Simple?
Was this a hallucination? Or had Evan completely lost his mind?
The equation on the blackboard was nowhere near simple—it was a complex nightmare dressed as a math problem.
"What did you just say?"
Dennis rubbed his ears, laughing in disbelief.
Even Mr. Qi, who usually maintained a stoic demeanor, couldn't help but glance at Evan with intrigue. The transfer student had already made a strong impression with his stellar performance in the previous class. Now, with such a bold claim, Mr. Qi's interest was piqued.
"Evan, why do you say this problem is simple?"
"Because it is."
Evan replied with a calm smile, not intending to boast but merely stating a fact.
No need for theatrics or playing the underdog—Evan wasn't interested in either. He preferred to let things unfold naturally, neither drawing attention nor actively avoiding it.
A boy in the second row scoffed. "Ha! Talk is cheap. Let's see you solve it."
Evan glanced at him and gestured toward the blackboard. "Oh? Then why don't you show us how it's done?"
The boy opened his mouth, then closed it, his face turning red as he realized he had no comeback.
"Quiet!"
Mr. Qi's sharp gaze swept across the classroom before landing back on Evan. With a faint smile, he asked, "Evan, would you like to walk us through the solution?"
Nia bit her lip nervously, stealing a glance at Evan. She felt a pang of worry.
Dozens of eyes turned toward Evan, but he remained composed. His voice was steady and clear:
"Assume the horizontal velocity is V. The time of flight from point A to point B is t. Hence, the horizontal displacement is: X = Vt. The vertical displacement is: Y = 1/2gt².
From there, we have tan(α) = Y/X, which leads to t = 2Vtan(α)/g.
At point B, the horizontal velocity remains V, while the vertical velocity becomes Vy = gt = 2Vtan(α).
The resultant velocity at point B makes an angle θ with the horizontal, where tan(θ) = Vy/V = 2tan(α).
Therefore, the angle between the object's velocity and the inclined plane at point B is constant."
He stopped, glanced at Mr. Qi, and nodded politely. "The rest is just setting up a simple equation. May I sit down now?"
"Oh… yes, of course."
Mr. Qi was momentarily stunned, then broke into an admiring smile. Evan's grasp of physics was remarkable.
"Evan's solution is spot-on. If anyone has questions in the future, I recommend seeking his guidance."
The entire class exchanged bewildered looks.
Evan… was right?
No way!
Dennis's face darkened with frustration. "But we haven't even verified his answer! He could be wrong."
Mr. Qi raised an eyebrow and looked at Dennis with mild amusement. "Are you doubting my ability to verify it?"
Dennis immediately backpedaled. "No, no, of course not!"
"Good."
Mr. Qi snorted, then turned back to the blackboard. "Let's go through the solution together. Pay attention."
Despite Mr. Qi's thorough explanation, most students were left scratching their heads. Only a handful of top performers, including Nia, managed to keep up. She diligently took notes, occasionally sneaking glances at Evan.
The more she listened, the more she admired him. The gap between them was immense—like the distance from Earth to the stars.
He's incredible, she thought. He could easily compete in physics contests. Heck, he might even win.
But alongside her admiration came a sense of pressure. As the class's physics representative, she barely managed to stay in the top five. Now, with Evan around, she doubted she could even hold her position.
When the bell rang, the sleepy students perked up instantly. As Mr. Qi left the room, the class emptied out like a tide, leaving only a few top students behind.
Nia turned and placed a piece of scratch paper on Evan's desk. "Evan, could you help me with this problem?"
"Of course."
Evan scanned the paper quickly. "Hmm… Nia—"
"Wait," she interrupted, her cheeks flushing pink. "Can you just call me by my full name? 'Nia' sounds… too familiar."
Her heart fluttered every time he used her nickname. She didn't dislike it—on the contrary, it felt warm and oddly comforting. But to avoid any misunderstandings, she felt compelled to draw a boundary.
"Sure," Evan replied smoothly. Then, without missing a beat, he pointed to her third step. "Right here—there's a small error."
Nia stared at him, dumbfounded. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
This guy…
"Hey, Nia," Evan waved a hand in front of her face, grinning. "Daydreaming won't help you crack the problem. Focus!"
Her eyes shimmered with a mix of annoyance and embarrassment. "Evan, you promised to stop calling me that!"
Evan raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with it? I think it's nice. Don't you?"
Nia's lips moved, but no sound emerged. Flustered, she snatched the paper from his hands, turned away, and buried her face in her arms. Her mind was a whirlwind.
What's wrong with me? Why am I letting him get to me like this?
Evan chuckled softly. He didn't push further. Patience, he thought. Slowly but surely, she'll get used to me.
Over the next three days, Nia didn't exchange a single word with him, treating him like he didn't exist. Evan, unfazed, stayed focused on his goal: leveling up.
Whether it was during class, breaks, or even while lying in bed, Evan kept grinding experience points.
"Read for ten minutes: +1 XP."
"Read for ten minutes: +1 XP."
"Finished a book: +1 XP."
Still, something puzzled him. When he read books at home, he gained 5 XP for finishing one. Now, it was only 1 XP.
"System," Evan muttered suspiciously, "are you short-changing me?"
The system's sweet, mechanical voice replied, "Experience points are based on the book's value."
Evan glanced at the physics workbook in his hand and sighed. If he'd known, he wouldn't have wasted his time buying these practice books.
A quick look at his status panel brought a small sense of accomplishment:
[Host]: Evan
[Knowledge]: Level 3 (0/2000)
[Intelligence]: Level 1 (20/100)
[Strength]: Level 1 (10/100)
[Karma Points]: 0
[Experience]: 142
Evan smiled. Three days of grinding had paid off. But now came the hard part—choosing which skill to upgrade next.
After some deliberation, he made his choice.
"Upgrade Intelligence."
"80 experience points consumed. Intelligence has reached Level 2. Remaining experience: 62."
A surge of clarity filled Evan's mind. It was as if a fog had lifted, sharpening his thoughts and quickening his reasoning.
"Not bad," he mused, marveling at the change.
Just then, the teacher's voice snapped him back to reality.
"Evan, care to answer the question on the board?"
All eyes turned to him. Oblivious to the attention, Evan was still lost in the glow of his upgraded intelligence.
Nia, sitting in front of him, nudged his foot discreetly and whispered, "Evan, the teacher's calling you."
Evan blinked, finally noticing the silence in the room. He stood up slowly, scratching his head. "Uh, sorry, what was the question?"
Laughter erupted around the room.
"Bold move, spacing out in her class!" someone whispered.
"Good luck, genius," another chimed.
Nia, meanwhile, buried her face in her hands. Why on earth did I remind him? she thought miserably.
Evan, still clueless about the chaos he'd caused, glanced at the board and casually rattled off the correct answer.
The teacher blinked, stunned. Once again, Evan had nailed it effortlessly.