The past few days had been nothing short of a dream for Long Kun. He had scored a perfect mark in English, a subject he hadn't passed in a long time; he had also managed to teach the notorious fighter, Wang Junhai, a lesson; and to top it all off, he unexpectedly had the opportunity to have lunch with his class crush, the beautiful class president. As for why it wasn't dinner, well, that was because Long Kun had unfortunately mentioned that he had to work part-time after school to earn some money.
Of course, Long Kun had no idea that Chen Yong was already keeping an eye on him; otherwise, his current mood would not have been so carefree.
By the time he finished his part-time job and returned home, it was almost late. Long Kun worked as a waiter at a relatively decent restaurant in the city center, doing a part-time job for four hours every day, usually finishing around 10 p.m. He had missed work the previous day because of Luo An, and now he was eager to make up for the lost wages. He had been very poor lately, with the money he had worked so hard to earn already gone. That's why he decided to work extra hours today, hoping to make up for it. Fortunately, after 10 p.m., the restaurant became less crowded, so he had some time to rest.
When Long Kun returned home, Luo An finally came out after having kept a low profile all day. Long Kun was quite displeased that Luo An hadn't done anything when faced with the mad woman earlier. Clearly, Luo An bore a great responsibility in that incident. But, Luo An's response made him speechless: "I did want to come out, but didn't you force me back down at that time? How weak was I, a lonely wandering soul, I had no strength to fight you."
With Luo An's temper, had he truly intervened, things would likely have escalated further.
Long Kun said nothing, and Luo An continued, "Kid, today's events just prove how green you are. That little dream girl of yours is clearly much stronger than you."
"I'm not immature! I did what I was supposed to do!" Long Kun retorted, a bit frustrated.
"Don't explain. That only exposes your immaturity even more. First, when you saw that scene outside, you should not have gone in. You may think you need to take responsibility, and responsibility is important, but you need to understand that some people in this world are not open to reason. If you really wanted to take responsibility, you could have let the teacher help you and give them the money. No need to go in and suffer unnecessarily. Moreover, as you saw in the end, sometimes reason has little to do with it—position and power matter more. Secondly, it's your repressed nature. I'm not saying being reserved is wrong, but it's as if you're hiding something. How is it that after so many years, you haven't made a single friend? Don't think that burying yourself in work and making money is life. Life means so much more. Friends are there to make life truly meaningful. You should have realized today that when you fight alone, even if you win, it's not that satisfying. But with friends by your side, even in defeat, you gain something valuable. Lastly, and most importantly, tolerance is a strategy, but remember this: there are times when enough is enough. You should not tolerate anymore when it's impossible to do so. Often, your tolerance won't lead to the other party retreating. On the contrary, they'll only escalate their behavior."
When Luo An said the final point, his tone clearly became more intense, with an underlying emotion that Long Kun couldn't ignore.
Long Kun didn't speak, but he knew what Luo An said was true. The truth was indisputable. He recognized his own character flaws, or rather, everyone has their imperfections, but some people never realize where their shortcomings lie. He hadn't thought about his problems before, but today, Luo An's words had awakened him. Perhaps he had been too oppressed by life's realities and had lost the temper he once had. Yet, paradoxically, he still held on to the idealistic notion that people in this world are reasonable, forgetting that the life he had led was a result of the harsh reality where reason often fails.
As the saying goes, "A single phrase from you is worth more than ten years of study." Though Luo An's words hadn't reached that level, they had undoubtedly made an impact on Long Kun: "I know, it's just that there are too many hidden rules in this world."
"Fool, who told you to learn all those rules? Different fields have different rules, and even different people have their own set of rules. You could study for a lifetime and still not learn them all. And even if you know all the rules, can you really follow them all?"
Long Kun was speechless. "So, what should I do?"
"I'll tell you the most important rule, the ultimate trump card: become stronger—strong enough that others have to follow your rules."
Long Kun was even more speechless. "That sounds so simple."
Luo An inwardly rolled his eyes, wishing he could physically do so. In the end, he silently muttered, "You're lucky to have met me. I can't stand your weakness anymore, so I, Luo An, have decided to develop your potential from today. I'll make you strong!"
Long Kun, skeptical, asked, "Really? What should I do?"
"The first thing you need to do today is sleep. Without a good body and strong energy, everything else is just empty talk!" Luo An said with firmness, though his expression betrayed his frustration at Long Kun's doubt. However, actions speak louder than words, and it was pointless to say more.
