Chapter 287
She had inquired beforehand and learned that this year's test was the most difficult in history.
However, before she could dwell on it further, Zhou Zedong had already lowered his head and begun writing swiftly.
While those around him were still looking over the exam paper, he had finished filling in the blanks in under five minutes.
It wasn't that Zhou Zedong didn't want to take his time; it was just that these questions, compared to the junior and senior high school problems he had been studying recently, were far too simple.
After seeing the questions from junior and senior high school math Olympiads, these held no challenge for him.
Of course, originally, those junior and senior high school problems were bought by Si Nian for him to study later.
Zhou Zedong, having nothing better to do after finishing his own material, had simply gone ahead and looked at those problems too.
Now, a single glance was enough for him to know the correct answer.
He flipped the page and started on the major problem-solving sections.
The exam duration was ninety minutes, and some students were already fidgeting uneasily.
The teacher spoke up to remind them, "The exam is ninety minutes long. You should all know the rules: you cannot go to the restroom during the exam, only leave early after handing in your paper."
Hearing this, the children's expressions grew even more tense.
Zhou Zedong, however, looked up.
You can hand in the paper early?
What a pleasant surprise.
Worried that his younger brother might be running around somewhere, he didn't dwell on what the teacher had said.
Without even checking his work after finishing, he stood up.
"Hey! Student, didn't I say no going to the bathroom? Go back and sit down."
Zhou Zedong picked up his exam paper and, under the stern gazes of the teachers, said, "Teacher, I'm not going to the bathroom. I'm handing in my paper."
"Huh?" The proctor was taken aback.
Zhou Zedong frowned in confusion, tilting his head. "Didn't you say we could hand it in early?"
"It's not that, student. It's been less than half an hour since the exam started, and you want to hand it in already? Are you sure? This isn't an ordinary test; each school has limited spots. I hope you're not wasting this opportunity."
"Right. Even if the questions are difficult and you can't solve them, you should still take it seriously. At the very least, writing down some steps could earn you a few points, so it won't look too bad. Do you still want to hand it in?"
Zhou Zedong nodded. "Although I might not get a perfect score, it shouldn't look too bad either."
"Forget it, forget it." Hearing this, the proctor immediately waved his hand, signaling for him to leave.
Zhou Zedong didn't say anything more. Under the astonished stares of his classmates, he turned and left the classroom.
Outside, Teacher Xu's face was livid.
"You, you stop right there! I gave you this chance to take the exam, and this is how you repay me?"
Teacher Xu was furious. Although she had wanted Zhou Zedong to embarrass himself and make the school regret their decision, she had only hoped for him to get a low score and drag down the others' averages.
She never imagined he would just casually walk out like this.
If he ended up with a zero, where would she put her face in the future?
Teacher Xu was so angry her nose was practically crooked.
"Wasn't it the teacher repaying me by giving me the chance? Why do I need to repay you now?"
Teacher Xu, red-faced and with veins bulging in her neck, pointed at him. "You dare talk back? Don't think just because your family has connections with the Vice Principal, I can't discipline you. Let me tell you, Zhou Zedong, this competition is about our school's honor. If you mess it up, our entire school will be embarrassed because of you."
"If it weren't for the pressure from the Vice Principal and the homeroom teacher, do you think I would let someone like you, who got in through the back door, participate in this competition?"
Many parents were waiting outside the door for their children to finish the exam. Hearing this, they looked at the boy in front of them with great surprise.
To think he had gotten in through the back door.
Their own children had worked so hard to be in the top three of their class just to get this competition opportunity.
Yet he had come in through the back door.
This was a complete insult to all their hardworking children!
These people also deeply disliked those who used connections.
At this moment, their disdain was practically written on their faces.
The people who had ridden the bus with them earlier now wore expressions as if the sky had fallen. "How could this be? I thought this child was destined for greatness. How could he be a backdoor entry?"
"Brother Zhang, I might be wrong sometimes, but I never thought you'd misjudge someone too."
The middle-aged man called Brother Zhang remained calm. "I don't think that's the case."
"Why not? The exam just started not long ago, and he's already out. You know once you leave the exam room, you can't go back. This child is really too willful."
The man spoke with a look of pity.
"Maybe he already finished writing?" Brother Zhang said with a smile.
"Impossible!" The man became agitated upon hearing this. "How could that be? It just started..."
Before he could finish, they saw a teacher run out from the exam hall.
"Student Zhou Zedong, wait a moment!"
The group immediately looked over.
Teacher Xu, full of anger, saw the proctor approaching and immediately put on a smiling face as if flipping a switch. "Proctor, please don't be angry. This child is from the countryside and has never seen such a big occasion; he was probably scared. Don't worry, I'll have the school discipline him. But this matter has nothing to do with the other two students from our school. I hope you won't hold this against them because of him."
After saying this, she glared coldly at Zhou Zedong. "What are you still standing there for? Come over here and apologize to the teacher!"
"See, Brother Zhang, even the proctor is so angry he came out..."
"This kid has some nerve."
Brother Zhang just smiled without speaking. "I don't think the proctor is here to cause trouble."
Sure enough, the proctor who had heard the exchange looked slightly awkward. "Teacher Xu, what are you talking about? I never said I was here to give the child trouble."
Now, not only was Teacher Xu confused, but the people around them were also puzzled.
Worried about the misunderstanding, the proctor quickly looked at Zhou Zedong. "Student Zhou Zedong, the teacher isn't here to give you trouble. Don't be afraid."
"I wanted to ask you about your exam paper. Why didn't you finish it?"
At first, he thought the child had just scribbled randomly. But when he picked it up to look, it was astonishing.
Not only was the thinking clear, the process precise, and the problem-solving methods sharp and flawless,
he had even used conversion methods typically learned in junior and senior high school.
It was truly shocking!
But what shocked the proctor even more was yet to come.
He had finished the most difficult major problems.
But the simplest ones were left blank.
He calculated the score; by sheer coincidence, it was exactly eighty-eight points.
Perfectly hitting the passing mark.
If the chance of someone getting a perfect score is fifty percent, then the chance of getting a zero is zero.
How could someone so precisely nail the score right at the passing line?
If you say he's dumb, he solved the hardest problems.
If you say he's not dumb, he left the simplest ones blank.
That's why he was so shocked that he ran out to ask.
Zhou Zedong said, "I didn't know how to write them."
The proctor immediately showed a disbelieving expression.
"You solved the final, most challenging problem, but you didn't know how to do such simple multiple-choice questions?"
Zhou Zedong nodded without a hint of guilt. "I didn't know."