The Reincarnated Science Whiz

Chapter 37: Travel

In a suite at a five-star hotel in Shuixian City. Lin Wenxiu, Director of Admissions at Yan Da University, was alone, sipping from a bottle of red wine, a blissful smile on his face. In previous years, he had always overseen the entire Fuzhou admissions process from Fuzhou or Lushi Island, but this year was different. To recruit the prodigy Qin Yuanqing to Yan Da, Lin Wenxiu had come to Shuixian City in person. This year’s admissions process had gone smoothly; more than thirty top students from key high schools had already been admitted to Yan Da, and he had already completed more than half of his admissions quota. The remaining spots would simply be filled in order of preference from highest to lowest; right now, his top priority was securing Qin Yuanqing. It’s worth noting that exam results in Fujian Province are released relatively early. If Qin Yuanqing is admitted to Yan Da University, it will greatly benefit the university’s ability to recruit top-tier students from other provinces and further solidify the public’s perception and recognition of Yan Da as Huaxia University. “Those bricklayers at Shuimu—if they think they can go head-to-head with my Yan Da, they’re dreaming!” Lin Xiuwen sneered. Yan Da has always nurtured masters who have played a pivotal role in Huaxia’s modern and contemporary history; countless famous figures have emerged from its ranks, giving the university a sense of pride that has never wavered. Every year during provincial admissions, Yan Da University always admits about ten fewer students than Shuimu University—precisely to prove that Yan Da maintains strict admission standards, selecting the very best of the best, while Shuimu University is only fit to pick the leftovers Yan Da leaves behind. “Knock, knock—” A knock sounded at the door. “Director, it’s bad—really bad!” “Liu Qi, you’re 35 years old and still acting so flustered—how am I supposed to trust you with important tasks?” Lin Wenxiu opened the door and said irritably as she looked at Liu Qi, whose face was etched with panic. It’s not the end of the world—what’s there to panic about! “Director, it’s terrible! Qin Yuanqing has listed Shuimu University as his first-choice school, and Shuimu University has already posted it on their official website!” Liu Qi looked utterly terrified. They had been in Shuixian City all this time not for the sake of the other applicants, but for Qin Yuanqing. As long as Qin Yuanqing was admitted to Yan Da University—even if not a single other applicant was accepted—it would still be a major failure for Yan Da University. And if they failed to recruit Qin Yuanqing, then even if they admitted every student ranked from second to fortieth, it would still be a crushing defeat for Yan Da University. “What?!” Lin Wenxiu’s wine glass slipped from her hand and fell to the floor, spilling most of the red wine onto the ground. Her face was etched with shock. “What’s going on!? What on earth is happening?” Lin Wenxiu began to panic. “Didn’t he say earlier that he’d give it careful consideration? He’s a math prodigy, and our Yan’an University Department of Mathematics is ranked number one in the country. If he doesn’t apply to Yan’an University, why on earth would he apply to Shuimu University?” “He’s turning his back on a promising future as a master scholar just to go and do menial labor?” Lin Wenxiu couldn’t wrap her head around it: “Is Qin Yuanqing out of his mind?!” Shuixian City, Shuixian Hotel “Hahaha~~” Lin Jianjia, head of Shuimu University’s admissions office for Fujian Province, burst out laughing. Smug! I’m smug! As soon as the news broke, candidates in Fujian Province who had met the cutoff score—but hadn’t yet applied or signed a contract with Yan Da University—flocked to Shuimu University. This caused Shuimu University’s 50 enrollment slots in Fujian Province, plus an additional 50 slots for liberal arts majors, to fill up instantly, fulfilling the university’s enrollment quota. Clearly, Shuimu University had achieved a decisive victory in Fujian Province. As Shuimu University’s media coverage grew, it gained a clear advantage over Yan Da University in other provinces where admissions had already begun; under similar conditions, students generally chose Shuimu University. Watching the news, their archrival was fuming, claiming that college entrance exam scores don’t mean everything, that university is a new beginning, and that Yan Da boasts the nation’s finest faculty, the most outstanding student body, and the richest humanistic heritage. Lin Jianjia was absolutely