Chapter 4: Past and Present Lives

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Chu Nan flipped through his textbook with the same frenzy as counting money. Unsurprisingly, every word and even every punctuation mark was etched deeply into his mind, impossible to forget. No matter how many digits, it remained the same. This extraordinary memory endowed him not only with a terrifying capacity to record information but also enhanced his analytical abilities in a subtle way.

Imagine encountering a difficult problem: closing your eyes to think, then searching and reorganizing related questions based on the memories stored in your mind. Wouldn’t that improve your analytical skills? Moreover, Chu Nan was no fool. In his previous life, due to work, he had mastered two foreign languages and even managed to become a mid-level manager at a state-owned enterprise.

He was considered promising, with great hope of becoming a true leader in that company. Unfortunately, fate was unkind. One day, he witnessed his direct superior assaulting a female employee. Chu Nan stepped up to help her, but the very next day, the company dismissed him under the pretext of laziness and negligence. Later, he discovered that his superior was not only a boss but also the son of the company owner.

The outcome was predictable. The other party gave him only two choices: accept the dismissal or face a defamation lawsuit in court. Forget about any severance pay or compensation; it wasn’t even an option. Did he have any choice? None at all, because the female employee never dared to support him. Not a single word in his defense was spoken, and even with surveillance footage, her denial rendered the evidence moot.

Now, his life had been reset, complete with a powerful advantage. Everything was filled with hope. He no longer had to endure the presence of that despicable boss’s son and even planned to find a chance to deal with him harshly. That scoundrel was never a clean character to begin with.

Thinking of this, Chu Nan couldn’t help but shout silently in his heart, “Ha ha ha, there’s hope now. I really have hope!”

Yang Jingtian, his deskmate, noticed Chu Nan’s actions and whispered, “Are you reading? Looks more like flipping through a picture book.”

Chu Nan chuckled, “You don’t understand. Soon, the contents of this book will be deeply ingrained in my heart.”

Yang Jingtian rolled his eyes, “Don’t you ever stop bragging?”

Chu Nan ignored him.

When the dismissal bell rang, students grabbed pots and pans and charged towards the cafeteria, making strange noises as if fearing they would miss their meal. Of course, there were some like Chu Nan who remained calm.

It was Saturday, and after morning classes, they had a day and a half to enjoy. Even boarders preferred to eat outside and savor good food.

For Chu Nan, there was still a month before he could leave school. He wished time would slow down; there was no rush.

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“Old Chu, come on! Rare weekend chance to play World of Warcraft, my treat,” Yang Jingtian pulled him eagerly.

In 2006, internet cafes were almost entirely dominated by two games: Fantasy Westward Journey and World of Warcraft. Chu Nan had once loved playing Fantasy Westward Journey and even earned some pocket money by “grinding” in the game, though he spent it all buying gifts for He Qianqian...

“What game? I want to study seriously. You should cut back on playing too.”

“Please, you study seriously? You were flipping through that book faster than counting money earlier,” Yang Jingtian scoffed. “Are you coming or not?”

“No,” Chu Nan shook his head.

If he lacked his eidetic memory, he might have gone along to have fun, but now he didn’t want to slack off. The opportunity was right in front of him and must be seized firmly.

If one had the ability to get into a good university, who would want to go to those second- or third-tier schools?

Many might think attending a good university is useless afterward. While that’s sometimes true, the opportunities you gain from a top-tier university far surpass those from unknown schools. Even just the network alone is incomparable. Talent and resources are an overwhelming advantage.

Take a simple example: what is the status of a president of a top university versus one from a lesser-known school?

Of course, all this is relative. If you are socially awkward, even if you attend Harvard or Peking University, you might still be treated like a disposable tool.

True success never comes to those who blindly follow orders, but to those who take the baton and lead.

On the way back, Chu Nan pondered two questions: how to make money, and what was his second hidden advantage?

After what had happened earlier, he believed the words of that mysterious voice; no ordinary person could possess such power.

As for making money, he wasn’t too worried, but he was curious about his second advantage. So far, he had not detected what it might be.

…

Walking through campus, few were as solitary as he was. Most students moved in groups of three to five. He used to eagerly follow He Qianqian around, but those days were gone.

A man who constantly trails behind a woman will never achieve anything great unless he plans to live off her forever—but that requires not only looks but also charisma.

To put it bluntly, finding a girlfriend who looks good but lacks depth is easy. You need at least one of these: wealth, status, or looks. If you have none, then sorry, the “five-finger maiden” is delighted to date you.

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“Ping.” The sound of a car door closing came from the school gate, and a girl got in. Chu Nan saw clearly—it was Jiang Yuwei.

“Audi A6L, even in 2006 that was a luxury car. I heard that on her first day at school, the principal personally welcomed Jiang Yuwei. Clearly, her family is either very rich or noble...” Chu Nan stroked his chin and murmured in admiration.

Indeed, some people cannot be compared.

Especially someone like Jiang Yuwei, who was not only beautiful but also possessed a background worthy of her exceptional looks. The combination promised a future far beyond the reach of ordinary people. People like her would be heavily protected by their families, and even if they did nothing, they would never lack food or clothing.

Perhaps the only regret for them was that their future marriages were rarely decided by themselves. This is not boasting but fact.

Of course, such regrets seemed trivial to Chu Nan. How many people would gladly trade places with her? He even felt a tinge of envy. If he hadn’t saved the galaxy in his previous life, how could he have such a perfect start?

Chu Nan’s family was ordinary. His mother was a public elementary school teacher, his father a township clerk.

His mother earned about 2,500 yuan per month; his father’s official salary was only a few hundred yuan. Together, they made about 3,000 yuan monthly.

That amount was less than what a couple working construction sites earned. Back then, workers were valuable, earning three to five hundred yuan a day.

Still, in some ways, Chu Nan was lucky. At least even if he did nothing in the future, he could rely on his parents because both had iron rice bowls.

He had thought so, until his senior year when his mother fell seriously ill. His father, who was about to get promoted, had a car accident while visiting her, breaking his leg and spending much of the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

Only then did Chu Nan realize that money was meaningless in the face of such loss. Even with insurance, it was hard to cover the huge expenses, which drained finances like water.

Because of these two events, the remaining 200,000 yuan bride price could only be partially covered by his parents, who managed 100,000 yuan. He himself contributed 90,000 yuan, unable to save much due to social obligations. His married sister added 10,000 yuan in her name. This was nearly all their liquid assets—and this was only for the bride price!

Anyone who’s married knows the bride price is just the beginning. If the bride price was 200,000 yuan, the wedding would cost at least 300,000. To prepare for this marriage, he and his parents took on considerable debts.

Yet, that woman, Xi Shuang, was never satisfied, repeatedly questioning and doubting him.

“Your parents have iron rice bowls, how come you can’t save money? A bride price of only 200,000 and you’re already so worried? Do you not love me anymore?!”

…