Chapter 3

Although Guo Ming didn't care much about others' opinions, in the eyes of the teachers, he was a little ruffian who should be kept at a distance; a good-for-nothing troublemaker, a complete waste. However, he did care about Shui Mengyao's opinion.

Guo Ming was already 16 years old and had a vague understanding of the relationship between men and women. He had once harbored fantasies about the fairy-like Shui Mengyao, but he knew he had no chance with her, so he never joined the ranks of those pursuing her.

Today, Shui Mengyao's slight nod made his heart ache terribly. Was he really that much of a failure?

Shaking his head, Guo Ming strode towards his classroom.

Today, all the students were curious. Guo Ming, who usually liked to sleep in class, was actually listening. However, most of the students thought he was just having a whim.

Mr. Wang, the math teacher, was a man in his fifties. He taught math. Because Guo Ming had dared to sleep in his class before, he felt his dignity was greatly challenged. But who was Guo Ming? He wouldn't be intimidated by an old man. Thus, Mr. Wang had a particular dislike for Guo Ming. Today's events were truly strange.

He squinted at Guo Ming, confirming that he was indeed listening attentively, and then fell into deep thought. After finishing today's lesson, it was time for practice.

Mr. Wang wrote a problem on the blackboard and called out, "Guo Ming, come solve this problem."

Guo Ming's heart trembled. Although he had勉强 understood the examples in the book, he really didn't know how to solve the problem on the blackboard. He was certain he couldn't solve it after just one glance, as he had no clue where to start.

Since Mr. Wang had called him, if it were the old Guo Ming, he might have ignored him. But Guo Ming had decided to be a good student, so he wouldn't openly defy the teacher anymore.

Frowning, he walked to the podium. As he took the chalk, he saw a flash of sharpness in Mr. Wang's eyes, and a surge of anger rose in his heart. It turned out Mr. Wang was seeking personal revenge, wanting to embarrass him in front of everyone.

Glaring at Mr. Wang with a cold stare, Guo Ming looked at the math problem on the blackboard. One minute, two minutes, three minutes passed, and Guo Ming felt the students below becoming restless, their mocking laughter rising. With the first person leading the way, the other students quickly joined in the chorus of ridicule.

"Haha, so he doesn't know anything at all."

"Where? Didn't you see him reading the book seriously today? He's already determined to work hard."

"Tsk, don't you get it? He's just hiding his true abilities."

...

...

Guo Ming was indeed a little ruffian, but he had never bullied anyone in his class. Even if someone offended him, as long as it wasn't too much of an affront to his dignity, he could tolerate it. But there was a limit. Throwing the chalk away, Guo Ming turned to stare at the few who were loudly mocking him.

Their voices abruptly stopped. They looked at Guo Ming's bloodshot, angry eyes and instinctively shrank back, remembering what kind of person he was. Although they stopped their verbal attacks, the disdain in their eyes was clear.

Shui Mengyao looked at Guo Ming with pity. She wanted to defend him, but the situation clearly wasn't suitable.

"Mr. Wang, I don't know how to solve it," Guo Ming said in a hoarse voice.

"Hehe, it's fine. I didn't think you would," Mr. Wang chuckled.

Guo Ming's eyes were filled with bitterness as he slowly walked back to his seat and slumped down. He was ultimately an outcast in the class, and no one here looked up to him. If he continued to study, he would only receive more ridicule.

Shui Mengyao looked at the slumped Guo Ming with concern, sensing the great blow he had suffered.

The bell rang, and Mr. Wang announced the end of the class. The classroom became lively.

Shui Mengyao hesitated for a moment, then gently approached Guo Ming. In front of all the stunned classmates, she patted his shoulder and softly said, "Guo Ming, come with me outside."

Guo Ming looked at the close-up of Shui Mengyao, and his heart began to beat wildly. She was as beautiful as a celestial maiden, untouchable by mere mortals like him. Now that she had taken the initiative to invite him, he couldn't bear to refuse. But suddenly, he thought of something and shook his head. He stood up and walked out. Being pitied by a girl wasn't what Guo Ming wanted; he wanted to be independent and strong.

"Guo Ming, are you okay?" Shui Mengyao asked urgently, worried that he might do something rash.

Guo Ming paused for a moment, then quickened his pace out of the classroom.

