On Monday, April 1, 2013.
In the classroom of Grade 12 (10) at Linhai High School.
Jiang Fan slowly woke up.
His eyes scanned the surroundings in a daze and soon he saw his deskmate, Xu Zhiwei, staring at him wide-eyed.
"You finally woke up. I thought you had fallen into a deep sleep."
Xu Zhiwei, who had a crew cut and wore glasses, spoke with a tone of resignation:
"Although this class is an elective on beast taming, you can't sleep through it. The old man Liu is teaching. Aren't you afraid he'll twist your ear off?"
Listening to Xu Zhiwei's nagging, Jiang Fan, who was initially confused, finally came to his senses.
He didn't pay much attention to what Xu Zhiwei meant by "beast taming elective." He thought it was probably similar to postnatal care for pigs.
Jiang Fan's gaze wandered around the familiar old classroom, his talkative deskmate, and the familiar teacher, old man Liu...
Had he really been reborn?
After calming his excitement and confirming multiple times, Jiang Fan was finally sure.
He had indeed been reborn, back to ten years ago!
Could this mean he could punch Ma Huateng and kick Jack Ma?
No, no. By this time, the two Ma's had already become powerful figures; dealing with them wouldn't be that easy.
But it didn't matter. Besides dealing with them, he could do other things like investing in Bitcoin, Pinduoduo, or TikTok.
At worst, he could gamble on the World Cup.
Jiang Fan calculated in his mind. If he didn't achieve something significant after being reborn, how could he live up to the title of a reborn person?
Jiang Fan chuckled to himself.
He didn't listen to the class at all and was completely immersed in his own world throughout the lesson.
As soon as the class ended, the chubby Zhang Biao, who sat in front of Jiang Fan, turned around with a puzzled look:
"Jiang Fan, what's making you so happy? I've heard you chuckling throughout the class."
Zhang Biao, who sat in front of Jiang Fan, had intermittently heard Jiang Fan's chuckles during the lesson and suspected Jiang Fan was up to something behind him.
"Nothing, just remembered something funny," Jiang Fan replied with a straight face.
"Fine, don't tell me then," Zhang Biao snorted and then turned to Xu Zhiwei: "Zhiwei, didn't you say that Ma Huateng of Tencent was going to lead his beast, the Emperor Penguin Beast, to challenge the eighth-level deep space realm? Did he succeed?"
Zhang Biao's gossip piqued Jiang Fan's interest, though he suspected Zhang Biao was joking because it was April Fool's Day.
But then he saw Xu Zhiwei take out the latest sixth-generation iPhone.
In 2013, some people even sold their kidneys to buy an iPhone.
Xu Zhiwei's ability to get one showed his family's wealth.
Xu Zhiwei opened the news app skillfully, and news articles appeared on the screen.
Sitting beside him, Jiang Fan could see the content:
"Ma Huateng of Tencent will lead his Emperor Penguin Beast to challenge the eighth-level deep space realm on May 1. According to insiders, Master Ma has an 80% chance of success!"
"Jack Ma of Alibaba discovered an untapped gold mine with his seventh-level Devouring Gold Ant Beast, valued at over one billion yuan."
"Celebrity Cai Kunkun taught his beast to sing, dance, rap, and play basketball, trending on social media."
Jiang Fan: "…"
Now, Jiang Fan felt like he had been reborn, but not completely. Was this really the world of ten years ago? The answer was no.
Without showing his emotions, Jiang Fan listened to Zhang Biao and Xu Zhiwei's discussion. Gradually, he understood this world's situation.
This world was one of beast taming.
Beast Tamers were the most prestigious profession on Earth, enjoying various privileges.
In business, politics, or even minor matters like applying for land, Beast Tamers had advantages over ordinary people.
Due to these privileges, everyone aspired to become a Beast Tamer.
However, becoming one required certain conditions:
1. Being at least eighteen years old.
2. Obtaining a beast egg.
3. Hatching the beast and forming a contract with it.
The age requirement was simple, but obtaining a beast egg would filter out many people. The lowest-grade beast egg cost at least 100,000 yuan.
Moreover, hatching the egg required various expensive materials, adding to the cost.
Even if one succeeded in hatching a beast, it wasn't enough. Beasts had large appetites and required a lot of money and time to grow and evolve.
Ordinary people might hatch a beast, but it would likely remain in its initial stage forever.
Understanding this, Jiang Fan's initial joy disappeared. He realized that to change his fate, he had to become a Beast Tamer.
His closest opportunity was the National Beast Taming Exam, independent of the cultural exam and not mandatory for all students.
To participate, one needed:
1. A 10,000 yuan registration fee.
2. A beast egg.
Ten thousand yuan was a lot for Jiang Fan, but he didn't give up. He wanted to find a cheaper way to get a beast egg.
He listened carefully to Xu Zhiwei and Zhang Biao's conversation, hoping for useful information.
"Zhiwei, are you taking the Beast Taming Exam?"
"Of course. My family has already prepared a mid-level beast egg for me," Xu Zhiwei replied nonchalantly.
Zhang Biao looked envious: "A mid-level beast egg costs 500,000 yuan. Being rich is great!"
Jiang Fan listened silently. Low-level beast eggs cost 100,000 yuan, while mid-level ones cost 500,000 yuan. The higher the level, the better the beast's potential.
"Well, we didn't spend that much. My dad bought it from the black market in Linhai City for 400,000 yuan. If you want to prepare for the exam, I can take you there tonight. They have good stuff at lower prices," Xu Zhiwei said with a hint of pride.
"Really? Then it's a deal!" Zhang Biao said excitedly.
Jiang Fan was tempted: "I'll go too."
Xu Zhiwei and Zhang Biao looked at Jiang Fan with a strange expression, knowing his financial situation. They didn't say anything, as pursuing dreams was everyone's right, and they didn't want to discourage him and risk resentment.
Xu Zhiwei nodded: "Alright, let's go together."
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