Graduation from Elementary School

The six years of elementary school passed in the blink of an eye.

Before they knew it, Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan had graduated from Sunshine Elementary School.

At the graduation ceremony, the two families gathered for a photo, just as they had when the children graduated from kindergarten.

The only difference was that Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan had grown a great deal compared to six years ago.

The childishness on their faces had gradually faded, replaced by the youthful vitality unique to boys and girls their age.

"Hanhan, how did you get so pretty? You get prettier every year. Aunt Xin's heart is melting just looking at you."

Zhang Wanxin looked at Shen Qinghan, who was already slightly taller than her shoulder, her eyes full of a mother's affection for her daughter.

Though Shen Qinghan was not her daughter, she had long since treated her as one.

Lin Yansheng sighed from the side. "Kids grow so fast these days. He's only in sixth grade, only twelve years old, and he's already nearly as tall as an adult."

He was mainly referring to Lin Zichen.

At that moment, Lin Zichen was nearly as tall as Zhang Wanxin, standing over 1.6 meters.

And he had only just graduated from elementary school.

After finishing middle school and high school, with another six years of growth, he would be at least 1.8 meters tall.

Back in Lin Yansheng's day, that height would have made him one of the tallest students in the class.

On the other side, Shen Jianye and Xu Meng were also marveling at how quickly the two children had grown.

Xu Meng said with a smile, "Looking at these two children, I always feel like they were babies yesterday, and today they suddenly grew into little adults."

"Yeah, time really flies," Shen Jianye said wistfully, wrapping an arm around Xu Meng's waist.

"Xiao Chen, Hanhan, move a little closer together."

Holding a DSLR camera, Zhang Wanxin called out to Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan in front of her.

Hearing that, Shen Qinghan reached out and pulled Lin Zichen a little closer until they were standing almost hand in hand.

"Come on, say cheese!"

As Zhang Wanxin called out—

Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan both flashed peace signs, smiling with faces that were thirty percent childish and seventy percent bashful.

Only after taking dozens of photos did Zhang Wanxin finally let the childhood sweethearts go. She turned and joined the other three parents behind her to admire her photography skills.

Then, amid repeated praise of "These came out so well," she completely lost herself in the compliments, looking utterly pleased with herself.

"Xiao Chen, you grew so fast. We were clearly the same height when we celebrated our tenth birthdays in fourth grade. It's only been two years, but now you're half a head taller than me."

Standing in front of Lin Zichen, Shen Qinghan rose slightly onto her tiptoes to compare their heights. When she realized she was half a head shorter than him, she could not help feeling a little discouraged.

Lin Zichen reached out and rubbed her head, teasing, "It's fine. Maybe in another three years, I'll be a whole head taller than you. Then three more years after that, I'll be a head and a half taller."

"Don't get too smug." Shen Qinghan pursed her rosy lips slightly. "Maybe I'll overtake you again in middle school and become a little taller than you, like I was in third grade."

Lin Zichen merely smiled without saying anything. Lowering his head, he carefully studied the twelve-year-old Shen Qinghan before him, suddenly feeling like an old father watching his daughter grow up.

The smiling baby girl who used to pee during photos, the little girl who could barely speak clearly, the girl who used to bounce around everywhere—without him noticing, she had grown into a young girl with a crisp, sweet voice.

She was like a lark, full of liveliness and energy.

"Why are you staring at me?"

Shen Qinghan waved a hand in front of Lin Zichen with her clear eyes.

Lin Zichen smiled. "It's nothing."

Shen Qinghan looked mischievous. "You must think I'm pretty, right?"

"Hanhan, you really are very pretty." Lin Zichen nodded honestly.

Shen Qinghan had not expected such an honest answer. Her little face instantly flushed red, and she quickly turned her head aside. "If you think I'm pretty, then look a little more."

Lin Zichen smiled without speaking, thinking that the immature little girl from back then now knew how to blush and feel shy. She really had grown up and was entering adolescence.

Soon, the graduation ceremony came to an end.

