Chapter 1

Where is this? Lin Jixin widened his eyes.

Above his head, through the thin mosquito net, he saw the bare ceiling and a faint crack that was deeply familiar, having been etched in his memory for a long time.

This crack, he had seen it for over twenty years, from childhood to adulthood. Every time he woke up from a dream, it was the first thing he saw.

There was also the band-aid on the yellowed mosquito net, which he had stuck on himself to cover a hole.

When was the last time he lay in this familiar spot? He tried hard to recall, seventy or eighty years? It seemed even longer... The memory was too distant, and he could no longer remember clearly.

What's going on?

He closed his eyes, but the continuous explosions, screams, and the indignant roars, along with the deep, inescapable despair and sorrow, still echoed in his ears...

Was it a dream?

Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes again.

In front of him, the crack remained silent and clear.

No, it's not a dream!

He suddenly reached out, his fingers together, and deftly pinched a mosquito flying over his head. Watching it struggle to flap its wings between his fingers, his expression was calm, but he let out a low, neurotic laugh.

After a while, he got out of bed calmly, turned his head slightly, and saw the reflection of a young, slightly pale face in the full-length mirror of the old wardrobe, a face that had been pale from years of hard study and malnutrition.

He got up and walked into the living room. On the table, a pile of open books clearly showed the courses he needed to study—tenth grade.

Tenth grade?!

His heart tightened. Without looking further, he quickly grabbed the keys on the table, pulled on a tank top, and ran out in slippers.

Turning the corner of the old apartment building, the bright sunlight immediately hit him. In the golden light, he saw a small supermarket not far ahead, with a few customers coming and going.

He lifted his head, squinted his eyes, and breathed happily in the bright sunlight.

In his memory, this supermarket would be reduced to ashes in the week when he faced the biggest turning point in his life. Now, there was still time!

With his mind set, he turned back into the house.

He washed up unhurriedly, tidied his clothes, found his wallet, changed into a pair of sports shoes, and then walked out of the house calmly.

The beef noodle soup at the corner was still as delicious as ever. Lin Jixin ordered a large bowl, added a full spoon of red pepper, and sat at the entrance of the shop, basking in the somewhat scorching sunlight, watching the bustling crowd on the street, and eating heartily.

For some reason, when the long-missed aroma of beef filled his mouth, tears suddenly welled up, unable to be suppressed. Despite the overwhelming happiness and joy, he lifted his head, hugged the bowl, and let the warm, slightly bitter liquid flow freely across his face.

"Boss, what's the date today?" After finishing the noodles, he put down the bowl and asked.

"November 10th." The middle-aged, overweight boss seemed to want to shrink under the table, clearly frightened by his previous madman-like behavior.

He frowned. Although he couldn't remember the exact date, he was sure that the turning point in his life would happen at the end of this year. It was already November 10th, and time was running out, possibly within the next few days.

After frowning for a moment, he finally had some ideas and paid the bill, leaving the shop.

Walking down the street, about half a station away, a medium-sized bank came into view.

This is it.

If he remembered correctly, a bloody incident would occur at the entrance of this bank tomorrow afternoon. A lone robber would shoot the financial manager of a company and two junior employees, resulting in two deaths and one severe injury, and steal three million dollars.

Because the company was globally renowned and the robbery took place on a busy street, the incident caused a huge uproar, and the police offered a substantial reward. However, the main reason Lin Jixin remembered it so clearly was because of the special date: November 11th, Singles' Day.

The incident site was very close to his residence, and with the substantial reward, he had once curiously studied the images of the robber published online. According to the records, the robber, after robbing the bank, would walk straight along a small road near the bank, cross a pedestrian overpass on a side street, and then escape into a nearby, unmonitored, deserted alley.

Relying on his somewhat vague memory, he walked around the area and finally found the alley.

This was a narrow, dark alley between two high-rise buildings, rarely passed by anyone. Lin Jixin walked in and saw only discarded trash and debris. At the end of the alley was a quiet street, where only an elderly man slowly walked away under the shade of the trees.

Turning back, Lin Jixin walked slowly, observing as he went. When he returned to the street in front of the bank, he had a clear plan in his mind.

He took a bus to a large supermarket far from his residence, bought a large amount of items, and emptied his not-so-thick wallet.

Such a large supermarket had countless customers every day, and the items he needed were mixed among various other items. Even if his plan failed, no one would suspect a plain, student-like customer like him.

By the time he finished, it was already dusk. He returned to his residence with a bag of items, tidied up briefly, and went to bed early.

The next day, he woke up early, reviewed the details of his plan in his mind, and confirmed that there were no problems. He then closed his eyes and rested out of boredom.

Although he had experienced far more terrifying and intense events, today was different. Now, he was just an ordinary high school student.

Feeling that the time was right, Lin Jixin took the prepared items and went to the alley he had scouted the day before.

Not long after he was ready, he heard a few distant gunshots.

It's coming!

Alertly standing up, he focused his gaze on a small mirror positioned above his head.

