Chapter Fifty-Two: Fortune Smiles Upon Us!

When Chen Feng awoke, he immediately felt an invigorating clarity of mind. He had to admit, the accommodations at this high-end private club were truly exceptional. The sleeping quarters offered an environment of utter tranquility, while an unfamiliar, subtle incense burned in the air—its fragrance not overpowering, but gentle and soothing, relaxing one’s spirit and filling the mind with vitality.

Though Chen Feng’s physical constitution was far superior to the average person and his mental fortitude was strong, even he felt his mind especially refreshed and alert thanks to the incense. For once, the man who never lingered in bed found himself sleeping in a bit longer.

Just then, his phone suddenly rang.

Frowning slightly, Chen Feng picked up the phone and pressed it to his ear. Immediately, the voice of his homeroom teacher, Sun Minghai, came through: “Chen Feng, where are you?”

“I’m…” Chen Feng hesitated, furrowing his brow. “I’m out. Is there something wrong, sir?”

“So you do know there’s something up?” Sun Minghai was almost amused by Chen Feng’s response, and quickly said, “Hurry back. Today is the midterm exam!”

“Midterms!” Chen Feng jumped up at once. He’d completely forgotten about the exam after being dragged here by Xiao Yu last night. He rushed out, only to find that Xiao Yu was already up, sitting elegantly and enjoying her breakfast.

“Chen Feng!” Xiao Yu greeted him with a smile. “I made you some breakfast. Would you like to join me?”

“No, no, I have to get to school—I’m already running late! Sister Xiao, do you have a car? Could you give me a ride?” Chen Feng grabbed a pastry from the plate, stuffed it in his mouth, and spoke as he chewed.

Xiao Yu glanced at the now depleted plate, frowned slightly, and put down her own pastry. Looking at Chen Feng, she said, “Alright, I’ll drive you.”

Sitting in the passenger seat, Chen Feng seemed a little tense. Xiao Yu couldn’t help but find the situation odd. She’d looked into Chen Feng before and knew well that he didn’t bother attending classes. Every day he only did physical training at school, transforming himself from a two-hundred-pound heavyweight into his current form. Even Xiao Yu had to admire Chen Feng’s willpower—losing so much weight in merely two months, a feat that would put countless fitness enthusiasts to shame.

But what Xiao Yu didn’t know was that Chen Feng’s weight hadn’t actually decreased—in fact, he was now even heavier than before.

At that moment, Xiao Yu couldn’t contain her curiosity and asked, “You’re still going to school? With your abilities now, I imagine it hardly matters whether you attend or not, right?”

“Well, how should I put it?” Chen Feng frowned. “I believe learning is still important. No matter what, it’s a way to improve oneself, don’t you think?”

Xiao Yu gave him a meaningful glance and replied, “I’m not so sure. I heard you haven’t attended a class in ages, little brother.”

Ahem! Ahem!

Chen Feng coughed awkwardly. “Sister, must you expose me like that? Actually, I have an arrangement with the school. I’m allowed to skip classes as long as I show up for exams. If I place well enough in the tests, I don’t have to attend regular classes.”

A gentle smile spread across Xiao Yu’s face. Though she’d called him out, she hadn’t annoyed Chen Feng; in fact, their exchange only brought them closer. Xiao Yu was well aware of the importance of nurturing a good relationship with Chen Feng. He was just starting out, but his future potential was limitless.

Before they knew it, Xiao Yu had arrived at the school gates.

Unfortunately, by the time Chen Feng got there, the gate was already locked. He hurried over to the security guard and called out, “Sir, could you please open the gate for me?”

The guard on duty frowned and responded coldly, “Which class are you in? Why are you so late? Don’t you know you’re already tardy?”

“Sir, please open the gate. I know I’m late!” Chen Feng smiled wryly, glancing at his phone—it was already ten past eight. The exam must have started long ago. He’d made an agreement with his teacher; if he missed the exam, he’d be in real trouble.

