The class leader list turned out just as I had expected. Liu Kesheng was appointed as the class monitor, Zhao Yanyan was the Youth League Committee Secretary, and Xie Wei became the class academic representative. The physical education representative was a guy named Li Dahu, an athletic student whose academic performance was abysmal. In my past life, he often ranked at the bottom of the class during exams.
After the class leaders were announced, Ye Xiaoxiao instructed all the male leaders to go to the academic affairs office to collect the textbooks. I watched as Liu Kesheng and the others walked out of the classroom with proud looks on their faces and couldn't help but laugh to myself. They really thought they were some big shots, but in reality, they were just unpaid assistants doing the teacher's work.
I flipped through the textbooks in my hands, taking in the familiar scent of fresh ink. It was a nostalgic feeling that rushed over me. Only someone who's been a student would remember that smell. After I started working, I read so many books, but none of them ever had that distinct ink fragrance.
Zhao Yanyan looked at me curiously as I repeatedly opened and sniffed each book. She too opened a textbook and sniffed it, asking, "Liu Lei, what are you smelling?"
Still lost in my thoughts, I casually answered, "The scent of ink. After many years, when you grow up, you'll understand."
Zhao Yanyan stared at me as if I were an alien. "You're so weird. You seem way older than me."
I was startled by her comment and quickly laughed awkwardly, "No, no. I heard it from my older brother."
"Oh!" Zhao Yanyan nodded, looking slightly puzzled.
Once everyone had their books, Ye Xiaoxiao instructed, "Tonight, go home and wrap your books in a protective cover. It has to be either brown paper or calendar paper. The cover cannot have any pictures on it. I'll check tomorrow during class!"
I was speechless. Was it really necessary to make such a fuss over a textbook? We're in high school, yet it felt like elementary school all over again. But seeing no one else object, I figured I shouldn't say anything. After all, in school, the teachers held all the power. Who would dare challenge them? Even though I was a bit displeased, I still followed the instructions.
The morning passed quickly, and at noon, Guo Qing, the boy sitting in front of me, invited me to lunch. It seemed that even though I had been reborn, some things hadn't changed. Just like in my previous life, Guo Qing invited me to lunch, and that's how we became good friends. Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind. What if history doesn't change? What if Zhao Yanyan never becomes my girlfriend after all?
"What's wrong with you?" Guo Qing noticed I looked pale and asked in concern.
I shook my head. I'd deal with that later. At least for now, I had Guo Qing as a good friend. I had to admit, he was incredibly loyal. Back in our second year of high school, when a guy named Yu Wenrui from Class 4 bullied me, Guo Qing—who was usually timid—immediately grabbed a bench and confronted him. He ended up getting beaten badly and missed a week of school. But later, he told me if he had to do it over, he would still rush in to defend me without hesitation.
"Buddy, you're in luck! The class beauty is your desk mate!" Guo Qing teased as he saw I was feeling better.
"Of course! Didn't I already tell you she would become my desk mate?" I replied boastfully.
"Ha! You're lucky, I'll give you that. But listen, if you like her, you'd better act fast!" In my past life, Guo Qing was the only one who knew I had feelings for Zhao Yanyan. He'd often suggest strategies, but I never dared to act on them.
I couldn't help but chuckle at Guo Qing's words. He really was my future best friend, and in less than a day, he could already tell I liked Zhao Yanyan. But I wasn't surprised. When I made that blatant remark during the seating arrangement, it was as obvious as daylight.
Guo Qing, noticing my silence, pressed on, "Don't tell me you have no feelings for her? I overheard some of the guys talking about you and your desk mate this morning. Even the class monitor seems to like her. During the book distribution, he kept trying to get close to you!"
I stared at him in disbelief. He noticed that too? Guo Qing was no ordinary person. But I knew, like me, he was all talk when it came to matters of the heart. We both had a knack for talking the talk, but when it came to walking the walk, we were too shy. In our past life, we often discussed how to become the center of attention, but by the time high school ended, we were still nobodies.
During lunch, we talked about topics we both enjoyed. Although my personality had changed a lot in this life, deep down, Guo Qing was still my best buddy. By the end of the meal, we had become inseparable friends. Of course, "inseparable" just meant I could talk freely with him, but if I told him everything, it would probably freak out this naive kid.
When I returned to the classroom, I found Liu Kesheng sitting in my seat, talking animatedly with my designated future girlfriend, Zhao Yanyan. She seemed disinterested in what he was saying, flipping through the new textbooks they had just handed out, occasionally nodding at Liu Kesheng.
That guy moved quickly, didn't he? He'd already sat in my spot while I was away. I walked over to my seat and knocked on the desk twice, saying coldly, "Please move."
