Flashy Gear

Lin Qian was lost in thought, working out how to handle what was about to happen while keeping the damage to everyone to a minimum, when Jiang Tingjun suddenly tapped him. Then came Fu Yifei's startled exclamation: "Look! Isn't that Dong Mingen?"

Lin Qian raised his head and saw a familiar figure walking past in the distance.

It was indeed Dong Mingen, one of Zheng Pingqing's close friends, who had spent more than a decade helping Zheng Pingqing make Lin Qian's life difficult.

Come to think of it, Dong Mingen had also been a casualty of the events following the pledge rally in their previous life. He had suffered a broken rib in the brawl and spent six months recovering. His grades had never been good to begin with, and afterward he hadn't even managed to get into college.

"What's he carrying?" Jiang Tingjun frowned, widening his eyes as he tried to identify the object in Dong Mingen's hands. He was a little nearsighted and couldn't make it out.

Looking distinctly at a loss, Fu Yifei explained, "A megaphone. The kind they use at the farmers' market for everything-must-go sales."

Jiang Tingjun said, "...What does he need a megaphone for?"

Xu Yao was equally baffled. "And the tackiest kind, too. Where did he even find it?"

Pan Qibo looked thoughtful. "There aren't many occasions at school that call for a megaphone. Maybe he's going to use it to confess to a girl?"

The others: "..."

Xu Yao all but choked. "Confess with a megaphone? Could he get any tackier? Who's unlucky enough to have that happen to her?"

Jiang Tingjun slapped his thigh, laughing his head off. "If someone confessed to me like that, I'd rather stay single for life!"

Lin Qian couldn't resist giving Jiang Tingjun a sidelong look. In their previous life, he really had spent half his life single. His daily routine had consisted of wailing in their group chat, begging someone to introduce him to a girlfriend and promising a lifetime of devoted service in return.

Later, when Lin Qian announced that he and Zheng Pingqing were together, Jiang Tingjun had even abandoned all dignity and declared that, so long as it meant having a sex life, he was willing to give being gay a try.

Xu Yao and the others had been so alarmed that they'd rushed over that very night to beat him up.

Hearing him make such grand declarations now, utterly ignorant of life's hardships, Lin Qian desperately wanted to advise him: Young man, don't tempt fate.

Perhaps he had heard the commotion. Dong Mingen abruptly turned his head, and once he recognized their group, a sinister, faintly smug smile spread across his face.

"Fuck, what's he smiling at?" Xu Yao bristled on the spot.

"We can't lose this! Watch me hit back!" Fu Yifei instantly switched into combat mode, turned toward Dong Mingen with tremendous purpose, and struck a pose like Ultraman fighting a monster, complete with sound effects. "Pew~ pew~ pew~"

Dong Mingen, in the distance: "..."

Xu Yao and the others: "..."

Lin Qian: "..." Even with a second chance at life, he was still defenseless against Fu Yifei's idiocy.

Dong Mingen's mouth twitched. Refusing to be outdone, he flipped Fu Yifei the bird, then hugged the megaphone to his chest and hurried away.

Fu Yifei gave a cold snort. "He's lucky he ran!"

Lin Qian eyed him askance. "What, you had another move ready?"

Fu Yifei gave the matter serious thought, then admitted sheepishly, "No."

Jiang Tingjun gave him a beating.

When they reached the auditorium, Lin Qian split off from the others and headed backstage alone.

He had just reached the backstage entrance when a group came out toward him. Leading them was Ke Caizhu, the director of student affairs, followed by the grade director, Lin Qian's homeroom teacher, and several others. With them was Lin Qian's classmate Huo Yerui, son of Vice Principal Huo Pingchuan.

At the sight of Huo Yerui, Lin Qian couldn't help rolling his eyes inwardly. In their previous life, the reason he and Zheng Pingqing had been caught red-handed in the brawl after the pledge rally was that Huo Yerui had tipped off the school administrators.

Ke Caizhu was walking along with a grim expression. "Yerui is a good boy. I believe he wouldn't lie. Since none of you will take this seriously, don't blame me for not warning you when something goes wrong..."

Lin Qian's homeroom teacher, Hong Keyi, interrupted. "Director Ke, this isn't a matter of believing him or not. Without any evidence, how can we simply replace the student representative?"

The others chimed in. "Exactly. An unsubstantiated claim isn't going to convince anyone."

Ke Caizhu folded her arms. "You may not like hearing this, but Lin Qian doesn't even respect his own father. It's hardly surprising that he'd have conflicts with other students..."

