I am a Big Player
Chapter 194 - 192. Jiang Haoyang Vomiting (Second Update)_1

Chapter 194: 192. Jiang Haoyang Vomiting (Second Update)_1

In mid-August, when the senior grades hadn’t started school yet, the only ones arriving at the school were the freshmen of No.4 Middle School, undergoing military training directly on the school’s playground. The entire grade, consisting of over a thousand students, stood in formation by class in squares on the playground. In front of the formations were large barrels of mung bean soup, and boxes and boxes of Huoxiang Zhengqi Shui...

Everyone had changed into the camouflage uniforms issued by the school. The fierce sun appeared above at 8 a.m., turning the playground’s surface to golden yellow. The sight of the sun in the sky filled the students with a sense of despair.

Ren He and Liu Bing were holding up relatively well, but Jiang Haoyang’s sweat never stopped. Yet at this point, he started to chicken out, "If pretending to be sick won’t be discovered by the school, that would be good, right? Getting a punishment at the start of school really wouldn’t be worth it!"

"Here we are at this moment, and you’re thinking of backing out? Just think about standing under this sun for an entire day, how despairing is that?" Liu Bing said with a disappointed look on his face.

Ren He wasn’t bothered much. He had already considered what to do in case Jiang Haoyang suddenly backed out...

As the morning progressed, while Jiang Haoyang was still hesitating, he got the feeling that some shadowy premonition was looming over him. A deep sense of crisis filled him, yet he found no trace to explain it, when all of a sudden, he felt something churning in his stomach...

Vomit! Jiang Haoyang threw up right there and then! It was utterly ghastly!

"Reporting to the instructor, classmate Jiang Haoyang is feeling unwell. Liu Bing and I will take him to the health office!" Ren He immediately stood up and volunteered to take Jiang Haoyang to the health office.

The instructor, faced with Jiang Haoyang’s fountain-like vomiting, was dumbstruck. He had led many batches of students before, seen fainting, nosebleeds, sunburns peeling, but never had he witnessed something so grisly...

Ren He had actually thought of this possibility yesterday, which was why he had seriously asked Jiang Haoyang if he was willing to pay the price to evade military training. The person in question had agreed, and Ren He had also verified that this was purely an act of vomiting without any harmful effects on the body; otherwise, he wouldn’t have used this tactic on his classmate.

Considering today’s events, Ren He decided that for the next three years, unless there was an emergency situation, he absolutely couldn’t let Jiang Haoyang know that he had the ability to induce vomiting; otherwise, given the latter’s intelligence, he would definitely connect it to what had happened today...

As for Jiang Haoyang, he was still in a complete state of shock, wondering how he had thrown up without any warning at all!

And so, on the very first day of military training for the freshmen at No.4 Middle School, Jiang Haoyang made a name for himself with his vomiting, becoming a distinct sight within the school...

Ren He and Liu Bing supported him as they headed to the health office. They had to play the part convincingly, so a trip to the health office was necessary. However, Ren He believed even the school doctor wouldn’t be able to find the cause of Jiang Haoyang’s vomiting.

Looking at the time on his phone, Ren He saw that Jiang Haoyang’s episode lasted a whole 29 minutes, a full 7 minutes longer than Lin Hao. Could it be that the physical condition of the target really affects the outcome of the vomiting? But he figured 20 minutes should be the baseline, after all, Lin Hao was much fitter than Jiang Haoyang, and a mere 7-minute difference didn’t seem right.

Jiang Haoyang said weakly, "I wasn’t prepared at all... Maybe I ate a bit too much this morning..."

"Hmm, you must try to avoid overeating in the future," Ren He said earnestly.

Now, even if Jiang Haoyang himself wanted to rejoin the ranks, the instructor would probably advise him to rest some more.

The meals at No.4 Middle School’s high school section were pretty decent, and special stir-fry options were offered due to the military training, allowing students to purchase as they pleased. The portions were generous—three people ordering three stir-fries to share might not even be able to finish it all.

Ren He, in particular, wouldn’t shortchange himself on such matters. Feeling a bit guilty, he invited Jiang Haoyang and Liu Bing to a meal to help Jiang Haoyang replenish his strength...

