The thrill of preventing the near-accident and acquiring the [Knowledge Fragment] lingered, opening Chen Mu's eyes to the more dynamic possibilities within the loop. Yet, amidst the expanding horizons offered by the system, one towering landmark from his original life remained firmly planted in his consciousness: the Gaokao. The National College Entrance Examination wasn't just a test; it was the gateway, the bottleneck, the single event that, pre-system, had dictated the trajectory of his entire future.
His academic skills were already listed as [Expert (High School)] across the board, thanks to his earlier optimization loops. But 'Expert' felt insufficient for a challenge this significant, especially when perfection, or something close to it, was now theoretically attainable. He possessed the ultimate study tool – infinite, consequence-free practice time. It was time to deploy it with singular focus.
For the next dozen loops – Cycles 26 through 37 – Chen Mu shifted his primary objective. While maintaining his physical conditioning and occasionally practising his newer skills like programming and typing to prevent degradation, the vast majority of his discretionary time within each seven-day cycle was dedicated to one thing: simulating and mastering the Gaokao.
He designated specific days within each loop, typically Day 4 and Day 5, as full Gaokao simulation days. He sourced countless practice exams online – official past papers, mock tests from various institutions, notoriously difficult supplementary questions. Using his enhanced [Touch Typing (Proficient)] skill, he could quickly transcribe written exams into a digital format if needed, or simply work directly from printouts under self-imposed, rigorously timed conditions.
The first few simulated exams, even with his expert-level knowledge, revealed minor imperfections. A misread question under pressure. A calculation error in a complex math problem. Forgetting an obscure historical date or a specific chemical formula variant. His scores were already far above what his pre-system self could have dreamed of, likely placing him in the top percentile. But for Chen Mu, looping with near-infinite chances, 'very good' wasn't the goal. Optimization was.
He treated each practice test like a data-gathering exercise. After completing one, he wouldn't just check the answers. He would spend hours meticulously analyzing his performance. Why did he get that question wrong? Was it a knowledge gap, a misinterpretation, or a lapse in concentration? How long did he spend on each section? Could time be allocated more efficiently? He used the loop's repetition to experiment with different exam-taking strategies: tackling sections in different orders, allocating time per question rigidly versus flexibly, developing rapid verification techniques for calculations.
He dedicated specific blocks of time within the loops to targeted weak-point elimination. If he consistently struggled with a specific type of calculus problem, he would spend hours drilling variations until the patterns were ingrained. If obscure literary quotes tripped him up, he'd systematically memorize key passages from the required texts. His Mentality stat, now hovering around 1.55, combined with his [Learning Efficiency (Minor)] buff, allowed him to absorb and retain vast amounts of information with remarkable speed.
The system interface reflected this hyper-focused effort. While his core subject skills remained at [Expert (High School)], subtle sub-descriptors began to appear: [+Exam Strategy Optimization], [+Error Recognition Acuity], [+Obscure Knowledge Recall Enhanced].
The rewards at the end of these Gaokao-centric loops shifted accordingly. Instead of points for general physical or skill development, the system began issuing rewards tailored to his objective.
[Loop Cycle 30 Completed.]
> Evaluation: Sustained Focus (Gaokao Simulation). Performance Optimization Detected.
[Reward Issued: Passive Buff Acquired - [Mental Clarity Boost (Exam Conditions)] - Minor reduction in cognitive noise under timed pressure.]
[Loop Cycle 34 Completed.]
> Evaluation: High-Intensity Cognitive Task Simulation. Pattern Recognition Improvement Noted.
[Reward Issued: Skill Enhancement - [Problem Recognition Speed+ (Minor)] - Slightly faster identification of familiar problem types.]
These weren't dramatic power-ups, but precision instruments honing his already formidable capabilities. They made thinking clearer under pressure, identifying the type of question faster, leaving more precious seconds for complex reasoning or double-checking answers.
By the end of Loop 37, Chen Mu felt a profound sense of mastery over the exam. He could consistently complete practice tests well within the time limit, achieving near-perfect scores. He knew the curriculum inside and out, not just the core concepts but the tricky edge cases and obscure details examiners sometimes used to differentiate top students. He had memorized formulas, dates, quotes, and procedures to a degree that felt almost superhuman.
The Gaokao, once a source of immense pressure and anxiety, now felt like a solved equation. He had simulated it, dissected it, and optimized his response to it so thoroughly that the actual event, whenever he finally allowed time to progress past the loop cycle to reach it, felt almost like an afterthought, a formality.
He stood intellectually armed and armoured far beyond any of his peers, who were still grappling with the material in linear time. The power of the loop, when applied with his characteristic discipline towards a singular, complex goal, was truly immense. As Loop 38 began, Chen Mu allowed himself a brief moment of satisfaction before contemplating his next objective. The mountain had been climbed, simulated, and conquered – many times over.