The others exchanged glances. Ke Caizhu was about to continue when Huo Yerui hurried to smooth things over. "Teachers, I was too hasty. I only heard about this, and I was worried something might go wrong at the pledge rally, so I thought I should warn you first. It can't hurt to keep an eye out. If nothing happens, everyone's happy. If it turns out to be true, at least we'll have taken precautions."

He smiled. "After all, the pledge rally means a great deal to us. We can't afford to have anything go wrong."

Ke Caizhu snorted. "If something does happen, you'll all be held responsible."

She turned her head sharply and happened to spot Lin Qian approaching. Her expression immediately darkened further.

Lin Qian nodded to the teachers in greeting. "Hello, teachers."

Ke Caizhu's temper flared. "Look at the time! You're only arriving now? As the student representative, don't you have even this much sense of punctuality?"

With a dismissive sweep of her hand, she stalked off. Huo Yerui glanced at Lin Qian, then followed her out.

Bewildered, Lin Qian looked at the others. "What happened?"

Hong Keyi quickly smiled. "Nothing. Go get ready. All the girls in your grade are waiting for you to inspire them."

The grade director put on a disapproving expression. "What kind of remark is that? Don't the boys in the grade need inspiration too?"

Having lived his life once already, Lin Qian was not the least bit fazed by the teachers' teasing. Drawing on the thick skin he had developed through years of matching wits with Zheng Pingqing, he replied serenely, "Boys or girls, they're all my dear classmates. Rest assured, teachers. I won't play favorites."

The teachers: "..."

Only after the teachers had laughed awkwardly and left did one of the student helpers sidle up to him. "Lin Qian, Abbess Ke just brought Huo Yerui over to complain about you. They said you've been having trouble with Zheng Pingqing's gang in Class 8, and Zheng Pingqing and the others are plotting to ruin the pledge rally and humiliate you..."

Lin Qian said, "...Oh."

Displaying a keen awareness of counter-surveillance, the student looked around and lowered their voice. "Abbess Ke said that, to preserve the sanctity of the pledge rally, she suggested replacing you with Huo Yerui as student representative. Pah! As if anyone doesn't know she's sucking up to the vice principal!"

"Huo Pingchuan hasn't even officially taken over yet, and Abbess Ke is already cozying up to the crown prince-in-waiting. Thank goodness we're graduating next year. Who knows what things will be like once Huo Pingchuan's officially in charge? The younger students are going to have it rough..." Quite the gossip, this student poured out an endless stream of grievances.

"And Huo Yerui has some nerve! The student representative is practically next in line for recommended admission to F University. Has he ever stopped to consider whether he's even qualified? Good thing the other teachers aren't blind and didn't let Abbess Ke have her way. Though I strongly suspect Huo Pingchuan put them up to it..."

The student kept griping and rolling their eyes, unaware that Lin Qian was inwardly wringing his hands with regret. Why couldn't Ke Caizhu and Huo Yerui have pulled off their coup?

If Huo Yerui had taken his place onstage, it would have saved him so much trouble!

...

...

"...Thank you, Principal, for your thoughtful guidance. As the last class of seniors to graduate under Principal Qiu, let's not disappoint him." Watching the principal leave the stage, the emcee turned toward the audience with a smile. "Now, let's welcome this year's student representative, our unbeatable academic star, to give his speech..."

No. 12 High School's auditorium had tiered seating and was large enough to accommodate the entire faculty and student body. More than half the seats were currently occupied; evidently, students from other grades had come as well as the seniors.

Before the emcee had even finished speaking, cheers erupted throughout the auditorium. Many students shouted in unison, "Lin Qian! Lin Qian!"

Even the school administrators seated in the front row kept turning to look. Despite their many years working at the school, they rarely saw a scene like this.

The principal, who had just sat down, said cheerfully to Vice Principal Huo Pingchuan beside him, "Lin Qian certainly is popular."

Huo Pingchuan smiled in agreement. "Indeed. Such a handsome young man. No wonder all the girls like him."

Seemingly oblivious to the sour note in his words, the principal laughed. "That just shows Yazhi has good genes!"

Huo Pingchuan gave a cold little smile and said nothing more.

Lin Qian took his place at the lectern. From there, he had a clear view of every corner of the auditorium.

The school administrators in the first row, the grade's teachers in the second.

The advanced-class students seated toward the front. Xu Yao, Jiang Tingjun, and the others led a group in waving excitedly at him like fans greeting an idol at the airport.

Farther back sat the students from the other classes. Lin Qian's gaze traveled up the tiers, passing over faces both familiar and strange, until it finally settled at the back of the auditorium.

