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【ding dong】

[Host detected meets the requirements for traversing the new instance world]

[Current Dungeon World: Goodbye Mr. Loser]

[Date: March 1997]

Location: Xihong City No.1 Middle School

[Identity: Su Ning, a high school student with the same name, from Class 2, Grade 12 at Xihong City No.1 High School]

[Special Note: The current timeline is before the original story began; Charlotte has not yet traveled back from 2015.]

Main mission: Survive and complete your studies to successfully take the college entrance examination.

[Missing Memory Reward: 1% Recovery]

When the system's cold notification sounded in his mind, Su Ning was standing in a void.

Then everything went blurry.

When I opened my eyes again, everything had changed.

The first thing you see is a narrow bedroom.

The room was small, about ten square meters. In some places, the white plaster on the walls had peeled off, revealing the gray-black cement underneath.

The walls were covered with yellowed old newspapers, including the People's Daily and the Xihong Daily, with news from several years ago printed on them.

An old-fashioned wooden table sits by the window, its surface uneven and covered with a transparent plastic tablecloth. Underneath the tablecloth are several timetables and notes.

A desk lamp with a green metal lampshade and a pull-cord switch sits on the table, next to which are stacks of textbooks and workbooks, neatly arranged.

The shouts of vendors from the breakfast stalls downstairs drifted in from outside the window.

"Soy milk... fried dough sticks... tofu pudding..."

"Freshly steamed buns..."

There was also the jingling of bicycle bells, jingling, jingling, one after another, coming closer and then going further away.

Su Ning sat up and looked down at her hands.

Young, wrinkle-free, seventeen-year-old hands.

Her fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles, her skin was smooth, and her nails were neatly trimmed.

I clenched my fist, feeling that long-lost youthful energy.

On the desk next to me was an open textbook with the words "Senior High School Physics" written on the cover and "People's Education Press" in smaller print below.

The pages of the book were covered with notes, written in neat handwriting, showing that the original owner was a diligent student.

The edges of the pages were curled up, indicating that the book had been turned many times.

A desk calendar stood on the corner of the table, turned to the page for March.

On the March calendar, the date was circled in red with the words: "Midterm exams, March 25-27".

Today is March 16th, nine days to go.

Suning picked up a small notebook from the table.

That was the original owner's diary, with a blue plastic cover and lined paper inside.

Turning to the first page, the handwriting was neat and tidy: "March 1, 97, sunny. Today I transferred to Xihong City No. 3 Middle School and was assigned to Class 2 of Senior Three. My homeroom teacher, Mr. Wang, is a very nice person and arranged for me to sit by the window. My classmates all seem to be doing well. I hope I can adapt quickly."

The following pages are scattered with some trivial notes: "March 2nd, cloudy. Today in math class we talked about functions, which was a bit difficult. The food in the cafeteria was alright, better than the food at my previous school."

"March 5th, cloudy. There's a girl in my class named Ma Dongmei who sits behind me. She's very helpful and lent me her eraser. Qiuya is the class monitor. She collected homework today. She's quite pretty, and judging by her appearance, she has a very hot figure. Yuanhua is the class monitor. I heard she's an excellent student and her family seems to be wealthy."

"March 8th, sunny. Da Chun, that big goofball, is actually quite honest. Zhang Yang is quite talkative, always telling jokes during breaks. There's also a guy named Meng Te, who speaks in a soft voice and walks with a swaying gait. Some people talk about him behind his back, calling him effeminate. I find it quite amusing."

"March 10th, cloudy. There's a girl in my class named Charlotte who always seems distracted. I heard her grades aren't very good. She fell asleep in class again today and was called on by the teacher to answer a question, but she couldn't answer it. It was quite embarrassing."

"March 12th, sunny. There are a few girls in the next class who get together to sing every day. I heard they want to participate in some singing competition. Today, on my way home from school, I passed by the music room and heard them practicing. They sang quite well."

