Chapter Seventy-Six: Ingenious Strategy-Back Before the College Entrance Exam, I Became a Sensation in the Science Community(Flowing waters fill the goblet.)

During their school days, they couldn’t win; but now, with graduation and job offers, there was still a chance. At Huasheng, they had patience and benefits to spare, and even if they couldn’t recruit students, they were happy to make things difficult for Capital University. Li Yisheng and Teacher Cheng were seething—Huasheng and that Feng fellow had no shame at all!

The remaining five teammates felt, once again, that their horizons had been broadened. “Our god is mighty! Our god is eternal!” They had now wholly transformed into Wu Tong’s ardent admirers. With a perfect score of 750 out of 750, Wu Tong was truly divine! Even with the five of them combined, they couldn’t have achieved such a feat.

“Come, the teachers are happy—let’s go have a feast! We’ll celebrate Wu Tong, and also your hard work these past weeks!” Facing the students, Li Yisheng managed to vent the frustration brought by Huasheng, replacing it with genuine joy; they were all good kids.

On the way, Wu Tong finally found time to check her phone. A flood of congratulatory messages from various universities appeared, each expressing similar sentiments. Even if they couldn’t recruit her, they could still send their best wishes and leave a good impression with a future top scholar. Inviting her to give a lecture or serve as an honorary professor someday would certainly elevate their institution.

Wu Tong responded to each message with polite thanks. Whatever the circumstances, she appreciated their goodwill.

Everyone around her—her teammates, even the two teachers—were filled with envy. To be honest, even their own small achievements had never garnered such attention. Truly, a child of their own, beloved by all, must be guarded carefully; a pack of hungry wolves were watching. Fortunately, Wu Tong’s records had already been transferred to Capital University.

At midnight on June 25th, teachers Luo Zhenping and others at Xincheng No. 1 High School gathered around their computers, refreshing the page repeatedly. Wu Tong’s scores appeared—full marks in every subject, a total of 750. The teachers were overjoyed, ecstatic—this child had made them so proud!

Xiao Mingwei gritted his teeth. Thanks to Wu Tong’s outstanding performance and meteoric rise, Xincheng No. 1 High School had received considerable support and resources from the province, city, and county education system. There was some funding available, and with additional help from the community, they managed to allocate fifty thousand yuan as a reward for the student who had brought so much honor and support to the school.

They would not forget those who helped them drink from the well. Without Wu Tong, who would know about this ordinary high school in a remote county?

The education system was also working hard, helping Wu Tong secure additional scholarships. They wouldn’t let her be shortchanged—this child would become the school’s signature, a famous alumnus whose influence would last for years.

All across the county, banners were raised at Xincheng No. 1 High School. Words of celebration soared, and anyone who saw the banner announcing the perfect-score top scorer and admission to Capital University was struck by awe, pride, and a bittersweet longing for their own children to achieve the same. A myriad of emotions played out in succession.

The Wu and Jin families were also poised for the moment. Two computers stood side by side, Wu Jingzhong and Jin Yuan seated and waiting to check the results. They had logged in early, entered the admission numbers for both children—one computer belonging to the Jin family, the other a congratulatory gift Wu Tong had given to Jin Xin for his hard work and achievement in the college entrance exam, soon to fulfill his first-choice dreams. Jin Yuan held it in reserve, waiting for the scores to be released before giving it to him, provided he did well.

Wu Tong had bought a laptop after realizing, during her last thesis edit, that she needed one for convenience—her teacher’s laptop was only a temporary solution. She gifted one to Jin Xin and installed a desktop at home for her parents, making it easier for them to access information, go online, listen to music, play games, and watch shows for leisure.

Her grandfather and uncle didn’t miss out either; she bought gifts for everyone. Once the prize money arrived, Wu Tong indulged herself, buying numerous presents for her family.

When the time came, Wu Jingzhong and Jin Yuan quickly clicked to check the scores. Wu Tong’s took several attempts to log in, but Jin Xin’s results appeared instantly. “Look, quick, check Tong Tong and Xin Xin’s scores!” Jin Yongqing and the ladies urged anxiously.

“709! Jin Xin broke 700, total score 709!” Jin Yuan’s hand trembled in excitement as he read the result aloud. No one minded the volume. A year ago, they never would have dreamed Jin Xin could achieve such a score.

“709! Not bad at all—Xin Xin really did well this time,” Jin Yongqing said, pleased, patting his grandson’s shoulder. The boy was becoming a man.

“It’s all thanks to Tong Tong—more than half the credit goes to her!” Xu Meifeng said gratefully to Jin Yu. Tong Tong had paved a road to success for her younger brother, and she would be grateful for a lifetime.

Just as they were about to look more closely at Jin Xin’s scores, Wu Jingzhong finally succeeded in refreshing Wu Tong’s results.

“Tong Tong scored…” Wu Jingzhong’s voice was dry. After a year of tireless effort, his daughter’s hard work had finally blossomed.

“My sister really is a genius—a perfect 750!” Jin Xin leaned closer to the screen, eyes wide, and saw the score displayed. Even though Wu Tong had hinted at the result earlier, seeing it confirmed as a family was still profoundly shocking. Tong Tong was truly extraordinary!

“Oh my, my precious girl is amazing—whatever the perfect score is, she gets it. She must be exhausted. Going to study in the capital has its drawbacks; I’d love to pamper her, but there’s no way to do so!” Old Lady Jin sighed with both pride and regret. For elders, seeing a child succeed was a source of great joy, but they still worried about her hard work.

Jin Xin wanted to say there was no need—his sister scored such marks with the wave of a hand. It was his own struggles as a mediocre student that were truly arduous.

“I heard Tong Tong’s school is giving her a room to stay in? Why don’t you and your mother take me to the capital when school starts, to look after Tong Tong?” Jin Yongqing turned to his wife and thought this was a brilliant idea.

“Xin Xin is also going to university soon. The family doesn’t need us elders anymore. We can bask in our granddaughter’s glory, go to the foot of the emperor, and enjoy the sights of the capital and the spirit of Capital University!”

“That’s wonderful! I’ve hardly ever left our central plains—if I can live in the capital for a while, it’ll be worth it, even when I close my eyes for good!” Grandma Jin clapped in agreement; the old man’s idea was excellent!

(End of chapter)