Best In The World Vol.1

Chapter 1: The Wrong Script

2008, 4 May.

Saturday.

Sun City No. 1 High School, in the Year 3 Senior (4) classroom.

Fang Ping finally settled an issue after wasting half an hour of his life. He was not dreaming nor acting —for God’s sake, if acting in a movie could restore his youth, then the film crew deserved a trip to heaven now!

After verifying that he had reincarnated, Fang Ping felt a wave of panic before settling down and accepting the truth.

As one of the sinful youngsters of the new century, was there anyone who had not heard of reincarnation?

Even if he was not reincarnated himself, there was a whole lot of them online. At a glance, it was obvious that being reincarnated was the only way a member of the short-ugly-poor had a shot at toppling the tall-rich-handsome epithet!

Moreover, he had no money and no girl. Reincarnation just allowed him to live a few more years longer without actually doing anything. He was not at the short end of the stick anyway.

His painstaking wait for the recess bell ended at last. Familiar teachers tinged with a hint of unfamiliarity prolonged the classes and tried to make the best out of it before leaving reluctantly.

As for the final statement that his teacher threw at them before he left, Fang Ping decided that he misheard it.

“The registration for martial arts exam will begin next week. Interested students may start preparing for it.”

Fang Ping chucked the whole thing aside. He thought he heard “registration for social sciences” and everyone had to register early for their Gaokao. However, the school would usually register the students by default. Therefore, by right, the school need not remind the students about it.

Most importantly — the most important aspect among all other important aspects — Year 3 Senior (4) was a natural sciences class. What relation did they have meddling in social sciences?

However, in the advent of reincarnation, why would Fang Ping even care about such trivia?

At this moment, it was only apt that Fang Ping’s head was filled with thoughts on how to compete against Jack Ma or Pony Ma.

Although it was rather late for that in 2008, if someone who had reincarnated did not do something unexpected and leave his mark on the world, did he even deserve to be called a revenant?

Or should he focus on politics instead of business?

Fang Ping plotted away in secretive glee. He had no intention of chit-chatting with his classmates around him either.

How would these youngsters comprehend the grand life goal he conjured up? ‘From today onward, we are no longer of the same world, my friends!’ Fang Ping thought.

As Fang Ping formulated and consolidated his plans, his classmate, Yang Jian, who had a rough build and sat in the front row turned around suddenly asking, “Fang Ping, Chen Fan, are you signing up?”

Yang Jing had left a profound impression on Fang Ping, yet it was definitely not because of his amazingly good looks.

The only major hangout that happened after they graduated from university was when Fang Ping and his friends attended a high school gathering. The fresh-grad Yang Jian showed up with a short boxed beard covering his face. Fang Ping almost thought it was Yang Jian’s father who attended their high school gathering.

Since then, Fang Ping could never forget his classmate with the full-face beard because he stood out too much.

With thoughts bombarding every corner of his head, Fang Ping did not expect to answer him.

Sitting at the same table with Fang Ping, Chen Fan — one of the “Mediocre Duo” as other students dubbed him as a joke — shook his head and said, “I’m not signing up. It’s just a waste of money.

“It already costs ten thousand bucks to sign up and I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to pass. With this amount of money, it should be enough to cover my expenses and tuition fees of my first year in university.”

Yang Jian huffed in reply. “That’s true, but I can’t help feeling unhappy about it. I’m worried that I’d regret it for the rest of my life if I don’t give it a try.”

Sharing Yang Jian’s table was another male student whose name eluded Fang Ping. At this moment, he also turned around and joined in the conversation. He said with a dark expression, “This is the only chance to achieve greater heights. Too bad it won’t have anything to do with us.”

The trio’s regretful sighs and sobs confused the hell out of Fang Ping.

Signing up?

For the social sciences exam the teacher was talking about?

The registration fee costs ten thousand?

It was 2008. Last he remembered, prices of houses in Sun City would only go up to around four thousand every square feet. Yet it cost so much to sign up for an exam?

These lads could not be wrong about it, right?

Or were they being lied to?

Just as Fang Ping wanted to interrupt and inquire, his deskmate Chen Fan adjusted his glasses and replied with a face full of determination, “Just because we’re not taking martial arts, it doesn’t mean that we won’t achieve anything in life by taking the social sciences exam!

“There are martial arts training courses out there too. Once we graduate and earn enough money, we can study that too.

“We might not be as good as the martial arts majors, but there’s hope for us all at least!”

All at once, Yang Jian’s deskmate joined in the conversation excitedly, “That’s right! We should make our way into the best social sciences school. When we graduate, our salaries and work benefits won’t be bad either!”

“I still want to try, though...” Yang Jian said hesitatingly. His family was rather well-off. Added with the fact that he had a strong body, he would not be satisfied until he gave it a try.

In dealing with the fact that Yang Jian wanted to try, Chen Fan and the other did not bother talking him out of it. Despite having little to no chance at passing, there would always be someone who would not be satisfied because the opportunity was right in front of their noses.

Even though everyone was still young, they understood that if they stopped Yang Jian and made him lose his chance, they would have made an enemy out of him.

As the trio engaged in a fiery discussion, there was nothing but confusion on Fang Ping’s face.

What the hell was going on?

Gulping down a mouthful of saliva, Fang Ping stared at the trio for a while. He noticed a complete absence of humor in the trio. Then, it finally hit him that something was amiss.

As Fang Ping opened his mouth to ask, he was interrupted once again.

At the study desk next to Fang Ping and his friends, the two boys who were initially whispering to each other suddenly decided to add value to the discussion by butting in.

Once the ruckus at Fang Ping’s side died down, one of the boys with a flat top approached them with visible excitement. He asked, “Yang Jian, Chen Fan, did you see the news online yesterday night?”

Yang Jian and Chen Fan shook their heads. With the Gaokao around the corner, everyone was under strict parental supervision. Who had time to surf the Internet?

Upon noticing the blank stares that were passed between the duo and then to Fang Ping and another boy, Flat Top laughed. “What a pity! Something big happened last night!

“Do you know? Grandmaster Ma has broken through Rank-8!

“Although he hasn’t reached his forties yet, he has become a powerhouse amongst the younger generation.

“Yesterday, Penguin Group issued an official challenge against Tam, Google’s Asia-Pacific President who’s also an established Rank-8 powerhouse!”

“What?!”

“Is that for real?”

“Grandmaster Ma reached Rank-8? Didn’t he just have a breakthrough to Rank-7 a few years back?”

“Unbelievable!”

“Zhang Hao, tell us quick, is it an open challenge or a private one?”

“A Rank-8 battle. How I wish I could witness it. Unfortunately, we aren’t even qualified to watch...”

With the Gaokao looming over the Year 3 Senior students, not many of them would surf the Internet after school. Therefore, despite already causing an uproar, there were only a handful of classmates who knew about it.

Flat Top, who was also named Zhang Hao, was not exactly a soft-spoken person.

The moment he stopped talking — before Fang Ping and gang managed to reply — the surrounding students who overheard their conversation started to talk animatedly.

Flooded with joy from his newfound popularity, Zhang Hao continued excitedly, “It’s true!

“Grandmaster Ma really had a breakthrough! It’s not just us! No one expected him to reach a breakthrough to Rank-8 so fast!

“That’s why when they announced the challenge, the whole world shook in disbelief!

“If Grandmaster Ma defeats Tam this time, Penguin Group will be able to expand to various Asian countries and become one of the most dominant groups in Asia!

“Once Grandmaster Ma reaches a breakthrough to Rank-9 in another few years, Penguin Group would become one of the most dominant groups in the world!”

“God, he’s quick alright! A Rank-8 Grandmaster!”

“Have the rankings for Grandmasters been updated yet? It seems like Grandmaster Ma’s aiming to fight his way to the top thirty!”

“Whaaat. What top thirty? I think it won’t be a problem for him if he wanted to make it into the top twenty.”

“That isn’t possible, isn’t it? Grandmaster Ma just had his breakthrough, after all. How could he get into the top twenty so quickly? Unless something else happens after he defeats Tam.”

“...”

At this point, all the students were voicing out their thoughts on the matter separately. The look of excitement, awe, anticipation, and yearning was apparent on their faces.

Not even the girls were exempted.

Everyone, except Fang Ping.

At this moment, Fang Ping’s head was in a state of mush. His face was as blank as paper and his mind, empty.

‘What is this?’

He heard what everyone said. Every single word.

Yet, why could he not string them together into a coherent thought?

Who was Grandmaster Ma?

Of course, he recognized Penguin Group. In the year 2008, Penguin Group was already a dominant presence in the IT field.