Liu Kesheng, still in the middle of his conversation, glanced up impatiently. "I'm discussing class matters with the Youth League Secretary. Wait a minute!"
I remained expressionless. "This is lunchtime, and you don't have the right to interfere with me. If you need to discuss something, please move to another place."
Liu Kesheng didn't expect me to talk back like that. He was visibly displeased, standing up. You see, he was the class monitor even in middle school, and his words carried weight. Who dared not listen? He'd probably go to the homeroom teacher and report me.
He scoffed and walked off, shooting me a resentful look as he left.
When Liu Kesheng was gone, Zhao Yanyan whispered to me, "Why did you speak to him like that? Aren't you worried he'll report you to Teacher Ye?"
I snorted dismissively. "Let him report it, I don't care."
Zhao Yanyan, thinking I was angry, hurriedly explained, "Liu Lei, you misunderstood. I wasn't trying to lecture you. I was just worried—"
Before she could finish, I smiled broadly and said, "Oh, I certainly misunderstood. I thought that guy was bothering my beautiful desk mate, so I sent him packing."
"You!" Zhao Yanyan, surprised by how quickly my mood changed and how bluntly I spoke, turned red. She looked away, muttering, "Forget it!"
I shrugged, humming a popular song I had heard in my previous life. I glanced at Zhao Yanyan, who was pretending to read a book. From her expression, I could tell she was secretly listening to me.
At this age, she was still too innocent. She couldn't outwit me, a seasoned veteran at reading people. Sure enough, after a few moments, Zhao Yanyan couldn't resist and turned to ask, "Liu Lei, what song is that? I've never heard it before."
"'A Lifetime with You.' Haven't you heard it?" I answered casually. But I immediately realized—of course she hadn't heard it. That song only became popular after 2003, long after our time.
"'A Lifetime with You?'" Zhao Yanyan blushed. She wasn't sure if I was joking or if the song really existed. "Isn't that a bit too straightforward?"
Seeing that she couldn't refute me, I went on, "No worries, if you give me the money for the cassette, I'll sing it for you anytime."
Zhao Yanyan shot me a skeptical look, but didn't respond. She lowered her head again, pretending to focus on her studies, clearly ignoring me.
After this random exchange, my relationship with Zhao Yanyan had definitely improved. I was more than satisfied with how much progress I'd made in a single day. I'd said more to her today than I did in the entire three years of high school in my past life.
Of course, I wasn't expecting to establish any deep relationship with her just yet. Though I felt incredibly confident now, chasing after a young girl was hardly a difficult task. But I knew from experience that being too hasty could backfire. I understood that well enough.
After school, I didn't go straight home. Instead, I stopped by a nearby barber shop to get a haircut. My hair had been a mess, looking like a bird's nest. Although it had a bit of that "Takuya Kimura" vibe, I figured Zhao Yanyan wouldn't like that moody "bad boy" look. So, I opted for a neat, short style, which made me look much fresher.
Walking down the familiar streets of my past life, I couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between the ancient buildings around me and the towering skyscrapers I had once known. Songjiang City, over the next two decades, would undergo a dramatic transformation.
Now that I had been reborn, I had an inside track on the economic, cultural, and technological developments of the past 20 years. Could I do something to help my country in advance? In my past life, I was an executive at a multinational corporation, but that didn't mean I wasn't patriotic. On the contrary, I hoped China could have its own large multinational companies one day.
However, that wasn't my primary concern at the moment. Starting a business was easy for me, a seasoned veteran in the business world, but the real challenge was the lack of startup capital. My parents couldn't afford to help me, and they certainly wouldn't be able to provide the funds. I had already caused financial strain on the family by choosing an expensive school, so how could I ask for more?
For now, what I needed was a way to start a business without much capital—something that would allow me to quickly accumulate my initial funds.
"Mom, I want to sign up for a Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) class," I said during dinner. This was the result of careful consideration. In my past life, I had mastered various skills—vocal music, foreign languages, soccer, basketball, and Sanda. But the others were all skill-based, while Sanda was physical; without strength, no matter how skilled you were, it was useless. Although I could exercise at home, it wasn't the same as having professional equipment.
"Why do you need to learn that? We sent you to Fourth High School because we want you to focus on your studies. Why are you thinking about wasting time on these side pursuits?" My dad interrupted before my mom could say anything.
"Dad, just let me finish explaining—"
"What's there to explain? I said no, and that's final!" He immediately cut me off.
"Stop it, let him speak!" My mom glared at my dad, and he immediately quieted down. At home, my mom was the unquestioned authority.
