June 2003: The Examination
The gates of the Shanghai High School Primary Division were draped in the heavy, humid heat of early summer. The air was thick with the scent of plane trees and the frantic energy of hundreds of parents. It was a sea of ironed collars and pleated skirts, a silent battlefield where the futures of six-year-old's were decided by ink and logic.
Jiang Min stood near the stone pillar of the main entrance, her small hands clutching an exam kit. She was dressed in a crisp white polo and a navy skirt, her hair pulled back into a tight, practical ponytail. She kept shifting her weight, her eyes darting toward every arriving car.
Lin Xia sensing her daughter's nerves, knelt beside her daughter, smoothing the fabric of Min's sleeve. "Don't worry, Min-Min," she said, her voice a steady anchor in the chaos. "These past months, you worked harder than anyone I know. Drop the tension. Mama will be right here waiting for you."
Min offered a small, determined smile, but her gaze snapped toward a sleek silver sedan as it pulled to the curb. The door opened, and Le Mei stepped out. She looked like a portrait of porcelain elegance in a pale silk dress, her own exam kit held with effortless grace.
Across the crowd of anxious strangers, their eyes met. There was only a spark of recognition between two souls who had made a pact. Mei offered a sharp, confident nod; Min mirrored it with a resolute smile. "Best of luck,"the look said. "Don't you dare fail.'
Inside the examination hall, the only sound was the rhythmic scratching of pencils and the soft ticking of the wall clock. Min sat at her desk, her brow furrowed as she navigated complex patterns and mental arithmetic. A few rows away, Mei moved with a cold, fluid focus, her pen never wavering. One hour bled into the next. They weren't just writing an exam; they were carving out their place in the world.
August 2003: The Park
Two months later, the results were posted. The names "Le Mei"and"Jiang Min"sat at the very top of the crimson list, side-by-side.
Min sat on the same weathered wooden bench where the dog had chased her a year ago. She was swinging her legs, her eyes fixed on the horizon where the Shanghai sunset was painting the sky in bruises of violet and orange.
The crunch of gravel announced a visitor. Mei arrived, her silhouette dark against the fading light. She didn't say hello; she simply sat down beside Min, matching the rhythm of her swinging legs.
"You finally returned your favor," Mei said, her voice quiet as she watched the sun dip below the skyline. "You made it into SHS."
Min turned to look at her, the orange light reflecting in her dark eyes. She shook her head slowly. "I haven't returned it yet."
Mei raised an eyebrow, curious. "Because," Min said, her voice gaining a sudden, playful strength, "I haven't become your friend yet. The debt isn't paid until I'm standing right beside you."
For a moment, the poised, perfect mask of Le Mei slipped. She looked at Min and let out a genuine, melodic laugh. Min joined her, their laughter echoing through the park as the stars began to poke through the dusk.
The Jiang Residence
The small dining table in the Jiang apartment was crowded with steaming plates of Hong Shao Rou (braised pork) and stir-fried greens. The scent of ginger and soy sauce filled the air, a celebratory aroma for a milestone night.
Jiang Ruo picked up his chopsticks, his tired eyes crinkling with a smile as he looked at Min. Lin Xia emerged from the kitchen, setting the final dish down with a flourish. "It's all your favorites tonight," she said, pulling out her chair.
"Let's eat," Ruo declared, immediately picking up the prime cuts of meat and placing them into Min's bowl.
As they ate, Xia's expression turned serious, though her voice remained warm. "Tomorrow is your first day, Min-Min. Don't be nervous." She placed another piece of fish in her daughter's bowl. "Your school has many wealthy students. If anyone tries to bully you because of who we are... don't hold back. You know my policy, right?"
Min stopped chewing for a second, her eyes reflecting her mother's iron resolve. She nodded firmly. "Return what I receive."
"That's my girl," Ruo added, leaning in. "And if anyone pushes too hard, Papa will take care of it. No one messes with Jiang." He piled more food into Min's bowl until she giggled, her nerves replaced by the physical weight of her parents' support.
The Le Penthouse
Across the city, the atmosphere was quiet and refined. Le Mei was in her room, the soft glow of designer lamps reflecting off the polished surfaces of her mahogany furniture. She was dressed in silk pajamas, meticulously checking the contents of her leather satchel.
The door opened with a soft click, and Madam Le entered. She had finally changed out of her business suit into a flowered silk robe, but her aura of authority remained. She sat on the edge of the bed and patted the space beside her.
"Done packing?" she asked.
Mei nodded, sliding onto the bed beside her mother. Madam Le took Mei's small, soft hand in hers, her gaze intense.
