The Reincarnated Science Whiz

Chapter 36: Filling Out College Applications

The college entrance exam is scored out of 750 points! Naturally, he was the top science student in the Gaokao for Fujian Province! This was the first time a perfect score had ever been achieved on the college entrance exam. Combined with the 20 bonus points Qin Yuanqing earned for his gold medals at the CMO and IMO, that totaled 750 plus 20—a score that truly soared beyond the heavens. The media frenzy surrounding Qin Yuanqing completely overshadowed all other test-takers, making him the star of the show! All the news spotlight was on him—with interviews covering everything from his family background and academic journey to his teachers and classmates—which ultimately turned Qin Yuanqing into a complete unknown. Riding this wave of popularity, Qin Yuanqing, after careful consideration, ultimately chose to partner with Xinhua Bookstore to publish his *Qin’s Treasury*, with royalties set at 20% before taxes. With nearly 10 million test-takers each year, even if not everyone buys *The Qin Family Handbook*—but just one in ten does—that still amounts to a million copies. Priced at 100 yuan per set, he’ll earn 20 yuan per copy, guaranteeing an annual income well over 10 million yuan! This is far easier than being an online novelist, and it provides a stable income almost every year—with sales potentially increasing as word of mouth spreads. As for online novelists, they have to spend almost the entire year writing novels and earn money only from the novels published that year. Aside from a very small number of top-tier authors, who among them can earn over 10 million yuan in royalties? Countless companies came knocking on Qin Yuanqing’s door, asking him to star in their commercials. However, he flatly refused any offers from dairy companies that had just been rocked by massive scandals and suffered a severe blow to their brand image. What a joke—these people had lost all sense of morality; they were capable of doing things that would cut off their own descendants’ lineage. Endorsing them would be nothing short of aiding and abetting evil. In the end, Qin Yuanqing chose a few endorsement deals, earning 2 million yuan a year, and signed contracts for only two years. The terms were very short—none of these companies were pushovers. They knew that the popularity of a college entrance exam top scorer peaks in the first year, drops in the second, and fades completely by the third. That’s why advertising contracts are typically signed for just one or two years. The commercials were very simple—not complicated at all. They were all filmed in just two days, completed two days before the college application deadline, and then aired in the media. Qin Yuanqing had been staying in the county seat the whole time—after all, in just two days, he would have to go to school to submit his college applications. During those two days, he bought some gifts and paid individual visits to each of his teachers. At the home of his homeroom teacher, Chen Zhifa “Brother Fa!” Qin Yuanqing knocked on the door and immediately broke into a smile when he saw Teacher Chen open it. After the college entrance exams, many titles had changed. For example, students no longer called their homeroom teacher “Teacher Chen,” but instead called him “Brother Fa” as a sign of familiarity. “Brother Fa”—the same nickname as a certain big star from Hong Kong—though he wasn’t nearly as dashing as that celebrity; on the contrary, Teacher Chen was just a middle-aged guy with a bit of a paunch. “Oh my, Yuan Qing, you’ve come all the way here—and you’re even bringing gifts? With all this, I almost didn’t dare let you in,” Mr. Chen said, though he opened the door anyway. This year, Mr. Chen was basking in the highest glory: not only had his class produced Qin Yuanqing, the province’s top science student, but Lin Yuling had also been admitted to Shuimu University a few days earlier. Huang Zhong, meanwhile, had received early admission to Fudan University. Twenty more students scored over 600 on the college entrance exam, and there should be over fifty who meet the first-tier undergraduate cutoff; for the rest, clearing the second-tier cutoff shouldn’t be a problem. Needless to say, a substantial cash bonus was definitely in the cards. And Qin Yuanqing played a major role in all of this. In the math and comprehensive science subjects he frequently tutored, his classmates scored exceptionally well, significantly raising the class average. This time, Jinpu No. 1 High School has become a real sensation. Although students haven’t submitted their college applications yet, 16 have already been admitted to Yan Da University and Shuimu University—the school entrance is already overflowing with banners and red flags. “Brother Fa, thank you for never giving up on me, for your patience, and for helping me become who I am today!” Qin Yuanqing set down the gift and bowed deeply to Teacher Chen. Teacher Chen turned away. This Chinese teacher, who usually wore a stern expression and rarely smiled, had tears welling up in his eyes. Qin Yuanqing was, without a doubt, the most extraordinary student he had ever taught. When he first joined the class, his grades were in the top tier but highly inconsistent, with dramatic fluctuations between midterms and finals. He was also quite headstrong: while everyone else had to rotate seats weekly, Qin Yuanqing insisted on hogging the window or door-side seats—and even dared to sign a pledge with him to that effect. Then, at the start of senior year, he suddenly had a massive breakthrough—the kind of sudden rise typical of a dark horse—it was nothing short of earth-shattering, and from there, he left everyone else in the dust. He once joked, “Qin Yuanqing gets perfect scores in every other subject, but he never gets a perfect score in Chinese—the very subject I, his homeroom teacher, teach—which really makes me lose face.” Then, on this college entrance exam, Qin Yuanqing scored a perfect score in Chinese. In high school, teachers treat their students like their own children, pouring their heart and soul into their work. Yet, once students graduate, they rarely keep in touch with their teachers. As for students like Qin Yuanqing who go out of their way to pay a personal visit, they are few and far between. Since the college entrance exam results were released, while others have expressed their gratitude in the QQ group, Qin Yuanqing was the very first to come in person and bow to thank him face-to-face. Having taught a student like this, Teacher Chen felt that his career as a teacher had not been in vain. