The frenzy of adulation and interviews persisted for several days.
These days coincidentally fell during the National Day holiday. High school seniors sporadically got three days off during this ti, and Zhao Yi stayed at ho studying diligently, with a large piece of paper hung on the door that read--
No Visits!
No Interviews!
Considerate neighbors and relatives did not step foot in the house upon seeing the notice. However, not everyone was so courteous, and people occasionally visited the house. Sotis, even reporters insisted on interviewing Zhao Yi.
Zhao Yi, after putting up with it a few tis, ran out of patience.
If it was a journalist from a major dia outlet intending to write a detailed story about him, he would have cooperated with the interview.
’100 Thoughts on Riding Sister’?
’Listen to Column’?
’West City Gossip Stories’?
What are these!
Later, he put up another large piece of paper with bold letters that read: Do Not Knock!
Then he locked the door.
His parents had keys, so they let themselves in and out, but he did not open the door for anyone else, no matter how persistently they knocked.
It beca quieter after that.
Any kind of popularity has a lifespan, even for a real celebrity. Over ti, if they are constantly out of the spotlight, their popularity wanes. Let’s not even ntion the ’computer genius’.
Most people didn’t care.
As the National Day period drew to a close, the sight of journalists beca scarce.
Zhao Yi was constantly consud with his studies.
After several days of wrestling with physics problems, he felt nauseated. He was stumped by so questions and could only seek help from Sun Liang. Later, he simply decided to review chemistry and biology.
Compared to the mind-bending subjects of math and physics, chemistry and biology seed tedious.
A lot of experints.
Innurable nuggets of information.
At the high school level, it’s hard to say how complex chemistry and biology really are. In reality, most questions are about information accumulation, even filling blanks and major experintal questions fall into this category.
For instance, in chemistry, there might be a question asking you to write the actual molecular formula based on a molecular structure diagram.
’Knowing an answer’ corresponds to the level of ’counting’ in kindergarten plus the skills acquired in the first and second grades of elentary school.
’Not knowing an answer’ simply ans losing points.
Biology is similar.
The nas and functions of materials inside cells, the process of plants producing seeds and embryos, the combination of genes and chromosos, and so forth.
Most questions are about accumulation of knowledge points, and as long as you know all the knowledge points, you are sure to score well.
Of course.
These two subjects also have difficult questions too.
So questions about chemical reaction equations can be quite mind-boggling. A minor change in an experint can significantly impact the results, so it’s crucial to approach such questions with utmost concentration.
Zhao Yi’s study thod was rote learning.
He took out the chemistry and biology textbooks and read them one page at a ti, one word at a ti.
Then he read them again.
Then he read them again...
In short, he kept on reading, striving to morize everything. Coupled with the teacher’s explanation during classes, his scores were bound to improve.
This process was rather ti-consuming.
Without a better thod, all he could do was read and rember patiently.
In his spare ti.
Between study sessions, Zhao Yi would surf the internet, play gas, or simply log into Penguin Number to check it out.
There was a new group on Penguin Number: Computer Technology Exchange Group.
The na of this group was rather awkward, it seed like it was started by university students who casually pulled in their roommates and classmates. Initially, they would really exchange computer-related information.
But soon enough, it would devolve into casual chats, gaming, gossip, and eventually the group would fall silent and turn into a dead group.
The majority of groups like these followed the sa pattern.
Zhao Yi clicked on the ’Computer Technology Exchange Group’, glanced at the profiles of the group mbers, and beca slightly unsettled.
There were only about twenty people in the group, but all of them seed quite impressive!
To summarize--
There were several researchers from different types of computer labs, including one with the title ’Professor’.
There were also two university lecturers.
The others included a technical departnt manager and employees of advanced tech firms abroad, etc.
Zhao Yi opened his own group profile, hesitated for a long ti, then wrote down one line--
Zhao Yi, Senior at Zhengyang No.13 Middle School.
Then, he quietly lurked.
Lay low!
The topics of conversation in the group were indeed a mixed bag. Every day, the topics that were opened up were typically related to various problems encountered in the group mbers’ work or research--
Encryption algorithms.
Network design.
Telecommunication transmission materials.
And so on.
Zhao Yi spent several days as the ’Lurking King’, only to realize with growing embarrassnt that he wasn’t able to grasp many of the topics discussed.
One guy, Zhang Junlei, who was labeled as a researcher from the ’Intelligent Technology and Systems Lab’, was the vocal champion of the group, churning out the most ssages each day.
But.
This guy was truly sothing!
He could continue the conversation about ’network design’ from the previous group mber, proposing that ’chain designing is inferior to covering screen, and all that needs to be done is to improve the algorithm’. In the next mont, he would bring up ’CDMA technology, which, though it seems quite formidable now, its theory has been in developnt for a long ti, and it might simply be the transition to the next era’.
From network security to 3G communication?
Isn’t the topic switching too quickly!
Zhao Yi realized that not only did he fail to comprehend so of the content, he also couldn’t keep up with the speed of the conversation.
He thought about leaving the group.
Forget it!
He pulled out science practice tests. He’d just work through two sets of those to lay a solid foundation instead.
...
That’s how public opinion works.
Over ti, the fuss slowly died down.
So repercussions persisted though, such as the impending final round of the ’Youth Cup’ competition.
Nanjing’s satellite and education channels would air trailers for the final twice a week.
The trailers were always the sa.
