Passing through this sloping path leads to the very center of the campus, where a flagpole stands tall. The breeze gently stirs, the flag flutters, and every day after the second class in the morning, when the students do their radio calisthenics, the resounding national anthem rings out.

Walking down the steps, you are greeted by an honor wall, on which is written a large line of characters in red paint: Today I am proud of Guangzhong, tomorrow Guangzhong will be proud of me!

Some of the lime on the wall has peeled off, further highlighting the historical weight of this honor wall. William Brooks vaguely remembers that when he first set foot in Guangfeng High School, he saw this line of words on the wall and felt a surge of determination—one day, he would become the pride of Guangzhong.

Unfortunately, that determination lasted less than a few months. As his grades declined, his former self chose to give up on himself.

There are two directions along the honor wall: one leads to the school gate, and the other leads to the school’s convenience store.

Every school has a convenience store, just like the cafeteria. Those who can run the convenience store always have some family connection with the school leadership. William Brooks remembers that the owner of Guangfeng High School’s convenience store was the principal’s cousin.

He knew this because, in the second year after he graduated from high school, there was a student food poisoning incident at the school. After investigation, it was found that the students had eaten snacks from the convenience store, and naturally, the relationship between the store owner and the principal was exposed.

When he reached the entrance of the convenience store, William Brooks’s gaze fell on the milk tea machine at the door. At this time, there weren’t many varieties of milk tea in small county towns; generally, “milk tea” referred to the pearl milk tea from Taiwan.

William Brooks wasn’t very fond of milk tea or sweet foods, but having been reborn and seeing this item so characteristic of the era, he was filled with nostalgia. He touched the twenty yuan in his pocket and walked over.

“Boss, give me a cup of milk tea.”

A cup of pearl milk tea cost one and a half yuan. Back then, milk tea was still honest and straightforward—there were no overpriced large or medium cups like at Starbucks.

There were quite a few students at the convenience store at this moment, sitting in small groups at the entrance, chatting and joking.

Bell-bottom pants, afro hairstyles, and an outward-turned gait.

This style, which would be ridiculed by everyone in later years, brought William Brooks an indescribable sense of familiarity.

This was the standard look for underachievers of that era!

So, when these underachievers saw William Brooks, who was dressed differently from them, appear at the convenience store, they all looked at him with strange eyes. In their view, this guy was clearly dressed like a good student—why would he be skipping class and coming here like them?

“He’s not an undercover agent sent by the teachers, is he?” one student looked at William Brooks and suddenly said.

As soon as he said this, the underachievers all eyed William Brooks with suspicion and hostility. You have to know, Guangfeng High School is a key school, and the school is very strict about discipline. Every day, teachers patrol the campus, and if they catch a student skipping class, that student is immediately taken to the academic office for a reprimand.

For underachievers, school is a battleground of wits with the teachers. Skipping class without getting caught is something to be proud of.

Sensing the unfriendly stares around him, William Brooks frowned. He knew these people had misunderstood him and was about to explain, but just then, someone suddenly shouted, “Run! A teacher is coming!”

In an instant, the students who had been lounging at the convenience store entrance scattered in all directions, so quickly that even William Brooks was amazed.

That reaction, that speed—no one could do it without long-term practice.

After the boys had scattered, several teachers appeared at the entrance of the convenience store. These teachers glanced at William Brooks a few times, then looked away and walked elsewhere.

In the eyes of these teachers, they were patrolling for students skipping class. After so many years, they could spot the difference between students skipping class and those attending PE almost at a glance.

The boy drinking milk tea in front of them was clearly a well-behaved student. If he was here at this time, it must be because he was having PE class.

Of course, there was another reason for the teachers’ confidence: this was the second-year section, and most of the students who skipped class had already been caught by them before—they were all familiar faces. William Brooks’s obviously unfamiliar face was naturally ignored.

Watching the teachers come and go, William Brooks also breathed a sigh of relief. As someone who had been reborn, he wouldn’t be too nervous about being caught skipping class, but it was still better not to get caught if possible.

After the teachers left, William Brooks was about to leave as well, but just then, the students who had run off earlier returned. Several of them even walked up to William Brooks, surrounding him with unfriendly expressions.

“Was it you who reported us to the teachers?”

These students had reason to be suspicious, because in their experience, patrolling teachers rarely came to the convenience store. As for why, they didn’t know, but William Brooks could more or less guess the reason.