He knew Google as well. It was impossible for him not to know.

According to what Zhang Hao said just now, Penguin was competing against Google?

But why... Why did it sound so unnatural?!

Fang Ping swallowed again, feeling the extreme dryness in his mouth. Somehow, he felt like he was handed the wrong script!

---

In the classroom.

Fang Ping was extremely confused, and his heart was filled with trepidation.

Only until the discussion died down did Fang Ping nudge Chen Fan beside him and ask softly, “Is Grand... Grandmaster Ma, Ma Huateng?”

Chen Fan’s expression became stern instantly, and he said seriously, “Fang Ping, calling a Grandmaster by name is the most severe show of disrespect!”

Fang Ping, “...”

Fang Ping had wanted to cry. Damn it, now he could not even mention him by name. This power of Brother Ma was even more terrifying than that of the president’s.

Fang Ping got one thing confirmed, though: Penguin Group’s CEO was still Brother Ma.

The corporation and its CEO matched what he knew; the only inconsistency was the Martial Arts Powerhouse thing that everyone was talking about.

He felt like something peculiar was jammed inside everything he ever knew abruptly, causing a feeling of disjointedness.

He suppressed his urge to retort and said nonchalantly, “I was busy preparing for the Gaokao, so I did not read the news that much. Tell me, is there anything interesting recently?”

Chen Fan did not put the strange request in mind. He answered, “There’s nothing new. Only Grandmaster Ma achieving Rank-8 could be said to be slightly unexpected.”

Chen Fan did not like gossiping that much, but the would-be bearded man in the front row, Yang Jian, liked to talk.

The school bell still had not rung. Yang Jian heard Fang Ping’s question too, and so he turned back and replied softly, “There isn’t much big news that is confirmed, but I looked at the gossip a few days ago and got wind of some backdoor rumors. I don’t know if they are accurate, though.”

“Rumor says that Master Ma from Raccoon has broken through Rank-7 and is now a Grandmaster!

“Grandmaster Li from Baidu seems to be getting ready to cultivate and break through Rank-8 too. Master Li and Grandmaster Ma reached Rank-7 at almost the same time, but Master Li was not progressing as fast as Grandmaster Ma in the past few years, so it’s hard to say if he can achieve a breakthrough.

“Also, there’s news that Governor Zhang from our Nanjiang province will achieve a breakthrough to Rank-7 soon.

“If Governor Zhang reaches Rank-7, it’s going to be awesome. Nanjiang has been weak for years, with only several Grandmasters from the past generation holding the fort. Governor Zhang is still quite young; if he achieves a breakthrough, there is hope for another step forward toward the recovery of Nanjiang’s longstanding weakness.

“Also, it seems like our school has invited a senior that was admitted into Nanjiang Martial Arts University last year to give us a speech before this year’s Martial Sciences Examinations...”

Yang Jian talked on and on, but the gossip he shared was all Greek to Fang Ping.

The gossip news Yang Jian talked about was mostly about martial artists: this guy was going to achieve a breakthrough, this so and so was cultivating...

Some of them Fang Ping had heard of. They were not only limited to the business field; some of them were artistes or even politicians.

From what Yang Jian said, Fang Ping could infer the high social status that martial artists had in this society. Yang Jian called any powerhouse lower than Rank-7 “Master”, and those higher than that “Grandmaster”.

Another point he observed was that everyone famous seemed to also be a martial powerhouse.

Or rather it should be said that anyone would fail to be famous if he was not a powerhouse.

Sometime in between, Fang Ping had asked nonchalantly, “How powerful are those people?”

Yang Jian replied unceremoniously, “Any random martial artist can beat us to a pulp!”

After the bell rang and before the teacher came in, Yang Jian said somewhat ruefully, “If I don’t get admitted into martial sciences and become a martial artist, the rest of my life won’t amount to anything. If I were to be a civil servant, I won’t be able to go beyond this city. It’s the same if I’m to venture into business. An ordinary citizen wanting to stand out... It’s difficult!”

After he said that, Fang Ping froze again.

Chen Fan, who did not speak much before, was also quite dejected. He said quietly, “Martial artists are the minority, after all. Also, speaking of us, we won’t be able to reach that level anyway, so we don’t need to care.”

Fang Ping sensed something from their conversation.

According to what he understood, if one was not a martial artist, he would not be able to advance higher than Bureau-level if he was to join the civil service. If he was a businessman, he would not be able to expand further than the city.

He did not know if all of that was black and white, or if they were just unspoken rules that everyone agreed to.

No matter which one it was, Fang Ping still felt the massive disadvantage he had in this world.

If he did not become a martial artist, a powerhouse, he would be mucking around in the lowest level his entire life.

The main point: Fang Ping was now seriously doubting if he had really simply resurrected.

Although his classmates all looked the same as before and had the same names, and all those big names and corporations could also be matched with what he knew, but this strange occupation came out all in a sudden. Was the rest really identical with what he remembered?

He wanted to ask a few more questions, but the teacher entered the room. The others all returned to their seats and stopped chatting.

Also, everything he wanted to know was common sense to the others, so Fang Ping did not want to ask for too many details.

If he did, those guys would probably think he had amnesia.

He thought for a while, and asked Chen Fan when the teacher turned away from them, “Is...is there still an Internet café near our school?”

Chen Fan looked at him strangely but still replied, “Of course there is. Didn’t you always go to the Blue Sky Internet café before?”

“Whew!”

Fang Ping exhaled and nodded without words. It seemed like some things were still the same.

For example, this Internet café with its old-fashioned name was still there. If that was so, that meant that some things had not changed. If he went there to search for information after school, he should be able to obtain the answers he wanted.

Seeing Fang Ping’s relieved expression, Chen Fan reminded him kindly, “Although we can’t get admitted to martial sciences, we should not give up too. If we get good grades in social sciences, we can still become outstanding. We may have a chance to become martial artists in the future.

“The Gaokao is near, you should go there less often...”

Fang Ping nodded with a smile. As the other member of the Mediocre Duo, Chen Fan still showed concern for his deskmate although he was pretty quiet — both of them came from similar family backgrounds.

...

When the school bell finally rang after sitting through the few periods in the morning, Fang Ping walked out hurriedly.

He had a belly full of questions that needed to be answered.

Seeing his actions, Chen Fan caught up with him after a moment of consideration, and he asked, “Are you going out for food or to the Internet cafe?”

“Internet cafe.”

“You should return earlier. The first period in the afternoon is the class teacher’s.”

Fang Ping replied with an affirmative. In this time period, his parents were still working, so he always ate his lunch in fast food restaurants nearby instead of going home.

During his free time in the afternoon, compelled by his incessant urge to learn, he dashed to the Internet cafe immediately so that he could figure out the stuff he did not know.

Walking swiftly, Fang Ping glanced cursorily at his surroundings.

Everything was the same as it was in his memories. He saw nothing different in Sun City No.1 High School, his teachers and classmates showed nothing out of the ordinary, and he did not see anyone doing things like scaling walls or walking on ceilings.

If he really wanted to say that something was different, it would be the strange slogans and banners displayed everywhere in the school.

“Prepare for the Gaokao, Martial Sciences, here I come!”

“Give it my all and strive for Martial Sciences!”

“If you want to take the Martial Sciences Admission Examinations, come to Green Bird — Green Bird Martial Arts Supplementary Classes, your best choice!”

“One Vitality Pill, ensuring your admission to Martial Sciences!”

“...”

If it was not for the blatant display of those peculiar slogans in the school, Fang Ping would have good reason to believe that “mediums” and swindlers had infiltrated the school.

At this moment, judging from everyone’s nonchalant attitude toward those posters, Fang Ping understood that this was not the world he was used to after all.

As for how different this world was, he would have to figure everything out before he could make sure of it.

...

Ten minutes later, Fang Ping arrived in Blue Sky Internet Cafe not far from the school.

Its style and slogan were what he was familiar with.

The cafe, which had seemed grand to him in the past, was now dilapidated in his eyes. The four words “Blue Sky Internet Cafe” were almost impossible to read.

He stepped into the cafe. The person behind the counter near the entrance was still the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar female employee, a young girl.

Fang Ping thought of his past, a time when his hormones went rampant. The employee who dressed more maturely than normal students had snuck into his dreams and committed unspeakable acts with him quite a few times.

Now...

Fang Ping came to the conclusion that his eyes definitely did not function well during his teenage years.

That was reasonable. If she was astronomically beautiful, would she merely be an employee in an Internet cafe?

He gave the girl a cursory glance. Fang Ping did not have the intention to pursue girls. If he did, girls of this caliber were not suited for high-and-mighty revenants.

