Chapter 10
The late summer sun was still scorching, and the air was filled with distorted waves of heat rising from the asphalt road. The hustle and bustle of Jinyang, the provincial capital, hit Li Ming head-on like a tangible shockwave as he stepped out of the long-distance bus station. Towering glass curtain wall buildings reflected blinding white light, cars on the wide roads honked their horns incessantly, and well-dressed pedestrians hurried along... All of this was a stark contrast to the drab, slow-paced county town where he had lived for over a decade, making him momentarily dizzy. He subconsciously tightened the strap of his faded old schoolbag on his shoulder.
He didn't let his parents see him off. His mother, Wang Xiuqin, with red eyes, stuffed more and more into his bag, wishing he could take the whole family with him; his father, Li Jianhua, silently checked his train ticket and admission notice several times, finally patting him on the shoulder and saying, "Call me when you arrive." The force was heavier than ever before. Li Ming knew that this step was not just a change of location, but a leap in social class, like a fledgling leaving the nest to fly into a wider and more unknown sky.
Rejecting the overly enthusiastic unlicensed taxi drivers at the entrance, Li Ming followed the road signs and found the bus to Jinyang No. 1 Middle School. He paid the fare, boarded, and the crowded carriage was filled with the mingled smells of sweat, perfume, and gasoline. He found a window seat and stood watching the bustling street scene rush past outside—brand stores, large supermarkets, and trendy billboards that he had only seen on television or in his vague memories… all came into view. His heart pounded powerfully in his chest, a mixture of instinctive wariness of the unfamiliar environment and an irrepressible excitement and longing for this new world.
He knew that this place would be the true starting point of his new life.
The gate of Jinyang No. 1 High School was even more magnificent than Li Ming had imagined. The gilded school name gleamed in the sunlight, and the electric sliding gate slowly opened and closed, with a constant stream of people coming and going. New students dragging suitcases, accompanying parents, and confident senior students in uniform... the air was filled with a unique atmosphere, a blend of scholarly refinement and vibrant energy, characteristic of a top-tier university.
The campus was vast, shaded by lush trees. The red-brick teaching buildings exuded a sense of historical weight, while the brand-new laboratory building and library in the distance showcased a modern atmosphere. A huge bulletin board was crowded with freshmen checking their class assignments and dormitory information, the noise deafening. Li Ming squeezed through the crowd, looking up to find his name. When he finally saw "Li Ming" on the list for "Grade 11 (Class 7)" and then found the corresponding dormitory number "312," a strange sense of reality finally settled in—he really was standing here.
The dormitory building was also old, but the interior was relatively clean. Pushing open the half-closed door of room 312, a faint smell of dust and disinfectant wafted out. It was a standard six-person room with bunk beds, and two old desks placed near the window. Two roommates had already arrived.
On the lower bunk near the door, a slightly chubby boy wearing black-rimmed glasses was facing away from the door, struggling to organize a huge suitcase filled with all sorts of clothes and snacks. He muttered to himself, "My mom is really something, stuffing everything in there..." Hearing the door open, he turned around, revealing a round face with a憨厚 (honest and simple) smile. Upon seeing Li Ming, he immediately greeted him warmly, "Hi, new roommate? My name is Liu Qiang, from Liuxian County."
"Li Ming, from Lincheng." Li Ming replied with a smile. He had a good first impression of Liu Qiang; he was honest and straightforward.
"Lincheng? What a nice place!" Liu Qiang said, while frantically trying to help Li Ming with his luggage.
"No need, I can do it myself." Li Ming declined, placing his canvas duffel bag on an upper bunk on the inner side. His luggage was simple: a few changes of clothes, his most important books and notes, and a jar of homemade pickled vegetables that his mother insisted on putting in.
At that moment, another boy sitting at the desk next to him turned around. He was wearing a polo shirt with an English logo, well-fitting jeans, and brand-new sneakers, with an expensive-looking digital watch on his wrist. He was tall and had an obvious confidence, even a hint of arrogance, in his eyes. He looked Li Ming up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on Li Ming's simple luggage and faded shirt, before flashing a standard, slightly scrutinizing smile: "Zhao Zhen, from the city. We'll be roommates from now on." His tone was polite enough, but a subtle sense of superiority based on his location and family background permeated the air.
