My most important younger sister
Right now, for me and my family, nothing is more important than taking the college entrance examination.
Speaking of our Gao family, we were once a prominent family in Jiangnan. Starting from the Shunzhi era, our great-grandfather made his fortune with just ten taels of silver and ran the silkworm business ever since. Because the silk we produced was of exceptional quality, it was once selected as tribute silk for the royal family. When Emperor Qianlong visited Jiangnan, he specially bestowed a plaque reading 'Unmatched in Suzhou and Hangzhou, the finest silk under heaven,' making our family's fame known throughout the nation.
Unfortunately, despite being such a wealthy and influential household, not a single one of our family members passed the civil service examination for hundreds of years. In an empire where everything else was considered lowly, this was truly embarrassing. "What use is money if you're just a nouveau riche?" I clenched my fists whenever I heard neighbors gossiping like this, but I felt helpless to do anything about it.
However, this period of humiliation is about to come to an end. I am currently preparing for the college entrance exam, having ranked first in Class A at my prestigious private high school with my second mock exam results. In three days, hm hm, just wait and see!
"Ding dong~" The doorbell at the villa rang on time. I poked my head out from my room on the second floor. "Sister Lei, the guests have arrived. Prepare the tea!"
"Yes, young master." A tall older sister wearing an eye mask emerged from the kitchen, carrying a set of fine Swiss Alpine red mountain tea she had prepared earlier.
Sister Lei was a full-time nanny my great-grandfather hired to help me study. She is actually not much older than me. I heard her academic performance used to be excellent too, but she became blind before an exam due to overwork and had to give up her bright future, turning to the service industry instead.
Though she couldn't see, Sister Lei, like other blind people, had sharp tactile senses. She methodically arranged the tea set in the living room and then went to open the door.
"Welcome."
"Sorry for the disturbance."
Three girls walked in. The one at the front with yellow hair looked up at me with a displeased expression.
"My sister, is this the proper attitude towards your brother?"
"Tch."
My sister, Gao Tongnai, is an outstanding girl with both looks and athletic talent, and she can even write light novels. She has often made me feel pressured as her older brother. But her only weaknesses are English and science! The combined score of these two subjects doesn't even match my single subject. Such a poor specialist would probably end up in a sports or arts institute in our country.So I always looked down on my younger sister with a sense of pity, never taking her seriously. Our family also always educated us separately. But recently, somehow, her English and Science grades have shot up like bamboo shoots after rain. In the most recent mock exam, she almost caught up to me, and her attitude has become arrogant. It's simply unbelievable.
"Hmph, just for being the top of the class, she acts so rude. For our secretive family, with just a little effort, we can easily get into Tsinghua or Fudan." The dark-clothed girl casually flipped her hair and said indifferently. She is Zhao Xiaomao, one of my sister's friends. Her father spends his days holding a glass of wine and babbling nonsense, so she often comes to our house for tutoring.
"I say, Miss Xiaomao, are we here to study, or are we here to be all friendly and harmonious?" The tall girl with glasses who came in last spoke in a Henan accent. She is our class monitor, Liu Shazhi. She came to Shanghai with her working parents to study, but since she doesn't have a Shanghai residency, she can't take the college entrance exam, so she is purely here to accompany the studies.
The girls entered the living room while talking, completely ignoring me, the head of the household. I suppressed my anger and followed them in.
"Big Sister Lei, turn on the TV for me. I want to watch the news."
"But Young Master, weren't you going to have a revision session..."
"Don't talk back. Aren't you my personal maid? You do whatever I tell you."
"Big Sister Lei, don't listen to that idiot brother of mine."
Curiously, recently, as my sister's grades have rapidly improved, Big Sister Lei has become increasingly disobedient to my orders. But don't worry, I still have my trump card.
"Big Sister Lei, you don't want this anymore?" Seeing the three gold cards shaking in my hand, Big Sister Lei twitched her face slightly, then obediently turned on the TV.
Three supermarket shopping cards, each containing 4,000 yuan. A treasure my grandfather gave me—once I successfully enter a prestigious university, these cards will be hers.
"Last night, another female student in this city suddenly disappeared late at night. According to eyewitnesses, he was following the girl. Only a shadow was seen on the ground, and then the girl vanished in an instant."
"This city is really scary," said Monitor Liu regretfully.
