Chapter 80: The Journey of Life

Seeing his overall average only drop by three points, Chen Shi Jin could finally breathe a sigh of relief against the steel plate beside him.

Heaven knows how he survived these three days—nearly every few minutes, he felt the urge to turn his head, but thankfully, each time he did, he was met with the sight of his will of steel, allowing him to calmly redirect his gaze and continue studying.

However, in reality, during breaks, meal times, and even sleep, the impact of their romantic status meant he spent almost all his time with Yue Feng. Sometimes, even when they weren't together, Yue Feng dominated his thoughts.

This experience left Chen Shi Jin, who had never been in love before, feeling entirely overwhelmed. If falling in love meant this, he'd rather remain heartless and detached forever!

Chen Shi Jin was aware that this state was likely exaggerated by the journey of life to affect them, but this made him feel as if the "life" he was currently living, or the path he was walking, was becoming increasingly narrow and challenging.

Indeed, it was the case.

Following the collective "Romance Notifications," Chen Shi Jin discovered on the grand map of the journey of life that, aside from #1, #2, #16 (himself), #49, and #88, the life paths of all other exiles had deviated.

However, the worst was yet to come. Starting from the second day after the announcement of the grades, the seventh day of high school, he began to see frequent death notifications on the grand map of the journey of life.

[Exile #24's first love and deskmate died in a terrible accident. Heartbroken, #24 decided after three days of agony to study hard, aiming to get into their dream university together with their first love's memory and their goals.]

[Exile #33's first love and teammate died in a terrible accident. Heartbroken, #33 decided after three days of agony to study hard and train diligently, aiming to get into their dream university together with their first love's memory and their goals.]

[Exile #47's first love and deskmate died in a terrible accident. Heartbroken, #47...]

Eight consecutive notifications, almost all worded identically, made Chen Shi Jin feel as though "accidents" were omnipresent in life.

But he knew that couldn't be possible; after all, some accidents are just that, while others, with a purpose, are purely man-made.

On the eighth day, after school, Yue Feng dragged Chen Shi Jin out for dinner.

The restaurant they were heading to was on the east side of the school, which meant passing by the tallest teaching and experimental building on campus.

As Yue Feng happily declared his intention to eat ten pancake rolls today, prompting Chen Shi Jin to roll his eyes heavenward, he suddenly felt Yue Feng yank his arm forcefully towards him.

He collided into that too sturdy and broad chest, shoulder aching from the impact, but he instantly looked up towards the top of the experimental building.

Atop the experimental building, one could see a person in agony, reaching out as if trying to grasp something.

Simultaneously, many students' screams sounded around them—

"Oh my God!"

"Ah—"

"Someone jumped off the building!"

"Quick, call the police and an ambulance!"

"No one knows who this is?! His head is smashed to pieces, how terrible."

Chen Sijin was still looking up at the rooftop.

But he already knew who the person who had jumped to their death at his feet was, even his blood had splashed onto his trousers—

Exiles No. 3 and No. 81 were sweetly chatting on the rooftop, even planning to watch the stars and moon rise together in the evening.

But Exile No. 81, not paying attention, missed a step and fell off the roof due to a loss of balance. Exile No. 3 tried desperately to catch their lover but failed. Overwhelmed with grief and after three days of agony, they decided to study fiercely, carrying the love of No. 81, and got admitted to the best university in the country.

Chen slowly lowered his gaze, only then noticing the patch of fresh red at his feet.

Even in this world, where restless spirits are oblivious, the notion that one could drastically change their demeanor and study hard after their lover's death held some credibility.

However, between two exiles, this "misstep into thin air" seems almost laughable.

Which exile would accidentally misstep?

And which exile would lack even a bit of self-preservation in the face of an accident?

So, it wasn’t a simple misstep, but rather, it was Exile #3, who ended their romantic status as a victor, standing on the rooftop at that moment.

Without any surprises, Exile #3's high school days would no longer witness any accidents.

