Chapter 21: The Cricket Has Landed on the Right Person

The report night went smoothly, though the results wouldn't be appearing anytime soon. Justice may not always be late, but it certainly never skips the red tape. Zhai Da could only hope the Changjing Road Police Station was a bit more efficient—if they were even half as fast as the Pozi Street precinct, that would be enough.

He couldn't wait to get his hands on his own television. He wondered what kind of addiction it would trigger—would there be a chance to "synthesize" something?

Waking up feeling groggy the next morning, Zhai Da checked his phone to find a text message.

"Malnutrition": "I'm having breakfast."

Zhai Da rubbed his eyes, confused for a moment. It was so abrupt. "Handsome Zhai" replied with a simple, "Good."

Only after sending it did he realize—was this girl reporting in just because he’d told her to eat properly?

After using the bathroom, brushing his teeth, and splashing his face with water, Zhai Da felt fully awake, though flashes of Lu Wei kept crossing his mind. He pictured her at some breakfast stall, dutifully reporting her status with that earnest, literal-minded expression of hers. It was actually quite cute.

Yu Xiaoli had prepared steamed buns and soy milk for breakfast—likely bought from downstairs. Zhai Da stuffed a bun into his mouth, finishing it in three bites. Yu Xiaoli walked out holding a curling iron, watching him in silence.

"Three buns, is this for both of us?" Zhai Da asked in surprise.

"I’ve already eaten," Yu Xiaoli replied. "I’m just worried you’re going to get fat. I’ve been feeding you too well lately."

Zhai Da subconsciously looked down. His stomach, which already had a bit of flab, did look more prominent.

"Uh... fair point. I’ll find time to exercise."

"Good. You’re not studying anyway, so you can go for a morning or night run."

Zhai Da snorted coldly. Just you wait. The cheat code is already on its way. Once it arrives, I’ll show you that a golden carp is no mere pond dweller—once it encounters the wind and clouds, it transforms into a dragon. I’ll pull off a three-hundred-point score and stun you all!

Before heading out, Zhai Da lifted his shirt in front of the bathroom mirror. Sure enough, there seemed to be a bit more fat on his belly than when he had first been reborn last week. Mom’s cooking was definitely the most fattening; perhaps out of nostalgia, he’d been a bit indulgent lately.

He stepped on the scale: 76 kilograms. For someone 177 centimeters tall, the standard weight was around 72 kilograms, so he wasn't far off. But that was a doctor's standard, not an "aesthetic" one. It was like when a doctor tells you your son has a "minor injury"—you shouldn't assume it's actually minor; he might be missing a limb. At 72 kilograms, unless your body fat percentage is very low, you already look slightly chubby, and Zhai Da was clearly trending toward "moderately chubby."

Zhai Da stroked his chin, thinking that Mom’s cooking was indeed a weight-gain engine. He really should consider exercising. If only there were some kind of [equipment] that could transfer his flab onto someone else... like Lu Wei. If a pretty girl like her had a little more meat on her bones, she’d probably look even better. At least, she’d be much better than Lin Shuyao.

Slinging his heavy school bag over his shoulder, Zhai Da left with Yu Xiaoli, and they parted ways at the residential complex gate.

***

The weather was perfect today. April was the tail end of spring, the most pleasant time of the year. If you could just ignore the fact that it was Saturday, your mood would be quite bright.

But fate just couldn't stand to see someone at peace. The moment he stepped into the teaching building’s corridor, he heard people gossiping about him again.

"What? Zhai Da from Class 38? No way, right?"

"I saw it with my own eyes..."

He turned to look and saw the same few girls who stood at the absolute pinnacle of the Maofang Middle School gossip hierarchy. The "Big Four" of gossip—tall, short, fat, and thin—each with their own distinctive, bizarre style. Their thick bangs perfectly matched Zhai Da’s stereotypes about such girls. They weren't exactly "delinquents" or "troublemakers," but if you crossed them, rumors would ensure you were treated like a pariah for the rest of your school life. Zhai Da often saw them whispering in the hallways, but he still didn't know which class they were actually in. It was as if they belonged to a secret, "shadow class" within the school.

Zhai Da wasn't one to back down. Just like last time, he walked straight over with a smile. "Talking about me again? Want to talk about it together?"

The girls didn't play by the rules. A chubby girl stepped forward and asked directly, "Is it true that Lin Shuyao confessed to you?"

Zhai Da choked. "...No."

The girl pressed on, "At the bus stop? You rejected her, right?"

Zhai Da replied, "Classmate, don't spread nonsense. I just said no."

