Chapter 012: Bus Anecdotes

The next morning, as the sky began to brighten, the entire coastal city was still wrapped in the quiet serenity of dawn. Aside from a small group of early risers exercising in parks and neighborhoods, most citizens remained deep in sweet dreams.

Yet the students of Class Three-Seven, battered by the narrow goals of exam-oriented education, had already assembled in their classroom—save for Lin Yu, Qi Yue, and a handful of those lagging in grades. Today, however, they didn’t immediately immerse themselves in morning study. Instead, they gathered in small groups, whispering and discussing something in hushed tones.

The focus of their attention was the desk of Yang Zhiling, the class’s star pupil. Upon it lay piles of completed test papers and numerous printed revision outlines. Yang herself had taken a seat at Qi Yue’s desk. Not only was Yang Zhiling outstanding in Class Seven, she was also a remarkable presence in the humanities stream across the entire high school. Thus, the old outlines on her desk were evidently of no use to her anymore.

The students speculated about the purpose of these materials. After a round of discussion, they concluded that Yang Zhiling had prepared them for Qi Yue. After all, the close friendship between the two was well known, having reached the level of inseparable confidantes.

One by one, the students began to envy Qi Yue. They knew that even casually organized materials from someone of Yang Zhiling’s caliber were of immense value—akin to a martial arts master handing down secret manuals to a novice.

Wang Keming, the deputy class monitor whose grades consistently ranked among the top five, boldly approached Yang Zhiling and directly asked if he could copy the materials. Yet Yang politely declined, stating the content was too simple to be of any use to him.

For the rest of the morning self-study, Wang Keming—dubbed the class’s top scholar—remained distracted, unable to settle down to study. He had always believed that, in terms of grades and appearance, he was the only one worthy of pairing with Yang Zhiling. Both were class monitors, naturally suited to be a pair, and his own privileged background only added to this conviction.

Seeing Wang Keming’s request turned down, the others abandoned their hopes for the materials and immersed themselves in their subjects. For them, every minute was precious, as they aimed for admission to prestigious universities and could not afford to waste a single self-study period.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Lin Yu and Qi Yue—who had nearly crossed a forbidden line the previous night—were awakened by Lin Yu’s mother, Wang Chunhua. The memory of last night’s intimacy lingered; Qi Yue’s cheeks were flushed as she rose, her allure evident even as she brushed her teeth and washed her face, unable to ignore her own awkwardness.

As Qi Yue washed up, Wang Chunhua gave Lin Yu a stern lecture, demanding he promise not to engage in any inappropriate physical contact with Qi Yue during high school.

Lin Yu, already seated at the table enjoying a satisfying breakfast, merely smiled awkwardly and remained silent. He knew himself too well after the experiences of his previous life, and would not make a promise he could not keep.

After Qi Yue finished her morning routine, she ate breakfast nervously. The two dressed in their school uniforms, tidied themselves, bid farewell to Wang Chunhua, and set off together for school. They were not in a hurry, so instead of taking a taxi, they boarded the newly upgraded city bus, heading toward the First High School of the coastal city.

Finding two adjacent seats near the back door, they sat side by side—Qi Yue by the window, Lin Yu on the aisle. Together, they gazed out, admiring the picturesque cityscape.

After a few stops, the bus began to fill and then became crowded to the point where there was barely room to stand. The resilience of Chinese commuters was impressive, and the driver, ignoring complaints, stopped for anyone who signaled, as if the bus were a magical space capable of accommodating all.

Qi Yue, who had seldom experienced such crowds, was curious and looked around energetically, her ponytail occasionally brushing Lin Yu’s cheek.

Lin Yu was used to this and showed no reaction, keeping his gaze on the city outside, observing the beginnings of its construction boom.

As a newly emerging coastal city, the tertiary sector dominated its economy, with finance, real estate, insurance, and transportation as key industries. The bus passed through Central Avenue, the city’s burgeoning financial center, where banks and major corporations were gradually establishing their presence.

Lin Yu knew that if he wanted to succeed in business, opportunities lay on this street. He observed it intently, knowing that in ten years it would become the city’s commercial heart—akin to Wangfujing in Beijing, Nanjing Road in Shanghai, or Zhongjie in Shenyang. While others saw only the current prosperity of half the street, Lin Yu could perceive its future glory.

Where others saw the dominance of the Bank of China, he foresaw a competitive landscape of banks. Where they noticed Nokia and Motorola stores, he envisioned Apple and Samsung flagships years ahead.

Such insights were countless.

Meanwhile, he used the search system in his mind to check the prices of nearby commercial properties, preparing himself for future opportunities when the time was right.

For Lin Yu, the wind he awaited was nothing more than capital. Money was not everything, but without it, nothing could be achieved. He understood its decisive role in changing one’s fate. With family savings barely reaching thirty thousand, he knew he had to find his own way to amass wealth. Securing a substantial sum was a daunting challenge.

As Lin Yu emerged from his deep thoughts, a faint scent of perfume caught his attention. Instantly, he noticed a young woman in a dark gray business suit and large black-rimmed glasses, pushed by the crowd so close she nearly sat on his lap, her ample bosom pressed against his face—an intimate posture indeed.

On the other side, Qi Yue witnessed it all, her eyes blazing with jealousy, her demeanor like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode.

Seeing this, Lin Yu smiled slyly, realizing his absorbed expression must have caused Qi Yue to misunderstand, and the fiery-tempered girl’s anger was rising.

Stabilize the internal before dealing with external troubles.

Lin Yu ignored the young woman and instead flashed Qi Yue a mischievous grin, his gaze full of flirtatious meaning.

Caught by his look, Qi Yue seemed to recall last night’s events, her cheeks reddening as she turned away to look out the window, thinking that what was out of sight would be out of mind.

Now Lin Yu took a closer look at the woman in the gray suit, who seemed like a reed bent by the wind. He saw the helplessness and grief in her eyes. Behind her stood two men, pretending to glance outside while in fact groping her.

The two men, appearing to be in their twenties, were clearly acting together, working to corner the woman near Lin Yu’s seat, giving her no room to escape.

Lin Yu, though not a saint, possessed a sense of justice. Seeing the woman’s pleading eyes, his heart softened.

He stood up and said, “Take my seat. I’ll stand for a while and stretch my legs.”