Chapter 2: The Solitary One

Whirr, whirr, whirr~

The ceiling fan in the classroom spun rapidly, barely cutting through the summer’s oppressive heat, yet the students’ inner restlessness only grew stronger.

The long half-month National Founding Festival was fast approaching, and less than two minutes remained until the final class would end.

Most of the students in Class 5, Grade 11, were already packing their bags or gazing out the window; after all, the current “academic lesson” seemed unimportant to them.

However,

a boy sitting with his desk against the wall was still attentively listening. His eyes flicked quickly between the blackboard and his notebook, trying to capture every detail.

Ding ding~

The bell rang signaling the end of class.

Restless students hurried out in groups of three or five, some even sprinting as if they feared being left behind at school.

The boy, however, only began to pack up his books slowly after ensuring he had copied all the notes.

At that moment,

a shadow crept over, spreading and covering his desk.

Instinctively, he clenched his fists and spun around quickly.

What met his eyes were a pair of delicate hands resting lightly on the edge of the desk.

Following the slender yet muscular arms upward, a gentle and familiar smiling face quickly dissolved the boy’s defenses.

The shadow’s owner was none other than Wu Wen, the current class president of Grade 11, Class 5.

Standing at 1.7 meters tall with nearly perfect proportions, her high ponytail today made it clear she excelled at sports.

Since it was the eve of the holiday, there was no need for school uniforms.

Wu wore casual summer sportswear: a white T-shirt beneath a light-colored sun jacket, paired with fitted sports shorts and pristine white sneakers.

Upon confirming the class president’s identity, the boy lowered his guard and continued packing.

“Hey, Luo Di, I’m thinking of going out for a couple of days mid-holiday. Are you free?”

“No.”

Though bluntly rejected, Wu didn’t give up. She leaned closer and lowered her voice.

“It’s not just ‘going out.’ My family pulled strings to get us an early ‘practical experience’ opportunity. You know what that is—it gets recorded in our personal files if successful, which helps with next year’s college entrance exams.”

Luo Di didn’t respond immediately but kept packing.

Wu patiently waited.

Only after he finished packing the last book did he finally ask, “Who else is going?”

“If you come, that makes four.

“There’s one classmate who’s on leave, and a female friend of mine from outside school. Two guys, two girls—perfect balance.

“Don’t worry, they’re all top athletes with outstanding grades. They won’t hold you back.”

Such early practical experience was rare, so Luo Di nodded in agreement.

Wu stretched her arm out before him, nearly filling his field of vision, pointing to the flexible metal bracelet on her wrist.

“The trip is scheduled for seven days from now. But the day before we leave, I’ll call you so everyone can meet up once beforehand. Then we’ll shop together for the supplies we need.”

“Okay.”

Just then, the school broadcast came on.

“Attention all staff and students: Please swipe your cards and leave the premises within fifteen minutes. The school will conduct a full inspection before the holiday. Those who fail to leave on time will receive demerits and be sent to the infirmary for a comprehensive medical examination.”

“Luo Di, wanna race? Let’s see who gets to the school gate first!”

“No.”

Preparing to take off, Wu sighed in resignation. “Ah, alright.”

The two walked through the campus, Wu waving urgently ahead while Luo Di maintained a steady pace, as if he had already timed everything perfectly and wasn’t worried about being stuck on campus.

By the time he stepped through the school gates, Wu was already seated in an expensive private car.

Luo Di vaguely sensed someone inside watching him, but he was so used to such stares that he paid no mind.

Instead, he boarded a familiar bus and sat in the last row by the window, just about to rest when a loud, distinctive broadcast echoed through the cabin.

Buzz... buzz... buzz...

Three sharp, high-frequency warning tones sounded first, underscoring the importance of the message.

“Tomorrow marks the annual National Founding Festival. All citizens will enjoy a fifteen-day holiday. Please remember to enjoy the holiday responsibly and strictly observe the National Corner Safety Laws.

“Those designated as regional service personnel during the holiday must fulfill their duties and will receive corresponding holiday compensations.

“All citizens traveling during the holiday must comply with the Corner Laws of their respective regions.

“Those heading to suburban areas must make necessary preparations in advance, present health certificates before leaving the city, and undergo comprehensive psychological evaluations upon returning.”

The first part of the broadcast was delivered in Russian.

Although Luo Di was a Chinese national, he understood it perfectly, as Russian was part of the compulsory curriculum.

The announcement then repeated in Mandarin, English, German, and Italian.

According to Luo Di’s original plan, he intended to stay home throughout the holiday, but now he had to revise it for the “practical experience.”

“Thirteenth Residential District arriving. Doors will close in ten seconds.”

After getting off the bus, Luo Di quickened his pace toward the innermost part of the complex—his home.

By the shoe cabinet at the entrance hung a photo of his family of four.

Besides his parents, Luo Di had an older sister.

A letter still rested on the shoe cabinet: his parents and sister had gone on vacation, leaving this busy high schooler to watch the house during this year’s National Founding Festival.

Luo Di didn’t complain; in fact, he was quite happy.

He loved being alone at home; traveling was more of a burden to him.

He retrieved frozen beef and green peppers from the fridge and steamed two large buns.

While cooking, Luo Di also fetched a beautifully packaged DVD and a 25-kilogram metal dumbbell from his bedroom, placing them in the living room.

Buzz~

The TV turned on, the DVD player began reading the disc.

The title “Friday the 13th Part III” appeared on the LCD screen, accompanied by the soundtrack from the previous era.

Luo Di held a bun stuffed with beef and green peppers in one hand and the dumbbell in the other.

Every bite corresponded with a dumbbell curl.

Throughout the meal and workout, Luo Di never took his eyes off the screen, even though he had watched this movie more than thirty times.

Indeed.

He had loved this kind of film since childhood, especially fascinated by the characters.

Unlike the class president and others who had systematic training,

Luo Di received no coaching outside of class. He simply desired a physique like those movie characters and trained his body in the most ordinary ways.

Dumbbells, weighted squats, push-ups, and nightly runs exceeding ten kilometers were his regimen.

He believed that if he persisted, one day he could become a killer as imposing as those in the films.