Chapter 2: The College Entrance Exam, Once Again

Seeing that Lu Kuan remained utterly unmoved, Liu Xueliang frowned slightly, but quickly replaced it with a smile. “Still think it’s too little? The price is negotiable. I really just like these little trinkets—money isn’t an issue at all…”

With his current life experience, Lu Kuan could easily discern the greed and urgency hidden behind Liu Xueliang’s feigned nonchalance. He’d initially intended to ignore him, but when Liu mentioned money, Lu Kuan’s interest was piqued.

“It’s not that I can’t sell it,” Lu Kuan said, “but I’d like to make a bet with you. If you win, I’ll give you this jade pendant for free.” He pulled out the pendant hanging from his neck and grinned at Liu Xueliang.

Liu’s eyes were instantly drawn to that patch of emerald green, and the unique golden-inlaid pumpkin design made it all the more tempting. But Lu Kuan’s words caught him off guard. “A bet? What kind of bet?”

“Simple,” Lu Kuan replied. “Let’s see who does better in the college entrance exam. Whoever ranks higher wins.”

Liu was stunned for a moment, then laughed as if he’d heard the most ridiculous joke, afraid Lu Kuan might change his mind. “You said it! It’s a deal!”

The students nearby, who knew each other, looked at Lu Kuan as if he were a fool. Liu Xueliang’s grades might not be at the very top, but he consistently ranked within the top one or two hundred in the grade. As for Lu Kuan—had he ever even made it into the top five hundred? Or even eight hundred?

“Fine, but if you lose, you’ll have to give me your platinum edition virtual helmet,” Lu Kuan said calmly, his tone completely unruffled.

Liu Xueliang hesitated only briefly before agreeing, full of confidence: No matter how badly I do, there’s no way you’ll beat me. What is this, a TV drama?

To make it official, the two went to the office on the second floor of Zero Distance Internet Café and asked the owner, Xue Da, to witness the bet. Xue Da was known for his loyalty, with connections on both sides of the law and considerable influence in certain circles. With memories from his previous life, Lu Kuan knew far more about Xue Da than Liu Xueliang did, so he had no objection to having him as a witness.

Upon hearing the terms, the lean Xue Da merely glanced at Lu Kuan and said nothing.

Both parties left satisfied. Before departing, Liu Xueliang looked at the jade pendant as if it were already his, while Lu Kuan wore a faint smile, betraying nothing.

In his previous life, Lu Kuan had only gotten into an ordinary vocational college. After struggling for a few years without much success, he’d returned to his hometown to start a tutoring center. Back then, Lu Kuan had thrown himself into studying high school material, and through sheer effort, built up the tutoring business. Apart from Chinese, he excelled in tutoring all other subjects—his reputation in Donghai City was well established.

The college entrance exam? Just a piece of cake.

When he returned home, his parents’ bedroom light was still on—they were surely still busy assembling shoe insoles. Hearing the door, his father quickly appeared at the door to his room.

“Kuanzi, you’re back~” his father called in his familiar voice.

Lu Kuan grinned, scratched his head, and said, “Yeah, I’ll go take a shower and get to bed. You two shouldn’t stay up too late.”

“Hmph, all you do is play games. The college entrance exam is almost here, and you’re still not settling down!” his mother’s voice came from the other room. Lu Kuan shrank his neck, made a face at his father, and hurried back to his room.

Soon, the sound of his parents’ conversation drifted over from next door.

“You as his father should say something. The exam’s tomorrow, and he’s still playing games tonight!”

“Let him relax a bit. Besides, I think Kuanzi knows what he’s doing. Didn’t he make a few hundred yuan in the game yesterday? I think he’s finally catching on…”

“A few hundred yuan is nothing. Only getting into university will make something of him!”

“Yes, yes, you’re right…”

…

Lu Kuan listened to it all clearly from his room and smiled. Thankfully, his father was there to take the brunt. If he skipped even a few days of the game now, he’d fall behind others, and catching up would be a real pain.

Back in the day, even after achieving some success in Donghai City, his father’s old heart condition flared up due to overwork and he passed away before enjoying a few good days. His mother, stricken with grief, followed a few years later. Nothing is more heartbreaking than wanting to care for your parents only to find they’re no longer there.

Such a tragedy—Lu Kuan would never allow it to happen again.

The next day, all senior high school students across the country faced the most important day of their lives: the college entrance exam had begun.

The weather was pleasant. The morning sun had just risen, and the cool breeze whisked away the heat of summer. The locust trees filtered the sunlight into countless patches, sparkling like water on the lake. Lu Kuan couldn’t help but squint his eyes.

“I say, Lu Kuan, was what you mentioned before really true?” Someone nudged him, and a chubby face, red from the heat and framed by thick eyebrows, appeared close to his. He looked rather nervous.

Lu Kuan smiled easily. “Of course, you fatso. When have I ever lied to you?”

This fat boy was Lu Kuan’s deskmate in high school and would go on to be his closest friend for many years. In his darkest times, it was always Dai Guang who stood by him. Helping Dai raise his grades now was just a small favor.

“All right, it’s almost time. Let’s head to the exam room. Good luck!”

“Yeah, good luck!” They exchanged a few words of encouragement before heading to their respective exam rooms.

The crisp bell rang—five minutes to the start. The proctors began to read out the rules and distribute the papers.

Lu Kuan’s mind grew calm. He quickly scanned the test paper and felt confident.

Chinese wasn’t his strongest subject—the classical text reading always stumped him—but “not his strength” was relative. Out of 150 points, he was sure he could score at least 100. In his previous life, he’d developed an elegant hand in calligraphy for work, and that alone could earn him extra points on the most writing-heavy subject.

He filled in his information. As soon as time began, Lu Kuan started answering with ease, never hesitating. When the bell rang to signal the end, he had just carefully copied the last paragraph of his essay.

He waited for the teacher to collect his paper, then immediately hurried to the entrance of Dai Guang’s exam room.

“How was it, little fatty? Did you do all right?” Lu Kuan draped an arm around Dai Guang’s shoulders and grinned as he saw him emerge.

Dai Guang was breathing heavily. He pushed Lu Kuan to a quiet corner and lowered his voice. “Be honest with me—how did you know the essay topic in advance…”

“Shh…” Lu Kuan frowned and shot him a glare. “I told you, I just had a dream about it a few days ago. Keep this to yourself, or we’ll both be in trouble. Got it?”

Startled by Lu Kuan’s sternness, Dai Guang nodded repeatedly, then couldn’t help but break into a silly grin.

How could he not be happy? Having prepared his essay in advance, he’d easily score at least ten points higher in a subject he was never good at!