Chapter 10: Fight for These 100 Days, I'll Succeed
Xu Ming hadn't expected the Homeroom Teacher to do that, but after a brief moment of surprise, he calmly met everyone's gazes.
At that moment, he felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment emerge with vivid clarity.
His classmates were mostly just curious, whispering to each other, unable to resist discussing it quietly.
"I remember Xu Ming's Math scores were the same as mine during the final exams. How did he suddenly improve so much?" Yang Huijuan nudged her deskmate with her arm, trying to confirm her memory about the matter.
Chen Lu looked up and said, "Maybe he's been studying harder these past few days."
Remembering Xu Ming getting up at five, she confirmed her words were accurate, then continued to work on the difficult problems.
Wang Qingtao's attitude towards Xu Ming had already undergone a huge change; he was delighted to have found such a promising student.
"Tomorrow, I'll get a few more sets of test papers for you. Find some time to do them; you won't need to come to my office anymore," he said softly, turning back. Seeing that most of the students had returned to the classroom, he walked towards the podium.
Qian Hong didn't arrive just on time this time. After using the restroom earlier, he spotted the Homeroom Teacher through the window and voluntarily stood in the corridor for a while.
But upon hearing that Xu Ming's practice test score had become 130, his eyes instantly widened.
No way.
Is that even how it works?
As soon as the Homeroom Teacher stepped away, he immediately scurried back, his face practically pressed against Xu Ming's test paper.
"That makes no sense! Why did I only get eighty-something?"
Of course, he knew that Xu Ming had redone the test.
After all, on the day of the exam, Xu Ming had just broken up with Zhang Yingxin, so it was completely normal for him to not be in the mood to answer questions. But this current high score was genuinely a bit frightening.
They'd been deskmates for two and a half years; they knew each other inside and out.
"Does reviewing Math using your method really work, or did you secretly study hard during the winter break?" Qian Hong looked up, staring into Xu Ming's eyes as he asked.
Xu Ming retorted, "How about you try following my routine for a few days?"
Hearing this, Qian Hong immediately shook his head vigorously, his entire body seemingly rejecting the idea.
"Forget it, I can't get up that early. Vocational college isn't so bad anyway."
Seeing this, Xu Ming didn't push it. When the class bell rang, he re-entered his revision mode.
Anyway, his score was close to full marks, so there was no need to waste time listening to the Homeroom Teacher go over it repeatedly.
In a flash, the Elite Class's Evening Self-Study Session ended.
Inside the classroom, it was still Xu Ming and Chen Lu, staying until the very end.
Just as Xu Ming was packing his things, preparing to return to the dorm, Chen Lu surprisingly walked over to him.
"Xu Ming... how about you take the key from now on?"
Looking at the key in Chen Lu's palm, which had a small bunny charm attached, Xu Ming first froze for a moment, then smiled and shook his head.
"You keep this one. The Homeroom Teacher said tomorrow he'd give me the one from his office."
Yes.
Since his good grades had improved his relationship with the Homeroom Teacher, there was no reason not to take advantage of it. So, he had brought it up when the regular classes were dismissed.
"Oh, I see," Chen Lu replied.
But for some reason, as she took back the key, she felt a strange sense of disappointment.
However, it only lasted a few seconds before her expression returned to normal, and she made a point of saying goodbye when she left.
"See you tomorrow then."
"Mhm," Xu Ming nodded politely.
Li Wenhui had managed to hold back in class, ultimately refraining from looking at the test paper to question it.
Mainly because he hadn't spoken to Xu Ming for two days.
However, once back in the dorm, lying on his bed, he felt something weighing on his mind. If he didn't get to the bottom of it, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
So, when Xu Ming pushed the door open and entered, he blurted out:
"Xu Ming."
"I remember you handed in a blank paper, didn't you? How did the Homeroom Teacher say you scored 130 during Evening Self-Study Session?"
This topic, evidently, had become the day's hot topic in class, and his dormmates on the nearby beds also joined the discussion.
"I'm pretty curious too."
"That score is almost catching up to Chen Lu's."
Xu Ming glanced up at Li Wenhui, but then his gaze fell on the others. He sat on his bed, unlacing his shoes, and answered unhurriedly.
"My state was good tonight, so I just retook the test paper."
"So that's what happened." Li Wenhui was the first to speak, "I really didn't expect you to get such a high score."
His tone was visibly tinged with sourness.
Xu Ming didn't indulge him; he just smiled and countered with a question.
"Didn't the class president say this paper was very simple? How many points did you get again?"
Li Wenhui was speechless.
He wanted to regain face, but the critical point was that the "easy" paper he spoke of, he only scored 120 on.
After much deliberation, he merely repeated the Homeroom Teacher's words.
"Discussing individual subject scores is meaningless. The key is to pass the overall score threshold, otherwise, at most, you'll just end up in some trashy undergraduate program."
"Isn't it a bit early to be saying that now? Gaokao is still a hundred days away. Who among us in this dorm gets up as early as Xu Ming? Maybe they could improve by a hundred points or so," Qian Hong said, taking off his headphones and speaking up for his good buddy.
Everyone had long adapted to the atmosphere of Dongping No. 1 High School; comparing study scores with each other was a perfectly normal thing.
No one was truly getting angry.
At most, they were just getting a little heated.
Soon after the lights were out, the topic ended.
Only Li Wenhui, as if provoked, buried his head under his blanket and secretly read with a flashlight.
In the early morning, Xu Ming woke up on time.
As he headed to the classroom, he encountered a familiar figure on the way: Chen Lu, the top student in their class.
"Why are you up so early today too?" He looked at Chen Lu, taking the initiative to ask.
In his line of sight, Chen Lu hadn't yet tied her hair into a ponytail, and there were still water stains from washing her face on her bangs. Although students of that era at most applied some face cream, under the streetlights, he could still see her fair skin.
Xu Ming looked from her forehead down to her neck, unable to find a single blemish.
Perhaps feeling Xu Ming's gaze, or for some other reason, Chen Lu turned her head and softly replied:
"The second mock exam is next month, so I thought I'd get up a few minutes earlier."
The two walked together to the classroom door. Chen Lu took out the key to open the door, and after Xu Ming went inside, she let out a sigh of relief.
...
A new week began, and on the blackboard at the back wall of the classroom, the Gaokao countdown had been written.
The class president updated the number daily.
During the extended break in the morning, all third-year high school students, carrying their own stools, gathered on the sports field, lining up by class.
To participate in Dongping No. 1 High School's 2006 Gaokao 100-Day Sprint Mobilization Rally.
According to the procedure, the principal, teacher representatives, and outstanding student representatives would all go on stage to give speeches. However, since all of them were chosen from the Elite Class, for students from other regular classes, it was merely about following along to take the oath at the end.
Xu Ming cared even less; he simply brought along his copy of Five Years' Gaokao, Three Years' Mock Exams Physics textbook.
Once the rally began, he placed the book on his lap and continued to review.
Memories regarding thermodynamics and electromagnetism, among other topics, were gradually reawakened. Furthermore, all Physics formulas and theorems from high school were completely understood and mastered, so much so that while the outstanding student representative on stage was delivering an impassioned speech, the Subject Experience Points for Physics on his panel were rapidly increasing.
[Through diligent study, your [Physics] level has increased, gaining 5 experience points.]
... (End of Chapter)