Between people, joy and sorrow.
are not shared.
So rejoice madly for scoring 36.
Others feel lost over a score of 98.
And the person who scored 109 had already stood with hands behind his back.
Under the setting sun, Li Zheng arrived at the little garden bench they once snuggled on.
"I anticipated this mont, just didn’t expect it to co so soon."
Li Zheng, with his back to Lin Yujing who was silently sighing over her test scores, grew taller in stature, his speech more ethereal.
"So-called arch-enemies for a ga."
ans just that my fate with you is to keep watching my retreating figure as it moves further away in this lifeti."
"You stand at this end of the path, watching gradually disappear around the bend."
"Watching silently tell you with my back:
"No need to chase."
Li Zheng had just finished speaking and was about to beco sentintal when a knee ca forward, forcibly sitting him down on the bench.
Lin Yujing humd deeply, "I was reading this about father-daughter when you hadn’t even learned basic arithtic."
"Is that the principle?" Li Zheng turned his head, earnestly persuading, "You should just steadily and flatly lie down; look at Xiangye, isn’t she happy?"
"It’s exactly her deanor that started to scare ..." Lin Yujing bowed her head and clenched her fists, "Just a slight relaxation... and I’m already 10 points behind... and Gu Jianfeng... I can’t comprehend how formidable he is now, just like Zhang Xiaoke watching us..."
"So, you should lie down."
"You lie down if you want," Lin Yujing turned her head sharply, her expression serious, "Starting today, I’m really going to start studying."
"What was before then?"
"Glancing carelessly," Lin Yujing said as she stood up, "Not waiting for you, I’m heading back to Jijing first."
"Starting to prepare for university?" Li Zheng also stood up.
"Hmm." Lin Yujing turned back, looking straight at Li Zheng, "I used to take first place casually, never really felt anything about being first, but now that I’ve lost it, I realize I want to be first more than anyone."
As she spoke, her fists tightened even more.
"It’s not that I don’t care at all... I refuse to be anyone’s vassal..."
"If I can’t be first easily and breezily, then I’ll give it my all to be first."
At those words, her voice suddenly softened, slowly bowing her head.
"I’m not cute at all like this, am I... Xiangye says boys hate this..."
"Everyone prefers the um um um um lying down and acting dumb look, right..."
"Sorry, that’s just how I am, not cute at all..."
"Aren’t you going to say sothing..."
"Not talking ans you agree that I’m not cute?"
"Um um um, getting angry now!"
It took a hit from Lin Yujing for Li Zheng to realize it.
He looked at the unwilling Lin Yujing, not feeling pity at all but rather energized, even his breathing grew heavy.
"This is more like it." Li Zheng slowly placed his hands on Lin Yujing’s shoulders, "Worthy of being the one I like, lying down flat like that would be too boring."
"..." Lin Yujing quickly dodged, "I told you, don’t suddenly say things like that..."
"Since we are going to university soon, being not cute is just fine," Li Zheng said seriously. "It’s ti to go the sexy route, how about starting with two sets of lab coats?"
"They’re going to be issued anyway..." Lin Yujing leaned her face forward a bit, "Anyway, I’ll be going into seclusion for a while... See you in university,"
"?!?!," Li Zheng’s face turned fierce, "It’s only the end of March! 5 months without seeing each other?"
"Hmm..." Lin Yujing clenched her eyes and cursed with a trembling voice, "You guys are so heartless! It’s like this, and it still won’t affect the studies... I can’t calm down being with you... Scum Chap!"
"Sorry..." Li Zheng tremblingly raised his hand to his forehead, "Charisma, I can’t control it either."
"Go, go, go!!" Lin Yujing turned around, "Then I’m leaving, don’t want to say goodbye to them, don’t want to explain..."
"I definitely support dedicated studying," Li Zheng stepped forward, grabbed Lin Yujing’s shoulders, "but do we really have to wait until university to see each other again?"
"Yeah."
