[First Place: Hu Man, 61 points;][Second Place: Han Xia, 57 points;][Third Place: ...][Tenth Place: Yan Jinbu, 35 points;]As soon as the small, wiry teacher Hu began the lesson, he first announced the top ten scores for the math mock exam before moving on to explaining the problems.It was only at this moment that Li Ye realized—this old man wasn't particularly good at comforting people. It was just that his 28-point score really was only "a little low."Thinking back to what that troublemaker He Weiguo had said earlier—how he had missed the college entrance exam cutoff by 7 points last time—that meant his previous score had been only 21 points.In this era, high school students had to first pass a provincial pre-exam to qualify for the college entrance exam, and the pass rate for the pre-exam was under 50%.And yet, a 28-point score could put him at the provincial average level? Could you believe that?But honestly, it wasn't fair to say students of this time were stupid or lazy.Because after just five minutes of listening to Teacher Hu's lecture, Li Ye realized—this teacher's level was even worse than his own!And this was a math teacher in a county-level high school's repeater class.How long had it been since the college entrance exam was reinstated in 1981? What was the state of education at this time?It wasn't just that junior high and high school students had gaps in their education due to the previous era's disruptions—even teachers had stopped learning.This was a time of overall educational revival. The students of this era were just as determined and hardworking as those in later generations, but their knowledge base was incredibly weak.Li Ye had once heard a university student from the late '70s say that when they first got notice of the college entrance exam, they couldn't even solve a basic linear equation.At the time, he had laughed it off as a joke. But now? It didn't seem so far-fetched.Just look at the students in this repeater class—ages ranged from 18 to even people in their mid-20s.Many of them had to start over from junior high fundamentals and compete against others over ten years older than them to cross this academic tightrope.In Li Ye's time, a 34-year-old who took the college entrance exam 14 times was a rare case. But in this era, nearly 30-year-old "educated youth" taking the exam was actually common.After all, just a little over a decade ago, they too had been young and full of dreams.The national college acceptance rate was only 4%. And it wasn't 4% of high school graduates—it was 4% of everyone between 16 and 30+ years old.In this era, taking the exam three or four times in a row was normal. Some of Li Ye's classmates were on their fourth attempt. And most of the students who got accepted were repeaters.Even so, out of a total 600+ points on the college entrance exam, scoring just over 400 was enough for a top university, and getting 300+ could land you in a technical college.Surprised?Shocked?Li Ye had no idea that Ma Li, a famous martial artist, had only scored 19 points on his second college entrance exam. He also didn't know that the average math score in this era was only in the 30s.But one thing was clear—he was set.Just looking at the problems on this test paper, he didn't even need to consciously recall his past life's painful study sessions. His instincts and reflexes alone could demolish these questions.And no, this wasn't him bragging.Letting Li Ye take the college entrance exam in this era was a complete cheat code.You expect a bunch of students who struggled with basic algebra to compete with someone who survived the hell of modern "cram school culture"?They had no idea what it was like to be hammered by Huanggang exam papers or endure the brutal training of Hengshui High School.Compared to them, Li Ye was Sun Wukong, forged in the Taishang Laojun's alchemy furnace—refined to perfection.For the rest of the class, Li Ye barely listened to Teacher Hu's lecture.He was afraid that if he paid too much attention, he'd lose control and correct the teacher's methods, forcing Hu to experience the pain of being outshone by a student.And then?"Tsk—take this punch!"First day of time travel, and he's already dead.Instead, Li Ye zoned out and started retrieving his buried study memories, reviewing them in his mind.Back in the day, he had studied until midnight every night, drowning in endless practice problems and equations. The sea of books and exams was a ruthless battlefield.But now, those eye-straining test papers and finger-cramping notes surfaced clearly in his mind whenever he wanted.And all the knowledge points and annotations seamlessly merged into his current brain, becoming second nature.Copy. Paste. Transfer complete.Too easy.What had once been a soul-crushing ordeal had now become his golden ticket to success.The early '80s was the real era of the "Dragon Gate."No need for connections, no need for privilege—even if you were just a wild tadpole with no mother, as long as you leapt over the college entrance exam gate, you'd soar to new heights.The talent shortage caused by the previous years meant that any young person with ability, ambition, and a diploma had endless opportunities.University graduates in the early '80s could rise straight to top government positions, or land prestigious jobs in state-owned enterprises.As long as you weren't unbelievably unlucky, passing the college entrance exam was a direct ticket to the top.Even the village dogs were getting promoted to police dogs.The bell rang.After dragging out his lecture for an extra three minutes, Teacher Hu finally left. Students scattered, some even openly smoking in the hallway.The repeater class had students in their mid-20s, and many were already heavy smokers. Teachers didn't even bother stopping them.Li Ye didn't leave.Having been sick for two days, his body felt weak, and he didn't feel like moving.He lay on his desk, half-dozing, while quietly flipping through the original host's leftover memories to fully adjust to this world.But just a few minutes later, chaotic footsteps rushed toward the classroom."Li Ye! Li Ye!"His desk mate, Hu Man, called out in alarm.Li Ye quickly turned around—only to see her staring in fear at the person storming through the doorway.A hulking figure with a broad, round face charged in, wielding a broken chair leg, shouting in fury:"He Weiguo, you motherf**r! I told you last time—mention that sht again, and I'll break your legs!"*Students scrambled away, clearing a path.At the back of the classroom, He Weiguo picked up a weapon of his own and yelled back:"Li Dayong, this is Class 2's business! You Class 1 bastards stay out of it! I ain't scared of you!""I'll make you call me grandpa—!"The broad-faced brute thundered across the classroom like a rampaging bear, his footsteps booming against the floor.But just as he passed by Li Ye—Li Ye grabbed his arm.The old memories told him—this raging giant was his childhood best friend.He had come to avenge Li Ye.But Li Ye had underestimated Li Dayong's strength and fury.And his own body was still weak.The next thing he knew, he was nearly dragged off his feet—!