The older you got, the faster time flew.
In the blink of an eye,
half a year had passed.
Even now, Lin Zichen still felt as if he'd only enrolled at Shanhai High School yesterday. Yet before he knew it, he was already in the second semester of his first year of junior high.
To him, junior high wasn't much different from elementary school or kindergarten.
He still sat beside Shen Qinghan.
He still openly read his own books during class.
And after school, he still secretly trained hard behind his parents' backs.
The only difference was that now he had a phone. Whenever he got bored at night, he'd search online for instructional videos and learn all kinds of new skills to arm himself.
Cooking, photography, driving, swimming, wilderness survival, and all sorts of sports—as long as he could find it online and it seemed even a little useful, he'd learn it.
After all, with [Heavenly Human Wisdom Root] boosting him, he learned everything quickly. He had to make good use of it and not waste a single moment.
During this time, to earn the title [Junior High School Bully] in his first year, Lin Zichen went out of his way to distinguish himself at school.
Throughout the previous semester, he came first in the entire school on every exam, without exception.
He also found time to enter various national junior high school competitions.
These included math, physics, chemistry, computer programming, and many others.
Every competition he entered, he won an award.
Whether it was a gold, silver, or bronze medal; first, second, or third prize; or a ranking as precise as first, second, or third place, he'd won them all.
In truth, if he'd wanted to, he could have taken every gold medal, first prize, and first place.
But then he wouldn't be the city's little genius. He'd be a super genius who made headlines across the country.
At that point, all kinds of attention would come pouring in. His peaceful life would inevitably be shattered, and he'd never again be able to quietly lie low and evolve.
That wasn't the life he wanted.
The only reason he was so keen to show off now was to earn the title [Junior High School Bully] as soon as possible.
So all he had to do was maintain his standing as the best in the school.
There was no need to push himself any further.
One day,
Lin Zichen left home and arrived at school. As soon as he entered the classroom, his homeroom teacher came over and told him the school wanted him to give a study-sharing talk that afternoon.
He'd been so astonishing over the previous semester that every teacher and student at school was curious about how he studied.
The school leaders had wanted him to give this talk for a long time.
"All right, got it."
Lin Zichen nodded, then lowered his head and continued reading.
Seeing this, the homeroom teacher didn't disturb him any further.
His deskmate, Shen Qinghan, grinned and poked him. "Xiao Chen, you're going to steal the show again this afternoon. Are you excited?"
"It's all right." Lin Zichen smiled.
At first, he'd enjoyed being in the spotlight. It made him feel like the chosen one.
But after it happened enough times, the excitement gradually wore off.
"Xiao Chen, you might think it's all right, but your little fangirls won't. By this afternoon, they'll have packed the school auditorium. There won't even be a seat for me."
Just thinking about it made Shen Qinghan groan inwardly.
Lin Zichen was handsome and had phenomenal grades. After only half a year at Shanhai High School, he'd already won over countless fangirls.
Girls who admired him could be found in every grade, from first-year to third-year junior high.
In just half a year, he'd received over a hundred love letters.
"Don't worry. I'll ask the principal to save you a seat in the front row."
Lin Zichen kept reading as he replied to Shen Qinghan in a casual tone.
Shen Qinghan's heart immediately fluttered with delight.
They didn't chat for long before each got back to work.
Lin Zichen quietly read his book.
Shen Qinghan diligently worked through her practice papers, doing her best to improve her grades.
The Elite Class's coursework was far beyond her level.
There were more subjects, and the problems were harder. Keeping up was a struggle.
To stay on pace with the class, she had to spend more time studying. Even during breaks, she stayed at her desk to work through problems.
"Xiao Chen, I can't solve this one. I don't even understand the answer. Can you teach me?"
Shen Qinghan picked up a physics test and set it in front of Lin Zichen, pointing to the last multiple-choice question, which tested force analysis.
Lin Zichen glanced over the question, then quickly picked up a pen and some paper. He shifted closer to Shen Qinghan and taught her how to solve it, their shoulders pressed together.
Seeing the two of them sitting so close, nearly every girl in the class looked envious. They were all jealous that Shen Qinghan had such a good relationship with Lin Zichen.
Time flew by.
Before long, it was time for the study-sharing talk that afternoon.
When Lin Zichen arrived at the auditorium, he found it packed with his fangirls, just as Shen Qinghan had predicted.
But his attention wasn't on them. It was on the ten students seated in the very front row.
He recognized all ten. He often saw their faces on the Honor Roll, and they were the most accomplished students in the third year of junior high.
He was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected even third-year top students to come listen to his talk.
Third-year top students coming to hear a first-year student share his study methods—most people wouldn't believe it if they heard.
Looks like I've already conquered academics at this school. As long as I dominate sports too, I should be able to earn the title [Junior High School Bully].
The thought stirred his excitement. He could hardly wait to show what he could do at next month's school sports meet.
Soon, the study-sharing talk began.
The ten top students in the front row listened intently, afraid they'd miss even the smallest detail.
Shen Qinghan, also seated in the front row, concentrated as she took notes.
Quite a few girls sitting farther back were envious that Shen Qinghan, whose grades were only average, had managed to get a front-row seat. They envied her for being Lin Zichen's childhood friend and receiving special treatment from him.
A month later,
Shanhai High School held its seventieth annual sports meet.
The timing was strange.
It was scheduled for April in the second semester, rather than December in the first.
And it wasn't a grand event; it lasted only one day.
It was clear that Shanhai High School didn't take the sports meet seriously.
Even so, Lin Zichen was still extremely excited.
If he dominated the entire meet today, there was a good chance he'd earn the title [Junior High School Bully], complete the [Dominate Nine-Year Compulsory Education] achievement, and obtain the biological attribute [Survival of the Fittest].
"Students registered for events, please report to your event stations to check in. Anyone who misses the deadline will be considered withdrawn!"
The chief referee, a PE teacher, stood in the middle of the field with a megaphone and shouted.
As soon as Lin Zichen heard him, he went to check in.
He'd registered for individual events only: the 100-meter dash for speed, the running high jump for leaping ability, and the shot put for strength.
"Junior Zichen, you have to win gold!"
"Junior Zichen, I'll be waiting at the finish line when you run the 100 meters!"
"Junior Zichen, go for it!"
"..."
As Lin Zichen waited in line to check in, several third-year girls nearby called out to him with bright smiles.
Hearing them, he gave the girls a polite smile in response.
The moment they saw him smile at them, the girls covered their mouths and let out a chorus of lovestruck squeals.
A boy in line behind Lin Zichen saw this and grew green with envy.
He was a third-year student and a member of the school's Martial Arts Team. He had outstanding athletic talent and often represented the school in competitions.
He'd never taken the school sports meet seriously. To him, it was just a game of make-believe.
But when he heard Lin Zichen was competing, he'd deliberately signed up to take him down.
The girl he had a crush on had become one of Lin Zichen's fangirls, and he couldn't accept it.
Hmph. I may not be as handsome as you, and my grades may not be as good as yours, but surely I'm not inferior to you in athletic talent. Just wait and see how I ride on your head and snatch first place!
Watching Lin Zichen ahead of him in line, the boy brooded over this and that, itching to crush him on the field.
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