"Alright then," Li Zheng slowly let go of his hand, "Even though I hope to keep you beneath , I swear to defend your determination to rise above —until Ji University then."
[Lin Yujing]
[Academic Power: 318]
May you return with an Academic Power exceeding four hundred.
However, Lin Yujing did not leave imdiately.
She stamped her foot forcefully after standing in place for a long while.
"Hmm? Is there sothing you can’t let go of?" Li Zheng asked.
"Figure it out yourself!" Lin Yujing scolded shyly with her head down.
This ti, Li Zheng didn’t think, he just instinctually felt sothing.
"So... you an I..." Li Zheng swallowed, "can absorb now."
"...Yeah."
Li Zheng’s eyes widened, and he pulled Lin Yujing back.
"I’ve optimized the rhythm, it’ll definitely be better this ti!"
What followed was an imnsely long deep breath, as if trying to inhale the air needed to run 5 kiloters in one go.
Five minutes later, Li Zheng returned to the hotel, just in ti to et Gu Jianfeng and Lin Xiangye who were waiting for him.
"Eh? Where’s Sister Jingjing?"
"She didn’t run off, did she?"
"No," Li Zheng wiped his mouth, a fully contented sigh escaping him, "She just woke up."
As he said that, he even belched satisfactorily.
...
At the closing ceremony two days later, Li Zheng finally got to stand on the award podium as he wished, flanked by Xu Bingyi and Gu Jianfeng, who were third-place finishers.
Only then did he realize Xu Bingyi was actually a girl.
If she hadn’t been at this competition, she might have beco the first female to win a national championship in the math Olympiad.
However, this girl did not have the sa strong desire to win as Li Zheng and Lin Yujing, though her personality was sowhat similar to Gu Jianfeng’s, having made it through with a mix of laughs and giggles.
Perhaps, that is truly how a math grandmaster should be.
Yet, when the heavyweight guest of honor for the awards took the stage, Li Zheng realized that not all math grandmasters were necessarily like this.
Each competition’s closing ceremony always features a grandmaster to award the top ten as a ans of showcasing stature and, also as a passing of the torch.
But the research circle is small, and aside from tis like Chem Competitions inviting a Nobel laureate like Xu Youyou, most award-presenting academicians are actually not very well-known outside their circle.
For instance, this session’s guest of honor, Shen Yuecen, although a mber of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, forr chairman of the Chinese Mathematical Society, and head of the Mathematics Research Institute at Jijing University, wasn’t really known by many.
But once you et him, you’ll definitely rember him.
From his titles, it’s clear that he should have surpassed the retirent age, yet he doesn’t seem much older than Chen Hongbing.
Shen Yuecen, both his stature and countenance as sharply defined as if carved with a knife, walked with more vigor than younger n and spoke with a powerful, clear voice.
This ti, Li Zheng felt what it truly ant to be imposing without anger.
Of course, what truly shocked Li Zheng was his Academic Power Value of 5007.
That was the limit he had encountered so far.
It might also be the existing human limit...
Starting with the tenth place, Shen Yuecen diligently hung dals, shook hands, and maintained just the right polite smile throughout.
When it was Konoplev’s turn, he even smoothed the man’s long hair laughing a bit, causing him to feel sowhat embarrassed.
When it ca to the third-place winner Xu Bingyi, Shen Yuecen nodded seriously as they shook hands.
"It’s not easy being a woman in this field, requiring you to bear greater pressure," Shen Yuecen showed so respect, "You’re doing well. Keep it up and aim for better results at the IMO."
"Thank you, Teacher Shen!" Xu Bingyi, overwheld by the honor, covered her mouth and nodded repeatedly, almost crying.
Then, Shen Yuecen walked up to Li Zheng.
His face had been wearing a perfectly decent smile, but the mont he saw the na tag on Li Zheng’s chest, it suddenly stiffened.
In a very short ti, his eyebrows visibly furrowed deeper.
