The Honest Man’s Counterattack 2003

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Xiao Hui Arcade

The arcade was packed, filled with smoke and noise, bustling with activity.

As Zhao Feng and Little Fatty walked in, the buzz-cut owner immediately spotted Zhao Feng and smirked. "Heh, you look familiar, kid. Have we met before?"

Zhao Feng gave him a strange look and replied calmly, "No, this is my first time here."

The owner grinned insincerely and pointed to a notice on the wall with photos. In a low voice, he said, "There's a blacklist for arcades across the city, and you're on it. I’m a reasonable guy, always looking to make money peacefully. But if you walk into another arcade, you’ll leave on a stretcher. Better get going."

Zhao Feng felt a wave of frustration wash over him, as if a herd of alpacas were stampeding through his mind. He forced a polite smile and said, "Thanks for the heads-up, boss."

He grabbed Little Fatty and left the arcade, fuming. He had been blacklisted by the arcades, and his money-making scheme was officially over.

Old Huo’s BBQ Joint

The two sat across from each other, silently munching on skewers and sipping ice-cold sodas.

"Brother Feng, how did you end up on the arcade blacklist?" Jin Fugui asked, devouring a skewer of lamb kidneys and tossing the empty stick onto the table.

"It’s because of the slot machines," Zhao Feng sighed, realizing he had been too greedy. If he had only won a couple of hundred each time, he wouldn’t have drawn attention. But winning too much had made him a target, and now his photo was on the blacklist.

In 2003, a thousand yuan was a significant amount of money. The average monthly salary for a local worker was around three to four hundred yuan. By winning two thousand, Zhao Feng had essentially pocketed half a year’s wages. The arcade owners weren’t willing to take the loss and had blacklisted him.

"Maybe it’s for the best. Now I can focus on preparing for the college entrance exam," Zhao Feng said gloomily.

"Don’t worry. Boss Gao might have banned you from arcades in the city, but there are arcades all over the country. With your luck, you’ll find another way to make money," Jin Fugui said optimistically.

"Slot machines aren’t a reliable way to make money anyway. It’s better to stay away from them," Zhao Feng said, shaking his head.

"Brother Feng, which university are you aiming for?" Jin Fugui

"The university itself doesn’t matter as much as the location. I want to go to Shanghai—it’s an international metropolis, full of beautiful women and opportunities. Want to team up and take on Shanghai together?" Zhao Feng said with a sparkle in his eye.

"Shanghai does sound good. But your grades have improved so much. Can you tutor me? I’m worried I won’t get into the same university as you," Jin Fugui said, looking dejected.

During the recent city-wide mock exam, Zhao Feng’s grades had skyrocketed, leaving Jin Fugui, the former top student, in the dust. He hadn’t even made it onto the city-wide ranking, a major blow to his confidence.

"No problem. You’ve got a solid foundation. When Dan Dinghe and I study, we’ll include you," Zhao Feng said.

"Do you know how popular Dan Dinghe is right now? All the guys want to kill you for being her deskmate and take your place," Jin Fugui complained.

"Hahaha, they hate me but can’t do anything about it. That’s the best feeling!" Zhao Feng laughed.

That evening, Zhao Feng returned home to find his parents, Zhao Changhe and Zhou Chunmei, beaming with pride. They pulled him onto the sofa.

"Teacher Guo praised you today. You’ve finally made your old man proud! You did well this time. Keep it up, and you’ll definitely get into a top provincial university," Zhao Changhe said, patting Zhao Feng on the shoulder.

"Little Feng, you’ve really made your mom proud. If you can get into Provincial University of Technology, I’ll be over the moon," Zhou Chunmei said with a smile.

"This was just a mock exam. It’s not the real thing, so don’t get too excited," Zhao Feng said awkwardly.

"Here’s a hundred yuan. Make sure you eat more meat at school next week. You’ve been staying up late studying and look so thin," Zhou Chunmei said, slipping a hundred-yuan bill into Zhao Feng’s pocket.

"Thanks," Zhao Feng said with a smile.

"Teacher Guo said if you have any questions, you can go to her for extra help," Zhao Changhe

"Got it," Zhao Feng nodded.

For Chinese class, Zhao Feng relied on reading comprehension and essays. Having lived for over thirty years, he didn’t need Teacher Guo’s help.

Reading comprehension wasn’t a problem, and essays were a breeze.

He remembered the essay topic from his past life—it was about honesty.

Back then, Zhao Feng had struggled for half an hour without writing a single word, resulting in a disastrous essay. The memory was still vivid.

Over the next two weeks, Zhao Feng’s exam preparation went smoothly. With Dan Dinghe’s help, his grades improved rapidly.

Little Fatty also benefited from the extra tutoring, often asking Dan Dinghe for help, and his grades showed noticeable improvement.

On the eve of the college entrance exam, during the final mock exam, Zhao Feng scored third in the city-wide ranking, just one place behind Dan Dinghe. Once again, he was praised by the teachers, earning the envy and admiration of his classmates.

With seven days left until the exam, the teachers distributed admission tickets and held a final motivational meeting. The senior year students were given time off to study on their own for the final push.

On the first day of the break, Zhao Feng gathered Jin Fugui, Huang Qiaoqiao, and Bai Jiaxin to form a temporary study group. They met under the open-air gazebo in Zhao Feng’s family courtyard for their final cram session.

As the saying goes, "Even if you sharpen your spear at the last minute, it’s better than nothing."

Bai Jiaxin wandered around, occasionally petting the family dog. "Your courtyard is pretty spacious, and you even have a pet dog," she said with a smile.

Zhao Feng replied, "Most houses in the suburbs have big yards. Be careful with Wangcai—he’s pretty fierce and might bite."

Huang Qiaoqiao called out, "Bai Jiaxin

Bai Jiaxin skipped over to the gazebo and sat down on a small stool, picking up a test paper. "I’ve got an internal version of the Huanggang test papers. Want to give them a try?"

Zhao Feng waved his hand. "I’ve got a prediction for the essay topic. Let’s focus on writing essays today and memorize them."

Bai Jiaxin pouted. "I hate writing essays."

Huang Qiaoqiao asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Zhao Feng said seriously, "Trust me. I guarantee it. My predictions are always accurate."

Jin Fugui teased, "How much is your guarantee worth? Sell me two yuan’s worth."

Zhao Feng sighed. "Fine, I’ll treat everyone to hotpot tonight. Happy now?"

Jin Fugui grinned. "That’s more like it. I’ll trust you this time."

Huang Qiaoqiao asked, "What’s the topic?"

Zhao Feng said solemnly, "Honesty. Let’s spend two hours writing a thousand-word essay."

The four of them took out sheets of paper and began writing, the sound of pens scratching against paper filling the air.

Half an hour later, Bai Jiaxin was sweating, her face red with frustration. She tore up her essay and said angrily, "This topic is terrible. I can’t write it. You guys go ahead."

Jin Fugui, chewing on a pen, said awkwardly, "This is too hard. My Chinese is weak, and my essay reads like a grocery list. It’s awful."

Huang Qiaoqiao said, "I’m struggling too. This topic is toxic. It’s really hard to write well."

Zhao Feng twirled his pen and said thoughtfully, "If the essay wasn’t challenging, how would they differentiate scores? It’s okay if you can’t write it. Let’s discuss how to craft a good essay."

The four of them brainstormed, sharing ideas and improving their essays. The day flew by.

Over the next six days, they worked together, combining their strengths and reviewing key concepts. They even tackled Bai Jiaxin’s internal test papers.

After ten years of hard study, they finally faced the college entrance exam—the fairest test of their lives.

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