"Mei, from now on, you will experience all kinds of people and situations," Madam Le said, her voice low and instructional. "Some will be beneath you; some will be useful to you. But in any situation, be calm. Never confront a problem head-on if you can solve it from the side. And never discard a situation until you have extracted its value."
She looked deeply into Mei's eyes, searching for understanding. Mei didn't blink. She offered the faint, practiced smile her mother had taught her.
"I will remember it, Mama," Mei whispered.
Madam Le pulled her into a brief, elegant hug. "Good. My daughter will not just attend SHS. She will rule it."
September 2003
The morning sun of September 2003 beat down on the sprawling athletic field of the Shanghai High School Primary Division. It was a sea of oversized white-and-blue tracksuits—the classic "flour sack" style uniforms of the early 2000s—swallowing the small frames of sixty-six anxious six-year-olds.
At the front of the assembly, the Headmaster were performing "The Opening Ceremony (Kāixué Diǎnlǐ)and stood stiffly, his voice droning through a megaphone about Honor, Excellence, and National Pride. The students stood in jagged rows, shifting from foot to foot. Some picked at loose threads on their sleeves, while others stared longingly at the distant playground slides.
When the Headmaster finally finished and the staff retreated to the shade, a collective sigh of relief rippled through the ranks. But it was short-lived. A sharp blast from a silver whistle pierced the air.
"Back in line!" the PE teacher barked, his face tanned and stern. "Time for morning exercises. Form groups of five! Now!"
The field became a chaotic scramble of sneakers squeaking on dirt. Le Mei moved with a quiet, magnetic grace, immediately surrounded by four children whose tracksuits looked custom-tailored.
Jiang Min, meanwhile, found herself in a circle with four others who looked just as overwhelmed as she felt. They stood in a cautious ring, the awkwardness of being strangers hanging heavy in the humid air.
"I'm Jiang Min," she announced, breaking the silence with the same boldness she had shown in the park. "Grade 1, Class 1-A."
The others looked at her, blinking. Xu Ling, a girl with a shy, downward gaze and a fraying hair ribbon, whispered, "You... you're the one who topped the entrance exam, right?"
The other three Lu Wei, Han Dong, and Zhao Feng looked visibly impressed. Min gave a small, proud nod.
Feng, a boy with round cheeks and eyes that darted around the field, hesitated before asking, "Are you... are you one of the 'Richies' too?"
Min lifted her chin. "My father is a well-reputed archaeologist. I come from a middle-class family." The tension in the circle evaporated instantly. Feng let out a long breath of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. "
Xu Ling spoke first, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm Xu Ling... Class 1-A. My parents are both corporate employees." She kept her chin tucked low, her eyes shyly darting toward Min.
Lu Wei stepped forward with a burst of scholarly energy. "I'm Lu Wei! Also Class 1-A. Both my parents are teachers, so I have to get good grades or I'll be in big trouble at home!"
Han Dong gave a confident sniff, pointing a thumb at his chest. "Han Dong, 1-A. My parents run a small business. If you ever want to talk about sports or the latest cartoons, I'm your guy. I'm the fastest runner in my neighborhood!"
Finally, Zhao Feng, with the observant eyes, grinned. "Zhao Feng, same class. My family runs that popular local restaurant near the old docks. I know all the school gossip before it even happens."
Min looked at Feng, her brow furrowed. "Is it a problem? Coming from a middle-class background?"
Feng lowered his voice, leaning in. "In this school, the rich kids look down on people like us. My older brother told me. They think they own the teachers." He looked at each of them. "We all come from the same kind of home. We should stick together."
Min flashed a sharp, confident smile that made the others straighten their backs. "If they try to trouble us, I will get back at them. Don't worry."
"Let's stick together!" Lu Wei cheered. Min thrust her hand into the center of the circle, and one by one, the others piled theirs on top, a silent pact made under the morning sun.
A few yards away, Le Mei stood at the center of a very different circle. Chen Bo, the son of a real estate tycoon, was already leaning back with an air of unearned authority. Wang Shanshan, wearing a glittery headband that clearly violated school code, was adjusting her sleeves to look more like Mei's.
"You should attend more family gatherings, Mei," Chen Bo said, his voice loud enough for the nearby groups to hear. "We missed you at the golf club last weekend."
Li Jia, the actress's daughter, tossed her hair. "Yes, it was so boring without you." Zhang Hao, the quiet hotel heir, simply nodded in agreement.
