doesn't have grace in words, there should be a limit.""Do you really want to compete" Wang Weiwei stared at Su Can for a while before smiling and asking.Su Can nodded."Little Five, go play with him. R...Chapter 28: Clear and Pleasant Season, Gathering Battle with Rivals (Part 1)

In the height of summer in July, the weather was clear and pleasant.

The city of Xiahai was enveloped in gentle morning light.

Su Cen wore sunglasses and a cap, pulling out a newly bought bicycle. From across the road, Liu Rui and Xue Yiyang also came down from their residential building with bicycles in hand.

Liu Rui had actually purchased his bicycle a year earlier. As he studied at the Second Middle School, he usually cycled to school daily. This was a multi-speed racing bike, but it wasn’t a well-known brand. Xue Yiyang’s bike, on the other hand, was borrowed from his cousin a few days ago with strict instructions not to damage or scratch it.

Xiahai City derived its name from an inland lake located in the suburbs. Xiahai Lake is the second largest freshwater lake in the basin and locals tend to refer to it as a sea. The city’s location relative to this body of water and the surrounding mountains creates a climate that is warm in winter and cool in summer, making it ideal for tourism. Over time, countless tourist facilities were built around the lake, which had already started to take shape at that time, becoming one of the most enjoyable days off for Su Cen and his buddies as they cycled around the lake, enjoying the scenery and some delicious grilled food.

Cycling around Xiahai Lake on such a clear day was an extremely pleasant experience. After Xiahai City gained recognition as a tourist destination, cycling around the lake became one of its most beloved activities by locals. Of course, it also led to a surge in bicycle rental markets at that time. Cycling tours around the lake were meaningful weekend or social gathering activities for residents. Back then, various bicycle clubs sprang up like mushrooms after rain; now however, renting bicycles is less convenient and expensive.

Su Cen silently noted that there was potential in the bicycle market, which could be a significant breakthrough for his mother’s business if she could lead such trends. Profiting from this trend might not be impossible either. However, it would take some time before reaching that moment, so he wasn’t sure how his mother's career development would fare during that period and whether there would still be need to get involved in the bicycle industry for profit at that point.

"Giant!" Xue Yiyang stroked his silver-plated handlebars and, upon seeing the logo on the streamlined frame, was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth. At that time, even in Xia Hai City's largest bicycle specialty store, there were no Giant brand bicycles for sale. Such bicycles could only be seen in large cities at the time, with a design closely aligned to Western fashion sensibilities. The entire bike had an avant-garde and daring appearance, looking aesthetically pleasing and grand. It was completely different from the racing bikes that Xue Yiyang and Liu Rui owned.

The uncle kept his word; ever since staying at Hotel Kerry last time, he planned to provide a bicycle for Su Can. The maternal uncle admired him after learning about his stock trading success and voluntarily took charge of selecting a bike for Su Can. Thanks to his broad connections, he got through channels a new model Giant racing bike from the owner of an outdoor goods specialty store in Chengdu City (the provincial capital) and shipped it along with newly arrived batches to Xia Hai City. The bike was worth nearly 1500 yuan, and privately, the uncle gave Su Can another 1000-yuan bonus. This sudden windfall made the usually impoverished Su Can during summer vacation live a much better life.

Even in No. 1 High School of Xia Hai City, few students rode Giant bikes to school. Though it wasn't considered an expensive item at a place crowded with offspring of well-to-do families, there were no Giant bikes for sale in Xia Hai City back then; even if one had money, they couldn't buy them. Thus, Su Can's sudden acquisition of such a bike left Xue Yiyang and Liu Rui gaping with envy.

"Your exam results weren't that great, so how did you suddenly get treated like royalty" The three exited the unit gate onto the highway for a coastal tour. Upon pedaling hard, Su Can's bike glided effortlessly away; he didn't seem to struggle going uphill as much as the two of them. With his casual outfit and this racing bike, he had an air of sunny handsomeness that momentarily stole the limelight from both Xue Yiyang and Liu Rui. It took a lot of pedaling for Liu Rui to catch up with him and ask.

"Maybe I'll manage okay in high school, making my folks feel at ease." Su Can didn't give them his actual test scores, only saying that he did slightly better than usual—around 500 points. Xue Yiyang scored a high mark of 560 points while Liu Rui managed around 540 points. With this score, Liu Rui had no problem getting into No. 2 High School in Xia Hai City; however, it was very uncertain for Xue Yiyang to enter No. 1 High School.

From his memory, Xue Yiyang entering No. 1 High School required paying a high fee. But under the influence of Su Can's set of internal test papers, he had improved by around thirty points; at least this would reduce the fee by over a thousand yuan.

