Ming gazed at the rainy scene outside the window, momentarily lost in thought. In an instant, the entire world seemed to freeze, becoming exceptionally serene.

The falling raindrops, in Su Ming’s eyes, moved as slowly as drifting feathers.

Su Ming’s expression froze, and his eyes showed disbelief. The rain outside the window seemed to be frozen in time. No, to be precise, it had become static.

The next second, Su Ming’s heart trembled slightly, and everything returned to normal, with the rain pouring down.

Su Ming felt a momentary trance, constantly replaying the recent anomaly in his mind.

Just as Su Ming was lost in thought, a figure suddenly jumped up and sat sideways on his desk.

Su Ming looked up and saw a tall male student with a prominent nose, an arrogant expression revealing a hint of roguishness, and a silver earring in his ear. Behind him stood a group of his subordinates with hostile eyes.

At this moment, students studying nearby anxiously got up and left, fearing they might be caught in the crossfire.