Chapter 1: The Subway Through Time and Space

The train accelerated. Chen Yi immediately turned around and saw the strange scenes flashing by the window

What lies within sight is nothingness

Chen Yi chose to stand near the back, his mind in a state of confusion. At one moment, he recalled the astonished expressions of the crowd when his grandfather stepped down; at another, he thought of the pressure faced by his father's company. He also considered his elder brother, who was still in the military, and his younger sister, who was in boarding school, wondering whether they had been affected.

"Chen Yi, let's go play ball." Luo Xiaoshan, true to his name, waved his bear-like hands in the sky

Liang Yu made a face, tossing the backpack to the bodyguard from a distance, and whispered to Luo Xiaoshan: "I wonder if the Chen family can get through this time"

Chen Yixin was taken aback and quickly turned around, only to see a group of gentlemen wearing white high hats and dressed in clerical robes standing in a fan shape, bowing respectfully and saying in a loud voice: "We welcome the Master"

Turning back to look around, there is not a single person in the entire carriage. On the seat lies a solitary piece of paper, and the overhead light, a mix of white with yellow-green, appears rather strange

Professor Hu has dedicated several decades to the study of education, achieving a commendable level of expertise. His content is vivid and expressive, presenting complex ideas in an accessible manner that is easy to remember

The sound of orderly footsteps echoed from behind.

Chen Yi nodded silently

If it were an ordinary youth, he would likely be at a loss and call out at this moment, but Chen Yi did not.

He furrowed his brow deeply and muttered to himself, "What on earth is this place"

The speed of the vehicle increased rapidly, and the scene became blurred once again. Prior to this, Chen Yi had seen images of war and figures, but they were all rather unclear

In the past, he regarded tutoring as a path of dread, seeking every possible way to escape it. However, thinking that he would no longer have this opportunity in the future, he could not help but feel a sense of sorrow in his heart

At that moment, he raised his head and realized that none of the people who had been waiting on the platform had entered the subway

Chen Yi returned home, but his parents had still not come back. They were likely engaged in a grueling battle in the conference room, besieged by the bank and their peers.

Even if it is like striking a stone with an egg, the chances are slim

Beside him, Liang Yuyue eagerly asked, "What about the weekend?"

In his childhood, Chen Zhongguo came from a well-off family, but due to various reasons, he ultimately devoted himself to the military. Nevertheless, his aspiration for his family to be of scholarly lineage has never changed. This led to Professor Hu's tutoring and the requirements of Jiangning University.

This is by no means a subway station; in fact, this building is several times larger than the largest airport terminal Chen Yi has ever seen. The long train, small as a worm, is parked in front of one of its arches

Recalling two months ago, every evening's meal was either a grand feast meticulously prepared by a chef or a heartfelt dinner made by my mother, never once experiencing days of eating instant noodles.

The most astonishing feature is two enormous sculptures, each as large as the Statue of Liberty, a male and a female standing on either side, with torches in their hands crackling and igniting flames that reach the height of an adult

It is regrettable that I never valued tutoring in the past, and I will no longer have such opportunities in the future

A sudden tremor beneath his feet propelled him forward with great force

However, the results are not particularly inspiring

Chen Yi understood and let out a bitter laugh, saying: "Attending Jiangning University is my grandfather's wish"

Beginning is the convergence of two or more colors, and subsequently, shapes gradually emerge

It seems as if a layer of transparent light curtain is blocking this place

The last subway train usually has very few passengers, but it should not be so sparse as to this extent

Chen Yi stumbled and was thrown to the front; just as he got back up, the vehicle had already come to a stop

Meanwhile, he extended his hand and slowly reached forward

The light on the ground became somewhat brighter, even carrying a hint of radiance. However, Chen Yi did not dwell on it and directly stepped into it.

Suddenly facing a great change, my grandfather's mood must be exceptionally poor. Chen Yi increasingly hopes, more than ever, to be able to gain admission to Jiangning University

The sound of the brakes of "Ciliao" rang in my ears

This is also his last tutoring class

There is no way around it; given the previous prosperity of the Chen family, the teachers they invited naturally commanded a prestigious price. Not to mention their academic achievements and status, just the sight of their white hair and the appearance of having countless students under their tutelage, embodying the spirit of caring for the world before oneself, is enough to qualify them as top-tier.

A strong gust of wind blew in, seemingly heralding the arrival of the subway

This was the first time Chen Yi listened so attentively, and the gains were far greater than in the past

Alright, we will stop here for today. The elderly man with white hair slowly closed the lesson plan, took a sip of water, and then spoke slowly: "I remember, you want to apply to Jiangning University?"

Professor Hu had never regarded Chen Yi as his true student, and even a slight sense of sympathy would not change anything. After giving him a deep glance, he handed him a collection of exam papers and then stood up to take his leave

Chen Zhongguo's resignation has shaken the very foundation of the entire family, leaving him to experience even more turbulent storms.

