Tang Xiao came rushing into the classroom, panting. The class rep had already started handing out the test papers. Seeing him, they paused, shrugged, and pointed toward the podium.
The eighteen-year-old stiffly turned around. An elderly professor with completely white hair was already seated at the podium, looking at him with an amused smile.
Everyone in Biology Class 1 knew that Old Man Li didn’t usually smile. Whenever he did, the brighter the smile, the angrier he was inside—and someone was about to be in trouble.
And that smile, stretched at least sixty degrees wide, looked no different from a failing grade on the final in Tang Xiao’s eyes.
Tang Xiao immediately bowed in apology. “I’m sorry, Professor! There was traffic on the way, so I’m late!”
“Hurry back to your seat. Don’t waste everyone’s time,” Old Man Li said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Tang Xiao hurried to find his seat. With his roommates waving to guide him, he finally located it. The moment he sat down, Old Man Li’s unhurried voice rang out:
“Oh, right. If you fail this test, you’ll lose your coursework points.”
Tang Xiao instantly put on a pained expression, but didn’t dare say anything in case the punishment got worse. “Yes, sir.”
The class rep continued handing out the papers. Tang Xiao glanced miserably at Bald Donkey, but before he could say anything, Old Man Li said coldly, “And if I catch any of you cheating on this test, you know the consequences.”
The few roommates who had been trying to communicate with Tang Xiao through eye contact immediately lowered their gazes.
Well, that was that. He would just have to accept his fate.
Tang Xiao accepted the test paper from the class rep with a heavy heart and decided to fill in every answer he could.
Tang Xiao had made it into a top university, so he wasn’t bad at studying. But he had chosen biology, one of the notoriously grueling majors, and had skipped plenty of classes because of gaming. Under normal circumstances, he was the type who was satisfied as long as he scraped a 60 on the final.
But Old Man Li’s in-class quizzes were no joke. They covered a broad range of material, including obscure details. Sometimes he even tested advanced topics he had mentioned in class, and even the top students couldn’t easily get full marks. The class’s pass rate was usually around fifty percent, and Tang Xiao was generally among those who failed.
Well, usually.
Tang Xiao stared blankly at the test paper in his hands. He read the questions from beginning to end, turned the page, read them all again, then flipped back once more.
The rustling of pages caught the attention of the students on either side of him, who were just about to start writing. Old Man Li frowned. “What? Was your test paper printed incorrectly?”
“Uh, no.”
“Then be quiet. Don’t disturb the others.”
Tang Xiao immediately shut his mouth and looked down at the test paper. He had actually wanted to ask whether the questions were too easy, but he hadn’t dared. What if Old Man Li really had picked up the wrong test paper and no one pointed it out? Wouldn’t Tang Xiao be the one blamed by the whole class?
But the test really was quite easy.
He could answer every question.
Tang Xiao began writing in a smooth, effortless flow, completely oblivious to Bald Donkey’s eyes widening beside him.
It was as if a switch had been flipped. The moment he saw each question, the relevant knowledge points sprang mischievously into his mind and poured from the tip of his pen like water bursting through a dam.
By the time he came back to his senses, he had already finished both sides of the test.
Normally, he would have happily turned in his paper and waited calmly for judgment. But Old Man Li had just caught him arriving late, so it was better to keep a low profile today.
When the hour was up and everyone had handed in their papers, Tang Xiao finally joined the crowd and turned his in, trying his best not to stand out. Then he left the classroom with his arms around his roommates’ shoulders.
The moment they left the exam room, the corridor erupted into noise as everyone compared answers. Bajie remarked casually, “That test was way too hard. Old Man Li was clearly trying to put us in our place!”
“Tell me about it. He must’ve seen that the break is coming up and used this test to scare us, so we won’t be able to relax over the holiday,” Sha Seng sighed.
Their dorm group chat was named Journey to the West. The four roommates’ personalities more or less matched those of the four master-and-disciple companions: Bald Donkey was long-winded, Bajie loved food, and Sha Seng was the unflappable straight man.
As for Tang Xiao, his nickname in the group and in everyone else’s contacts was naturally Monkey King. The only reason he deserved to be called the Great Sage was that he was always pushing his counselor’s patience to the limit, taking off like a roc with its wings spread. Back when most freshmen were still learning the ropes and didn’t dare act up, he had already been skipping pointless classes and disappearing from performative events. That made him the only Victorious Fighting Buddha around.
Bald Donkey: “Hey, by the way, Xiao Xiao, why did you finish so fast? You weren’t just blowing off Old Man Li, were you? He’ll be able to tell.”
“Of course not. The test was just too easy,” Tang Xiao blurted out. “I was going to ask if you really thought it was hard. I thought maybe Old Man Li only realized the questions were wrong after he got to class, so he had no choice but to give them to us anyway.”