"March 15th, cloudy. Today in PE class, I played basketball with the boys in my class. Da Chun was really good at rebounding, Yuan Hua's shooting was pretty accurate, and Qiu Ya seemed to have a crush on Yuan Hua. Xia Luo was also there, he played so-so, but he ran pretty fast, and he kept circling around Qiu Ya like a jerk. After the game, we went to the convenience store to buy soda, chatted for a bit, and I felt that he was actually a okay person, but he was always spacing out."

Su Ning closed her diary and couldn't help but laugh.

Ma Dongmei, Qiu Ya, Yuan Hua, Da Chun, Zhang Yang, Meng Te, Xia Luo.

Suning is very familiar with these names.

He had watched the movie "Goodbye Mr. Loser" more than once.

Charlotte, who traveled back in time, became famous by plagiarizing songs from the future, only to discover in the end that the person who loved her most had always been by her side.

Suning remembers all those classic scenes, those funny lines, and those moments that made people laugh and cry.

Charlotte hasn't time-traveled yet.

Right now, nothing has even started yet.

Suning stood up, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains.

The sunlight streamed in, making it a little dazzling.

I squinted and waited a while before I could see the outside world clearly.

Downstairs is a narrow alley, about two meters wide, paved with cement, with cracks in some places.

Opposite was a row of low bungalows with gray brick walls and black tiled roofs. Some had birdcages hanging under the eaves, and others had honeycomb briquette stoves at their doorways.

Someone was brushing their teeth at the door, hunched over, their mouth full of white foam.

Someone was hanging clothes out to dry in the yard, one by one on bamboo poles, the clothes were colorful and vibrant.

In the distance, several five- or six-story buildings stand there, with slogans from a few years ago still on the walls. The slogans are white with red backgrounds and read things like "Family planning benefits the country and the people" and "Development is the only way forward."

There are TV antennas on the roof, standing upright like trees in a forest.

Further away, the factory's chimneys could be vaguely seen, emitting wisps of smoke.

There were also tower cranes at the construction site, gleaming in the sunlight.

1997 years.

Xihong City.

As Su Ning watched all this, a strange feeling welled up inside her.

I experienced that chaotic era myself.

In that world called "Ten Years of Love," he went from being a rich second-generation heir to being incredibly wealthy.

It was the early 90s in Shenzhen. People were going into business, starting their own businesses, and getting rich overnight. Everything felt so real.

Later, he was sent by the system to "Peaceful Years". In the chaotic world of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, he climbed out of a well and gradually rose to the throne.

Bianliang, Youzhou, Khitan, Abbasid Caliphate, Europe, forty-three years, one empire, twenty-four sons.

Now, Suning is back.

We've gone back to 1997.

I went back to high school.

……

Just then, a middle-aged woman's voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Xiao Ning, get up and eat, it's time to go to school!"

Su Ning responded and went out.

In the small living room, a woman in her forties was putting breakfast on the table.

She was wearing a blue work uniform with oil stains on the sleeves, her hair was simply tied in a ponytail, and she had a gentle smile on her face.

Millet porridge, pickled vegetables, two boiled eggs, and two fried dough sticks were arranged neatly.

This is the original owner's mother, surnamed Li, who works at a local textile factory.

"Eat quickly, don't be late." His mother handed him chopsticks and served him a bowl of porridge.

Su Ning took the chopsticks and said, "I understand."

His mother sat down opposite him, picked up an egg, cracked it on the table, and began to peel it. "How are your classmates doing? Have any of them bullied you?"

Su Ning smiled and said, "No! The college entrance exam is coming soon, and everyone is focused on their studies."

"That's good." His mother put the peeled egg into his bowl. "Eat more, it's the time when you're growing. You're in your final year of high school, studying is tiring, you need to eat more."

Looking at the eggs in the bowl, Su Ning felt a slight warmth in her heart.

