Chapter Eighteen: Insight

The homeroom teacher had been lecturing for a while, and Wu Tong was only half-listening, keeping a sliver of her attention on his words while her hand moved across the scratch paper, slowly working through the Lagrange Mean Value Theorem that she had just started to study.

Let F(x) = ..., since F(x) is continuous on the closed interval [a, b] and differentiable on (a, b), therefore F(x) is continuous on [a, b] and differentiable within (a, b)...

The above proof shows that if the function f(x) is continuous on the closed interval [a, b] and differentiable on the open interval (a, b), then there must exist at least one point ξ in (a, b) such that f'(ξ) = (f(b) - f(a))/(b - a)...

Her connection with the Enlightenment Stone Tablet had grown even more attuned; she no longer needed to reach for it deliberately. Whenever she calmed her mind, she could immediately enter a state of focused, undistracted deep learning—at any time, able to begin or end at will, moving in and out of it with ease.

When the teacher called her name, Wu Tong was momentarily startled before she realized, set down her pen, and stood up.

“Teacher.”

At the stairwell, teacher and student joined the flow toward the teachers’ office at the far end of the corridor. The second-year teachers’ office was located at the easternmost end of their floor, which meant that all the classrooms on this level were under the watchful eyes of the faculty. As a result, discipline here was among the best.

Chen Qiusheng glanced at Wu Tong in profile. At some point, the girl had straightened her back; her features were bright and clear, as if a pearl had been washed free of dust—glistening with luster, altogether different from her formerly inconspicuous self.

“You did very well this time. Did you study hard over the summer?” Chen Qiusheng began.

“Yes, Teacher Chen. I felt my foundations were shaky, so I reviewed all six science subjects over the summer.”

“It’s a good thing that you’ve realized this and taken your studies seriously. I’m very pleased. Congratulations as well on securing first place in the entire grade on this assessment!” This outcome had also taken the teacher by surprise. Still, with years of experience, Chen Qiusheng quickly set aside his complex emotions. Now, facing his student, he allowed himself a smile, his usual stern expression softened.

No matter what, a student’s excellent performance was always something to be happy about.

“In the past, I was immature and caused you a lot of worry,” Wu Tong apologized for her earlier rebelliousness. Back then, she hadn’t studied properly, and this teacher had spent much time counseling her, genuinely caring—a truly good teacher.

“That’s a teacher’s duty!” Chen Qiusheng was straightforward by nature and didn’t beat around the bush. He got straight to the point: “With your current grades, you can move up to one of the top two elite classes. You know about our school’s elite classes, right? They have the best teachers, which would be beneficial for you. The teachers there would welcome you, and you’ll probably be called in for a talk in the next couple of days.”

“Talk it over with your family tonight, and think about how you want to handle the transfer. Your teacher will respect your decision!”

The elite class? That was once the place she had dreamed of entering if she ever found her stride. But times had changed, and now she felt no particular attachment to it.

“Teacher Chen, rather than transferring classes, I think I’d prefer to skip a grade and take the college entrance exam early. If that’s not possible, I might try for direct university admission through competitions,” Wu Tong said after a moment’s thought, voicing her decision—a resolve that had taken shape once she had mastered all her high school subjects.

She attended school for the sake of acquiring knowledge, not out of any desire to relive the fleeting high school years. Once she had mastered the curriculum, there was no need to waste another year in high school. Educational resources in a small county were limited; entering university a year early would allow her to access a broader world of knowledge. As long as her heart was set on it, wasn’t every place a stage for youth and talent?

So, after making up her mind, she had prepared two backup plans, both of which she could pursue simultaneously. To be honest, competitions were uncharted territory for Wu Tong—reserved for prodigies, a world previously distant from her. She had only just begun and still needed more training, so she could not rely on it as her main path, merely as an alternative.

For her, the most reliable route was early college admission, and this was what she intended to fight for with the school.

“Skip a grade?” Chen Qiusheng was taken aback. Where had this idea come from?

Even if Wu Tong had nearly aced this assessment, it was, after all, just a basic placement test—covering mostly first-year material. Excelling here didn’t mean the college entrance exam would be just as easy.

“Yes, Teacher Chen. I’m not being conceited because of one good exam,” Wu Tong replied earnestly. “I’ve already self-studied all six high school science courses. You’re welcome to test me however you like—I’m ready.”

Whether she could sit the college entrance exam early would ultimately depend on the teacher’s recommendation to the administration. First, she needed to convince Teacher Chen. The best way was to let him see her current level with his own eyes.

She had completed everything? Not just skimmed through the textbooks?

Chen Qiusheng glanced at his watch. It was still early in the morning. “I heard you handed in your papers halfway through the exams?”

“Not for Chinese. I couldn’t submit that one halfway through!” Wu Tong smiled, not overstating her abilities. She still needed more practice and accumulation in Chinese.

Her former strengths had now become her biggest weakness, and Wu Tong felt a bit helpless about it. Chinese truly required time and steady accumulation—not something that could be rushed.

“Come on, let’s find a paper for you. Let’s see whether you’re as capable as you say!” Chen Qiusheng wanted to truly assess his student’s abilities. He went to the third-year class and fetched a mathematics paper. “Here, Wu Tong—you’re sure you’ve covered the entire high school math curriculum?”

“Yes, Teacher Chen!” Wu Tong nodded with certainty.

“Alright, try this paper and let me see your level.”

Half an hour later, when Wu Tong finished, and he compared her answers against the key—another perfect score. Chen Qiusheng truly felt his horizons had been broadened.

There was a saying: genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. In all his years of teaching, even the outstanding students he’d met were, for the most part, products of hard work. He’d seen students who didn’t care at first but turned things around with effort and got into good universities.

But a student like this—who, in just two months over the summer, made a complete leap to perfection, self-studied all the high school material, and genuinely mastered it—had truly shown him what extraordinary talent looked like.