The second class began.
"Huang Zhenkai, are you here?" Zhou You asked slowly.
"Here," a slender young man stood up. "Teacher, I went to bed a bit late last night and didn't get up this morning. It won't happen again."
"Alright, let's keep things smooth this time. I don't want to have to make an example of anyone."
The students looked at Zhou You and thought to themselves, this teacher doesn't seem easy to deal with either—probably a smiling tiger.
Zhou You just wanted a peaceful time. If attendance was too low or too many students failed the final exam, it would affect him too. The school worried about students slacking off, but also about teachers slacking off.
"Your attendance will also affect your final year-end scores, so everyone should show up when required. I never know when I might suddenly decide to take roll call," Zhou You said with a smile. He figured the "smiling tiger" label was probably stuck on him now.
Technically, Zhou You didn't need to work to support himself, but a person couldn't be too bored. At least for now, he quite enjoyed being a university teacher.
The job itself wasn't busy, and it came with a certain social status. At the very least, saying he was a university teacher kept others from thinking he was unemployed.
Lastly, he needed a transition period to gradually get his work and life on track, rather than suddenly running wild like a horse without reins. Humans were social animals after all; they still needed contact with others.
When class ended, Zhou You checked the time and didn't linger. University teachers dragging out class would be a bit unreasonable.
The second floor of the school cafeteria had a designated area for teachers. Zhou You decided to ride his electric scooter over.
Since it was his first day teaching and there were many students around, Zhou You didn't want to draw attention, so he hadn't driven his Wrangler.
Looking at the students' attire, he suddenly felt nostalgic for his own college days. Back then, when it was hot, he'd show up to class in shorts and flip-flops.
Now, no matter what, he had to set an example as a teacher. He couldn't dress too casually—he was even wearing shoes.
At the cafeteria, since the weather was still hot, Zhou You didn't have much appetite. Spotting a stall selling cold noodles, he bought a bowl.
Thin noodles, a light layer of shredded cucumber, a few slices of tomato. He asked the vendor to add some beef, scooped half a spoonful of red chili oil, added a spoonful of vinegar, grabbed a clove of raw garlic, and finally bought a bottle of cola.
He took a bite—spicy and sour, very appetizing. He mixed everything together, picked up a mouthful of noodles with his chopsticks, took a bite of garlic, and washed it down with a swig of iced cola. A lifesaver in summer.
Good thing he added the beef, or he wouldn't have the energy for swimming in the afternoon. Back in the day, he couldn't afford to add beef to his noodles. Now, while he wouldn't go so far as to buy one portion and throw away another, he at least didn't have to worry about the price anymore.
After a nap, he headed to the swimming pool.
After the semester started, there were far fewer people at the pool. He didn't expect Qian Li to be there too. Although he'd been practicing swimming lately, they rarely talked.
Even though Zhou You was now a young, fit guy, his principle had always been "the rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its nest." Without knowing someone's background, he avoided anything that might cause trouble.
In this life, he'd finally gained freedom and ease, and he didn't want to be tied down too early.
He planned to travel around later and see if opportunities came up—like in Pattaya, Thailand.
Now that he'd gotten familiar with Coach Wang, they were both young and often sat around chatting about gossip and interesting stories.
Zhou You had always been curious about Wang's skin color, so he asked, "Most of you swimming coaches train indoors. I see other swimmers are pretty pale, so why are you so dark?"
"Heh, I just love outdoor swimming. I often join small competitions crossing this lake or that river. They're more for fun than serious competition. Interested?"
Zhou You perked up at that. Swimming in a pool was boring, but swimming in the wild was different. As long as safety was ensured, there was plenty of fun—like swimming in the sea.
But Zhou You valued his life. He'd always wanted to swim in big lakes or small rivers, but without a swimming buddy, he never dared go alone. Now that he had a connection, he definitely wanted to try.
"I'd love to go! Got any connections, Brother Wang? Take me along?" Zhou You seized the opportunity, even changing how he addressed him.
Coach Wang knew right away that the guy was interested. "You've been calling me 'Coach Wang' all this time, all polite and formal. Now that you need something, it's 'Brother Wang.' Alright, stop with the 'Coach Wang' or 'Brother Wang.' We're about the same age. Just call me Wang Ping."
"Sure thing, Ping-ge. Got any plans coming up? The weather's still hot. My freestyle isn't great, but my breaststroke is decent."
"There's actually one this weekend. A small event with over a hundred people at Chao Lake. If you're interested, I'll sign you up, and we'll go together," Wang Ping said enthusiastically.
Zhou You trained with extra motivation that day. After all, his hard work in swimming had two goals: first, to stay fit, and second, to roam the wide open waters. Small rivers and streams for now, big rivers and oceans later. There was joy in interacting with nature.
After they finished chatting, they noticed Qian Li listening nearby. Wang Ping asked if she wanted to come along.
Qian Li shook her head. "No, I don't have time."
When she said that, both of them breathed a sigh of relief. They didn't really want to hang out with someone they weren't close to, especially a girl—it could be a hassle.
Zhou You's freestyle was decent now. He could breathe by turning his head left and right and swim about 200 meters continuously. His speed was a bit slow, but his form was standard.
After practice, Zhou You and Wang Ping ate at a buffet restaurant. Zhou You insisted on treating, since it wasn't expensive. Wang Ping didn't stand on ceremony—he could always treat next time.
They chatted while eating.
"Ping-ge, you're practically a professional swimmer. Why not open your own pool instead of being a coach here? Isn't that a waste of talent?"
"Having a meal on the table is good enough. I studied swimming, so at least I have a career even without stellar results. If you trained in something else without achievements, finding a job would be tough," Wang Ping sighed, then continued.
"Look at weightlifters or wrestlers—it's hard for them. It damages their bodies, and only a few make it big. What about the rest?"
Zhou You listened silently. Every profession had its difficulties. He'd heard of world champions resorting to busking or begging.
He knew that many pools, especially hotel ones, were outsourced. Maintenance costs were huge, and they mainly made money in summer while running at a loss in winter.
Heating a pool in winter and changing the water cost at least tens of thousands each time. Plus, daily water changes, cleaning, disinfection, maintenance, and staff salaries meant losing about ten thousand a month in winter.
The plot is slowly unfolding. Please keep reading and recommend.