This mother, like the mothers he had seen in different worlds over the years, was simple, kind, and gave all her love to her child.

After finishing his meal, Su Ning slung his backpack over his shoulder and went out.

……

In March, the mornings in Xihong City are still a bit chilly.

There weren't many pedestrians on the street, and occasionally a few bicycles would pass by, making a jingling sound.

The roadside shops had just opened, and a few people were lined up in front of the breakfast stalls. Some were squatting by the roadside eating with bowls in their hands, while others were pushing bicycles and eating as they walked.

Suning walked along the street, turned two corners, and saw the gate of No. 1 Middle School.

The name of Xihong City No. 1 Middle School is written in seven large characters on the sign at the entrance, with a white background and red lettering, and it is somewhat faded.

The old gatekeeper sat in the guardhouse, wearing a blue Zhongshan suit, holding a teacup, watching the students come and go.

The words "Advanced Worker" printed on the tea mug have already peeled off.

Two rows of tall poplar trees lined both sides of the school gate, their leaves not yet fully grown, still a tender green.

On campus, students walked in twos and threes toward the teaching building. Some carried backpacks, some held books, and some ate as they walked.

Su Ning followed the crowd inside and found the classroom of Senior Three (2) by following her memory.

The teaching building is four stories high, with gray brick walls, wooden doors and windows, and each window is painted green.

Class 2 of Senior Three is on the third floor. At the corner of the stairs, there is a wooden sign on the door that reads "Class 2 of Senior Three".

The door was open, and quite a few people were already inside.

The classroom was small, with six rows of desks, five in each row. The desks were made of wood and had various words carved on them.

The blackboard was dark green, and there were notes left by the teacher from the previous class on it.

There was a chalk box and an eraser on the podium, and next to it was a hanging plant that was growing quite lushly.

Suning walked in and sat down in his seat—by the window, third from the bottom.

You can see the playground outside the window; a few students are running, and a few are playing basketball.

As soon as I sat down, someone in front of me turned around.

A girl with a round face smiled at Su Ning.

She was wearing a school uniform with three stripes on the sleeves. Her eyes weren't big, but they narrowed into slits when she smiled, and she seemed quite warm-hearted.

"Su Ning, did you finish that math problem yesterday? That last big one was so hard!" Ma Dongmei's voice was quite loud, and the whole classroom could hear her.

Su Ning smiled and said, "I've finished making it. Do you want me to explain it to you?"

"Really?" Ma Dongmei's eyes lit up. "That's great! I'll come find you after class. I thought about it all night last night, and I even pulled out a few strands of hair, but I still couldn't figure it out."

"Ma Dongmei, when did you become so studious?"

"Look at what you're saying, I also want to improve, don't I?"

At this moment, a slightly chubby boy in front of them looked up; it was Yuan Hua.

He looked quite energetic, with fair skin and delicate features, and was engrossed in reading. Hearing Ma Dongmei's words, Yuan Hua, unusually, chimed in, "That question was indeed a bit difficult; it was a variation of a past college entrance exam question. It took me half an hour to solve it."

“A top student is a top student.” Ma Dongmei pouted. “He finished it in half an hour, while I couldn’t finish it all night.”

Yuan Hua smiled smugly, didn't reply, and continued reading.

I had known that his essay, "My District Chief Father," had won an award, which is why he had always been a prominent figure at the school.

Near the door, a few boys were chatting together.

A big, clumsy guy with a chubby face was grinning from ear to ear; it was Da Chun.

Next to him was a thin, clever boy gesturing wildly; that was Zhang Yang.

There was another one whose attire was somewhat "unique," whose posture was awkward, and who would occasionally cover his mouth and laugh—that was Meng Te.

As I recall, it was the one that would later become "Meng Tejiao".

Suning even suspected that Xia Luo might have contracted AIDS from him.