Mei maintained a polite, distant smile—the one her mother had practiced with her in the mirror. She didn't look toward Min's group, but she had heard every word of their "pact."
"I will try," Mei said smoothly, her voice a perfect mask of composure. "But for now, the teacher is watching. Let's do our warm-up exercises."
As the whistle blew again, the two groups began their synchronized stretches—the "Richies" moving with practiced boredom, and the "Strivers" moving with a fierce, newfound unity.
Classroom 1-A: 10:45 AM
The fragile peace of the first day shattered before the first lunch bell. In the high-pressure environment of Class 1-A, the air was thick with the scent of fresh ink and the unspoken tension of social hierarchies.
The homeroom teacher, a woman with silver-rimmed spectacles and a rigid posture, tapped her chalk against the blackboard. "I am Ms. Zhang. I will be your homeroom and mathematics teacher until you complete your primary years. In this room, logic and discipline are the only laws."
For forty minutes, the only sound was the scratching of twenty pencils. Le Mei sat in the center, her notes a masterpiece of calligraphy. Jiang Min sat by the window, her brow furrowed as she solved equations three steps ahead of the lesson.
When the bell rang, Ms. Zhang gathered her materials and swept out of the room. Mei stood up, smoothing her skirt. "I am going to the restroom," she murmured to her circle before stepping out.
The moment the door clicked shut, the "Gold Circle" moved.
Chen Bo kicked Zhao Feng's chair, sending the boy's pencil case clattering to the floor. "Hey, Restaurant Boy," Bo sneered. "I hope you brought some leftovers for lunch. My dog wouldn't even eat what your family serves."
Wang Shanshan giggled, pointing at Xu Ling's frayed hair ribbon. "And look at this one. Did your mom buy that at a street stall? It's embarrassing to sit near you."
Han Dong and Lu Wei stood up instantly, stepping in front of their friends. "Pick it up, Chen Bo," Dong growled, his fists balling at his sides.
"Or what?" Bo laughed, stepping forward to shove Feng.
Jiang Min moved like a flash. She threw herself between them just as Bo pushed. The force sent the small girl sprawling to the floor, her palms stinging against the linoleum. The room went silent.
Min scrambled to her feet, her eyes burning with a cold, terrifying fire. Without a word, she lunged forward and shoved Chen Bo with all her strength. The boy, caught off guard, hit the ground hard.
"Don't you touch them!" Min screamed.
"You commoner!" Shanshan shrieked, pointing a finger at Min. "How dare you lay a hand on him? Your father is just a grave-robber who plays with dirt!"
The door swung open. Le Mei stood there, her eyes taking in the chaos—Bo on the floor, Min panting with rage, and Shanshan mid-insult.
"What is happening?" Mei asked, her voice calm but commanding. She stepped into the center of the room, looking at her friends. "Bo, get up. Shanshan, stop shouting. We are in school, not a marketplace."
"She pushed me, Mei!" Bo yelled, scrambling up.
"They were bullying Feng and Ling!" Min countered, turning to Mei. "Mei, tell them! Tell them they can't say those things about my father!"
Mei looked at Shanshan, then back at Min. She remembered her mother's words:"Don't confront it head-on. Mediate. Keep order."
"Min, you shouldn't have used violence," Mei said softly, trying to de-escalate. "And Shanshan, your words were inappropriate. Everyone, just sit down before the next teacher—"
"Inappropriate?" Min's voice broke. "She insulted my father! If someone spoke about your father like that, would you stay calm, Mei?"
The room went deathly silent. Chen Bo and Shanshan froze, their eyes widening. Even the students in the back rows stopped breathing.
Everyone in Shanghai high society knew Le Mei's father had passed away years ago. It was a wound so deep and private that no one,not even the boldest bully , dared to mention him.
Mei's face went pale. The warmth in her eyes vanished, replaced by a crystalline, icy wall. She looked at Min as if she were a stranger.
"My father is not part of this conversation," Mei said, her voice trembling with suppressed hurt.
"You're my friend!" Min shouted, too blinded by her own anger to see Mei's pain. "You should support me! Instead, you're defending them? You didn't say a single word to them when they insulted my family! You just want to keep your 'perfect' image!"
Min stepped back, pointing a trembling finger at Mei. "I thought we were friends. But you're just like them. From now on... you are my enemy."
Mei didn't flinch. She simply sat back down at her desk and opened her book, her hands shaking slightly under the table.
The door opened, and the next teacher walked in. "Desks, everyone. Now."
The students scurried to their seats. The two girls who had laughed in the park two months ago now sat on opposite sides of a canyon that would take ten years to bridge.