"Li Ming." Li Ming introduced himself again, his tone neither humble nor arrogant. He knew in his heart that this was Zhao Zhen, the "Confident Guy" mentioned in the outline. Such a character, if used well in the future team, would be a sharp sword; if used poorly, he could easily cause internal strife.
Just then, the fourth roommate arrived. He was a tall, thin boy carrying a heavy-looking backpack and a plastic storage box filled with tools and odds and ends. His hair was a little messy, and his face was slightly pale, as if he hadn't slept well. But his eyes, looking through his glasses, were unusually bright and piercing, with a kind of focused attention that seemed indifferent to his surroundings.
"Wang Hao." He gave his name succinctly, then went straight to the last empty lower bunk and began to quietly and methodically unpack his luggage. The first thing he took out was not clothes or bedding, but a heavy laptop, several programming books that were clearly beyond the scope of high school, and a bunch of scattered electronic components.
"Tech geek Wang Hao, here he comes." Li Ming silently thought to himself, the prototype of the future "Three Musketeers" had gathered for the first time in this slightly crowded dormitory room 312. The four, with their distinct personalities, were about to begin their clash and fusion on this new battlefield.
After settling into his bed, Li Ming declined Liu Qiang's invitation to "scout out" the cafeteria together and left the dormitory building alone. The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the campus in a warm golden light. He strolled through the vast campus, passing the bright and clean teaching buildings, the gymnasium with its clattering of equipment, the library with its vast collection of books, and the quiet and solemn laboratory building…
The facilities here are vastly different from those in rural junior high schools; the students passing by mostly exude confidence; and the bulletin boards are adorned with announcements of competition victories and club activities… all of this silently speaks to the high level of the platform and the abundance of resources here. A sense of pressure quietly creeps in, but even more so, there is excitement.
He walked to a grove of trees and found a stone bench to sit on. In the distance, the city lights were just coming on, neon lights flashing, outlining the outline of prosperity. He took out his old phone with its small screen and worn buttons, hesitated for a moment, and then composed a text message. The recipient was the number etched deep in his soul, the number that belonged to Li Ziqing. In his past life, he had dialed this number countless times, carrying too much sweetness and ultimately, heartbreak. But in this life, they had not yet met.
The text message was simple: "New environment, great, full of opportunities."
He didn't know how the other person would react to this somewhat abrupt text message—would they be puzzled or ignored? But that didn't matter. It was a marker, a clarion call for his charge into the future, and a reaffirmation of his own inner convictions.
Pressing the send button and seeing the "sent successfully" message on the screen, Li Ming put away his phone and turned his gaze back to the brightly lit city nightscape.
Opportunity. What exactly is this "opportunity" he's talking about?
It's not just about acquiring knowledge and becoming an elite. It's also about leveraging the relatively relaxed environment and valuable network of contacts provided by this key provincial high school, combined with his vague grasp of the trends over the next fifteen years, to find that crucial fulcrum to unlock his first pot of gold and lay the first foundation for the vast business empire he envisions.
Taobao? The e-commerce boom is about to take off. The stock market? He vaguely remembered some key moments. Or... should he start with the most pressing needs around him?
Countless thoughts flashed and collided in his mind. He knew he had many ideas, but the first step had to be cautious, steady, and quick.
As night deepened, a cool breeze blew. Li Ming stood up, took one last look at the dazzling "battlefield," and turned to walk towards the brightly lit dormitory building.
In dormitory 312, Liu Qiang was clumsily making his bed, Zhao Zhen was sending text messages on his new Motorola phone, and Wang Hao was already immersed in his world of code, his keyboard clattering loudly.
Li Ming silently climbed to his upper bunk and lay down. The bed was a bit hard, but he didn't mind. He closed his eyes, the sounds of his roommates moving around filled his ears, the unfamiliar dormitory smell filled his nose, and his mind was already racing, filtering and evaluating one possible "starting point" after another.
This road to the future is full of opportunities, but also fraught with unknown thorns. His "prophetic" advantage is a double-edged sword; used well, it can help him ride the waves; used poorly, it can bring disaster upon himself.
In this elite provincial high school, how will this "outlier" from a small county take this crucial first step? And what role will the girl who replied to his text message play in his plan?
In the silence, a subtle, hunter-like smile curved the corners of Li Ming's lips.
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