Early the next morning, Jack Young was up on time for his workout. Chengdu sits in the southwest, so the sun likes to take its sweet time—rising and setting about an hour later than the east coast. It gets dark late and bright late, so folks here are naturally on a delayed schedule. If Jack were home, he could snag breakfast after his run, but here? The street vendors are still snoring like logs.
Left with no choice, Jack whipped up breakfast with whatever was lying around. Sophie Soo floated out of her bedroom, nose twitching at the smell—she was the second beauty lured out by breakfast, right behind Dummy Meg. But while Dummy Meg perks up at the first whiff of food, Sophie’s got lifelong low blood pressure. If she’s short on sleep, she’s so groggy it’s like watching a sleepwalking zombie. So she plopped down in her pajamas, sleepily accepted her bowl, sleepily finished her meal, and then floated right back to her room to keep snoring.
From the moment she wandered out to the moment she staggered back, she barely cracked an eyelid. This race-to-the-last-second sleep style? Jack used to be the same before martial arts—must be a family superpower. The sleep gene runs strong in this clan.
At nine-thirty sharp, a dramatic scream erupted from Sophie’s room. Jack just kept watching TV—he knew there were no mice, no cockroaches, no living creatures except Sophie herself. So for a scream this epic, there could only be one reason—maybe she finally overslept herself into another dimension.
"Oh no, oh no, I’m late!" Amid the frantic sounds of getting ready, Jack sipped his tea, cool as a cucumber: called it. When it comes to oversleeping, she’s Jack’s clone. And another thing—this girl can’t handle vehicles. Cars, trains, you name it—once they start moving, her head lolls and she’s out like a light. Especially when she was little, three seconds after the engine started—guaranteed knockout. It’s a talent that should be Olympic.
Back in the day, Jack would roast her mercilessly, though he always felt a little guilty—he could only last one second longer than her. It’s classic: ninety-nine steps laughing at a hundred, or as Grandma says, 'the pot calling the kettle black.' Sleep Olympics, and they’re both medalists.
"What’s up, got class this morning? Don’t sweat it—if it’s second period, you’ll make it. If it’s first period—well, you’re toast, so you might as well quit panicking. Just tell them you were abducted by aliens." Jack offered his version of comfort.
But today, Sophie’s got something different going on—it’s not class. "Nope, not class. Today, your President has a big mission—" She raised her arm with dramatic flair and declared: "Big Chorus Performance!" Then she looked at Jack, eyes sparkling: "And my dear, you’re coming with me! Today’s your big debut!"
Ten minutes later, Sophie was ready in record time and somehow conjured up a bicycle. Jack hopped on, and off they zoomed toward campus. For most students, the school grounds are huge—hoofing it everywhere is practically a sport. The campus even has those little sightseeing cars shuttling students around, just like a tourist trap. And yes, they charge for every ride—because university loves a good fee. Honestly, if you could ride a bike inside the cafeteria, they’d charge you for that too.
Of course, they’re not free. College will charge you for breathing if they could. Next thing you know, they’ll tax you for daydreaming in class.
But Jack stopped her, whispering, "Hey, girl, you're spreading the news so loud and proud—sure, you’ll block the arrows, but you might block your Prince Charming too. You sure you don’t wanna think twice?"
"Think about what? The guys at our school are all dorks—where am I supposed to find a Prince Charming?"
Girls are always like this—"There are no hotties at our school," "All the guys at our office are hopeless," "Where have all the good men gone?"—honestly, what can you do with them?
"Besides, how could my true love be blocked by a mere you? No matter what, he can't possibly be worse than you, right?"
Oh, come on! This little brat, picking a fight, huh? Fine, since you said it, don't blame me if I go full savage! Time for a live demonstration—let me show you what a real "male idol" looks like! Jack raised his eyebrows, grabbed Sophie’s hand, and marched right in. He swung open the door—and immediately crashed into something. One look and Jack’s face fell, like he’d just stepped in dog poop.
Yep, the one groaning on the floor after Jack bowled him over was none other than Stew Pot—Harry Huang.