Reporter: "Now for breaking news, today at 6 PM, a bus suddenly caught fire. The blaze caused a large number of casualties. The police are now on the scene and have arrested a suspect allegedly responsible for arson.""Let go of me, what did I do wrong? This is for everyone's good!!" Reporter: "Why did you start a fire?" "Someone on the bus was secretly carrying the exam questions for the day after tomorrow to sell to outsiders. If I didn't stop him, the consequences would be unimaginable!" Reporter: "But that doesn't mean you need to burn everyone on the bus, right!?" "There's no other way... anyone on that bus could have seen the papers, and we absolutely can't let a single question leak out. This is for the benefit of the majority. I'm not wrong in doing this, am I? There's no choice, hahaha…" "The closer it gets to the college entrance exam, the more things like this happen. I suppose this is the curse called the college entrance exam." Zhao Xiaomao said thoughtfully. "Turn it off, Sister Lei." "Let's watch a little longer, it doesn't matter anyway since your grades are soon surpassing mine." "……………" "Ah~~~ so boring. After working hard for 12 years, the hidden talents of my little sister just surpassed me in an instant. This elder brother of mine is really foolish." "……………Stop talking, okay?" "Why be afraid? After all, the honor of the family is also completed by you. I'll just calmly watch my sister succeed in the exam." "Slap!" Kirino slammed the table heavily, almost spilling the Alpine black tea. "…You know nothing at all, you're so insensitive, brother!!" The little sister said that and ran off without looking back. "Ah, Kousuke, you really don't understand a woman's heart." "…Men are all the same. Let's take our leave for now." A boring review session ended on an unhappy note. After sending them off, my gloomy mood did not improve at all. I had planned to look at the intensive college prep materials, but I couldn't find that book anywhere. Our proud Takasumi family library is full of strange classical literature, but there isn't a single practical book. "Right." I suddenly remembered the underground library in the old house, but my father had always forbidden me from going in. Could there be some valuable books hidden there? Since I was bored, I decided to check it out. Without even informing Sister Lei, I quietly slipped over there. The old house had been uninhabited for 20 years, but occasionally lights flickered on at night. I fumbled my way to the entrance of the underground library, and to my surprise, the iron lock that was usually tightly closed was gone. "Has someone gone in ahead of me?" With such a tense feeling, I pushed open the door."Th-this is..." Old Master Gao, Kirino, what's even more shocking than the two of them are those strange white worms covering the basement, constantly twisting and wriggling!
"Tch, didn't I forbid you from coming here?"
"Grandpa! This is...!?"
"Memory worms."
"What?" I didn't expect the house to have such a secret hidden from me. Am I not the legitimate heir of the Gao family?
"Anyway, you would have found out sooner or later. Since you've seen it, I'll just tell you. Actually, no matter how hard you try, your grades are just average. I never expected you, with no examination talents, to get into a prestigious university. But Kirino has the potential to surpass ordinary people!"
"What are you saying... Wait, could it be that my younger sister's sudden improvement in grades recently is because..."
"Hehe, exactly," the old master said, picking up a fat 'memory worm' and shoving it into Kirino's mouth.
"Stop that, you old monster!"
Kirino had no intention of resisting and obediently swallowed it.
"Ugh," a wave of sourness surged from her stomach, ruining Sister Lei's precious Alps black tea.
"You see, someone as useless as you can't achieve anything. Look at Kirino, every time she swallows a 'memory worm', she can memorize 20 new English words."
"Can't I do that too?"
"Sigh, what can I even say?" The old master said as he picked up a few 'memory worms' and threw them into the pile.
"My grandson, can you find the ones I just picked out?"
"Th-this, stop joking!"
The old master then took a pearl from his pocket and threw it into the pile of worms.
"How about this time?"
"Y-you're saying..."
"Hehe, compared to Kirino, it's basically like this for you."
"Kirino! Is this true? Tell me this isn't real!!"
"I'm sorry, brother, this is the truth."
"B-baka..."
"Hahaha!" The old master laughed heartily. "Finally, it's come! After 60 years of waiting, this time, victory will definitely belong to the Gao family!!!"
Amid the mad laughter, I just felt the world spinning. I don't even remember how Sister Lei later brought me back to my bedroom.
"Damn it! I wish I didn't have such a sister!"
The day before the exam, the weather was gloomy, like it was going to rain, yet also like it wouldn't.Today's class was very simple; it was just pre-exam psychological counseling. Because of the recent incidents where female students were swallowed by some unknown dark shadow, our homeroom teacher and chemistry teacher, Teacher Yan, reminded us to walk home in pairs after school to ensure our safety.
"That's all. I hope everyone goes home and rests well after checking the exam room, so you can do well tomorrow," Teacher Yan said, waving her hand.
"Dismissed."
I had felt dizzy all morning. I didn't even know what the teacher had said, and I didn't check the exam room; I went straight home.
"Sister Lei, black tea!"
"........"
"What, are your ears broken too?"
"Sorry, Young Master, my usage rights have been transferred to Kirino. This is the Old Master's order."
Although I couldn't see her eyes, I guessed she must be mocking me.
"Damn old thing!" I didn't drink the tea and ran upstairs, throwing myself onto the bed.
"All of you, just die!" I don't know how much time passed, until I felt my stomach empty, and I reluctantly got up.
"Sister Lei, is dinner ready?"
