Chapter 1

Zhang Yang is a rather introverted person, possibly due to his personality and growing environment.

Born in an ordinary small town in a central province, his parents are just farmers. Although he is quite tall and can be considered good-looking, Zhang Yang is not particularly smart, which is reflected in his academic performance.

From junior high to university, he has always been a hardworking student.

The result was just an ordinary high school, and he was admitted to a second-tier university in the northeast. Zhang Yang, who tried hard to prepare for the postgraduate entrance examination, was held back by his math scores, and getting into a graduate program was not an easy task.

"There are two roommates who can find jobs here after graduation," Zhang Yang scratched his head, speaking to himself with some distress, "I probably can only find a job, but my educational background and major are not very appealing."

In the future, if he wants to buy a house, fall in love, and get married, this will definitely be a huge pressure. Even though Zhang Yang considers himself to be quite hardworking, and his parents are also very diligent, just working hard to get rich seems a bit challenging nowadays, especially with the current high housing prices that many people find unattainable.

Graduation is just around the corner, and Zhang Yang is really feeling lost, somewhat caught between high and low aspirations.

Xu Shaowei, with a face full of acne scars, returned to the dormitory and immediately complained, "Kids from the south, the snow outside hasn't even melted yet, are you going to have a snowball fight?"

"It's been four years, I've lost interest in snow," Zhang Yang smiled and retorted, "Besides, our hometown isn't that far south; we occasionally see snow, and sometimes it even covers the ground."

Xu Shaowei said proudly, "Outside the Northeast, it's all the south. You guys are southern kids. I remember in the first year, I don't know which two of us in the dormitory were so eager to spend the night in the snow. The ones who were the most active were you southern kids."

In his hometown, he can see snow, but compared to the snow in the northeast, it's not worth mentioning.

Xu Shaowei looked out the window and said, "The snow hasn't completely melted yet. It's freezing outside now. I'm planning to go to Sanya."

It's already his senior year, the last semester of university. Many students are already interning, and those preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination have already taken the exam and are waiting for the results. So, whether or not they are on campus doesn't really matter much.

Zhang Yang teased, "They say Sanya is now the second Northeast, and everyone is going there to spend the winter."

At this moment, the dormitory door was suddenly slammed open, "Hey, anyone going to take a shower?"

"Is it a legitimate place or not?" Xu Shaowei winked at Zhan Lize, who had just returned to the dormitory, "Don't get tricked again, almost couldn't control myself in front of the girls."

Zhan Lize said, "Speaking of girls, we are just across the river from them. Now many girls are coming over to make a living. We still lack the courage, I heard some people have gone over to enjoy the nightlife."

Not every student in the ivory tower is pure; some have seen the world.

"I'm planning to go to the beach to spend the winter, maybe I'll see some girls in light clothing," Xu Shaowei boasted with a smile, "It's no fun going alone, why don't you come with me?"

Zhan Lize was excited, "Sure, let's go crazy in our last year of university, I still have some money!"

These two guys started planning their wonderful trip, but Zhang Yang didn't pay much attention to it. It's not that he didn't want to go, but even after saving money for four years of university, he was still reluctant to spend it on a trip to the beach.

While these two guys were enthusiastically planning their trip, a short, bespectacled student returned to the dormitory. Li Shaolin, who is introverted and doesn't talk much, has a generally average relationship with his roommates and most classmates. However, he is expected to get into a 985 university, which many classmates envy.

"Hey, since we have nothing to do, let's go sliding on the ice," Zhan Lize looked at Zhang Yang and suggested.

Sliding on the ice involves sliding down an icy slope with one foot in front of the other, or binding a small wooden board with iron nails to the front foot and pushing off the ice with the back foot to slide forward.

This can be considered a very down-to-earth form of skiing. Considering the weather, it won't be possible to slide on the ice for much longer.

Since they have nothing to do, Zhang Yang thought it would be fine to go out and play for a while. In the dormitory, there's not much to do now.

They started sliding on the ice at the school playground, and Zhang Yang felt very good, a small relaxation from the recent stress.

Because of the unsuccessful postgraduate entrance examination, the lack of satisfactory job offers from campus recruitment, and concerns about his future...

Continuing to slide on the ice with his roommates, they all lost track of time.

Boom

A loud noise startled everyone.

"Damn, it really is the Awakening of Insects, it's already thundering!"

"Is this a joke? Thunder during the Awakening of Insects is not common here! The snow hasn't even melted, and it's not even the Awakening of Insects yet!"

The loud thunder was a bit scary and caused some discussion and complaints. However, everyone quickly forgot about it and continued sliding on the ice.

Zhang Yang felt a bit strange, actually, when the thunder struck, he felt a slight electric shock.

Now, his brain still feels a bit numb, and his body feels a bit tingly.

"I'm a bit tired, I'm going back."

For Zhang Yang's plan to return, Zhan Lize and Xu Shaowei didn't say much. It's time to go back anyway, after playing outside for two hours, whether they are tired or not, they should go back to warm up and change clothes.

Zhang Yang increasingly felt his body becoming tingly and gradually felt a bit tired.

Back in the dormitory, he didn't say much and fell asleep immediately.

"He's been under a lot of pressure lately, not finding a job easily, and the postgraduate entrance examination didn't go well."

"I can't help much either; my family can only find me a job. I'm basically following the old industrial base model, going back to take over the job."

Zhang Yang didn't know about these discussions among his roommates; he just slept deeply, as if he had lost all sense of awareness.

After a long sleep, Zhang Yang woke up, hungry.

Looking at his phone, he felt like crying; it was the middle of the night, and the dormitory building's door was locked.

Instant noodles were too expensive and didn't fill him up, but fortunately, he had a few bread rolls to tide him over...

The more he ate, the hungrier he felt. Zhang Yang, with a rumbling stomach, rushed to the cafeteria as soon as the dormitory building opened, as if he hadn't eaten for three days, and started to eat voraciously.

"How can I be so hungry after a good sleep?"

"White steamed buns are quite filling, and the porridge is very affordable. If it were before, this meal would have been enough for three meals."

Zhang Yang, not knowing what had happened, didn't think much about it. He just slowly walked back to the dormitory, thinking he was just very hungry because he didn't eat dinner the night before.

Zhang Yang felt his appetite had suddenly increased, even surpassing the state of always being hungry during his growth spurt.

But this wasn't a big problem; steamed buns and other foods are quite filling, and the cafeteria's meals are relatively affordable.

Zhan Lize and Xu Shaowei didn't notice this, as they had already started their trip with their backpacks.

Living in the same dormitory as Li Shaolin, Zhang Yang felt increasingly depressed.

He needs to find a way, either go home or find a job. Preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination, although theoretically possible, is a very slim hope.

The more anxious and depressed he became, the more Zhang Yang felt like he was going crazy.

This can't go on; I need to go out for a walk and clear my mind.

Adjusting his mindset to start a new phase of life, after living a disciplined life for 22 years, he can now indulge a little!