Starting with Exile #3's "accident" in high school, on the ninth, tenth, and eleventh days, Chen Shi Jin saw red dots turning grey one after another on the map of the journey of life.

Until the end of high school, with the arrival of the college entrance exams, the total number of surviving exiles had dwindled to just 39.

In the end, half of the exiles died from various accidents, or in some cases, mutual suicides, marking their high school years with a bloody full stop.

Among the 39 who didn’t die, 19 dropped out of school, embarking on significantly deviated paths in life.

This even included Yue Feng, the universally acknowledged school tyrant and troublemaker.

"I've already signed a contract with a gaming team and got admitted to a university early as a student with special talents. Though I'll just attend that university casually, you should seriously prepare for the exams and get into a good university, then join me."

The now adult Jin couldn't help but crack a face-splitting expression at these words, thinking, what on earth?

This guy, who spent the entire high school period in a romantic daze, only ever gazing at his steel plate, got recommended for admission?!

Could the journey of life provide an even more absurd, more unfair treatment?

Even if Yue Feng's path in life has drastically deviated, the feeling of being outdone by someone who seemingly didn't put in any effort, despite one's hard work, is truly infuriating.

Thus, Chen Shi Jin rolled his eyes massively at Yue Feng and responded with an exaggeratedly loud "Tsk!"

Yue Feng stretched his arms across the desk, almost enveloping the eye-rolling young man in his embrace, and said with a mix of amusement and profundity, "Sweet Jin, don't roll your eyes at your future husband."

"Once you get to university, you'll see, life is different. You might even end up being supported by your husband."

Just as Chen Shi Jin was about to retort, he saw a new notification on the grand map of the journey of life.

[Congratulations to all students on achieving excellent results in the college entrance exams, entering the university phase.]

[The journey of life moves into a new chapter.]

[Introduction of a new basic assessment category: "Profession."]

["Money" is derived from two sources: support from others and personal salary.]

[Wishing all exiles a wonderful university life.]

Chen Shi Jin understood the meaning behind Yue Feng's last words in an instant, looking at the diverging "Money" and "Profession" options.

This is truly the journey of life, showcasing a realistic human experience.

Going to university, Chen Shi Jin finally didn't have to be sent to school by his parents, who insisted on making him drink milk, even though they lived in the center of this world and had no other choice for university due to their city's location.

But his freedom significantly increased on the road to independence.

At least university students can choose to go home only once per semester, or even just during the New Year.

But freedom comes at a cost—

Wealthy parents or those with a strong desire to control will never allow their children to escape their grasp, even if they are adults.

Thus, the best method of control is financial suppression.

On the first day of university, Chen Shi Jin found the 800 yuan he had diligently saved up reduced to zero.

At the same time, he received a text message from his parents—

[Jin, you cannot relax even in university! Don't get distracted by romance and affect your studies! You still need to study hard and acquire professional knowledge to secure a good job upon graduation and set yourself on the right path in life.

So, your father and I have thought it over and decided to let you strive on your own and live off scholarships.

The top scholarship at your university is forty thousand a year, enough for both your tuition and living expenses.

You must work hard.

If you don't secure the top scholarship and need money, you'll have to write a profound self-reflection, apologize via video conference, and then we'll consider giving you living expenses based on your attitude.]

[You've always been an obedient child, and we hope you continue to be excellent and obedient. Don't study any other major; your father and I agree that medicine is the best field. You'll study hard in medicine and make us proud, right? Child!]

Chen Shi Jin almost laughed at these messages on his phone.

The message seems reasonable, but the issue is that the scholarship awards are still half a year away.

How is he supposed to cover tuition and living expenses for these six months?

Moreover, if he remembers correctly, he had chosen literature as his major in university.

Now it seems like unless he switches to medicine, he'll have to write a self-reflection and attend a video conference.

Chen Shi Jin stared at the message for a moment, then deleted it without any guilt.

Convincing someone to study medicine is utterly ridiculous.

He's going to find his "beautiful first love" now.

