Possessed by Destiny

Chapter 5 Become stronger

Jack had overslept again. By the time he arrived at the classroom, the morning study session had already begun. He hurried to his seat, opened his backpack, and realized he had forgotten his books.

Feeling frustrated, Jack glanced up and noticed that the class monitor, Rose, who had smiled at him the day before, was now standing at the podium, expressionless as she observed his predicament. With a sigh of self-reproach, Jack decided to give up. After all, he had never really studied during morning sessions before. Today, he only intended to look at the books to appear more familiar with Rose and support her work.

As for Ethan, he mentally rolled his eyes at Jack’s behavior. However, since he had promised to help Jack become stronger, the plan would start today.

"Kid, are you just wasting time at school?"

"What else? I didn’t bring my books, and even if I had them, I wouldn’t understand. I never planned to continue studying. I just want to get a diploma and find a regular job."

"A regular job? In an era where college graduates are everywhere, what kind of job do you think you can get with a high school diploma?" Ethan’s tone grew heavy.

Jack fell silent. He was not unaware of the difficulties in finding a job. For someone with his background, it was even harder. He was currently doing part-time work, but after graduation, he couldn’t keep drifting from one job to another. Yet, he often adopted an optimistic mindset, avoiding deeper thoughts about the bleak possibilities.

Seeing Jack’s silence, Ethan’s tone softened a bit. "Kid, do you remember what I told you yesterday? I said I would help you become stronger. I wasn't joking. I’m serious. But even if I have the power to make you strong, it’s useless if you lack the determination to become strong. If you wish to drift aimlessly through life, even the greatest skills are wasted. Remember, the first step to becoming strong is having the will to do so. Next, understand that while school may seem like a place that stifles your nature, it is also a place that imparts knowledge. In this age, those without knowledge are destined to be left behind. Therefore, study and continuously learn; it’s the only way to climb upwards. Don’t think of the national college entrance exam as cruel. In reality, you must realize that exams are the simplest way for ordinary people to rise."

Jack remained silent, knowing Ethan was right. He understood, but things were never that simple. He had too many debts, and with only a month left until the national college entrance exams, he felt that opportunity was not meant for him.

Sensing his negative emotions, Ethan grew impatient. "I'm not telling you all this to discourage you but to help you find your direction. I know you're worried about your studies, but I promised to help you, and I will. With me inside your body, I can selectively transfer some of my memories to you. I studied all this before, though it's been a while, and I've forgotten some scientific formulas. If you put in the effort this month, you should be fine."

Jack looked up in disbelief, almost shouting, "Really?" He quickly lowered his head when he saw Rose on the podium frowning at him.

Ethan felt frustrated by Jack’s doubt, wondering if the boy thought he was joking. Without saying another word, Ethan preferred to prove himself through action.

Moments later, Jack looked up again, this time with a face full of joy. He felt an influx of knowledge in his mind, much of which he had never encountered before. Despite the overwhelming sensation, it oddly made him crave even more information. Could this be the fabled state of realizing the more you know, the more you need to learn?

Rose's patience had worn thin with Jack’s strange behavior. Initially, she had overlooked his tardiness and lack of books due to their newfound familiarity from yesterday. But now, his repeated odd expressions were making her angry.

"Jack, please stop making strange faces. If you’re not going to study, at least don't disrupt your classmates."

Jack felt unjustly reprimanded. Though his expression had been a bit exaggerated, he hadn't made a sound. All the other students were engrossed in their studies, and no one but the class monitor, Rose, had noticed him. He had only affected her mood, not anyone else's.

However, in his excitement, Jack completely ignored that Rose was scolding him and failed to realize his mistake. Instead, he suddenly stood up, brimming with enthusiasm, and exclaimed, "Class monitor, could you lend me a math book?"

Jack's response took the entire class by surprise. He had just been reprimanded, and now he was asking for a book? Was this his way of showing that he understood the importance of studying? Though his request for a book baffled many, Jack’s recent peculiar behavior—especially the memorable thrashing he gave Danny—left most unwilling to confront him.

Rose was equally bewildered by Jack’s actions. Was this the normal reaction to being scolded? But seeing the intense thirst for knowledge on Jack’s face, she wondered if the right thing to do was to lend him her book. Realizing this, she asked, "Which volume do you need?"

"If you’re not using them, could you lend me all the volumes you have?" His expression remained one of insatiable hunger for knowledge.

Rose was clearly taken aback by the fervor in his eyes. Obediently, she handed over all six math books she had never lent to anyone before.

Jack felt that today was the most fulfilling day of his life, a day in which he learned the most. Ethan possessed an incredible amount of knowledge, and as he imparted it to Jack, Jack also discovered that he had gained Ethan’s extraordinary learning ability.

Jack spent the entire day skimming through all his high school textbooks, finding that many concepts he previously didn’t understand now made sense at a glance. It was as if this knowledge had always been sealed in his mind, and merely browsing the books helped unlock it. Under Rose’s watchful gaze, which shifted from astonishment to anger to frustration, Jack had a day of intense study. Since all the books were borrowed from Rose, she was well aware of Jack’s behavior. Every hour or so, Jack would come to her to borrow five or six books.

