The building where my home is located doesn't have a name, only an address: No. 277 Tianhe Road.
In the future, this place will be known as Tianhe Jade City.
In his previous life, the value of old houses like theirs rose very slowly, whereas the prices of apartments with elevators skyrocketed. Worried that she wouldn't be able to afford an elevator apartment in the future, Zhou Rui's mother sold their old house after his graduation. Using her savings, she bought a 65-square-meter apartment with an elevator four streets away.
Almost in the same year, the county government issued a notice announcing the demolition of the stretch of Tianhe Road, covering houses from No. 272 to No. 278.
The word "demolition" has had different meanings over the years.
In the past, it carried a negative connotation. But when Zhou Rui grew older, demolition became a life-changing opportunity, altering the fates of many people.
By 2004, as real estate development slowed down, demolitions became less frequent, and the compensations offered more restrained.
But now it's 2009, the peak of redevelopment projects. This is when compensation is at its highest because public scrutiny and pressure force developers and authorities to pave the way with money.
Zhou Rui vaguely remembered hearing later that the demolition of No. 277 Tianhe Road not only offered each household a new apartment twice the size of their current one, but also cash compensations for house value, transition fees, business losses, early relocation bonuses, and allowances for house renovations and appliances. Altogether, the total payout reached nearly 1.7 million yuan per family.
This wasn't Shanghai or Beijing—it was a small 18th-tier county.
They traded a small, old house for a large, brand-new one and received over a million yuan in cash. In 2009, this was an incredible fortune for Qinghe County.
Unfortunately, Zhou Rui and his mother completely missed this opportunity. For years afterward, his mother regretted the decision and became paralyzed with fear whenever faced with major choices. She never dared to take risks again.
Now that Zhou Rui had been reborn, he couldn't allow his mother to let this fortune slip away again.
He thought for a moment, coughed lightly, and said mysteriously, "Mom, one of my classmates said their family works at the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau. I overheard today that there's some movement in our area."
His mother, still clearing the dishes, barely paused. She didn't take his words seriously. What could a high school student possibly know?
Seeing her dismissive expression, Zhou Rui leaned in and said directly, "I think they're planning to demolish Tianhe Road."
That got her attention.
"Demolition? Really?" she asked, finally putting the dishes down. "How could a kid like you know about something that big?"
Usually, news about demolition was kept under wraps until the last minute to avoid speculation and price gouging.
Zhou Rui defended himself, "Mom, I'm in high school! I'm not a kid anymore. Besides, her parents both work in the Housing Bureau. When adults talk, how can kids not overhear? I think it's reliable."
She hesitated for a moment. "Are you sure? Which classmate?"
"Zhang Quandan from Class 8," Zhou Rui replied without missing a beat.
Although the name sounded unfamiliar, his mother began to seriously consider the possibility.
The more she thought about it, the more it made sense.
The area was old and ripe for redevelopment. The building itself had been part of a former factory, with just four floors and dozens of households. Developers would love to acquire this plot for its size and prime location in Qinghe County's city center, where it could fetch a high resale value.
For both the government and developers, this was an irresistible deal.
Feeling her heart race with excitement, Zhou Rui's mother started pacing.
Zhou Rui saw her hesitation and added, "Mom, I think you should talk to Uncle about this. He knows people and might be able to find out more. At the very least, don't rush to sell the house, okay?"
"That's right, that's right," she muttered, still pacing. "I'll call your uncle. Xiaorui, you do your homework first!"
Seeing that the seed had been planted, Zhou Rui smiled. His mother wouldn't miss the demolition this time.
Without further delay, Zhou Rui entered his room.
This was only the beginning.
Reborn people never step on landmines. With a system to back him up, he was determined to secure a better future for himself and those around him.
Shutting the door, Zhou Rui returned to his small, familiar room.
The walls were covered in posters.
The windows were old and cracked.
The only expensive item in the room was a desk lamp—an eye-protection model his mother had bought for several hundred yuan to protect his eyesight. But even that wasn't particularly useful.
Shaking off his sentimental thoughts, Zhou Rui pulled out the stack of papers from his schoolbag and sighed.
Is this even humanly possible?
Was I really this good in my previous life?
Still, he had no choice. He had to tackle them. Without progress, the system wouldn't reward him.
Starting with the math paper to clear his mind, Zhou Rui soon felt his brain screaming at him to stop.
"Wake up! Can I even solve this?"
The system chimed in:
Task Entry: Concentration, Experience +1. Current Progress (18/100).
Zhou Rui patted his face to stay awake. Thankfully, the system didn't care about accuracy or completion. As long as he worked hard, it rewarded him.
After an intense night, Zhou Rui barely finished one and a half papers by 1 a.m. Knowing that staying up late would harm him, he decided to copy someone else's work tomorrow. He couldn't afford to repeat the same mistakes from his past life.
Before falling asleep, he checked the system again:
Task Entry: Concentration, Experience +1. Current Progress (23/100).
Task Entry: Self-Discipline, Experience +1. Current Progress (14/100).
Task Entry: Inspiration, Experience +1. Current Progress (8/100).
Encouraged by the progress, Zhou Rui drifted into a deep sleep.
In his dream, he imagined a life of foresight. He became the godfather of the entertainment industry, the king of investments, and amassed a fortune too large to spend.
But as the dream twisted into a nightmare, he faced illness, betrayal, and his mother's disappointment.
Jerking awake, drenched in sweat, Zhou Rui muttered, "What a ridiculous dream. The first half was fun, though."
To his surprise, the system rewarded him again:
Task Entry: Inspiration, Experience +2. Current Progress (10/100).
Even dreaming could earn experience?