When he thought of “Grandmaster Ma”, his confidence wilted instantly.

Revenants were indeed quite high-and-mighty, but they first had to be reincarnated into the right place!

After mulling those thoughts mentally, Fang Ping did not dally and went straight to the point. “I want a computer. How much for an hour?”

“3 bucks.”

The female employee replied promptly and continued, “Are you a member? If you aren’t, then sign up for a membership; top up 50 bucks and get 10 free.”

Fang Ping, with his arrogant expression, did not bother to answer her.

Only giving out 10 bucks for free after a 50 bucks top-up... this is too stingy!

In addition... Which eye of yours decided that I look like someone who has 50 bucks?

During his morning classes, Fang Ping figured out how much he currently had: 28 bucks, no more, no less.

This sum of money included his lunch money, too. If he had wanted to top up 50 bucks, then he would have to be able to afford it first.

Disregarding the employee’s promotion pitch, he took out a 5 yuan bill from his pocket and slapped it on the table arrogantly.

Of course, the employee also ignored a poor student like him. She did not bother with him after tossing a temporary membership card to him.

Fang Ping had wanted to shout, “Don’t bully young men because they’re poor!” but then he considered the lowly status of Internet cafe employees — this should be saved for more important people. He did not fight with the employee and went to a corner with his membership card in hand.

...

In a corner in the Internet cafe.

After the computer fired up, Fang Ping searched for the information that he wanted to know eagerly.

The ominous blue light of the monitor made Fang Ping look quite scary.

If someone sat next to Fang Ping, they would sense his abnormal tendencies.

Sometimes, the expression on his face changed. Other times he looked furious or gritted his teeth menacingly.

Some swear words escaped his mouth sometimes; no one knew if he was cursing the universe or anyone else.

An hour or so later, the computer shut down automatically because his computer time was up.

Fang Ping did not intend to top up again, and so he walked out of the Internet cafe, somewhat lost and decisive at the same time.

The moment he stepped out of the Internet cafe, Fang Ping’s expression steeled, and he gritted his teeth. “I must enroll in martial sciences!”

As if that was not enough to prove his resolve, Fang Ping added, “I must take the martial sciences examinations!”

Chapter 2: Neglecting Social Sciences In Favor of Martial Sciences

Outside the Internet cafe.

Fang Ping had on a resolute expression, and his eyes glinted with steely determination.

He must be determined!

After searching for information for an hour or so, Fang Ping had finally figured some things out.

For example, the question of what a martial artist was.

Modern martial artists were not that much different from those in Wuxia novels and movies back from his past world, if only for the modern background. Martial artists were an everyday sight in modern society.

If it was just an unusually high-stakes occupation, Fang Ping would not be compelled to become one although he was interested in superhuman strength.

In the current climate, though, martial artistry was not purely a career, but it also indicated power and status.

The strong will always rule over the weak — this is an unchanging truism.

In his past world, this difference was not too discernible, not when everyone was an ordinary human that could be killed by a bullet.

In this world, where martial powerhouses were everywhere, the disparity was evident.

For example, Fang Ping completely understood what Yang Jian had said regarding the limitations of ordinary citizens in politics and business now.

They were the main components of this society. There were actually no limits on the careers that ordinary citizens could pursue.

But... according to the law, yes, according to written law: if a company wanted to expand its business to neighboring cities, its registered legal representative had to be a martial artist of any rank.

If it wanted to expand to other provinces, the legal representative must be no lower than Rank-4.

According to the information that Fang Ping got from the Internet, martial arts were categorized into nine ranks, with Rank-1 as the lowest and Rank-9 as the highest.

Martial artists below Rank-4 were low-ranked martial artists, and those of Rank-7 and above were high-ranked martial artists, also called Grandmaster-level powerhouses.

If one wanted to found an inter-province company, the first requirement was that the legal representative had to be Rank-4 or above.

For an international corporation, it was not regulated by law, but as Fang Ping had seen on the Web, everything was futile if there was no powerhouse over Rank-7 in the company — no matter how good one’s product was or how many customers one had, entering other countries or areas was no different from immediate defeat.

And if one’s corporation had a Rank-7 or above powerhouse, he would have to prove his own mettle.

One example was the current Brother Ma!

Penguin’s products were almost similar to those from his past world, focusing mainly on instant communication. QQ was still the main means of online communication in the Sino Nation.

It was only limited to the Sino Nation, though!

Penguin was unable to venture into Asia although Ma Huateng had the power of a Rank-7 martial artist, because Google, an international corporation, was also marketing an instant communication software, and its representative in Asia was a Rank-8 powerhouse.

If Ma Huateng could not prove his strength, strength enough to vie for resources with Google, then he need not think about expanding his horizons.

The market he wanted to expand to was overseas, so the people he delegated for that purpose might disappear without a trace.

Only after he had proved his strength to the public and his competitors would he be able to expand progressively. This was also the reason Ma Huateng chose to challenge Tim immediately after he achieved a breakthrough to Rank-8.

The results of this challenge were not important. The main takeaway was that he had proved himself as an extremely strong powerhouse with power that matched his rank, and so he should have the ability to get his share of resources.

These were the rules of the business realm, and they were more or less the same in others.

For example, things were slightly different in the political realm. The governor was the most powerful person in a province, and they had to be at Rank-4, at least.

Currently, there was no governor with a rank lower than Rank-5. In some powerful provinces, they were even Rank-7 Grandmasters.

The sitting governor of the Nanjiang province was now at Rank-6, not the weakest among all provinces, but also not particularly strong. This had also caused his inability to fight for more resources on behalf of Nanjiang.

The resources stated was the decisive factor contributing to the government’s investment in the cultivation of martial artists.

This was the reason why Yang Jian was so excited when he relayed the gossip saying that the governor of Nanjiang would be achieving a breakthrough soon.

A governor at Grandmaster-level could fight for more resources on behalf of Nanjiang.

This was not an exception in the entertainment world or other occupational realms.

Male and female artistes with great fame would need to have outstanding skills in martial arts in addition to talent and good looks.

If they did not have the skill, they would not be able to protect their wealth no matter how much they earned.

It would be an exception if they had powerful elders behind them.

Descendants of wealthy people and officers were now deemed Wuerdai’s 1 too because those with wealth and power were all-powerful martial artists.

An extremely small fraction of ordinary citizens could also attain high positions, but those people, without exception, had powerful martial artists watching their backs. They needed to exhibit their own value — evaluated with much stricter standards compared to martial artists — too.

If one could not become a martial artist, they were destined to say goodbye to elite careers and power.

This striking disparity was also the reason why every ordinary citizen wanted to be a martial artist in this modern age.

A martial artist, no matter how weak he was, could earn millions even if he did nothing aside from assuming nominal responsibility for a company.

In reality, those who could succeed in becoming a martial powerhouse were all elites in society. These people rarely worked for others, aside from the case where they bent under those ranked higher, preferring to found their own business.

Compared to ordinary citizens, their advantage was evident.

“If I don’t become a martial artist, I’ll never be able to surpass others no matter how many brilliant ideas I have.”

Fang Ping muttered to himself. This was the bloody truth.

Aside from the entire martial artists’ fiasco, everything else was more or less the same as before.

Which was to say, if Fang Ping wanted to found a company right now, his products and ideas were not bad.

The point was that Fang Ping himself did not have the power to protect himself against harm. If he wanted to earn a small sum, it would not be a big problem. It would not be the case if he wanted to make it big.

If he crossed the line, the most likely outcome would be someone snatching his business away. As the legal system in Sino was still considered thorough and the government still maintained order in the country, it would not result in other people taking his life, but there was a huge possibility that his business would be taken away.

For example, Wechat still did not exist.

There would only be two outcomes if Fang Ping created it somehow. One, it would eventually become someone else’s.

Two, it would be popularized in the city and treated as minor entertainment. If it branched out from the city, sorry, he would not earn a single thing no matter how much it earned. As for who it would belong to outside his city, it depended on the results of the fight between competitors.

Ordinary citizens could only go to work earnestly or found a small company or factory within the city.

Although the company was only limited to the city, it did not mean definite safety.

This sort of life, where everyone stood on tenterhooks, had more limits than those of the people from his past life.

If Fang Ping did not want to be a nobody, then him becoming a martial artist was a given.

He wanted to be somebody, but first, he had to ensure that he did not need to worry about sustenance and safety.

Luckily, ordinary citizens were still the majority in this world. The society did not really toss them aside or shatter their hopes of advancing upwards.

The Gaokao gave countless ordinary citizens a hope of a big break.