Thinking about this, Chen Shi Jin felt somewhat speechless again. Interestingly, as the only couple or perhaps the only "lovers" who didn't break up in high school, he and Yue Feng had also acquired the title of [Beautiful First Love].

Their affection value remains stable at 95.

It's hard to decide whether to laugh or be speechless.

But now, he feels this useless first love suddenly has some utility, after all... a meal ticket that comes knocking shouldn't be wasted.

And it's not like he plans to rely on it forever, just nibble for a few days, then ponder what major to study and how to earn money.

Thus, Yue Feng, who had become the captain of a gaming team, welcomed his first love.

And very happily, even excitedly, began their university cohabitation life with his Sweet Jin.

Chen Shi Jin watched as Yue Feng transferred him amounts like “520,” “1314,” “999,” then sat on the sofa like a boss watching him:

"Come here, make me happy! From now on, I'm your sugar daddy lover!"

Chen Shi Jin: "..." suddenly sensed a new, terrible malice targeted at him by the journey of life.

Five days into the university period, Chen Shi Jin could be sure that, except for Kong Ju and Yue Feng, all exiles would be cursing the journey of life just like him—

On the journey of life map, the paths of ten out of the twenty university students who had made it to college suddenly regressed several steps, marking reverse curves on their beautiful paths.

Meanwhile, of the nineteen exiles who didn’t make it to college, becoming thugs or running away from home, nine saw their life paths soar, advancing directly to the top twenty positions.

And this was based solely on the increasingly important and dominant factor of "Money" in the latter stages of the journey of life.

[Exile #99, after running away from home, joined a group involved in shady businesses, quickly climbed the ranks due to outstanding abilities, and has now become the deputy general manager.

Money +1 million.]

[Exile #63, after running away from home, was spotted by a talent scout, practiced diligently in seclusion for five years, made a sensational debut, and became a popular idol and artist.

Money +1 million.]

[Exile #58, struggling academically, chose to drop out and, after diligently learning culinary skills from their parents and starting a food stall, created a delicious new recipe, leading to a booming business.

Money +500,000.]

……

This represents the starkly different lives after reaching adulthood.

Before adulthood, everything revolves around academic performance.

In the adult world, everything revolves around money.

Thus, for the entire university period, except for Exile #1, who consistently studied, earned top scholarships, and adeptly handled business affairs in their family enterprise, setting a high standard of excellence.

The life paths of other exiles are filled with twists, deviations, and even regressive turns.

At this time, on the grand map of the journey of life, Exile #1's position shines like a bright star, high at the very top of the journey of life, with Exile #2, despite great efforts and formidable abilities, trailing by at least five steps on the map behind Exile #1.

Chen Shi Jin, looking at his own position, seven steps behind Exile #1, ranks third.

Truly, at this point, the rest of the journey of life should present no major upheavals or reversals.

Apart from ensuring a ranking above the bottom 50%, meaning at least mid-to-upper among the surviving exiles, the remaining 39 just need to strive to live on.

Of course, they have only completed a small portion of their life's journey, with sure challenges in career, life, and marriage ahead, along with ensuing lethal dangers. But for Chen Shi Jin, the journey of life has essentially lost its significance here—

As long as Exile #1, Kong Ju, exists, he can never be the first to complete the journey of life.

Failing to be the first means failing to initiate the world mission. Essentially, it equates to his failure.

Thus, it seems the ending of the journey of life has already been determined.

Moreover, on the last day of the university period, Chen Shi Jin, silently observing the rankings on the map of the journey of life, awaited Kong Ju, who arrived smiling and arm in arm with Exile #3.

This handsome youth, now grown and soon to become a king, said to him, "Chen Shi Jin, graduation is upon us. This is your last chance to choose your path in life."

"If you come to your senses, choose to sincerely bow to me, to be of use to me, I will cede the first place to you. I'll help you break this world."

"You should be able to sense my strength. I can make it happen."

Exile #3, whose arm he was holding, showed a slightly nervous and apprehensive expression, and her gaze towards Chen Shi Jin carried a mix of jealousy, pride, and mockery.

