Chapter One: I Choose to Die Like a Dog

“Now, the examination rules will be read aloud!”

“Candidates must strictly adhere to examination discipline. No smoking, no loud talking, no whispering or glancing around…”

The clear, precise voice of a female announcer echoed through the classroom. Zhang Chu, still drowsy, shook his head. How long had it been since he’d last heard such a voice? It felt oddly familiar.

“As you think by day, so you dream by night. Isn’t it just because my nephew is about to take his college entrance exams? Why would I dream something so strange, too?” Zhang Chu murmured to himself, wanting to turn over and continue sleeping. But astonishingly, that voice just wouldn’t stop!

“You there, the exam is about to start. Get up quickly.”

With the sharp click of high heels against the floor, a middle-aged female teacher, her invigilator’s badge swinging from her neck, strode over and knocked hard on Zhang Chu’s desk.

“Don’t bother me, I’m sleeping!” Zhang Chu muttered, his head buried in his arms. Who was so tactless as to disturb him while he napped?

At that moment, another person came over, rapped forcefully on the desk, and barked, “The papers are about to be handed out. Get up at once. If you don’t want to take the exam, don’t disrupt the other students!”

Only then did Zhang Chu groggily lift his head, rubbing his eyes with impatience. “Who the heck are you?”

To his surprise, there were actually other people in the classroom. Hearing this, several couldn’t help but snicker.

“What are you laughing at? Don’t you know exam discipline? Listen to the broadcast!” The bald male teacher spun around and snapped. The previously noisy classroom immediately fell silent.

Zhang Chu, finally coming to his senses, was utterly bewildered. What on earth was going on?

Hadn’t he just had a few extra drinks at the roadside stall last night? How had he woken up to find himself in a classroom full of kids, about to take an exam?

And judging by the formal atmosphere, this was no prank.

“Since you’re awake, get your exam admission ticket out. Anything you’re not allowed to bring in must be placed on the podium. After we check your admission ticket, the papers will be distributed. Where’s your ticket?”

Still dazed, Zhang Chu discovered he was sitting at a desk facing the wrong way. He rifled through the transparent stationery bag on the desk, fished out the printed admission ticket, and handed it to the invigilator.

The female teacher carefully checked his ID card, the admission ticket, and Zhang Chu himself before returning the documents. Inwardly, she sighed, “Here’s another student who’s given up on himself, treating the college entrance exam like a joke, not caring about the outcome at all.”

When Zhang Chu glanced at the top left corner of the desk—at his ID card and admission ticket—his eyes widened in disbelief. “Province of Jiangdong, 2018 National Unified College Entrance Examination for Ordinary Higher Education Institutions”!

“What the hell? How did I end up taking this year’s college entrance exam?”

His heart nearly exploded. He looked from the admission ticket to the photo on his ID. It was indeed his own face, but at least a decade younger.

The young man in the photo was strikingly handsome, lips curled in a faint smile—a bona fide heartthrob!

He clearly remembered being born in 1990, so why did the ID say 2000? The family address hadn’t changed, nor had the school. Had he somehow magically become a teenager again?

One question after another spun in Zhang Chu’s mind. What kind of bizarre situation was this?

He leaned back against the wall, surveying the classroom. About thirty desks were neatly arranged, each occupied by a tense, alert teenager. The blackboard listed exam reminders, and the classroom doors at either end stood open, letting in a wave of warm air. Outside, the sun shone brightly, pale blue curtains fluttering in the breeze.

The scene tugged at memories buried deep within him—real beyond belief.

But the most terrifying thing before him was the exam itself. Back in school, he’d been a poor student. After struggling through high school to get into a second-tier science university, he’d completely slacked off. At university, failing courses and retaking exams became routine. He was even infamous for having to retake Advanced Mathematics three times.

After graduation, all the knowledge from his textbooks had long since been returned to the teachers. How could he possibly remember any of it now?

His senior year of high school had been the most knowledgeable time of his life—he’d understood the principles of celestial mechanics, mastered organic and inorganic reactions, tackled everything from ellipses and hyperbolas to biological hybridization. He could speak English, recite classical Chinese, solve series, and discuss dialectical materialism. He could trace five thousand years of Chinese history and extrapolate across continents and oceans.

Now, aside from playing mahjong and drinking, none of those skills were of any use.

Tears nearly welled up in Zhang Chu’s eyes. If he could, he’d choose to just give up.

Taking the college entrance exam under these circumstances was pure torture. Maybe he could bluff his way through Chinese, but as for math and the other sciences, he’d be lucky to answer the multiple-choice questions.

“Invigilators, please verify and unseal the exam papers. The first subject is Chinese. Exam time is from 9:00 to 11:30.”

That death knell of a voice hammered his heart. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

He was doomed. Of all the days to be reborn, why the day of the college entrance exam?

Even a week or a month earlier would have been better. Now all he wanted to do was type GG and surrender.

Just then, a mechanical, synthesized voice sounded in his mind.

“Ding! Host’s resentment points have reached 99. Urgent need for help detected. Savior System activated!”

What was happening?

“Ding! Savior System has been successfully activated. This system is designed to help the host achieve his goals. A beginner’s package has been delivered to your virtual backpack. You may open it now.”

Zhang Chu’s head was spinning. Not only was he reborn, but now he had a Savior System. It was as if he’d suddenly gone from background extra to main character.

The feeling was exhilarating!

He quickly composed himself and urged in his mind, “Hurry, open it and see what’s inside.”

“Opening beginner’s package. Congratulations, host! You have received one out-of-field assistance, one in-field assistance, and one lottery chance!”

Out-of-field assistance?

In-field assistance?

A lottery?

The terms’ meanings flashed through Zhang Chu’s mind. Out-of-field assistance meant he could use the Savior System to seek help online for one hour.

In-field assistance allowed him to select any relevant person within a hundred meters for help, connected by thought.

As for the lottery—well, that was self-explanatory. It all depended on luck, and what he received would be assigned at random by the system.

“Host attributes as follows. Please check at any time.”

A virtual screen appeared before Zhang Chu’s eyes, visible only to him, displaying a few simple lines:

Host: Zhang Chu
Age: 18
Reputation: 0
Skills: Mahjong lv.4, Vehicle Driving lv.3, Cooking lv.2, Swimming lv.1

Seeing these skills lit up brought him some comfort. Even if he bombed the college entrance exam, at least he wouldn’t starve. But none of these would help him with the Chinese test right now.

It seemed he had no choice but to use the system’s out-of-field assistance!

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I, Hu Hansan, have returned!
Though “Literary Superstar” was taken down, updates continue in the group.
Official Hanlin Academy group: 528633323
New book uploaded—please add it to your library and support with recommendation votes!