You really knew how to crush people.
At that moment, the vast majority of people present were ruthlessly complaining inwardly.
You could solve them just by thinking a little? Did your conscience not hurt saying that?
However, despite their complaints, when they carefully examined Xiao Yi's expression, it seemed that he was not pretending.
Every expression on his face showed that he really had solved those three questions over the past three days with just a little thought.
But they had used their brains too, so why could they not solve them?
Did that mean they had no brains?
The senior students present, whether Math Olympiad contestants or top-ranking academic elites in their grade, could not help but begin doubting themselves.
At that moment, Liu Bin finally moved.
He took a deep breath, making his gaze at Xiao Yi less fixed, then said to him again, "Student Xiao, what I mean is more or less the same as what Director Chen said. I'd like to invite you to join USTC's Gifted Class."
"Of course, your talent may not be fully demonstrated by just these few questions from the past three days. It might even be a little better than that."
"So the choice is entirely yours. For example, judging by the mathematical talent you've displayed, if you sign up for this year's Math Olympiad, perhaps by next year you could enter our National Math Competition Team and represent our country at the IMO. To be honest with you, an IMO gold medal should carry more weight than our Gifted Class."
Listening to Professor Liu, Xiao Yi began calmly analyzing the situation.
The effects of Ruthless Continuous Study were still active, and they could also help him assess his current circumstances.
Based on Director Chen's explanation of the difficulty of those three questions over the past three days, his long period of studying had clearly brought him to a level that his peers could hardly reach. Even questions more difficult than those of the IMO, the International Mathematical Olympiad, had become easy for him.
Looking at it that way, he could indeed attend USTC's Gifted Class.
But Professor Liu had also said that an IMO gold medal carried more weight than the Gifted Class. In that case, participating in the IMO would clearly be even better. Winning a gold medal did not seem like a problem for him at all, did it?
He had gained this kind of ability after studying for only so many days. By next year's IMO, he did not even dare imagine how strong he would be.
But just then, Liu Bin added, "Of course, if you join our Gifted Class, the greatest advantage for you would be saving an entire year of senior high school and entering university life earlier. At the same time, you could better put your talent to use and study deeper things—things that truly belonged to the forefront of mathematics—instead of these test-oriented education materials you're studying now."
"Your talent shouldn't be wasted here."
Liu Bin's words immediately made Xiao Yi's eyes light up.
That was right!
Entering the Gifted Class would let him save a full year of senior high school!
And now, Xiao Yi knew full well how important time was to him.
To be fair, he had already realized that what teachers taught in class no longer held any meaning for him. With his current ability, he could fully grasp the material simply by reading textbooks and using the extended knowledge in supplementary materials. If he encountered deeper concepts while solving problems, he could handle them through his own deductions alone.
So the eight classes he attended every day were actually slowing his learning progress. Only the three evening self-study periods were when he could truly improve rapidly.
At the same time, Liu Bin's mention of "things that truly belonged to the forefront of mathematics" caught his attention. What exactly were those frontier areas of mathematics?
He thought of a mathematical problem widely known throughout China: the Goldbach Conjecture.
He had looked into it before. It was called a pearl on the crown of mathematics, a problem that had baffled the mathematical world for centuries and remained unsolved to this day.
A problem like that should count as something at the forefront of mathematics, right?
But at that moment, the bell signaling the start of evening self-study suddenly rang. Hearing it, Xiao Yi instinctively panicked.
Memories embedded in his student DNA told him that if he did not return to the classroom now, he would be finished.
After all, tonight was his homeroom teacher's evening self-study session!
His homeroom teacher would personally come to the classroom to supervise it.
However, leaving aside Liu Bin, Chen Liang definitely would not let Xiao Yi go back now. They had only just managed to find him.
Chen Liang looked at the senior students still gathered around watching, glared, and scolded, "What are you still standing around for? Hurry back for evening self-study. If you don't leave now, I'll write down every one of your names."
The senior students immediately scattered like birds and beasts, quickly returning to their classrooms.
Only Xiao Yi, the sole student, and a group of teachers remained.
Chen Liang turned to Xiao Yi and said, "Student Xiao, don't rush back to the classroom yet. I'll call your teacher... Forget it, I'll contact Qin Song directly."
Qin Song was the Grade Director for their sophomore year, and Xiao Yi knew that.
"As for you, have a chat with Professor Liu first. You can ask him some questions or whatever. This is a good opportunity. There are some things you can't come into contact with in high school."
What else could Xiao Yi say?
So he nodded, then followed Chen Liang and Liu Bin toward the teachers' office of the Senior Year Department.
As it happened, there were indeed some things he wanted to learn from Liu Bin.
Class 3 of Science Stream, Sophomore Year Department.
The bell for evening self-study had just rung, and the classroom fell quiet. Every student began studying seriously on their own.
After all, their homeroom teacher, Luo Penghua, was standing at the front.
Yet one empty seat stood out conspicuously.
Luo Penghua looked at that seat and frowned.
That seat... belonged to Xiao Yi, didn't it?
Evening self-study had already started. Where had that kid gone?
That was not right.
Ever since the start of this semester, he had noticed Xiao Yi becoming incredibly hardworking and serious. During morning self-study, while others might be dozing off, he could earnestly read and study. After evening self-study ended each day, the kid would remain in the classroom studying until nearly closing time.
Furthermore, he performed well in class. Whenever Luo Penghua called on him to answer questions, his answers were quite good. He had clearly learned a great deal, and Luo Penghua had been looking forward to how the kid would perform in next week's first monthly exam of the semester.
But where had the kid gone today?
He asked Xiao Yi's deskmate, Chen Wei, but Chen Wei said that he did not know either. He also said that Xiao Yi had returned to the classroom after dinner.
That made Luo Penghua frown even more deeply.
As the homeroom teacher, he naturally had to worry when a student went missing.
With that thought, he immediately took out his phone, intending to ask around. But just then, his phone began vibrating again.
The caller ID showed that it was Qin Song, their Grade Director.
He answered the phone and heard Qin Song say from the other end, "Penghua, what's going on with that Xiao Yi from your class? Director Chen Liang from the Senior Year Department said he wants me to bring you over there to pick up this student."
Hearing that Xiao Yi was at the Senior Year Department, Luo Penghua let out a sigh of relief, but then he became confused.
Why was Xiao Yi over there now?
"I don't know either."
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