Nowadays, some of the elite schools founded Faculties of Martial Sciences in order to cultivate martial artists, so ordinary citizens still had hope.

There were also full-time schools of martial sciences that were open for admission during the Gaokao period.

As the proverb said, social sciences were neglected in favor of martial sciences.

Martial artists possessed a high level of skill, and the resources used to cultivate them surpassed those spent on ordinary citizens by a huge margin. Cultivating a martial artist meant spending a lot of money.

Under those circumstances, those who were enrolled in martial sciences and were cultivated with the nation’s resources must be extraordinary.

That was why being admitted to martial sciences now was more difficult than obtaining admission to elite universities from his past life.

In the year 2007, there were 9 million candidates taking the Gaokao in total, but those who were accepted into martial sciences by universities all over the nation added up to a sum less than twenty thousand.

In his past life, schools like Tsinghua University and Peking University only accepted a few thousand students each year, but there were many elite schools. Including those enrolled in Project 985 Universities, it numbered at least a hundred thousand admissions in total.

In this world, there were more than a hundred universities and full-time schools that had faculties of martial sciences. One hundred universities, and only twenty thousand freshmen; the number seemed too small after it was divided.

An admission ratio of 1/500 did not seem too low, but this was only in big metropolises. It would have to be multiplied by ten times in small cities.

This was also why Chen Fan and the others were devastated.

Barring that, there were also loads of barriers to overcome even if one was to enroll in martial sciences.

The ten thousand bucks that Chen Fan had stated previously was only the lowest one.

Putting the other criteria aside, this application fee alone was enough to give Fang Ping a headache.

And he had a time limit too — application for the martial sciences examinations would start in a week.

After the deadline had passed, he would not be able to enroll even if he had the money.

“An application fee of ten thousand bucks...”

Fang Ping was determined initially, but he was a little deflated after that thought. The beginning criterion alone extinguished the fire in his heart by half.

And that was before mentioning the series of obstacles lying after that.

‘My head hurts!’

Fang Ping sighed constantly. There probably were not many revenants who reincarnated into modern society that had this hard of a time.

...

After Fang Ping had lunch and returned to school, there were only 15 bucks left in his pocket.

The afternoon classes had not commenced yet. Some of his classmates were doing practice tests in preparation for the Gaokao while some of the others were chatting, mostly about the battle between the two Grandmasters that Zhang Hao had mentioned that morning.

Chen Fan, who was doing practice tests, put down his pen hurriedly when he saw Fang Ping return. He asked, “Did you go to play computer games?”

Fang Ping rolled his eyes and deadpanned, “How could I still have the mood to play games during this time? Do you think I’m stupid? I went to search for information about the Gaokao.”

While saying that, Fang Ping rubbed his palms together and asked with a smile, “Little Fanfan, do you have money left?”

Chen Fan’s brow creased slightly, and he said after a pause, “I still have ten bucks left...”

“Cough, don’t kid me. If you have money, lend me eight or ten thousand, and I’ll return a hundred times more to you if I ever get rich!”

“Haha!”

Chen Fan smiled without mirth, pushed his glasses up and resumed answering his practice test. Fang Ping was made crazy by poverty!

Fang Ping sighed — his path was not one to walk on.

They were all students. Not mentioning Chen Fan’s ordinary family background, who among his peers with decent conditions would be so stupid as to lend him ten thousand bucks?

Could he only ask his parents for the money?

His family was not rich, though, and ten thousand bucks was not a small amount of money. According to his own standards, there was almost no hope for him to enroll in martial sciences. If he really asked his parents, would they agree?

It was a Saturday, so there were only Senior Three students at school. The application period was said to be next week, but there were only less than two days to Monday.

This was the first step of his application for the martial sciences examinations, too. If he wanted to keep on taking exams, he would have to continue spending money.

In this society, powerhouses were all cultivated by resources and wealth.

If not, why would those martial powerhouses all engage in businesses and strive to expand them?

Most of those who did not do so would join governmental divisions.

Those powerhouses in novels and TV shows were all carefree. They could advance in rank with only a thought and did not need to eat or drink. Fang Ping did not think anything of it before.

Now he knew all of it was bullsh*t!

That afternoon, he browsed the Internet briefly and saw some gossip. The resources required to cultivate a Rank-1 martial artist, the weakest of all ranks, had the total value of one million bucks if converted to money.

This was only for Rank-1 martial artists, the weakest and least outstanding ones in Fang Ping’s eyes.

A million was spent just like that.

The higher the martial artist’s rank, the more resources he would have to spend. They all spent astronomical amounts. Without the support of their businesses, there was no way they could have advanced further!

If students from ordinary families were not admitted into martial sciences, how many of them could self-study outside universities and become martial artists under those conditions?

Everyone was attracted to universities of martial sciences like moths to a flame mostly because their faculties of martial sciences would provide more than half of the resources needed. Consider it as funding provided by the schools.

Even though it was not enough, banks would open their doors to those who were accepted, so taking loans would not be a problem.

Or they could sign contracts with large corporations. Martial science students were popular, and those corporations were also happy to invest in candidates early.

All that was needed for all this was admission to martial science.

Wanting to become a martial artist without spending money was impossible.

Fang Ping sighed again. He did not know how many times he had sighed today. Why was his life after reincarnating so difficult?

---

In the class teacher’s afternoon class, he mentioned the application for the martial science examinations again.

The situation of Sun City No.1 High School was not that bad. In the past few years, there were students who were admitted into martial sciences every year. Last year there was a spike in their numbers — five students were admitted.

Senior Three (4) was a normal class, but two among the five students who were admitted last year were from normal classes.

This made the school leaders, who did not place too much hope on normal classes before, pay extra attention to the application for the martial science examinations.

It did not matter if they stood a chance or not, they pushed them to apply first anyways. If they did not apply in the first place, they would not have a single chance.

The costly application fee was the first challenge, blocking ninety-nine percent of the hopefuls out.

Ten thousand bucks just for an application. Unless they were confident in themselves, they were not willing to shell out just to muck in the waters. Those with better conditions were not counted, of course.

That was why only a few responded when the class teacher mentioned this. Only several marginally hopeful students reacted to his reminder.

After he finished talking about the application, the class teacher reminded, “Those who want to apply for the martial science examinations, the school will organize a pre-examination answering session next Wednesday afternoon.

“This time the school paid a huge sum to invite Wang Jinyang from Nanjiang Martial Arts University back to give a speech to everyone, so all of us must value this opportunity.

“Students who are applying for the martial sciences examinations, the school will notify you when the time comes. Remember to dress neatly...”

The class teacher reminded them of those points for a while. The gist of it was to exhibit a respectful attitude.

This Wang Jinyang from NMAU was only a year-1 university student who graduated from Sun City First High and entered NMAU.

However, only this was enough for the teachers in the school to treat this seriously.

At that moment, Fang Ping realized the difference between ordinary citizens and martial artists once more.

Chen Fan beside him focused his attention on something else. He muttered quietly, “The school has really spent a lot. They would have to pay fifty to sixty thousand at least for his appearance...”

Fang Ping’s forehead twitched. He asked, “They still ask for payment although they’re just going back to share their experiences with their juniors?”

Chen Fan said with a laugh. “Of course, do you think that it’s easy to invite a martial artist?

“Martial science students are much busier than social science students. We still have winter and summer holidays, but they still have to earn money during holidays, and they have to cultivate too.

“If you don’t pay, who would advise other people for free?

“If Senior Wang doesn’t want the money, the school will pay him nevertheless.

“Favors would be exhausted eventually. If the school asks its graduates to give speeches for free every year, it will be fine for a time or two. If they ask for more, the favor those graduates owe the school will wear out.

“If they pay him a fee, it’ll be counted as a courtesy. When those seniors become famous, those who are more sentimental will think of the school in the future.”

After what Chen Fan explained, Fang Ping finally understood everything.

Then he looked at Chen Fan strangely and said, “I didn’t expect you to evaluate this so methodically.”

Chen Fan was only a high school student. Fang Ping had neglected some issues due to the difference between worlds, but this guy understood them quite clearly.

“This doesn’t amount to anything...”

Chen Fan said with a self-effacing smile, shook his head and did not speak more.

Fang Ping stopped talking too, mulling everything in his mind instead. Martial artists really earned much more money than ordinary citizens.

A Year-1 student returning for an answering session that would last two to three hours at most could already earn a fee of fifty to sixty thousand.

Although this could not be treated as everyday work, this sum was more than what his parents earned after working their boots off for a year.

...

After the class teacher’s period ended, Fang Ping suffered through a few more periods before the school bell finally rang.

This was a Saturday, so the school did not arrange a nighttime self-study session.

