Chapter 49: Comprehensive Quiz and Gathering Intelligence

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Making the news—a concept exceptionally distant for a high school student.

At an age that was green and awkward, still struggling to construct one's own identity, an achievement of this magnitude was no less than a bomb.

The fervor of the discussion surrounding the matter was comparable to Hiroshima in 1945.

Though Zhai Da had stopped Wu Yue at the very first moment, could he possibly prevent everyone from going online to see for themselves?

During morning self-study, the chemistry teacher occupying the period felt as though nearly everyone was keeping their heads down, and even confiscating a phone couldn't stop them.

The news spread wildly through Class 8 of Senior Three. Within the span of a single morning reading session, there was not a single person who hadn't heard of it.

As the ten-minute recess arrived, the transmission of this news became completely unstoppable. He couldn't cover the mouths of dozens of people...

He was even cornered himself.

A large crowd of male and female classmates formed a tight encirclement around Zhai Da.

"Zhai Da, when did you enter the micro-fiction contest?"

"You're famous now! Will you write books in the future?"

"Zhai Da, can you help me get Han Han's autograph? I'm his fan."

Han Han's autograph, indeed... Han Han's cease-and-desist letter was more like it.

It wasn't until Ding Rong walked in that an explosive piece of news was delivered to the entire class.

Today, there would be four consecutive quizzes in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and English—the entire day would be spent taking tests.

Wu Yue's face turned green; he couldn't even sleep for a whole day...

Ding Rong also passed a stack of materials from the front row, instructing each column to pass them backward.

It seemed to be something very important.

After taking one sheet, Zhai Da handed the rest to the person behind him before looking down at the contents.

Ding Rong said, "The second compulsory subject grade test begins in early May. This will also be the last one. Recently, biology and chemistry will undergo intensive cramming sessions. You all need to mentally prepare yourselves."

Zhai Da thought to himself: *So that's how it is. No wonder there are tests all day long.*

I wonder how much my scores can rise this time...

Someone raised a hand and asked, "This biology and chemistry cramming... will it occupy class time from other subjects?"

Ding Rong's expression remained unchanged. "No, it will simply extend the duration of the morning and evening self-study sessions."

A chorus of wails erupted across the classroom.

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Though they were an ordinary class in a county-level high school, where a small half had long since given up on studying and were simply waiting to graduate and enter society to work, it didn't stop them from complaining a bit.

Zhai Da clutched the A4 sheet of paper. The contents were extremely detailed, covering all aspects of the rules for the final "subject grade test."

As mentioned before, under the 2008 new regulations, Zhai Da needed to choose two subjects among "Biology, Chemistry, Politics, and Geography" to take the compulsory grading exams (ABCD). Science students generally defaulted to biology and chemistry.

These weren't held on the same day as the national college entrance examination (Gaokao), but were organized independently by the fragmented provincial authorities. A total of two tests were taken, with the best score retained—one at the end of last year, and one this May.

The materials distributed today were targeted at this upcoming test.

Aside from the total Gaokao score, this would be the second most important dimension for university admission evaluation.

Theoretically, even if Zhai Da scored over 400 points (out of a possible 480), if his subject grades were all C's, prestigious universities wouldn't even give him the time of day.

In his past life, there was one unlucky fellow who scored over 450 points, but because one of his subject grades was a B, he was rejected by Peking University, becoming a textbook case of the 2008 new regulations.

As the saying goes, having secured the land of Long, one desires the land of Shu. When he had just been reborn, Zhai Da only wanted to return to a junior college level.

After discovering he had a cheat, he wanted to challenge himself for a bachelor's degree.

But now... why shouldn't I aim for a top-tier institution?!

Therefore, he might need to secure two A's (>90) in next month's test.

As a side note, the "high school student Zhai Da" had left the "reborn Zhai Da" with two C's from the previous exam.

When he had just acquired [The Literary Maiden's Pen], Zhai Da had once considered taking a risky shortcut and finding a way to change his exam subjects to "Politics/Geography," which were commonly chosen for arts tracks.

The 2008 new regulations themselves were somewhat a hybrid creature, and one of their original intentions was to "bridge arts and sciences." Therefore, the rules technically permitted a bizarre science student.

Doing so would maximize the effect of his cheats; after all, neither [The Old Man's Television] nor [The Literary Maiden's Pen] enhanced comprehension skills, making the two memorization-heavy subjects a better fit.

However, two events changed Zhai Da's train of thought. First, during the system's equipment synthesis process, it displayed a strong sci-fi aesthetic rather than pure mysticism, making him feel that a solid foundation in science might be necessary for his future in this regard.

Second, Lu Wei had moved into his home and become his live-in personal tutor...

Judging by the current situation, getting a pair of A's next month was still entirely possible. Every day, he was growing rapidly stronger. As for the scum in his class who fished for three days and dried their nets for two, spending more time on gossip than studying, their progress in a week might not even equal a single day of his...

However, when Zhai Da saw the line of fine print at the bottom, he fell into deep contemplation...

---

The cafeteria during the lunch break—the noisiest place in the entire school.

You could never quite tell who was talking, but the place was louder than a duck farm.

Several girls, varying in height and weight but all sporting identical, stiff, cookie-cutter bangs, sat around a table in heated discussion.

Whenever there was any gossip in the school, the apex predators of the rumor mill were never absent.

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"Have you guys heard? That Zhai Da, whom Lin Shu遥 confessed to, made the news?"

"What news? Legal news? Did Lin Shuyao go to the hospital? Was it in the classroom?"

"Forget Lin Shuyao; it seems he likes little Lu instead. I often see them walking to school together."

"That's not the point! He won some kind of micro-fiction contest champion. I saw online that he's the second Han Han!"

As they were chattering away, a stainless-steel food tray was set down on their table. Looking up, it was none other than the protagonist of their discussion, Zhai Da.

The four girls were not frightened. Zhai Da had only succeeded with that trick once; afterward, his appearance simply excited these girls even more.

Today, however, Zhai Da didn't try to scare them. Instead, amidst their shocked gazes, he pulled up a long bench and sat down at the table.

Zhai Da said calmly, "Aren't these empty seats? I can sit here, right?"

The girls looked at each other in blank dismay, unsure of what Zhai Da was up to, but they still shifted aside to make room.

Two of them even blushed slightly—not because Zhai Da was particularly handsome, but out of sheer female high school student shyness.

One chubby girl whispered, "Zhai, are you angry because we were talking about you?"

Zhai Da asked, "If I get angry, will you stop talking about it?"

"Probably not."

"Then why would I give a flying..."

Zhai Da placed a bag from his left hand onto the table. Inside were four starch sausages—the only thing in the cafeteria guaranteed not to taste awful, and one of the hard currencies of Maofang Middle School.

Placing a starch sausage onto each person's food tray, Zhai Da said:

"My treat. But I want to ask about something. Since you guys are so well-informed, whatever happens in school should hardly escape your mouths... I mean, your ears."

The four girls wouldn't be bought off by a mere starch sausage, but having such items pave the way certainly made communication easier.

"What do you want to ask about?"

"Asking about someone. Have you ever heard of Lu Wei? A senior from the grade above."

Zhai Da said earnestly:

"I want to know what happened to her. Unsubstantiated rumors are fine, but don't add any sensational embellishments."

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