Chapter 12: People's Constitutions Vary
Xu Ming sat alone in the classroom, the only light in the entire teaching building coming from his room.
He didn't immediately dive into his studies, instead letting his gaze fall upon the virtual screen that had appeared before him.
He was checking the status of his Subject Experience Points.
—— Name: Xu Ming Profession: Student Math: Lv.1 (28/500) Physics: Lv1 (4/500) Chemistry and Biology: Lv0 (30/100) Chinese Language and Literature: Lv0 (34/100) English: Lv0 (45/100) Talent: [Absolute Self-Discipline] Entries: [Formula Derivation], [Deep Sleep]
"I'll start by studying English then," Xu Ming decided quickly after a brief analysis.
Among his remaining Lv0 subjects, English had the highest experience points. Plus, in his previous life, he had at least passed CET-6, giving him a solid foundation. He figured he could quickly raise it to Lv1.
Having experienced the effects of increased Deep Sleep, he also wanted to see if his memory had improved.
As his thoughts lingered there, the sound of him reciting vocabulary immediately filled the classroom.
"Schedule."
...
About ten minutes later, Xu Ming's eyes lit up, and a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face.
"Sure enough, I'm remembering things faster."
Compared to a few days ago, the frequency with which he had to recite a word or short phrase had noticeably decreased, yet it still remained deeply imprinted in his mind. This indicated that his memory had indeed improved to some extent.
He thought that if he continued to maintain long periods of Deep Sleep, his memory might even get stronger.
At the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about getting dementia.
This discovery made him feel even more motivated, and the sound of him reciting words seemed quite a bit louder.
[Through diligent study, your [English] level has improved, and you have gained 3 experience points.]
When the clock above the blackboard on the back wall reached half-past five, students slowly began to trickle into the classroom.
Although Chen Lu was a bit later than yesterday, she was still the second person to enter the classroom. Seeing Xu Ming already reciting vocabulary, the surprise on her face had vanished; she had already accepted this as a normal occurrence.
However, she was still a little curious and envious of Xu Ming's energetic appearance, which showed no signs of an early start.
Qian Hong, as always, was a master of arriving at the last minute, as if he couldn't pick up speed until the bell rang.
But today, Li Wenhui actually lagged behind Qian Hong, which was quite interesting.
Especially since almost everyone else had arrived, he still pulled out his attendance notebook and stood by the door, putting on a pretense.
He didn't mention his own tardiness at all.
Qian Hong saw this scene, chuckled, and told Xu Ming the inside story.
"I got up to pee in the middle of the night and saw this guy secretly reading under his covers. If I hadn't kindly woken him up this morning, he probably wouldn't even have made it to the morning self-study session."
"He sure is studious then," Xu Ming said, looking up.
Under the effect of the [Deep Sleep] Entry, not only was he not easily disturbed by his surroundings, but he could also fall asleep within mere seconds of lying down.
Naturally, he had no idea what happened in the dorm at night.
Insomnia?
It simply didn't exist for him.
Qian Hong heard this, turned his head, rolled his eyes, and said, "Is there anyone in our class more studious than you?"
As he spoke, he suddenly seemed to remember something, straightened his face, and asked seriously.
"Seriously though, when the hell did you get up today?"
"I was woken up by needing to pee in the middle of the night and saw no one on your bed. I thought you had sleepwalking disorder."
Xu Ming didn't answer immediately. Instead, the corners of his mouth curved into a smile, and he studied Qian Hong with a slightly playful gaze.
"Are you sure you were woken up by needing to pee?"
"Can't a guy drink too much water?" a hint of unease flashed across Qian Hong's face.
Xu Ming said with concern, "You're getting up quite a lot at night then."
"Don't change the subject."
"I got up as soon as I woke up, around four o'clock," Xu Ming said, no longer teasing, stating the time casually.
As if it were the most normal thing.
Qian Hong, on the other hand, widened his eyes, his thumbs itching to move.
"Awesome!"
"I originally thought you suddenly got diligent because you wanted to secure a spot at a decent university, but now it looks like you're aiming for a key university."
After his genuine shock subsided, he started worrying about Xu Ming's health.
"But are you sure you won't be sleepy during the day? If I sleep even a little less at night, I get incredibly sleepy in class."
"Let me put it this way, people's constitutions vary. I once played at an internet cafe for three days and three nights, and when I got home, I could still continue doing my holiday homework."
"How come I don't remember you ever staying overnight at an internet cafe?" Qian Hong scrutinized his good buddy, his face full of suspicion.
Xu Ming suppressed a smile and changed the subject. "Let's get back to studying. The English teacher is here."
Qian Hong looked up and glanced out the window, indeed seeing the English teacher, Han Xiaolan. He had no choice but to temporarily give up grilling Xu Ming and pulled out an English textbook from his desk organizer.
The more immersed one is in something, the faster time often seems to pass.
Xu Ming focused on his studies, and before he knew it, the tail end of February quietly passed, bringing him one day closer to the Gaokao.
...
Wednesday, during the long break.
Second floor of the school's boys' restroom.
Xu Ming and Qian Hong squatted side-by-side in the stalls, attending to their bodily needs.
Because Dongping No. 1 High School's restrooms were built on the north side of the sports field, they could clearly hear the younger students doing their broadcast exercises.
Grade 12 had completely suspended morning exercises and PE classes, allowing students to continue studying during the long break.
Making full use of their time.
Originally, Xu Ming had planned to quickly review English, striving to get his English subject to Lv1 as soon as possible.
After all, thanks to his highly efficient studying, his experience points had already reached 98.
But Qian Hong had insisted on dragging him along.
Thinking he hadn't gone for a number two yesterday, he decided to just accompany his friend.
Yet, being incredibly self-disciplined, how could he be unprepared? As he squatted down, he pulled out several pieces of scrap paper from his pocket and carefully examined them.
If anyone were to carefully inspect the contents of the scrap paper, they would find that it was English grammar knowledge he had copied down.
He would usually take them out to read while queuing for food at the cafeteria or when going for a number two, which was why these few pieces of paper were always kept in his pocket.
About a few minutes passed.
Suddenly, Qian Hong's voice came from the next stall: "Xu Ming, do you have any toilet paper left?"
"This is all I have left, you'll have to make do," Xu Ming said, reluctantly handing the two sheets he had just finished reading to Qian Hong.
Then he pulled out a roll of toilet paper from another pocket.
After the two emerged from the restroom, Qian Hong's expression was somewhat complex, his gaze revealing respect.
"I'm genuinely impressed! You don't even forget to review grammar in the restroom. If I'd known you were this addicted to studying, I should've made you cut ties with Zhang Yingxin sooner."
"Maybe you could have gotten into a key university."
He spoke with a hint of regret, then quickly changed his tone, saying, "But there's still hope now."
"I'll take your auspicious words then," Xu Ming said with a smile, patting his shoulder.
The third class in the morning was English. This time, Xu Ming didn't study at his own pace. Instead, he uncharacteristically listened to the teacher explain the problems in the workbook. After all, his English subject reaching Lv1 was a sure thing.
Besides, receiving knowledge imparted by the teacher was also part of the learning process, allowing him to gain Subject Experience Points.
(End of Chapter)