"So the rumor about her fainting after being rejected, that was just a rumor she started herself? So that's the kind of relationship you two have... Then why reject her? Is she not pretty enough? Or do you like 'Little Deer'?"

*Not... are you even listening to what people say? Are you stuck in your own world? And what is this 'Little Deer' nonsense...*

Just then, footsteps approached from behind. The girls, who hadn't been intimidated by Zhai Da, suddenly scattered. Zhai Da thought it was a teacher, but when he turned around, it was Lin Shuyao, clutching a stack of test papers.

In her school uniform, she actually looked better than she did on her days off when she tried too hard; her simple ponytail was far better than those fluffy, imitation-alternative hairstyles. Lin Shuyao’s face was flushed, a mix of shock and embarrassment—she had clearly heard most of it.

The two stood in silence. Zhai Da was quite speechless; these girls managed to gather both main characters in the gossip at once. He chose to walk away.

As they brushed past each other, Lin Shuyao, head bowed, couldn't help but say, "I didn't..."

Zhai Da replied, "You’d better not have. I never heard anything, either."

They both knew exactly who had spread the rumor. He’d deal with Wu Yue later. What could he do? The boy was his "son," after all; he couldn't exactly sever the father-son bond.

After saying this, Zhai Da walked into the classroom without a second thought, leaving Lin Shuyao frozen in place, her fingers clenched white. To put it ungracefully, she was so angry her sanitary pad was practically crooked! Glaring at Zhai Da’s back, a feeling of defiance surged within her. *Why! Why am I so disliked?*

The "evil plan" that had stalled for a few days after being exposed by Wu Yue reignited. *Zhai Da! Just you wait! Once you fall for me, I’m going to... I’m going to... suppress you so hard you’ll never be able to flip over!*

***

As Zhai Da walked into the classroom, he immediately felt several gazes sweep over him, mostly from the boys. It seemed the scene in the hallway had been witnessed by quite a few people... or perhaps the rumor was finally starting to ferment.

Zhai Da’s gaze cut through the crowd and landed sharply on Wu Yue. *You useless, backstabbing brat!*

Sure enough, he hadn't been in his seat for long before trouble came knocking. A boy named Chu Xiang walked over as if by accident and tapped on Zhai Da's desk.

"Zhai Da, haven't you not handed in your homework for a long time?"

The arrogant tone made it clear he wore his "I have authority over you" attitude on his sleeve. At such a young age, without even knowing what real authority was, he was already using his imagination to mimic "official airs."

Zhai Da looked up calmly. "Oh... which subject's class representative are you?"

Chu Xiang replied with a hint of pride, "I am the study commissioner."

*Does that make you special?*

Their conversation drew the attention of nearby classmates. Even Yang Fan, his seatmate who was pretending to sleep on the desk, tilted his head and peeked out with one ear.

"Classmate Zhai, we were accommodating your mood before, but that’s enough now. As the study commissioner, I’m reminding you to prioritize your studies."

Zhai Da flicked his pen as if brushing off dust. "Did the teacher ask you to come and ask me?"

Chu Xiang was prepared and told a small lie. "Yes."

Using a feather as a command arrow was instinct, but fabricating things out of thin air was a real skill. *If I don't throw my weight around, wouldn't being study commissioner be a waste?*

Zhai Da said, "If the teacher told you to come, you come. If the teacher told you to go die, why don't you go die?"

Chu Xiang: ...That sounded familiar.

"I’m the study commissioner. Isn't it right for me to be concerned about your homework? Do you think I'm picking on you?"

Zhai Da flipped open his book without turning his head. "It takes two to clap, and flies don't bite seamless eggs. You should look for the reason within yourself."

"You..."

"You what? Don't waste people's time in the morning. If you aren't copying homework, others are. Don't affect students with ambition."

The commotion made many in the classroom prick up their ears, including Lin Shuyao, who had just sat down. Chu Xiang was left hanging, unable to step down.

Wu Yue chimed in from the side, "We're in the third year of high school, and you're still acting like a study commissioner? What's the matter? Does it give you extra points for the college entrance exam?"

Chu Xiang’s face flushed red, and he could only snort. "Right. Some people have such low scores that whether they do their homework or not doesn't really matter."

Wu Yue replied, "And some people are so cheap that whether they have any face or not doesn't really matter."

He then smiled at Zhai Da as if asking for credit, but was met only with a roll of Zhai Da's eyes. Zhai Da wasn't angry—it was just the whimpering of a sycophant. If he was going to hold a grudge, he’d hold it against the dog's master.

*What a nuisance.*