Lin Zichen was still trying to recall exactly who it was.

Vroom vroom vroom—

The familiar roar of an engine sounded again as the ghostfire motorcycle that had sped past earlier suddenly rode back against traffic.

There were two people on the bike. The driver was a young man with multicolored hair, while the passenger was a blond-haired boy.

“Zichen, Xiao Shen, it really is you two…”

The multicolored-haired youth called out in surprise.

Hearing the familiar voice and seeing those familiar features, Lin Zichen finally remembered who he was.

It was Zhang Kai, the boy who had once been on his middle school martial arts team.

Recognizing him, Lin Zichen smiled and said, “Zhang Kai, long time no see.”

“Yeah, long time no see.” Zhang Kai casually flicked the bangs covering his eyes and curiously asked, “What are you two doing here?”

Lin Zichen smiled, “We just finished training. I’m helping her relax her muscles.”

“Training just now?” Zhang Kai widened his eyes in disbelief, “You two both got into the high school martial arts class?”

Lin Zichen, “Yes.”

Zhang Kai clicked his tongue, “Never expected it. Back then Xiao Shen was such a frail girl and now she’s gotten into the martial arts class too, that’s pretty damn impressive.”

As he said it, a bitter taste welled up inside.

Even Shen Qinghan, who was once so delicate, had managed to get into the martial arts class, yet after three years on the martial arts team, he himself had failed.

It was utterly pathetic.

Just as he was mocking himself, the blond-haired boy on the back seat urged, “Cousin, Auntie is waiting for us. Stop chatting and let’s go!”

“Alright, we’ll go now.”

Zhang Kai turned back to Lin Zichen, smiled and said, “Zichen, I’ve got family matters to deal with. I’ll head off first.”

With that, he twisted the throttle and sped away with the blond-haired boy.

But behind that smile was doubt and frustration.

They had both been on the martial arts team. Lin Zichen now had a bright future in the high school martial arts class, while he was reduced to showing off on the streets, nothing but a waste.

‘Why was the gap so large?’

If it was just Lin Zichen, maybe it would be easier to accept. But how had even that once frail girl Shen Qinghan surpassed him?

It made no sense!

No reason at all!

‘I can’t accept this! If I can't get into high school, then I’ll join the army! As long as I work hard, even through the military I can walk the path of gene fusion or mechanical modification!’

Shen Qinghan’s progress had stung Zhang Kai deeply. He decided to enjoy himself on the motorcycle for a few more days, then sell it off and focus on training to enlist in the army.

* * *

Meanwhile, Shen Qinghan could never have imagined that she, constantly ranking at the bottom and plagued with self-doubt, would actually inspire someone else to strive forward.

Talking with Lin Zichen, she sighed, “Xiao Chen, how did Zhang Kai, who used to be so sunny, turn into this flashy non-mainstream look?”

“Personal choice,” Lin Zichen replied calmly.

It was someone else’s way of life, not his to judge.

Everyone has their own lifestyle. As long as they’re happy, it’s fine.

The two chatted while finishing the muscle relaxation, then jogged home together.

On the way, Lin Zichen noticed several rats rummaging in a trash bin and he frowned.

It was a normal sight, but it stirred unease in him, inevitably reminding him of the Rat God Cult.

‘No, I need to get stronger!’

Only strength brings peace of mind!

With that thought, he quickened his pace home.

* * *

After dinner and a shower, Lin Zichen called up the Violent Eagle compendium.

The activation progress wasn’t even at 5%.

Too slow. He needed more income to buy more Violent Eagle meat to consume.

Relying on physical training alone was far too limited. He needed to unlock more biological attributes through the beast compendium.

Each attribute brought a qualitative leap in power.

Impatience gnawed at him. Unlike in middle school, he no longer had the patience to wait.

It wasn’t that his patience had waned—it was the constant abnormal appearances of rats that eroded his sense of security.

The security department had yet to make any major moves, making it seem like these events weren’t serious.

But Lin Zichen refused to entrust his life to others. The security department wasn’t omnipotent.

If they were, the security office captain wouldn’t have been killed by rats.

So, he had to rely on himself. Getting stronger was the only truth.

The immediate priority was figuring out how to make money, to buy Violent Eagle meat and unlock the compendium.

But how?

Programming? Too time-consuming, too boring, too much hassle.

Writing novels for manuscript fees? That sounded better.

He could make money while indulging in something he enjoyed. Two birds with one stone.

Lin Zichen decided to follow in his parents’ footsteps.

He had read countless novels in his past life and had a firm grasp on the tropes of popular fiction. Copying those here would be simple.

The most important thing was that writing novels wouldn’t take up much training time. Just 4,000 words a day. Two hours of writing at most.

He might even crank out 10,000 words in an hour someday!

‘Believe in Innate Wisdom! No, believe in myself!’

So, he brought the idea to his parents.

Both Lin Yansheng and Zhang Wanxin were surprised.

“Xiao Chen, why the sudden interest in writing novels?” Zhang Wanxin asked curiously.

“Studying and training are exhausting. I want something fun to do in my downtime. I enjoy writing,” Lin Zichen replied casually.

In truth, he enjoyed reading, not writing. Writing was grueling, riddled with stress and health issues.

But his parents didn’t doubt him. With both parents being novelists, it seemed natural their son would also want to write.

After thinking it over, they agreed. After all, he was a genius—writing wouldn’t hinder his studies.

With their consent, Lin Zichen had Zhang Wanxin register an author account under her ID, since he was still underage.

He chose the pen name: Han Within Chen.

Once registered, Zhang Wanxin asked, “Son, what kind of novel do you want to write?”

“An urban novel about growing up with a childhood friend.”

Lin Zichen felt this genre had huge market appeal. Childhood sweethearts were a cherished fantasy for many. He even had real experiences with Shen Qinghan to draw on.

Zhang Wanxin teased with a knowing smile, “Oh? Writing about a childhood friend—are you writing about Hanhan?”

Lin Zichen just smiled without denying it.

In his story, he would flip reality, letting Shen Qinghan be the genius and enjoy the thrill of success.