The girls who were engaged all threw their old diaries into this hole. Some even tossed in photos they had taken with their former lovers, and then, with a clear conscience, started new romances.

The police, after confiscating those extremely well-forged counterfeit bills, also handed them all over to this hole for disposal, ensuring nothing could ever go wrong again. Meanwhile, criminals quietly threw all sorts of evidence into the hole, thinking that by doing so, they could escape justice.

No matter what was thrown in, this generous and impartial hole accepted everything without exception. Tirelessly, it washed away all kinds of filth for the entire city. Gradually, the ocean and sky turned a beautiful shade of blue again, looking from afar as clear as glass.

Under this deep blue sky, newly built skyscrapers sprang up one after another like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

One day, a worker was working atop a building under construction. After finishing with a rivet, he put down his tools to rest for a moment. Suddenly, he heard a strange voice coming from above.

"Hey—come out!"

However, when he looked up at the sky, there was nothing there—just endless clear blue. He thought maybe he was a bit dizzy from working and was imagining things. Then, just as he was settling back into his previous position to rest, a stone flew from the direction of the voice, swept past him, and fell to the ground below.

But he just squinted contentedly at the distant horizon. Ah, our city is becoming more and more beautiful!

Of course, that insignificant little stone didn’t attract his attention at all.

Volume One: The Writer’s Road

Chapter 1: Youth, If You Don’t Skip Class Now, You’ll Be Old

"Xiao Si, haven’t seen you all summer—did you finish your homework?" David Thompson bounced over and patted Brian Carter on the shoulder.

"Oh, right, let me ask you something." Brian Carter turned and saw David Thompson's little face, red as an apple, her petite nose, and the dimples that appeared when she smiled.

"What is it?"

"Class monitor, is it that your dad’s surname is Li and your mom’s surname is Dongfang?" Brian Carter.

"Why do you ask that? Of course not. By the way, is Dongfang even a real surname?" David Thompson shook her head and asked.

"Of course it is—Dongfang Bubai." Brian Carter blurted out.

"Who’s Dongfang Bubai?"

"Well, you’ll find out soon enough." Brian Carter smiled.

A cool breeze rustled along the path, shaded by lush greenery.

"Xiao Si, the school is this way, you’re going the wrong direction," David Thompson stretched out her hand and pointed to the left, "School should be this way. Xiao Si, don’t tell me you forgot where the school is after just one summer break." She covered her mouth, feigning exaggerated surprise.

Brian Carter stopped in his tracks, staring intently at David Thompson, his gaze full of intensity.

David Thompson, just a fourteen-year-old girl, couldn’t help but step back under Brian Carter’s piercing stare.

"Why are you… looking at me like that? Is there something dirty on my face…"

"By the way, class monitor, what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done at school?" Brian Carter suddenly asked.

"Crazy? Does being late for class count?" David Thompson pouted.

"That’s not crazy at all—I’m late all the time." Brian Carter scoffed.

Brian Carter and David Thompson attended Class 10 of the Experimental Middle School’s eighth grade. Class 10 was the top class in the school, and the school’s promotion rate depended on it. David Thompson was the top student in the class, always ranking in the top three in every exam. For such a model student, being late really was the wildest thing she’d ever done.

"Have you ever heard this saying, class monitor?"

"What saying?"

"If we don’t go wild now, we’ll be old. Without memories, what is there to commemorate? There’s no such thing as immortality—what’s missed is gone forever." Brian Carter paused, "Class monitor, we’re in eighth grade now, and in a year we’ll graduate. Have you ever thought that when we finish middle school, we’ll realize that all we did at school was study, and nothing else?"

"Even though you’re one of the top students, when you grow up, when you look back on your youth, you’ll find that you spent all your time buried in books. You’re not even as good as those bad kids in Class 1 who just mess around at school. At least they went wild once—they talked back to teachers, didn’t do homework. Sure, the consequences were bad, but when they remember their reckless youth, it’ll be funny, and they’ll laugh. Don’t you think so, class monitor?" Brian Carter’s torrent of words left David Thompson speechless.

"Then… what should I do?" Hearing that she wasn’t even as good as the bad kids in Class 1, the usually proud David Thompson got anxious. "What should I do? How can I make my middle school years more memorable?"

"Dare to skip class?" Brian Carter asked, a hint of challenge in his voice.