Cutting-Edge Technology R&D Center

Chapter 25: Stunned Classmates

Wang Hao let his gaze fall on the faces of the admissions officers from the major universities. After scanning them briefly, he spoke softly, “Hello, everyone. I have just one small request: I’d like to study on my own. That means I’d like to manage my own schedule during regular class hours, though I’ll, of course, participate in exams and debates. That’s my only request.” “On behalf of Yan’da University, I agree to your request. However, I have one condition of my own: you must satisfy the faculty member in charge of your program. If we ever receive feedback from your instructor indicating that your academic progress is unsatisfactory, we reserve the right to revoke this offer.” Zhao Chun paused briefly to consider the matter before agreeing to Wang Hao’s request. He hadn’t expected the request to be so straightforward—he didn’t even need to invoke the special privileges granted by the university president; he could make the decision on his own. “That goes without saying.” Wang Hao nodded, though he was quite surprised inwardly—he hadn’t expected Yan’da University to respond so quickly. “We at Huaqing have also agreed to your request…” Huaqing’s admissions director hurriedly interjected, but it was too late. He, too, had never imagined that the other party’s request would be so straightforward. Based on his preliminary research, he had expected demands for scholarships or similar benefits, but he never anticipated it would be merely the right to self-directed study. The right to self-directed study is, in fact, a given for any top-scoring student, as their academic progress is bound to be faster than that of others. Yet he hadn’t expected that Wang Hao would make only this one request and then ask for nothing else. “We at Fudan agree…” Other universities spoke up one after another, but Wang Hao already had his answer: he only needed this one right; he didn’t need anything else. As for money, his trash cleanup program was about to go live; once he started charging for it, he was sure to make his first fortune. “Wang Hao, Huaqing University can not only grant you this right to self-directed study, but we also offer scholarships for underprivileged students from various provinces—and the amount is quite substantial,” said the Huaqing admissions officer after a moment’s pause. He knew that if he didn’t make a push now, this student—the first in Xijiang Province’s history to achieve a perfect score—would likely end up at Yan’da University. Wang Hao nodded noncommittally. With his intelligence, he naturally understood exactly what the officer was getting at—namely, that upon entering Huaqing, he would receive a substantial enrollment bonus. However, he didn’t place much importance on this, and he had already chosen Yan’da University. Since he had secured the autonomy he desired most, he no longer needed to consider any other options. “I’ll think about it… think about it…” Wang Hao smiled and said calmly, showing not the slightest trace of nervousness despite being in the presence of university professors. His composed demeanor caused the principal of Gan City No. 1 High School to nod in approval, his satisfaction growing. “All right then. Since Wang Hao says he’ll think it over, let him think it over.” The principal of Gan City No. 1 High School, observing Wang Hao’s expression, naturally had a good idea of his choice. Thinking about the two top-scoring students the school had produced in consecutive years—and now this one, who had achieved a perfect score—he couldn’t help but smile. He certainly didn’t want to influence Wang Hao’s decision, and since it was clear that Wang Hao intended to choose Yan’da University, he certainly wouldn’t stand in his way. Meanwhile, after returning to the classroom, Ms. Zhou’s face was radiant. As she looked out at the forty-plus students below, her thoughts turned to Wang Hao—who had become the top scorer in Xijiang Province—and her smile grew even broader. “It looks like everyone’s here.” After entering the classroom, Ms. Zhou looked at the students below, some of whom had slightly reddened eyes, and her smile slowly faded as her mood grew somber. “Teacher, Wang Hao isn’t here yet. Fang Bing said you called him away.” “That’s right.” Ms. Zhou nodded gently. As she took in the profound sense of farewell filling the classroom, the excitement she’d felt over Wang Hao’s top-scorer achievement gradually faded. Before her were the students she’d taught for three years—those familiar faces, those more than a thousand days and nights together—and slowly, her eyes began to well up. “Classmates, today marks our final class of high school. I hope that in the days ahead, whether in your studies or your careers, everything goes smoothly and according to your wishes.... Additionally, today is also a special day, as you are about to embark on new chapters in your lives. I’d also like to congratulate Wang Hao from our class, who achieved a perfect score to become the top student in Xijiang Province.” Suppressing her sense of reluctance, Ms. Zhou spoke calmly. “Wang Hao? It’s really Wang Hao… That can’t be.” “It really is Wang Hao from our class? I thought it was that Wang Hao from Class 4 who had suddenly excelled.” “That’s incredible—Wang Hao has been keeping his true abilities hidden all this time...” As soon as Teacher Zhou spoke, the classroom erupted in discussion. These days, every student has a cell phone—how could they not know that Gancheng had produced another top scorer, and one with a perfect score at that? Especially when they saw that the student from Gan City No. 1 High School was named Wang Hao, they even wondered if it might be the Wang Hao from their own class who never participated in class activities. But the moment they considered it, they dismissed the idea—it just didn’t seem possible. “It really is Wang Hao…” Ma Ling stared blankly. When she happened to catch sight of Fang Bing, she suddenly recalled what he had said on the playground a week earlier. His words echoed loudly in her mind: Some people don’t care about the college entrance exam because they don’t care which school they attend, while others don’t care about it either—but only because they can attend whichever school they want. At the time, she’d thought it was just empty talk. Although she’d been somewhat prepared after seeing Wang Hao, when she actually heard that he was the top-scoring student in Xijiang Province, she still found it hard to believe. Looking back now… as she recalled each scene involving Wang Hao, she suspected that Fang Bing had long since noticed what made Wang Hao different and had deliberately helped him keep it a secret. Ma Ye also stood there with a blank look on his face, because he had been standing nearby while Ma Ling was talking to Fang Bing and had heard every word they said. As Wang Hao’s classmates began to discuss it, the news that Wang Hao had become the top scorer was immediately broadcast over the school intercom to the entire Gan City No. 1 High School. “Looks like I’ll have to pay a visit to Wang Hao’s home. We can’t let Huaqing or any other school poach him.” Zhao Chun was a seasoned veteran; he could clearly see that Wang Hao intended to choose Yan’da University, but this was no time for him to rest easy. As long as the final decision hadn’t been made, anything could still change.