r, recalling what Xue Yiyang had told him earlier today that he was in Class 5. Su Cen smiled faintly and flipped to the senior one class five roster, then put it back down and said to Tian Feng, "I'l...Chapter 40 Partner

Su Cen feels more like Susanna from "LOVELY_BONES," swimming upstream against the current like a salmon, briefly appearing but unable to leave briefly.

Luckily, he is not observing and interpreting this world in spirit form, but rather has been reborn with the ability to profoundly impact those around him. The future he worries about hasn't yet occurred, and what he regrets now can still be remedied by his own hands.

At times, Su Cen questions the linear nature of time; if a linear world truly exists, then perhaps his later self has already died, while his spirit is starting anew here.

Heaven may not exist after people die, but this current state could be heaven.

September 2nd, 1998. Swissair Flight 111 crashes off the coast of Halifax, Canada; 229 people lose their lives.

September 8th. A series of explosions occur in Macau, injuring five police officers and several journalists.

All these events are things that Su Cen learned about later through news reports, things he couldn't change despite being able to compare them with the future.

September 15th. The "four-school merger incident" occurs in Hangzhou, China: Zhejiang University (formerly known as the original Zhejiang University, Hangzhou University, Zhejiang Agricultural University, and Zhejiang Medical University) merge to form a new comprehensive university, offering all majors except military command.

Su Cen knows that after the merger, the ranking of Zhejiang University in mainland China quickly rose. It soon ranked third behind Peking University and Tsinghua University, enjoying great prestige.

These are events that were inevitable but unrelated to him.

In November, with the start of winter, five months after Su Cen's rebirth, the midterm test results for the first semester at No. 1 High School in Xiahai City were announced.

The students in each class on the grade floor were whispering about this mid-term report card; the common topic among everyone was here as well. Xiao Rihua entered Grade One Class Five, announcing test scores and marking the first battle of the new semester. The results are about to be revealed.

Some say high school is a watershed moment that places people's fates on entirely different paths; in 1998 under an education system geared towards exams, the eyes in classrooms were still filled with confusion and hope for a future determined by grades. Many look forward to seeing the written-out future.

"Zhang Datao, 570 points." "Guo Dan, 478 points. Wait, take this slip as well; there's no need to panic!" "Li Lumei, 604 points..."

With each name Xiao Rihua called out, a student would go up and receive their report card. After Li Lumei took hers, she ranked 25th in the class; her six-subject total for this midterm was 750. Initially, upon hearing her score of 604, she felt elated, only to be disappointed when she saw that her class ranking was merely twenty-fifth.

As Li Lumei walked back down, she glanced around the entire classroom; it seemed everyone here had considerable strength! She just didn't know who exactly stood ahead of her.

Tang Wu's 690 score undoubtedly sparked another commotion in the class. This score isn't just top-notch among her classmates, but likely also ranks highly throughout the entire grade level. Tang Wu’s excellence is unquestionable; even Xiao Rihua couldn’t hide his surprise and delight.

"See That's the difference!" Schuyang Xie took out his own report card and compared it to Tang Wu's score, which was announced aloud. The clash between 545 points and 690 points left Schuyang Xie speechless, and he couldn’t help but feel a hint of self-mockery when speaking to Su Can. There was also a touch of caution.

Ultimately, Schuyang Xie was trying to give Su Can a warning. Recently, the tension between Su Can and Tang Wu had been escalating rapidly. Schuyang Xie believed that Su Can was at least on par with him in terms of ability and starting line, existing within the same realm. However, when it came to interacting with someone like Tang Wu, who exists only in a fourth dimension, he could observe from afar, but if he tried to interfere in her life, he could foresee being left far behind by the time the college entrance exam rolls around.

"Su Can: 645," said Xiao Rihua expressionlessly as he placed Su Can's report card on the edge of the table and pressed it down with his fingers before letting go absentmindedly. Of course, Xiao Rihua would be lost in thought; this report card had led to half-insomnia for him last night, only managing to fall asleep briefly at dawn after being woken up by a retired teacher's rooster from somewhere on the street.

A low murmur spread through the classroom like fighter jets flying overhead.

The reaction was discreet and not overly exaggerated, fitting everyone’s current mindset.

