After parting ways with the kind-hearted driver, Shen Xingkong returned home in the middle of the night. Covered in filth, he stumbled into his bedroom, utterly exhausted and in pain. Without even taking off his shoes, he collapsed onto his bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Given how late he went to bed and his injuries, he should have slept in the next day, possibly even needing to visit a hospital. However, to his surprise, he woke up at dawn, feeling incredibly refreshed. Every part of his body felt relaxed and invigorated, as if he had just had an invigorating massage.

"Ugh, what's that smell?" Shen Xingkong finally noticed the stench emanating from his body. He quickly stripped off his clothes and rushed to the bathroom to take a shower.

He lived in an old apartment, and what he called a bathroom was really just a small space with a toilet and a recently installed water heater.

After his shower, he put on a clean set of clothes and threw his dirty clothes into the washing machine, planning to wash them later that evening.

Normally, this lazybones didn’t bother with breakfast and was often late for school. But since he woke up early today, he hummed a tune as he made his way into the kitchen and clumsily cooked some porridge. Although it was slightly burnt, he found it delicious and ended up eating four or five bowls.

Even he was puzzled by his increased appetite.

Feeling full, Shen Xingkong gathered his books for the day’s classes and left home to catch the No. 2 bus to school. Nowadays, buses were often called "meat grinders" because they were so crowded that people could barely find a place to stand. However, since Shen Xingkong caught the first bus, he managed to get a seat, proving that the early bird does catch the worm!

The first class today was a practical session in traditional Chinese medicine. Because he arrived early, Shen Xingkong picked the most comfortable seat in the middle of the classroom. Usually, he sat in the back row, staring at the backs of countless heads, so he relished the opportunity to sit front and center for once.

Classmates gradually trickled in, and they were all surprised to see Shen Xingkong arrive so early.

However, no one came over to chat with him. Fortunately, Shen Xingkong was used to this and just smiled indifferently.

University life is a microcosm of society, where relationships are extremely realistic and brutal. For a student like Shen Xingkong, who had neither money nor family background, having few friends was normal.

"Hey, Lao Shen, how come you're here so early? Am I still dreaming?" A male student dressed in branded clothes walked into the classroom and greeted Shen Xingkong with a laugh.

This student, Chang Le, was one of Shen Xingkong's few friends in the class. Unlike Shen Xingkong, Chang Le was a true favored child of heaven, blessed with all the good fortune one could imagine.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Chang Le's father was a well-known businessman in City Z, earning seven or eight million yuan annually. He drove luxury cars like Mercedes and BMW, and Chang Le himself drove an Audi A6 to school.

But it wasn't just his wealth. Chang Le was tall, loved playing basketball, had a particularly fit physique, and a handsome face that made countless girls dream of being his girlfriend. It was said that in just a year and a half of university, he had received enough love letters to compile a book.

Logically speaking, someone like Chang Le and someone like Shen Xingkong should be from two different worlds. Yet, somehow, they became friends. Chang Le never looked down on Shen Xingkong for his poverty or lack of influential parents, and he never flaunted his wealth. This was why Shen Xingkong enjoyed hanging out with him.

"Come on, I can't be here early? I'll have you know that a fairy woke me up this morning," Shen Xingkong retorted with a big eye roll.

"Stop bragging! Tell me, where did you go to find Panax notoginseng for the old spinster? You disappeared all afternoon yesterday, and you didn't even answer my calls," Chang Le sat down in the seat behind Shen Xingkong and reminded him of yesterday's task.

"Oh, well, I went to find Panax notoginseng and ran into a relative who insisted I go to his house because he had some. I didn't expect his house to be in the countryside, so I couldn't make it back in time. And as for your calls, you know how noisy the countryside can be. I didn't hear them," Shen Xingkong explained, deciding to keep his encounter with the giant wasp a secret.

Even if he told Chang Le, he probably wouldn't believe him and might think he was making up stories.

"You're done for. The old spinster will definitely make you fail the course, and you'll graduate six months late," Chang Le shook his head, half-joking but with a hint of concern in his eyes.

"Well, if it happens, it happens," Shen Xingkong shrugged helplessly.

"Okay, enough about that. Hey, guess where I went yesterday? It was so exciting," Chang Le changed the subject with a sly grin, not wanting Shen Xingkong to feel too down.

"You lecher, did you hook up with another girl? Even though pure-hearted me doesn't want to hear it, if you insist on telling, I can't cover my ears," Shen Xingkong teased back.

"Haha, actually, it was about this girl from the next grade..."

The two friends started chatting animatedly about not-so-innocent topics, their eyes wide with excitement. However, they didn't talk for long before the bell rang for class.

The students lazily took their seats, watching as the teacher, carrying thick lecture notes, walked into the classroom, accompanied by an elderly man dressed in tattered clothes.

Today's practical session was acupuncture, with the main task being to locate acupuncture points and practice needling techniques. The acupuncture teacher, Professor Shi, was very old and rumored to be one of the founders of the medical vocational school. He was highly respected but had a peculiar temper.

Professor Shi had not only practiced medicine for many years but also taught for a long time. His students were spread all over China, many of them prominent figures in various medical fields.

Although City Z's medical vocational school was not prestigious, barely even second-rate, Professor Shi's expertise was beyond doubt. In fact, if it weren't for him, the school might have closed down long ago.

Since it was an acupuncture class, they needed real people to practice on. Knowing that the students were beginners with no precision, the volunteers were all laborers recruited from various places, paid 200 yuan per hour.

Thus, the acupuncture class often echoed with the pitiful cries of the laborers, especially when some mischievous male students deliberately mispricked them, laughing heartily at their screams.

"You sit here," Professor Shi directed the laborer to the chair on the podium.

The old laborer seemed hesitant, his eyes showing fear, but for the sake of the 200 yuan per hour, he reluctantly sat down.