Kong Ju, pleased with Exile #3's expression and reaction, then arrogantly looked at Chen Shi Jin: "And if you foolishly refuse me again."

His demeanor and expression darkened.

"I will marry Exile #3, completing the last major event of life."

"And you, will never have the chance to surpass me on the journey of life."

Chen Shi Jin, looking at this pair that seemed like a match made in heaven, could almost predict the kind of notifications the journey of life would soon be giving them—

Notifications of their grand wedding, notifications of them successfully birthing a brilliant heir a year later, notifications of them elevating their family to even greater heights.

And then, they would live out a perfect life.

From birth, Exile #1 never took a wrong turn; everything about him was in line with the most standard "life people aspire to."

He came from an incredibly wealthy family background, always had the best academic achievements from childhood, never made a mistake during the years when mistakes are most common, and at each new stage of life, he adapted and achieved perfection at the fastest pace.

Anyone looking at Exile #1's life would call it a "perfect" journey of life.

No one could do better than him.

And in this world, indeed, no one has done better than him.

So, if Chen Shi Jin wanted to counter this devourer of worlds, the only path he could choose would be to submit to Kong Ju.

But why?

Chen Shi Jin, looking at Kong Ju standing there, found his life to be utterly uninteresting.

Given his life, Chen Shi Jin feels he would not have chosen such a life from the start.

"Well, what have you decided?" Kong Ju asked.

Chen Shi Jin didn't respond; instead, he looked at the seemingly insurmountable gap of seven steps on the grand map of the journey of life and eventually smiled.

"Then, I wish you a hundred years of happiness and many offspring."

Kong Ju's expression instantly turned cold.

But a look of ecstatic joy appeared on Exile #3's face.

Once bound to Exile #1, Kong Ju, she was certain her high-stakes game of dominating the world would be safely navigated!

Thinking this, she reached out to grab Kong Ju but was suddenly pushed away by him, his face darkening.

Exile #3 uncontrollably fell backward, and, by a stroke of misfortune, landed directly on a sharp, knife-like black stone.

She died instantly.

Even in death, her expression hadn’t fully shifted.

Exile #1, emanating a dark and terrifying aura, cracked a smile: "Good, I want to see how miserably you'll die in this world."

He said this and turned to leave.

The day after university graduation, the grand map of the journey of life announced Exile #1's marriage.

At the same time, he received furious, sharp scolding and yelling from his parents.

"Chen Shi Jin!! How dare you?! How could you secretly study literature instead of medicine during your university years!"

"How dare you engage in a romantic relationship in university, and with a man who can't have children at that!!"

"How could you live with someone who only plays games! Chen Shi Jin! You've disappointed us so much! You've let us down!!"

Chen Shi Jin, facing his "parents" in hysterics, saw Exile #16's position on the grand map of the journey of life take three steps back.

He watched his stress level skyrocket to 80 and his self-esteem plummet by 20.

But.

That was all.

He said one word to those parents pressing down on him:

"Oh."

The loud scolding from his parents abruptly stopped, then burst out furiously: "What did you say?!"

Chen Shi Jin laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

"I said, so what?"

"Give up. I won't switch to studying medicine, nor will I break up with my first love. I won't have children, and right now, I don't even plan to work or do anything you or anyone else wants me to do that I don't enjoy."

Amid his parents' incredulous scolding and screaming, Chen Shi Jin casually cleaned his ears, glancing at Yue Feng who had suddenly become quiet next to him, observing him, and he raised his eyebrows.

The youth's raised eyebrows and the carefree, wild brilliance in his eyes suddenly made him feel a sense of familiarity.

Yue Feng pondered, what was it?

"Chen Shi Jin—repeat what you just said?!"

The fully grown youth nodded:

"I said, I am the master of my life.

Happiness, anger, sorrow, success, or failure—it's all up to me. What's it to you?"

In that instant, golden light swirled in Yue Feng's deep blue pupils.

He realized, this was the radiance of one who dominated their life.

Just like him, at a certain moment.