Furthermore, Meng Tejiao may have had a special relationship with Yuan Hua and Xia Luo later on, because every time Meng Tejiao's eyes were seen, they seemed very strange.

Zhang Yang was talking animatedly, while Da Chun listened attentively, nodding occasionally.

Meng Te listened intently, laughing heartily. "Let me tell you, the videotape I watched yesterday was amazing!"

Zhang Yang lowered his voice, but the whole classroom could still hear him: "Stephen Chow's 'A Chinese Odyssey' was hilarious!"

"I've heard of it, is it good?" Da Chun asked.

"It's great! Especially that Tang Sanzang, singing 'Only You,' it's hilarious!" Zhang Yang imitated the character from the movie, singing in a high-pitched voice, "Only you... can accompany me on my journey to the West..."

Da Chun and Meng Te laughed so hard they almost fell over.

On the other side of the classroom, a few girls were chatting together.

Some had ponytails, some had bangs, and some wore glasses; they were all chattering away, I couldn't tell what they were saying.

He would occasionally burst into laughter, then lower his voice and continue muttering.

Qiuya hasn't arrived yet.

The school beauty from No. 1 High School was originally married to a short and ugly old man, but was later "conquered" by Xia Luo, who came from another time.

Just then, someone walked in through the door.

He was thin, his hair was a little messy, and his eyes looked somewhat unfocused.

He was wearing a faded school uniform with the sleeves rolled up twice because they were a bit long.

He swayed and walked to the corner of the last row, the seat by the back door, sat down, lay down, and fell asleep.

Charlotte.

Looking at him, Su Ning suddenly felt a pang of emotion. She hadn't expected this guy to be so dejected now.

However, this seemingly insignificant fellow will probably experience an unbelievable time travel in a few days.

Eighteen years later, Xia Luo will return to 1997, plagiarize songs that don't belong to him, become a star, marry Qiu Ya, lose Ma Dongmei, and finally understand what true love is in his dream.

But right now, Charlotte is just an ordinary,颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of being listless, dispirited, or demoralized) high school student.

This is an ordinary high school student who is troubled by his crush on Qiuya, gives up on himself because of his poor grades, and spends his days daydreaming.

Just then, another person came in through the door.

Qiuya.

She was wearing a neat school uniform, her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she had light makeup on her face.

She walked into the classroom, glanced around, and then sat down in her seat...

The third row, by the aisle, next to Yuan Hua.

Yuan Hua looked up and smiled at Qiu Ya.

Qiuya smiled and then lowered her head to open her textbook.

Ma Dongmei poked Su Ning with her finger, then looked in Xia Luo's direction and said in a low voice, "Xia Luo in our class, all he does is sleep all day. I heard he has a crush on Qiu Ya, but Qiu Ya and Yuan Hua are a couple."

Su Ning smiled but didn't reply.

……

The school bell rang.

The bell was an old-fashioned electric bell that rang for a long time before stopping.

The homeroom teacher, Mr. Wang, walked in. He was in his forties, wearing glasses and holding a lesson plan. He always gave off an indescribably sleazy vibe.

He walked to the podium, put down his lesson plan, and scanned the classroom. "Let's begin."

"Stand up," Yuan Hua called out.

The whole class stood up and said in unison, "Hello, teacher."

"Hello, students, please sit down."

Teacher Wang opened her lesson plan and began her lecture, "Today we'll be talking about..."

Suning opened his textbook, listened to the lecture, and occasionally jotted down a few notes in his notebook.

During the break, Ma Dongmei indeed ran over to him, "Su Ning, Su Ning, quickly explain that question to me!"

Su Ning smiled, took out a draft paper, and explained it to her step by step.

Ma Dongmei listened attentively, nodding occasionally and asking a few questions now and then.

"Oh, I see! I understand now!" After explaining, Ma Dongmei slapped her thigh. "Thank you! I'll treat you to an ice cream later!"

"You're welcome," Su Ning said.