But during National Day, the latter part of the trailer changed. In the introduction about Zhengyang No.13 Middle School, an addition read, ’a computer genius who cracked Mac’.
Footage of Zhao Yi sitting in front of a computer, explaining to technicians, was included in the trailer.
"No kidding! I look pretty handso! I didn’t realize it myself!" Listening to Zhao Linlin talking about the new scenes in the promotional video, Zhao Yi modestly intervened, an earnest look on his face.
"Such thick skin!" scoffed Lin Xiaoqing.
Zhao Linlin laughed softly, "With this, it seems like our school’s introduction is all about promoting you."
Suddenly, Sun Liang chid in, "I was getting mad just looking at it. Swap it for my photo, it would be way better than his."
Hu Tianyan, who was showing off her long legs, squinted at Sun Liang and unusually spoke up, "You’re worse!"
"Yeah, with that monkey face."
"Like the TV station would show your photo. You didn’t even participate in the qualifiers."
The girls all began to chatter among themselves.
Sun Liang almost spat blood from anger. He had just co over to throw in a complaint and indirectly remind others that he too was part of the final competition team.
But no one cared.
The new trailer from Nanjing TV Station did serve a purpose.
There were a lot of reports on Zhao Yi lately.
’High school computer genius’, ’cracked Mac’, ’received a million prize money’, these were all eye-catching titles. These days, many people online are still talking about it.
When they found out that Zhao Yi was participating in the ’Youth Cup’ finals, it reinspired so attention to the event.
Many people started looking forward to Zhao Yi’s performance in the final.
The attention Zhengyang No.13 Middle School’s ’competition team’ received also increased. The morning before the final, journalists ca to school to conduct an early interview and filming of the team.
Wang Ping, the team leader, had planned to gather the team in the afternoon and head together to Jiangzhou.
To accommodate the interview, she had to call the competing students to gather at nine o’clock.
Wang Ping went around instructing them, "Get into your uniforms! If you didn’t bring one, borrow one."
Zhao Yi hadn’t brought his.
The requirent for wearing uniforms at No.13 Middle School was not strict, and it was especially casual for seniors. Unless it was a special day, there was no need to wear it if you didn’t want to.
Sun Liang wore a gloating smile on his face, he tugged at his own uniform with a sense of superiority, "I told you to wear your uniform."
"Sun Liang, you find one too!"
Wang Ping’s voice sounded again. "Your uniform is too dirty. It’s almost turned black. You’re going to be on TV!"
"..."
With a look of grievance on his face, Sun Liang joined Zhao Yi in the search for a uniform.
Zhao Yi asked the nearby Class 6, "Any bros brought their uniform? Lend it to , I need it for the interview."
"Take mine!"
From the back row, Hu Tianyan, held out a folded uniform and handed it to Zhao Yi.
Zhao Yi took a deep sniff and teased, "Slls good!"
Hu Tianyan remained unchanged, just asked flatly, "Are you wearing it or not?"
Zhao Yi tried it on, "Seems a size too small for . But never mind, thank you, Hu, the big beauty."
Hu Tianyan nodded and walked away.
[Flirting, target: Hu Tianyan, study coins 2.]
The system reminder inford Zhao Yi that Hu Tianyan was not as cold as she seed.
All that was left was Sun Liang.
Sun Liang, being slightly self-conscious, couldn’t bring himself to yell in other classrooms as Zhao Yi did. So, he simply went back to Class 3 and copied Zhao Yi’s words, "Any bros can lend their uniform for the interview?"
The people in the class looked at him and imdiately turned their heads away.
Sun Liang felt hurt.
Zhao Yi looked back at Sun Liang, ripped off Sun Liang’s uniform in disgust and nearly threw it into the trash can, then nudged him toward the neighboring Class 4.
It worked wonders!
Sun Liang only had to call out once before he got a uniform.
Zhao Yi said sowhat disdainfully, "See, you really need to pay attention to your image. Don’t wear dirty clothes!"
The competition team consisted of six people: Zhao Yi, Lin Xiaoqing, He Ronghua, Sun Liang, Sun Li and Sun Jiali.
By the ti Zhao Yi and Sun Liang returned, everyone else was already there.
The interview process was mostly taking photos. The photographer requested the six of them to split into two groups. It wasn’t a big deal really, but they couldn’t decide even after discussing for quite so ti.
Zhao Yi ended the discussion in one sentence, "The three Suns can form a group."
"Three Suns?"
It took everyone else a mont to get it.
Sun Liang, Sun Li, and Sun Jiali all gave Zhao Yi unfriendly looks.
Lin Xiaoqing was laughing so hard she was clutching her stomach.
But it was just a joke.
Eventually, the photographer and the reporter consulted and quickly settled the grouping.
First group: Zhao Yi, Lin Xiaoqing, and Sun Jiali.
Second group: Sun Li, He Ronghua, and Sun Liang.
Everyone was confused about this grouping arrangent. But as soon as the photography session officially began, they quickly understood why.
The second group’s photo shoot took less than ten minutes.
The first group was photographed continuously as if in a photo album shoot. The photographer patiently directed their poses for better effects.
Under the shade of a tree.
"So, we’re being ignored?" Looking at the three people posing in the distance, Sun Li complained sourly.
Sun Liang chid in, "They’re like they’re shooting wedding photos!"
"Maybe it’s because we’re smart and cooperative, so we finished quickly?" He Ronghua provided a reason they could accept.
The other two nodded in agreent.
They’re too stupid; it must be that!
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