"Beep, beep! Beep, beep!"
Lin Li's phone blared the familiar but dreaded alarm—the kind that made his heart skip a beat every time he heard it. Despite using an Android, he'd chosen an iPhone pacemaker sound as his alarm, and it felt like a mini heart attack every morning.
[Morning is the foundation of the day! The rising sun shatters the darkness! Those who attain the supreme path must begin their day with unwavering resolve. Begin the journey to greatness with the dawn!]
[Mission Triggered!]
[Mission 1: Rise before 5 a.m. and engage in serious physical training for at least half an hour before 7 a.m.]
[Reward: Training Technique—Eight-Step Body Strengthening Technique.]
This mission hadn't been triggered upon waking up but instead showed up afterward. Just yesterday, he'd been complaining about not receiving a technique, and here it was—though probably because he'd activated the system later in the day.
So, he had to get up before 5 a.m. and train before 7 for at least an hour in total. Seemed simple enough, though it'd have to wait until tomorrow.
With a resigned sigh, he got ready, grabbed his bike, and set off for school.
As he neared the school, he had to admit—his teachers weren't exaggerating when they said they could hear his class's noise from the stairwell. And Bai Bufan's voice? Impossible to miss. Right now, it sounded like he was in full storytelling mode:
"According to historical records, Zhao Zilong made seven charges at Changban, scattering the enemy to the wind. But Changban wasn't just any battlefield; she was also the top courtesan at the Red Fragrance Pavilion!
In a flash, facing Zhao Zilong's spear, Changban used her ultimate move, 'Ancient Tree Rooted Deep.' With a single thrust, Zilong was thrown off balance and could no longer advance on Changban…"
"Your 'historical' records are barely historical."
"Barely historical? They're practically a wild fever dream!"
"Too wild? Alright, here's another one. According to legend, Lü Bu wasn't a 'slave to three families' as people claim. It's actually a huge misunderstanding—he had three, uh, let's call them, family preferences…"
"Now that's just…"
"Kids, breakfast is served!" Lin Li's voice rang out from the back door, and it was like he'd triggered a zoo feeding frenzy. Instantly, a crowd of classmates rushed over, howling and cheering, to grab their breakfast from him.
Lin Li never charged extra for these runs; they were classmates, after all, and they usually treated him with snacks in return. He did make it clear, though, that if he overslept, he wouldn't risk being late to buy everyone breakfast. No one really complained—those who would, Lin Li didn't bother with anyway.
After distributing the food, Lin Li sat down next to Bai Bufan, watching his friend dig in. With the second mission still on his mind, Lin Li decided to get some advice.
"Hey, Bufan."
"Mmph?" Bai Bufan mumbled mid-bite.
"Have you ever… hired a prostitute?"
Bai Bufan's mouthful of rice rolls nearly launched out his nose. After swallowing and taking a swig of water, he gave Lin Li a wide-eyed look. "What?"
"Have you ever hired a prostitute? Or do you know how it works?" Lin Li repeated, thinking Bai Bufan hadn't heard him clearly.
"I... I'm intrigued. Do go on," Bai Bufan replied, leaning forward with a mixture of suspicion and genuine interest, more attentive than he'd ever been in class.
Most people don't ask questions like this without a reason, so Bai Bufan lowered his voice and whispered, "So, Brother Zilong, are you planning a little 'visit' to Changban yourself?"
"When you rushed off yesterday, I thought maybe..." Bai Bufan's eyes widened in understanding, then filled with mock betrayal. "Have you already betrayed the Virgin Brotherhood? No—!"
Lin Li: "..."
"Focus, dude. I just wanted to know if you understood the process."
"How would I know? My hands and yours aren't so different—we're just long-time hermits, skilled in... traditional crafts." Bai Bufan shook his head. "I mean, sure, the thought is interesting, but the reality? Way too risky. I don't even want to imagine how embarrassing it'd be if I got caught."
Lin Li nodded in solemn agreement. No useful info, but he couldn't blame him.
It was a county-level high school, after all, so asking here was a stretch. He'd have better luck asking some yellow-haired street hooligan, though that might result in a beating instead.
He'd keep planning and go for a recon mission sometime this week, aiming for a full operation over the weekend.
Bai Bufan gave him a skeptical look. "You're really not going to…?"
"I would never stoop so low," Lin Li scoffed.
"Sure, sure. But just in case you're serious, Lin, be careful. The anti-vice crackdowns are pretty intense these days. I know all about them firsthand." Bai Bufan clapped him on the shoulder with a sage-like expression.
"You've… been caught before?"
"Hell no, I'm part of the anti-vice squad!"
"Yeah, right." Lin Li rolled his eyes.
"You don't believe me? I'll have you know that in a single day, I took down over twenty indecent and obscene chat groups!" Bai Bufan exclaimed, puffing out his chest.
"And you call me the traitor? You're the one turning on your own kind!" Lin Li shot back, genuinely offended.
"Who said I reported them? I despise snitches as much as anyone else," Bai Bufan said, looking a bit wistful.
"Oh? Then how did you manage it?"
"I disbanded them."
Lin Li: "..."
"So, basically, you were the group admin? You only dissolved them to avoid getting caught yourself?"
Well, that was one way to "take down" a chat group.
Bai Bufan chewed his rice rolls in silent acknowledgment, his answer loud in his lack of words.
"My friend," Lin Li said with mock reverence, "you're a true hero."
A hero indeed—Lin Li felt honored to have him as a lifelong friend.
"Wait a minute—you never added me to any of those groups!"
He took that statement back; Bai Bufan was still just as much of a scoundrel.
"That was in middle school, man! Ten years ago, you weren't even part of my world~"
"Haha! A true hero, a young prodigy!" Lin Li laughed, shaking his head.
"Pass up your language work." As the morning self-study period neared, the language class rep stood up, instructing the group leaders to collect the assignments.
"Guangzhi, save me!" Lin Li's expression froze, panic flashing across his face as he hurriedly dug out his unfinished assignment.
With the Blood Crow business on his mind all night, who'd remember mundane language homework?
Fortunately, it didn't require an essay, or he'd be forced to reuse the "rainy day, mom carried me to the hospital" story.
He grabbed his pen and unleashed his finest speed-sketch of cursive characters, his hand racing across the page. In his anger-fueled scribbles, he felt like the true master of calligraphy.
What did Zhang Xu, Huang Tingjian, or Wang Xizhi know about cursive? He was the real master of frantic calligraphy today.
Luckily, he only had to turn it in before language class officially started. The group leader took one look at his frantic writing and, seeing his urgency, chose not to give him a hard time.
"Ding, ding, ding!" The class bell rang.
"Open to 'Memorial to Emperor Taizong of the Ten Thoughts,' and begin reading," the language class rep announced, standing at the front of the room.
"Ministers say: If you wish a tree to grow tall, you must strengthen its roots; if you wish a river to flow far…"
"So, what are we singing today?" Bai Bufan asked, glancing at Lin Li.
"Whatever."
"How about 'Silence'?"
"Sure."
"Only the piano keeps me company, playing all day~" Bai Bufan sang soulfully, holding his language textbook up in front of him.
"An old, quiet cello… silent, and a bit worn…" Lin Li joined in without missing a beat, his hand still scribbling on his paper without looking up.
"I think you've made it perfectly clear…"
The two sang with heartfelt intensity.
They knew all too well:
If you slack off during self-study, all you'll be singing is karaoke to console yourself later.