In early autumn, the summer waves had not yet subsided, and the winter winds had not yet arrived.
At Lake Ying High School, serenity brewed the storm.
Ring, ring, ring—
The last class ended.
The classroom doors opened one by one, and noise began to rise.
In a moment, the entire campus was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
Basketball, mobile games, clubs, secret couples.
Chasing, arguing, holding hands, making eyes at each other.
The real day had begun.
But in Class Four of the second year, the door remained closed.
Because their last class was with their homeroom teacher.
Bam, bam, bam!
At the front of the class, forty-something-year-old Teacher Hu Chunmei furiously pounded the blackboard with a piece of chalk.
"Still daydreaming! Still daydreaming!"
"The math test has 150 points, with an average score of 94.3 across the grade. What about our class? 89.8! Unacceptable!"
"I nearly fainted from anger!"
"And that's with Lin Yujing scoring 148 and boosting the average by two points."
"Class, we're not just a little behind!"
"I'm your homeroom teacher and the grade leader. Even if you don't feel ashamed, I do!"
"I must apologize to past classes. I spoke incorrectly."
"You are the worst class I have ever taught!
"Except for Lin Yujing. You can continue self-studying; you don't need to listen to this."
"I feel bad even speaking in front of you, polluting your ears."
The students kept their heads down, used to this, silent.
Only Li Zheng in the second to last row clenched his fists silently.
He was truly galvanized.
'I am not working hard enough; I only scored 117.'
'Even though it was the second-highest in the class, the gap between me and Lin Yujing's 148 is still fundamental.'
Thinking this, Li Zheng looked toward the middle row by the window.
The girl, half her face hidden by long hair, wore a loosely fitting white shirt, leaning against the wall with one leg crooked.
The white mechanical pencil twirled in her fingers as if everything happening around her had nothing to do with her.
Unintentionally, she pulled her hair behind her ear, revealing a face so tranquil it seemed almost frail.
And, white rubber earplugs.
Several classmates, even Teacher Hu Chunmei herself, saw this scene clearly.
In the awkward atmosphere, Li Zheng's deskmate, who had a far denser beard than hair, weighing as much as his height, looking like an old student who had stayed behind many years, suddenly raised his hand.
"Teacher, I know why Lin Yujing does well in her studies." He pointed to Lin Yujing's ears. "Because she never listens to the class."
"Liu Xin, get out!!" Teacher Hu snapped.
"Right away!" The boy's face lit up as he grabbed his backpack to leave.
"Sit down quietly!!" Teacher Hu roared again. "Another word, and I'll send you to the PE department."
"..." Liu Xin shrank his head in fear and slumped back into his seat.
Teacher Hu clutched her chest, taking a long moment to catch her breath.
"Lin Yujing is different from you lot; she has innate understanding. Self-study is more efficient for her." Teacher Hu removed her glasses and pinched her nose, sighing. "Ordinary people, don't follow her example. Learn from Li Zheng—to make up for lack of talent with hard work, reaching the highest level you can. That's all the teachers ask."
Many students turned to glance at Li Zheng.
Indeed, Li Zheng was the typical hardworking student.
Studying during class, studying after class, studying while eating, even memorizing vocabulary in the restroom.
Over the past year and more of high school, he had achieved a fairly decent score through sheer effort.
Yet, still very average.
This was probably the limit of an ordinary person.
Though Teacher Hu was praising Li Zheng, it felt more hurtful than criticism.
Li Zheng himself was fine, but Liu Xin beside him was so uncomfortable he started grinding his teeth.
He stared at Teacher Hu, like an old husky trying to look fierce.
Teacher Hu sneered, "Alright, I know, everyone's dissatisfied. You think you're smart and just need to try a little to improve your scores, right?
So, here's an elementary school question to show you what's ordinary and what's extraordinary."
Teacher Hu began writing a number on the blackboard—64.
"Ping pong knockout matches, 64 participants, winners advance, losers are out, until a champion is determined. How many matches in total?"
Unlike the previous tedious explanations, this elementary school question actively engaged the students, each bending over to write calculations.
Li Zheng immediately started writing, finishing in seven or eight seconds.
"Li Zheng already has an answer." Teacher Hu raised her hand. "Explain your solution."
Li Zheng said, "First round, 32 matches. Second round, 16 matches. Third round..."
"That's enough, I get it." Teacher Hu scanned the class. "Anyone with a different solution?"
No one answered.
"Alright, that's what I call ordinary." Teacher Hu then looked at Lin Yujing. "Someone take out her earplugs."
"No need, I can hear just fine." Lin Yujing, without raising her head, said, "With 64 participants, deciding the champion means eliminating 63 people, one per match, totaling 63 matches."
The students were dumbfounded.
"That's what I call extraordinary." Teacher Hu smiled smugly. "Now, who still thinks they're smart enough to not listen like Lin Yujing?"
A silence fell over the classroom.
Lin Yujing suddenly lifted her head, glanced at Li Zheng with a faint smile, and said, "Our elementary school math teacher taught us this problem. I merely had better educational resources than Li Zheng, not smarter."
Low murmurs arose inside the classroom.
Was this humility?
No, this was showing off.
And, showing off after gaining an advantage.
