Chen Yang stared blankly out the window, his mind a complete haze. Beyond the glass flowed a narrow river. Thirty-year-old Chen Yang remembered all too well—this river had completely dried up back in 2002. Yet right now, it was still gurgling merrily along.
Lowering his gaze, he caught sight of his shabby, dirt-stained school uniform. At that moment, it hit him. Having read countless rebirth novels in his previous life, Chen Yang instantly realized—he too had joined the great army of transmigrators.
In those novels, the protagonists always woke up with some overpowered cheat—mysterious abilities, supernatural skills, or heaven-defying systems. Could he have brought back something like that as well?
Chen Yang shut his eyes and concentrated. He twisted his hands, shook his legs, took deep breaths, even hopped around a few times. Nothing. Not a flicker.
A wave of disappointment washed over him. So unfair! I also reincarnated—why is the gap between people so big?
Still a little dazed, Chen Yang stepped out of his room. The house was quiet. His parents weren't home—probably out on errands. His eyes fell on the calendar: May 4th, 1999.
His heart skipped a beat. This was the last long holiday before the college entrance exam. So… he really had gone back thirteen years.
Before he could fully digest it all, a familiar voice called out:
"Yangzi!"
Chen Yang's head shot up. There, walking slowly through the doorway, was the face he had dreamed of countless times. His father, Chen Derong.
The moment Chen Yang saw that kind, gentle face again, his eyes brimmed with tears. He rushed forward and threw himself into his father's arms, hugging him tightly, unwilling to let go.
Chen Derong was the head of the town's education bureau. A small-time official, yes, but always strict and stern in front of others. His son hadn't hugged him like this since he entered high school. Stunned at first, Chen Derong could only awkwardly return the embrace, his large hands patting Chen Yang's back.
It was a long while before Chen Yang stopped crying, though his eyes never left his father's face.
Under such a gaze, anyone would feel uncomfortable. Chen Derong finally broke the silence, his deep baritone rumbling with forced calm:
"You silly child. What are you crying for? Hugging me so tightly… Come on, tell Dad—what happened?"
Eyes still red, Chen Yang muttered in a low voice:
"Nothing… I'm just really happy to see you."
Because in his past life, his father had died of nasopharyngeal cancer in late 2002. The illness hadn't been caught early enough, and by the time they tried treatment, it was already too late. That loss had been the greatest turning point in Chen Yang's life, plunging his world into darkness. He never even finished college, dropping out to work odd jobs.
Now, with his rebirth, did fate intend for him to suffer the same regret again?
Absolutely not.
Chen Yang swore silently to himself.
The father and son sat together for a while. As usual, Chen Derong asked about Chen Yang's studies. It was a habit of his—he always cared about his son's grades. Having just been reborn, Chen Yang answered cautiously, afraid of saying the wrong thing. Fortunately, after a few questions, his father seemed satisfied and went to the inner room to watch TV.
Watching that slightly stooped back disappear, Chen Yang clenched his fists. This life, I'll never let my parents worry again. I'll make sure they live happily, always.
A while later, his mother, Ye Zhen, rushed back home. She barely greeted Chen Yang before charging straight into the kitchen. She'd always been that way—quick-tempered and fiery, doing things the moment they came to mind. Chen Yang had clearly inherited that from her.
Seeing her, Chen Yang immediately followed into the kitchen. His mother looked a little surprised—normally he never stepped foot in here. But she just smiled warmly.
"Yangzi, hungry already? Mom will cook for you right away."
Such simple words, yet Chen Yang felt an indescribable warmth flood his chest. This was the love that had carried him through his darkest years.
In his last life, after his father's death, his mother had carried all the burdens alone, never once complaining. Thinking of that, Chen Yang quickly said:
"Mom, I'm not hungry yet. Take your time. Let me help you."
Without waiting for a reply, he began washing and chopping vegetables. Thanks to his previous life, he already knew how to cook—these little tasks were second nature. His mother chuckled, watching her son work so sensibly, her heart full of pride.
After some bustling about, the family finally sat down to a warm dinner together. Happiness filled the air.
Once the meal ended, Chen Yang wiped his mouth and immediately dashed out the door toward school. His house was only five minutes away on foot, and tonight was evening self-study. The life of a senior student was tough—more classes, endless tests. But the college entrance exam was only a month away. Every bit of effort counted.
Inside the classroom, Chen Yang nodded at a few familiar faces and sat down. He picked up a math practice book. His young body was brimming with energy, and his memory worked far better than he remembered. Though many concepts had faded over the years, they came back quickly now.
Students trickled in one by one. Chen Yang took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. This is my chance. I won't waste it. This time, I'll make my parents proud.
