The sharp bell announcing the end of second period tore through the hubbub of recess, followed by an emotionless announcement over the broadcast system.
"First-year classes, assemble on the field and get ready for the running exercises." The classroom erupted at once. To these freshmen, most of whom had only heard of the Hengzhong Model, the words "running exercises" were filled with fresh, slightly uneasy curiosity.
"Brother Yun, this thing... we're really running?"
Zhou Da pinched his own rounded belly and pulled a long face. "At my weight, aren't I going to put on a live performance of a 'rolling gourd' right here?"
Ling Yun pulled his school-uniform zipper all the way up and said with a smile, "What are you panicking for? It's just a little faster than walking. The key is shouting the slogans loud. As long as your legs can move, you'll be fine."
That was what he said, but when he followed the flow of people toward the field and saw that the senior schoolmates from the second and third years had already formed neat square formations, solemnly holding books or notes, the slight ease in his heart faded somewhat.
The air was filled with an invisible pressure called "discipline."
The moment the groups had taken their places on the plastic track, the piercing broadcast sounded again.
"Attention, first-year students! Today is your first running exercise, so there will be no memorization requirements. But starting tomorrow, you must bring study materials during the waiting period before the running exercises and make effective use of every minute! Wasting time is strictly forbidden!"
The icy command crashed down, and the novelty on many first-year students' faces instantly froze before collapsing. The bubble of an imagined "relaxing jog to clear the mind" burst with a pop.
"Students—raise your right hands—and repeat after me!"
A woman's voice traveled across the field through the speakers, carrying an unquestionable air of authority.
The second- and third-year students raised their right arms in perfect unison with a sharp swish, like well-trained soldiers.
The first-year freshmen looked at one another. Under the invisible pressure of the gazes around them, they also hesitantly raised their hands, though unevenly.
"I am a student of Ning City No. 1 High School. I hereby swear..."
The lengthy and impassioned oath sounded especially hollow through the amplified speakers.
Ling Yun repeated it mechanically, staring at the back of the student's head in front of him. He only felt his cheeks grow faintly warm.
Beside him, Zhou Da's lips moved, his voice as indistinct as if he were holding a piece of hot tofu in his mouth. His eyes darted everywhere, as though he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
A thin fog called "embarrassment" seemed to float above the entire first-year formation. But when the final syllable of "I can do it!" faded away, it was replaced by running-exercise music with a powerful rhythm.
"One! Two! Three! Four!"
The slogans rang out sporadically, far less loudly than during the military-training performance.
Without the eyes of inspecting school leaders upon them, most classes tacitly chose "energy-saving mode," shouting their slogans perfunctorily.
Footsteps pounded chaotically against the track, and the formation quickly twisted from a square into a winding line.
Sweat began to bead at Ling Yun's temples, and his breathing grew heavier. He adjusted his pace and found himself doing all right.
Zhou Da, however, was already huffing and puffing like an overloaded, antiquated bellows, his round face flushed bright red.
"Huff... huff... Bro... Brother Yun..."
When the running exercises ended, Zhou Da supported himself with both hands on his knees, his whole body nearly collapsed into a slab of melted rice cake. "You call... call that 'a little faster than walking'? I almost... almost left my two hundred pounds right here!"
Ling Yun laughed and patted his thick back, shaking loose a thin layer of dust.
"Da Zi, this really isn't the running exercises' fault. It's your 'chassis' that needs maintenance and weight reduction! Cut back on the greasy food in the cafeteria and run a couple more laps?"
"Cut what?"
Zhou Da finally managed to straighten his back, his face full of indignation. "With that 'diet food' in our cafeteria, do I even need to deliberately cut back? I clean my plate every meal, then I get home and step on the scale—hey, I'm still lighter! My mom insists on asking whether I'm starving at school! Heaven knows I eat more than a pig! But I can't help it..."
He lowered his voice, his face miserable. "...The moment I finish eating, I... I... 'empty out a thousand miles'! Who can withstand that?" Ling Yun was amused by his exaggerated expression and was just about to tease him a little more.
"Brother Ling Yun!"
A crisp voice interrupted him.
Jiang Yingqing jogged over, her ponytail bouncing in the sunlight. Fine sweat still clung to her temples after the running exercises. "There's still plenty of time before class. Want to look around the bookstore on the third floor? I want to see the newly arrived magazines."
Ling Yun nodded. "Sure. It'll be nice to enjoy the air-conditioning for a while."
"Count me in!" Zhou Da immediately perked up, his earlier listlessness swept away. "Perfect! I was just worrying about how physics class this afternoon would put me to sleep. I need to buy some 'heavy artillery' to brace myself!"
The three of them followed the flow of people up to the third floor of the teaching building. When they pushed open the bookstore's glass door, a distinctive scent mixed with ink, paper, and a faint trace of dust rushed toward them.
The bookstore was small, its shelves packed with all kinds of study aids and classics. Yet in an inconspicuous corner, quite a few internet novels with flashy covers were piled up.
The school expressly prohibited them, yet the books were brazenly displayed on the shelves, coexisting peacefully with Five Years of Gaokao, Three Years of Simulation and forming a strange scene of unspoken understanding.
Zhou Da had a clear target. Like an agile, fathead fish, he "swam" straight toward that corner, while Ling Yun and Jiang Yingqing casually browsed the magazine section and literature shelves.
Before long, Zhou Da squeezed back over clutching a book, a mysterious, satisfied smile on his face that said he had "found a treasure."
"Da Zi, what kind of 'heavy artillery' did you find? Can it withstand the physics teacher's mental attacks?" Ling Yun asked, raising an eyebrow.
Zhou Da gave a sly chuckle and offered the book like a prized treasure. Several large, boldly inked characters were printed across the cover: Entangled by Mother.
Ling Yun took the book and casually flipped through the synopsis. His expression turned a little strange, and he said while holding back a laugh, "Whoa! That title... is pretty distinctive, Da Zi. 'Entangled by Mother'? Why does it sound a little... chilly?"
"Tsk, you don't understand!"
Zhou Da snatched the book back protectively and stuffed it inside his oversized school uniform, leaving a bulge. "My buddy strongly recommended it! He said it's about a protagonist named Little Nobody defying fate, cheating his way through life, and slapping faces along the way before becoming a god in the end. The cathartic moments never stop! The key is..."
He leaned closer to Ling Yun and lowered his voice even further, excitement flickering in his eyes as he shared a secret between boys. "...I heard it has a 'deceased wife' setup that's especially thrilling. People call it 'Deceased Wife Douluo'! I have to savor it properly!"
Ling Yun finally couldn't hold back and burst out laughing, shaking his head.
"All right, all right, 'Deceased Wife Douluo'... Your tastes are getting more and more unusual. Put it away quickly, before the homeroom teacher catches you."
Amid Ling Yun's ambiguous laughter and Jiang Yingqing's puzzled gaze, Zhou Da protected the "spiritual food" in his arms, wearing a satisfied expression that said, "You don't understand its profound wonders," as he followed them out of the bookstore's cool air.
They merged back into the noisy tide of people in the teaching building and walked toward the classroom, where the bell was about to ring.
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