Even homeroom teacher Hu Chunmei was caught up in it.
"Ahem..." Teacher Hu cleared her throat before saying, "No problem. Let me throw out another one—
How many seconds will it take to strike six times if striking three times takes six seconds?"
Li Zheng immediately started writing.
Almost at the same time, Lin Yujing provided the answer, "10."
Teacher Hu's expression changed, "Don't be hasty... think it through carefully..."
Before she could finish, Li Zheng wrote, "15."
..." Teacher Hu fell silent.
A moment later.
Lin Yujing suddenly let out an "Ah," hastily covering her mouth, turning around to stare at Li Zheng.
Embarrassed and annoyed, with furrowed brows and glaring eyes, all in one swift motion.
Not easy to provoke.
But Li Zheng showed no extra expression.
Beside him, Liu Xin scratched his scanty hair, said, "Striking three times takes 6 seconds, isn't striking six times supposed to be 12 seconds? Isn't this an elementary school problem?"
Other classmates had also arrived at various erroneous answers.
In the end, Teacher Hu delivered the decisive blow.
"The correct answer is 15. Li Zheng got it right..." Despite her frustration, she started to draw on the blackboard, "When the clock strikes three times, ding—ding—ding, there are actually only two intervals, each 3 seconds. To strike six times means five intervals, totaling 15 seconds."
Although Liu Xin didn't understand, he slapped his desk in shock, "So—Li Zheng is smarter than Lin Yujing!"
Crack!
Lin Yujing snapped the pencil in her hand.
Her hair still covered her face, hiding her expression. Only the trembling from unwillingness could be seen.
"One question... doesn't prove anything..." Teacher Hu suddenly slammed her desk with wide eyes, "How did this get off track? The average score, the average score!"
With that, she pulled out a stack of test papers from under the podium.
She always seemed like Doraemon.
Ignoring her students' pleading looks, Teacher Hu smirked and started handing out the tests.
"Freshly printed this afternoon, still warm."
"Start working now. Whoever finishes can leave."
"I'll grade on the spot. Anyone who fails, don't leave. Call your parents!"
Detention, a test, calling parents.
A deadly triple blow.
Instantly, wails echoed throughout the classroom.
Except for Li Zheng.
He rubbed his hands, eager to start.
Great, he was just worrying about having no questions to do.
And these were Teacher Hu's original creations, new questions he had never seen before.
Curious, excited.
He hoped the students in the front row would hand out the papers faster.
Rustle, rustle...
When the test papers reached Li Zheng's hands, they still had the warmth of the copier.
As usual, he unfolded the paper, smoothed it out, and closed his eyes for a deep sniff.
Ah—
The familiar scent of ink.
It soothed and invigorated him.
In this comforting academic atmosphere, all the day's fatigue vanished.
"I say..." Liu Xin swallowed. "Do you love studying or just crave the test papers?"
"It's not that exaggerated." Li Zheng calmly picked up his pen. "Teacher Hu is right. Ordinary people should do ordinary things. And it's just been proven that with dedication, there's a chance to surpass even a genius like Lin Yujing."
Scratch!...
The sound of scratching on the desk.
Looking over, Lin Yujing was glaring at Li Zheng, furiously tapping her pencil on the paper, making "Hmm, hmm" noises.
Li Zheng shook his head with a smile.
Studying isn't for competition, it is for self-improvement and building the nation.
He then saw Lin Yujing bite her lip, raise her arm to reveal a cartoon astronaut watch, and then hold up her index finger, making a "1" gesture.
Next, she took a black hair tie from her pencil case and solemnly tied up her long hair into a ponytail.
Li Zheng inhaled sharply.
For minor tests, monthly exams, even midterms, she never tied her hair up.
Only for the final exams, which would be recorded in the transcript, would she consider tying up her hair.
Lin Yujing was serious.
Under the pressure of this atmosphere, Li Zheng's expression also grew serious.
He realized Lin Yujing's goal wasn't to compete.
It was dignity, the dignity of a top student.
Li Zheng closed his eyes and raised his hands.
He started doing eye exercises.
Liu Xin looked at the two, confused, "What're you guys even doing?"
"She said to start the competition in one minute," Li Zheng replied seriously. "Oh well, sometimes challenging an unbeatable opponent and feeling the pressure is also good practice."
"Can't deal with you two. Have fun..." Liu Xin laid his head on the desk. "Wake me up when my mom arrives."
Li Zheng said no more.
Eye exercises, the second step...
Just as he was massaging his four white acupoints, words suddenly appeared in his vision.
[Today, have you become more knowledgeable?]
[Scholar Demon Training System, binding in progress...]
Li Zheng's eyes snapped open, only to find the words still there, multiplying.
[Based on your brain's capacity, the initial learning efficiency parameter is 28 times.]
[Remaining learning vitality for today, 26 hours.]
[Vitality depletion leads to a state of fatigue, making learning impossible.]
[Please use the system's built-in functions for proper relaxation to restore vitality.]
[Alternatively, complete tasks to boost learning efficiency and vitality limits.]
[Binding complete. The following guide will help you understand the system.]
A progress bar appeared, displaying 0/26, followed by a multiplier, 28.
[The guide begins—please enjoy the learning process and exhaust today's vitality.]