*Chapter 8: College Exam Prep*
6:00 AM. March 21, 2002. Mill Street Compound, Room 3-2. Monday.
The compound bell rang once. Normal day. Post-birthday, post-pig, post-500 Family Points for making a ninety-five-year-old happy.
He was awake. The Sense was quieter. Only 147 dots nearby. Most of the 692 relatives went home last night. _Mood: Hungover_ was a popular status.
_[System Inventory: 998,310,000 Chinese Yuan]_
_[System Shop Balance: 838 Family Points]_
_[Days until College Entrance Exam: 84]_
Eighty-four days. Last life, he spent them cramming. This life, he spent yesterday dropping 30,000 Chinese Yuan on Ninth uncle for "character building."
Grandfather knocked. No words. Just one knock. That meant _meeting, main hall, now._
He went downstairs. Third step. Seventh step.
Main hall. Grandfather, Father, Mother, Lin Yu. Table had tea and his mock exam paper. 668. Circled in red. Twice.
Grandfather: _Evaluating._ Again.
"Nanjing University," Grandfather said. "Cutoff last year was 665."
He nodded.
"You're three points over," Father said. "If you don't get stupid."
"I'm not planning on it," he said.
Grandfather slid a newspaper across. _2002 College Exam Registration. Deadline: April 15. 25 days._
"You're registering," Grandfather said. Not a question.
He opened the Ledger Level 2. Himself. No entry. The System was rude like that.
He checked Lin Wu. _Health: Recovering. Mood: Bored. Location: Hardware Store 7. Primary Skill: Negotiation Level 3. Potential Cap: Regional Chief Executive Officer. Current Education: Grade 11, at risk of dropout._
Lin Wu was the problem. Last time, he dropped out after the ankle. Ran Hardware Store 7 into the ground. Died 2018.
This time, Hardware Store 7 had 200,842 Chinese Yuan and two trucks. Too much money for a dropout.
"Lin Wu's coming," he said.
Grandfather raised an eyebrow. _Intrigued._
Lin Wu limped in five minutes later. Ankle wrapped. _Mood: Suspicious._
"Sit," Grandfather said.
Lin Wu sat. "Am I in trouble?"
"Yes," Grandfather said. "Your grades."
Lin Wu groaned. "I'm gonna run Hardware Store 7. Fifth uncle said."
"You're gonna finish school," he said. "Then you can run it."
"Character building," Lin Wu muttered. "Everyone's saying that now."
_[Family Ledger Update: Lin Wu. Mood: Annoyed. Loyalty: 65/100 → 65/100. +0 Family Points. He's immune now.]_
Mother put a stack of books down. _Chinese. Math. English. Physics. Chemistry. Politics._ The six horsemen of the exam.
"Study plan," Mother said. "You both. Six hours daily. No skipping."
Lin Yu kicked his shoe under the table. "I'm in Grade 9. Why am I here?"
"Moral support," Mother said. "And to make sure they don't bribe their way out."
_Loyalty: 95/100 → 95/100. +0 Family Points. She knows you._
He picked up the Math book. Last life, he got 142/150. This life, he remembered the questions. That felt like cheating. The System didn't say anything about it.
*[System Notice: Academic integrity is your problem. We track family, not calculus.]*
Rude. Consistent.
He flipped to the exam simulations. Lin Wu groaned louder.
"I have 200,000 Chinese Yuan," Lin Wu said. "Why do I need calculus?"
"To count it," Grandfather said. "Correctly."
"Fifth uncle can't count," Lin Wu said. "He bought two trucks."
"Fifth uncle is why you're studying," Grandfather said.
_[Family Ledger Update: Fifth uncle. Location: Hardware Store 7. Mood: Counting trucks. Loyalty: 79/100 → 80/100. +1 Family Point. Balance: 839 Family Points.]_
One Family Point for basic arithmetic. Inflation was real.
He opened the Compound Map. School. 1,200 meters away. Mill Street Middle & High. _Status: 42 family members enrolled. Average score: 521. Mood: Stressed._
He could see them. Forty-two dots, all _Stressed._ Ninth uncle's son. Fourteenth uncle's daughter. All of them.
He couldn't pay their exam scores. He couldn't upload knowledge. He had to use his legs.
"Going to school," he said.
It was Monday. That was actually true this time.
He walked. Lin Wu limped behind. "We're really doing this?"
"Yes."
"Can we buy the school?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Character building."
Lin Wu stopped. "I hate you."
_Loyalty: 65/100 → 66/100. +1 Family Point. Balance: 840 Family Points._ Hate was progress.
Mill Street High. Gate. Guard recognized him. "You're back."
"Never left," he said.
Classroom. Grade 12, Class 1. Thirty-two students. Eight were Lins. All _Stressed._
Teacher came in. "Mock exam results." She looked at him. "Lin. 668. First in class."
Last time, he smiled. This time, he just nodded. Hard to be proud when you've done it before.
"Lin Wu," she said. "412. Last in class."
Lin Wu sank into his chair. _Mood: Humiliated. Loyalty: 66/100 → 66/100. +0 Family Points._
He opened the Ledger. Lin Wu. Secondary Skill: Memory Level 1. Potential Cap: Regional Chief Executive Officer. Problem: He wasn't using it.
He passed Lin Wu a note. _Hardware Store 7 profits last month: 842 Chinese Yuan. This month: 200,842 Chinese Yuan. Difference: 200,000. Reason: Me. Method: Cash. Question: How do you keep it?_
Lin Wu read it. Frowned. Started writing.
_Answer: Buy inventory. Raise prices. Hire two people. Don't let Fifth uncle near trucks._
He looked at the answer. It was correct.
He passed it to the teacher. "Lin Wu's business proposal."
Teacher read it. Looked at Lin Wu. "This is… good. Why is this good?"
Lin Wu shrugged. "Character building."
The class laughed. Teacher didn't. "See me after class. Both of you."
After class. Office.
"You two are planning something," she said.
"Yes," he said. "Graduation."
She stared. "Lin Wu. Your scores need to improve 200 points in 84 days. That's impossible."
He opened System Shop. Scanned. Nothing for _Install Brain._
"Not impossible," he said. "Expensive."
She narrowed her eyes. "Explain."
"No," he said. "System says no explaining."
She kicked them out.
_[Family Ledger Update: Teacher. Not family. No data. +0 Family Points. Worth a shot.]_
Walking home. Lin Wu was quiet.
"Two hundred points," Lin Wu said. "You think I can?"
He checked Ledger Level 2. Potential Cap: Regional Chief Executive Officer. Current: Grade 11 dropout path.
"Yes," he said. "But you have to want it."
"Why?" Lin Wu asked. "We're rich."
He stopped. Pointed at the compound. "Great-grandmother's 96th. Next year. You want to give her a truck, or a diploma?"
Lin Wu thought. "Can't I give both?"
"After you graduate."
Lin Wu sighed. "Character building."
_Loyalty: 66/100 → 70/100. +4 Family Points. Balance: 844 Family Points._
Back at Room 3-2. He sat down. Opened Math.
Lin Yu came in. Dropped a Walkman on his desk. "Bought it myself. 480 Chinese Yuan. Saved 20."
"Good," he said.
"Thanks for the character building," she said.
_Loyalty: 95/100 → 96/100. +1 Family Point. Balance: 845 Family Points._
He had 998,310,000 Chinese Yuan. 845 Family Points. 84 days.
And a cousin who might actually graduate this time.
He started on page one.