Most students at No.4 Middle School came from remarkable backgrounds, as it was the premier choice for the offspring of Capital’s elite. However, Ren He was surprised to discover that his peers, Liu Bing and Jiang Haoyang, did not possess particularly ostentatious personalities. They didn’t compete over clothing or family wealth, and everyone avoided discussing their family backgrounds, as if those matters were trivial. Instead, the focus seemed to be on personal talent.

It must be said that Ren He quite admired this mindset. To really grow, one first has to understand that what’s yours is yours, and what belongs to your parents is theirs. The glory of one’s parents doesn’t truly bring genuine pleasure to one’s spiritual world. On the contrary, if you immerse yourself in it, you’ll end up feeling empty.

The three of them had a wood ear pork stir-fry, a fish-fragrant shredded pork, and a chicken gizzard with celery—each dish was hefty and filling.

It was during the meal that Ren He was surprised to learn that the unassuming Liu Bing was actually the top scorer in the middle school section’s entrance exam at No.4 Middle School, making him a top scholar with much more merit than Ren He’s own title.

And Ren He got to hear from Liu Bing, the "veteran" of No.4 Middle School, about the other side of the seemingly glamorous No.4 Middle School. It was like a towering mountain with one side facing the sunlight, where plants indulged in photosynthesis and grew unrestrained. Yet, it also had a shaded side, where plants dwelled on the summit but were often forgotten by people.

At one point during the meal, Liu Bing grew contemplative, "Upon entering No.4 Middle School, students naturally split into hierarchies, with one group being the rich, beautiful, smart, society leaders, and various ’second-generation’ elites, and the rest falling into the other group. There’s a wealth of club activities at No.4 Middle School that even universities can’t match, but many ’average students’ can only watch from the sidelines. But are these ’average students’ really so ordinary? Not really. They too were the best of the best, the pride of their previous schools. It’s just that in No.4 Middle School, they seem a bit ordinary. We call them ’transparent people,’ and I’ve been one of them. Back then, the top ten scholars in my class wouldn’t say more than ten sentences to me over the course of a year. Can you still believe this is the No.4 Middle School everyone talks about? No. That’s when I decided to strive hard, and worked my way up to number one in my grade. At first, I wanted to mock the scholars once I was on top, but when I actually reached the top, I found myself feeling calm instead."

Liu Bing laughed self-deprecatingly, "Life is just like that, isn’t it? If you give up on yourself, others will give up on you. No.4 Middle School is no charity; what you can do is, if you long for that kind of rich life, you’ve got to fight for it yourself. Looking back, they didn’t look down on me. When I asked questions, they would patiently explain things to me, and the ’second-gen’ kids never bragged about their status intentionally. It’s often not until graduation that we get the big reveals about who’s the grandson of whom. But they... they didn’t exclude me—it was me who excluded myself at first."

Liu Bing continued, "I remember at the middle school dance, I watched them, already wearing suits from Armani worth tens of thousands and holding hands with beautiful girls from other schools, while I couldn’t even enter because I couldn’t find a date. I was insecure, but now, I don’t feel insecure at all. I have my own strengths. I’m good at math, and I don’t envy others for their physics skills. I think the most important thing No.4 Middle School has taught me is to view the world calmly. Of course, everyone’s experience is different."

"I now firmly believe in that phrase often used to describe No.4 Middle School: ’Interesting souls will always find each other.’ No.4 Middle School is such a place—if you’re outstanding enough, it’s the perfect stage for you. Welcome to No.4 Middle School!"

Ren He pondered upon hearing the No.4 Middle School ’veteran’s’ words, thinking that Liu Bing’s experience could indeed be considered somewhat rough through his student years.

Suddenly, Jiang Haoyang asked, "We’ve never heard you talk about your own story, Ren He. It’s a bit unfair, keeping so tight-lipped. You’ve got to let everyone know what you’re capable of, right?"

Ren He smiled and said, "I’m the legendary underachiever; I can’t compare with you guys. There’s nothing much to tell, let’s eat."

What he was now looking forward to the most was for Yang Xi to finish recording her album quickly and return to school, so they could reunite.

...

Today’s update is a bit late. I’ve been writing quite fiercely lately and suddenly felt a bit tired and couldn’t write anymore—there’s no other reason. But I’ve adjusted my state now, cough cough, and will continue to update soon.