As the Gaokao approached, some students who were preparing for the martial science examinations did not attend the nighttime self-study sessions. They could come and go as they pleased too. The school paid more attention to martial science students than social science students even though there were very few who could pass the exams.

He walked out of the school with Chen Fan and a few other classmates he was familiar with. Everyone parted ways in front of the school gates.

Fang Ping walked home following the familiar path in his memories.

As he walked, Fang Ping started to reconsider. Although this world had many similarities with the one in his memories, there were many inconsistencies too.

Would his home during this lifetime be in the same place?

If his home still existed, would his parents be different people?

As an adult aged thirty mentally, he would not be able to call them Dad and Mom easily if they were not the same people he knew from before.

“It should not have changed, should it?” Fang Ping reassured himself not that confidently.

His classmates and teachers were the same, so there was no way his parents would change.

It would be best if they were still the same people, of course, but it would be nice if his family conditions changed while the people stayed the same. For example, it would be best if Fang Ping reached home to find out that his family was the richest in Sun City!

Or if his parents were elite martial artists... That would be even better!

Of course, all of it was just a thought.

Sensing the world’s unsavory attitude towards him, Fang Ping had no hope that everything would happen as he wished.

...

Twenty minutes or so later, Fang Ping reached the area his house was in.

Lakeview Gardens.

The name sounded nice, but it was actually one of the few remaining residential areas in Sun City with a history of over thirty years.

When he saw this familiar old area, with its dilapidated, ancient buildings, Fang Ping tossed his wish for his family to be wealthy aside completely.

In his memories, Fang Ping resented something for many years.

He never got to become a teardown-second-generation 1 !

Rumors saying that Lakeview Gardens would be demolished soon started circulating after the 21st century arrived. There were similar rumors almost every year, but Lakeview Gardens still stood firm in the year 2018.

He did not fear returning to his home. A few days before he reincarnated, Fang Ping had returned to Lakeview Gardens to visit his parents.

Now his parents were younger, and this was something good, so he did not need to have thoughts that were too complicated.

Block 6, Flat 101.

Outside the door, Fang Ping did not knock, but instead fished out a set of keys from his pocket and opened the door.

After that, a small living room appeared before his eyes.

As a residential block aged over 30 years, the rooms were not big — most of the old houses from back then were smaller in size.

Although Fang Ping’s house had two bedrooms and a hall, its area was small, at about 60 square meters.

Combined with the miscellaneous objects they had acquired during the long time they had lived here, the living room, which was not that big to begin with, seemed even more cramped.

Although it was cramped, it was not too messy, as the small living hall was tidied neatly by Fang Ping’s mother.

As a unit in an ancient block, it had many shortcomings. Insects and reptiles were easily lured in, the unit was easily humidified, and there were lots of dust. The sound of footsteps could always be heard as other tenants walked up to their units.

It had many shortcomings, and the only advantage of this unit was that they could gate themselves a tiny yard.

In an old residential area such as Lakeview Gardens, the management was already shut down. Other related departments would not pay too much attention to the area too, so the yard they made would not be demolished for rule-breaking.

The Fang family had a yard too. In front of the living hall was a door that could link to the backyard.

Their kitchen and washroom were built in the backyard while the original rooms were transformed into a small room, which was the one Fang Ping resided in.

Under normal circumstances, there was no need to alter a house with two rooms, but Fang Ping still had a younger sister in middle school. The four of them could not squeeze themselves in this small house without a backyard.

Just when he was thinking about her, she appeared.

Fang Ping was squatting on the floor to change his shoes. While he was thinking about the house, the voice of his younger sister Fang Yuan boomed from the right side of the living hall.

“Fang Ping, you still have the nerve to return!”

Fang Yuan’s voice was somewhat sharp, but she was only thirteen years old, so it could not compare to that of an old woman’s no matter how sharp it was.

Very quickly, together with the sharp yells infused with fury, a silhouette burst out from the small room.

Fang Yuan was not tall, and there was some baby fat still left on her face, making her small face look rounded. She was not scary even when glaring at him; she looked more adorable instead.

When he saw Fang Yuan, Fang Ping’s hands itched. He did not ask for the reason of Fang Yuan’s fury or say anything else.

He got up without a word, pinched the young girl’s chubby cheeks and pulled them outwards, with a little effort and with familiar ease.

Under Fang Yuan’s angry glare directed at him, Fang Ping said with a satisfied face, “I haven’t pinched you for a long time. I finally have the chance to do so!”

The round-faced girl had suddenly grown into a V-shaped face in a few years as the chub on her face vanished to who knows where.

This was something Fang Ping had always regretted!

Only a chubby round face would feel good when he pinched it. How annoying it was when it became V-shaped suddenly!

Fang Ping was satisfied while Fang Yuan boiled with fury. She swatted Fang Ping’s evil hands away and said angrily, “Mom, Fang Ping is pinching my face again!”

Outside in the yard, Fang Ping’s mother, Li Yuying, was busy in the kitchen. She did not turn around but said with a smile, “Don’t fool around. We’ll eat when your father comes back. I’ve prepared a delicious meal for you all.”

“Mom!”

Fang Yuan screamed unhappily. Seeing that her mother would not support her, she glared at Fang Ping, annoyed.

Then she remembered what she had wanted to say, and so she snapped furiously, “Fang Ping, give me my money back!”

“What?”

“You’re still acting as if you don’t know! Mom gave us 50 bucks, and we agreed on splitting them into half. Why are there only 5 bucks on my table? Where’s the rest?”

Fang Ping’s gaze wandered. Was there something like this?

If that was so, then did this mean that the 28 bucks in his pocket all hers except for the money he had spent on lunch?

However, Fang Ping was now extremely poor, with only 15 bucks in his pocket. As a man, he could not possibly have an empty pocket without a single penny left.

Having no intention to return the money to her, Fang Ping shook his head instantly. “I don’t know. Maybe you spent all of it yourself. You should look for it again.”

“Fang Ping!”

“Call me Elder Brother.”

“Elder brother, your ass, you only know how to bully little girls. Mom, why aren’t you scolding him?”

“...”

The siblings argued for a while. The young girl, defeated moments later, looked morose.

Fang Ping thought the entire thing was funny, but he also felt wistful. The way his life was right then was simply pitiful.

He bullied the young girl like that only for this small amount of money.

Under Fang Yuan’s skeptical gaze, Fang Ping promised her countless benefits, and the young girl finally forgot that her brother had just tricked twenty bucks out from her.

If not for his reluctance to do so, Fang Ping thought that he would be able to trick the remaining five bucks from the girl.

After he was finished with Fang Yuan, Fang Ping walked into the kitchen to greet his mother.

When he walked out of the kitchen, his mind was mostly filled with the thought, ‘A penny can incapacitate a hero!’

He exchanged a few greetings with his mother, and that made Fang Ping remember that his mother only worked half a day in his Senior Three year to look after him and his sister.

Her work was not particularly technical, either, and Sun City was not affluent. His mother worked half-days, so her monthly wage was only eight hundred bucks!

Which meant a mere ten thousand bucks a year.

He had wanted to mention his intention to register for the martial science examinations, but he could not get the words out when he thought of that.

Fang Ping kneaded his face and muttered, “It’s true that there has been no instance where I’m not short of money...”

Chapter 3: Hehehe!

No matter how hard it was, he would have to ask if it was for his future.

He had to register by next Monday after all. Fang Ping was not a god; there was only a day left, where else was he supposed to get ten thousand bucks?

He waited until his father Fang Mingrong had returned home, exhausted. When the family was having dinner at the table, Fang Ping opened his mouth and asked.

“Dad, registration for the martial science examinations are on next Monday. I want to take the exams, and the registration fee is... ten thousand bucks.”

After Fang Ping had spoken, the entire house went silent.

Fang Mingrong was a bit over forty, he looked not quite old but a little pale.

Fang Mingrong worked in a pottery factory in the outskirts of Sun City. His work was not technical, either; he was just an ordinary worker.

In Sun City, where the average monthly wage of workers was just two thousand bucks, Fang Mingrong earned three thousand bucks per month.

It was not that his boss particularly took care of him, or that his work was outstanding,

He was paid a higher wage because pottery workers risked getting pneumoconiosis after a long period of work. It was as if he was exchanging his health for money.

Fang Mingrong had to do so.

He had two kids at home. One of them studied in high school, and the other in middle school. Their clothes, food, lodging, and transport. Which one of those did not need money?

He also had to save money for Fang Ping’s university fees and consider the expenditures after his graduation like marriage or purchasing properties. The family was always short of money.