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and turned around, his voice full of emotion: “Yuan Qing, this is simply the duty of a public school teacher! If anyone should be thanking anyone, it’s me who should thank you—you’ve helped me rediscover my original purpose as a teacher!” Qin Yuanqing stayed at Teacher Chen’s home for half an hour before taking his leave. Over the course of two days, he visited every teacher’s home. For male teachers who smoked or drank, he brought cigarettes, alcohol, and tea; for younger female teachers, he brought cosmetics; and for older teachers, he brought fruit, nutritional supplements, and health products. On July 15, the students returned to school. By then, the freshmen and sophomores had already left for summer break, so the entire campus seemed somewhat empty and lacked its usual bustle. Qin Yuanqing was somewhat taken aback. He noticed that although it had only been a month since he’d last seen his classmates, they had already unconsciously changed. The boys were all wearing new clothes, looking neat and tidy, with hairstyles that showcased their individuality—some even had permed hair. The changes among the girls were even more noticeable. They had clearly started growing their hair long, were wearing light makeup, spraying perfume, and their clothing had changed significantly—many had already begun wearing skirts. Even their shoes were no longer the sneakers they used to wear; some had already started wearing high heels, and a few were even wearing jewelry such as rings and necklaces. Actually, today isn’t the day to fill out college applications; the actual application deadline isn’t until July 26. Right now, the teachers are guiding students through the application process, explaining the steps, important considerations, and how to choose majors. This is very important—even with the same test scores, the outcome can differ depending on which schools you apply to. Whether a major accepts student reassignment is also a crucial consideration. However, Qin Yuanqing wasn’t concerned about any of that. His main headache right now was choosing which university to attend—he still hadn’t made up his mind. After the meeting, the students made plans to have dinner together that evening. Even those who normally never touched a drop of alcohol were drinking today—even the girls were having a few drinks. Get drunk and leave the opportunities to the men! That night, it was unclear which boys had transformed into men, or which girls had transformed into women. By the time Qin Yuanqing returned to his hotel, it was already midnight. The distinctive, unpleasant smell of the KTV clung to him, so he took a shower as soon as he got back. “Should I choose Shuimu University or Yan Da?” Qin Yuanqing now had to consider this question; there were only a few days left before he had to submit his college applications. Shuimu University and Yan Da each had their pros and cons, but they were universities of the same caliber—among the very best in Huaxia. Even Fudan University, ranked third, lagged somewhat behind Shuimu University and Yan Da, a fact reflected in the annual educational funding allocated by the state. Huaxia’s “Unparalleled Duo” truly lived up to their reputation. Yet, the very thought of it left Qin Yuanqing with a nagging unease. Qin Yuanqing opened his laptop and suddenly came across a news article: Yang Zhenning was based at Shuimu University. This news stirred something deep within him. Yang Zhenning is one of the greatest physicists of our time. In 1952, Yang Zhenning and his collaborators published three seminal papers on phase transitions, subsequently laying the foundation for phase transition theory. In the years that followed, he made outstanding contributions to the many-body problem of bosons, the Yang–Baxter equation, and other areas. As early as half a century ago, in 1957, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. In Huaxia, Hawking is hailed as the greatest physicist and is revered by countless people. In reality, however, few realize that Yang Zhenning is actually the greatest physicist of our time; compared to Yang Zhenning, Hawking’s achievements in physics fall at least one tier below. Qin Yuanqing looked pensive; choosing the Department of Physics at Shuimu University was indeed a good decision. Many people assumed that since he had won gold medals at the CMO and IMO, he would have to choose the Department of Mathematics—but who says that’s a rule? Mathematics and physics are closely intertwined; no one says that studying mathematics precludes studying physics, or that studying physics precludes studying mathematics. When filling out his college application, Qin Yuanqing listed the physics program at Shuimu University as his choice. Normally, students can list up to four schools on their application to spread their risks and ensure they get into college. But that wasn’t an issue for Qin Yuanqing. “Wonderful! The head of Shuimu University’s admissions office jumped for joy the moment he saw the news. It was no easy feat! Four times in a row—and rejected every single time. Was that easy?! When has Shuimu University ever been treated this way—rejected time and time again? But now, everything has finally been settled. Although Qin Yuanqing chose to major in physics rather than mathematics, does that really matter? No, it doesn’t—not in the slightest! What matters is that Qin Yuanqing chose Shuimu University—that’s the key point! What a triumph! The admissions director is all set to launch a major recruitment campaign to snag the top students from every province! If even Qin Yuanqing has come to Shuimu University, why aren’t you rushing to join us? Just thinking about his archrival seething with rage made him smile—a smug, triumphant smile. Shuimu University and Yan Da University are locked in competition on every front—competing for top students, academic influence, talent, research projects, and government funding... Competition is everywhere! Both sides were pulling out all the stops to vie for the title of “Huaxia’s Number One University.”