The living room was quiet, with only one set of dishes on the table.
"Where's that impressive younger sister, cooking herself a private meal?"
"Young Master," Sister Lei stepped out from behind, "Miss hasn't returned yet. The Old Master sent people to search everywhere."
"What!?" My heart tightened, and a sense of foreboding surged.
"Young Master, please eat. The Old Master said if Miss isn't found by early tomorrow morning, you will represent the Gao family in the exams."
"...I'm not hungry." Saying this, I crept upstairs step by step and closed the door.
The old pendulum clock struck as usual, and rain began to fall outside. Time passed second by second; downstairs was still as silent as a grave, without a hint of living presence.
Sleepless all night, at 5:50 AM, the rain still showed no sign of stopping.
The moment the alarm rang, I jumped out of bed.
"Seriously, what was I thinking? Is there anything more important than this now?"
"Young Master, where are you going?" Sister Lei blocked my way. "Where are your exam supplies?"
"Step aside."
"...Are you going to look for Kirino?"
"Ah, isn't this the only thing I, a foolish older brother, should be doing right now?"
"You have to take the exam. This isn't for the Old Master; it's for the Gao family."
"Won't you get out of the way no matter what?""Watching Big Sister Lei with her arms spread wide, blocking my way, I was forced to use my last resort. "Listen carefully, I command you with a supermarket gift card—step aside." "...I cannot comply." "Then I command you again with a second gift card—step aside." "...Ah, ah, sister..." It was clear that Big Sister Lei was struggling internally. "The last one, I command you with the final gift card—step aside——!" "No——!" Big Sister Lei finally collapsed at the entrance. I threw down the three gift cards and dashed out without hesitation. "...I still can't understand the human heart, but with only three gift cards, how much can I really understand about that man..." Outside the house, the rain was pouring harder, and the small roadside ditches had turned into rivers. Where was my sister? "Tōno——!! Tōno——!!" I ran aimlessly through the rain. "Truly a fool, as expected." A girl holding a black umbrella sighed. "Zhao Xiaomao!?" Like an ant clinging to a straw in a rushing stream, I quickly grabbed her shoulder. "Do you know where Tōno is!?" "Ouch!" "Ah, sorry, I held on too tightly." "That's why all men are... never mind." Zhao Xiaomao showed her attitude 5, "See, this is where your sister's phone was last turned on." "In the southwestern suburbs? Good, not too far. Can I borrow your phone for a moment? Thanks!" Leaving that sentence, I ran toward my target at triple my usual speed. "Wait, Tōno, I'm coming!" "Bali." After running through the rain for over ten kilometers, I rounded a hill and arrived outside a blue-roofed, white-walled factory. "This is it!" I paused to catch my breath, then slowly approached the factory door. Peeking through the crack, I saw two masked men discussing something. The girl tied to a chair in front of them was Tōno. "Ah!" I almost cried out, and at that moment, one of the men seemed to notice movement at the door and walked over, carrying a dagger. "What should I do! What should I do!?" I didn't even have a fruit knife on me. I quickly searched my pockets—only a few bills in my wallet and a single one-yuan coin. They were getting closer. What could I use as a weapon... got it!I saw that around the factory area, there were piles of objects that looked like gas tanks everywhere. Right behind me was one, the pressure gauge showing normal pressure—it was the one. Almost at the same moment the man opened the door, I was ready with my counterattack weapon.
“What? Where did a high school student come from...”
“This is a return gift for trying to take my cute little sister!”
Saying that, I aimed the nozzle of the tank at the kidnapper. There was a 'bang', and the kidnapper fell to the ground, a silver 'chrysanthemum' embedded in the center of his forehead.
“What's wrong?” Another kidnapper hurriedly turned around, facing an angry boy holding a dagger.
“This voice is… Teacher Yan!?”
“Ko Kyousuke, is that you?” The kidnapper said, taking off his mask.
My sister woke up too, and seeing her brother's face twisted by rain and rage, couldn't help but shed tears.
“Oh, Nijiang!”
“Sir, why are you doing this!?”
“Why? Hmph, because I was bored.”
“What!?”
“I've been a teacher for ten years. In the end, what did I get? Honor? Respect? Promotion? None of these could satisfy my heart. By chance, I discovered that I have… feelings for cute female students. From then on, it was unstoppable. That feeling is truly wonderful.”
“Beast!”
“Well said, but what about you? Don't you have desires for your sister? Morality is nothing but an empty philosophy; people are meant to drink the nectar of vice at the feast called sin.”
“Are you crazy, Teacher Yan!?”
“Ha ha, to understand the will of the gods with a mortal body, can mere mortals like you comprehend it!?”
“I'll say it one last time: let go of my sister!” I raised the dagger in my hand.
“I'm the head chemistry teacher of Changji High School, do you think I wouldn't be prepared?”
