This is What I Want to Learn

A single monthly exam had allowed Xiao Yi to successfully "come clean" to his classmates: "I'm done pretending—I'm a top student."

Though in truth, he had revealed that fact long ago.

Of course, the news did not spread only through their class. With the release of the monthly exam results, Xiao Yi, as the top student in the grade, quickly became known throughout the entire grade as well.

A student who had suddenly shot up to first place in the grade, crushing everyone with a total score of 700 and leaving the second-place Shen Xing from Class 1 of Science Stream behind by 37 points.

For a time, Xiao Yi's name became the subject of discussion among students throughout the grade. Naturally, because he had appeared so abruptly, many students assumed he was a transfer student.

The kind who had originally studied at a good school elsewhere, but had to return to their hometown because the college entrance exam had to be taken where their household registration was located.

If he were not that kind of transfer student, how could he possibly have such ridiculously good grades?

But the problem was, they were only in their second year of high school!

There was still more than a year until the college entrance exam. Why would that kind of transfer student return now?

So it was quickly proven that Xiao Yi was not a transfer student.

Because the score sheet also displayed changes in ranking compared to the previous exam, and Xiao Yi's "+98" in that column stabbed viciously into the eyes of everyone in the grade.

That fully proved that he was not some transfer student, but a genuine dark horse.

Then, as people dug further, news that Xiao Yi was the student selected by the Gifted Class was finally cleared for release by the two Grade Directors and began to spread.

For a time, Xiao Yi was not only watched by his own classmates, but also by students from other classes.

Their second year of high school was not as tense as the third year, so these students still had the leisure to see for themselves what a super top student who could score 700 on a monthly exam and enter the Gifted Class looked like.

Naturally, Xiao Yi also received unanimous praise from the girls in every class.

"Don't be fooled by how unkempt and dorky he looks. The moment he starts studying, he becomes so handsome."

"So this is what a science-and-engineering guy is like? He looks so cool when he thinks! Ahhh, I'm falling in love with him!"

"I really want to know how he thinks when he studies. It must be something ordinary people like us can't even imagine, right? As a girl, I'm so jealous of guys like him."

"..."

"Get lost!"

Xiao Yi speechlessly shoved Chen Wei aside. "I still need to study!"

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm not done yet." Chen Wei teased, "During these past few breaks, I stood outside and carefully wrote down everything those girls said."

Then, imitating a girl's voice, he continued, "Oh my, our super top student is so handsome, so handsome! I really want to get to know him!"

Xiao Yi twitched his lips. So he was being sarcastic, huh?

He immediately shot back, "Are you jealous, kid?"

Chen Wei instantly bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "You're slandering me!"

"I'd be jealous of you? Even if I fell to my death by jumping from here, I still wouldn't be jealous of you!"

"They're just a few girls! If I weren't mainly focused on studying, then if I just dressed up a little, the girls chasing me would fill up our whole class!"

What a turnoff.

Xiao Yi gave him a disdainful look.

"What are you looking at?!" Chen Wei bristled again.

Xiao Yi picked up a sheet of scratch paper beside him, wrote something down, then handed it to Chen Wei. "Since you said you're mainly focused on studying, solve this problem."

"I'll solve it..."

Chen Wei glanced at the question.

What is the sum of the x-coordinates of all intersection points between the graphs of the functions y = 1/(x - 1) and y = 2sinπx?

In the end, "Uh, ahem, well, I'm going to the bathroom. We'll talk later."

With that, Chen Wei dashed off.

Xiao Yi let out a long breath. Finally, it was quiet around him.

From now on, whenever this guy came to cause trouble, he would just give him a math problem.

Lowering his head, he continued reading the Mathematical Analysis book in his hands.

Although he had only received this book that morning, and only three class periods had passed since then, he had already read more than half of it.

The reason was simple. Whether class was in session or not, he had been reading this book. On top of that, some of the knowledge in it had already been covered in high school mathematics, so he read through it very quickly.

As for why he could read this book during other classes, that was a "special authorization from the teachers."

Since the Gifted Class had already secured his future, his monthly exam results meant he basically did not need to worry about the college entrance exam, and Liu Bin also expected him to finish all undergraduate mathematics courses before officially enrolling, Xiao Yi had been granted the privilege of studying mathematics on his own in any class.

Just like that, after reading for three consecutive class periods, he had gotten this far through the book. He only needed one lunch break to finish it.

His school did not require students to take a lunch break, so he could study on his own even then and avoid wasting time.

After finishing this book, he would read Advanced Algebra, and then that Analytic Geometry book.

He should be able to finish all of them before tomorrow afternoon!

In fact, Xiao Yi read even faster than he had imagined. After the BUFF upgraded, his reading speed had increased by 20%, so before the final evening self-study period that day, he had already reached Analytic Geometry.

By the second class the next morning, he had finished the book as well.

Without pausing, he immediately began studying the fourth book, Abstract Algebra.

By now, he was deeply fascinated by this new knowledge.

This new knowledge was more profound than high school material and somewhat harder to understand—though to Xiao Yi, those difficulties were hardly worth mentioning. Still, it was far better than the high school material that had gradually begun making him drowsy.

Abstract Algebra in particular was not a thick book, but its difficulty was on an entirely different level.

According to Professor Liu, Mathematical Analysis might feel the hardest when one first began studying it, but in truth, its main challenge lay in changing one's way of thinking. They needed to shift away from the mathematical mindset they had developed in high school.

However, changing his way of thinking had never been difficult for Xiao Yi. In his view, aside from requiring more calculation than the other courses, Mathematical Analysis was basically not that hard to understand.

Only Abstract Algebra made him understand what Liu Bin had meant when he spoke of things that truly belonged to the forefront of mathematics.

"This is what I want to study~"

As Xiao Yi turned the last page of Abstract Algebra, he closed his eyes in bliss, as if experiencing a brain orgasm.