Rebirth 08: A Happy Life Begins in Elementary School

Chapter 107 What will you be like ten years from now?

Cai Chao was naturally very reluctant to be seen by others in this state.

Especially those two brats in the back, what are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen the boss cry before?

But he really couldn't hold on.

Ever since Li Zhao began to rise to prominence, Cai Chao's father has never stopped belittling Cai Chao.

Cai Chao's poor performance wasn't something that happened just a year or two ago. Starting in the third grade, when everyone's grades began to be ranked, Cai Chao gradually slipped to a poor student because of his addiction to arcade games.

At first, he felt some pressure, knowing he would be beaten by his parents when he got home, and he thought about trying to improve his grades.

But if everyone thought that way, there would be no bad students.

He couldn't tear himself away from arcade games and hung out with older, less academically gifted students. They kept telling him that it didn't matter if his grades were bad, and that his parents would eventually stop caring.

Cai Chao believed it.

Practice has proven that this was correct.

By the time he was in fifth grade, his parents had stopped caring much about Cai Chao's grades.

If you fail the exam, you'll get a few words of criticism when you get home, then hear a sigh, and that's it.

Parents certainly don't expect their children to pass the entrance exams for top-tier junior high schools.

We'll see which school we're randomly assigned to, and once we finish compulsory education, we'll send us to a vocational school.

Cai Chao himself enjoys this lazy lifestyle, and his parents have already accepted it.

However, everything changed after Li Zhao began to erupt.

First, Cai Chao suffered several setbacks, and his long-dormant dissatisfaction with himself began to re-emerge.

Then there was Li Zhao's dazzling poster, which was too glaring to Cai Chao's parents.

That day was the first time Cai Chao's father said these words to him: "Look at him, he'll be from a completely different world from you in the future, how can you still have the nerve to be classmates with him?"

Thinking of this, Cai Chao couldn't suppress the anger in his heart through his tears: "So what now? Aren't you also from the Sixth Elementary School? How come you're not from the same world as me? Don't you live on Earth?"

"You still have the right to stand here and talk to me now, but what about ten years from now if you continue down this path?" Li Zhao said.

Cai Chao clenched his back teeth tightly.

Tell me, what do you think you'll be like ten years from now?

"None of your business!"

"Of course it's none of my business, I'm not your father." Li Zhao turned around and started packing his things. "Whether we're from the same world or not is your concern, I don't. But if you make me or my friends uncomfortable right now, I'll make you pay the price immediately."

Cai Chao clenched his fist.

"You believe I'll hit you?"

"What did you say?!" Chen Nian raised his fist directly. Ma Yingying and Jiang Qi walked over, and He Shuyao stood next to Li Zhao.

Everyone was looking at Cai Chao.

"You wouldn't dare," Li Zhao waved his hand, indicating that everyone didn't need to be so tense.

How do you know I wouldn't dare?

"You're not stupid, you know what the consequences would be if we really attacked," Li Zhao said. "Cai Chao, I have no obligation to advise you, nor am I interested in doing so. Your parents are right that we're not from the same world. You don't understand now, but you will in the future."

Cai Chao's hands trembled as he watched Li Zhao pack his things and prepare to leave. Chen Nian, who was following behind him, looked at him with hostility, while He Shuyao looked at him with disgust. He finally broke down.

"Why!"

A loud shout brought everyone back to their senses.

"I just can't study, so what? Everything was fine before, why did you have to get first place in the country? Why did you put up the poster? After my dad saw it, he sighed every day and said I was a huge disappointment. He said again and again, you're not from my world, I'm a disgrace, I don't deserve to stay in this school—"

Cai Chao spoke between sobs, "My dad even said that compared to you, giving birth to me was like giving birth to a piece of trash, and he'd rather have another one with my mom. He always said he envied your parents, saying how wonderful it would be if you were their son—"

"Your parents are not worthy," Li Zhao replied.

Cai Chao was stunned for a moment, then cried even louder.

"They seem rather pitiful," Chen Nian said.

"Being pitiful doesn't diminish his despicable nature," He Shuyao added.

"Every day when I get home, they scold me. I just don't like studying, so what? It was fine before—"

"Your parents did make a mistake," Li Zhao said.

"How dare they compare you to me?"

Chen Nian almost burst out laughing, but the atmosphere wasn't right, so he held it in.

Cai Chao broke down further, but he couldn't stop crying. He wanted to get angry but couldn't, and he extinguished his own anger.

"Cai Chao, what exactly are you sad about?"

"—" Cai Chao remained silent.

So Li Zhao turned around and left.

"Wait! Wait a minute!" Cai Chao called out to him.

Li Zhao had anticipated this, so he stopped decisively. He Shuyao did the same, taking large strides forward only to have to reverse back.

"What good would it do to tell you?"

"I'm too lazy to try to persuade you, but if you ask me, I'll answer," Li Zhao said.

This composure was a devastating blow to Cai Chao.

He inexplicably recalled Li Zhao's "fatherly gaze" from before, but his real father only used Li Zhao to suppress him, while Li Zhao, the one he had offended first, was now waiting for him to ask questions—

It was as if a distant voice from beyond the heavens resounded in Cai Chao's mind:

Who is the father?