“Masaka…” I finally noticed the unusual 'lines' spread out on the ground.
Teacher Yan took out a lighter, sparked one of the lines, and instantly a burning dragon of fire rushed toward me.
“This is… a nitration compound!” I hurriedly jumped to the left—the spot I had just stood on turned to ashes.
“Truly deserving of the top science student. But how many times can you dodge?” Another line lit up and burned toward me.
“Brother, be careful!!”
“Damn it!” Despite dodging another attack, my left leg was burned by the flames.
“Now your movements are slowed. Let's see how you dodge the next one.”“Could it really be the end of the road?” At that moment, I happened to notice the English label on the jar I had just used. “Got it!” “The final blow!” “Wait, look at this!?” “...Ammonia...NH3?” “Yes, just as expected from a chemistry teacher,” I said as I twisted open the jar's vent. “If you dare, go ahead and try.” “Tch, there's no choice.” Teacher Yan put away the lighter, yet remained calm. “Now the situation has reversed; the knife is in my hands.” “Is that so... there's something I forgot to tell you.” “…What?” “Before I became a teacher… I actually was a professional assassin for ten years.” “What!?” Before I could react, Teacher Yan rushed at me with lightning speed, kicking away the weapon I had relied on for confidence. “This…” Then followed several forceful punches and kicks, leaving me barely able to stand. “How is it, how is it, you useless fool with no exam skills?” Teacher Yan grabbed my neck, lifting me into the air. “Go to hell with your sister!” “Tou…nou!” I stretched out my hand with the last of my strength. “Nii-san—!!” “Fight, if we don't fight, it's a dead end!” “Ha, nonsense, she's bound tight with tape anyway.” “You are not… not allowed to hurt my brother!” “Tou-nou———————————————————!” “Rip!” Tou-nou suddenly broke free from the tape, then picked up the dagger from the ground and charged at Teacher Yan. Everything happened in an instant, and Teacher Yan didn't even have time to defend himself. “Puh!” Bright red blood gushed from Teacher Yan's body. He released his grip, wobbled twice, and then fell down. “Well done! Tou-nou!” “Nii-san! Hachiriki Hachiriki Hachiriki!! Why didn't you go to the exam?!” “I'm sorry, Tou-nou, compared to exams, you are the most most most most precious family I have!!” “Nii-san…” The siblings tightly embraced each other, as if only this could confirm their existence. “Damn it…” Teacher Yan, on the brink of death, struggled and took out a lighter from his pocket. “May the siblings all die!” “Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble————!!”… Reporter: "We have now arrived at the fire scene. You can see that the major fire has basically been extinguished, and leaders at all levels have already arrived to begin work. For the specific cause of the fire, let's interview the Party Secretary of Changdong City."
"Surely… surely there must be someone still alive…"
Escort Staff: "Secretary, stop digging, be careful not to burn your hands."
Party Secretary: "Even if it's just one… even one would be good!"
"Secretary…"
"Ah, got it!"
As the secretary raised both hands high, a child of about eleven or twelve was lifted out, hair singed by the fire, showing a dazzling red color.
"A miracle! A miracle!" the crowd cheered.
"I want to adopt this child," the secretary said firmly.
The crowd erupted, the escort staff clapped to celebrate, followed by reporters rushing for interviews, camera flashes blazing, so bright that people couldn't open their eyes, as if this wasn't an accident, but a victory celebration.
As for the casualty figures, opinions varied, but whichever version, there was no information about the deaths of the two top students from the first-class program.
People never saw this pair of siblings again. Perhaps the fire had already reduced them to ashes, perhaps the school did not want to reveal such a scandal, or perhaps some miracle occurred—who knows.
For most people, the only impact of this incident was that the probability of being admitted to a prestigious university increased by 2/6,990,000. That's all.
Liu Shazhi — Dropped out: Due to household registration issues, went out with her parents for work after the college entrance exam, became skilled at bricklaying;
Zhao Xiaomao — Death: On the day of the exam, walked in the rain, accidentally fell into a drainage ditch and was washed away, body found two months later, along with other previously missing girls;
Sister Lei — Death: Went shopping at the supermarket on the day of the exam, accidentally fell into an uncovered elevator shaft, ground to a pulp;
Teacher Yan — Death: Did not go to school on the day of the exam, later found dead at a factory fire scene, fatally stabbed before death;
Old Master Gao — Missing: Disappeared after the incident, perhaps preparing for the next college entrance exam;
Party Secretary — Death: Was promoted due to performance at the fire scene, three years later investigated for corruption and placed under dual regulation, later committed suicide at home.6.99 million examinees—unemployed. Among them, 85% successfully entered university, and after four years of leisurely days, most ended up like this; Gao Jingjie & Gao Tongnai—whereabouts unknown. It is rumored that they are living happily somewhere... PS: == Have you noticed something…
