After parting ways with Shenghai, Chen Chuan was looking for his classmates. He had only taken a few steps when he suddenly heard a voice shout from behind him, "Chen Chuan!"
The shout was so loud that classmates dozens of meters away turned to look.
He turned his head to see a tall, sturdily built boy running over. He was casually dressed in a blue-green tracksuit with the zipper undone. It was none other than his middle school deskmate and good friend, Ding Jiao.
Ding Jiao came up and slung an arm around his shoulder, laughing as he said, "I knew you'd get here early."
Chen Chuan suddenly said, "Your zipper's down." Startled, Ding Jiao looked down.
Chen Chuan said expressionlessly, "I was talking about your jacket." Ding Jiao let out a curse. "Messing with your pal, huh?" He playfully wrapped an arm around Chen Chuan's neck.
At that moment, a look of surprise crossed his face. He backed up a few steps, leveling a hand between the top of his own head and Chen Chuan's. "Whoa, I haven't seen you for a month and you've shot up again, bro! We'll have to compare again in a couple of months. Can't let you get too far ahead of me."
Chen Chuan smiled. "How have you been?"
Ding Jiao said nonchalantly, "You know how it is with me. Same old, same old. I spend all day with my old man, tinkering with two-wheeled motor vehicles. Even my food tastes like algae oil. It's interesting enough, I suppose. I get to go for a ride every now and then, but that's about it. I can already see myself turning into my dad in twenty years. Still, it pays the bills, so I can't complain. Anyway, enough about me. What about you?"
Chen Chuan said, "I've got a potential opportunity, but establishing myself there will be tough. I'll probably be spending the next few months completely focused on it. I'll tell you more once it's confirmed."
Ding Jiao knew Chen Chuan's uncle worked for the Patrol Bureau and figured Chen Chuan was trying to get in there. It was a tricky subject, since Chen Chuan also had a younger cousin to compete with. He patted Chen Chuan's shoulder sympathetically. "You know the deal. If you need anything, I'm here for you. If I can help, I absolutely will."
Chen Chuan nodded. He glanced around. "Did you see anyone from our class on your way in?"
"I know where," Ding Jiao said. "C'mon, our class is over... Whoa!" He grabbed Chen Chuan's arm and took a step, but he couldn't budge him. The momentum sent his own foot flying out from under him, and he almost tripped.
Chen Chuan steadied him. "Careful now," he said calmly. 'I've been sparring with Lu Ke recently, and to counter his Wrestling Takedowns, I'm always subconsciously managing my center of gravity. It's practically become instinct.' When Ding Jiao had pulled him, he had resisted automatically.
Ding Jiao didn't think much of it. "It's not me, man, these tiles are just super slippery. C'mon, let's go..."
The two headed toward the area assigned to their class. After a few minutes' walk, they found a canopied section on the eastern side. Inside were two rows of tables. One row lined the railing of the terrace, separated from the second row by an aisle wide enough for three people to walk through.
The area could seat about sixty, and with only thirty-nine students in their class, there was more than enough room.
When Chen Chuan and Ding Jiao entered, a few classmates who had already arrived saw them and came over happily to greet them.
Having not seen one another in over a month, the students were all very warm and enthusiastic. After catching up on post-graduation life, the conversation quickly shifted to other classmates, focusing mainly on the few who had landed especially good opportunities. Beyond simple envy, their words carried a tone of shared pride.
Chen Chuan was on neutral terms with these classmates—not particularly close, but not on bad terms either. Since everyone had their own cliques, they chatted for a bit before going their separate ways to find seats.
Since they were early, there were plenty of empty seats. Chen Chuan and Ding Jiao picked a table with a good view, right by the terrace railing.
After sitting down, Ding Jiao grabbed a bottle of Shazhen Soda from the table, gave it a hard shake, and expertly popped the cap. He caught the fizzing foam as it bubbled over, pouring a glass for both himself and Chen Chuan. He eagerly took a large gulp, let out a belch, and exclaimed, "So good!"
Chen Chuan took a sip as well. The taste reminded him of a certain soda from his past life, though this one was crisper. "Is everyone from our class going to be here?"
