"All right, sleepyheads, wake up. It's time to start class," Xu Cong announced as he removed his glasses and shuffled through the stack of graded exams in his hands.
"I've finished marking your tests. I'll call out each name and score one by one. Come up to collect your papers."
"Wang Mengjie, 66."
"Luo Shengsheng, 43."
"Su Ning, 94."
"Song Hao, 67."
"Wang Yang, 90."
...
As Xu Cong read off each name, students gradually made their way to the front to retrieve their papers. Some wore frowns of disappointment, others looked regretful, and a few seemed downright embarrassed. Not a single face lit up with joy. For the top students, anything less than perfection felt like failure. After all, this exam determined who would secure the coveted competition spots.
Su Ning and Wang Yang were among the strongest math students in the class, and they had been seen as prime candidates for the upcoming contest. But now, with Zhou Yi suddenly emerging as a contender, the situation had become uncertain.
"Zhou Yi, 100. The first perfect score today," Xu Cong declared.
As soon as Zhou Yi's name and score were called, every pair of eyes in the room turned toward him.
"Holy crap, another perfect score? Didn't he ace the last test too?"
"How does he do it? He finished in ten minutes flat. This guy's unreal!"
"Not even Wang Yang could beat him."
"Guess it really was his own work. I was watching him the entire time—he didn't have a chance to cheat."
"Incredible... How did his math skills improve so drastically? This is advanced calculus we're talking about!"
"Yeah, exactly! If it were a humanities subject where he just memorized everything, I'd get it. But this is hardcore math!"
"Looks like he's going to take that competition spot for sure."
...
The three classes buzzed with chatter about Zhou Yi's performance. This time, however, there was no room for suspicion. Zhou Yi had taken the exam openly, in full view of everyone. Especially Zhang Wu, who had personally watched Zhou Yi write the test. At first, Zhang Wu thought Zhou Yi was just scribbling nonsense, but seeing the perfect score left him utterly speechless.
When Zhou Yi returned to his seat holding his paper, Zhang Wu stared at him as though he'd seen a ghost.
"Are you really Zhou Yi? Or did you switch places with some twin brother or something?"
"Who else would I be?"
"But how did you change so much? Your grades used to be terrible."
"Because... I couldn't afford to stand out before. Now, it doesn't matter anymore."
Zhou Yi's cryptic response sent a shiver down Zhang Wu's spine. His eyes darted back and forth over Zhou Yi, finally accepting the unsettling truth: his deskmate had transformed into a top-tier student overnight.
"The spots for the math modeling competition have been finalized. Zhou Yi will represent our class. If anyone has objections, come see me after class. That's all," Xu Cong announced, finally resolving a long-standing dilemma.
When Liu Wei heard that Zhou Yi was chosen to represent their class, he nearly thought Xu Cong had lost his mind.
"Teacher Xu, are you serious? Zhou Yi is representing our class?!"
Could Zhou Yi have manipulated things behind the scenes? Otherwise, how could this be possible? But Liu Wei had known Xu Cong for years—he wasn't the type to bend the rules. This was baffling.
"He scored perfect marks on two consecutive exams. Advanced calculus, no less. There aren't many in the arts department capable of that."
"Zhou Yi? Perfect scores? Seriously?!"
"Yes, I know it's hard to believe. I was shocked too. You'll understand when you see him in action. The kid's completely different now."
"Good heavens..."
Liu Wei couldn't hide his astonishment. Thinking of Zhou Yi's handsome face, if his academic performance was catching up as well, his potential was limitless.
"He might even top the school rankings and qualify for the provincial competition," Xu Cong added casually, sending a jolt of excitement through Liu Wei.
Qualifying for the provincial competition would be a monumental achievement for their university! Liu Wei had almost given up hope for this contest, but now, with Xu Cong's endorsement, he decided to place all his bets on Zhou Yi. This was about more than just reputation—it was about pride and bonuses!
Zhou Yi, don't let me down, teacher Liu!
That afternoon, during Chinese class, Liu Wei entered the classroom with an air of anticipation. He glanced briefly at Zhou Yi before turning away and addressing the class. "Do you all still remember the classical Chinese texts from last semester? Let's review. I'll call on a few of you to recite."
"What the hell? We have to recite stuff from last semester?"
"Is Liu Wei in a bad mood today or what?"
"Who's he targeting?"
"Please don't pick me. I don't remember a thing!"
...
Unbeknownst to Zhou Yi, he was already under Liu Wei's radar. Liu Wei deliberately called on a few average students first, only to hear the same two-word refrain: "I forgot."
Then, unexpectedly, he called Zhou Yi's name.
"Zhou Yi, your turn."
Though caught off guard, Zhou Yi rose to his feet without hesitation. Under Liu Wei's watchful gaze, he recited three passages from memory, flawlessly and without pause, as if the words were etched into his very soul.
"Now recite the eighth passage," Liu Wei challenged, testing him further.
Zhou Yi delivered it with equal precision.
"And the twelfth?"
Again, Zhou Yi recited it effortlessly, his expression calm and composed, exuding confidence.
Impressed, Liu Wei pushed further. "Translate the passages for me without looking at the textbook."
Without missing a beat, Zhou Yi translated each line perfectly, as though the book were open before his eyes.
The class fell silent, stunned. Was this guy possessed? How could he remember everything so vividly? And why, given that Zhou Yi's Chinese grades had never been impressive before, was he suddenly performing like a prodigy?
A wave of confusion swept over the room.
Liu Wei was finally convinced. Xu Cong hadn't exaggerated—Zhou Yi truly had undergone a remarkable transformation. Memorizing classical Chinese was one thing; translating every sentence flawlessly was another feat entirely.
Inspired, Liu Wei pulled out a stack of test papers and called Wang Yang over. "Distribute these. Our class did well on the last Chinese exam. Let's see if you've improved further."
Before Liu Wei even finished speaking, complaints erupted from the students.
"Another test? We just had one in math class. Why another one now?"
"There's no way Zhou Yi can ace this too. This is Chinese—there's so much to memorize."
"At least he won't get a perfect score on the essay."
"There's no essay this time. What's going on?"
"Who has time for an essay? Even without it, there's still literary theory and history. No way he remembers all that. Impossible."
Zhou Yi began writing as soon as he received his paper. Zhang Wu glanced at him, wide-eyed, as if staring at a creature from another world. True to form, Zhou Yi was the first to hand in his test.
A short while later, Liu Wei gazed at Zhou Yi in astonishment.
How had this kid gotten every answer correct? Did he memorize the entire university curriculum?