The couple would need half a year to save ten thousand bucks, barring daily expenses.

Their society was one in which martial arts ruled.

Although Fang Mingrong was an ordinary citizen, he knew that the martial science examinations were tough. Acing them was as difficult as ascending the heavens.

There were tens of thousands of students taking the Gaokao in the big Sun City, but those who were accepted into martial science could be counted with ten fingers.

The school Fang Ping studied in, Sun City No.1 High School, was the best high school in the city.

Nevertheless, only five students from the school were admitted into martial sciences out from the approximate a thousand and five hundred senior three students from the twenty or so normal classes.

In the year 2007, two students in total from those twenty normal classes were admitted into martial studies.

As a parent who had attended a few parent-teacher meetings, Fang Mingrong was not unfamiliar with those statistics. They were spread deliberately by the teachers because they were not shortcomings, but achievements that deserved to be a source of pride of the teachers.

Now, was spending ten thousand bucks for a fleeting chance worth it?

Fang Mingrong struggled to speak while Li Yuying could not utter the words she had in her mind.

Fang Yuan put her head down without a word. Compared to Fang Ping, who had just recently been informed of these ‘general knowledge’, she, a middle-school student, was more familiar with the topic.

Fang Mingrong held his small glass up, looked at his son for a while, and he nodded. “Ask your mother to hand you the ATM card later and withdraw ten thousand bucks yourself tomorrow.”

“Dad...” Fang Ping gritted his teeth, thinking of words to reassure his father.

He did not expect Fang Mingrong to interrupt him and say, “No matter your results, it’s important that you have the intent. It’s fine if you don’t pass the tests, because you’ll gain more experience, at least. When Yuanyuan enters high school, you can still give her guidance. We’re not rich, but this is something that will affect your whole life!”

He did not harbor hopes for his son. Something as important as registering for the martial sciences examination would be the deciding factor of the transformation of his destiny. If Fang Ping never brought up the topic, Fang Mingrong would not either.

However, his son did bring up the topic and plus the worst he could do was work overtime for the next couple of months; the loss of ten thousand bucks was not enough to collapse the Fang family.

Fang Ping spoke no more after his father’s words.

Extravagant boasts and resolute words, no matter how much, were pointless in this situation.

Fang Ping was not confident that he could pass the tests, too.

He reincarnated, yes, but he did not come from a world of cultivation. He did not know what subjects he would be taking, but he knew that the field of martial sciences would be related to the body and its capability.

And as Fang Ping had learned, there were far more criteria than that.

If he did not succeed in passing the tests, there was a low chance of him earning huge sums of money but not if he set his sights on smaller profits. There was still a chance of him becoming a martial artist.

Although Fang Ping may not advance to the highest peak in the future, he would not need to trick his sister for twenty bucks at least.

Fang Ping was relieved as he sorted out the biggest problem blocking his path.

Seeing that everyone else was still in slight shock, Fang Yuan, the family’s noisemaker, changed the topic with a laugh. “Fang Ping, do you really want to register for the martial sciences exams?”

Fang Ping replied with a laugh, “Of course. Just wait till your brother gets admitted into martial sciences and become a martial artist, and you’ll become rich!

“When you go to school next semester, you can boast to your classmates and tell them that I’m a martial artist.

“I promise you, you’ll be on top of the school then, and no one will dare call you ‘Round Face’ again.”

“Fang Ping!”

Fang Yuan was riled up again. Her face was round and her name had the character Yuan 1 , so she was given the nickname by her naughty male classmates during her first couple of days in middle school.

The girl was ready to fight with those few boys just because of this.

Fang Ping mentioned this touchy subject, and so Fang Yuan did not bother to save her brother’s face. She retorted angrily, “You’ll definitely not pass the exams. If you’re going to waste so much money, you might as well use it to buy delicious food!”

“Yuanyuan!”

The Fang couple scolded at almost the same time. Fang Yuan realized what she had said, and she lowered her head and muttered, “I was just saying! Maybe you’ll pass them.”

Fang Ping laughed, and he did a pinching gesture in Fang Yuan’s direction, riling her up so much that she could not stop rolling her eyes.

...

After dinner, Li Yuying took the family ATM card out and handed it to Fang Ping.

She had to work the next day, and Fang Ping was no longer a child. He would not have any problem withdrawing the money himself.

The parents would ask Fang Ping to withdraw some cash for them sometimes when the family needed money.

Fang Ping was quite wistful as he accepted the bank card. He muttered, “They’re really trusting. Aren’t they afraid of the possibility that I’ll take all the money for myself...”

There were more than ten thousand bucks in the card, of course. In the past, he would not touch the money.

But now...

Fang Ping shook his head. He should put this aside. He would tell his parents directly if ever he needed any. Taking them without asking was no different from stealing.

A night passed without any incident.

The next day, on the 6th of April.

Fang Ping woke up in the early morning, but his parents had woken up even earlier and gone to work.

He tidied himself up simply and walked out to the dining table, where a breakfast prepared by his mother was set. There were several small dishes and a bowl of eggs, fried till golden.

He had gotten used to buying breakfast and eating it while walking to work. The feeling of eating leisurely on a chair was quite enjoyable.

If he had only gone back into the past he had lived in, he would not be so desperate.

What little did the Gaokao amount to?

Even if he did not take the Gaokao, there was a very high possibility that he could seize valuable opportunities and rise high up, what with the experience he had acquired with years of endurance in the workplace.

It was different now. If he failed to grab this opportunity to register for the martial sciences examinations, it was hard to say if he would have another shot at that.

Also, the longer the time in which he was not a martial artist, the longer he would have to watch around for danger when doing business.

Fang Ping knew what was most important. Right now, the main challenge was the Gaokao, especially the martial science examinations.

The other matters would have to wait.

He would only start considering other means only if he failed to pass the tests this time.

After putting his priorities in order and finishing his breakfast, Fang Ping got ready to withdraw the money and also observe the situation he was in and the difference that existed in society on this side.

When he was getting ready to go out, Fang Yuan, already dressed up neatly, ran out hurriedly and said quickly, “Fang Ping, I’m going too!”

“What are you going for?”

“I don’t care, I’m going anyway. You have to buy food for me, too. It’s because you used my pocket money!”

Fang Ping could not help but laugh. He did not refuse, though. He was only going to withdraw money, anyway; it was not a private matter.

Maybe he could avoid some trouble with this little girl at his side. Fang Ping did not know if there was something that he did not understand in this world.

...

It was still early when they set out. Fang Ping did not hasten to the bank.

He walked on the street with Fang Yuan beside him. He did not need to look out for Fang Yuan; the girl was looking around cheerily, with undue curiosity, as if she was the one who had reincarnated.

The streets in the area were the same as how Fang Ping remembered them to be.

Fang Ping’s life would be easier if there were none of those eyesores they called advertisements.

“Moistening skincare that Grandmasters use and praise!”

“Special Step, run faster than martial artists with them!”

“This is a secret recipe passed down for generations. With just one packet, martial arts will come easy to you!”

“...”

They were uncountable. Almost all of them managed to relate themselves to martial artists in some manner.

In reality, among the hundred thousand or so that stayed inSun City, less than twenty of them were martial artists.

Martial artists were actually entities that existed far away from the people in Sun City.

This did not hinder their discussion or concern regarding them or advertisements that used them to market products. They did not mention a specific name, anyway.

Martial powerhouses were the true stars in this world.

Of course, famous stars were often martial powerhouses too.

Fang Ping looked around once, ignoring those eyesore advertisements. On the way, he bought some skewers that proclaimed to be “praised even by a martial artist!”, and his wallet only had ten bucks left.

The little girl was ecstatic. She did not realize that Fang Ping was actually spending her pocket money.

After they walked around the area, Fang Ping led Fang Yuan to the ATM machine that sat not far away.

...

Insert the card, input the password, and withdraw the bills.

When Fang Ping was inputting the password, Fang Yuan stood guard as if she was watching out for thieves. She looked around in fear that someone would steal a glance at the number board.

ATM machines during that time had a withdrawal limit of two thousand bucks.

The ATM machine spat the first couple of bills out. Fang Ping suddenly froze after taking them into his hands.

Fang Ping did not continue his actions while he froze.

Fang Yuan, who was standing guard, saw this and said hurriedly, “Fang Ping, are there fake bills? I saw the news last time saying that there were fake bills in ATM machines too. The banks refused to admit it...”

The little girl was riled up. She talked and talked, and she said at last somewhat furiously, “We’ve got to change them for real ones. Let’s go to the bank!”

At this moment, Fang Ping did not really listen to what she had said.

