The Reincarnated Science Whiz

Chapter 11: Intensive Training

At the same time, Principal Fang Jianguo informed him that he would no longer need to attend classes. Instead, he was to travel to Fuzhou to join the other students selected for the provincial team in intensive training, preparing in earnest for the National Competition. Looking at the leave slip specially approved by Principal Fang Jianguo in his hand, Qin Yuanqing was at a loss for words—it seemed the school considered the National Competition more important than attending classes. However, Qin Yuanqing was quite interested in the National High School Mathematics League at this point and wanted to meet math prodigies from across the country. Undoubtedly, the National High School Mathematics League would be an excellent platform! If he could achieve outstanding results, he might even qualify for the Huaxia Mathematical Olympiad (CMO). Qin Yuanqing went back to pack his bags, bringing three sets of clothes, last year’s college entrance exam syllabi and key point summaries for Chinese, Math, English, and the Comprehensive Science exam, as well as a few books on advanced calculus and past competition problems. Then, pulling his suitcase, he headed to the bus station to take a bus to Fuzhou. Qin Yuanqing recalled that Jinpu County didn’t get a train station until late 2013; it wasn’t until then that one could take a high-speed train to Fuzhou. As for now, the best way to get to Fuzhou was by bus. Upon arriving at the Fuzhou Mathematical Society building, he was assigned a dorm room by the staff; members of the provincial team were housed two to a room. The next day, they were all summoned to the grand hall of the Provincial Mathematical Society. The hall was decked out with lanterns and decorations, exuding a solemn and festive atmosphere. Leaders and experts from the Provincial Department of Education and the Provincial Mathematical Society were present at the event—a privilege reserved only for those who had made it onto the provincial team. The first-place awards were presented by the leaders and experts, while the remaining first- and second-place awards were delegated directly to the local municipal and county mathematical societies. First, the officials delivered speeches, offering their congratulations and encouraging everyone to keep up the good work, to represent Fujian Province at the national competition, and to bring honor to the province. Next, the president and vice presidents of the Mathematical Society delivered their respective speeches. Next came the representative of the provincial team. As the only contestant to achieve a perfect score, Qin Yuanqing naturally served as the provincial team’s representative. Standing on stage with the glass trophy in his left hand and the certificate in his right, he delivered a brief speech, urging his teammates to work together to compete against mathematical prodigies from across the country, bring home honors, and secure qualification for the China Mathematical Olympiad (CMO)! The entire hall immediately erupted in enthusiastic applause. For the students who had made it onto the provincial team, a sense of pride filled their hearts. They, too, were eager to face off against the nation’s math prodigies, prove their mettle, and strive to earn a spot in the CMO. They all knew that securing a CMO qualification—even without taking the college entrance exam—would guarantee them a spot at a top university through a special admission program. After all, only about 400 students nationwide are selected to compete in the CMO. Following the awards ceremony came a celebratory banquet. Since his rebirth, this was the first time Qin Yuanqing had eaten such a sumptuous meal; his appetite was whetted, and he ate heartily. What Qin Yuanqing didn’t know was that while he was attending the awards ceremony, a red banner had already been hung high at the entrance of Jinpu No. 1 High School: “Good News: Warm congratulations to our senior student Qin Yuanqing for winning the provincial mathematics championship!” Meanwhile, on Jinpu TV, aside from news reports on county leaders’ inspection tours, Qin Yuanqing also made the news. At this point, Qin Yuanqing was practically cut off from the outside world. He lived and ate in the math building, attending one class in the morning and one in the afternoon, where math experts lectured to the students. The rest of the time was free for him to study on his own. Qin Yuanqing was like a sponge, constantly absorbing mathematical knowledge—not only high school math but also delving deeply into college-level subjects such as calculus and algebra. With only a mere half-month until the national competition—not to mention that they had to depart for the Mountain City on November 13 and take a day off on November 14 to acclimate—time was extremely tight. With higher-level teachers here, Qin Yuanqing’s learning pace accelerated dramatically; concepts he had previously struggled with were now often grasped with just a little guidance. He also came to understand why the difficulty of the provincial competition problems differed from that of the league competition—it was because the national competition was a step above the provincial level, and he was studying league-level problems rather than provincial ones. As for the provincial competition, aside from fostering top talent, one of its objectives was to cultivate students’ love for mathematics. Naturally, the problems couldn’t be too difficult; otherwise, the vast majority of students would end up crying in the bathroom—let alone loving math, they’d develop a phobia of it just at the sight of it. But joining the provincial team was a different story. Everyone there was a top student, so naturally, the expectations were much higher. For example, in addition to attending classes and being able to consult teachers at any time, Qin Yuanqing and his peers also have access to *Acta Mathematica Sinica*, published by the Huaxia Mathematical Society, and *Mathematical Guide*, published by Yan Da University. These two specialized mathematics journals are core publications in China. Sometimes, questions on the annual National Mathematics Olympiad are drawn directly from these journals, as they represent the latest mathematical research achievements in Huaxia. Moreover, reading the papers in these journals helps broaden one’s perspective and expand one’s horizons, offering insight into the profound insights of China’s mathematical elite. Mathematics is a discipline that places great emphasis on natural talent; the deeper one delves into it, the higher the demands on that talent. Otherwise, mathematics will seem as