Returning to '97, creating a new life

183 cm.

The results of more than a month to nearly two months show that there are also groups of people on campus who have grown taller rapidly, but Xu Kai is more outstanding.

He has shed the slender physique of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old and is beginning to develop a certain amount of muscle definition. Not much, but enough for his age, and something Xu Kai never had before.

When Xu Kai returned home at noon, there was a leftover bowl of beef stew with persimmons, along with some pickled vegetables. He ate six ounces of rice.

Outside the school gate, next to the stalls.

Ma Xin handed Xu Kai a cigarette, and the latter took out a lighter to light it for him.

Xu Kai knew why the other person had come at noon today and why his attitude had become unusually friendly after he lit a cigarette for him.

There are various versions of what happened that night, but the fact remains that Ma Xin and his two friends were at a disadvantage against one person. Now that he has appeared, the message he is conveying is that it was a misunderstanding that night, that the guys fought each other, and that once it's over, it's over. There's no question of who benefited or who suffered a loss.

Now you see, we have a great relationship, we're all buddies, we're all brothers. Xu Kai is my little brother. If they have a conflict and fight, would I, as the older brother, hold a grudge? Wouldn't that mean I lack magnanimity and broad-mindedness?

Ma Xin stayed at Xu Kai's stall for more than half an hour, chatting enthusiastically and even helping to sell the goods.

As class was about to start and the stalls were closing, Xu Kai went to the convenience store at the school gate and bought two bottles of Coke.

A plastic bottle of Coke costs three yuan, which is considered a luxury for a student's pocket money in a regular middle school. A larger glass bottle of soda, with orange or pear flavor, costs only fifty cents.

That night passed just like that. As Ma Xin had expected, the rumors from the outside world gradually came to mind: he and Xu Kai were best friends, and Xu Kai had him as an older brother both inside and outside of school, so no one could bully him.

Xu Kai was happy to give Ma Xin such a reputation, and he didn't care about it. At noon, more girls from different grades who liked to hang out on and off campus came. They had already secretly dressed up, and some of the small accessories that Xu Kai had brought were very appealing to them.

Ma Xin knew all these girls, and they were happy to call her "Brother Ma" and "Brother Xin" to show their familiarity with each other. They felt that this would elevate their so-called status on campus. Not to mention bullying others, at least they could say something when talking to their classmates. Occasionally, if they had a little argument, she could say a few harsh words or swear words, and the other party would not dare to talk back.

The few dozen yuan in gross income that it brings is what Xu Kai cares about.

He initially thought he didn't care about anything else, but soon he discovered that some things were awkward, while others were genuinely emotionally valuable, allowing him to regain some of the passion that belonged to his age and calm his mind.

In first and second grade, or even in the same grade, some girls started to greet Xu Kai when they encountered him on campus. Even those who were a little shy would look him in the eye, smile and nod, and show goodwill.

In general, a certain number of boys drop out of school early or take a leave of absence, while very few girls do. Even if they are just coasting through school, their families still hope that they are just coasting through school.

Some of them were outgoing and cheerful, and they called Xu Kai "brother" directly, which made him very embarrassed.

During breaks, when he's playing basketball on the court, some girls stop to cheer him on or come specifically to watch him. It would be a lie to say he doesn't feel a little vain.

Xu Kai, who had been relatively unknown for two years, became a well-known figure on campus in just over a month after entering his third year of junior high school. This made him secretly both amused and exasperated. Before he could become a campus celebrity by dunking, he became famous because he had many friends outside of school, being Song Ge's brother.

If you're not outstanding, you won't be envied. The price of fame is that there will eventually be a corresponding number of people or voices who dislike you.

Because Xu Kai is Song Ge's brother, no one dares to mess with him.

There are indeed dissenting voices.

Poor wretch.

Teenagers at this age are very concerned about their image and are easily embarrassed. It's normal for people to criticize Xu Kai's family background behind his back when he sells goods at a stall, and it's also reasonable to call him a poor guy.

Most people would find this unbearable, but Xu Kai had absolutely no reaction. Even if someone came to his ear to complain about whoever said it, he didn't care at all. "I am me, yet I am not me anymore. Being poor is a fact."

A few days later, rumors spread that Xu Kai, a third-grader, was going to beat up someone because that guy had been calling Xu Kai a poor bastard in private.

Upon hearing this, Xu Kai couldn't help but smile wryly. School is also a microcosm of society. Although the various things there may be naive, it is already a primary stage of social development, without any difference.

Fame has its pros and cons. What Xu Kai cares about is that his business seems to be doing much better. By the end of October, after deducting some expenses for improving the family's meals, his savings had reached 1,500 yuan after covering his daily expenses.

Business was also good at No. 5 Middle School. Brother Song took some people there to "visit" him and chatted with some "high-end" people who hung out there. This also made some of the mischievous kids there realize that Xu Kai was making money and put away their crooked thoughts.

It wasn't at all about treating everyone to a meal; Xu Kai simply bought a few packs of cigarettes and let everyone disperse.

The next day at noon, Xu Kai went to the billiard hall and found Brother Song. They ate together at a small restaurant. It was nothing more than a plate of spicy shredded pork, a plate of stir-fried tofu with green peppers, a bottle of beer and a bowl of rice each. The total cost was only twenty-two yuan.

During this time, Xu Kai was also invited by Brother Song to participate in an action to help others, which was a completely different interpretation of the saying "many hands make light work".

