Chapter 46: The Turning Point of Fate, Emerging Possibilities (Part One)

Watching Shi Tiexin furiously scribbling away, Gu Shaohuai's first impulse was to report him, accuse him of disregarding school rules and sneaking into forbidden territory, and have him dealt with severely—preferably straight to the disciplinary office. The only problem was, how could he keep himself out of it? After all, if he made such a report, he would be guilty of the same offense.

But after turning the thought over, Gu Shaohuai suppressed the urge to snitch.

Shi Tiexin had already been demoted to the “garbage class”; whether he was reported or not hardly mattered. It couldn’t further undermine his confidence nor erode his resolve—like yelling at a comatose patient and expecting a reaction.

Thus, Gu Shaohuai decided it would be unwise to alert Shi Tiexin; better to observe him closely. Since Shi Tiexin had delivered himself right under Gu’s nose, wouldn’t it be in character to investigate thoroughly? If he discovered any sign that the so-called Scholar Shi was planning a comeback, well—he’d show no mercy.

He’d vaguely heard that something had happened in the garbage class today—a particularly fierce fight among some delinquent boys. Students in the honors class didn’t pay much attention to such affairs; the turbulence of the garbage class rarely registered in the minds of the elite.

But Gu Shaohuai thought this was perfectly normal.

Hmph, trash belongs in the garbage class, destined to rot into humus at the lowest rung of society. Yet, before they completely decompose, it would be their honor to contribute to Grandmaster Gu’s grand plans.

If Scholar Shi truly intended to stage some miraculous comeback—Gu surreptitiously calculated the resources at his disposal—it would be more than enough to give Shi Tiexin the full treatment.

But what exactly was Shi Tiexin doing? He seemed deeply engrossed in his studies...

Gu Shaohuai glanced around, pretended he was going to the restroom, got up, and circled toward Shi Tiexin. To avoid alerting Shi, he observed him as he walked, noting that Shi was utterly absorbed, never once raising his head. Gu boldly drew closer.

Let’s see, what on earth is this guy up to!

Shi Tiexin was sitting near the edge. Gu Shaohuai tiptoed to Shi’s side and craned his neck for a better look—then froze, thinking his eyes must be deceiving him. He rubbed his eyes, cleaned his glasses, and took another look—no mistake, it was exactly what he thought.

Elementary school mathematics textbook: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Gu Shaohuai felt a surge of absurdity. What was this Scholar Shi up to? Why was he doing elementary school exercises? Was it some kind of trick?

Gu Shaohuai abandoned all pretense and stretched his neck further for a closer look. He discovered that Shi Tiexin’s draft paper was covered with elementary calculations, no doubt about it. Shi had just finished the third-grade math book, and now pulled out another workbook and continued.

In that moment, Gu’s sharp eyes caught sight of more than a dozen books in Shi’s bag, all exercise books for basic arithmetic. The top one was clearly labeled “Little Genius” with cartoon illustrations.

No doubt about it—Shi Tiexin really was studying elementary school math!

At this, Gu Shaohuai no longer bothered to pretend he was going to the restroom. He could barely restrain a contemptuous snort, turned on his heel, and walked back to his seat.

Shi Tiexin needed no further attention.

No more investigation, no more consideration—he was finished.

Not bothering to review or preview coursework, wasting time with elementary arithmetic—clearly, Shi Tiexin had been broken by setbacks and lost his mind. Little Genius? More like little lunatic!

If he couldn’t handle even this much adversity, how could he challenge me? Pathetic!

Indeed, Gu Shaohuai’s path was clear and unobstructed.

He swaggered back, shaking his head with self-satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Shi Tiexin had not noticed any of this. He was equally content, though his pleasure was impossible to share.

He had just completed the “Integrated Study and Practice” workbook; the icon on the right was completely filled with light, a flash illuminated the screen, and five stars shot onto the progress bar. The crackling sound as the stars landed extended the bar by a twentieth, to Shi Tiexin’s delight.

It seemed that completing a whole set of exercises could provide extra progress for his heart-technique cultivation. Of course, Shi wasn’t sure if every auxiliary manual worked this way or if this special effect was unique to the “top-level” heart-technique manual.

Either way, Shi Tiexin didn’t mind. If all did, so much the better. If not, it didn’t matter. He was making rapid progress; the five stars were nice, but he could earn them with a bit more effort.

He checked the time: past ten o’clock, not a single person had left the elite study room.

Truly, this was a sanctuary for cultivation; diligence was the order of the day!

He couldn’t fall behind.

Shi Tiexin put down the “Integrated Study and Practice” book and took out another workbook. After some thought, he resisted the urge to use the high-difficulty premium workbook and decided to start from the basics.

His current level was just above “good,” still far from “excellent.” Premium workbooks could speed up cultivation—more stars per exercise. But with their greater difficulty, each problem took longer and increased the chance of mistakes; in the end, ordinary workbooks were more suitable for him.

After all, he was just a novice who had only recently found the knack for cultivating his heart-technique. No need to aim too high; recognizing his limits and proceeding step by step was most important.

Besides, the auxiliary manual was right in his hands; it wasn’t going anywhere, so what was the rush?

Charge ahead! Time to continue solving problems!

Tick, tick, tick—the clock’s hands moved on. Time passed as Shi Tiexin studied and Gu Shaohuai observed. Both felt they were making great progress, but in completely different directions.

At eleven, Gu Shaohuai packed up and left—he had other targets to observe, and headed to the honors class to continue his investigations. He deliberately walked past Shi Tiexin, confirming that Shi was still working on elementary math, gave a proud, disdainful smile, and strutted out like a rooster.

By eleven thirty, people began packing up, grabbing a drink or heading for the restroom, or departing in a hurry. Shi Tiexin, thanks to his prodigious bladder, remained unmoved, as steady as a mountain.