delighted. Bullshit! College entrance exam scores are a crucial selection criterion. Students who rank in the top 100 in the province are already exceptionally intelligent; to achieve the high scores required for admission to Shuimu University or Yan Da University, diligence and hard work alone are not enough. Those who gain admission to Shuimu University or Yan Da University—aren’t they all the nation’s most outstanding talents? Aren’t they all the pride of the nation? In just a single day, Shuimu University had secured half of the top scorers in the national college entrance exam; with a little more effort, the number of top scorers admitted to Shuimu University would definitely exceed that of Yan Da University. Every year, with the exception of a very small number who attend Fudan University, the University of Science and Technology of China, or Zhejiang University, the top scorers from each province generally enroll at Shuimu University or Yan Da University. Yan Da University now claims that college entrance exam scores aren’t important—isn’t that just sour grapes? Setting aside the rivalry between Shuimu University and Yan Da University, let’s focus on Qin Yuanqing. After choosing Shuimu University, Qin Yuanqing entered a hectic period, constantly giving interviews and receiving awards from government agencies at all levels, education bureaus, and business leaders. For over half a month, he barely spent two days at home, and as a result, the total value of the awards he received from various sources amounted to well over two million yuan. Such are the perks of being a top student—making money is incredibly easy. As long as you score spectacularly on the college entrance exam, you never have to worry about not having enough money for school or consider student loans; these are simply not concerns you need to give a second thought to. On August 10, Qin Yuanqing packed his suitcase and left his hometown. Registration at Shuimu University was on August 26, the opening ceremony was on August 27, and military training and orientation ran from August 28 to September 20. He planned to travel north along the way, exploring the country’s magnificent landscapes. In his previous life, Qin Yuanqing had studied in Zhejiang Province, so he was familiar with Zhejiang and Fujian Province; he’d also been to Guangdong a few times, but had never set foot in any other provinces. Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles! He visited Meizhou Island and paid homage to Mazu. He went to Fuzhou and strolled through the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys. He traveled to Xiapu, where he watched the sunrise for a while and sampled the famous seafood. He also visited the Wuyi Mountains, admired their beautiful scenery, and savored Wuyi Da Hongpao tea; by the time he left, his suitcase was 2 jin heavier with exquisitely packaged tea. From the Wuyi Mountains, he entered Zhejiang Province and arrived in Quzhou, a city long known as the “crossroads of four provinces and the hub of five routes.” It borders Nanping in Fujian Province to the south, connects to Shangrao and Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province to the west, neighbors Huangshan in Anhui Province to the north, and borders the three Zhejiang cities of Jinhua, Lishui, and Hangzhou to the east. Although the railway network is well-developed, Quzhou’s economy ranks near the bottom in Zhejiang Province, lagging even behind Shuixian City. Qin Yuanqing did not linger in Quzhou; he traveled directly from there to Jinhua and arrived at the Hengdian Film and Television City. Hengdian Film and Television City is Huaxia’s largest film and television studio complex, hailed as the “Hollywood of Huaxia.” While there, Qin Yuanqing witnessed numerous film crews shooting on location and saw many celebrities he’d only ever seen on TV or in the news; walking down the streets, one might just bump into a celebrity at any moment. This proved the saying true: celebrities are as common as weeds; you could practically throw a brick and hit a second-tier star. On a whim, Qin Yuanqing,Since the system was currently undergoing an upgrade—he’d have to wait until he enrolled in college to upgrade to the intermediate system—and his 10,500 study coins were just sitting there unused, which was a massive waste, Qin Yuanqing spent 500 study coins to purchase *Mastery of the Guitar*. He ordered a cold drink at a snack bar, and there in Hengdian that evening, Qin Yuanqing began strumming his guitar on his own, unexpectedly attracting quite a crowd of onlookers. Getting carried away, Qin