As usual, the two families found a nearby restaurant to celebrate with a meal.

But unlike when they had graduated from kindergarten—

There were several bespectacled, refined middle-aged men in the restaurant's private room this time.

They were all principals from several prestigious middle schools in Shanhai City. They had personally come today to recruit Lin Zichen for their schools.

No one had invited them.

They had insisted on entering the private room themselves.

It was not because they lacked manners.

If anyone was to blame, it was Lin Zichen for performing far too brilliantly over the past six years.

He had won nearly every award available in the city.

And every single one had been first place. He had never failed once.

Such dazzling accomplishments made him the most gifted elementary school graduate in Shanhai City's history, a prized target in the eyes of every middle school principal in the city.

After listening to the principals' pitches, Lin Yansheng and Zhang Wanxin were both tempted.

The terms offered by every school looked highly attractive, making it difficult for the couple to decide for a moment.

In the end, Zhang Wanxin looked at Lin Zichen and asked gently, "Xiao Chen, which middle school do you want to attend?"

"I'm fine with any of them. Let's see where Hanhan wants to go."

Lin Zichen handed the choice to Shen Qinghan. He did not care which middle school he attended. With his cheat, he could crush everyone wherever he went.

Shen Jianye and Xu Meng, sitting nearby, immediately felt flattered and overwhelmed.

Shen Qinghan's grades were excellent, but they were not good enough for every middle school.

Especially the prestigious schools represented by the principals present. Shen Qinghan could at best barely meet their admission thresholds, and she could fail to get in at any moment.

Yet because of one sentence from Lin Zichen, Shen Qinghan suddenly had the right to choose freely. Shen Jianye and Xu Meng did not know what to make of it.

"Wanxin, I think Xiao Chen should make this decision himself."

Xu Meng looked at Zhang Wanxin and handed the choice back, feeling that the pressure would be too great if their daughter had to decide. Their family could not bear that responsibility.

Zhang Wanxin smiled. "It's fine. Xiao Chen will only attend the same middle school as Hanhan anyway, so just let Hanhan choose whichever one she likes."

After saying that, she looked at Shen Qinghan and smiled affectionately. "Hanhan, choose whichever middle school you want. Xiao Chen is letting you make the choice."

"Aunt Xin... I-I don't know."

Shen Qinghan did not know how to choose either. In the end, she handed the decision back to Lin Zichen. "Xiao Chen, you should choose."

Seeing that no one was comfortable making the choice, Lin Zichen had no choice but to do it himself.

He looked at the principal of Shanhai High School across from him and asked politely, "Principal Chen, I have one request. I have to be in the same class as Shen Qinghan. Is that alright?"

"Of course, of course!" The principal of Shanhai High School beamed and nodded repeatedly.

Forget putting them in the same class. Even if Lin Zichen wanted a separate class opened just for the two of them, staffed with the school's best teachers, the principal of Shanhai High School would agree without hesitation.

That was just how sought-after geniuses were.

After Lin Zichen made his decision—

The principals from the other schools tactfully left, no longer staying to disturb the two families' celebration.

The principal of Shanhai High School remained for a few more words before wisely taking his leave as well.

As the parents from both families raised their glasses in celebration—

Lin Zichen had a thought and opened his Achievement task to check its progress.

[Achievement: Dominate Nine-Year Compulsory Education]

[Reward: Obtain Biological Attribute—Survival of the Fittest]

[Titles: Kindergarten King of Kids (Lit), Elementary School Boss (Lit), Junior High School Bully (Unlit)]

He had finally made it through elementary school!

He was finally going to middle school!

As long as he lit up the final title of [Junior High School Bully], he would obtain the long-awaited Biological Attribute [Survival of the Fittest]!

Lin Zichen felt excited for the first time in a long while. He thought that as soon as he entered middle school, he would immediately display strength that utterly crushed the entire school. He would light up the [Junior High School Bully] title in his first year of middle school and obtain the Biological Attribute [Survival of the Fittest] as quickly as possible.

PS: Passing around the bowl—please vote with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets!