Chapter 2: Unrecognized Intelligence

In a remote village where children who excelled in sports were considered the pride of their families, Ben grew up differently. While his friends spent their time on the field, chasing balls and cheering excitedly, Ben preferred to stay in the quiet village library. The dusty books became his escape, a place where he found answers to questions no one else cared to ask.

Since the fourth grade, Ben realized that he was different. While other kids struggled with reading and writing, he could memorize lessons quickly. Even in religious studies, when his classmates were still sounding out letters, Ben had already memorized long surahs fluently. However, his abilities only made him feel more isolated.

"Ben is weird," whispered a classmate.

"Yeah, he'd rather read books than play soccer. What kind of normal kid does that?" another replied.

Ben didn't care. He found a way to survive—by turning his intelligence into a business. He started accepting "missions" to do his classmates' homework for a small fee. Even during exams, he created secret codes so they could cheat without getting caught by the teacher. While other kids saw school as a burden, for Ben, school was a marketplace.

But his intelligence wasn't limited to academics. Ben also became interested in technology. He often read books about machines and electronics in the village library. Since he was young, he had watched repairmen who came to his village, observing how they dismantled devices, fixed components, and put them back together. When a neighbor's television broke down, he confidently tried to repair it. One day, a neighbor knocked on his door.

"Ben, my TV has no picture. Can you take a look?" the man asked hopefully.

Ben nodded and followed him. With limited tools, he tinkered with the components, and in no time, the screen came back to life.

"You're amazing, Ben! Here, take this for a snack," the neighbor said, slipping some money into his hand.

But his success turned into trouble at home.

One night, his father found a few bills in his pocket.

"Where did you get this money?!" his father's voice echoed through their small house.

Ben swallowed hard. "From doing my friends' homework, Dad. From fixing TVs. I didn't steal, I swear!"

SLAP!

A hard slap landed on his cheek.

"Don't lie! A kid like you couldn't possibly earn money on your own. You must have stolen it!" his father shouted, eyes filled with anger.

Ben wanted to cry, but he held it back. He had explained countless times, but his father refused to believe him. His mother just sat in the corner, head down, too afraid to defend him. His heart ached. What more could he do to be accepted?

In his village, kids who excelled in sports were heroes. They were celebrated, praised by their families. Meanwhile, Ben, who preferred reading books and taking apart machines, was simply seen as strange. He didn't have many friends because the other kids avoided him.

But Ben didn't give up. He found another escape—gaming. When PlayStation (PS) became popular in his village, he realized something: many kids wanted to win but didn't know how. Ben started selling game cheats, creating secret code combinations to give players an advantage.

"Ben, I want a cheat so I never lose in Tekken!" a kid asked.

Ben smirked. "Sure, but it'll cost you."

His small business grew. Besides that, he also dominated the Mini 4WD Tamiya racing game. But he didn't just play—he took apart his toy cars, replaced tiny parts to make them faster, and won every race.

"You always win, Ben! What's your secret?" a kid asked in awe.

Ben simply shrugged. "I just understand how machines work."

But victory after victory didn't bring happiness. He was still considered weird. Still beaten by his father. Still had few friends.

On top of that, his exceptional skill in reciting the Quran confused many people. While other kids struggled to read Arabic, Ben had already memorized multiple chapters fluently. His incredible ability amazed his religious teacher but also sparked jealousy among his peers.

"You must have gotten your knowledge from a jinn!" a jealous kid accused.

Ben just sighed. He was used to strange accusations like that.

One night, Ben sat outside, gazing at the starry sky. He began to imagine something that seemed impossible—a foster father from a prestigious background. Someone not only strong physically but also intelligent, influential, and capable of guiding him. A father who wouldn't just punish him but would protect and support him.

But he knew it was just a fantasy. He was just a boy from a remote village, with no access to the outside world, no connections to powerful people. How could his dream ever come true?

What Ben didn't know at the time was that his life was about to change more than he ever imagined. Fate had something prepared for him—something that would bring his dreams to life in a way he never expected.