Urban subways are somewhat akin to bus-like trains, approximately the length of a single carriage, which is further divided into 4 smaller sections, each equipped with automatic doors on both sides. The seating is arranged longitudinally rather than transversely, thereby allowing for a larger space for standing and movement.

Chen Yi instinctively stepped forward, lowering his head and waiting for the motorcycle to come to a stop

He spoke as he leisurely walked towards the subway station

The Chen family was originally one of the prominent families in Jiangning. Chen Yi's grandfather, Chen Zhongguo, although somewhat obstinate, held a high position. Under his patronage, his eldest son abandoned his studies to join the military, while his second son left academia to engage in business, both achieving remarkable success.

Chen Yi knew that the two were worried about him, but he still shook his head and said: "I have to meet the old man this weekend, so it might not be possible."

He pushed the light screen in front of him again, not to break it, but to test its properties—soft and elastic, indicating that it is not a rigid metal; the deformation caused by the force is minimal, yet not nonexistent, suggesting it possesses considerable toughness; there is no sensation of electric current, nor any temperature difference from liquids or gases

Chen Yi rubbed his head and lifted it up, only to be immediately stunned.

I asked your teacher, and based on your mock exam results, it seems that admission to Jiangning University is quite challenging. Professor Hu's voice was soothing, still carrying the rhythm of the class: Therefore, my suggestion is to either lower your goals or study harder.

A mere collection of test papers, or even an excellent tutor, is hardly capable of changing this fact

The last sentence is, in fact, a euphemistic way of asking him to give up

Before us stands a dome soaring hundreds of meters high, adorned with vast murals covering tens of thousands of square meters. Comparable to this are the five and * pictorial * archways and the elongated columns, reaching a height of thirty to forty stories. The striking stained glass windows decompose sunlight into a spectrum of colors, illuminating the space all the way to ten thousand meters away

Chen Yi simply walked forward, wanting to see the truth of the matter

The doors on both sides opened with a hissing sound, and a streak of purple light flooded into the vehicle

In the context of the college entrance examination with a total score of 750, Jiangning University requires approximately 650 points, while his score hovers around 600, making it exceedingly difficult to reach that threshold. During the prosperous times of the Chen family, this was not considered a significant issue, but now it seems like an insurmountable barrier.

A class lasts a solid 3 hours

At around 10 o'clock in the evening, the place was pitifully empty. The platform, which could accommodate eight train cars, had a total of 32 waiting areas, yet there were hardly any people.

Moreover, this renowned Professor Hu from Jiangning only teaches exceptional students—along with the fading glory of the Chen family, Chen Yi's distance from the realm of exceptional students has only grown further.

He quietly cooked himself a bowl of noodles and began to eat without saying a word

Chen Yi gritted his teeth and thought to himself: Stop overthinking, I still have tutoring later

The old man with a white beard, as usual, arrived at the Chen family home with a light step

Luo Xiaoshan sighed, feeling pessimistic. The three of them were excellent friends, but when it came to matters that could affect their families, they were of no help at all.

War

Chen Yi silently helped him into the car, not returning home immediately, but aimlessly walking along Binjiang Avenue. His listless appearance resembled that of a zoo monkey attacked by food

Chen Yi exerted all his efforts to think rather than to fear

"Chī".

When there is no one around, it is easy to see the situation ahead from behind

At exactly 7:00, the doorbell of "dingdong hetushu.com.com" rang.

Yes

Chen Yi wanted to stick his head out to see the surroundings, but was once again blocked by the shifting light curtain

Is anyone there? Chen Yi's lips were somewhat dry as he slightly raised his voice to ask

However, a political upheaval in Xijing completely altered the fate of the entire family

With a loud "bang," just as Chen Yi reached a partition of a train car, he suddenly collided with something.

"I won't go." Chen Yi said, waving his hand gloomily

Chen Yi abandoned the incomprehensible light curtain and began to move quickly within the carriage. The glass on both sides transformed into alternative screens, and there was a trend of becoming increasingly clear.

The second window was engulfed in roaring flames, so realistic that one could not help but reach out to touch them. The scene beside it transformed into a dense display of lightning, accompanied by surging ocean waves

He retracted his feet back onto the sidewalk, and to his left was the subway station. Since it was still early, he simply went down inside, intending to visit his parents' company.

The sound of two honks awakened Chen Yi from his boredom. He looked up and realized that it seemed he had run a red light

One inch, two inches... At a distance of half an arm's length, a flash of light suddenly passed by, and a sense of resistance was felt in the hand

He held a small briefcase in his left hand, his head full of silver hair. When he sat down on the sofa, he did not immediately open the lesson plan. After looking around for a moment, he said: "Today, we will mainly discuss several conservation laws in physics. The duration will be relatively long, but it is very important. Learning more is always beneficial."

At the first window, Chen Yi finally discerned the situation. There were two groups of naked individuals engaged in combat, wielding weapons of various lengths, throwing and stabbing at each other. The scene was profound and expansive, involving as many as several hundred people.