I created an extraordinary era

Chapter 709 Graduation
On the night the college entrance examination ended, a noisy barbecue stall in Jiangcheng.

When Chen Mo pushed open the door to the private room, a wave of heat, carrying the aroma of barbecue and familiar laughter and banter, rushed towards him.

Zhang Hao was standing on a chair, gesturing wildly as he demonstrated his "earth-shattering" punch during the practical assessment, which drew bursts of laughter from the crowd.

Lin Hao shook his head helplessly, but skillfully flipped the meat skewers on the grill.

Chen Jing sat with several girls, talking in hushed tones, their faces showing the relief of having been relieved of a heavy burden.

This is a small gathering of the group that represented No. 7 Middle School in the Jiangcheng Martial Arts Newcomer Competition.

After all, they are comrades who have gone through the trials of the competition together.

On that stage, they fought side by side for the honor of No. 7 Middle School, and they also pushed their limits by cheering each other on.

This friendship is something that ordinary classmates can hardly compare to.

On the other hand, those who had participated in the rookie competition had already subtly created an invisible boundary between themselves and their classmates.

This is not a deliberate act of distancing, but rather an inevitable divergence in life trajectories.

"Brother Mo! You've finally arrived!"

Zhang Hao, with his sharp eyes, immediately jumped off the chair and grabbed Chen Mo.

"We've been waiting for you! Tell us, what was it like to be stared at by several Innate Realm experts? My legs were practically cramping!"

Chen Mo was forced into a seat, and a full glass of ice-cold beer was immediately shoved in front of him.

He smiled, didn't answer the question about the examiners, but simply raised his glass and said:
"Thank you for your hard work, everyone."

These three simple words seem to have touched the hearts of everyone.

Yes, you've worked hard!

For the martial arts rookie tournament, for the college entrance examination, for these three years.

All the pressure, fatigue, resentment, and perseverance seemed to be released at this moment, along with the bubbling foam in the cup.

"cheers!"

A dozen or so glasses collided heavily, spilling golden liquor, just like their unrestrained youth.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere became even more lively, but the conversation always carefully avoided the most sensitive issue.

Fraction!

"I felt I barely answered the last big question in the academic subject,"

A boy from Class 1 scratched his head and said:
"In that Mars route planning, I avoided the sandstorm zone, but it seems I overlooked the stability of the surface structure."

"Me too!"

Someone immediately agreed.

"I was so focused on calculating the shortest path that I realized I should have paid more attention to safety."

Zhang Hao slammed his fist on the table:

"As long as I pass the academic subjects, that's fine! The key is in the actual test! I think I performed pretty well in the actual test, at least better than in the mock exam!"

He spoke with great confidence, but his hand unconsciously tightened its grip on the wine glass.

Li Chang shook his head and said cautiously:
"I felt that the examiner's expression was very serious the whole time, and I couldn't tell whether he was satisfied or not."

"Yes, yes, the examiner seemed to frown slightly when he watched my demonstration. Could it be that I made a mistake somewhere?"

Another girl chimed in, looking worried.

Chen Jing gently stirred the drink in her glass, her gaze sweeping over everyone present.

Although everyone appeared to be drinking and laughing heartily, the same unease lurked beneath each person's smile.

After all, the scores haven't been released yet, so no one can predict where their future will lead.

“You say,”

Li Chang suddenly lowered his voice:

"What if... what if we don't get into the extraordinary university in the end?"

This question caused the lively private room to fall silent for a moment.

Of the dozen or so people present, only Chen Mo, Chen Jing, and Li Si dared to say that they were certain they would be admitted to Chaofan University.

Even Wang Kai and Lin Hao wouldn't dare say they were absolutely certain.

After all, the scores from this year's unified exams show that the competition is indeed much fiercer than before.

For these students at exceptional high schools, if they cannot get into university, they basically only have one option.

Go to a vocational school.

Of course, if you can pass the military selection process, you can also join the army.

This is also the fastest way to become a superhuman.

However, the military's assessment is not much easier than the college entrance examination, and now the military recruits mostly from graduates of extraordinary universities.

It is not an easy thing for high school students to join the military.

Besides, if you have money, you can join a supernatural force.

You can also gain contribution points inside, thus becoming an extraordinary being.

Those who enter through this method generally don't gain many contribution points, and their future achievements are limited to becoming a Body Tempering Realm Transcendent.

It's practically impossible to break through to the Innate level.

However, most people don't need to think about it.

Most of the people present were from ordinary families, and Chen Jing was the only one who had the opportunity to join the extraordinary forces!

Zhang Hao broke the silence first, giving Li Chang a hard pat on the back:
"What unlucky talk you're giving me!"

