The morning sunlight warmed my face as I mumbled something to myself for a long time before squinting my eyes half-awake. "Another new day, hmm, strange, I didn't hear the alarm ring."
Still groggy, I continued to mutter while reaching out with my hand. After fumbling around for a while, my eyes suddenly widened. "Where's my phone? Who stole my phone?"
Lying there a moment before, like a zombie, I sat up abruptly.
But once I sat up, I realized I was stunned; this wasn't my bed. Yes, my own home had a wooden bed, like most people's, yet what was I lying on now? It was some kind of metal frame, a bunk bed even. How many years had it been since I last slept in a bunk bed?
I remembered maybe sleeping in such beds back in school.
"Am I dreaming? This dream feels too real." I touched my face in disbelief, yep, I could feel it.
Still in a daze, I felt my arm; it had sensation, I could even feel the difference between hot and cold. Suddenly, I pinched myself hard, "Damn it, why am I pinching myself, I'm turning blue, no, this isn't a dream."
I seemed to react half a beat late, finally realizing something was off.
Jumping off the bed with a "thud," it seemed I had a good handle on the height. In my haste, I didn't notice that my body seemed a lot more agile than I thought.
Looking around, "Isn't this my dorm room? These scratches above, the marks on the coffee table scorched by the alcohol stove, this is my old dorm. Could someone be playing a prank, or, could I have been reborn?"
While thinking, I hurriedly ran into the dorm's restroom, where there was a mirror.
"Hahaha, I really am reborn, here I come, beautiful life. All that I've lost over the years, I want it all back; I'll become a wealthy tycoon, I'll stand at the top of the world."
Looking at the mirror, seeing my face looking a dozen years younger, wasn't that exactly how I looked during my school days?
"Hahaha, wasn't I quite handsome when I was young?" I stroked my chin. "No, I need to stay calm, stay calm. First, understand the current situation, then make a plan. I can't let anyone find out I've been reborn; that would be trouble." I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.
Pacing back and forth in the dorm, I suddenly slapped my head, "Why am I so stupid? If I forget things that have been too long, it would be bad. No, I have to write them down, write them down. Right, use a cipher, so no one else can understand it."
After rummaging for a while, I finally came to my senses, "Really, why can't I calm down, our dorm never has stationery; isn't stuff like that supposed to be in the classroom?"
My dorm was the same, not just in terms of having no academic overachievers, but no one intent on studying properly. In a dorm where everyone was just scraping by for a diploma, how could one expect to find stationery always at hand?
For a beautiful future, I must write down everything that's still clear in my mind as soon as possible. With this in mind, I didn't care anymore, grabbed my wallet, and prepared to go to the convenience store to buy paper and pens.
Scrambling frantically for his wallet, Du You dashed outside in a hurry. But as soon as he reached the dormitory gate, he froze. "What day is it today? Has the school ever had an event like this?"
Du You stood at the entrance to the dorm, feeling as if crows were flying over his head—this scene was just too bizarre. Outside the dormitory was the familiar layout he knew well, but the people—why were they so odd?
If it weren't for sensing the vitality in his body, confirming he wasn't the victim of a prank, he would really think someone had spent a fortune to fool him. What on earth was that passing by just now, a white-bearded old man? Does anyone still grow their beard that long these days? It must be nearly 0.8 miles.
What was that guy by the road doing? He had a sniper rifle in his hands, rapidly dismantled into parts. What kind of gun was that? It looked way too realistic. There was a small stall laid out with all kinds of firearms, and people were asking for prices.
I mean, is it really okay to sell realistic guns in school? Isn't that stuff illegal? And those bullets...
In front of the gate, a group of young girls walked by. The girls were fine, but what was up with their outfits? Magic girl? Is this cosplay? I don't remember any event like this from my memory.
And there's someone looking like an old farmer, carrying a large basket. What's all that in there, Traditional Chinese medicine? Does the school have a category for traditional Chinese medicine now? Why is a crowd of people flocking to ask for prices?
What is that thing flying in the sky? It definitely isn't a hot air balloon. It's an airship, right? And it seems to be equipped with weapons. Could those weapons also be fake?
"What in the world is happening to me? Am I hallucinating? Why has the school changed like this?"
Du You was completely bewildered; it seemed the whole world had changed. Perhaps he hadn't been reborn but had somehow traveled to another world.
"No, no, this has got to be fake. The school must be organizing some event. It can't possibly be like this."
Du You shook his head vigorously, trying to make sense of the situation. No good; he'd better go buy that notebook first. With that thought, Du You forcefully ignored everything around him and headed for the convenience store he remembered.
"Good, nothing much has changed here, I knew..." Seeing the familiar convenience store, Du You breathed a sigh of relief, but just as he walked in, he drew that breath right back in. Is this really a convenience store?
"Welcome! What are you looking to buy, young man? I have the most comprehensive Law Formalization Ceremony Guide here. You're in your final year, right? You can't get by without this guide. I've also got the best bulletproof vests and a series of various tools. They're all very ordinary, won't be rejected by the Derived World, and you can bring them in—perfect for students like you about to graduate..."
Persuaded by the enthusiastic recommendation of the store lady, Du You bought some strange things in a daze, and although they seemed absurdly cheap, did he really need these?
Standing outside the convenience store, Du You clutched the items in his hands, feeling on the verge of tears. Who am I, where am I, what am I doing...
Du You, disoriented and confused, didn't regain his senses until he was back in his dorm. "Hold on, what in the world is going on? Why is everything different from what I expected?" Du You finally recovered his ability to think.
New book uploaded, please recommend and bookmark, first of all, thank you for your support. As it's a new book, updates will be slow, if you're in a book drought, feel free to check out my previous work, "Plant Uprising."