incomprehensible as a mysterious incantation or a book without words—no matter how much one looks at it or how it is explained, one simply cannot grasp it. For example, in high school, the content taught in math textbooks is actually just the basics; they don’t teach the essence of the subject, let alone extend or expand upon it. But in reality, mathematics at the high school level is quite advanced—the focus isn’t on the basics, but on extension and expansion. At this intensive training camp, the teacher covering functions began by telling the students that the essence of functions is the study of change and constancy. He skipped the basics entirely and jumped straight into permutations and combinations, focusing solely on concepts rather than specific problems. The priority here is cultivating thinking and problem-solving approaches; as for the problems, students are expected to work on them outside of class and ask the teacher for help during their free time if they don’t understand. Functions, algebra, geometry, algebraic geometry... Half a month—not long, but not short either. On November 13, the vice president of the Fujian Province Mathematical Society personally led the delegation, flying directly from Fuzhou to Chongqing, where they were accommodated at Chongqing University. In his hotel room, Qin Yuanqing lay on the bed with his eyes slightly closed, his consciousness scanning the system space: Host: Qin Yuanqing Age: 18 IQ: 165 Emotional Intelligence: 100 Subjects: Chinese: Level 4 (60,000/100,000) Math: Level 7 (0/100,000,000) English: Level 3 (7,000/10,000) Physics: Level 4 (90,000/100,000) Chemistry: Level 4 (90,000/100,000) Biology: Level 4 (70,000/100,000) Physical Fitness: Level 1 (0/100) In just half a month—a brief intensive training session—Qin Yuanqing made remarkable progress in Math I, reaching Level 7. A two-level increase might not have raised his score beyond 100 on a school exam—it wouldn’t have changed his final grade—but the significance was entirely different. In an exam administered this morning—with a maximum score of 150—Qin Yuanqing scored 140, 30 points higher than the runner-up, and was consequently appointed captain of the Fujian Province Team. According to the vice president, given Qin Yuanqing’s current level, securing a spot in the CMO competition would be no problem at all as long as he performs to his usual standard. Keep in mind that there are roughly 400 spots available for the CMO each year, with each province receiving only 30 to 40 spots, depending on the province’s overall level. Fujian Province isn’t an educational powerhouse like Guangdong Province, Magic City, Zhejiang Province, Jiangsu Province, Central Plains Province, or Shandong Province; on average, Fujian sends only about 10 students to the CMO each year. Yet his Learning Coins have already reached 700! “Task 1: Rank first in the city on the college entrance exam; reward: 500 Learning Coins.” “Task 2: Win the National High School Math Competition—reward: 1,000 Learning Coins.” “Task 3: Win the CMO championship—reward: 2,000 Study Coins.” Looking at the tasks, Task 1—next year’s college entrance exam—he was confident he could accomplish. Tasks 2 and 3, however, were quite challenging. No one knew if a prodigy might suddenly emerge in this National High School Mathematics Competition; after all, with such a large population in Huaxia, there’s no shortage of geniuses. And geniuses will shine wherever they are—they’ll never go unnoticed. As for those who constantly claim their talents are unrecognized, they often simply lack any talent worth recognizing. Criticism of Huaxia’s education system is constant. However, Qin Yuanqing has always believed that Huaxia’s education system at least provides everyone with a fair opportunity for education and a path to advancement. Even children from impoverished families—as long as they perform well academically—can certainly complete the ninth grade under the nine-year compulsory education system. If they do well on the high school entrance exam, no matter how poor they are, they will not have to drop out, because the town will naturally step in to help. As for the college entrance exam, the rewards for outstanding performance—from the county, the town, and society at large—are more than enough to make an ordinary family suddenly wealthy; it is simply impossible for a student to be unable to afford to continue their education. Without this educational system, social stratification in Huaxia might have already solidified, the path to upward mobility would have been closed off, and children from poor families would be destined to remain poor, while children from wealthy families—no matter how unintelligent—would remain wealthy. Early the next morning, the vice president gathered everyone in a small conference room at the hotel: “Let me emphasize this once again: this competition consists of two rounds. The morning session is the first round, which includes three main question types: multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, and problem-solving and proof questions. There are 6 multiple-choice questions, each worth 6 points, for a total of 36 points; 6 fill-in-the-blank questions, each worth 9 points, for a total of 54 points; and 3 problem-solving questions, each worth 20 points, for a total of 60 points. The total possible score for the entire exam is 150 points.” “The afternoon session is the supplementary exam, consisting solely of problem-solving questions. There are 3 problem-solving questions, each worth 50 points, for a total of 150 points!” said the Vice President. “The exam begins at 9:00 a. m. tomorrow. Teams from all 32 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across the country will start simultaneously and take the same exam. Victory or defeat will depend entirely on individual ability!” the vice president said. “The top 400 scorers will automatically qualify to compete in the CMO!” The number of spots secured for the CMO reflects the performance of a province’s Mathematical Society, so every year, the provincial Mathematical Society prays fervently for just one or two more spots. He then had everyone check their ID cards, admission tickets, and exam materials. Any issues discovered now could still be corrected, but once tomorrow arrived, it would be too late to make amends. A national competition like this is arguably even stricter than the college entrance exam. After all, the goal is to select the top 400 students to participate in the CMO, and then, through further selection and evaluation, choose six to form the Huaxia national team to compete on the world stage—there is simply no room for error.