"Let me introduce myself. My name is Yan Hong!"
Yan Hong wrote her name on the blackboard.
"I was originally the homeroom teacher of Class 3 and taught language arts. From now on, I will also be the homeroom teacher of the Elite Class."
"We will spend the next year together. I hope everyone has a pleasant year."
"Clap, clap, clap!!"
Jiang Tao took the lead in applauding, and the classroom erupted in applause.
After Yan Hong finished speaking, she turned on the projector.
"The Elite Class brings together the fifty best students at our No. 2 High School."
"You will receive the best teaching resources, with every subject taught by the best teachers."
"This is to ensure that your cultural studies grades improve steadily."
"Besides that, as Elite Class students, you will also receive three preferential benefits."
"First, Independent Martial Arts Rooms. Teacher Zhang has already told you about this. Only the top thirty in the grade can enjoy this benefit."
"Second, meals. When you eat Nutritional Meals in the cafeteria, you will receive a twenty-percent discount."
"Third, the Grade Scholarship. Only the top fifty in the grade ranking can receive scholarships."
"Ranks 50 to 35: 10,000 Xia Guo Bi!"
"Ranks 34 to 20: 20,000 Xia Guo Bi!"
"Ranks 19 to 11: 30,000 Xia Guo Bi!"
"Ranks 10 to 4: 50,000 Xia Guo Bi each!"
"The top three will receive 100,000 Xia Guo Bi each!"
"You heard correctly. Compared with the second year of high school, the scholarships have increased significantly. You will receive them at noon today."
A chart appeared on the projection, clearly displaying the three benefits and the scholarship amounts.
The moment Yan Hong finished speaking, discussions broke out in the classroom.
"The scholarship actually increased! I'm ranked thirty-first, so I can get 20,000 yuan. That's a huge sum!"
"Qi Ge, I can get 30,000 yuan! The school is really generous."
Jiang Tao looked excited as well.
Lin Qi's heart burned with excitement, and his mind began calculating furiously.
The benefits of entering the Elite Class were indeed not bad. Meals were twenty percent off. A nutritional meal cost 100 yuan, so he could save 20 yuan per meal and 40 yuan a day.
That was 280 Xia Guo Bi saved in a week, enough to buy two boxes of Qi and Blood Capsules. It was practically the same as earning money.
And there was the scholarship too. He was ranked forty-fifth, yet he could receive a 10,000-yuan scholarship.
That was equivalent to taking five sparring-partner jobs, allowing him to buy even more resources.
"Of course, don't get happy too soon."
"Entering the Elite Class does not mean you can rest easy."
Yan Hong poured cold water over everyone's excitement. Her expression turned stern as she swept her gaze across the class.
"Three weeks from now will be the Tianhai City High School Joint Monthly Exam. If you fall out of the top fifty in the grade, sorry, but you will have to leave the Elite Class and be replaced by another student."
"All the benefits you enjoy will be gone."
Quite a few students looked grave. Those ranked after thirtieth place, especially those around fortieth, were in the most danger and could be surpassed at any time.
Yang Lei had lost his former confidence, and anxiety and tension appeared on his face.
He had been in the top ten in Class 3, but in the Elite Class, he was at the bottom of the pack.
"As for those of you at the front, your goal is to climb higher. You must not only surpass your classmates."
"You must also compete with all Senior Three students in Tianhai City for higher rankings."
After Yan Hong finished speaking, her gaze swept over the top ten in the class, especially Qi Yuelin, Yu Jing, and Li Zhou, the top three.
Now, even the top thirty could no longer remain calm.
Especially the geniuses in the top ten. At No. 2 High School, they were the very best, but that might not be the case in all of Tianhai City.
Everyone was filled with a strong desire to improve.
In just a moment, everyone had raised their intensity.
"Very good. As Martial Artists, you must have the awareness to fight."
Yan Hong nodded in satisfaction.
"Class dismissed. Those who want to apply for a Genius Loan, come with me to get an application form."
Jiang Tao let out a breath. "Qi Ge, this is your chance. You have to seize it."
Lin Qi nodded. Chen Zichuan, someone he knew, came along as well. The two followed Yan Hong out of the classroom.