Zheng Pingqing was sitting there.

It wasn't that Lin Qian had particularly good eyesight. Zheng Pingqing and the underperforming-class students gathered around him were simply too dazzling to miss.

Zheng Pingqing was just plain good-looking. Dong Mingen and the rest, meanwhile, boasted No. 12 High School's brightest hair colors, flashiest outfits, and most punchable attitudes. Put them all together, and they would be the center of attention anywhere.

In a moment, this lot would start heckling and jeering during his speech, doing their best to embarrass him.

What could he do? The teenage Zheng Pingqing really was that childish.

"Anyone have a heart pill I could take first?" Lin Qian abruptly asked the emcee, sending a wave of laughter through the audience.

Only once the laughter had subsided did Lin Qian speak again. "Fellow students, the Gaokao really is terrifying..."

Dong Mingen was the first to let out a derisive "Pfft," making Xu Yao and the others glance back warily.

Lin Qian smiled, unbothered, and continued. "But the Gaokao really is important, too. It's one of the few chances in life we have to change our own fate through our own efforts. No matter what, please don't give up."

Lin Qian had long since forgotten every word of the speech he had written in his previous life. But their failure in that year's Gaokao had cast a long shadow over his life and the lives of Xu Yao and the others. So although he was improvising this time, he spoke with genuine feeling, even drawing on several real examples from their previous life. At his most heartfelt moments, he stirred his classmates deeply, leaving each with something to reflect on.

Even the principal couldn't help turning to Huo Pingchuan. "To think Lin Qian has such profound thoughts at his age. What an exceptional student!"

Huo Pingchuan: "..." Couldn't the principal find someone else to talk to?

"...So let's all work hard together!" As Lin Qian finished, thunderous applause filled the auditorium.

Unmoved, Lin Qian glanced toward Zheng Pingqing again, feeling puzzled.

This time, Zheng Pingqing hadn't challenged him in public. Had something changed the course of history?

Thinking rapidly, Lin Qian turned to leave the stage. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a shout rang out behind him, carrying through the entire auditorium. "Lin Qian, wait."

Lin Qian turned back. Beyond the sea of heads, a figure in a white shirt had risen to his feet, tall, straight-backed, and striking enough to turn heads.

It was Zheng Pingqing, and he was holding a megaphone.

The kind the aunties used at the farmers' market!

Around him, Dong Mingen and the others were flushed with excitement, phones at the ready to capture this historic moment.

Zheng Pingqing's flashy piece of equipment unquestionably drew the attention of every teacher and student in the auditorium. His feud with Lin Qian was already common knowledge throughout the school, so everyone took one look at his stance and knew something big was about to happen. The room tensed at once.

The teachers who had been warned that Zheng Pingqing was planning to cause trouble went white.

Ke Caizhu could hardly wait to start berating them at the top of her voice. "See? I told you, but you wouldn't believe me! Let's see how you clean up this mess! When the principal starts demanding answers, don't expect me to protect you..."

The principal turned his head, puzzled. "What's going on?"

Huo Pingchuan's eyes flickered. "Earlier, Yerui heard that Lin Qian had a conflict with a student from Class 8, which has caused considerable unhappiness in both classes. The Class 8 students have a serious grievance against Lin Qian and intend to band together against him. I asked Yerui to warn Teacher Hong and the others, but they didn't believe him..."

The principal gaped. "Surely not. Lin Qian doesn't seem like that sort of person to me."

Huo Pingchuan smiled without warmth. "We'll know if we keep watching."

Although the principal found it hard to believe that the student representative could have provoked an entire class into joining forces against him, the evidence seemed to be right before his eyes. Apparently, he had no choice but to believe it. With an indescribable look, he glanced at the embarrassed teachers, then at Lin Qian, frozen onstage.

At that moment, Lin Qian was inwardly swearing. He'd been wondering why Zheng Pingqing had stayed quiet as a mouse the whole time. So he'd been saving up his ultimate move!

He'd even gone out of his way to get special equipment. Did he really have to go to such lengths?

Lin Qian tipped his face toward the heavens and heaved a long sigh.

He'd already let this life's Zheng Pingqing off the hook. Why couldn't this life's Zheng Pingqing do the same for him?

This world wasn't worth it!

Zheng Pingqing raised the megaphone, his gaze blazing. "I hereby formally announce, before every teacher and student in this school—"

"Lin Qian, you are the most handsome man in all of No. 12 High School!"

Every word was distinct, every syllable crystal clear.

Lin Qian: !!!

The entire faculty and student body: ????