With his brows furrowed slightly, he thought for a while before he continued his actions on the interface and withdrew the second bundle of bills.

The second two thousand bucks were spat out by the machine.

Fang Ping quickly took the money into his hands. Next, he stopped for a while and did not move, the same as the first time.

Fang Yuan, standing beside him, did not understand his actions. She asked strangely, “Fang Ping, are you going crazy?

“Are they fake bills or not?

“Say something!

“Oi, Fang Ping, what are you doing?

“Fang Ping...

“Are you going crazy because of the money?”

The little girl’s mouth did not stop yapping. Fang Ping gave her a glance from beside her and suddenly handed the bills in his hands to her. “Take them.”

Fang Yuan’s round face showed her bafflement. She still took the bills into her hands and looked at Fang Ping.

Fang Ping asked, “How do you feel?”

Fang Yuan paused before saying, “...can you not register for the martial science examinations and buy delicious food for me instead?”

Fang Ping suddenly laughed uproariously. He said quickly, “Does this mean that you don’t feel anything?”

Fang Yuan was on the brink of imploding herself. She glared at him with her big, round eyes and said angrily, “You’re bullying me again!”

“I didn’t. I’m really not bullying you this time.”

Fang Ping’s elation was impossible to conceal. He continued, “I was fooling around with you just now. Okay, I’m going to continue withdrawing the money. After I’m finished, we’re going home!”

Next, Fang Yuan looked on as her brother continued withdrawing the money foolishly.

The reason she said that he was doing so foolishly was because he was doing it in a way that made no sense to her.

He would withdraw one hundred bucks once, and two hundred the next time. The amount that he withdrew every time was different.

He had withdrawn money more than ten times before he finally got his ten thousand bucks.

This was not the end. After he had finished withdrawing his ten thousand bucks, there was still money left in the card. Fang Ping continued withdrawing money.

Fang Yuan had thought that he had intended to take the family’s money for himself before she saw a sight that completely puzzled her.

Fang Ping withdrew some bills, but he deposited them again. He then repeated the cycle a few times, leaving Fang Yuan completely baffled.

There were two people queuing up waiting for their turn to withdraw money.

Fang Ping had occupied the ATM machine for half an hour. Seeing that he was intending to carry on with his actions, someone in line finally exploded. “Young man, that’s enough! No matter if you’re withdrawing or depositing a million bucks, the time you’ve used should be more than enough!”

Fang Yuan was still young, so she was easily embarrassed. She also knew that what they were doing was wrong. Her face reddened immediately, and she tugged at Fang Ping’s arm with all her might.

Fang Ping was almost finished with experimenting, too. He deposited the extra money serenely, withdrew the card and walked away.

After they walked away from the ATM machine, Fang Ping suddenly looked extremely joyous. He started chuckling, disregarding the people around them. “Hehehe...”

Fang Ping almost felt her hair stand up. Was Fang Ping triggered by the previous incident?

“Fang Ping?”

“Hehehe...”

“You...don’t scare me?”

“Hehehehehe...”

“Boo-hoo, Fang Ping, what really happened to you?”

“Hehehe... Cough, nothing happened. Let’s go home.”

Seeing that his sister was almost crying because of him, Fang Ping coughed dryly while restraining his urge to laugh uproariously. He pulled the little girl toward the way home.

---

Lakeview Gardens.

Block 6, Unit 101.

After they had reached home, Fang Ping immediately went into his own small room and closed the door.

Outside, Fang Yuan banged on the door a few times, but Fang Ping refused to let her in. Fang Yuan was so angry that she wanted to break down the door to enter.

At this moment, Fang Ping did not care if Fang Yuan was angry.

While he was withdrawing the money, Fang Ping still had not figured some issues out. Now, he needed to hide someplace to understand it better.

...

In his small room.

The ten thousand bucks that he had withdrawn were put on his left side. On the right side was a ten yuan bill. This was the total amount of Fang Ping’s current wealth.

Fang Ping had regained his composure, but he still had a puzzled expression on.

When he was withdrawing money from the ATM machine and took two thousand bucks into his hands, his sight wavered. Something extra appeared in his sight as if he had floaters in his eyes.

Fang Ping had frozen then because of that.

If he had myodesopsia, his sight would be blurred, but instead, three lines of words were shown clearly in his sight.

Fang Ping still remembered that those three lines of words had appeared:

Wealth: 2000

Vitality: 1

Mentality: 1

Those words were short and simple. The first thing that Fang Ping thought of was a system.

Fang Ping was not quite unfamiliar with items of this matter. Even if he had not experienced this phenomenon himself, he had read books that spoke of it.

Fang Ping then discovered that the words appearing in his sight were overly simple.

There were only a few words, without any explanation or manual. Did systems not come with manuals in this timeline?

Or was it saying that this was a low-quality product made on an assembly line?

It appeared too suddenly too. Fang Ping did not even have a chance to prepare for it.

If this appeared when he had woken up in the classroom the past day, Fang Ping would have accepted its presence without any question. A day had passed, though. Why did it suddenly appear?

Thinking of the number 2000 in the Wealth column, Fang Ping figured out the basics then.

He then conducted some experiments to ensure if it was related to money.

Fang Ping had understood the meaning of Wealth then.

After numerous experiments, Fang Ping still found something difficult to explain.

The first example: He had twenty-eight bucks the past day and currently had ten bucks left.

Why did the words not appear then?

After consideration, he deduced that his remaining ten bucks were not counted into his Wealth, Fang Ping understood the reason somewhat.

In short, he was too poor!

The system in his mind had a mindset for wealth. It completely disregarded an amount lower than a hundred bucks. If he had more than a hundred bucks when he reincarnated, he would have known that this system existed earlier.

Fang Ping was poor though!

If it was not for the registration fee for the martial science examinations, the probability that his parents would give him a hundred bucks in one go was low. Fang Ping would have to discover this system after quite a long duration.

The past day Fang Ping was still complaining that God did not favor him, resulting in him having a hard time despite being a revenant.

According to current evidence, he had wronged Him. The decisive factor was his poverty.

“Poverty is really the underlying cause!”

Fang Ping was emotional after he thought it through. In current times, even God looked down on poor people.

Did He ever think of his feelings?

If he had never gotten the chance to acquire a hundred bucks, would this mean that the system was a waste?

Of course, the possibility of that happening was low.

The second point: as Fang Ping was withdrawing the money, he discovered something out of the ordinary.

After his wealth had increased to 10000, Fang Ping withdrew some more money from the account, but the number did not go up.

After numerous experiments, the number still froze at 10000 and no longer fluctuated.

There were only those few lines, no voice in his mind that explained anything to him and no manual either, so Fang Ping had to make a few guesses.

According to how Fang Ping understood it, the ten thousand bucks were given to him by his parents for registration purposes, so it should be his.

The money that he withdrew later belonged to his parents.

This Wealth was most likely a calculation of his own wealth.

If it was not the case and simply touching money was enough to increase his Wealth, Fang Ping would be thinking of doing nothing but finding a job in a bank that lets him have access to cash on a daily basis.

If he did not go to work in a bank, there were also other occupations that ensured access to money. Some of those did not require high qualifications, and so he could increase his Wealth indefinitely through working at those jobs, even though he did not know what good increasing his Wealth would do.

It was nothing if he did not know. Fang Ping knew that it would not be something detrimental.

“Wealth is a calculation of my own wealth. This system is quite intelligent, which contrasts with its overly simple manifestation, but I’ll take it.”

Fang Ping said to himself, and then he wrinkled his brow again. He muttered, “Is it only limited to cash, or does it include items of value? Gold and jewels, for example?”

When he had little money, it was fine, but what if he was rich? It could not be limited to cash only, could it?

Also, did he need to touch his wealth for the number to increase?

There were things like stock shares and virtual currency in modern society that were incorporeal. He could not touch it even if he wanted to, could he?

Fang Ping was filled with regret. His poverty was the cause of his current inability to make inferences.

If he had gold and jewels or valuable shares in his possession, he could have experimented on it, but now he could only put the matter aside until he had the means to do so.

“I was right, my poverty is limiting my imagination...”

Feeling slightly regretful, Fang Ping did not hasten to prove his guesses; the time to do so would definitely come.

Aside from those two questions that he had an answer to, Fang Ping thought of something else.

Did the calculation of wealth only count his net profit, or did it include his liabilities?

The question sounded paradoxical, but it was related to the next step Fang Ping would take.

This time, the ten thousand bucks he had was given to him by his parents. It could be counted as a gift that they did not have an intent to take back from him.

It was not earned by him, though. If the system counted his own wealth as Wealth, did it count as his if he borrowed it?