He shook his head, clearing his mind of these random thoughts, then clicked his tongue: "I don't know what to do."

Everyone was looking at him.

Cai Chao didn't stop talking because of this; instead, he seemed to have made up his mind. "I don't like my dad saying that about me, and I don't like being treated like trash. But I just can't learn. I've been trying to study seriously lately, but I just can't remember. I can never become like you, Li Zhao."

"That's definitely impossible."

Even Chen Nian felt that these words were a bit hurtful, and even doubted Li Zhao's intention in leaving them behind.

Brother Zhao, are you trying to comfort people or are you just making fun of them?

"If you could become the number one in the country if you put in just a little effort right now, what kind of talent would you have?" Li Zhao said. "Don't compare yourself to me, just compare yourself to yourself."

Li Zhao had heard this phrase countless times before, from childhood to adulthood, from elders, teachers, friends—in all sorts of variations—it was a universal truth that everyone could utter.

As long as you've made progress compared to your past self, that's a good thing.

When I was a child, I was very excited to hear this and thought it made perfect sense. But when I got to high school, it was a different story.

What does it matter if someone is better than me? Seriously, don't I have to take the college entrance exam? Don't I have to compete with a huge number of people?

What's the point of being better than yourself but still not as good as others?

They'll still get scolded when they're supposed to, and feel helpless when they're supposed to, which has become a form of self-comfort. They immerse themselves in this thought, constantly telling themselves "at least I've made progress," while actually sinking deeper into despair.

However, Cai Chao definitely hadn't heard of it.

This statement still carries significant weight for elementary school students.

Sure enough, Cai Chao's expression showed that he was completely stunned.

"But I'm about to graduate from elementary school—" he said.

"What's so special about elementary school?" Li Zhao replied directly. "Elementary school knowledge is nothing compared to middle school knowledge. If your foundation isn't solid, you can find someone to tutor you during the summer vacation. You'll have plenty of opportunities in middle school."

Cai Chao suddenly dared not look Li Zhao in the eye, turned his head away, and pursed his lips.

Li Zhao continued, "Similarly, there are quite a few people who excelled in elementary school but couldn't adapt to junior high and didn't study hard, resulting in a sharp drop in their grades."

He glanced at Ma Yingying, who seemed a little flustered for some reason and also dared not meet Li Zhao's eyes.

His movements were remarkably similar to Cai Chao's.

Chen Nian couldn't understand why Cai Chao had suddenly become so well-behaved, but why was the class monitor getting involved?

Then Li Zhao said no more and went straight to the stairs.

[A kind reminder. Happiness +1, total 28]

Am I happy? Li Zhao didn't really have a clear feeling.

He has never been a particularly warm-hearted person, but when someone expresses a question to him, he is happy to answer it.

Since you did it, it means you wanted to do it, and doing what you wanted to do is itself a kind of happiness.

Whether they change or whether they can understand is another matter entirely.

On the way back, the trio had an extra guest: Jiang Qi, the class monitor.

Because she was there, Chen Nian's speech wasn't as frivolous. He didn't launch into his usual rants, but instead asked a question that somewhat resonated with He Shuyao: "Ah Zhao, do you think—maybe we won't even be from the same world anymore?"

You've transformed into a philosopher, Chen Nian.

Why do you think that way?

"You told Cai Chao what things would be like in ten years, and I thought about it. In ten years, he should be graduating from university, right? Three years of junior high, three years of high school, and four years of university—that's just right."

He Shuyao nodded, seemingly thinking along with him.

"Then I thought about it," Chen Nian said, "With my current level, even if I got into Xinbei No.1 Middle School or Experimental High School, I definitely wouldn't be one of the top students. It was so difficult for me to go from ninth to sixth in my grade at No.6 Elementary School, so I can't even imagine being in the top 100 in junior high. I probably won't be able to get into Xinbei Middle School. Maybe I'll have to try for Jiangbei Middle School or Linda Affiliated Middle School, but that would be very difficult."

Hmm? Chen Nian, this kid, is usually so carefree, but it turns out he has quite a few worries on his mind.

When Li Zhao was in elementary school, he didn't have such an objective understanding of his learning ability; he always thought he was a promising student for Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

"Well, actually, the thing is, the best I can do is get into a 985 university. But Ah-Zhao, you're different. The principal of New Taipei First Senior High School even came to recruit you. You'll at least get into Huaqiao University, right?"

There are quite a few flaws.

Li Zhao really couldn't guarantee that he could get into Huada University. He didn't have an advantage in high school knowledge, but he was just as good as those in 985 universities. If Chen Nian could really get into a 985 university, the difference in their academic qualifications would be less than the difference in their majors.

Education is not everything. For Li Zhao, a reborn individual, the biggest difference between him and his current classmates is actually their future social status, which will be enhanced by knowledge, wealth, and other factors.

Ten years from now, Li Zhao's focus won't be on whether or not he's a top university, but on becoming a financially independent industry leader—a status that can't be achieved through education alone, let alone in less than ten years.

For elementary school students, academic qualifications are almost everything, so Chen Nian's thinking is understandable.

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