The two thought that this was reasonable: Su Can’s family didn't have such high expectations for him as they did; his score should be enough to get into No. 3 High School with ease and without worry. As their starting points were naturally higher, their goals were set at No. 1 or No. 2 High Schools in Xia Hai City. Seeing Su Can's leisurely attitude now made them feel somewhat sympathetic towards him.

Su Can didn't tell the two about his actual scores; on one hand, he didn’t want to publicize it since his grade was only mid-to-lower range within the unit’s courtyard and this sudden improvement would overshadow even those with top grades. This was too abnormal. On another hand, there was also a part of him that wanted to teach Xue Yiyang a lesson. The bet remained valid, and he couldn’t wait to see Xue Yiyang embarrass himself.

The scenic views along the lakeside were beautiful, with vast rice fields and lush green soybean seedlings. The breeze carried a faint briny scent typical of inland lakes, accompanied by the fragrance of grass.

Returning to a time eleven years in the past, when the renovations of Xiaohai Lake's scenic spots had yet to take place, what greeted his eyes now evoked an intense sense of nostalgia. In the future, as he would be busy with life and rarely return home, it was unlikely that he could ever experience such a leisurely and carefree feeling.

Su Cen felt young but acutely aware of his limited physical capacity. He had already planned to exercise during this holiday. The 1000 yuan given to him by his maternal uncle would be used for systematic training. At sixteen, he was in a critical growth period and did not want to come back to life only to find himself shorter than before. Among Xue Yiyang and Liu Rui, he was the shortest.

After cycling halfway around the lake, they arrived at the opposite side of the inland lake where there were many fishing villages and農家樂 (rustic farmhouses). The government had built an entertainment square called "Moon Bay Corner," complemented by small but unique hotels along the lakeside. This area became a popular entertainment spot in Xiaohai City; visitors often preferred staying in these lakeside villa-style rustic farmhouses rather than within the city.

Later on, the municipal government invested 2.5 billion yuan from its tourism development fund to construct vacation resorts around the lake, leading to an upsurge in the tourism industry.

The Moon Bay Corner was one of the earliest entertainment squares built, featuring a central fountain and numerous rustic farmhouses scattered around it. The largest hotel on the lakeside reportedly had connections with some high-level officials within the city, securing this prime location; its distinctive barbecue dishes were well-known and eventually became part of Xiaohai's top brands.

The trio arrived here by bike for a barbecue meal after cycling all morning, feeling both tired and hungry. They enjoyed grilled fish steaks and slices at this makeshift stop, accompanied by special chili seasoning, each bite was deliciously fresh and sweet.

Speaking of which, Su Cen hadn't had the local specialty barbecue in a long time; now he was so eager that his mouth watered just thinking about it.

Upon entering the square of "Imperial Residence," Xue Yiyang was taken aback. It turned out that Imperial Residence had built a hotel business by the lake, constructing a five-story main building for the hotel, while the surrounding area was set up entirely with wooden planks to create a barbecue and beer plaza. A few beach chairs, tables, and sun umbrellas were distributed across the square.

At this moment, these small units' tables and chairs were bustling with many young men and women of similar age. These people dressed fashionably in sportswear, wearing Li Ning or Nike, Adidas sports shoes on their feet. Some were playing cards at the table while others were enjoying barbecue. The bike shed was filled with bicycles, suggesting that this group had also come for a collective gathering by bicycle, just like them.

"Oh, who's that Isn't it Xue Yiyang" A person got up from a chair where about ten people were seated at tables pushed together and walked towards their three-person group. His face was half-smiling, deliberately speaking loudly.

Xue Yiyang's expression changed immediately. These people all came from the same high school but belonged to different classes. The circle in First High School was extensive; some people had known each other since kindergarten or even elementary school. As a result, when they reached junior and senior high, everyone still played together within this circle. This interconnected network made their group quite large.

This group clearly planned to come out today for a coastal trip together and happened to meet them. The person speaking was from the same class as Xue Yiyang—named Li Ai—and was known in class as a mischievous troublemaker who acted recklessly. During his second year of junior high, Xue Yiyang had a conflict with him, leading to mutual animosity ever since. Today, Li Ai seemed to be having an unusually smooth time playing cards at the table and had drunk quite a bit of beer. With some flattery from those around him and the refreshing sea breeze blowing by, he felt somewhat elated, noticing Xue Yiyang's group and thinking they could provide him with new amusement.

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Please give more support through collections and recommendations!school students, their voices were considered top-notch as long as they didn’t go off-key or make mistakes.Another challenge The people from First Middle School weren't happy about it."Alright!" Su Ce...