Chapter 1: Sigh! School & Capitalism

First, the conclusion:

Having a good boyfriend doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll live a blessed life.

But if you have a bad boyfriend, you’ll definitely become someone who laughs a lot.

Because… when people are truly desperate, laughing is often the only thing they can still do.

And this conclusion was something Lin Zhiyan arrived at while standing numbly inside the convenience store, watching police officers seal off the scene.

Just moments ago, a suspect resisting arrest had hijacked a police car and sped away.

Then the vehicle crashed headfirst into the convenience store.

With a deafening bang, glass exploded everywhere in a glittering rain, while huge swaths of red-and-blue error messages and alarm sounds echoed through the shop.

The man in the driver’s seat had black hair matted together with blood across his face.

He had already passed out.

Immediately afterward, the officers rushed in, dragged him out of the car, cuffed him, and hauled him away.

Since Lin Zhiyan worked part-time at the convenience store, the officers conducted a brief interview with her.

During questioning, because of her pale face, trembling voice, and several badly timed laughs, they unanimously concluded that she had been frightened out of her mind.

“Miss, if you need anything, just tell us. There’s no need to be afraid. This was an accident.”

the officer said.

Lin Zhiyan’s lips moved slightly, but she said nothing.

At that moment, she wanted to tell them:

No.

She wasn’t traumatized.

She was simply too hopeless.

Hopeless because—

That criminal who resisted arrest and crashed the police car was her boyfriend.

But she couldn’t say it.

Because that would involve another matter that filled her with despair:

She was currently in her fourth year of high school, and next year she would be taking the university entrance exams.

District Sixteen, being the poorest district in the entire Ringstar Empire and the one with the highest crime rate, had always enforced brutally strict background investigations.

If one person committed a crime, even the family cat would get linked into the criminal relationship network.

As for whether the cat’s university applications would later get rejected because of it, the authorities had never clarified.

Too hopeless.

Thinking back over the past decade or so of her life—

Even as an orphan, she had always been an outstanding student with excellent conduct, making friends everywhere and carefully maintaining a spotless public image, like some idol trainee preparing for debut.

Who could’ve imagined that despite not having the fate of an idol, she still caught the same disease idols did:

Getting busted the moment you started dating.

Under normal circumstances, this kind of thing should have been entirely avoidable.

After all, this thug had dropped out of high school long ago.

Though he wasn’t blond, he carried the exact same aura stereotypical delinquent punks did:

World-weary, vicious, and perpetually dissatisfied.

Anyone who looked at him could immediately see his future—

At least ten years in prison, life sentence if unlucky, death penalty if things got really bad.

Lin Zhiyan saw it too.

But she had chosen to pretend she was blind.

Maybe it was because the thug was just too handsome.

Maybe it was because he looked too capable.

Or maybe it was simply the tragic destiny of every fragile white-lotus heroine to star in a painful youth romance drama.

In any case, she gritted her teeth and decided:

Screw it.

Let’s date.

On the day she made up her mind, she looked into the mirror and felt as though she could already see hickey marks from middle school around her neck.

But now, she never could have imagined that not only would she end up with middle-school-style hickeys—

She’d also get an accomplice criminal record along with them.

The moment that thought crossed her mind, the corners of Lin Zhiyan’s mouth twitched again.

The officer frowned.

“Miss, would you like to come with us to the station for psychological counseling?”

he asked carefully.

Lin Zhiyan closed her eyes and calmed herself for a few seconds.

Then she removed the convenience store apron and said,

“No need. I want to leave first.”

The officer looked puzzled.

“Are you really—”

“I’m fine.”

Lin Zhiyan shook her head and smiled faintly.

“I have class.”

After saying that, she strode out quickly.

Strictly speaking, she was running.

Today was the final day to register for the entrance examination of the Central Ringstar Military-Political Academy.

The Central Ringstar United Military-Political Academy had originally belonged to the wartime military administration academy.

It had produced a large number of high-ranking officers and famous politicians, including the current Prime Minister.

In recent years, besides its military and political departments, the academy had gradually opened several additional faculties and expanded enrollment.

Naturally, it was an institution of extraordinary prestige.

But before today, Lin Zhiyan had never intended to apply.

High school lasted five years.

She was only in her fourth.

Applying now meant one less year of preparation than everyone else.

But now, she had no choice.

At this time of year, only a handful of universities allowed cross-year applications.

And United Military-Political was the best among them.

She had to get admitted before she got dragged into collective punishment.

As Lin Zhiyan mentally organized her plans, she sprinted wildly toward school.

f*ck.

She’d barely enjoyed even two bites of the sweetness of dating before the whole thing exploded in her face.

Faster than a Ponzi scheme collapsing.

Cursing internally the entire way, she rushed into the school administrative office, filled out the registration form in three minutes, completed verification in five, and finally received four giant words on the application screen:

【Application Failed】

【Reason: Missing Important Documents】

Lin Zhiyan stared blankly at the screen for a long time before turning toward the dean sitting nearby and leisurely drinking tea.

