Chapter 34: The Results Are In, A Top Student Emerges
Watching Wang Hai’s departing figure, Zhang Yu remarked with a sigh, “He’s truly a responsible and good teacher.”
Bai Zhenzhen sidled up to him, asking suspiciously, “What exactly just happened? There was laughing, handshaking, and talking.”
“Did Wang Hai suddenly discover you’re his long-lost father?”
Zhang Yu shook his head.
“There could be many reasons, but when you get down to it… it all comes back to my performance on this monthly exam.”
“Zhen, as long as my grades keep getting better and my skills grow stronger, I’ll have more and more good friends in this world, won’t I?”
Seeing Zhang Yu’s smug look, Bai Zhenzhen wondered inwardly, How many points did Yu-boy actually score this time? Did he score higher than me? No, that should be impossible…
That evening, upon returning to the suburbs, Zhang Yu resumed grinding the Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method, his next objective being to raise the Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method to level 10.
The next morning arrived in a flash, and Zhang Yu had elevated the Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method to Level 8 (37/160).
After a day of passive breathing exercises mixed with active ones, his magic power had once again increased from 11.8 to 11.9.
And thanks to Wang Hai’s assistance, Zhang Yu’s savings, even after deducting his expenses from the past few days, had suddenly reached over seventy-two thousand yuan.
The moment he saw his savings, Zhang Yu immediately thought of all sorts of ways to spend the money.
In the end, however, he suppressed his various impulses, deciding to first see what kind of contract the school would offer him after the monthly exam before planning how to use the money for his self-improvement.
…
Songyang High School, four in the morning.
Inside the faculty office.
After another typical all-nighter, Su Haifeng received the results from the monthly exam.
To ensure the students could understand themselves, know their scores, and guide their studies as quickly as possible, the teachers had worked overtime, calculating the scores and rankings for every student who took the monthly exam on the very night of the test.
How joyous, how delightful.
Su Haifeng looked at the detailed rankings and scores.
First Place: Bai Zhenzhen, Total Score: 651
Su Haifeng nodded slightly.
Bai Zhenzhen is still the undisputed number one. It’s a shame her Daoist arts score was only 60, otherwise her total would be even higher.
Second Place: Qian Shen, Total Score: 626
Qian Shen is making steady progress, especially since his 80 points in Daoist arts really boosted his score.
Third Place: Zhang Yu, Total Score: 620
Su Haifeng froze for a moment, then rubbed his eyes and looked again, more carefully this time.
Third Place: Zhang Yu, Total Score: 620
“How is that possible?”
Su Haifeng sat up straight and quickly looked at Zhang Yu’s specific scores for each subject.
General Knowledge: 48. Dao Heart: 135. Magic power: 142. Physical Education: 145. Martial Arts: 90. Daoist Arts: 60.
“This…”
Su Haifeng was shocked, and this was with a Daoist arts score of only 60.
If his Daoist arts score had been just seven points higher, wouldn’t he have reached 627, surpassing Qian Shen to become the second in the grade?
In other words, Zhang Yu had jumped from tenth in the grade all the way to third in a single go.
No… according to Su Haifeng’s estimation, his scores three weeks ago should have already dropped him to twentieth place. In that time, aside from magic power, his scores in every other subject should have been steadily declining, putting his total rank closer to thirtieth.
“How could he have improved so drastically?”
“Did he win the lottery?”
Su Haifeng grew more and more alarmed as he reviewed Zhang Yu’s scores for each subject; especially with 142 in magic power, how could he possibly have a full 145 in physical education?
He couldn’t help but call Wang Hai to ask what was going on, and whether Zhang Yu’s score had been marked incorrectly.
Four in the morning was precisely when the cultivators of Songyang were at their most energetic.
Wang Hai answered the phone quickly.
“What is it, Teacher Su?”
“I’m seeing here that Zhang Yu’s physical education score is 145? There must be some mistake…”
Wang Hai’s attitude toward Zhang Yu had been very good today, but that didn’t mean he had suddenly become a good-tempered person.
He was still that star teacher who hated having his professional authority challenged.
Hearing Su Haifeng’s doubt now, he gave a cold snort and cut him off.
“Teacher Su, are you questioning our physical education standards, or our professional integrity?”
As Songyang High School’s ace physical education teacher and star promoter, Wang Hai wasn’t the least bit afraid of Su Haifeng.
“If you have an issue with the score, then file an application for a review.”
“But I can tell you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Zhang Yu’s score; it is 145.”
“His physical strength has not only reached level 1.25, which already puts him at the top of his grade, but the structural proportions of his entire body are also absolutely outstanding.”
“With the foundation he’s laid, his physical strength is certain to increase in the future. He’s bound to be a leading figure in this year’s class, and it’s not out of the question for him to participate in athletic competitions.”
Athletic competitions, much like magic power competitions, involved contests with content that far exceeded the high school curriculum.
Achieving a sufficiently outstanding result in one would not only earn a large cash prize but also provide an advantage in university interviews and even grant bonus points on the college entrance exams.
And as the school that had produced a city-wide athletics champion, Songyang High School had always held a certain advantage in these competitions.