Da Chun also came over and asked in a silly tone, "Suning, you're pretty good at basketball, how about we play together this afternoon?"

Su Ning thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."

Zhang Yang also came over and winked, saying, "Su Ning, do you have a girlfriend? There are quite a few single girls in our class."

Su Ning smiled and said, "No, I'm focused on my studies."

"Study?" Zhang Yang curled his lip. "It's senior year of high school, so it's time to study. But you have to balance work and rest, and play when you should."

Meng Te also came over and said in a high-pitched voice, "Su Ning, you're so handsome! Girls must like you."

Suning couldn't help but laugh.

This Mengte, he really knows how to talk...

As they were talking, Charlotte stood up from her seat and swayed as she walked out.

As he passed by them, Xia Luo glanced at Su Ning and nodded as a greeting.

Suning nodded in agreement.

Charlotte walked out of the classroom and disappeared.

Ma Dongmei watched his retreating figure and pouted, "Hmph! He went to smoke again, definitely."

Zhang Yang said, "Xia Luo hasn't been in a good state lately; he keeps getting distracted. I heard his mother scolded him again, complaining about his poor grades."

Da Chun said, "I heard that his mother got married again?"

……

After school in the afternoon, Suning went to the playground to play basketball with Dachun and the others.

There were quite a few people on the playground; some were running, some were playing soccer, and some were playing basketball.

Su Ning, Da Chun, Zhang Yang, Yuan Hua and a few others formed a team to play against the other team.

I played for over an hour and was covered in sweat.

After playing ball, a few of them went to the convenience store to buy soda.

Arctic Ocean soda in a glass bottle, chilled, costs 50 cents a bottle.

A few people squatted by the playground, gulping down their drinks.

Zhang Yang asked, "Su Ning, what do you think of our class?"

Su Ning thought for a moment, "That's good."

“That’s right,” Zhang Yang said proudly. “Our class is one of the best in the grade.”

Da Chun nodded blankly, "Yes, the best class."

Meng Te said in a high-pitched voice, "Su Ning, I don't usually hang out with you boys, but the moment I see you, I feel an overwhelming liking for you."

Su Ning suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, and forced an awkward smile. "Thank you."

After finishing their sodas, the group dispersed, and Su Ning walked home with her schoolbag on her back.

I just feel like Mengte is always staring at my butt. It seems I should stay away from this perverted guy from now on.

It was still light at dusk in March.

The streets are getting busier—people getting off work, leaving school, buying groceries, and cooking.

The aroma of food wafted from the roadside restaurants, and people set up stalls outside selling kebabs; the charcoal fires glowed red-hot, and wisps of smoke rose into the air.

As Su Ning walked past the barbecue stall, the aroma made him smile.

This era is truly wonderful.

Simple, pure, and full of everyday life.

Continue walking forward, into that narrow alley, into that old residential building, up to the third floor, and push open the door to your home.

"You're back?" Her mother's voice came from the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready soon. Wash your hands and get ready to eat."

Su Ning responded, put down her schoolbag, and went to the restroom to wash her hands.

When I came out after washing my hands, my mother had already put the food on the table.

Stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, shredded potatoes, and a seaweed and egg drop soup.

Simple, but piping hot.

"How was your day?" the mother asked.

"That was good." Su Ning sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and said, "I played basketball with my classmates."

The mother nodded. "That's good. Make more friends, don't stay cooped up all the time."

While eating, Su Ning suddenly asked, "Mom, has our family... always lived here?"

The mother paused for a moment, then said, "Yes! What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Su Ning smiled. "Just asking."

After finishing his meal, Su Ning returned to his room and sat down at his desk.

Outside the window, it was already dark.

Lights came on in the building across the street, and you could vaguely see figures moving around.

Suning opened the textbook again and began to review.

There are still three months left in this senior year of high school.

He wants to make the most of these three months and then get into a good school.

...(End of this chapter)