"Auntie, two vegetable buns, one soy milk, and one egg." Zhou You looked at the cafeteria auntie with a bright smile.
When you're happy, everything looks beautiful.
After eating, he couldn't help but think about what to do today.
Instinctively, his mind went to the library—a habit he'd developed over many years.
Whenever he didn't know what to do or felt lost, his first thought was to go to the library and read.
The library was Zhou You's sanctuary.
Reading was his mentor and friend.
Arriving at the library, he first went to the magazine section on the second floor to catch up on the latest news and current events.
As he read, he pondered his future path.
Zhou You had many interests and was full of curiosity about the world. But due to life's pressures, he'd never been able to pursue them.
Since he was getting a second chance, he wanted to experience as much as he could.
Money was definitely not an issue, and he didn't want to get rich—just enough to satisfy his initial experiences.
In his past life, he loved watching documentaries, both domestic and international. His favorites were social documentaries, which let him understand the lives of people in various professions and see how people abroad were struggling. Unfortunately, many great ones were inaccessible.
A documentary about the Sanhe Talent Market by NHK only scratched the surface and ultimately fizzled out.
In this life, he definitely wanted to document more things and try to shoot some documentaries on topics he was interested in.
He would keep up with reading. In his past life, he bought too many books, and his home bookshelf was too small, so he had to switch to an e-reader. But the reading experience wasn't as good as physical books. This time, he'd buy a big house, or maybe connected houses, to make storing and reading books easier.
He'd also stick with fitness. After his knee injury, he never dared to play basketball again, only swimming and working out. This time, he'd take good care of his body and not ruin it.
Traveling—he used to dislike it, finding it too troublesome to run around. He'd rush through trips with tour groups, take photos as mementos, which ruined the experience. Later, caught up in life, even traveling became hard, and he couldn't go even if he wanted to. This time, he'd slow down, stay longer in places he liked—a few days, a few months.
Marriage was out of the question, at least for now. The world was too beautiful.
As Master Ji once said, who doesn't have ideas when young? You've got to try all kinds—tall, short, fat, thin, domestic, foreign.
So why did he love going to the library? While reading, he'd sort out his thoughts, and the next step in life would become clear.
"Big Head, how did the interview go?" he asked, picking up the phone.
"Not bad, basically got it. It's this late in the month, and there are still a few without jobs. Companies are anxious too; hiring now means they need people urgently."
"Alright, let's have lunch together. I'll wait for you at the dorm."
Even though he'd been reborn, he stayed in touch with Big Head. After all, Zhou You worked in Luzhou after graduation, and Big Head's company was local too.
The first time he saw Big Head, he felt a bit off—his hair was still thick. Later, before he turned 30, the front half had surrendered. Youth was great.
May weather was unpredictable, hot and cold. Today it hit 30 degrees. Might as well eat at the cafeteria.
"Come on, I'll treat you to noodles for lunch—Xinjiang big plate chicken," he said to Big Head.
"Damn, did you hit the jackpot?"
"Hitting the jackpot is just a matter of time. Right now, I'm just happy. You in or not?"
"Of course I'm in. Only an idiot would say no. Save a meal where you can."
Third floor of Guiyuan cafeteria, upscale student dining. A big plate chicken cost nearly a hundred—a luxury in these poor student days.
Looking at the golden chicken pieces and onions, a wave of aroma hit them. The wide noodles were buried underneath, soaked in the broth, incredibly delicious. The two of them ate heartily. Too bad there was no beer, so they bought two bottles of happy water for fat kids. A long burp escaped—truly blissful.
Life, ah, it's all about having a clear mind.
After lunch, the first thing back in the dorm was to start gaming—two noobs having fun.
Zhou You liked playing tanks because they were hard to kill.
Big Head liked playing marksmen, shooting people from afar—a sneaky style.
Looking at the ancient 11 gaming platform, Zhou You felt a sense of disorientation. This game didn't last many years, and the platform disappeared soon after. Whatever, he'd enjoy it while he could.
Zhou You's Centaur Warchief was a masterpiece—never initiated, never bought a Blink Dagger, all tank items.
Big Head's Sniper always bought a Shadow Blade, prioritizing survival.
The two were like conjoined twins, often getting cursed out, but having a blast.
"You, watch my back. If someone comes, stun them."
"Got it, leave it to me."
"Whoever comes dies."
No sooner had he spoken than the enemy dropped a Smoke, and four big guys appeared, instantly sending them both back to the fountain.
Happy times were short.
Painful times were long.
After gaming, they slept.
Sleeping until naturally waking up was a long-unfulfilled wish.
Counting money until your hands cramp, sleeping until you wake naturally.
These two big goals for this life should both be achievable. Happy.