(Currently ranked 51 on the new book list, I hope everyone can help out more by casting a few recommendation votes to improve the book's performance, thank you!)————————————"Why punish with multiplication tables? This is the foundation of mathematics! Just as tall buildings rise from the ground, all fundamentals of mathematics stem from the basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. What we are learning now and will learn in the future in every branch of mathematics is inseparable from these!"
Looking at the students below, the teacher finally realized her recent slip of the tongue, her face turned red. However, she stubbornly persisted, speaking for a while before remembering the matter at hand. Hastily returning to the main topic, she glared more annoyed at Fatty Tang, "Are you going to answer or not!"
"I..."
Fatty Tang, feeling Xiao Yi's prompt, instantly looked in the direction of his pointing finger, but upon looking, he was dumbfounded. He didn't understand the question at all, hadn't even understood the problem, and as the teacher pressed him again, he became even more anxious. He tried several times but couldn't produce an answer.
Xiao Yi finally understood. It turned out that not only did his neighbor not know the question, but even if he did, he wouldn't be able to answer. He was speechless again, yet despite his speechlessness, he began to write swiftly, cautiously giving him a hint while writing.
"What do you mean 'you'? Are you going to answer or not, don't waste everyone's time!"
The teacher, irked by Fatty Tang's stuttering, waved her hand angrily.
"I'll answer, teacher, I'll answer."
Seeing the solution Xiao Yi swiftly wrote down, Fatty Tang was visibly delighted. He quickly spoke up loudly, and without checking if Xiao Yi's answers were correct, he immediately began to parrot what Xiao Yi had written, "Because..."
The teacher, initially skeptical upon hearing Fatty Tang's declaration of "I'll answer," had her doubts. Having taught for so long, she knew better. She could tell that Fatty Tang probably didn't understand the problem, let alone know how to answer it. Yet as she listened to his answer, her expression involuntarily shifted.
Fatty Tang actually managed to answer her question correctly and within accepted norms, the logic was clear and precise, leaving her unable to find fault.
"Teacher, I've finished answering."
Having recited the answer following what Xiao Yi wrote, Fatty Tang, unsure if it was correct or not, spoke nervously and anxiously.
"Hmph, don't think a little cleverness allows you to act arrogantly. Okay, sit down. From now on, listen carefully."
Though the teacher knew there was a problem, Fatty Tang had been clever this time. Just now, he had glanced at Xiao Yi's solution from the corner of his eye. She did not have proof and also knew that this was a university lecture hall, not his son's primary school classroom. She did not want to waste too much time on this incident or bring a negative impression, so with a slightly displeased look, she glanced at Xiao Yi and Fatty Tang and then descended gracefully from the podium.
After this incident, Fatty Tang did not dare to be careless anymore. Gratefully, he glanced at Xiao Yi and then turned his head to start listening attentively, while Xiao Yi finally got to experience his first lecture of his university life in peace.
It must be said, although the teacher proposed a punishment method that left everyone speechless, his teaching was quite effective. He made the dry subject of differential calculus somewhat lively, not so lifeless, and many students listened with keen interest. But thinking about it, it made sense; being a teacher at Z University, especially one teaching such an essential foundational course, it was unlikely his skills would be lacking.
Although university classes were usually large lectures, there was still a ten-minute break after forty-five minutes. As soon as the bell for the break rang, the teacher on the podium announced a break and stepped down from the stage. Immediately, Fatty Tang reached out and grabbed Xiao Yi's hand excitedly, "Brother, I can't thank you enough for just now. If it hadn't been for you helping me out, I would've been in deep trouble today. If I really had to copy multiplication tables, I would've been embarrassed all the way back to my grandma's house. So, I've decided, from today onwards, you're my brother, Fatty Tang's brother. If anyone bullies you, come find me."
"..."
Xiao Yi was startled by Fatty Tang's sudden move and quickly withdrew his hand. Listening to what he said, he couldn't help but feel speechless—this guy actually wanted to make him his underling!
He had been a leader for many years, but being someone's underling was something he had never tried.
However, seeing the excited expression on Fatty Tang's face, something stirred in his heart. He looked up, gratefully glanced at Fatty Tang, and nodded, "Alright, then I thank you in advance."
"Brother, no need to be so formal. Don't worry, here in our School of Mathematics, as long as you don't mess with Gao Junjie and Zhao Yuhua, I can handle everyone else for you. Come on, since we're meeting for the first time today, let's go out for a smoke to celebrate, heh heh. I got some good cigarettes from my dad last weekend, they're really strong."
Fatty Tang, feeling Xiao Yi's grateful gaze, suddenly stood up with a thump of his chest, quite the aura of a boss.
Up until now, Xiao Yi had only seen how Fatty Tang sat; seeing him stand up, he hadn't expected that aside from expanding horizontally, he had grown quite a bit vertically too. His whole figure was quite imposing.
It seemed he wasn't just talking big. If it were an ordinary person, probably two or three people wouldn't be a match for this fatty.
But hearing the names Gao Junjie and Zhao Yuhua, Xiao Yi vaguely felt that the tall, handsome guy from earlier might be Gao Junjie; he remembered the shoe-shining man initially calling him Young Master Gao. His mind stirred, and he cautiously said, "Brother Tang, let's skip the smoking. I don't smoke. By the way, is Zhao Yuhua the beauty from earlier?"
"You don't even know who Zhao Yuhua is? Ah, right, I remember now, you just enrolled yesterday, so it's no wonder you don't know. Come, let's go outside. I'll smoke while I tell you more about our college."
Fatty Tang's eyes widened as he looked at Xiao Yi, but soon, he nodded understandingly and sympathetically before leading the way to the classroom door.
Although Xiao Yi was not at all interested in Fatty Tang's good cigarettes—having seen better ones, since the old man used to smoke specially provided ones, which were far beyond what the ones worth dozens per pack could offer—he too wanted to learn more about the school to avoid another situation like earlier. So, he quickly followed in Fatty Tang's footsteps.
The two arrived at the corridor next to the restroom of the teaching building, a haven for smokers. However, Z University didn't have many smoking students; there were only a sparse few people there. Those people seemed to know Fatty Tang. Seeing Fatty Tang's belly shaking as he walked, they respectfully smiled and greeted him as "Brother Tang," which somewhat surprised Xiao Yi; he hadn't thought that Fatty Tang really had some popularity.
Fatty Tang nodded at those two without paying much attention to them, then took out a pack of premium cigarettes, pulled one out, and offered it to Xiao Yi, "Want to try one?"