As the Senior Three Language Grade Group Leader, Yan Hong also had her own private office.
The ordinary office was only five or six square meters. After Yan Hong sat down, she took two forms from a black drawer and handed them over.
"Fill these out."
Lin Qi and Chen Zichuan sat on the sofa and began filling out the forms.
"You two, this isn't the first time you've filled out an application form."
"Both of your previous applications failed, but now that you've entered the Elite Class, there is a high chance that your Genius Loans will be approved."
Lin Qi and Chen Zichuan raised their heads at the same time and exchanged a glance.
Lin Qi had not expected the other boy to have gone through the same thing as him.
"The Genius Loan is specifically prepared for students from poor families like yours."
"Your family incomes have already been investigated, and there are no problems there. All that remains is your academic performance."
"Lin Qi, Chen Zichuan, your talent is not bad. You simply lack resources."
"Chen Zichuan, you improved from seventieth in the grade to fiftieth, rising twenty places."
"And Lin Qi, you're even more impressive. You jumped directly from one hundred and first to forty-fifth, improving by a full fifty-six places. That is especially astonishing and rare even in the history of our No. 2 High School."
Yan Hong sighed in admiration. Chen Zichuan looked up at Lin Qi again in surprise.
Lin Qi calmly stood up and submitted his application form.
"No matter how quickly I improved, I'm still only forty-fifth in the grade. There's nothing worth praising."
"Not bad!"
Yan Hong nodded approvingly, then added,
"After entering Senior Three, the Genius Loan process will speed up. It will take no more than half a month, and as little as a week, for the application to be approved."
"Okay!"
Soon, Lin Qi and Chen Zichuan left the office. Neither spoke in the hallway, but Lin Qi felt that they could now be considered acquainted.
Meanwhile, inside the office.
Yan Hong looked at the application forms and muttered to herself,
"Chen Zichuan has good talent. A Third-Class Genius Loan should not be a problem."
"But Lin Qi is a little strange. It feels like his talent may be even better. Has he accumulated enough to finally break through, or is this just a brief flash?"
"Lin Qi's progress over the past year has been obvious. Perhaps he is worth a Second-Class Genius Loan?"
With that thought, she opened her computer, typed away at the keyboard, and sent a document to someone.
Principal's Office
"Beep!"
Jiang Zhiguang, with his sturdy build, had not even brought the tea in his hand to his mouth when he saw the projected document.
After taking a quick sip, he clicked on the two projected application forms.
"Genius Loan application forms?"
"Chen Zichuan and Lin Qi."
Jiang Zhiguang quickly swept through the documents before stopping at one line: "Recommendation: apply for a Second-Class Genius Loan!"
"Recommendation?"
He smiled and muttered to himself,
"Why call it a recommendation? If they can apply for second-class, then naturally they should apply for a Second-Class Genius Loan. Whether it succeeds is one matter; whether they apply is another."
"Not just Lin Qi. Chen Zichuan should apply as well."
With that, he modified the application forms and sent them out again.
"Phew~"
After finishing everything, Jiang Zhiguang let out a breath and touched the brown flowerpot on his desk. There was still nothing but soil inside.
"When will our No. 2 High School produce a genius who awakens a special ability?"
"Even without a special ability, someone with sufficiently high talent would do."
"..."
Tianhai No. 2 Middle School Cafeteria, second floor
"Beep!"
"Payment received: 80 yuan!"
At the meal counter, Lin Qi swiped his student card, then carried his tray to an empty seat.
"It really is discounted. It used to cost 100 yuan per meal, but now it only costs 80."
Lin Qi smiled in satisfaction. One meal was practically the same as earning 20 yuan.
"Qi Ge, after we eat, come take a nap in my Martial Arts Room."
"From now on, you can train in my Martial Arts Room too. It's spacious enough, and the homeroom teacher said the school allows it," Jiang Tao suggested from across the table.
"Okay!"
Lin Qi did not refuse.
"Beep!"
His phone vibrated, and the screen lit up. Lin Qi picked up his antique smartphone.
It was a text message.
[Your Industrial and Commercial Card account ending in xxx received 10,000.00 yuan at 12:02 on September 8. Balance: 13,445.12 yuan.]
"The scholarship has arrived!"
Before you continue