Schuyang Xie watched as Su Can stood up beside him and walked straight to the podium. He picked up the report card but couldn't pull it out; he frowned and said, "Teacher Xiao"

"Oh!" Upon regaining his senses, Xiao Rihua released his thumb from pressing down on the report card and looked at Su Can without showing any particular expression or saying anything. Everything seemed to flow naturally as he moved onto announcing another student's name.

Chen Lingshan, who had become unusually close with Tang Wu due to a mix of jealousy and admiration, perked up her ears, glanced at Tang Wu’s report card, then turned toward the podium, lips slightly parting.

Tang Wu's eyes were filled only with astonishment as she looked at Su Can. She seemed lost in thought but couldn't deny the stark contrast between what she imagined and reality regarding Su Can’s capabilities.

Liu Meimei momentarily forgot to listen to Maohou’s score after her own, only staring blankly at her 604 points ranking 25th in class. She was dazed—would 645 points put one among the top ten

Was it one of those ten powerhouse students

...

"Top ten in the class!" Mom Zeng Ke’s joy was unmistakable. Recently, she had been busy with business dealings and had been worrying about Su Can's grades. Seeing his performance now at No. 1 High School brought her great relief.

"Mom has been too busy lately. I haven’t bought you anything recently. If there’s something you want, just tell me!"

At this stage in his life, Su Can didn't have the ordinary needs of a student anymore. Before he could shake his head and decline, Zeng Ke had an idea, "Food Clothes... Come on, let's go shopping! You've been saying for ages you need new shoes; let’s get them today! There are some good tailors in the commercial street, so we might as well pick something up while we're there."

Exiting with her excited mother, Su Can knew that his mom was back into her shopping mood. Recently, she had been too busy with business to remember buying winter clothes, and last time they went for formal suits which would shine in a business event but were not practical day-to-day.

In the future, he hadn’t managed to do much for his parents; even buying them fashionable clothing wouldn't suit their age. Their most precious years had passed in a hurry during Su Can’s growth. Now, all he could do was accompany his mom while she shopped and watch her happiness—this was all within his current capability.

In front of the dressing mirror, Zeng Ke was wearing a light purple wool coat and kept turning around. She smiled at Su Can with a mischievous expression, "How do I look Do I suit it"

Su Can raised his thumb in praise, "Mom, I know how my dad, such an elegant man, could fall for you!"

Zeng Ke spat back, "You little ghost, just like your father!"

The nearby salesperson praised her incessantly, "Madam, to be honest, this coat highlights your elegance very well! It’s really great! Is that your son over there He's quite a handsome young man as well!"

The salesperson was around twenty or close to thirty years old and used to dealing with demanding middle-aged customers. Seeing this mother-son pair, her eyes lit up.

"Alright, wrap this coat and scarf for me. Can you give me an eight percent discount"

After a while of discussing prices with the salesperson, Zeng Ke chuckled and patted Su Can's hair, "Handsome young man If you don't study hard, you won’t have anything! Come on, let’s go look at some clothes and shoes for you."

...

In this era, international brands like Adidas, Nike, and Enbo were not available in state-owned department stores. In the fall of that year, Langwei Sports opened a store in Xiahai City, introducing these brands’ specialty stores. "Langwei Sports" officially became the top sports equipment and leisure wear market in Xiahai City.

The high prices within attracted only students from well-off families at Shiyan High School. For them, what they previously had to travel to Chengdu to buy was now available right here.

Of course, these brands were still exorbitant for the average student’s family in Xiahai City in 1998. Back then, if a student could wear Adidas shoes while playing football, it would be considered quite impressive because others probably couldn't even afford to buy them.

"Ah, those shoes are very nice, but I can’t afford them. However... my mom said they’re expensive, but if I do well on the final exams, she’ll buy me a pair during the New Year. I'll come back then."

Chen Lingshan and Gao Fan were sitting on the Nike bench at Langwei Sports. When saying this, Gao Fan couldn’t help feeling proud; he had his eye on a pair of Nike running shoes priced at six hundred yuan. If he wore them to school, it would be quite impressive. As he was talking to Chen Lingshan, there was also an element of showing off.

