Hyperthymesia is an extremely rare medical phenomenon, a subset of non-selective memory.
People with hyperthymesia lack the ability to forget. They can recall their personal experiences with crystal clarity, down to the tiniest detail.
Don't think of this as a gift from the heavens.
It is a curse!
Without the ability to forget, painful experiences and unpleasant encounters constantly surface, replaying over and over again.
Time can never smooth the wounds of their soul, and the mental injuries repeat themselves time and again.
Thus, people with hyperthymesia have a much higher likelihood of suffering from depression than the average population.
But the memory brought by the "Academic Demon" medal is akin to controllable hyperthymesia, activating whenever needed, and without any negative impact when not needed. It's not an exaggeration to call it photographic memory.
As long as Ma Ran wishes, he can recall anything that happened in his past life.
If he were bored enough, he could even count how many grains of rice he ate on a certain noon ten years ago.
The most valuable aspect of the "Academic Demon" medal extends beyond this.
The understanding ability, analytical ability, calculation ability, and comprehension ability it brings to Ma Ran are all on par with controllable hyperthymesia.
...
After several hours of travel, Ma Ran and his companions finally arrived in the city.
Once off the high-speed train, they were greeted with a special vehicle.
Ma Ran, Su Qiangwei, Dong Huaiming, and a senior named Wan Haihao shared the same car.
The four met during the journey. Wan Haihao greatly admired the three underclassmen, displaying great enthusiasm and energy throughout the way.
"Lexus LS, not a bad car..."
Wan Haihao gently tapped his curled left index finger on his right hand twice, initiating the conversation: "By the way, have any of you been to Xiangyang before?"
"No."
Su Qiangwei is wholly focused on her studies and does not concern herself with outside matters. She hasn't even left the city a handful of times, let alone the province.
"I've been here!"
Dong Huaiming, who suffers from an advanced case of adolescent mania, has used every school break to travel across China despite only being a sophomore in high school.
He hasn't neglected any famous site associated with the supernatural. If he hadn't received an invitation from Grass Hut Academy, he had planned to take half a year off school to visit Egypt and America to see the pyramids.
Dong Huaiming glanced around and casually asked, "Are we following the route to Ancient Longzhong?"
The driver, wearing sunglasses, grinned, nodded, and confirmed Dong Huaiming's assumption.
Twisting around from the front passenger seat, Dong Huaiming asked, "Brother Ran, have you been there?"
Ma Ran looked up at him, smiled, and shook his head.
The gesture killed the topic instantly.
Wan Haihao sighed and tried to find a way to get closer to the three underclassmen.
Su Qiangwei, who had been talkative on the train, now leaned against the window with her eyes closed, giving off a cool and aloof demeanor, emulating someone...
Okay!
She was emulating Ma Ran!
Wan Haihao had to admit that this high school junior named Ma Ran carried a peculiar charm. Even though not talkative, he naturally became the center of attention and focus.
Wherever he sat, it felt like a spotlight was on him.
Even the most minute change in facial expression or an inadvertent gesture could draw everyone's attention.
This has nothing to do with appearance!
Wan Haihao had met many celebrities who relied on their looks, and they seemed average compared to Ma Ran, who sparked a strong curiosity in him.
Though they hadn't known each other long, Wan Haihao was astonished to find himself unconsciously mimicking Ma Ran's habitual gestures.
As soon as he started speaking, he wanted to tap something with his hand...
Forcing himself to stop mimicking, Wan Haihao felt uncomfortable, but his gaze grew even more intrigued.
He has had an insatiable thirst for knowledge since childhood, unable to tolerate any mystery.
Ma Ran...
Has secrets!
He's never seen anyone, not even as a well-experienced doctoral candidate, beat Ma Ran in terms of aura!
Let's not even mention the strikingly noticeable quirk of fastidiousness.
Upon first encounter, he seemed amiable, evoking a desire to approach, yet there was a palpable aura that kept people at a distance.
This wasn't introversion!
Nor arrogance!
A flash of insight struck Wan Haihao's mind.
"Got it!"
Ma Ran's behavior is...
To avoid hurting others.
"To know you is to be hurt?"
Wan Haihao chuckled softly, tilting his head.
How conceited!
What kind of experiences has he been through?
What has he encountered?
How many secrets does he hold within?
He was intensely curious!
Wan Haihao's lips curled slightly, feeling elated.
Accepting the invitation from Grass Hut Academy was definitely the right choice!
...
During casual conversation, the group finally reached their destination.
A large red banner on the roadside bore the four characters "Grass Hut Academy."
Newly completed traces on the ancient-styled walls and buildings gave the place a feeling of stepping into a period drama set.
The cold wind howled, slicing the face like a knife's edge.
"It's not quite the same as last time!"
"When I came before, it was the dead of winter, yet it wasn't this cold, was it?"
Dong Huaiming sprang to life as soon as he got off the car: "Come to think of it, the air here is truly refreshing!"
"If Spiritual Qi resurges, this would definitely be a top Grotto Heaven Blessed Land."
After saying this, he began deep breathing with a "I'm going to inhale a lot of Spiritual Qi" gesture typical of adolescent idiosyncrasy.
Su Qiangwei had been fine on the train but now felt car sick, her complexion pale and somewhat wan, evoking an image of Lin Daiyu.
Meanwhile, Wan Haihao kept a discreet eye on Ma Ran.
As for Ma Ran himself...
Upon getting off the car, he headed straight for the registration area.
The receptionist, brimming with enthusiasm and vitality, exuded a strong sense of friendliness.
With a sweep of the camera, Ma Ran's identification details appeared on the computer at the desk.
Su Qiangwei, Dong Huaiming, and Wan Haihao followed successively.
After registration, they were guided by someone to the dining hall for a meal.
As for personal belongings in their luggage, those were checked and delivered to their assigned single dorm rooms by military-clad young men who stood firm as pine trees and moved swiftly as the wind.
"Not bad at all."
In the dining hall, Wan Haihao ordered a free scallion-fried sea cucumber and Yangzhou fried rice. After two bites, he couldn't help but exclaim: "The food here is amazing!"
"As a seasoned gourmet, I'm willing to bet that the chef here is definitely of five-star caliber!"
"The ingredients are also the freshest and the top quality!"
"I can taste it!"
"Half a year ago, when I went to Modu for an academic conference, I didn't receive such treatment."
"Food, lodging, and transportation are all taken care of for us. We don't have to do a thing."
"Tsk..."
Having been seasoned by society, although Wan Haihao wanted to exchange more words with Ma Ran, he didn't tackle the main topic directly but instead started with the current environment everyone was in.
The words "we" immediately brought the group of four closer.
With the conversation opened, Dong Huaiming's eyes turned, and he immediately set down his utensils to take up the thread: "There's no free lunch in the world!"
"Receiving this level of treatment means we must bear the corresponding level of responsibility."
"It felt odd earlier."
"Now thinking back, isn't Ancient Longzhong a tourist site?"
"I remember the tour guide saying this was Zhuge Wulong's retreat during the Three Kingdoms era, and also the place where Liu Bei visited him thrice. It should have tourists all year round."
"Now, it seems completely locked down here. There were hardly any people seen on the way. Don't you think something's amiss?"
Hearing this, Wan Haihao turned his head: "Ma Ran, what do you think?"