Self-study periods always pass quickly. Michael Bolton left the classroom and went up to the rooftop. Although it was already January, the south was never as cold as the north, but it was still a bit chilly.

The cold wind brushed across Michael Bolton's face. Michael Bolton leaned against the railing, watching the students below who, after class, started running around wildly. A trace of confusion flashed across his face. The whole rebirth thing still felt a bit too fantastical to him. The sting of the cold wind on his face made him realize that all of this was real, not fake.

"Here!" came a voice from behind David Thompson, and a bottle of juice was handed over. Michael Bolton took it without thinking. At this moment, William Harris also walked up beside Michael Bolton.

"You really stole the spotlight today!" William Harris said excitedly.

"Just some kids fighting, that's all!" Michael Bolton replied with a smile.

"Oh ho, why do I feel like you're a toad yawning—such a big mouth!" William Harris teased.

David Thompson also looked at Michael Bolton with a complicated expression, as if meeting Michael Bolton for the first time. He had always thought he understood Michael Bolton pretty well, but now he realized that maybe he didn't know him that well after all.

If you had to use something to describe the current Michael Bolton, it would be a treasured sword. When sheathed, it seemed ordinary and unremarkable—just like now, not always shining. But once unsheathed, it was bound to be dazzling and radiant, just like earlier, as if he had become a completely different person.

Such seemingly contradictory traits appearing in one person seemed unbelievable, but in Michael Bolton, they blended together perfectly.

"A toad is a toad, haha. As they say, without toads, even swans would get lonely!" Michael Bolton said carelessly.

"Without toads, even swans would get lonely!" William Harris savored the phrase, then burst out laughing. "Right, exactly, that's the truth!"

"You really hit hard just now. That old woman got slapped by you until her face looked like a pig's head!" William Harris laughed loudly.

"Want me to help you settle it?" David Thompson offered. David Thompson's family was well-off, and he had his ways at school. Otherwise, with all the fights he'd been in, he would've been dealt with long ago.

"That dean is easy to handle. With money, nothing is impossible!" A hint of mockery flashed at the corner of David Thompson's mouth.

"Alright, stop acting all high and mighty. Bro knows your family is rich. Relax, I can handle it myself!" Michael Bolton said with a smile. The two of them were close; otherwise, if someone else had said that, David Thompson would have flipped out.

"How are you going to handle it?" David Thompson asked, a bit puzzled as he looked at Michael Bolton. He knew that Michael Bolton's family situation wasn't great, so he couldn't just use money to smooth things over like he could.

"Don't worry, I'll figure something out. This time, I'll settle it once and for all. Uncle Yang works hard for his money—no need to hand it over to these parasites!" Michael Bolton said, smiling as he patted David Thompson's shoulder. He truly appreciated his good buddy's concern.

Chapter 9: Teacher Looking

Seeing that Michael Bolton didn't want to talk about it, David Thompson didn't push. He had confidence in Michael Bolton; since he said so, he must have some way. And if not, they could always use money to settle things in the end.

"Sigh, time really flies. In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed!" Michael Bolton said.

"It's only been two years, come on!" William Harris replied.

Michael Bolton smiled and didn't respond. Of course, William Harris didn't know how much time Michael Bolton had actually experienced. Many things need time to settle.

"Graduation is coming up soon. Have you guys thought about what you're going to do?" William Harris asked, his expression a bit sad. Sometimes, time really does fly.

"Do you two still remember how we said we'd break into the entertainment industry together?" Michael Bolton said.

"Oh, that!" David Thompson replied, a smile spreading across his face.

Michael Bolton still remembered how the three of them had agreed to venture into the entertainment industry together: William Harris would be the director, David Thompson—with his good looks—would be the star, and Michael Bolton would simply open a talent agency to promote David Thompson as a celebrity.

But in the end, only Michael Bolton stuck to opening a talent agency. William Harris ended up as a white-collar worker, and David Thompson inherited his father's company and became President Yang.

Of course, looking back, the reason things turned out that way was pretty ridiculous. They missed the application deadlines—most art schools start registration around February, and the three of them, muddleheaded, just missed it.

If you have your own good buddies in a talent agency, things would definitely be much easier.

"I remember!" William Harris said with a smile.

"If you guys are still interested, you need to start preparing now. Beijing Film Academy, Central Academy of Drama, and the like start recruiting in February!" Michael Bolton explained.

"February? That early?" David Thompson said. The regular college entrance exam isn't until July or August, but art schools start much earlier.

"Michael Bolton, Michael Bolton! The homeroom teacher is looking for you!" At this moment, a classmate came over and said.

"Got it!" Michael Bolton replied, calculating in his mind that it was probably about what had just happened.