Chapter 14: I Can Take First Place

Meng Ze indeed had some skills. Competing against other elementary school students, he rarely lost. Most of the time, he crushed his opponents.

Today, seeing Ye Chen here, he decided to challenge him.

Thinking about the events of the previous day and how his father had severely punished him and his brother, Meng Ze felt resentful.

He was determined to defeat Ye Chen today.

Meng Fei, standing among the crowd, was back to being his loud self, completely forgetting his father's warning.

"You just wait to lose! My brother is amazing!" The little brat said smugly.

Ye Chen had zero interest in competing with these kids.

But then, his friend Zeng He nudged him with an elbow, looking eager. "Ye Chen, I'm curious too. Why don't you compete with him? Let's see who's better."

Zeng He secretly hoped Ye Chen would crush Meng Ze, given how often the latter bullied others at school, especially the female classmates.

The group of kids gathered around, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Elementary school kids loved watching others compete. Whoever excelled at games would quickly earn their admiration.

"Do you think he'll dare to compete? I heard Meng Ze is really good."

"Not sure. Let's wait and see."

"I think Meng Ze is better. He's always competing here."

"Yeah, me too."

The kids whispered among themselves, speculating about who would win.

Meng Fei sneered and puffed out his chest. "Of course, my brother will win!"

Under everyone's watchful gaze, Ye Chen finally stepped forward.

The game they chose was a popular street-style battle game.

The outdated machines in this small arcade couldn't compare to modern ones, but they still attracted crowds.

Zeng He had stocked up on game tokens, taking advantage of a promotion where 10 yuan bought 40 tokens instead of the usual 20.

The game began!

Everyone's eyes were glued to the screen as the two characters battled.

At first, it was neck and neck.

But then, Ye Chen suddenly made a comeback with a decisive counterattack, swiftly taking down Meng Ze's character.

The first round ended abruptly, in a direct and overwhelming victory.

The second and third rounds followed the same pattern. Meng Ze was completely outclassed and defeated each time.

"Wow, he's amazing!"

"I thought Meng Ze was unbeatable, but this guy is even better!"

"Yeah! So impressive. I totally admire him now!"

"Ding! Congratulations, host. Meng Ze is stunned. Admiration points +6!"

"Ding! Congratulations, host. The crowd is shocked. Admiration points +50!"

"Ding! Congratulations, host. Zeng He admires you. Admiration points +5!"

Ye Chen couldn't help but smirk. This round had been worth it for the admiration points alone.

When the game ended, Zeng He turned to Meng Ze with a mocking smile. "Weren't you supposed to be amazing? Looks like Ye Chen is way better than you."

Meng Ze said nothing, keeping his head down as he left the arcade. Even kids could feel embarrassed about losing in front of a crowd.

Meng Fei quickly followed after his brother, his earlier arrogance deflated.

---

Afterward, Ye Chen glanced at his watch. "Zeng He, I have some things to do. Are you heading back with me or staying here?"

Without smartphones in this era, Ye Chen had purchased a simple wristwatch to keep track of time. It had cost only three yuan and even had a flip cover.

"I still have tokens left. I'll play a bit more before heading home," Zeng He replied.

"Alright, don't stay too late," Ye Chen said.

"I won't!"

---

Returning home, Ye Chen was greeted by the sight of his mother, Shen Yuhua, collecting laundry on the balcony.

When she saw him, her face lit up with a smile. "You're back! How was your English test today?"

Ye Chen replied nonchalantly, "It was alright."

"You little rascal," she said with a chuckle. "This morning you claimed you'd take first place, and now you say it was just 'alright'?"

Ye Chen grinned. "Even if I told you I'd get first place, you wouldn't believe me."

Shen Yuhua paused, realizing he had a point. "Alright, fair enough."

In truth, she didn't believe him. She knew her son's capabilities—or so she thought.

"Never mind. If you're last again, it's fine. As long as you're happy, that's what matters," she added.

---

During dinner, Ye Yuanfeng returned from work to find a hearty meal prepared—plenty of meat and vegetables. He felt a wave of contentment.

To him, having a loving wife and a son waiting at home for dinner was the greatest blessing. Money didn't matter; happiness lay in contentment.

As they ate, the couple inevitably brought up Ye Chen's grades again.

Ye Chen was used to it. Every month after exams, his parents would have this discussion.

Shen Yuhua wagered that Ye Chen must have improved—maybe moving up from last place to second-to-last.

"I think our son has made some progress," she said. "Haven't you noticed how much he's changed recently? He's been helping me with chores, washing dishes, sweeping the floor… he's so thoughtful now."

Ye Yuanfeng, however, was skeptical. To him, Ye Chen taking last place was a given, and his wife was just being overly hopeful again.

Ye Chen calmly ate his dinner, staying out of their debate.

"Why can't our son be a top student like his future wife? Look at how well Nianxi does in school," Shen Yuhua sighed. Then, turning to her husband, she added, "It's your genes to blame. Otherwise, our son wouldn't struggle so much with his studies."

"Why is it my fault?!" Ye Yuanfeng protested, feeling wronged.

"Maybe we should have Nianxi tutor him again," Shen Yuhua suggested.

"Didn't she already try that before? It didn't help," Ye Yuanfeng replied, shrugging. "Maybe our son just isn't cut out for academics."

Setting down his chopsticks, Ye Chen smiled faintly. "Mom, I can take first place."

"Son, don't joke around. I'm not expecting first place—second-to-last is fine," she replied with a laugh.

Ye Chen: ...

You really have no faith in your son, do you?

---

The next day, the teachers had stayed up late marking the third-grade exams. By morning, all the scores had been tallied, and a printed list was distributed to each homeroom teacher.

The rankings—both by grade and by class—were clear at a glance.

Ye Chen's homeroom teacher, Mr. Liang, soon became the talk of the staff room.

"Mr. Liang, your student did incredibly well—perfect scores in all three subjects!"

"With results like that, you're definitely getting a bonus this month. So envious!"

"Congratulations!"

Mr. Liang, however, was still in shock. He couldn't believe Ye Chen had achieved perfect scores.

Just yesterday, he had told Ye Chen to aim for a top-ten finish in the class.

And now? Ye Chen had gone ahead and taken first place in the entire grade with a perfect score!

Was this a slap in the face?

Carrying the exam papers, Mr. Liang walked to the classroom, his mind still reeling.

As he entered, his gaze immediately landed on Ye Chen, seated at the back of the room.

For the first time, he looked at Ye Chen with a mix of bewilderment and newfound curiosity.