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After a long nap, Long Kun arrived at class just as morning self-study was beginning. He hurried to his seat and opened his bag, only to realize he had forgotten to bring his books.
Frustrated, Long Kun lowered his head, but when he glanced up, he noticed his class president, Tang Ke Yu, who had been smiling at him just yesterday, was now standing at the podium, looking at him with a blank expression, clearly unimpressed with his embarrassing predicament. Feeling a bit ashamed, Long Kun decided to give up on trying to pretend to study. After all, he never really studied during morning self-study, and today, he only wanted to appear somewhat familiar with the class president, so pretending to study might help.
As for Luo An, he could only silently roll his eyes at Long Kun's behavior. But since he had promised to help him become stronger, he decided to start executing his plan today.
"Kid, are you just wasting time here?" Luo An's voice sounded in Long Kun's mind.
"Well, what else can I do? I didn't bring my books. Even if I had, I wouldn't understand them. I never planned on continuing my studies. I just want to get a diploma and find a job."
"What kind of job? In this era where university graduates flood the streets, do you really think a high school diploma will be enough?" Luo An's tone suddenly became serious.
Long Kun fell silent. He wasn't unaware of how difficult it was to find a job these days. With his background, it was even harder. Currently, he was just doing part-time work, but he couldn't keep doing that after graduation. Yet, he still had that defeatist mentality, unwilling to consider the negative possibilities.
Sensing Long Kun's silence, Luo An's tone softened slightly: "Kid, remember what I told you yesterday? I said I would help you get stronger. That wasn't a joke, I'm serious. But if you don't have the awareness to make yourself stronger, then everything I do will be in vain. If you just want to muddle through life, even the greatest skills would be wasted. The first step to getting stronger is to have the awareness that you want to be stronger. Secondly, you should understand that while school may feel like a place that stifles creativity, it is also where you acquire knowledge. Those who lack knowledge will eventually be eliminated. Therefore, learning, constant learning, is the only way to climb upwards. Don't think the college entrance exam is cruel. In reality, it's the easiest way for ordinary people to rise up."
Long Kun still didn't speak. He knew that Luo An was right, but things weren't as simple as they seemed. He owed too much, and with only a month left until the college entrance exam, he felt like he didn't even belong in the group of people who could succeed.
Noticing his negative emotions, Luo An became a little irritated. "I'm telling you all this not to make you feel discouraged but to help you understand where you're headed. I know you're worried about studying. But don't worry, I'll help you. I can transfer my memories to you selectively. All the subjects you're studying now, I've already learned before. Though it's been a while, and I've forgotten some of the scientific formulas, if you put in more effort over the next month, it'll be fine."
Long Kun looked up in disbelief, "Really?" He almost shouted out loud. But when he saw the class president looking at him with a frown, he quickly lowered his head.
Luo An, feeling a little exasperated, was unsure if Long Kun thought he was joking. Not saying anything, he decided to prove it with action.
A few moments later, Long Kun suddenly lifted his head again, but this time with a look of pure joy. He felt as though his mind had
been flooded with knowledge—knowledge he had never encountered before, rushing into his brain all at once. But strangely, the more knowledge flooded in, the more he wanted to learn, as though he was experiencing the famous phenomenon: the more you know, the more you feel there is to learn.
Tang Ke Yu, who had been getting increasingly irritated with Long Kun's bizarre behavior, was now truly frustrated. He had been late and forgotten his books, which were already significant problems in her eyes, but since they had become a little closer yesterday, she hadn't said anything. But now, Long Kun kept making strange faces, which made her extremely upset.
"Long Kun, please stop making those weird faces. If you're not going to study, at least don't disturb the other students," she said sternly.
Long Kun, oblivious to her reprimand, was too consumed by his newfound excitement to notice that he was the source of the disturbance. He stood up abruptly, still beaming with joy, and said, "Class president, can I borrow a math book?"
His request stunned the entire class. After being reprimanded for being late and forgetting his books, was he really asking to borrow a book now? Was this his way of showing the class president that he now realized the importance of studying? His strange behavior had long become a norm, but this request for a math book still left everyone shocked. But given how deeply his recent actions had left an impression, no one dared to provoke him.
Tang Ke Yu, equally confused by Long Kun's behavior, hesitated for a moment. Looking at his face, which was full of genuine thirst for knowledge, she realized her only option was to give him the books. She handed him six math books, the ones she had never lent to anyone before.