At that time, No. 1 High School in the city was simply every student’s dream. The place was full of beautiful girls, the teaching quality was excellent, and there was never any talk of after-school detention or make-up classes. Every holiday was given in full, and of course, the homework load was relatively light. All the children of influential officials or wealthy families from the city and even from nearby towns and counties gathered at No. 1 High School. Back when brands like “Double Star” and “ANTA” were considered status symbols, students at No. 1 High School were already wearing the higher-end “Li Ning” sportswear series.

By the time he was in high school, when “Li Ning” was still a luxury for him, students at No. 1 High School were already competing to wear top-tier sports shoes like “Adidas” and “Nike.”

No. 1 High School always had a mysterious and lofty aura.

“No, I’ll read some books tonight. You should go back and study too—review systematically, or you might fail the exam... By the way, do you know what the admission cutoff score for your school will be this time? Did your teachers give any hints?” Eric Bennett tried to gather as much information as possible. Having returned to the past, he had long forgotten the cutoff scores for each school back then.

Henry Grant stared at Eric Bennett with his mouth agape. Was this really the Eric Bennett he knew? He was actually the one telling him to study hard and warning him about failing the exam? It was as if he’d become a different person—was he okay?

“They didn’t say exactly. Last year’s cutoff was 610. This year, our teachers said it probably won’t be any lower than that. Why... are you thinking of applying?” As Henry Grant said this, he glanced sideways at Eric Bennett with a natural sense of superiority. “Our school isn’t easy to get into, you know. The cutoff is strict. With your last score—just 480—you’d be at the bottom of our class. I think you should be more realistic!”

Eric Bennett was secretly annoyed at this guy! He even had a bit of a superior attitude when talking to him, clearly looking down on his current school and exam scores. It made Eric Bennett want to smack him on the forehead—let’s see if you still act so smug!

“Oh!” Suddenly, Henry Grant seemed to think of something, looking at Eric Bennett in disbelief and hesitantly said, “Don’t tell me... you’re planning to get into No. 1 High School to pursue Sophie Brooks!?”

Eric Bennett was momentarily stunned by this, a wave of unforgettable emotion rising in his heart. Back in elementary school, he had always had a secret crush on a girl who was already beautiful and had perfect features as a child—this girl was Sophie Brooks. Even in elementary school, she was like a princess, always standing behind a group of girls who protected her. Later, she was admitted to No. 1 High School with excellent grades, and Eric Bennett liked her for six years, only gradually letting go after entering middle school. However, Eric Bennett had told his two best friends about this back then.

The Eric Bennett of 2009 could barely remember his elementary school crush, but now, with Henry Grant bringing it up, he felt a stirring in his heart. That faint crush, the hope of meeting her at school, and yet the adolescent fear of actually running into her... Looking back now, what a beautiful feeling that was.

Seeing Eric Bennett lost in thought, Henry Grant felt a twinge of jealousy and said dismissively, “You’d better give up on that. Do you know how outstanding Sophie Brooks is at No. 1 High School, and how many people like her? She has to deal with her love letters almost every week. A girl that exceptional—and besides, you’re not even... in the same school. Forget it, there’s no way she’d ever like you!”

Eric Bennett didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. So this guy was this annoying when he was younger? What kind of friend keeps telling you you’re not good enough for someone? Does he need a beating!?

Eric Bennett knew that Henry Grant had a bit of a superiority complex and looked down on his “toad lusting after a swan” ambitions. Eric Bennett couldn’t be bothered to explain. Right now, he just wanted to kick him, so he came up with an idea. “How about we make a bet? If I get into your school, on your first day, you have to stick your butt out and let me kick you in front of everyone. Otherwise, I’ll let you kick me at the gate of my school! How about it?”

Henry Grant blushed instantly. He’d been about to say something to discourage Eric Bennett, but now, hearing this, he immediately fired up. “Fine! If you can get into my school, I’ll let you kick me! Otherwise, just wait for me to kick your butt!”

Chapter 7: Terrifying Problem Solving

Eric Bennett had forgotten where his seat was. The seating arrangements in middle school were already a blur to him, so when he asked a classmate, “Where do I sit?” Olivia Harris, who happened to be walking by, couldn’t help but give him a strange look.

With the classmate’s help, Eric Bennett sat down and found that his seat was in the third group, fifth row. To save classroom space, the third and second groups were combined, forming a large group of four people per row. Eric Bennett was in the second seat, next to a long-lost, very young-looking deskmate. In the row ahead sat the vice class monitor, Ethan Foster. To Ethan Foster’s left, in the fourth row of the second group, at the far left near the aisle, sat Olivia Harris.