"Why are you so lively…" Shen Yuecen really couldn’t suppress the displeasure in his eyes.
The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.
In the context of the older generation, "lively" equated to being handso.
So, was Academician Shen… displeased because of his exceptionally outstanding appearance?
This made Li Zheng feel utterly dejected.
I… I can’t help it…
He felt as though he was back in the early days of the Chem Competitions, judged by his appearance at the scene.
A nearby teacher from the Competition Committee hurriedly tried to smooth things over,"Teacher Shen, don’t just look at Li Zheng’s appearance. In five major competitions, two first places and three seconds, he has truly created miracles."
"I know." Shen Yuecen nodded slightly. Although he still couldn’t suppress the displeasure in his eyes, he reluctantly hung the dal on Li Zheng, "But such lively and outstanding individuals are few, and they haven’t left with any good impressions."
Li Zheng didn’t dare to say much. After hanging the dal, he stiffly raised his hand to shake hands with Shen Yuecen, "Then I… will try hard… to make up for it…"
"Don’t mind it, I was being empirical," Shen Yuecen squeezed out a forced stiff smile, "For all outstanding young people, I have only one hope—that they stay in the country."
"That’s for sure, Teacher Shen," the nearby teacher from the Competition Committee said eagerly, "I don’t know if you’ve kept up with Yellow 2, but Li Zheng has already had experience in the aerospace sector and won’t be going abroad in the future."
Shen Yuecen rely twisted his mouth into a smile, nodded again at Li Zheng, and then walked over to Gu Jianfeng.
Li Zheng was still lost in his dejected thoughts.
The Competition Committee teacher quickly patted him, advising, "Teacher Shen ant no harm… don’t take it to heart…"
"It’s fine, it’s fine..." Li Zheng waved indifferently, "Being judged by appearance, I’ve grown accustod to it. Maybe it’s really my fault... a mistake that cannot be corrected, a mistake that can only go on..."
"Ah..." the teacher from the Competition Committee harshly scratched his head, "Whether Teacher Shen had any ill intentions, I don’t know… but now I suddenly feel very ill towards you…"
At the center stage, Shen Yuecen had already hung the dal around Gu Jianfeng’s neck.
"I’ve reviewed your exam paper, it’s impeccable, exquisite, a marvel that astonishes the heavens." As Shen Yuecen shook hands, he clapped a shoulder, "You could beco a world-class figure. Youth is short, and no one is perfect; a bit of squandering is inevitable, but wild extravagance should never happen. If you ever face any troubles or difficulties at Ji University, feel free to co to ."
"Ah…" Gu Jianfeng was directly dumbfounded.
Li Zheng, on the other hand, was grinding his teeth even harder.
This evaluation disparity was just too vast!
I, Li Zheng, have never been inferior to others.
I’ve noted down today’s score!
Biding my ti.
Now with only these slightly over 1000 Academic Power, facing a scholar faction five tis mine and judging by appearance, I can only bide my ti.
When my Academic Power breaks through, and I collect the Fields, Nobel, Pulitzer, and Oscars,
I will definitely return your identical twisted smile!
All the way until he sat back down in the second row, Li Zheng was still grinding his teeth.
Gu Jianfeng, anwhile, felt even more floaty, swaying left and right, almost as if he was about to bubble up, "Wow... Academician Shen is really nice… not pretentious at all... I wonder if he still teaches..."
"Right, right..." Xu Bingyi floated over as well, covering his face, "And so handso, so handso... It’s over, it’s over… He’s an old man… how co I’m falling for an old man..."
Gu Jianfeng turned his head, "Terrible, is it the feeling of falling in love?"
"Yes!!! So terrible!!"
"No way... That’s just the charisma of a true mathematician..."
"I can’t take it anymore, stop talking... I can’t handle it..."
Watching the two of them, Li Zheng grew even more infuriated.
This damn double standard.
Don’t they look in the mirror?
Why just have an issue with ?
You’d better live a long life, waiting for when my Academic Power surpasses yours.