"Mom, Dad. The high school I'm attending is far from home. It's not so bad in the summer, but when winter comes, it gets dark early, and I hear the area around the bus stop is pretty chaotic. There have been reports of robberies at night. I'm just thinking about my safety. Even if it turns out to be useless, it'll be good for my fitness." I was over 30 now, and I could come up with such a reasonable excuse without hesitation.
As soon as my mom heard it was for my safety, she immediately agreed. "I think Lei Lei's right. This is a good idea, and I approve. Let's do it!"
My dad, hearing my mom's decision, didn't protest further, and that was the end of it.
After dinner, my parents gave me the usual lecture about how much money had been spent on my education and reminded me to make sure I studied hard to justify the investment. In my past life, I would have been impatient and just nodded along, but now that I had been reborn, I felt a nostalgic warmth. I casually chatted with them about my aspirations and promised to study hard. They were so pleased, they kept praising me for growing up since entering high school, and said the school fees were money well spent.
I couldn't help but laugh inside. In my past life, I was so clueless—how could I have been so easily fooled? And yet, back then, I always managed to make them angry.
Later that night, as I lay in bed, thinking about my future plans, I reflected on how today had gone—it was my first day back in this life, and things had gone pretty smoothly. The only thing that bothered me was that I had no idea how to make my first fortune.
What could I create without any capital to generate value? Working for someone else? Impossible. Not only was I just a high school student, but even if I managed to get hired, the meager salary wouldn't be enough to start a business anytime soon. Suddenly, it hit me. How could I have forgotten the industry I was involved in in my previous life? Software development. This was an industry where you could generate profit with minimal upfront costs. With the knowledge I already had, writing a few programs would be easy.
But in 1994, when computers weren't as widespread, how would I get access to one? My first thought was an internet café, but I quickly dismissed it. Internet cafés wouldn't become common until after 1996, and there probably weren't even any gaming centers around at this time.
Eventually, I narrowed it down to two options. First, my dad worked at an electronics factory, and as an engineer, he'd probably have access to computers at work. But the company's computers would likely contain important data, and I wasn't sure if my dad could bring me in to use them. Second, there was a university near Fourth High School, Songjiang University, which almost certainly had computer labs. If they were open to the public, that would solve everything.
The next day, Yao Xiaoxiao asked us to take out our textbooks for inspection. When she saw that none of my books were covered in protective sleeves, her face immediately darkened. "Liu Lei, stand up!"
Everyone in the class looked at me sympathetically, and I even saw Liu Kesheng smirking, his face full of malicious glee.
Unfazed, I stood up slowly. Xiaoxiao was younger than me in age, so why should I be afraid of her? It was laughable. Still, I had to admit, her angry expression was kind of cute. Compared to Zhao Yanyan, a more mature woman like Xiaoxiao held a greater allure for me—after all, I was over thirty now.
Xiaoxiao had no idea what I was thinking. If she did, she'd probably explode from anger.
"Why aren't your books covered?" she demanded.
I shamelessly kept my gaze fixed on her beautiful face and replied, "Why do they have to be covered?"
Xiaoxiao didn't expect me to respond like this, and her question bounced back at her. In my past life, I had been a skilled negotiator, so I knew how to push and pull during discussions. The moment one side shows their hand, they lose the advantage. Xiaoxiao didn't know these subtleties—she had unknowingly set a trap for herself.
The entire class stared in disbelief at the student who dared to talk back to the teacher, clearly thinking I was digging my own grave.
Frustrated, Xiaoxiao snapped, "There's no reason! I said cover them, and that's final! If you don't cover them by tomorrow, you're out of the class!"
After she left, Guo Qing turned around and gave me a thumbs-up. "Awesome, boss! I'm sticking with you from now on!"
Zhao Yanyan whispered to me, "Why didn't you cover your books? Don't try to dodge the question with 'Why do they have to be covered?'"
The little girl was smart—her words cornered me. I lazily replied, "Actually… I was just too lazy to cover them."
My bluntness left her stunned. Maybe she thought I was too straightforward.
I didn't pay her much attention after that and opened my textbook, starting to read. Every now and then, Zhao Yanyan would steal a glance at me, as if wanting to say something but hesitating.
Finally, she seemed to make up her mind, turning around with a flushed face and whispering, "Liu Lei, how about I help you cover your books?"
I looked at her, confused. This wasn't like her.
Zhao Yanyan squirmed under my gaze, her voice barely audible. "I just thought… if you don't cover your books, Teacher Ye will definitely be angry. And, and… Teacher Ye told me that class leaders should help others…"
I was taken aback. What a terrible excuse! Was she starting to like me? I couldn't help but feel a bit smug. Of course, I wasn't going to turn this down. I grinned widely and said, "Okay, that would be great. Thanks!"