Chapter 5: Math Lv1, Gained Trait [Formula Derivation]
Inside the classroom, everyone stared, dumbfounded.
Chen Lu also couldn't help but raise her head, her bright, sparkling eyes darting between Xu Ming and Li Wenhui. Coupled with what happened during morning self-study, she was curious about Xu Ming's transformation.
Qian Hong knew the full story. Seeing his good buddy's actions, he naturally raised both hands in support.
"Nice job!"
Before Xu Ming even had a chance to sit back down, he gave a thumbs-up, his face brimming with excitement as he expressed his feelings. "As far as I remember, this is Zhang Yingxin's first time actively seeking you out, right? It should have been like this a long time ago."
"Don't worry."
"After the Gaokao, your bro will introduce you to someone better."
As he spoke the last sentence, he thumped his chest loudly with his right hand, clearly not believing Xu Ming would still focus on studying once he entered university.
Xu Ming slapped away Qian Hong's hand from his shoulder, firmly rejecting the kind offer.
"Forget it."
Knowing Qian Hong, it would definitely be him pushing a QQ friend his way. Although online relationships were somewhat reliable nowadays, he had no time to waste; his self-disciplined life currently had no plans for such things.
He turned his head and went back to studying math.
There were quite a few teachers for classes today, and their teaching styles varied completely, but fortunately, this didn't affect Xu Ming. Although some teachers inquired during class, seeing that he was genuinely studying hard, they didn't bother him further. After all, it was already the second semester of senior year, and most students had basically found the most suitable study methods for themselves. Forcing them to strictly follow the timetable might even be counterproductive.
And so.
After a full day of reviewing mathematical knowledge, Xu Ming successfully gained a large amount of subject experience points. Upgrading Math to Lv1 was already within reach.
…
"Finally finished the compulsory textbooks."
During evening self-study, Xu Ming closed the second-semester senior year math textbook on his desk, letting out a long sigh as he mumbled to himself. He then shifted his gaze to the panel, checking the experience points in the Math section.
[Math: Lv0 (86/100)]
"After reviewing the math knowledge in the elective textbooks tomorrow, it should be enough to raise it to Lv1."
Thinking of the trait still shrouded in mystery, even with his usual calm demeanor, he couldn't help but feel a little excited.
Of course, he was also well aware that the reason the experience points grew so rapidly was primarily because he was currently in the process of re-acquiring his high school knowledge. Coupled with his talent making learning an enjoyable pleasure, reviewing naturally seemed to progress very quickly. If he were to delve into more profound mathematical theories, gaining subject experience points would likely not be so easy.
However, he was certain that if he were to do yesterday's math practice test now, he definitely wouldn't turn in a blank paper.
The dismissal bell rang.
Just like yesterday, Xu Ming studied for another twenty minutes in class before packing his things and returning to the dorm. As soon as he pushed open the dorm room door, he saw Li Wenhui lying on his bed, studying a textbook. Perhaps the four words from earlier in the day had been too devastating; Li Wenhui had kept a straight face all day, not speaking a single word to him.
Xu Ming paid no mind to this, glancing over before retracting his gaze. He quickly washed up, eager to get into bed and sleep.
It's worth mentioning that Xu Ming's personal schedule didn't include studying in the dorm room at night. Aside from not having a flashlight, he also paid great attention to protecting his eyesight. Rather than secretly studying under the covers, it was better to wake up a bit earlier.
The next morning.
Lying on his wooden bunk, Xu Ming suddenly opened his eyes, woken precisely by his biological clock. He got dressed, went to the bathroom to wash his face, and headed straight for the classroom. Seeing that the classroom lights weren't on, he knew Chen Lu hadn't arrived yet. He skillfully pulled out his English notebook and stood in the corridor, using the overhead lights to memorize English words and grammar.
After the last incident, Chen Lu had deliberately woken up ten minutes earlier today, determined to be the first to arrive and open the classroom door. However, upon seeing that familiar figure in the distant corridor, she froze, feeling utterly surprised.
"Did he really get up at five again?"
For some reason, a bold thought suddenly emerged in her mind: Xu Ming might actually be able to keep this up. Thinking these thoughts, she ran over, fumbled for the key in her pocket, and inserted it into the lock. During this time, she felt too embarrassed to speak. As the key-holder, having made a classmate wait outside the door twice in a row, she couldn't feel at ease.
Xu Ming noticed that Chen Lu's face was flushed, and her bangs were still damp, clearly having rushed to class without bothering about such details. So, he didn't say much, giving a polite nod before heading to his seat.
Dongping First High strictly prevented students from leaving school at night to go online, and to this end, directly prohibited students from opting for day-student status. Only on Sunday afternoons each week were they allowed to go out for a few hours. For senior high students, it was one of the few opportunities to catch a breather.
Sure enough.
Classes had only just reached noon, and some people's attention was already starting to wander.
"Open all the windows. Those who are feeling sleepy, stand up voluntarily. We're going to continue with this classical Chinese text." Sun Zhiqiang, a man past fifty, instructed, pushing up his presbyopic glasses. He was quite dissatisfied with the current learning atmosphere in the class. Time was pressing, yet instead of focusing on improving their scores, they were only thinking about leaving school. This batch of students had a truly low sense of purpose.
His thoughts lingered there, and he involuntarily glanced over, looking at Xu Ming who was diligently reviewing on the left. Only then did he feel much better. Although he had noticed Xu Ming studying math right at the beginning of class.
"Using a certain parameter as a connecting bridge, one can derive the suitable conditions for coordinates x and y, meaning the parameter can yield the curve equation f(x, y) = 0."
At this moment, Xu Ming was studying elective math, focusing on coordinate systems and parametric equations. As this block of memory became clearer in his mind, his subject experience points continued to rise steadily. Until new information appeared on his panel.
[Through diligent study, your [Math] level has been raised to Lv1] [You have gained the Trait — [Formula Derivation]]
[Trait: Formula Derivation] [Effect: Your understanding of formulas is deeper, and your derivation ability has improved.]
"This is... a subject level-up."
As these words leaped into his vision, Xu Ming's eyes grew brighter and brighter after he processed the information. He was completely enveloped in pleasant surprise.
Although his university major in his previous life wasn't mathematics, he still understood the importance of strong formula derivation abilities. First, the process of derivation helps one understand why a formula works. It becomes easier to see the hidden mathematical concepts, relationships, and structures behind the formula. Learning would no longer be about rote memorization. Even if he forgot the details of a formula, he would be able to re-derive it. He remembered when he was a graduate student at Yanda, he often heard stories of impressive feats from the math department next door. Someone once forgot the conditions and conclusion of a theorem during a midterm exam and had to derive it on the spot in the examination hall.
With his mind racing, he immediately pulled out the unfinished math workbook from the book holder on his desk. He began to test the results of his past two days of review and his newly enhanced formula derivation ability.
(End of Chapter)