Gaokao

It was only a little harder, nothing serious!

It should be done with a little more time.

So he quickly clapped his hands. "Forget it. I'll choose this topic!"

His interest in "problems that truly belonged to the forefront of mathematics" had been completely stirred at this very moment.

A topic that combined the two major fields of number theory and Algebraic Geometry was enough to make him excited just hearing about it.

If he could solve a problem like this, then the thirst for knowledge that had gone unsatisfied after being surrounded by all kinds of simple problems lately would surely be eased, right?

"Then let's begin!"

Meanwhile, in Liu Bin's office.

He picked up his briefcase, prepared the materials he needed for class, and then got ready to shut down his computer.

After pressing the shutdown button, Word asked whether he wanted to save the document.

It was the collection of thesis topics he had opened earlier. He had probably accidentally typed in a punctuation mark just now, which was why it asked him whether to save.

He clicked "Don't Save," and the shutdown process continued.

But just then, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed that he seemed to have accidentally copied and sent one of the topics he had previously prepared for himself from the topic collection to Xiao Yi as well.

It seemed to be a topic in the field combining number theory and Algebraic Geometry?

And it was especially difficult, involving the relatively obscure mathematical subject of anabelian geometry, so he had basically never looked at that topic.

But after checking the time, he decided to forget it and hurry to the classroom. At a university, a teacher being late to class counted as a teaching accident.

Besides, Xiao Yi probably would not happen to pick that topic out of so many options.

What were the odds of such a coincidence?

Time flew by.

Another month quietly passed.

And the Gaokao of 2020 was finally about to arrive.

June 5th.

During the evening self-study session of Science Class 3.

"Since the Gaokao begins on June 7th, and our school is one of the testing sites in the city, the campus will be closed starting tomorrow. First- and second-year students will stop attending classes, and tomorrow, you can choose whether to go home or remain at school."

At the podium, homeroom teacher Luo Penghua announced the news.

"Yeah!"

In an instant, every student in the class became excited.

This holiday was completely free. What student would not be happy about that?

But Luo Penghua quickly poured cold water on them. "Don't celebrate too early. Once your third-year seniors finish their exams, don't think you'll get to spend the summer before becoming third-years. The moment the Gaokao ends, you'll be third-year students too, and you'll have to follow the third-year schedule."

"Huh?"

The students who had just been bursting with excitement immediately deflated, their voices dragging out miserably.

Whether it was the ascetic lifestyle of third-year students or the fact that entering the third year meant the Gaokao was drawing much closer, both left them feeling melancholy.

"What's there to be melancholy about? These are things you'll have to face sooner or later. And don't run around playing during the next few days off. Tomorrow, I'll call the parents of anyone planning to go home. If you don't get home on time and secretly linger outside, I'll be calling your parents."

Hearing their homeroom teacher's warning, the students who had been entertaining little ideas about the upcoming break immediately gave up.

As a homeroom teacher, he understood students' thoughts all too well.

"Also, our classmate Xiao Yi will be taking this Gaokao together with your third-year seniors. He'll probably enter USTC in the second half of the year, so let's all offer Xiao Yi our blessings!"

At that moment, Luo Penghua brought up Xiao Yi.

Everyone present turned to look toward Xiao Yi's seat.

Xiao Yi still returned to the classroom for self-study during evening sessions. No matter what, he still liked staying with the class. The main reason he chose to go to the study room during the day was that he felt awkward studying mathematics in other teachers' classes.

"Hope Brother Xiao wins the Gaokao Top Scholar title!"

Chen Wei shouted, taking the lead. He startled both Xiao Yi and the whole class, but also snapped everyone into action.

Then all kinds of wishes for Xiao Yi to become the Gaokao Top Scholar rang through the classroom.

Second-year students did not yet have so many complicated thoughts. Upon learning that one of their classmates was about to leave, regardless of whether he was heading toward a better future, these still-young boys and girls offered their most sincere wishes.

Xiao Yi felt a faint warmth in his heart and said, "Thank you, everyone!"

"Don't just thank us. We've already said this much, so tell us—are you going to take the top scholar title or not?"

Chen Wei continued egging him on.

Xiao Yi smiled. "I will! I definitely will!"

"Awesome!"

Another round of cheers and applause erupted.

At the front of the classroom, Luo Penghua watched the scene with a smile. Sometimes, after spending so long with these teenagers, he felt as though he had returned to his own youth.

As for whether Xiao Yi could win the top scholar title, while the odds could not possibly be one hundred percent, it could be said that he had a very good chance—at least a better chance than the student from No. 1 High School.

Just like the final mock exam held for the third-years a week ago, where every middle school in Fei City had taken the same test. After the results came out, Xiao Yi still secured an unquestionable first place with scores far beyond everyone else's reach. Even english, which had previously been his weak subject and where he could only score around 130 or 140, had jumped straight to 148 in the last exam. The only points he lost were on the essay.

He seemed different with every exam. It was impossible not to wonder how this guy managed to research mathematics papers while also mastering all these high school subjects so thoroughly.

"Alright, alright, quiet down. Don't disturb the class next door. Continue with your self-study."

As Luo Penghua's words fell, the classroom quieted down, and all the students resumed studying.

Luo Penghua nodded in satisfaction.

He had noticed that ever since the students in the class learned Xiao Yi had been selected by the Gifted Class, most of them had become more hardworking than before.

Their grades in the most recent exams had begun to improve as well.

This probably counted as the influence Xiao Yi had left behind for their class before he departed.

He looked at Xiao Yi again.

As a teacher, he offered his blessings in his heart.

May your future be bright, and may you not betray your youth.

June 7th, 2020.

The annual Gaokao spectacle had arrived once again, and all kinds of Gaokao-related news once more flooded every media platform.

For this most important moment in the lives of more than ten million young people, society as a whole gave them the green light.

Outside Exam Room 4, Xiao Yi stood waiting for the exam to begin.

During the Gaokao, the examination room changed for every subject.

He just had not expected that his first exam would bring him back to this familiar Exam Room 4.

He had taken too many exams in this room.

Then let this room mark the first countdown before he left high school.