Bajie, Bald Donkey, and Sha Seng exchanged glances.
“Hm? What is it?”
“You think... it was easy?” Bajie’s expression turned strange, the corner of his mouth twitching. Sha Seng stared at Tang Xiao with a look that practically screamed, ‘Somebody come quick, this guy’s showing off.’
“Yeah. Don’t you?” The smile on Tang Xiao’s face stiffened.
“What’s the main component of the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria?” Bald Donkey suddenly asked.
“Peptidoglycan, interwoven with teichoic acids,” Tang Xiao answered instinctively.
“What are the components of a drug-resistance plasmid?”
“The resistance transfer factor (RTF) and the resistance determinant (r-det).”
“Briefly describe the special receptor on the surface of Staphylococcus aureus.”
“The surface of Staphylococcus aureus strains contains a protein called staphylococcal protein A, or spa. It binds to the mucopeptide portion of the cell wall. About thirty percent of it is produced during the logarithmic growth phase of staphylococcal division... Strains with low spa levels are better at adsorbing bacteriophages.” Tang Xiao thought for a moment, then answered smoothly.
Bald Donkey, Bajie, and Sha Seng all stared at him in shock. After a moment, Bajie hurriedly flipped through his textbook. The other two remained still, frowning as they tried to remember.
Bald Donkey: “Damn, I think I left out two steps.”
Sha Seng: “Damn, I put the wrong material in that answer.”
They looked at each other, then threw their arms around one another like a pair of fellow sufferers.
Bajie finished checking his notes and confirmed that Tang Xiao hadn’t been making things up. He looked devastated. “You’ve been secretly out-grinding us this whole time!”
“I haven’t.” Tang Xiao felt terribly wronged. His game records could vouch for him.
“Don’t say another word. Hmph, just you wait! I’m taking my textbooks home this time and studying so hard I’ll crush you all!”
“And then bring them back without ever opening them, right?”
“This time, I’m definitely taking an open-book exam!”
Bajie stormed off. Tang Xiao looked at the two who remained. “You have to believe me. I’ve been gaming this whole time. I’ve barely looked at a book.”
Sha Seng sighed and played his usual straight man. “Yeah, yeah, exactly.”
Bald Donkey smiled benevolently. “There’s nothing wrong with studying hard. As your master, I’m glad to see you turn over a new leaf. Come join us in grinding for a recommendation to grad school.”
It was obvious they didn’t believe him.
All right, even Tang Xiao himself thought it was ridiculous.
When had he learned all this stuff?
He hadn’t studied at all, yet the answers seemed to appear on their own whenever he needed them.
Then he remembered Biology Lv. 1 in the game.
If he had to guess, it had happened when he leveled up his Biology experience before logging out.
But that was just a game.
That couldn’t possibly be real, could it?
Tang Xiao took out his phone, found the digital textbook in his dorm group’s files, and quickly flipped through it. Knowledge that had once seemed unfamiliar now felt incredibly familiar. Sometimes, after reading just one section, he could recite what came next from memory.
This was unbelievable!
Tang Xiao stood frozen in place, so dazed that he didn’t even notice when his classmates left. He wandered across campus alone, his mind a complete mess.
His familiar ringtone sounded. He answered without thinking.
“Xiao Xiao?” A gentle woman’s voice came through the phone. “School’s on break now, right? Your big brother is coming home too. The driver’s already on the way to pick you up. Wait at the school gate, okay? We’re having a family reunion dinner tonight.”
“Oh, okay, Mom,” Tang Xiao replied. After hanging up, he tucked his phone away and headed toward the school gate as if sleepwalking, still thinking about what had just happened.
When he reached the school gate, the driver was indeed waiting in the car. After getting in, Tang Xiao hesitated for a moment, then asked the driver to take him to his rental apartment to pick up his game helmet before heading home.
Tang Xiao’s family was well-off. His father owned a company specializing in laboratory equipment, with extensive business connections and partnerships with many university laboratories. His mother had been a concert pianist when she was young and was now a piano teacher. Though nearly forty-five, she took excellent care of herself and had few wrinkles, carrying an elegant air refined by time.
When she saw her youngest child return, her own similar peach-blossom eyes filled with affection.
“Let Mom have a look at you. Tsk, you’ve lost weight.”
“I haven’t, Mom,” Tang Xiao said, half laughing and half crying. “I eat plenty every day. If anything, I’m in danger of getting fat. By the way, where’s my brother?”
“Upstairs, in your dad’s study. The two of them are talking, so be tactful when you go in.” His mother glanced at the helmet Tang Xiao had brought back and frowned. “And especially don’t take that game helmet out. Otherwise, your dad will get angry again.”
“I know. I’ll put it in my room first.” Tang Xiao didn’t want to ruin their rare family gathering, so he hurried upstairs. His room was farther inside, past the study. Unfortunately, just as he walked by, the study door opened from the inside.
