Chapter Forty-Six: The Contest

“All these benefits, Huaqing can offer you as well. We’ll add another two thousand to the living stipend, and we can guarantee that if you achieve another triumph at the IMO and bring home a gold medal, Huaqing will award you a scholarship of up to half a million yuan—granted as soon as you enroll!” Huaqing, with typical magnanimity, laid their cards on the table. Last year’s IMO gold medal had already been seized by Jing University, with their neighbors celebrating gleefully; this year, Huaqing couldn’t afford to lose out again.

Wu Tong’s eyes widened slightly; to say she wasn’t tempted would be a lie!

She hadn’t expected that knowledge truly could turn to gold, that academic excellence could so quickly manifest as real, tangible rewards! After all, she was no celestial being, untouched by worldly cares. To be able to secure such generous rewards through her own achievements, to improve her family’s financial standing and ease her parents’ burden—this was exactly what she wished for.

She’d always assumed that even if these top universities offered scholarships, it would be just thirty or fifty thousand yuan, maybe a full tuition waiver. At this moment in time, fifty thousand was a considerable sum; Teacher Jin’s annual salary, even combined, didn’t reach that amount! With that kind of money, her living expenses for four years of university would be covered—her parents would have nothing to worry about.

But Jing University started bidding at a hundred thousand, and that wasn’t even the final offer. Huaqing’s outright promise of half a million left her utterly stunned!

Forgive her limited experience—she truly hadn’t realized she could be worth so much! Half a million yuan—enough for two or three full apartments in the new district! Housing prices there were just a little over a thousand per square meter, three thousand at most even in the capital—surely enough for a down payment?

Coach Zhang Ping was equally astonished. As one of the top teachers in Central Province, he’d led countless graduating classes, and he’d certainly seen universities compete for students before, but never had he witnessed such extravagant offers.

It seemed they had underestimated Wu Tong’s value!

Indeed, their suspicions were correct. As the two undisputed top universities in the country, Huaqing and Jing University were notorious for not making a move unless the prize was extraordinary. For an ordinary student, even a CMO champion or an international competition gold medalist—of which there were several each year—the schools would offer early admission, a fixed scholarship, and a tuition waiver, nothing more.

But for both universities to spare no effort in vying for Wu Tong, they must have uncovered a wealth of information in a short time.

They now knew that Wu Tong’s score on the Mathematical League was a perfect mark, securing first place in Central Province.

She had skipped a grade, now a senior in high school at just sixteen. In every exam, she scored perfect marks in English, Mathematics, and Science, and nearly perfect in Chinese. In the recent, notoriously difficult five-province joint exam, she scored a raw 746—top marks for a champion, with excellence across the board.

During the math competition, despite this year’s unprecedentedly difficult CMO problems, she’d finished in just ninety minutes, submitting her paper three hours ahead of time—a miraculous feat.

...

Each confirmed fact reaching the admissions offices of both universities only raised the stakes, strengthening their resolve to win Wu Tong over.

Any single one of these achievements would already make a student exceptional. But for all of them to belong to the same person—this was nothing short of a miracle. A true prodigy!

Faced with such extraordinary talent, no amount of attention seemed excessive. As long as she stayed on the right path, her future brilliance was all but assured.

Top scorers in the college entrance exams appear every year; competition champions are not uncommon either. When universities compete, they’re vying for outstanding students and the prestige they bring. But in fighting for Wu Tong, they were scrambling for the very future pillars of their institutions.

The status of these two elite universities isn’t just the result of history or cultural rankings—it’s the legacy of generations of top scholars who built and defended their honor.

“Fifty thousand? Jing University can match that—and more, Wu Tong. As long as you remain exceptional, there’s no upper limit to what we can offer!” Professor Zhou from Jing University’s admissions office, incensed at Huaqing’s brazen move, slammed the table and stood up. Fifty thousand, a hundred thousand—whatever it takes, as long as Wu Tong’s excellence continues, the scholarship fund is hers, no questions asked.

Their university invests over twenty million yuan annually in scholarships; they’re hardly stingy. No one should assume Jing University can’t match those offers! He glared at his rival across the table—let’s see who’s really outclassed here.

“We can do the same at Jinling University! An IMO special prize brings an immediate one million yuan bonus upon admission!” Professor Shu from the C9 Alliance’s Jinling University chimed in with a smile. When it comes to real money, Jinling wouldn’t lose to anyone.

After all, Jinling’s economic strength is among the top nationally!

“We can do it too! So can we!” Professors from Zhejiang University, Shuangdan, and a host of other universities joined the fray. While perhaps not as flush as the leading bidders, they weren’t about to fall behind. After all, whether it was Zhejiang or Shuangdan, none of them feared competition.

It was clear tempers were flaring, with the situation on the verge of chaos, and this was precisely what neither Wu Tong nor Coach Zhang Ping wanted.

Coach Zhang was quick to intervene, setting the tone: “A child’s choice of university is a decision that will shape their entire life. It’s not something to be decided in a moment. Wu Tong is only sixteen, having skipped a grade into her senior year—it’s only right to consult her parents, don’t you think?”

Zhang Ping wanted to buy some time. The universities had come so swiftly, and he didn’t want Wu Tong to rush into a decision that might affect her future. After all, she would attend university eventually, but if things turned sour, it would do her no good. Best not to complicate matters.

“All the offers on the table are outstanding. No matter which school she chooses, it’s not about which is better or worse, but about what suits her best. As teachers, we must respect the wishes of the student and her family.”

Wu Tong nodded in agreement. She had no intention of stringing the universities along—she was simply too stunned to react at first. Hastily, she set aside the coconut jelly milk tea kindly offered by the gentle senior from Jing University.

“No worries, Mr. Zhang, we understand!” The Huaqing admissions officer smiled slyly. “We’ve already called Teacher Jin Yu to consult, and she had nothing but praise for Huaqing. There’s no disagreement there!”

Fortunately, they’d taken the mother’s route on the way from the airport. Daughters are always closest to their mothers, after all. If both mother and daughter chose Huaqing, the father was unlikely to object.

“Heh... Mr. Wu said Jing University was once the dream school for both him and Teacher Jin. He’s fully supportive of Wu Tong choosing Jing University. And from what I hear, Jing University is Wu Tong’s own dream too. If she joins us, wouldn’t that fulfill the entire family’s wish?”