At first, Rose was both surprised and pleased by Jack’s sudden transformation. The boy who had never studied seemed to have discovered the joy of learning. But gradually, she realized that Jack wasn’t really reading the books—he was merely flipping through them. How much could he grasp in just twenty or thirty minutes per book? For some reason, Jack’s actions, which should have had nothing to do with her, made her angry. Later, she found herself inexplicably furious as Jack, seemingly enchanted, spent the whole day flipping through textbooks.

After school, Rose felt a bit of her anger subside when she saw Jack running toward her. She thought he finally remembered his promise to take her out for lunch, having been too engrossed in his books to leave the classroom at noon. She had already prepared a reason to decline, still irritated with him. But to her surprise, Jack had completely forgotten about the meal and was asking to borrow her notes. This made her fume even more. It wasn’t that Rose was particularly eager for the lunch—many were waiting in line to invite her out. It was the fact that she had never been so ignored by anyone, and her eyes welled up with tears of frustration.

Taking a deep breath, Rose slammed the meticulously organized volumes into Jack's hands, grabbed her small backpack, and walked away without a backward glance, leaving Jack bewildered and nearly off balance.

Jack, utterly confused, turned to Ethan and asked, "What's going on?"

Watching the petite beauty storm off, Ethan smirked slyly, "Kid, this is today's second lesson. Remember, women can be very particular. Never upset them."

Jack was even more perplexed, "Did I upset her?"

"Didn't you promise to take her out for a meal?"

"Ah!" Jack slapped his forehead, feeling a wave of frustration. "I got so absorbed in reading, I forgot. Why didn't you remind me?" This was probably the first time in Jack's life that he had forgotten everything else because of his studies.

Ethan chuckled, "Today's third lesson: never forget a promise made to a woman. If I had reminded you, how would you have learned such an important lesson so vividly?"

Experiencing the power of knowledge for the first time, Jack was eager to take Rose's notes home and start studying immediately. However, he still had to go to work. Knowledge might be essential, but it wouldn't pay his bills just yet. Jack needed his part-time job to survive.

That evening, Jack only had one shift. Eager to delve into Rose's notes, he hurriedly took the bus home after work.

Jack lived in a poor neighborhood, and to reach his place, he had to walk through a long, dark alley that the bus didn't pass through. Every night, he walked through this alley to get home. In the late hours of nine or ten, the alley was usually deserted. When Jack first moved there, he found the alley quite intimidating, often having to take deep breaths before entering. He had heard that this alley was a hotspot for crime at night, and people generally avoided walking through it alone. However, Jack had no choice due to his work schedule. Fortunately, it seemed that the criminals had moved on due to the lack of "business," and Jack hadn't encountered any trouble during his six months there.

With a "ghost" residing inside him, Jack felt invincible and had nothing to fear. He walked briskly, adhering to his grandfather's advice: when walking, focus on the path ahead and avoid distractions. Thus, Jack always kept his eyes forward, rarely paying attention to his surroundings.

Today was no different. He was halfway through the alley, approaching a familiar corner. Jack knew the path well enough to navigate it with his eyes closed. Just as he was about to take the next step, the usually silent "ghost" inside him suddenly spoke up, "Don't move forward!"

Jack quickly retracted his half-stepped foot, nearly losing his balance. "What's wrong, Ethan?"

Ethan's tone was serious, "There's danger ahead. Probably an ambush."

Jack peered ahead but saw nothing. "There's no one there, what's the danger?"

"Of course, you wouldn't see them if it's an ambush," Ethan retorted, frustrated that despite all the knowledge he had shared, Jack's intelligence seemed unchanged.

"So, what do we do?"

"What else? Take a different route."

"Really? Isn’t that a bit much? Ethan, can't you just deal with them?" There was another, busier route, but it was much longer, and Jack, always in a hurry, seldom took it.

"Using your body to fight means I’d need a long recovery period. Besides, with your weak physical condition, you’d be knocked out too."

With a reluctant glance at the familiar path home, Jack decided to heed Ethan's advice and take the longer route. As he turned around, he suddenly noticed a woman standing silently behind him, her hair disheveled, face obscured. Jack's fragile nerves felt a pang of fear. Another ghost? Fortunately, having experienced quite a bit, he restrained himself from screaming. Ethan, sounding lazy, reassured him, "What's there to fear? She's just a drunk woman. Look at yourself, getting scared so easily."

Jack rolled his eyes. Was it his fault? Anyone would be frightened to encounter a disheveled figure in such a dark and eerie alley at night.

The woman stared at him for half a minute, then gave him a foolish grin and started to walk forward. Jack was about to step aside to let her pass when he suddenly remembered Ethan's warning about the danger ahead. Although he didn’t know the specifics, he guessed it was probably those robbers making a comeback.

Jack shook his head at the woman, mouthing the words to tell her not to go ahead. However, she seemed too intoxicated to pay any attention to him. Watching her continue forward, Jack, in his anxiety, instinctively reached out to stop her. To his surprise, before he could touch her, her hand landed on his shoulder. The next thing he knew, he was lifted off the ground and then slammed back down with a painful "thud." The sharp pain brought Jack to full alertness, and before he could even cry out, a piercing female voice echoed above him, "Trying to take advantage of me? Do you know who I am?"

Tears welled up in Jack's eyes. Madam, I didn't even touch you!

This commotion had surely alerted the robbers ahead, and to Jack's dismay, he realized he could barely stand, his back twisted in pain.