Chen Lingshan wasn’t too pleased about this; Gao Fan had dragged her around the entire store over the weekend, pointing out things without actually buying anything. The salespeople were staring at them with a look Chen Lingshan hadn't seen before, which made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. Moreover, she was only ranked twenty-third in her class after the midterm exams, although it was still within her expected range. But whenever she thought about Tang Wu looking at Su Can with a strange expression when the results were released, she couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

At that moment, the front door suddenly rang out with the staff's synchronized greeting: "Welcome!" A very eye-catching mother-son pair walked in.

"...Su Can!" Chen Lingshan exclaimed in surprise when she recognized them.

Zeng Ke was wearing a new coat; her demeanor didn't give an impression of grandeur but rather that of a confident, strong woman. Su Can’s recently sun-tanned skin and neatly styled hair, along with his simple outfit, paired well with his mother's presence, creating quite an impressive appearance.

Gao Fan was momentarily stunned before nodding at Su Can. The confrontation between Su Can and Wang Haoran et al. still lingered vividly in his mind; he felt a certain degree of respect for him. Nodding solemnly now brought out a warm smile from Su Can, "Hello."

"Buying clothes" Chen Lingshan suddenly found herself sitting next to Gao Fan and felt a bit uncomfortable, fidgeting and wondering if he had misunderstood something.

But she couldn't see any unusual behavior in Su Cen's eyes. After exchanging greetings with the two of them as usual, Su Cen started observing the sports items at the specialty store. Lingshan’s mother, Zeng Ke, recognized Chen Lingshan and smiled warmly, "Hehe, Miss Chen, oh dear, I'm Auntie Zeng. How is your father He used to take care of me a lot when we were at the company...

Gao Fan paused in surprise; he realized this was the mother of Su Cen who had worked for the Chens. But now she looked nothing like what he had imagined, an ordinary worker. Her demeanor and grace were far more impressive than his own mother's.

Chen Lingshan almost didn't recognize Zeng Ke either; there was a hint of shyness and fear in her heart as she said awkwardly, "Auntie Zeng, hello."

"Miss Chen...you're still so lovely..." Zeng Ke wanted to reach out to pat Chen Lingshan's head but stopped halfway, remembering the days when she worked at the trading company. Her daughter was a precious treasure who deserved admiration, and now reaching out felt inappropriate.

Zeng Ke awkwardly withdrew her hand, coughed, and urged Su Cen beside her who was picking items, "Su Cen, have you chosen Really, take your time like a girl."

Su Cen tried on the shoes in front of the mirror and said, "Alright, I’ll take this pair."

"These shoes are 650 yuan. Our store is running an event where customers get two pairs of sports cotton socks for free when they spend over six hundred yuan. Are you sure about this"

Zeng Ke nodded and pulled out seven bills from her wallet. She had prepared three thousand yuan today to buy things, but she was frugal by nature. Even though the store's fixed purchase now earned her more than she could have imagined when she was an ordinary employee, Zeng Ke remained simple and wouldn't treat herself unless it was for Su Cen’s midterm performance.

"Let's go." When they were leaving, Su Cen waved goodbye to Chen Lingshan. Zeng Ke also smiled and said, "Lingshan, you're classmates with Su Cen right You’re welcome to come play anytime. Hehe, even though you probably don’t want to..."

Su Cen sighed inwardly; seeing Chen Lingshan made his mother reminisce about her days as an ordinary worker, and some sense of inferiority and insecurity showed through. In truth, she missed those past years.

But without breakthroughs, there wouldn't be progress. After leaving the stadium, his mother seemed to recall many things from the past with a touch of regret but unconsciously straightened her back.

Aftrer Su Cen and his mother left, Gao Fan asked in confusion, "What did Su Cen’s mother do after she was laid off from your father's company Did she really strike gold when she went into business"

Chen Lingshan shook her head; the halfhearted gesture of Zeng Ke reaching out to pat her head left a faint sense of loss in her heart.

Fully updated third chapter, thank you for your votes and support!

The encouragement from Brother FirePeak made me feel very honored. Thank you for this strong support; it's made me the top commentator in my humble book review section, is this called God's hand, an overview of the landscapeecently, however, during several physical education classes and recess periods, some quite prominent figures from Grade Two would appear in their class's activity areas or near the corridors. Sometime...