With Song Ge leading a dozen or so men, the other students from the other schools who were supposed to be tough suddenly lost their bravado. Xu Kai just stood aside, watching the "master" who had asked for a favor, relying on Song Ge's influence, give him several hard kicks and slaps. There was no damage value, only humiliation value.

After walking around for an hour, Xu Kai returned with a box of Red Guobin cigarettes in his hand and a handful of game tokens in the arcade.

Embarrassing, I couldn't help but smile bitterly to myself. This little brat must be incredibly good at squandering the family's money. At this rate, just this one trip would cost Brother Song a fortune, not even including cigarettes and game tokens. A few hundred yuan just for the sake of saving face?

And you know what? It really is the kind of willful behavior of a "rich kid".

After the midterm exams, Xu Kai went to a computer lab with Wang Lei for an all-nighter and went to an ice skating rink with Brother Song. The silence in the exam hall and the fluent writing reflected Xu Kai's still somewhat detached state, a state not yet fully integrated into this era. While focused on the exam, he might have occasionally drifted off like an observer.

With the same knowledge base, Xu Kai's performance in the exam room would definitely be far superior to others. The difference in solving problems might not be significant, but his advantage in humanities exams is huge, easily gaining 20 or 30 more points across several subjects.

It was the midterm exams that made him start to participate in the activities appropriate for his age, instead of resisting and drifting away like an outsider.

Are the games played in the computer room? No, they're playing games with friends, enjoying the excitement and focused fun of researching game strategies together.

Rented inline skates smelled of other people's sweaty feet, but with "Wild Wolf Disco" and wild light spinning, young ladies in tight jeans and turtlenecks gracefully stretched out in front, creating a long line of skaters – that was the unique youth of this era.

Here, Xu Kai saw the beautiful women he saw. Compared to the girls in short videos, they were more real, and the sensory impact was stronger. Everything from their facial features to their figures was real, and their unrestrained passion was enough to make any man completely fall for them and melt away.

Brother Song is one of them...

Uh.

A role that is in decline.

They haven't even reached the level of being a "lickspittle," they don't even have that opportunity. At most, they know each other, but they don't even have the chance to care for or love others.

In a comprehensive entertainment venue like this roller skating rink, Song Ge's title becomes meaningless. Regardless of whether he's a legendary ruthless character who dares to use knives or be ruthless, his lack of a proper job, unremarkable appearance, and empty pockets mean that among idle young men in their early twenties, he's just a nobody. He has no chance of getting special attention from the glamorous beauties, let alone being one of the best among them.

Xu Kai, on the other hand, has attracted the attention of some girls who wear heavy makeup and smell of cheap perfume.

His buzz cut was neat and tidy. He used to occasionally get pimples, but in the two months since he came back, his skin had improved day by day, becoming firm and radiant. While he didn't have strikingly handsome features, his overall appearance was clean and refreshing. His bright black eyes gave him a deep and captivating look. Standing there, his simple, plain jeans accentuated his long, eye-catching legs. Although there were still some stray hairs around his mouth, his overall presence in this environment gave him an above-average level of market appeal.

Xu Kai wasn't afraid of being approached by young ladies; he just didn't want to ruin his current relationship with Brother Song. In the second month, his stall business went much better, with young men and women calling him "brother" and coming to support him. By the end of the month, their combined spending amounted to several hundred yuan.

For the sake of money, he was willing to maintain his relationship with Brother Song and the others. He turned around, left the scene, changed his shoes at the entrance, said goodbye to Brother Song, and quietly left.

Why let other flowers lose their luster when there's no need for them to bloom?

………………

"See that? The basketball tournament is about to start at three schools under the railway bureau and five schools in the surrounding counties and cities. They're so awesome, they've been ordered to skip class this afternoon, calling it a training camp. Training camp my ass! Our school is a complete pushover. I heard that the center at Railway No. 1 Middle School is two meters tall..."

The midterm exam results haven't come out yet, and these two days are the most relaxed and playful time for all students.

Wang Lei looked out the window with envy, then turned to Xu Kai and complained.

He used to walk arm in arm with Xu Kai, but now he has to reach out with his arm outstretched. The change in their relationship is reflected in their seating positions; Xu Kai is now sitting in the spot he used to occupy.

Xu Kai looked out the window in the direction he was pointing, then turned back to look at their homeroom teacher, Lü Yan, who was sitting by the window near the front desk, and said softly, "It's time to give everyone a little surprise."

In the past two months, he earned over a thousand yuan, improved his meals, bought a pair of Li-Ning basketball shoes, and a new outfit. But this wasn't all Xu Kai had to offer. Recognizing his own transformation, he re-planned his future. During the National Day holiday and for a month afterward, he would go to his uncle's factory basketball court on weekends to compete against a bunch of rough, technically challenged guys who relied solely on brute force. At school, behind the three-point line, facing the basket, he preferred to call himself a forward-thinking version of Curry.

surprise?

No, no, it's to give everyone a taste of the intensity.

After the third period in the afternoon, during the break.

The school's outdoor playground is not very large. During the training camp's temporary break, the team gave up the ten minutes they usually spent having fun to the other students.

Drink some water, sit down to cool off, and listen to the PE teacher explain some simple tactics and introduce the game situation.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud, not drowned out by the noise of the playground, drew the attention of the training team's teachers and students with a gasp of surprise.

They saw it; the source of the sound appeared in their line of sight.

Xu Kai soared into the air once again.