“Fine, come sign in first and tell me who your homeroom teacher is. He needs to come fetch you.” The guard showed Chen Feng no leniency. This was, after all, the school’s discipline—strict rules that no one was allowed to break.

Chen Feng and An Ran had special permission to come and go as they pleased, but that was a rare exception.

“Sign in and wait for the teacher? Damn, the exam’s already started!” Chen Feng muttered to himself, then said to the guard, “Alright, just let me in first!”

“Sign in first!” The guard had no intention of letting him through, handing Chen Feng a small notebook over the barrier.

Would there be any time left after signing in? The first exam was Chinese, which always took the most time—especially the essay, which required careful thought and planning.

Xiao Yu watched Chen Feng’s predicament, a smile playing at her lips. She was about to step forward and help when, to her surprise, Chen Feng did something astonishing—he climbed straight over the school’s tall iron gate.

“Hey, kid, what are you doing?” the guard exclaimed in shock as Chen Feng scaled the gate like an agile monkey, swinging over the top with ease.

Given his extraordinary physique and his training in Wing Chun, climbing the gate was nothing to him. In a flash, Chen Feng dropped down on the other side and took off running before the guard could react.

“Hey, kid, don’t run! I’ll remember your face!” The guard chased after him, baton in hand.

“Is that even allowed?” Xiao Yu stared in amazement, her smile growing even brighter. Who knew how many people had been drawn in by the commotion—Chen Feng was certainly an entertaining character.

But no matter how hard the guard tried, he couldn’t catch up. Chen Feng disappeared after a few laps around the building, leaving the guard panting and frustrated as he grudgingly returned to his post.

Phew!

Chen Feng exhaled, relieved to see the guard hadn’t caught up. “Finally lost him!”

He hurried to his exam room. Despite being only midterms, the examination process was extremely strict. By the time Chen Feng entered, half an hour had already passed.

“Reporting for the exam!” Chen Feng’s voice rang out in the classroom.

The invigilator’s gaze fell upon him. The teacher didn’t recognize Chen Feng, who had transformed so drastically from an overweight boy that the change was almost surreal.

Many students, however, recognized him at once.

“Chen Feng? It’s really him?” “He had the nerve to be late for the exam?”

“Not only was he late, he hasn’t even been attending classes lately! He’s been playing basketball every day. I bet he’s aiming for a sports university—he probably doesn’t care about the exam at all!”

Though the whispers were quiet, Chen Feng caught every word. He smiled awkwardly and said to the invigilator, “Sorry, sir, I had an upset stomach and couldn’t make it in time.”

“Alright, just start your exam. You’ve already lost half an hour—you’ll need to work fast!” the teacher said, waving him to his seat.

“I know, I know!” Chen Feng hurried to his seat, wrote his name, and began answering questions.

His pen flew across the page with remarkable speed. Thanks to the knowledge he’d picked up from various university professors, this level of exam posed little challenge for him. Only the essay required more effort—he spent some time organizing his thoughts, and just as the exam ended, he finished the last word.

Looking at his handwriting—ugly, uglier, ugliest—it was nothing like the script of a model student. Because he was late, he’d written in a hurry, and the result was a lopsided, uneven scrawl. Chen Feng couldn’t help but smile wryly. Perhaps he should find a calligrapher to help him improve his penmanship.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Feng handed in his paper, stretched his limbs, and rested a moment before the next exam.

As for the exams, Chen Feng didn’t take them too seriously. For him, they were simply a way to rack up achievement points. As long as he scored well enough, the points would come pouring in. He also remembered that Xia Yan had presented him with a banner, and that the principal would announce the honor at the next flag-raising ceremony on Monday.

First, they would announce him as the city’s best player; then, they would praise his heroic deeds; and finally, they would reveal that he’d ranked first in the school’s exams. He truly doubted anyone could surpass him academically now—not even An Ran, the so-called genius.

At that thought, Chen Feng couldn’t help but grin.

This was it—he was on his way.