The dean, however, wore an expression of complete understanding.

She adjusted her glasses, took another sip from her thermos cup to moisten her throat, then said,

“Oh? Why did it fail? Could it be because you don’t have a recommendation letter?”

Every wrinkle in Lin Zhiyan’s brain instantly smoothed flat.

She reverted to caveman mode.

“…Huh?”

The dean shook her head.

“The admissions guidelines were updated last week. Without a recommendation letter from the school, applications are no longer accepted. Currently, only the principal has authority to issue one.”

“But Student Lin, the principal just left for inspections in another district. I’m afraid he can’t write you a recommendation letter.”

Then what the hell am I supposed to do?!

Give me an explanation here!

That was the only sentence left in Lin Zhiyan’s mind.

“Don’t panic.”

The dean shook her head again like one of those bobblehead dolls.

“Student Lin, you’re an excellent student. Your exam results next year will definitely be even better. There’s no need to rush.”

“Besides, the semester is nearly over, and the district exams are approaching. Focus on preparing for those instead. Don’t overthink things.”

The district exams in District Sixteen were standardized across the region and collectively referred to as the Joint Exams.

Lin Zhiyan had ranked first in them for four consecutive years.

Compared to entering Central Military-Political early, the dean would much rather have her continue dominating the Joint Exams to attract new student enrollment.

“Go back now,”

the dean said.

Lin Zhiyan didn’t move.

“You can’t contact the principal either? This is very important.”

“The principal is very busy.”

The dean sighed and began patting her shoulder like a loving mother.

“Has your mental state been unstable lately? Should I contact the psychological department and arrange an evaluation for you?”

Psychological evaluations were permanently recorded in student files.

And if the results were poor, prestigious universities and good jobs would practically become impossible forever afterward.

Clearly, the dean had studied The Art of War.

Every move was soft and hard at the same time, layered with hidden implications.

“Your results in previous years were all quite good, after all.”

Back in her earlier high school years, Lin Zhiyan’s chosen persona had been relatively cold and aloof:

Excellent grades, few words, weighed down by sorrow.

But after isolating herself for a while, the school’s psychological department summoned her to fill out a questionnaire.

The first few questions left her confused.

The middle questions made her thoughtful.

The final questions enlightened her completely.

Turns out, the school suspected she might either jump off the rooftop shouting “one-two-three” or start spraying bullets in a classroom counting down “three-two-one.”

At the time, Lin Zhiyan had been horrified to realize she’d overcommitted to her character setting, so she rapidly adjusted it.

She transformed herself from “tragic and resentful” into “gentle and melancholic,” successfully fooling the psychology teachers.

Never in a million years had she expected this ancient embarrassing history to come back around and become her weakness.

She glanced at the dean, sighed, and said,

“I understand.”

Then she walked out of the office and headed straight for the rooftop.

Lin Zhiyan climbed onto the roof, stepped directly over the railing, and stood in the narrow corner outside it, gripping the rail behind her with one hand.

The fierce wind whipped her black hair upward.

In her calm black eyes, drifting clouds reflected like scattered white flames.

A tear mole at the corner of her eye sank into the slight upward curve of her smile.

At school, going to the rooftop alone wasn’t particularly effective.

Being a top student alone wasn’t especially effective either.

But combining the two worked remarkably well.

After all, students who jumped from rooftops were always criticized for being unable to endure academic pressure.

And top students were always criticized for willingly submitting to institutional oppression.

Sigh. Recommendation letter, I miss you deeply from this rooftop.

Lin Zhiyan pulled out her terminal and made a call.

An hour later—

Four large words appeared on the application page.

【Application Successful】

Inside the office—

“Thank you, teacher. I really thought I’d never get the recommendation letter again.”

Lin Zhiyan pressed a hand to her chest like an award-winning actress tearfully giving an acceptance speech.

“How could that happen? I just didn’t explain things clearly! Ah, but don’t ever do something reckless like that again!”

The dean clutched her own chest too, pale-faced like someone suffering a heart attack.

Lin Zhiyan then asked gloomily,

“Then my records will—”

“They won’t! Absolutely not!”

The dean interrupted hurriedly.

“Don’t worry. No one will know about this. Your psychological evaluation won’t have any issues either. Just focus on your exams!”

Lin Zhiyan raised an eyebrow slightly.

See?

When people think you’re crazy, you’d better actually be crazy.

Lin Zhiyan grabbed the dean’s hand firmly and said sincerely,

“I’ll definitely get in!”

The dean squeezed back even more sincerely.

“You absolutely must get in!”

Their clasped hands shook a few times.

And just like that, a week passed.

The moment Lin Zhiyan returned after finishing her exams, she was promptly invited to the police station for “tea.”

Three days later, the police decided her personal records should indeed be linked into the criminal relationship network.

On the fourth day, multiple media outlets reported that Lin Zhiyan had received an acceptance letter from the United Military-Political Academy.

On the fifth day, Lin Zhiyan and the police completed a secret agreement.