Yuanqing downed his drink in one gulp, then spent another 2,000 Study Coins to purchase *Advanced Vocal Techniques*, instantly curing his tone-deafness. Without any accompaniment, Qin Yuanqing sang a cappella: The clamor of the world fades into the void, leaving mortals in despair Dreams grow cold as I toss and turn through life—how many more volumes of love’s debt remain? As you passively accept life and death, waiting in vain Waiting in vain as the rings of the years turn, one after another How many stories of the pagoda have crumbled? Whose soul has been shattered? The pain races toward a flickering lamp and the crumbling temple gate Let me wait a little longer for history to turn Wait for the wine to mature, wait for you to play a tune on the guzheng Rain falls in a steady downpour; in my old hometown, the grass and trees grow thick I’ve heard you’ve always been alone The weathered city gate is entwined with ancient tree roots Echoing across the stone slabs is “wait a little longer” Rain falls in a steady downpour; in my old hometown, the grass and trees grow deep I hear you still guard that lonely city On the outskirts, the sound of a shepherd’s flute drifts down to that remote village Fate took root—that is us as we hear youth’s laughter—envy of so many Yet the annals of history, too gentle to put it into words, are all too harsh Fireworks fade quickly; people part ways just as easily Yet you ask me if I’m still taking it seriously A thousand years from now, with love deep through countless lifetimes, who will still be waiting Yet how could the annals of history not be true? The Book of Wei, Luoyang City As if you were marrying me in a past life Follow the ways of the world, follow me as we wander through life Rain falls in a steady downpour; in my old hometown, the grass and trees grow thick I’ve heard you’ve always been alone At the weathered city gate, ancient tree roots take root Echoing across the stone slabs is “Wait a little longer” Rain falls in sheets; in my old hometown, the grass and trees grow tall I hear you still guard that lonely city On the outskirts, the sound of a shepherd’s flute drifts down to that remote village Fate took root—that is who we are Rain falls in torrents; in my old hometown, the grass and trees grow deep I hear you’ve always been alone At the weathered city gate, ancient tree roots take hold Echoing across the stone slabs is “Wait a little longer” Rain falls, rain falls; in my old hometown, the grass and trees grow deep I’ve heard, I’ve heard that you still guard that lonely city On the outskirts, the sound of a shepherd’s flute drifts down to that remote village Fate takes root—that is who we are Fate takes root—that is us Listening to the rain at the Galan Temple, longing for eternity This song is called “Fireworks Fade Easily.” Originally, the lyrics were written by Fang Wenshan and the music composed by Zhou Jielun. The story is set against the backdrop of Luoyang, the millennia-old capital described in Yang Xuan’s *Records of the Temples of Luoyang* from the Northern Wei Dynasty—a city that collapsed and fell into ruin after reaching the height of its splendor. In Luoyang, an imperial general met a woman by chance; the two fell in love at first sight and secretly pledged their lives to one another. However, the general was then summoned by the court to fight on the frontier. Amid years of war and turmoil, the imperial capital of Luoyang had been reduced to ruins, left in a state of utter desolation. In the end, after waiting in vain for the general’s return, the woman took the vows of a nun. When the general, having endured hardships, finally returned and sought her out at the ancient Galan Temple where she had taken refuge, she had already passed away. People told the general that a woman had been waiting for him there all along. This song is included in Zhou Jielun’s 2010 album *Across the Ages* and won the “Song of the Year” award at the 2010 Beijing Pop Music Awards in 2011. Qin Yuanqing really likes this song, though not because of Jay Chou—he had never heard Jay Chou sing it before. It was while watching the variety show *I Am a Singer* that Lin Zhixuan’s soulful rendition of “Fireworks Fade Easily” stunned Qin Yuanqing, making him feel as if his very soul was trembling. From then on, he fell in love with “Fireworks Fade Easily” and would listen to it and hum along in his dorm room. However, because he was tone-deaf, Qin Yuanqing had never sung it at a KTV. But today, on a whim, he redeemed the “Advanced Singing” skill and delivered a performance that was in no way inferior to Lin Zhixuan’s.