"We are the strongest team in No. 7 Middle School this year, and we have already proven ourselves in the rookie competition!"

"that is!"

Wang Kai nodded as well.

"Have confidence in yourself." But this encouragement sounds more like a pep talk to yourself.

They themselves were not entirely confident that they could get into university.

Chen Mo had been listening quietly the whole time, and only then did he speak:
"Let's wait for the results."

"That's right, the exams are all over, there's no point in thinking about it now!"

"We gave it our all during our three years of high school. No matter the outcome, at least we can say we have no regrets."

These words were like a gentle breeze, dispelling the last trace of gloom in the private room.

Yes, in these three years they have seen the training ground at four in the morning, felt the pain of torn muscles, and experienced the helplessness of collapsing from exhaustion.

No matter where it ultimately leads, this burning youth is precious enough in itself!

"Yes!"

Zhang Hao suddenly stood up and raised his wine glass.

"Cheers to these three unforgettable years!"

"cheers!"

The clinking of glasses was crisp and clear, and the young face gleamed under the light.

At this moment, they stopped talking about the anxiety-inducing future.

The conversation returned to the funny stories from the rookie competition, the embarrassing moments during training, and the plans for the summer vacation.

They deliberately avoided making specific plans for the future.

Because before that report card came out, all the plans were like castles built on quicksand.

Laughter filled the private room once again, the aroma of barbecue mingling with the scent of youthful sweat, creating the most unique memory of this night.

They recalled the joy of breaking through their limits, the encouragement they gave each other after each failure, and the moments they cheered for each other on the field.

Ultimately, they were all just eighteen-year-old teenagers.

No matter how resolute they had been before, now that they had shed their burdens, they finally revealed the demeanor befitting their age.

Zhang Hao pulled out a deck of cards from somewhere and insisted on telling everyone's fortunes: "Let me see which universities you will all get into!"

He pretended to shuffle the cards, muttering to himself, and his charlatan-like manner made everyone laugh.

"You should do your own calculations first!"

Li Si smiled and stuffed a skewer of grilled mushrooms into his mouth.

Chen Jing, unusually, set aside her reserve and joined in the drinking games. When she was penalized with a drink for being a beat slow, the blush on her cheeks made her look much cuter than usual.

Even Lin Hao, who was usually silent, managed to tell a lame joke amidst the jeers of the crowd.

Although the joke itself wasn't funny, his unusually embarrassed expression only made the laughter in the private room louder.

As night deepened and the group, tipsy, walked out of the barbecue restaurant and said goodbye in the early summer night breeze, Zhang Hao suddenly shouted:

"No matter what the outcome, we have to get together again in ten days!"

"Yes! Once the scores are out, whoever does well will treat everyone!"

Someone responded with a laugh.

This agreement made the atmosphere of parting much more relaxed.

They patted each other on the shoulder, promised to stay in touch, and then turned and disappeared into the night of Jiangcheng.

The streetlights cast long shadows of the boys.

They walked in the early summer night breeze, filled with trepidation about the future and with each other's blessings.

Zhang Hao walked at the back, glancing back at the empty private room.

The grill was still warm, and a faint smell of smoke lingered in the air, as if it were still telling the story of the night.

But ten days later, that report card may push them onto different life trajectories.

In the future, there may be very few opportunities like this again!
In this era, the path to extraordinary achievement is like a rushing river.

These young people, who have just finished the college entrance examination, are standing at the most important point of divergence.

Some will go straight down the river, enter top universities, and pursue their dreams in a wider world.

Some will switch to a side stream and continue their studies at ordinary, extraordinary universities.

Some people may be forced to leave the profession and learn a skill in a vocational school.

The trajectory of a person's life is often set in stone by this report card.

As Zhang Hao walked home, the night breeze caressed his face, carrying the warmth unique to early summer.

The streetlights stretched his shadow long and short, as if telling the story of the ups and downs of life.

He could feel the laughter and chatter fading away behind him; those familiar voices were blending into the night of Jiangcheng as everyone went home.

At that moment, he suddenly remembered when he first entered No. 7 Middle School three years ago.

Back then, they were young and naive, full of longing for the extraordinary world, yet they couldn't even stand steadily on the most basic stance.

Three years have passed, and they have proven themselves on the field, demonstrated their abilities to the examiners, and reached the finish line on this path.

Zhang Hao muttered to himself.

"Maybe this is what youth is all about!"

Where there is gathering, there is parting.

Where there is laughter, there are tears.

Where there is hard work, there is reward.

In this extraordinary era, these emotions are especially precious.

Because once we embark on different paths, it may be years before we meet again.

He looked up at the night sky, where countless stars twinkled, each one orbiting its own path.

Like these people, they are about to embark on their respective futures.
(End of this chapter)