In order to alleviate his emotions, Li Zheng promptly brought up the system page.
[Five Subjects Scholar: During the high school stage, collect the national gold dals from competitions in the five major subjects.]
[Task Progress: 5/5↑]
[Task Completed!]
[Reward Obtained: General Knowledge Reconstruction]
[General Knowledge Reconstruction: Break through the barriers of academic language, integrate and reconstruct knowledge from various fields into a unified general knowledge, greatly compress mory content (98% ), and significantly enhance mory ability (500% ).]
Whoosh!
Li Zheng shivered.
He didn’t feel that the world was any different.
So, in the ti that followed, he chose to bury his head in his studies.
Still studying "History," which contains a vast amount of content to rember.
With maximum efficiency, in re minutes, he finished reading the newly purchased electronic version of "Outline of National History" (Qian Mu classroom edition).
At this ti, the speech by the leader on stage was still ongoing.
Li Zheng then handed his phone to Gu Jianfeng: "Here, ask anything about the stuff ntioned in it."
Gu Jianfeng glanced down: "Are you morizing history?"
"Sort of, but not really." Li Zheng chuckled, "It’s just an ordinary photographic mory."
"You weren’t stimulated by Academician Shen, were you...?" Gu Jianfeng looked at Li Zheng sowhat worriedly, "I really didn’t feel any malice, maybe you just look like his enemy? Perhaps Academician Shen had so stories when he was young..."
"Stop, that’s two different things." Li Zheng raised his hand, "Don’t blabber, just ask."
"Alright..." Gu Jianfeng looked down and randomly swept through the pages, stopping decisively at a page full of numbers. He then asked, "In the eighth year of Tianbao era, what was the storage capacity of the Righteous Warehouse in Longyou?"
"............."
"Hmm? Photographic mory?"
"Not... that’s a bit too much..."
"So you roughly recall the order of magnitude?"
"Hmm... I rember it was ntioned during the discussion on transport... There was a chart from the eighth year of the Tianbao era... Guan Nei, Hebei, and Hexi are major warehouses, with Righteous Warehouse capacities around... 5 to 20 million stones, and Longyou is a smaller warehouse, so the Righteous Warehouse there was about two to three hundred thousand stones?"
"Not bad... very close..." Gu Jianfeng, quite surprised, showed the table to Li Zheng, "How long have you been morizing this book?"
"Didn’t I say already, it’s just an ordinary photographic mory." Li Zheng waved his hand, "Ask another one, sothing conceptual."
"Hmm..." Gu Jianfeng flipped through and asked, "Compare the national power of the Two Hans."
"Wow, that’s a long one... The national power of the Eastern Han overall was not as good as the Western Han, starting from the capital... and then comparing the population, taking the household numbers of Guanzhong and Sanfu..."
After listening for a while, Gu Jianfeng’s look gradually beca vacant: "I... I’m not good at humanities... After you said the Eastern Han is inferior to the Western Han, I didn’t catch a single word..."
"Too bad, history is quite interesting." Li Zheng took his phone back, then purposefully searched for a biological paper to read.
Biology was probably his weakest subject. Before the national competitions, he had tried reading postgraduate-level papers, which were tough to understand; picking them up now, what had previously been incomprehensible concepts and processes naturally made sense, although it was unclear why, it must be sothing commonly explained in physics and chemistry.
As for mory, just skimming it like this, he almost rembered it perfectly.
After the Five Subjects Scholar, although he didn’t feel any sudden change, there indeed was a manifold increase in both rote morization and grasping new knowledge.
So...
It was about ti.
Lin Yujing knew to retreat and train.
I, Li Zheng, it’s also about ti to officially battle across the Scholar Faction continent.
But before that.
In this mundane high school life, he still had one thing on his mind.
The college entrance examination was approaching.
Wondering, how well my ’Dog Disciple’ was prepared.
He must be missing terribly by now.
Reviews
All reviews (0)