Also, would the number dwindle if he handed the ten thousand bucks to his teacher?

Spending money as soon as it was earned was inevitable.

If his Wealth dwindled after he spent money, Fang Ping would have to be miserly if he wanted to acquire a large amount of Wealth.

Fang Ping was unable to get answers for the questions above due to his current state, so he would have to put them aside for now.

Fang Ping paid the most attention to the words Vitality and Mentality.

Fang Ping had already guessed some parts of it, actually.

Vitality and Mentality were words that he had seen quite often when he was browsing the Web the past day.

Modern martial artists were not few, although they were not common, either.

This, coupled with the accessibility of information, led to the disclosing of some information on the Internet.

Even ordinary citizens knew, albeit not that thoroughly, that Vitality and Mentality were the basics of martial arts.

Few low-ranked martial artists talked about Mentality and did not pay much attention to it.

Some on the Internet had the opinion that the predominant difference between high-ranked martial artists — especially those of Grandmaster-level — and those ranked lower was their Mentality.

This was a distant issue from the current Fang Ping. Lower-ranked martial artists prioritized their Vitality first.

Abundant Vitality meant the elimination of ailments.

In Fang Ping’s past world, the usage of Vitality was common. The preservation of one’s health practiced by traditional Chinese physicians was actually the preserving of Vitality.

People with abundant Vitality were healthier than their peers.

Those food items said to be extremely nourishing were actually replenishing one’s Vitality.

People with abundant Vitality were not always martial artists, but martial artists had to have abundant Vitality.

The practice of martial arts was not equal to meditation. It was still vastly different from the Dao doctrines.

Martial artists were actually ordinary people that trained until their limits were reached and even broken. This was how martial artists came to be.

With abundant Vitality, the body would be healthy and be able to withstand training and exhaustion, setting a base for the body to grow stronger.

“This is also saying that increasing Vitality will make being a martial artist easier.

“After I become a martial artist, it’ll be easier to withstand the impending training that facilitates the advancement into higher ranks, one by one...”

Fang Ping muttered, and then he asked himself, “If my Wealth is shown, and if Vitality and Mentality are quantified, does it mean that I can convert my Wealth into either of these? What is the ratio of conversion?”

1:1 is not a ratio that Fang Ping thought was possible.

Right then, his Vitality and Mentality were both 1.

If the conversion ratio was 1:1, it meant that one yuan was enough to increase his Vitality into double of what ordinary citizens had. He would rather die than believe that it would be so easy.

“How should I convert it then?”

Fang Ping said somewhat helplessly, “Give me a user manual at least. Figuring it out myself is so troublesome.”

Fang Ping only had to focus to see the words and numbers in his sight.

After staring at them for a while, Fang Ping said experimentally, “System, system, add some Vitality for me?”

Nothing happened!

“Mister System, I’m going to convert some Wealth into Vitality?”

“...”

“God, Mister, are you still alive? Can you talk to me?”

“...”

“Open Sesame?”

“...”

” Rabbit, be good? 1 ”

“...”

“O, the Three Divine Teachers 1 above? Nam Amitabha 2 ? God bless me...”

“F*ck!”

He tried for a while, but the three numbers did not change. Fang Ping gave up completely. It seemed like this was not related to the conversion at all.

After a long consideration, Fang Ping stared at those numbers with all his might, trying to see if there was a plus sign behind the numbers that he had ignored somehow.

There was none, sadly.

Fang Ping was completely baffled. He did not know how to use this system. It could not be broken, could it?

Was this reliable?

He complained in his mind. It would be nice if the system came as a whole. Now it stuck Fang Ping in an awkward situation. Had it considered his feelings?

“Let me add some Vitality, or I’ll beat you to death!”

Fang Ping stared at the numbers and said without thought, but then the numbers suddenly changed after his words.

Wealth: 0

Vitality: 1.1

Mentality: 1

“...”

“F*ck!”

Fang Ping was dumbfounded. Such a method existed?

He would have to threaten this system for it to work?

As he stared in confusion, Fang Ping’s body wriggled unnaturally.

This sensation disappeared quickly.

Fang Ping let out a long breath, and he felt much lighter than before.

If he had to describe what he felt, it was like when an asthma patient was cured of asthma, or if an anemic was no longer so.

If he had to exaggerate, he would say that he felt like the Earth’s gravity seemed a little lesser to him, even though this sensation was fleeting.

“This is comfortable!”

He had only increased his Vitality by 0.1, but he felt more comfortable than jerking off.

This feeling of relief was similar to that of an orgasm — it did not go on for long before subsiding.

It had subsided, but Fang Ping could sense that his body was healthier than before. He understood himself the most, so he could definitely sense if something in his body had changed.

Fang Ping immediately furrowed his brow when he noticed that his Wealth had become zero.

He knew that the ratio would not be too high, but 100000:1 was so expensive!

10000 Wealth points were exchanged for a 0.1 increase in his Vitality. He did not become superhuman; he was, at most, slightly better than ordinary citizens.

If he wanted to reach the standards of a martial artist, how much more Wealth would he need?

At this thought, Fang Ping turned his gaze toward his study table abruptly. He sighed with relief when he saw that the red bills were still there. Luckily, the worst that could happen did not.

If spending Wealth meant that his money was spent too, he would not know how to explain this to his parents.

Grabbing the bills with his hands, Fang Ping went deep into thought again.

It seemed like he would have to earn money diligently in the future. If he wanted to pass the martial science examinations and become a martial artist, the easiest way in this situation was to convert his Wealth into Vitality.

If he really did get admitted into martial sciences, he would have to expend uncountable sums of money to purchase resources.

In other words, everything needed money.

“The poor really don’t have the right to be strong! This is forcing me to think of ideas to earn money!”

Chapter 4: The Five Stages of the Martial Sciences Exam

Fang Ping, whose head was swimming with ways to earn money, was once again crushed by reality.

When he walked out of his room, he found Fang Yuan who had been waiting for him at his door for a while now.

The moment she saw Fang Ping, Fang Yuan groaned pitifully. “I’m hungry!”

“Why don’t you get something to eat if you’re hungry?” Fang Ping replied nonchalantly.

Hearing that, Fang Yuan puckered her small lips and complained, “I’ve no money. And we ran out of leftover rice too.

“The 50 bucks that mom gave us two days ago were meant for our three days’ worth of lunch.

“The money’s with you now. So, where should we go for lunch?”

“Spending money for lunch?” Fang Ping felt attacked. He replied dryly, “Why didn’t you bring this up this morning?”

He remembered how happy the brat looked when she ate the skewers he had bought for her!

Fang Ping had no doubt that this little brat would spend the last 10 bucks if he allowed it.

The main point was that he only had 10 bucks left. This brat seemed reluctant to use her own 5 bucks. Unless she was planning to suck him dry?

It would not be unexpected at all.

Fang Yuan replied blatantly, “Of course we need to spend money on food. You took all the money so I don’t have to think about getting food.

“Fang Ping, I’m hungry! It’s almost one now. I want to eat!”

“Hehe!”

“Fang Ping, I’m super hungry. I’m so hungry I don’t think I’ll be able to walk...” Fang Yuan rubbed her small, childish belly and pretended to be miserable.

Fang Ping struggled between laughing and crying. He extended a hand and gently pinched her chubby cheeks. Eventually, he gave in and said, “Alright, let’s eat. And I thought I really used up your pocket money. Thankfully it’s food money. I almost forgot about this myself. But of course, you’re aware of this, aren’t you?

“You little brat, should you be plotting against your brother this way? Now, we’ll have to discard our previous agreement...”

“No!” Fang Yuan shook her head vigorously. With a reluctant expression on her face, she paused briefly before fishing out 5 bucks from her pocket. Her eyes lingered on the note and she said, “This is for you. You said you’ll buy tasty things, clothes, and a computer for me... You better keep your promise.”

Despite always fighting Fang Ping, Fang Yuan was close to her brother.

Although currently impossible, since Fang Ping promised to buy her good food and pretty clothes, the little girl was looking forward to the day Fang Ping graduated from university and fulfilled his promise.

For the sake of that future, Fang Yuan relented and decided to contribute all of her remaining assets. She had eaten Fang Ping’s 5 bucks worth of skewers in the morning anyway.

The little lady calculated it all out with her hypothetical abacus. Fang Ping felt humored, yet at the same time, helpless.

Fang Ping was now convinced that he was powerless without some amount of money on himself.

...

After returning from their meal, Fang Ping was utterly bankrupt. If he did not need those ten thousand bucks to pay for his tuition fees, then he could still consider himself somewhat wealthy.

Fortunately, the pair of sibli