Sophie instantly darted aside and whispered to another girl, "Why’s that guy here too?" One girl murmured, "No idea, he showed up super early—sneaky, shifty, totally annoying." Another chimed in, "Yeah, Sophie, kick him out already! You don’t know how obnoxious he was, bossing everyone around just now."
"Kick him out, huh..." Sophie shot a pleading look at Jack, who quietly flashed her a "don’t worry" gesture. He stepped forward, looming over the fallen Stew Pot, and delivered his line in full drama mode: "Annoying little clown, here again with your lame tricks to entertain me?"
Stew Pot jumped up, sputtering, "What are you talking about! And why are you here, anyway? This is our classroom—what’s an outsider like you doing here? Get out right now!" He started to move in for a shove, but after sizing up Jack’s build, he chickened out and dropped his hands.
"Ha! Stew Pot, talking big now?" Jack fired back, "The Foreign Languages College is here for chorus practice, not a hotpot party. Don’t you think a Stew Pot showing up is a bit out of place?"
A couple of girls couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Looks like “Stew Pot” was a well-known nickname—Jack wasn’t the only one who thought of it.
"You—you—you!" Harry Huang’s face turned beet red. He slammed the table and roared, "Don’t think you’re hot stuff just because you’ve got money—money isn’t everything!" Then he turned to Sophie, pounding his chest and shouting, "Listen up, Sophie! I can get the best music teachers, the best classroom, and if I make one call, you’ll win easily! But if I make a different call, you’ll never use this room again! This is my turf! So kick that wild man out, break up with him, or your Foreign Languages College is finished!"
Harry Huang’s voice echoed through the classroom, and suddenly the whole room went silent. Sophie’s face darkened, practically radiating black energy: "This is your turf, huh? Fine. Great. I won’t use this classroom anymore!"
Stew Pot’s nonsense really ticked Sophie off. She threw down her final words and stormed out. The other girls followed her, and in no time, the place was empty.
Harry Huang opened his mouth, about to chase after them, when suddenly—smack!—someone slapped him on the shoulder. He turned and saw Jack. "You really like this classroom, huh? Perfect." Jack tossed Harry inside, slammed the door shut with a bang. He didn’t lock it, but he pressed his left hand against the wall.
Buzz—an odd ripple spread out as Jack unleashed his Dragon Elephant Extraction Method. The next second, Harry Huang’s terrified screams echoed from inside.
Even cockroaches have their uses. Surrounded by a swarm of crazed roaches, Jack had no idea what would happen next.
Outside, the girls crowded around Sophie, comforting her after Harry Huang’s outburst. One girl asked, "Sophie, what do we do now?"
What now? Sophie was a bit lost herself. She’d stormed out in a fit of anger, and now she really had no idea what to do next. "Maybe we can use the Student Council activity room? It’s small, but we could still practice." one girl suggested.
"No way," Sophie shook her head. "It’s right next to the office. If we start singing, we’ll definitely bother people."
Another girl chimed in, "How about we go at night, then?"
The girls all started talking at once, but Sophie could only sigh helplessly. Honestly, in this school, if Stew Pot keeps causing trouble, it’s a real headache. For regular students, it’s whatever, but for Student Council work? It’s a nightmare. Maybe I was too impulsive?
Just then, Jack’s voice rang out: "Alright, enough with the long faces—this isn’t a big deal!" Sophie looked up, and so did all the girls. Jack winked and grinned, "Money can make ghosts turn the mill—I’ve got a plan."
Another girl chimed in, "How about we go at night, then?"
The girls all started talking at once, but Sophie could only sigh helplessly. Honestly, in this school, if Stew Pot keeps causing trouble, it’s a real headache. For regular students, it’s whatever, but for Student Council work? It’s a nightmare. Maybe I was too impulsive?
Just then, Jack’s voice rang out: "Alright, enough with the long faces—this isn’t a big deal!" Sophie looked up, and so did all the girls. Jack winked and grinned, "Money can make ghosts turn the mill—I’ve got a plan." (I’m mad, I’m building a new thread! If you spot any censored words, just post them here. Once I confirm, I’ll dig them out and fix them. I refuse to believe the wisdom of the people can be beaten by a broken system!)