C2 This Bet Is too Small!!

Hee Liang couldn't shake the feeling that fate was having a laugh at his expense!

"Ouch! That really hurts!"

He had lost count of the times he'd pinched his own cheeks.

The sharp pain served as a relentless reminder.

This was no dream!

The drowsiness that had haunted him for three months vanished in an instant!

Hee Liang's mind sharpened, and a whirlwind of knowledge raced through his thoughts. In mere seconds, he mentally unraveled a complex formula—something he had never achieved before!

His body shook with a mix of anticipation and anxiety.

"Almighty Working System!"

A data screen materialized before his eyes.

Host: Hee Liang (0/100)

Position: Reserve Worker (Next level: Beginner-level Worker)

Daily Salary: 10 working coins

Working Coins: 0

Beneath this were black holes as deep as the abyss, stretching across his vision.

Golden letters were inscribed to the left and above.

Lottery Area.

Learning Area.

To the right, seven black holes were bound by dark purple chains, their golden labels absent.

Hee Liang's body quivered with excitement, his eyes brimming with tears. The nightmare was over!

A new chapter was about to begin!

The reality of the system paled in comparison to the prospect of regaining his former intellect; with that, he could slice through any difficulty!

No one could fathom the agony he had endured these past three months.

A new light sparkled in his eyes, different from the naive confidence of three months prior. He had grown more composed.

Hee Liang's gaze returned to the data panel before him.

"Learning Area!"

With a thought, he reached out to the Black Hole labeled 'Learning Area.'

Instantly, the data shifted once more.

Levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Ultimate

High School Math (Intermediate) — (Advanced): 200 working coins

High School Language Arts (Intermediate) — (Advanced): 200 working coins

High School English (Intermediate) — (Advanced): 200 working coins

High School Physics (Intermediate) — (Advanced): 200 working coins

High School Chemistry (Intermediate) — (Advanced): 200 working coins

High School Biology (Intermediate) — (Advanced): 200 working coins

The layout was straightforward and clear.

"Can I exchange working coins for these abilities?"

Beside his ear, the system's voice was cold yet polite, "This is our first meeting. I will gift you 300 working coins."

Hee Liang's eyes sparkled as he envisioned his Grand Plan and declared, "Exchange for Advanced High School Biology!"

Instantly, his working coins dwindled to just 100.

But in Hee Liang's mind, a torrent of information burst forth like a pinpoint of light, scattering knowledge in all directions.

Concepts he had never encountered before now crystallized in his thoughts.

"The Almighty Working System is the real deal!" Hee Liang's eyes shone ever brighter.

This was no figment of an overstressed mind!

A wave of emotion swept over him, and the visages of many surfaced in his thoughts.

He recalled Wu Qing's derisive sneer, his parents' hopeful looks, the mixed pity and schadenfreude of his classmates, and Chen Mengtong's eyes, brimming with disappointment...

After a while, Hee Liang exhaled deeply.

He lifted his head, which had always hung low.

His spine straightened, no longer stooped but as tall and firm as a pine.

Hee Liang strode toward the classroom. Reaching the trash bin, he calmly discarded the contract in his hand.

Without a backward glance, he whispered to himself with quiet determination,

"I will reclaim everything I've lost!"

In the Senior Year, there were nine classes, with Class One and Class Two being the top tiers.

Hee Liang belonged to Senior Year, Class 2.

As he entered the classroom, the bell signaling the start of the evening self-study session rang out.

His presence drew the attention of many classmates, their looks ranging from scornful to sympathetic.

Hee Liang chuckled and nonchalantly took his seat in the first row on the left.

Biology teacher Zhao Ruobing entered and gave the blackboard a firm tap.

She announced with gravity, "Class, your class teacher is absent today. During this evening's self-study, we'll have a biology quiz."

"The usual rule applies: the student with the lowest score will clean the classroom tonight."

"Teacher, does the student with the lowest score still have to clean the classroom?"

From the center of the first row, a tall, slender boy adjusted his black-framed glasses and asked with a light-hearted chuckle.

Guo Lin, the biology class representative, glanced at Hee Liang on the far left with a hint of regret. "Looks like it's Hee Liang's turn to sweep the floor again, huh?"

"He really is so unfortunate."

"Hee Liang has been sweeping for seventeen days straight!"

While he sighed, his eyes gleamed with malicious delight, and his tone dripped with irony.

The rest of the fifty students turned their gaze toward Hee Liang, seated at the edge of the first row.

Eventually, a girl couldn't suppress her giggles, covering her mouth as she laughed, soon joined by the rest of the class.

Hee Liang remained composed, seemingly oblivious to their taunts.

Zhao Ruobing frowned and intervened, "Enough! Stop laughing, everyone!"

She then turned to Hee Liang, her voice tinged with frustration, "But Hee Liang, you've got to step it up. Don't always be at the bottom!"

She handed a stack of grayish-green papers to Guo Lin. "Guo Lin, please hand these out."

"Sure thing!" Guo Lin rose to his feet, taking the papers from Zhao Ruobing.

But as he approached the leftmost row, he deliberately stepped past Hee Liang, passing the papers to the students in the second row instead.

Hee Liang faced Guo Lin with an impassive stare. "What's that supposed to mean, Guo Lin?"

Caught off guard, Guo Lin peered down at Hee Liang with a mix of challenge and mockery in his eyes.

He leaned in close, his voice a low sneer, "Hee Liang, scoring just twenty or thirty points, why even bother taking the test?"

"Does it make any difference whether I give you the paper or not?"

"You're always dead last. It's embarrassing, even for me!"

Hee Liang met Guo Lin's gaze, his demeanor unflustered. "What's it to you whether I take the test or not?"

Guo Lin appeared taken aback but quickly recovered with a mocking smile. "The fact that you don't sleep through the exam is an achievement in itself. Do you seriously think you can score high?"

With a scoff, Guo Lin handed the most worn-out paper to Hee Liang.

Accepting the biology exam, Hee Liang replied with a slow smile, "And what if I manage it?"

Guo Lin paused, his smirk dissolving into a sneer, "If you make it into the top five, I'll sweep the floors for a month! But can you do it? I doubt it! Loser!"

"Not enough!"

Hee Liang's crisp voice startled the whole class.

In a flash, all eyes converged on the two of them.

With a smirk that wasn't quite a smile, Hee Liang gazed at Guo Lin and said coolly, "That wager is too insignificant!"

"If I fail to secure the top spot, I'll volunteer to sweep the floors until the college entrance exams."

"But if I do clinch first place, you'll be the one sweeping all the way to the exams!"

Hee Liang's declaration echoed across the classroom.