Fake Scholar or Real Scholar? (Seeking reads and collections)

Chapter 2: Fake Ace or Real Ace? (Please Read and Favorite)

"Luo Yao, there you are. The results for the National Competition are out. Do you know your scores for the three subjects?" A female teacher with glasses walked in.

A gentle smile on her face, she grabbed a stool from the corner and sat down next to Luo Yao, completely unaware that the phone across from them was still on.

"Teacher Li." Luo Yao finally reacted upon hearing the familiar voice.

"I don't know. Once those exams are taken, they're over. They've become the past, nothing worth caring about." Luo Yao's face showed no expression, none of the nervousness typical of kids his age when seeing a teacher.

Watching this scene unfold, the livestream room buzzed with activity.

"This kid sure knows how to put on airs! Saying stuff like that at barely over ten years old—are you sure this isn't a scripted stream?"

"Anyone qualified to compete in the National Competition is no ordinary person!"

"No way, is this kid really a genius?"

"Saying something so arrogant, it'll be hilarious if he didn't win anything!"

"Three subjects' scores? That means he took math, physics, and chemistry competitions? Is he that impressive?"

The people in the livestream thought Luo Yao was just showing off, but without exception, no one chose to leave. They all wanted to see what would happen next.

Teacher Li seemed used to Luo Yao's attitude. She gave an awkward smile, pulled a blue folder from her briefcase, and took out three pristine award certificates.

"Congratulations. You got first place in the National Math Competition, Physics Competition, and Chemistry Competition! This is the first time in the country someone has won all three first prizes at once!"

Teacher Li handed the certificates to Luo Yao. After taking them, his face showed no trace of joy. He just glanced at the certificates, said "thank you," and left it at that.

The discussion in the livestream grew more heated.

"Wait, are you serious?"

"Ridiculous! This kid doesn't look like he's from the city, does he? How could he possibly win first prize in all three subjects at once!"

"The National Competition winners can be looked up. Wait for me, I'll go check!"

Prompted by someone, a few immediately went to search for the National Competition winner list, while others shared the livestream to bring in more people to watch!

Soon, those who went to check returned.

"Everyone, I found it! The latest National Math, Physics, and Chemistry Competition first prizes were all taken by the same person! His name is Luo Yao!"

"Luo Yao? I just heard Teacher Li call him that!"

"If this is real, he's not just some ace student—he's got to be a god of learning!"

"Didn't you hear that teacher? This is the first time in the country someone has won all three first prizes. This guy's definitely a prodigy!"

"Is there a photo? Looking at his home environment, it doesn't seem like the kind of place that produces an ace student!"

"Exactly! Kids in the city with all those resources can't even win first prize in all three subjects at once!"

"Could it be a mistake? Just a coincidence of names?"

Luo Yao had no idea he was being doubted.

He looked at Teacher Li, who seemed to have something to say but hesitated. With a little thought, he guessed what she wanted.

"Teacher Li came all the way here today to ask if I've chosen which university to go to, right?"

Hitting the nail on the head, Teacher Li's face flushed slightly.

She often felt she had no privacy around this half-grown kid; he always bluntly called out her thoughts.

Indeed, handing out certificates was usually done at school, but she was sent alone today to confirm his intentions.

The school administration had asked Luo Yao before if he wanted them to apply to good schools outside.

But he refused.

He didn't actually want to leave too early.

Too many people—it would disturb his studies.

That was also why he hadn't chosen to skip grades continuously. He wanted to control his own pace, not be arranged by others.

Middle school and high school courses were simple, and the teachers here didn't bother him, so he had extra time to read the books he wanted.

It was only recently, after mastering the knowledge he needed, that he started thinking about going to university.

Though he wasn't yet 17, the amount of knowledge he possessed already surpassed that of a high school student. When he attended class, the teacher would end up sitting in the audience listening.

Now, no teacher at the school dared to teach him anymore, because whenever they tried, he would point out their mistakes, making them realize their level was below his.

The school leadership in this small county wasn't very knowledgeable; the administrative team was cobbled together. As the saying goes, three cobblers with their wits combined equal Zhuge Liang. They put their heads together and came up with what they thought was the best solution—recommending Luo Yao for direct admission.

In Huaxia, only 47 high schools nationwide could recommend students for direct university admission, and unfortunately, their school wasn't one of them.

That path was blocked.

The school leadership talked to Luo Yao, suggesting he prepare early for the college entrance exam to save time and enter university faster.

But Luo Yao refused.

In his words, the college entrance exam was the path for ordinary people. He didn't need it.

So he had the school sign him up for the National Competition instead.

As long as he could place in the National Competition, he would also have a chance at being recommended for admission.

Luo Yao's high school was located in a small town, where all the teachers were second-generation educators, just going through the motions day by day.

They had never been involved in the National Competition and had no idea about the registration qualifications or procedures, but for Luo Yao's sake, the school administration made a special trip to a city high school over fifty kilometers away to seek guidance before finally getting him registered.

From the provincial preliminary to the provincial finals, Luo Yao had dominated everyone, all the way to the national finals.

Before heading to the national finals, the leadership of the key city high school even visited Luo Yao's home, hoping he would transfer to their school to continue his studies, but Luo Yao's goal was to attend a university outside the area—he didn't want to waste time bouncing between high schools.

In fact, Luo Yao's results had already caught the attention of admissions officers from several universities during the provincial finals.

They had contacted the leadership of Luo Yao's high school, hoping his teachers could communicate with him to prioritize their schools when choosing where to apply.

Normally, these admissions officers only appeared at the national finals to recruit and promote, but Luo Yao's performance was too tempting—he was a triple threat in math, physics, and chemistry!

Barring any surprises, he was likely to achieve outstanding results in the finals. To snatch up this talent, they set their sights on Luo Yao's homeroom teacher, Li Hong.

Now that the national finals results were out, it was time for Luo Yao to make his decision.

Tasked with a mission, Li Hong arrived at Luo Yao's home, certificate in hand.

Seeing that Luo Yao had already guessed her purpose, Li Hong got straight to the point.

"Luo Yao, look, Tsinghua University is an excellent school, and there's the Qian Lao Class. Their admissions officer promised that if you're willing to go, the scholarship would be five hundred thousand yuan."

Luo Yao's family wasn't well-off. With five hundred thousand yuan, it could drastically improve their living conditions. Li Hong believed this offer was one Luo Yao couldn't refuse.

Luo Yao didn't agree immediately. He looked at Li Hong, knowing she was saying this because the Tsinghua admissions officer had approached her.

Seeing Luo Yao silent, the viewers in the livestream grew anxious.

"Good heavens, a scholarship of five hundred thousand yuan! This guy's a true academic god!"

"Say yes already! That's Tsinghua! Not just any ordinary university!"

"I'm so stressed! The Qian Lao Class! That's the only engineering experimental class in the National Top-Notch Student Training Program for Basic Disciplines! Only genius-level people get in!"

"Damn! So this Luo Yao really got first place in all three national competitions—math, physics, and chemistry? That's insane!"

Just as the netizens were arguing, they heard that someone else seemed to have arrived at the Luo household.