"Teacher, you came back... is there something else?" Su Zhan asked as they walked.
Before returning, Wang Mingyuan had mentioned having some matters to attend to, so now seemed like a good time to ask.
"Just came back to check on some students." Wang Mingyuan adjusted his glasses. "Like those classmates from your year, or even some earlier students I've taught."
Su Zhan nodded slowly.
Coming back just to see students?
Not to see family...
That likely meant... Wang Mingyuan's background was similar to his own.
Alone in this world.
But as for his former classmates...
"Teacher," Su Zhan asked, "what's the current situation with my old classmates?"
Since Wang Mingyuan seemed interested in this topic, he might as well continue the conversation.
Wang Mingyuan slowed his pace, his gaze drifting toward the sports field. "Zhang Jiali went to Northern Technical University. Didn't awaken, but scored 630 on the college entrance exam and is now studying computer science."
"And Li Yuqin, you... well, you already know about that, so no need to say more."
Su Zhan nodded.
That really wasn't necessary to discuss further.
Just the foolish things his original self had done.
If it were him now, it would be pure embarrassment.
"Wang Qiang didn't get into university. His results were pretty much expected." Wang Mingyuan's tone carried a hint of melancholy. "He's working as an apprentice at an auto repair shop now. Last month he messaged me saying he can already repair engines independently."
As they passed Number Three High School, Wang Mingyuan pointed inside. "Li Hua is retaking the exams. Didn't succeed in awakening back then, and failed the college entrance exam too. This kid had consistently good grades all three years of high school—never expected him to stumble during the actual exams. Ah..."
They continued walking and talking like this.
Su Zhan listened quietly, occasionally adding a word or two.
He realized this teacher had been silently keeping track of all his students' paths.
Whether they were Awakened or ordinary people, whether they got into prestigious universities or entered society early.
Wang Mingyuan stopped walking and turned to Su Zhan with a smile. "You have no idea—every time they contact me, they always bring you up."
He imitated his students' tone: "Teacher Wang, is Su Zhan incredibly powerful now?"
"I saw online that he's famous again."
"When can we see him again? We want to ask him for advice..."
The evening breeze rustled through the leaves, creating a soft whispering sound.
"When faced with situations like this," Wang Mingyuan said seriously, "I can only tell them that awakening isn't something you can envy your way into. Rather than constantly focusing on others' achievements, they should concentrate on doing their own things well."
Su Zhan nodded.
Envy—everyone experiences envy.
Street vendors envy shop owners, small business owners envy entrepreneurs.
Ordinary people yearn for the power of Awakened, while lower-tier Awakened crave greater talents.
It's like an endless staircase where everyone on each level looks up to those above, rarely turning back to see how far they've already climbed beyond others' reach.
Just like Su Zhan himself.
He also envied Xie Xi and Liu Ziming—envied their wealth, envied their family backgrounds.
Ah—
Su Zhan sighed deeply in his heart.
Just as he was lost in these reflections, his gaze unconsciously swept across the street scene.
On the neon-lit exterior wall of a shopping mall, a massive electronic screen displayed advertisements featuring popular celebrities.
Bustling crowds flowed in and out through the brightly lit mall entrance.
But at that very moment.
The entire seven-story shopping center was suddenly engulfed by grayish-white mist.
The mist surged upward from the building's base like a living curtain, wrapping the entire mall in thick fog within moments.
The Mist!