"Probably," Ding Jiao said offhandedly. Then, catching on, he wiped his mouth. "Oh, you mean *those* guys? They barely ever came to school. I doubt they'll show their faces today."
Chen Chuan hummed in response. Their class usually consisted of thirty-nine students, but the official roster actually listed forty-two.
These extra three students rarely attended school, as they had private tutors. They were only registered at City First Middle School because the school had annual quotas to recommend students to institutions of higher learning in Central City. Those slots were reserved for them.
They were set apart from the regular students from day one. In truth, it had been this way in Yangzhi City's middle schools for decades, so no one found it particularly strange.
"By the way," Ding Jiao said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, "since you're here today, maybe *your girl* will show up too."
Chen Chuan shook his head. "There's nothing between her and me." He knew who Ding Jiao meant. Even if his predecessor had interacted with this person, it wasn't the kind of relationship people assumed.
Ding Jiao shot him a look that clearly said, 'I don't believe you.'
While the two were talking, classmates continued to arrive in trickles. Greetings were exchanged, updates were shared, and with the occasional clinking of soda bottles, the atmosphere grew more and more lively.
Ding Jiao had already finished one soda, but it seemed that wasn't enough. He grabbed another bottle, popped the cap, and chugged half of it. "By the way," he asked, "is Gao Ming coming today?"
Chen Chuan thought for a moment. "He's out of town, I think. He probably can't make it back in time."
Gao Ming was one of their classmates. However, his mother and Chen Chuan's mother were cousins, making him and Gao Ming not just classmates but relatives as well. They had a pretty good relationship.
The Gao Family had a long history of producing Litigation Masters. Gao Ming himself had been spotted and taken on as a student by a high-level Litigation Master early on. He began his studies back in middle school and stuck close to his master after graduation, making him one of the few who had his future secured long ago.
"Oh," Ding Jiao said. After a moment's thought, he lowered his voice. "Did you hear? About Guan Xiaohui from Class Three? I heard her dad racked up a mountain of gambling debt and promised her to a gang as collateral. Her stepmom took her little sister and skipped town, too. Now guys from the gang are showing up at her house every day to harass her, so she had to go hide out with relatives in the countryside. What a mess, right?"
Chen Chuan recalled her. 'A quiet, introverted girl with a gentle smile.' He seemed to remember Ding Jiao used to have a crush on her. But the main reason she stood out in his own memory was that she, too, had practiced martial arts.
Ding Jiao was mid-sentence when his eyes darted to the side. He slapped the table. "Hey, hey! Look over there, it's Han the Third! Gets into the Molan Company and suddenly thinks he's hot shit. I heard his dad at the Water Bureau pulled strings for him."
Chen Chuan turned his head and saw a boy approaching. He had his hair parted down the middle and was wearing a black, foreign-style suit. While his looks were decent, his posture and speech were stiff and pretentious.
He was surrounded by several students, none from their class, who were all clearly fawning over him. Seeing him arrive, some of their classmates under the canopy immediately stood up and rushed over to greet him and ask for his contact information.
The boy seemed to be basking in the adulation, milking it for a good ten minutes before finally being ushered inside by his entourage. As he walked, he waved to the seated students. "Sorry I'm late, everyone! Got held up with some business at the company. My apologies, my apologies."
Ding Jiao commented sourly, "Look at him acting all smug. He's not even a full-time Molan employee yet, just a trainee."
From his predecessor's memories, Chen Chuan knew this boy was Han Shu. His grades had always been beaten by Chen Chuan's predecessor and another girl, leaving him stuck in third place. For that reason, Ding Jiao had mockingly nicknamed him "Han the Third."
Perhaps it was a personality clash, but back in school, Han Shu had never gotten along with Ding Jiao or Chen Chuan's predecessor. Their relationship as classmates had been far from friendly.
Just then, Han Shu noticed Chen Chuan and Ding Jiao. He paused, pulled his sleeve up just enough to reveal the silver-cased watch on his wrist, and then headed straight for their table.
...
...