Hearing Wang Hai’s high praise for Zhang Yu, Su Haifeng was even more astonished. Ignoring the unfriendliness in the other man’s tone, he pressed,
“But hasn’t he been skipping physical education for the past three weeks? How did his score improve so much?”
Hearing this, Wang Hai’s old face flushed red, and he paused for a moment before explaining, “Zhang Yu is different from ordinary students. He has his own path of development and knows how he needs to cultivate.”
Since Zhang Yu is a Golden Core disciple, what need does he have for my guidance? Wang Hai thought, then continued aloud,
“It was precisely because I recognized this that I left him to his own devices in physical education.”
“Never mind him managing himself during class; he could skip it entirely from now on, and it would be fine.”
“This is what it means to teach according to the student’s aptitude.”
After ending the call with Wang Hai, Su Haifeng still found it somewhat unbelievable. Was Wang Hai really talking about Zhang Yu? That poor wretch?
After frowning in thought for a moment, Su Haifeng made another call.
“Hello? The monthly exam results are out. Zhang Yu is third in the grade, his score is…”
After reporting the score, Su Haifeng sighed and said with some awkwardness, “I have to admit, my judgment of Zhang Yu was completely wrong.”
“With a performance like this, it would be completely normal for the school to offer him a B-tier, or even an A-tier, contract.”
“That won’t be my responsibility, then. I expect someone from the student council will approach him in a couple of days.”
A man’s voice came from the other end of the line: “I understand. Do what you can to delay the student council for me. I’ll try another way.”
Su Haifeng replied, “You know how that bunch from the student council is. I can’t delay them. Whatever you’re going to do, you’d better do it fast.”
…
Six-thirty in the morning.
The entrance to Songyang High School was already bustling with students arriving for class.
And as Zhang Yu neared the school gate, he saw that the monthly exam results had been updated on the giant screen at the entrance.
Student privacy, psychological burden… such things naturally didn’t exist at the Songyang High School.
Not only were the results harshly displayed on the big screen at the entrance, but the scores for the entire class were also posted on the door of every classroom, and even the electronic screens in the cafeteria constantly scrolled through the rankings.
Even when Zhang Yu went to the restroom, he could hear the broadcast discussing the monthly exam, praising students with high total scores and great improvements while simultaneously insulting those whose scores had dropped or were low.
The Songyang High School prided itself on having no blind spots, no privacy, and maximum psychological burden.
“…Fellow students, today we would like to offer a special congratulations to student Zhang Yu of the first-year model class.”
“Student Zhang Yu has leaped from his previous rank of tenth in the grade all the way to third place this time, with a total score of 620—a full 70-point increase, which can only be described as a quantum leap in progress…”
After using the restroom, Zhang Yu listened to the broadcast while washing his hands and couldn’t help but nod to himself.
“The school’s widespread publication of the results does have its positive aspects; there’s certainly some merit to it.”
When Zhang Yu walked into his classroom, he was met with the stares of many people, their gazes sweeping over him from time to time, their eyes filled with all sorts of different emotions.
Qian Shen looked from Zhang Yu to Bai Zhenzhen, their scores of 620 and 651 floating before his eyes, eclipsing all the other students around them.
Just as I thought. Besides Bai Zhenzhen, this Zhang Yu will also be my rival for all three years of high school.
Qian Shen felt as if he could already see the next three years unfolding: the three of them clashing, competing fiercely in a contest too close to call, and ultimately all getting into a top-tier university together.
He was fired up!
He eagerly took out his Talisman Tome and immediately began studying talismans again.
Talismans are my best subject, but I only scored an 80 this time. I have to practice more!
Meanwhile, He Dayou’s expression was grim as he looked over his own scores.
A total score of 603.
Fifty points in martial arts…
The 50-point martial arts score was so jarring that he felt his blood boil, and he wished he could smash the desk before him to smithereens with a single punch.
It was obvious that his consecutive defeats at Zhang Yu’s hands, coupled with two clumsy performances where he was instantly defeated, had caused his martial arts score to drop this low.
This made a trace of killing intent surface in his eyes as he looked at Zhang Yu.
However, as the son of a school director, he ultimately suppressed the impulse.
Every poor wretch is a valuable resource for the school. How could I make a move against one?
No point in getting angry. Besides, the student council has probably already set its sights on Zhang Yu by now, right?
We’re not even in the same race. I can’t let him break my concentration; I need to focus on my own improvement.
He Dayou activated his heart art, allowing his emotions to slowly calm.
He had figured it out: he and Zhang Yu weren’t competing on the same path at all, so he shouldn’t let the other boy affect his state of mind and, consequently, his grades—like this 50 in martial arts.
In the end, increasing my own strength and assets is the true path.
My Daoist arts score was 90 this time. Even though it’s already one of my strengths, there’s still room for improvement.
At this thought, He Dayou took out his Talisman Tome and, ignoring everything around him, began to study with intense focus.
Meanwhile, Bai Zhenzhen tilted her head as she looked at Zhang Yu, thinking, Could Yu-boy have been lying low all this time, pretending for four months just to stun everyone now?
No, that’s not right. He shouldn’t have that kind of ability.
Don’t tell me Yu-boy is like me… and he’s unlocked his own cheat, too?