This caused a stir in the class. Why would a pure and beautiful girl like Shui Mengyao take the initiative to care for a ruffian in the class? This sparked intense discussions. No matter when, beauty was always the focus. Some people with ulterior motives began to keep an eye on Guo Ming, the little ruffian.

It was around nine o'clock, and Guo Ming rode his bicycle to the park in the county. Perhaps because the weather was a bit gloomy, only an old man in his seventies or eighties was fishing by the lake.

Guo Ming parked his bicycle and walked towards the old man. As a somewhat advantaged ruffian, Guo Ming felt that fishing could cultivate his temperament. Since he was bored, he walked over.

But as he approached the old man, a strange feeling welled up inside him. It was a deep sense of respect. Guo Ming obediently watched the float in the lake.

Time slowly passed, one hour, two hours. Suddenly, a thunderous boom echoed, and the accumulated dark clouds burst, with large raindrops falling from the sky. The rain fell on the two of them, and Guo Ming suddenly woke up, wondering what had just happened. It seemed he had entered a state of no desires and no worries, only a calm detachment from the world.

In just a moment, Guo Ming's body was half-soaked, but he strangely noticed that the old man remained motionless, his eyes still fixed on the float in the water.

Guo Ming stood up and said softly, "Grandpa, the rain is getting heavy. Why don't you leave?"

The old man seemed not to hear Guo Ming and continued his previous actions.

Seeing the old man's thin clothes, Guo Ming quickly took off his own to shield him from the rain. He didn't know why he did this, but it was an instinct. It seemed like a joke of fate. Without Guo Ming's actions today, he probably wouldn't have a chance to achieve great things.

Life's encounters are so simple. You have countless opportunities in life, and if you can seize them, you can succeed.

Half an hour later, Guo Ming felt his arms almost numb, and he was drenched like a wet chicken. His hair was like a pot lid on his head. The cold, wet clothes made him shiver, and his body was covered in goosebumps. He couldn't stop trembling.

Finally, his hands could no longer bear the numbness and he withdrew them. A deep sense of fatigue immediately came over him, and Guo Ming frowned. This feeling was truly unbearable.

The old man stood up with a faint smile. Guo Ming's eyes widened in disbelief as the rain suddenly changed direction, sliding to the sides. What was happening? Growing up under the red flag, Guo Ming had never questioned science before.

Could this old man be a martial arts expert? Yes, that must be it.

Just as he was about to kneel and ask to be his disciple, he suddenly felt a heavy force hit him. His chest churned, and an indescribable pain filled his brain. Then he felt as if he had fallen into the water. What was happening? He hadn't offended the old man. This was Guo Ming's last thought before he fell into a deep coma.

The old man threw away the fishing rod and muttered, "Sigh, why be so good to me? I wonder if what I did was right."

After saying this, the old man turned and left, ignoring the now submerged Guo Ming.

It seemed like a long time had passed. Guo Ming seemed to hear his mother's sobs and forced his eyes open. He saw his mother, her face tear-streaked, and his father, deeply frowning, beside him. The surroundings were white walls, and there was a faint smell of medicine.

"Where am I?" This was Guo Ming's first thought.

"Miner, you're awake," his mother said happily.

"Mom, why am I in the hospital?" Guo Ming touched the bandage on his head, confused.

Guo Zheng hurried to his son's side and asked with concern, "Miner, what happened? How did you fall into the lake?"

I fell into the lake. Guo Ming quickly recalled the events, and they replayed in his mind without any deviation, as clear as a 3D movie. He didn't pay much attention to this, but he fell into deep thought. He knew that if he told his parents about these events, they wouldn't believe him, and he had no intention of doing so. He sensed that this might be a significant turning point in his life.

"You!" Guo Ming's mother hit Guo Zheng, scolding him, "Miner just woke up. Wait until he recovers before asking."

"Hehe, it's my fault," Guo Zheng hurried to apologize. For him, his son's quick recovery was a great joy. He now saw things more clearly. He had heard about what happened to his son today and realized he had neglected his son's education. Now, it was too late to make up for it. Fortunately, his son's character wasn't bad, and he could always have him take over his job.

Looking at his son, Guo Zheng said seriously, "Miner, rest well. Don't worry, we won't force you to study anymore."

Guo Ming's mother paused, looking at Guo Zheng in confusion. Seeing his eyes move, she seemed to understand something and said, "Miner, you're still weak. Rest well."

Guo Ming was indeed very tired. Hearing this, he closed his eyes and soon fell into a deep sleep.