A dignified-looking man stepped out. He had bold brows and bright eyes. He hadn’t inherited their mother’s affectionate peach-blossom eyes; his were narrower and more mature. Tall and well-built, he had the bearing of someone from the military. Even an ordinary black shirt looked like a uniform on him.
The man came face-to-face with Tang Xiao. His thin lips curved into a smile, softening the sharpness of his presence. “Xiao Xiao.”
“Big Brother, it’s been so long!” Tang Xiao gave his long-unseen older brother a tight hug, only to be struck by how solid his pectoral muscles were. “Whoa, those muscles! I’m so jealous.”
“Jealous? No problem. I’ll take you to the gym for a workout over the next couple of days.”
“Please spare me. I’ve only got two days off, and all I want is to stay home and be a shut-in.” Tang Xiao’s face immediately fell, making it obvious that he was backing down.
The man laughed softly, and the distance created by the years they had spent apart vanished in that moment of joking.
Tang Chen, the eldest son of the Tang family, was eight years older than Tang Xiao. He had joined the military at eighteen and had spent little time with his family ever since. Still, he cared deeply about Tang Xiao and often brought him gifts. When Tang Xiao had told the family he didn’t want to inherit the company, Tang Chen had been the first to support him.
“Ahem.”
A low cough came from behind Tang Chen.
The curve of Tang Xiao’s lips froze. He peeked over Tang Chen’s shoulder and, sure enough, there stood their father with a dark expression.
He instinctively moved the game helmet behind his back.
“What are you hiding? I’ve already seen it.” Tang Kaixuan’s face darkened. “All you ever think about is games. When are you going to learn from your big brother and start acting like a proper person? If I catch you failing another final, I’ll...”
“All right, Dad,” Tang Chen hurriedly interjected. “We hardly ever get the whole family together. Don’t give him such a hard time. Besides, school’s on break now. What student thinks about studying during vacation?”
Tang Xiao shot his big brother a grateful look. Mollified by the intervention of his eldest son, his pride and joy, Tang Kaixuan didn’t pursue the matter. He returned to his study with a cold expression, and Tang Xiao knew he had survived this round. He hurried to take the game helmet to his room.
Still, knowing his dad, Tang Xiao suspected the matter wasn’t over yet.
Sure enough, during the family dinner that evening, Tang Xiao kept his head down and ate, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. His father and big brother chatted for a while, then eventually turned the conversation back to him.
“If your little brother were more like you, I could finally relax,” Tang Kaixuan sighed. “Even joining the military would be better than being unemployed.”
Tang Xiao’s mouth twitched.
“Dad, times have changed. Streaming games is a job too,” Tang Chen said helplessly.
Tang Kaixuan snorted. “What kind of job is game streaming? That’s just being unemployed. Tell me, what is it about my plans for you that you don’t like? Study biology, get a background in the sciences, and ideally build connections with university professors. Then I can feel comfortable handing the company’s core business over to you.”
“And preferably go overseas for a business degree afterward, right?”
“Exactly. Several of my friends’ children followed that path. What’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing, nothing,” Tang Xiao sighed. “But I’m really not interested, Dad. I wouldn’t trust myself with the company, so why would you? Business just isn’t my thing. I’d probably ruin our family’s chances of enjoying a comfortable retirement.”
Tang’s mother burst out laughing. Tang’s father looked exasperated. “Then why don’t you study properly? What good is playing those lousy games all day? Let’s see you fail another test.”
Tang Xiao’s rebellious streak flared. “What if I get a high score?”
“A high score? That’s nothing. If you get full marks in your major courses on the final, I’ll stop interfering with your career plans.”
“You said it.”
Tang’s father thought he knew his son well and gave him a disdainful look. “Ha. You?”
Before he could say anything else, his phone suddenly rang.
As soon as he answered, he put on a warm smile. “Oh, Professor Li! What a rare call. Is something wrong with the lab equipment?... What? Xiao Xiao? Uh, he’s home having dinner. What trouble has the kid gotten into this time?”
As he spoke, Tang’s father gave Tang Xiao a threatening look, as though the moment the professor tattled, Tang Xiao would be in for a beating from both parents.
Tang’s mother and eldest son couldn’t help looking over as well.
Then they watched Tang’s father’s expression change completely.
“Huh? What? That kid got full marks on the test? Really? He didn’t cheat? Oh, oh! Thank you, Professor Li. He’s done so well thanks to your teaching...”
Tang Xiao silently stirred the rice in his bowl.
Tang’s father hung up, looking awkward, and put a piece of braised pork into Tang Xiao’s bowl. After a long pause, he finally managed to say, “Ahem. You’ve been working hard at school, haven’t you? Eat a little more. You look so thin.”