By the time June arrived, Donghai was already scorching like a furnace.
The sky was azure, cloudless, and the blazing sun, like a giant fireball, hung high above.
Donghai No. 1 Middle School.
5:30 p.m.
"Ring, ring, ring..."
The bell rang, and the entire campus seemed to awaken from its slumber, a clamor of activity rising.
A moment later, numerous students streamed out of the various teaching buildings, chatting and laughing in groups of three or five as they headed towards the school gates.
"It's too hot!" someone cursed.
"Brother Wang Teng, let's go drink at the Rose Bar tonight."
A voice brought Wang Teng back to reality from his thoughts.
"Xu Jie!"
He looked at the newcomer. The face was familiar, and long-lost memories welled up in his mind. This was a playmate from his high school days.
You guys go have fun. I won't be going tonight. "I have a headache, Wang Teng said.
Xu Jie said anxiously, "Don't worry, Brother Wang Teng." We're just a small group to begin with, and it would be boring if you didn't come. Besides, we haven't gotten together in a while. How about another time? Tomorrow? The day after tomorrow?
Wang Teng shook his head and said helplessly, "Then tomorrow night."
"Okay, I'll let Xiaowei and the others know. We'll get together tomorrow night," Xu Jie said happily.
As the two of them reached the school gate, there was a sudden commotion out front.
"Hey, what's going on up there?" So many people gathered around," Xu Jie asked, puzzled.
"I'll go check it out."
As he spoke, he ran forward, pushing his way through the crowd to the front.
Wang Teng, hands in his pockets, walked slowly over. Upon seeing him, several students made way for him, fearing to provoke him.
His reputation as Young Master Wang is truly impressive!
Wang Teng couldn't help but laugh at himself.
It's a shame it wasn't a good one.
He walked to the front of the crowd and saw a girl in the open space beating several young men with yellow and green hair to the ground. They cried out for their parents, their eyes filled with fear as they looked at the girl.
Combined with the surrounding discussions, he had a rough idea of what had happened.
Some young men like to gather in high schools and middle schools, targeting students who look easy to bully, extorting money, harassing them, and so on.
The victims, fearing trouble, often keep silent, which, over time, emboldens the thugs.
Just after school, a few young men came across He Manyong. Seeing her beauty, they couldn't help but flirt with her, hurling obscenities at her.
They had no idea that He Manyong was no pushover, but rather a rose with thorns.
She attacked with rage, beating the man down in just a few blows.
"Goddess," He is truly a high-level martial artist! Those young men have hit a wall this time!
A male student nearby waved his fist, his acne flushed slightly with excitement.
From his words, it seemed as if he was treating He Manyong like a goddess.
I'd heard He Manyong was a top student, but I didn't expect her to be so skilled. Could she have practiced Taekwondo? The legendary ninth-degree black belt?"
But then again, those long legs are truly rare. She's in such great shape even in high school. What's next?"
Wang Teng was marveling at The Manyong's strength and appreciating the beauty of the world when he heard the words "high-level martial artist." His expression froze instantly.
He was a little stunned!
Did I mishear something?
That's right. Having just been reborn, I was a bit hazy, so it was understandable that I'd misheard.
At that moment, Xu Jie approached and said enviously, "There are five high-level martial artists in our school, and He Manyong is the only girl among them, and she comes from a modest family." What a genius!"
"..." Wang Teng was speechless.
"Fuck, high-level martial artists!" It seemed he had heard correctly.
But, with urban rebirth all underway, what's the deal with a high-powered profession suddenly appearing?
Is this even rebirth?
Wang Teng felt the hostility from the entire world, his heart filled with doubts.
Seeing so many people gathered, He Manyong frowned slightly, ignoring the thugs on the ground and leaving.
As she left, the crowd naturally dispersed.
Wang Teng and Xu Jie parted ways at the school gate.
Wang Teng found the car that had come to pick him up, and amidst the envy of the students, he got into the parked BMW and sped away.
In the car, he stared out the window at the receding street scene, lost in thought.
Only then did he notice that the trees lining the street were exceptionally tall and lush.
These plants must be overfed; no wonder I'd always felt a little out of place at school.
The school's vegetation was also unusually lush, but he'd been so absorbed in his rebirth that he hadn't noticed.
Along the way, Wang Teng was astonished by what he saw and heard.
The clean, tidy streets, the fashionable clothing of passersby, the bustling commercial scene, and so on.
It didn't feel like 2009 at all, and even 2019, the year of his rebirth, might not have been this bustling.
There's something wrong with this world!
Wang Teng's mind was in his twenties when he suddenly saw a beautiful urban woman in her twenties walking down the street with a large, shaggy dog.
That wouldn't have been a problem, but the dog was enormous, the size of a calf.
He couldn't help but curse.
"Oh my god, what breed is this dog?" It's so huge!
He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and rubbed his chin in bewilderment.
"It looks like a golden retriever, but it's incredibly large!"
Next, he saw several people with pets.
The dogs were all enormous, completely oversized. Some parents even let their children ride on them while strolling around the streets.
The dogs had become mounts!
He also saw some cats with two tails, and some had grown to gigantic sizes, like cheetahs.
But they all seemed very well-behaved, and the passersby seemed completely accustomed to them, not treating them like ferocious beasts at all.
Wang Teng felt a little numb.
This was definitely not his old world. Even though the classmates were the same and the school was the same, something was clearly off.
After driving for over twenty minutes, they arrived at the Fuhua Villa District. After winding through many turns, the car finally stopped in front of a villa.
Fortunately, his family was still there.
In fact, their family was considered quite wealthy.
Wang Teng's grandfather had four children, and his father, Wang Shengguo, the second oldest, had considerable business acumen. He struck out on his own and founded the Xingteng Group, second only to the Rongsheng Group founded by Wang Teng's grandfather.
Both Xingteng and Rongsheng were large companies with assets exceeding 100 million yuan.
However, Wang Teng knew that there were many such companies around the world. While the Wang family might be doing well in their small business, they were nothing more than larger ants compared to the truly powerful conglomerates.
In their previous life, the Wang family had offended someone and was completely wiped out. They barely lasted a month before all their companies went bankrupt.
The Wang family was completely destroyed, a thing of the past.
Two companies with assets exceeding 100 million yuan sounded impressive, but in the end, they were barely enough to fill their own pockets.
It was truly ironic!
Wang Teng fell from heaven to earth. For the next few years, he lived a life worse than pigs and dogs, subjected to oppression and humiliation, until he was reborn... No, maybe not reborn!
The world has changed so much. I wonder what will become of the Wang family?
Are my parents still the same parents I used to be?
I don't want my parents to be replaced the moment I walk in.
"No! No!" Wang Teng quickly reassured himself. His heart was still turbulent. He took a few deep breaths before stepping through the villa gate.