I'm a proper student; I only take nine kinds of potions every day.

Evan walked to the window and peered down.

Only one milk cart was passing by on the street downstairs, clanging and jingling, and she was nowhere to be seen.

"It seems we really need to seal the windows from now on."

He made up his mind.

The abdominal cramps struck again right on time. He took out the bottle of copper pills from his jacket pocket, poured out a pill, and put it in his mouth.

[You have taken the test copper pill. Effect lasts: 10 hours.]

[Effects: Powerful analgesia, permanently reduces pain perception; permanently improves blood quality by 0.1%.]

[Copper epidemic: 0.1% → 0.11%]

You reversed the side effects of the test copper pill.

Your liver damage has been alleviated, from 39% to 38%.

Your kidney function has improved, and your physical condition has permanently increased by 0.001.

Your bone strength has increased, and your constitution has been permanently increased by 0.002.

……

After breakfast, Evan went out, boarded the clanging tram, and headed to school.

The school is still the same school.

It's just that one less person who bullied him is gone.

LeBon's parents did not wait for him at the school gate.

It seems that McCrae's explanation of "it was a misunderstanding" worked.

Or perhaps, after losing his son, the respectable importer had no energy left to dwell on the seemingly nonsensical notion of a "supernatural curse."

November 12th, Monday morning, first period chemistry class.

With the highly anticipated inter-school rugby tournament on the 19th drawing ever closer, the students are getting increasingly excited.

The voices in the corridor discussing tactics and betting grew louder every day, and even the most diligent pre-med students began secretly passing around the game schedule.

But Professor Mons on the podium remained as stern and rigid as ever, as if the classroom were an isolated island cut off from the world.

"Quiet."

His voice wasn't loud, but the sound of chalk hitting the podium drowned out all the whispers in the room.

"Who can explain why Dalton's atomic theory was initially questioned?"

"And how Berzelius resolved this controversy through experiments?"

He paused for a moment, then tapped the blackboard twice with the chalk in his hand.

"At the same time, please calculate how many grams of water can be produced when 32 grams of oxygen reacts with sufficient hydrogen. Please come up to the stage and write out the complete calculation process."

The familiar silence returned to the classroom.

Several students were engrossed in reviewing their books, trying to confirm their memories at the last minute.

Just before those mouths were about to open, Ivan stood up first.

"professor."

His voice was steady and clear.

"The core controversy of Dalton's atomic theory lies in the relative standard of atomic weight."

"He initially identified hydrogen as one, but could not explain the proportions of elements in complex compounds, especially the presence of multiple atomic ratios in complex oxides."

"Berzelius determined the composition of about two thousand compounds through a large number of precise chemical analysis experiments, re-established the atomic weight standard of sixteen for oxygen, and unified the reference system for relative atomic weights."

"At the same time, he introduced the Latin abbreviation system for element symbols, which laid the data foundation for Mendeleev's periodic table later."

Professor Mons nodded in satisfaction.

"Very skilled. Go up on stage to calculate."

He turned around and called out three more names.

"Morales, Habini, Bruno. Come on stage together."

The four people walked up to the blackboard one after another.

Ivan picked up the chalk.

The chalk tip made a crisp, rhythmic tapping sound on the blackboard.

His handwriting was neat and powerful, with sharp strokes. The chemical equations were arranged line by line, with every number and arrow precisely placed.

Balance chemical equations.

Substitute the molar mass into the formula for calculation.

The result was: 36 grams of water.

From start to finish, it took less than two minutes.

Standing on the podium, Evan was no longer the thin, sickly man he used to be.

The dramatic changes of the past few days have solidified his belief that he needs to show his talent, win a letter of recommendation from his professor, and gain the favor of his classmates.

His personal experiences over the past few days made him realize one thing deeply.

In this world, the extraordinary and industry have long been intertwined.

Studies must not be neglected.

Without money and knowledge, you can't even become a superhuman.

He will not become complacent and arrogant because he has gained extraordinary power, nor will he think that he has become some kind of superman who can use these powers to get everything he wants.

Even extraordinary individuals are still human at heart.

Even the most powerful superhumans cannot survive long outside the social networks of humanity.

This was the taste he had slowly savored from each encounter with Pris, Hill, the nun, and Yuri over the past few days.

The stern and rigid Professor Mons looked at Evan's dignified handwriting and precise calculations on the blackboard and uttered a satisfied "hmm".

Then he turned to look at the other three people.

The letters were written awkwardly, and the chemical formulas were written, erased, and written again.

One of them even wrote the atomic weight of oxygen as seventeen. He realized halfway through the calculation that the answer didn't match and turned red in the face.

The three young men were all dressed very appropriately.

A starched shirt, exquisite cufflinks, and a tailor-made suit vest.

Each piece was expensive and fit perfectly.

But a pity.

Nice clothes don't give you a smart brain.

Furthermore, they cannot pass on their knowledge.

Chapter 36: Cooperation and Enemies

The bell rang, signaling the end of chemistry class. Professor Mons, while packing up his lecture notes, called out to Evan, who was about to leave the classroom.

"Come here, Arkham."

The old man glanced at him over his glasses, his gaze no longer filled with scrutiny and doubt, but with a rare hint of approval.

"You're in good shape, Arkham."

Ivan gave a polite smile, his teeth white and even.

"Your recognition has given me confidence and direction for my efforts, Professor."

The old man nodded slightly, put the chalk back into the wooden box on the podium, and made a soft sound.

"Take care of yourself. Don't hang out with those guys who don't care about their studies."

He paused for a moment, his gaze falling directly on Evan's face through the lower half of his reading glasses.

"For a student like you, studying is your only way out."

Ivan lowered his head, his tone sincere.

"Thank you for your guidance, Professor."

After that came German, math, and biology lessons.

After four lessons, Evan appeared confident and composed.

Compared to the self-conscious student who used to cower in the last corner and only stand up when called upon, he was a completely different person.

The other students in the classroom began to whisper among themselves.

How come this guy has changed so much?

While everyone was discussing it, Evan casually rolled up his sleeves when he went up to the podium to answer a math question.

At that instant, several pairs of eyes below narrowed simultaneously.

Ivan's forearm, which was previously covered in copper-red rashes, is now as smooth as ever.

His skin was clean and firm, and the muscle lines of his forearms were clearly visible in the sunlight. There was not a trace of the ridicule that had once made the whole class laugh at him.

"This guy's French pimples...are they cured?"

In the second row by the window, a young man with a neatly parted hairstyle squinted his eyes slightly.

Morales.

One of the few middle-class students in the class who still manages to study quietly.

His father was a well-known physician in Bolton, and his family was well-off. Under his father's arrangement, he also wanted to become a doctor.

This Mr. Morales has been keeping an eye on Ivan recently.

It wasn't out of sympathy, but because he had heard from his father that a new drug called "Magic Bullet" had recently appeared in the hospital, specifically for treating syphilis.