His deskmate, Wang Qiang, still hadn't shown up. In Chen Yang's memory, that guy skipped class more often than not.
At exactly 7 o'clock, the bell rang. Their homeroom teacher, nicknamed "Old Mao," walked in with a thick stack of test papers. He announced another math test for the evening session. Nobody was surprised. Being in Class 3 meant endless tests—Old Mao was notorious for that.
The papers were quickly handed out. Chen Yang's pen flew across the sheet. Just over an hour later, he had finished everything. After a quick check, only a few small mistakes needed fixing. Bored, he leaned back in his seat.
Of course, he couldn't hand it in early. With Old Mao glaring from the front, anyone who did would get scolded. Besides, Chen Yang's old reputation was that of a bottom-three student. No one would believe him if he suddenly turned in his paper first.
In his past life, Chen Yang had only managed to enter a second-tier university after repeating a year. He'd been smart as a kid, always top of the class in primary and middle school. But in high school, he got addicted to martial arts novels and video games, and his grades plummeted. His parents had nearly worried themselves sick.
Finally, two painful hours later, the test ended. Chen Yang hummed a little tune as he walked home, chatted briefly with his parents, then returned to his room.
Lying in bed, he sighed softly. But exhaustion soon overtook him, and he drifted into sleep.
In his dreams, Chen Yang felt omnipotent—able to do anything, achieve anything. Just as he was floating in that fantasy, a mechanical, synthesized voice suddenly rang in his mind:
"Activating Genius Learning System. Beginning full-body scan of host."
A few minutes later, the voice came again:
"Scan complete. Host meets requirements. Proceeding with soul binding."
Chen Yang jolted awake, stunned. The strange voice didn't fade. Was this real? Or just a dream? Half-dazed, he grabbed a glass of water, gulped it down, and lay back down. He needed rest—after all, morning classes began at six.
But just as he was drifting off again, the voice returned:
"Host's physical indicators are below standard. Initiating optimization. Beginning deep-level analysis."
This time, Chen Yang shot upright. It's not a dream? It's real?!
Excitement surged through him. He'd actually gotten a cheat!
The voice spoke again:
"Comprehensive upgrade of host's body commencing. To ensure safety, host must enter deep sleep mode."
Before Chen Yang could react, a surge of current zapped through his body. Darkness swallowed him whole.
The next morning, his alarm clock rang. Chen Yang woke with a start, face twitching.
"Upgrade is fine, but did you really have to electrocute me?!" he grumbled.
The morning classes dragged by in a haze. This was his old habit—during lessons, he either read novels or slept. Staying in the bottom three of the class wasn't easy—it took hard work, after all.
At lunch, Chen Yang ate with his buddy Liu Feng in the cafeteria, then the two strolled over to the basketball court. "Stealing a moment of leisure in this busy life," as they say—this was their rare break, and they intended to enjoy it.
After resting a bit, they joined a game. Chen Yang had always loved basketball. At 1.78 meters, he was tall enough to shine on the court, and it had been his favorite sport in high school.
Dribbling the ball, he suddenly realized something. His movements felt smoother, sharper than ever before. At that moment, the system's voice returned:
"Basketball detected under the Sports category. Host may select any professional player and temporarily acquire their skills."
Chen Yang's heart leapt. Without hesitation, he chose the name he admired most—Kobe Bryant.
To others, he only paused for a split second. But inside, everything changed. Chen Yang's dribbling instantly became dazzling, leaving his defenders helpless. One by one, his opponents were faked out, stumbling in confusion.
Finally, he executed a perfect step-back jumper. The ball swished cleanly through the net. His friend Liu Feng slapped his hand in celebration.
The more Chen Yang played, the more unstoppable he became. Against high school defenders, wielding Kobe's skills was like pitting a dragon against ants. Cheers erupted all around.
And then came the moment every basketball player dreams of: dunking. With Liu Feng's help, Chen Yang drove into the lane, soared from the free-throw line, and hammered down a thunderous tomahawk dunk.
The entire court went silent. Then, like a wave crashing, everyone erupted in shouts and applause.
"Again! Again! Do it again!"
Flushed with excitement, Chen Yang couldn't resist showing off more. He pulled off dunk after dunk, each more spectacular than the last. It was like watching an NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
At last, after a spinning 360-degree slam, Chen Yang hung from the rim. A sharp creak rang out. His instincts screamed danger. He dropped to the floor just in time as the backboard groaned, shook violently, and—
CRASH!
The entire hoop came crashing down.
Silence.
Every single student froze in shock, staring at Chen Yang as if he were a monster.