Chapter Forty-One: Miracle

The final bell rang, and soon after, examinees with heavy steps poured out from the silent examination hall. In many provinces, the accompanying teachers didn’t wait for their students to come find them; instead, they hurried forward to meet them. It was hardly surprising for most teachers to see their own students’ faces wearing dazed expressions, as if they’d forgotten who they were or where they were. The few who still looked composed mostly wore grave and heavy looks.

“You’ve already done amazing just by persisting through the exam. Keep a calm mind, pull yourselves together—we’ll go back, have a good meal, rest up, and adjust your state. Tomorrow we’ll go at it again!” Teacher Zhang cheered up the dispirited students. If you felt it went badly, remember, it was the same for everyone else.

Against this backdrop, Wu Tong, who had handed in her paper three hours early, appeared all the more exceptional. With her as their trump card, this year’s unexpected blessing for Central Plains Province was secured; everyone else's performance would merely add more glory to their success!

The provincial teachers gathered their own students—some debriefing, others offering encouragement. Coach Zhang Ping and Teacher Zhang led the ten Central Plains team members onto the shuttle bus. Regardless of the results, they would return to the hotel for a meal, letting the students who had endured the long morning rest and recover.

The next morning at half past six, the second round of exams sounded the call to arms once more.

The provincial teams boarded the shuttle buses in sequence, safely transported to the examination center. At 7:55, the proctors began distributing the papers; at eight o’clock sharp, the bell signaled the start.

There were three questions again today. After skimming through them, Wu Tong arched her eyebrows—this year’s CMO was quite something.

The fourth question, in fact the first to catch her eye today, instantly evoked memories of classic, challenging problems she’d solved at the IMO. Among all the problems she’d encountered, this was among the top in difficulty. The remaining two questions, however, only felt as hard as yesterday’s second and third.

Perhaps this year’s test was not just about the questions, but also the candidates’ state of mind?

She dismissed the fleeting thought and refocused all her attention on solving the problems.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth questions—Wu Tong answered them with fluid ease. Ever since awakening memories of her past life, she had poured her energy into her studies, accumulating knowledge for this very day, so she could sharpen her blade and cut through the exam—wherever her sword pointed, nothing could stand in the way.

An hour and a half later, Wu Tong was again the first to raise her hand and submit her paper. The proctor, both expecting and surprised, watched her stride out of the examination hall.

Inside, some examinees still couldn’t find a starting point for the first question. Seeing someone hand in their paper so early, their composure collapsed. Others, regaining their wits, skipped the fourth question and started with the fifth, managing to steady themselves. The exam hall was full of such varied responses, but as Wu Tong stepped out, it was all behind her. From the moment she handed in her paper, the CMO had already moved past her—it was now just a matter of waiting for the results to see the fruits of her tireless efforts.

Seeing Wu Tong come out early once more, neither Old Zhang nor Young Zhang was surprised. Zhang Ping handed her a notebook, which Wu Tong took and began jotting down the exam questions.

The other provincial teachers crowded around in layers, and as soon as the fourth question was written out, every teacher wore a pained expression—this year’s problem setters were truly ruthless!

After the fifth and sixth questions were written out, the mood grew heavier. All the teachers could do was hope their own students would be flexible and not get stuck on the first question.

When the other team leaders left, Old Zhang and Young Zhang huddled together, quietly working to verify Wu Tong’s solutions for the second day’s problems. Their findings made their hearts pound with excitement—this was the drumbeat of elation! They kept their heads down, feigning concern for the students still in the exam hall, barely able to contain their surging joy.

If nothing unexpected happened, this year’s Central Plains team was about to launch a shining satellite—illuminating the entire history of the CMO and making the world remember the glory of the Central Plains!

In the contest for supremacy, the Central Plains had always been a land of talent and brilliance. When the results came out, they would witness a miracle and see the phoenix soar over their homeland.

The wait became a mirror of the previous day—silent and tense until the final bell rang, signaling the official end of this CMO. Whether this would be just a brief sojourn or a glorious return, all would be revealed when the results were announced the day after tomorrow.

After the exam, the students’ nerves finally relaxed. After a meal, the atmosphere at the hotel became lively. Tomorrow’s schedule was much lighter—they would visit the headquarters of the Boao Forum for learning and sightseeing, with no preparation needed.

Groups of contestants gathered, discussing whether to ask their teachers to take them out to explore, buy some local specialties, and see the scenery of the southernmost part of the country—it would be a waste to come all the way to Qiong Province and not experience its sights.

The Central Plains team was no different—the ten of them, all full of youthful energy. Back at school, each was the apple of their teachers’ eye, and none were timid.

A few more outgoing boys took the initiative, inviting the two accompanying teachers, who agreed to take them into the city for a tour.

“Donghui’s going, Sibo’s going, Li Zihan’s going... and Feng’s going!” Chu Haoyang, third place in the league rankings and the group’s lively representative, pointed around, finally calling out to Wu Tong, “Goddess of Learning, are you coming with us?”

Wu Tong nodded. It was a good chance to pick up some interesting gifts for her family. The weather was pleasant, the sun warm—it would be nice to go out for a walk.

As the examinees relaxed and enjoyed their outing, the CMO grading was in full swing.

A team of professional teachers, isolated in a dedicated grading room, reviewed the papers crosswise for maximum fairness. To ensure precision, each answer from each student was checked by several teachers before a score was finalized. Fewer than three hundred students took part this year, so results would be out quickly.

On the afternoon of the sixteenth, at two o’clock, all papers had been graded, and the scores were being tallied—a process overseen personally by the head and deputy head of the grading committee.

“Candidate number one: first problem, 19 points; second problem, 10 points; third problem, 3 points. Fourth problem, zero; fifth, 6; sixth, 5. Total, 33!”

...

“Candidate number seven: first problem, 21 points; second, 16; third, 10; fourth, 3; fifth, 18; sixth, 12—total score, 80!”

“That’s a decent result—should be enough to make the training team!”

...

“Candidate number ninety-seven: first problem, 21 points; second, 21; third, 21!”

“Goodness, where did this little prodigy come from? Full marks on the first day—what a dazzling performance!” The reading wasn’t even finished before a grader couldn’t help but praise.

“With these scores, gold medal is all but guaranteed. Even a few points on the remaining questions would be enough to get into the training team!”

Sixty-three points from the first three questions—the last three probably wouldn’t be low either. Were they about to witness the birth of this year’s top scorers?

Suppressing his astonishment, the grader glanced at his eager colleagues and continued, “Fourth problem, 21 points!”

A full mark on the hardest question of this CMO? Where did this little genius come from? They’d seen so many zeroes on this problem during grading. If this toughest question was aced, the last two would surely be high as well. Were they about to witness a miracle?