The mirror was placed in a spot he had adjusted earlier. Through it, Lin Jixin, standing at the first corner of the alley, could clearly see the entire road at the entrance of the alley. The mirror was small and placed high, making it almost impossible to be discovered. This way, he could monitor the alley without worrying about being seen by anyone entering.

Soon, a person hurriedly walked into the alley.

It was the robber, just like in the video, wearing a blue-flowered shirt and carrying a briefcase. Lin Jixin recognized him at first glance.

As the robber approached and was about to turn the corner, Lin Jixin pulled the rope on the ground with force. The rope, painted gray to blend with the cement, was a trap the robber never expected. He tripped and fell flat on his face, and the briefcase flew away.

Lin Jixin rushed out from the corner.

The robber, despite being dazed, reacted quickly. He immediately looked in the direction of the footsteps and reached into his pocket.

A jet of cold water hit him in the face, causing his eyes to burn in pain. He screamed and his wrist trembled, and the gun in his hand was kicked away.

The robber finally realized that this was a premeditated trap, but he couldn't understand how anyone could have known his movements in advance.

Then, a sharp pain hit the back of his head, and he lost consciousness with a head full of questions.

If this body were stronger and he weren't worried about the gun, he wouldn't have resorted to a "pepper spray" trap.

Humming a tune, he put away the baseball bat, picked up the gun and briefcase a few steps away, poured most of the money from the briefcase into his backpack, and put the gun inside. He then poured a bottle of mineral water over the robber's head, and when the robber groaned, he turned and left— he didn't want the robber to fall into the hands of the police and take the blame. The money he left behind was to ensure the robber had funds to escape.

About an hour later, he appeared in front of Yucai High School.

This was an ordinary high school with average teachers and management, basically mediocre in every aspect, including its name. It was similar to Lin Jixin's current situation: thin, ordinary, and a common student carrying a backpack.

The sun was already high in the sky, and several classes had already started. Fortunately, the school's management was not strict. After waiting for a moment, a group of students came out during the break to buy things, and Lin Jixin took the opportunity to enter the school.

Relying on his vague memory, he walked into the classroom under the watchful eyes of the students.

"What are you doing in my seat?" He tentatively approached an empty seat but hadn't even sat down when a plain-looking female student walked in and immediately shouted at him, clearly dissatisfied.

Lin Jixin stood up, feeling a headache. This young body had no abilities, and before his return, his brain had surpassed the most advanced computers, allowing him to recall every detail of his life effortlessly.

Fortunately, most students were in their seats, and after another attempt, he finally found his own seat.

As soon as he sat down, a student came up to him, "Why are you so late?"

This was a close friend from middle school, but their relationship had cooled over the years. Lin Jixin could still vaguely recognize him but couldn't remember his name, so he just smiled, "I had something to do."

"Be careful," the friend warned cautiously, "Old Zhang has asked about you several times."

Old Zhang? Lin Jixin's mind raced. It must be the current homeroom teacher, Zhang Zonglin, who taught math, was in his forties, and was strict and serious. Most students feared him like a tiger, and "Old Zhang" was the most polite nickname they used in private.

Because of his strictness, Lin Jixin had a deep impression of this teacher and immediately remembered him.

After a few casual words, a student he couldn't remember rushed into the classroom and called out from a distance, "Lin Jixin, Mr. Zhang wants to see you."

This must be a class officer. Lin Jixin remembered he had just left the classroom, clearly to inform Zhang Zonglin.

Not wanting to argue with the kid, he saw his friend had already wisely returned to his seat, so he got up and walked out. As he passed his friend, he glanced at the textbook on the desk, which had "Sun Xueqiang" written on the cover in crooked letters.

The door to the teachers' office was open, and Lin Jixin knocked lightly on it.

Several teachers looked over, and Zhang Zonglin, sitting at the desk on the far left, said, "Come in."

He took a few steps and stood in front of Zhang Zonglin.

Zhang Zonglin had a stern face, and his serious eyes looked through the cold glasses, "What's going on?"

Lin Jixin responded calmly, "I went for a job interview."

Of course, the job was just a made-up excuse.

When he was a student under Zhang Zonglin, he had strongly disliked the teacher's style, but he was no longer the naive teenager he once was. He understood that Zhang Zonglin's strictness was out of concern, so he no longer resisted.

Zhang Zonglin was taken aback, and his tone softened, "You can't just skip class like that..."

Then, he would surely give a lecture on life and the world for an hour or so.

Lin Jixin quickly interrupted, "I need to support myself!"

Seeing Zhang Zonglin look somewhat awkward, he bowed his head slightly, "I'm sorry..."

Then he looked up at Zhang Zonglin, "Mr. Zhang, I know you're doing this for my own good, but I'm not meant to be a good student."

Zhang Zonglin, who had no idea that this was all an act, softened his expression and sighed, "I know it's not easy for you to live alone. If you need help, you can always come to me, but as a student, you must ask for leave if you have something to do..."