Chapter 15

Just as Yue Bin had always considered him a snitch, Zhuo Yue could not stand Yue Bin's careless personality either—he clearly had the ability to score better, yet he insisted on wasting his energy on useless things. He even dared to spout nonsense about how studying was only a tool, that people should not be trapped by tools but learn to use them.

Sure enough, it was the arrogance reserved for the wealthy!

Zhuo Yue gripped his pencil tightly. How could a rich person like Yue Bin, who could spend tens of thousands on a camera just because he was interested in photography, possibly understand the feelings of people like them? Their families were so poor that they had to scrape together and borrow money everywhere just to pay tuition. Even after receiving an eight-thousand-yuan scholarship, they did not dare spend a single cent, instead taking all of it home to pay off debts.

Did he really think they did not know they could make money by selling notes?

But before making money, did photocopying notes not cost money? Did selling notes outside the school—or even across the country—not require channels and promotion?

Yue Bin and Zhang Yang made it sound so easy because they simply did not care about the money and effort required upfront.

But the study group could not afford that. They could only ensure their yearly rankings and secure scholarships every semester by giving it everything they had. They could only study themselves to the bone, earn scholarships, and help ease some of the pressure on their families.

Not everyone had the means to learn six foreign languages, drive, sail yachts, and attend the International Boy Scout Training Camp. Before they had such means, all they could do was cling tightly to the straw of studying and then find a way to change their fate.

Zhuo Yue took a deep breath and said quietly, "All right. Stop messing around and sit down. If we do not start studying now, evening self-study will really be over."

As he spoke, Zhuo Yue nodded at Lu Chi again. "Our study group has a habit: every day, one member spends half an hour explaining their study techniques and problem-solving approach to everyone. Since this is your first day joining the group and you do not know everyone well, our arrangement is for each of us to take ten minutes to explain the subject we are best at. You can ask any questions you have. After eighty minutes, we will start doing problems. If anything comes up while we work, we can keep discussing it. The main point is to give everyone a preliminary understanding of each other. Since we wasted some time earlier, we might have to stay until ten thirty, or even eleven, tonight. But do not worry about that. The study group has already spoken to the school, and our members are allowed to return to the dorms after the designated time. The staff at the gatehouse will leave the door open for us."

"Of course, everyone is clearly more interested in your study methods. After all, you are the legend who went from failing every subject to first in the year in just one month. If you do not mind, could we arrange for you to teach tomorrow?"

Lu Chi raised an eyebrow and replied with a smile, "Of course. No problem."

Chapter 15

Although everyone only had ten minutes to explain, they had all begun preparing carefully before Lu Chi joined. Since each person spoke about what they were best at, those brief ten minutes still benefited Lu Chi greatly.

The next evening, Lu Chi's portion also made everyone see him in a new light. Since most of Lu Chi's exam results relied on the sudden eruption of his Brain Domain Storm rather than the gradual accumulation of knowledge over time like the other students, his lesson focused more on how to memorize key knowledge points more accurately and firmly in the shortest amount of time. He also analyzed the mindset of the teachers setting the questions based on previous exam highlights, then tried to predict the questions...

In short, if the other members of the study group were all like the old oil seller who said, "Practice makes perfect," relying on daily and yearly revision and problem drills to maintain their rankings and lay a solid foundation, then Lu Chi's approach placed greater emphasis on personal talent and last-minute cramming before exams. Some people therefore felt that Lu Chi's methods were not very solid and seemed somewhat opportunistic.

But even if it was opportunistic, being able to go from failing to first in the year in such a short time was still an achievement that left the study group members willingly admitting defeat.

Lu Chi also admitted with a pleasant smile, "My study methods do rely quite heavily on shortcuts. Everyone's foundations are actually more solid than mine, and you have done more problems than I have. If you really tried to predict exam questions, you probably would not do much worse than me."

Lu Chi's modest attitude made the study group members feel much better. The bespectacled boy from before pushed up his glasses and said with a smile, "You cannot put it that way either. I think our study methods may be different, but we are all headed toward the same goal: better exam results. So it is hard to say whose method is truly better. Like in martial arts novels, some believe that 'under heaven, no martial art can defeat speed,' while others believe that 'a heavy sword has no edge; great skill appears simple.' You cannot say the latter is necessarily stronger than the former. Besides, you have the talent of Photographic Memory. If we were really competing in terms of foundation, we might not necessarily be better than you. After all, none of us could recite Zhang Yang's notes backward before."

After hearing the bespectacled boy's words, the other study group members finally let go of their reservations.

That was right. Lu Chi's study methods might rely more on shortcuts, but those shortcuts were built upon his talent for Photographic Memory. To explain it in martial arts novel terms, Lu Chi's Photographic Memory and the group members' academic foundations were both internal energy, while Lu Chi's last-minute cramming and question-predicting were sword techniques.

Internal energy was important, but sword techniques were indispensable as well. Only by cultivating both inside and out could they achieve more impressive results.

Yue Bin and Zhang Yang, sitting off to the side with no chance to join the conversation at all, listened expressionlessly to the group's incredibly chuunibyou "academic discussion." Inside, they mocked mercilessly, "Internal energy? Sword techniques? Since we have both internal energy and sword techniques now, why not call the new notes Mount Hua Sword Contest?"

Perhaps sensing their mockery, the study group, which had been discussing things with great enthusiasm, suddenly fell silent. The members, including Lu Chi, all turned their heads at once. Eighteen pairs of eyes settled eerily on the two of them, making Yue Bin and Zhang Yang shudder in alarm before instinctively forcing smiles onto their faces.

On Lu Chi's third day in the study group, the June monthly exams arrived as scheduled. After the two-day exams ended came Sunday, June 6, followed by the two days of the National College Entrance Examination on the 7th and 8th.