Seven days later, Lin Zhiyan attended several newspaper interviews carrying a perfectly clean background record and tearfully told a heartwarming story.

In that story, she had been taken hostage in the convenience store by an escaped criminal.

The police shut down electricity across the entire city to save her.

Afterward, traumatized by the experience, the officers invited her to dinner, washing the cups and plates seven times before serving her.

Then, before her exams, her admission ticket mysteriously vanished.

The police dug three feet into the ground and unearthed the oil-paper-wrapped ticket from underground before once again shutting down power across the entire city to escort her to the examination hall.

Although nobody understood why the entire city needed to lose power every time, the story’s lack of logic didn’t stop it from becoming wildly popular.

On social media, the interview video was liked, reposted, and commented on like crazy.

Aside from the people of District Sixteen posting question marks nonstop, the citizens of the other fifteen districts were deeply moved and began reflecting on themselves.

Unfortunately, when Lin Zhiyan used an alternate account to privately message them asking whether they wanted to trade lives with her, none of them replied.

Hmph.

A trivial matter.

After all—

Lin Zhiyan looked out the window.

District Sixteen’s airport was cramped.

The blue floating light strips were dim, while every imaginable fluorescent sign crowded tightly together.

Old, battered aircraft sat packed into tiny spaces.

Beyond the surrounding fences, red lights shone across crooked buildings like freshly exposed internal organs, carrying a strange bloody stench on the wind.

Soon, weightlessness struck, and the scenery below gradually shrank smaller and smaller.

Lin Zhiyan lowered the window shade and lifted her chin proudly.

After all, school was starting.

She was about to head to the Central District and become a reserve member of the upper class!

Lin Zhiyan had every reason to be confident.

After all, her dream wasn’t particularly ambitious.

She merely wanted to complete her studies, enter the government system with a dazzling résumé, spend the first half of her life climbing through political storms, and the second half facing a firing squad in prison.

A chic speedrun of life.

And being admitted into United Military-Political already meant she was halfway successful.

Because the school didn’t have a famous alumni board.

One reason was that nearly everyone entering or graduating from the institution was a future aristocrat, high official, or political elite.

The second reason was that its alumni rankings refreshed even faster than competitive game ladders.

People fell from power every single day.

And when one fell, they usually dragged down an entire chain with them.

Against that kind of background, it was hard for Lin Zhiyan not to feel confident.

Not only was she confident—

She was downright arrogant.

Specifically, although she gazed out the window with the shabby posture of someone peeking through a keyhole into another world, she felt neither reverence nor inferiority whatsoever.

If anything, she even believed herself to possess a certain aloof pride, as though coldly criticizing the entire world.

It was daytime now.

Brilliant sunlight poured over the towering skyscrapers of the Central District.

Azure light shimmered against rare-material glass, flashing deep blue reflections.

Between the skyscrapers stood elegant classical mansions and exquisite modern homes, woven together with rivers and lush greenery full of life.

The city looked untouched by technological abuse, AI rebellions, war pollution, or any of the disasters described in textbooks.

It looked exactly like the illustrations of Old Era cities.

A peaceful utopia.

Lin Zhiyan lifted her chin higher, confidence overflowing.

Hmph.

It’s just The Truman Show.

The aircraft slowly descended.

Lin Zhiyan tilted her chin even higher, becoming increasingly smug.

Once she got off this aircraft, this place would become her world.

God.

Lin Zhiyan was so inflated with confidence she barely knew what to do with herself.

Even dividing her ego by ten and taking the cube root wouldn’t return her to normal.

However, what knowledge could not accomplish, reality certainly could.

And what was reality?

Reality was every aircraft in the airport being unable to open its cabin doors.

Everyone remained trapped inside, waiting in place.

Waiting for what?

Waiting for three jet-black aircraft marked with luxurious unknown emblems glowing faintly like gemstones to land first.

After a long wait, the three aircraft finally descended.

Their cabin doors opened.

Lin Zhiyan saw several guards in military uniforms step out.

Protected in the center of them was a young man.

He wore a silver-and-black military uniform and a military cap, beneath which his sharp jawline was faintly visible.

A single-shoulder cape fluttered in the wind, making his broad shoulders and tall figure appear even more imposing.

Under the cape, a golden belt cinched his uniform jacket tightly around a lean, powerful waist.

The sword at his side reflected cold light together with the silver buttons on his uniform.

His trousers were tucked neatly into military boots, accentuating his long legs.

Together with the guards around him, he walked steadily and calmly through the transfer passageway.

As though making the entire airport wait forty minutes was perfectly reasonable.

As though ten passageways that should have been operating being reduced to just one—

And a corridor originally meant for hundreds now reserved solely for him and his bodyguards—

Was only natural.

Lin Zhiyan stared in amazement as all the air rapidly leaked out of her inflated ego.

Because the ownership of the world had suddenly become very obvious.

It belonged to this guy.

Sigh, school. Sigh, capitalism. Sigh…

She sat there dazed and deflated, sulking quietly.