When Zhou Xiu entered the office, Old Wang had already been waiting for her for a while.
After Zhou Xiu arrived, Old Wang asked her to bring over a chair and sit next to his desk. He gave her a brief review of her test paper.
“You should already know the follow-up to your method, so I won’t go into that,” he said. “Let me explain the conventional solutions.”
Zhou Xiu’s method was peculiar in that, while her calculations were complex, her thought process was remarkably clear and understandable. If she had more time, she likely could have completed the entire test using her method.
When Old Wang was grading her test yesterday, he was initially overwhelmed by the dense calculations she had written, making him reluctant to even start grading. But as he grudgingly worked through her solution, he was surprised to find that everything she had written was correct.
This discovery left Old Wang feeling rather conflicted.
After reviewing the test, he handed Zhou Xiu the pen and advised her earnestly, “Next time, try to calculate faster.”
“Were you too cautious, afraid to write down your answers?” he asked.
Zhou Xiu felt a bit embarrassed. Because the system often rewarded her based on accuracy, she had developed the habit of only filling in answers she was sure of, leaving uncertain ones blank.
Judging by her exam style, she indeed appeared overly cautious.
Zhou Xiu had never thought about filling in uncertain answers on the off chance she might get them right.
The system interjected, saying, [I don’t want to take the blame for this.]
[Ding—Monthly competition class test result in the top 5%, reward: 1,500 RMB.]
Zhou Xiu was startled by the reward. She hadn’t expected the competition class’s monthly test to come with such a reward. She reached into the deep pocket of her thick winter coat and indeed felt a warm, fresh stack of cash.
To think the math competition monthly test could bring in such a substantial reward.
The fresh scent of money in her pocket seemed almost eager to spill out. A sweet smile escaped Zhou Xiu’s lips.
Seeing the student beside him suddenly smile so happily, Old Wang chuckled in exasperation and scolded, “Zhou Xiu, I’m not praising you! Keep a straight face!”
“Pay attention to this issue next time!”
As she looked at Old Wang’s wrinkled face, with the light catching the strands of white in his hair, warmth filled Zhou Xiu’s eyes.
“I understand. Thank you, Teacher, for taking the time to tutor me,” she said sincerely.
Since coming to this school, Zhou Xiu had encountered some bad teachers but also some very good ones. While the bad ones could be discouraging, a few words from a good teacher were enough to make her feel warm and happy that she had come to this school. Being here allowed her to meet such excellent teachers.
Zhou Xiu packed up her test papers and, after a moment of thought, asked slowly, “Mr. Wang, I’d like to buy one of your test papers. Where can I get one?”
Old Wang opened his mouth but was momentarily speechless.
She really had her eye on his test papers all along!
Having just earned 1,500 RMB, Zhou Xiu wasn’t at all hesitant to spend money on test papers, making her request particularly generous.
After all, she wasn’t asking for it for free.
The two of them stared at each other for a long time before Old Wang finally, albeit reluctantly, pulled out a thick test paper collection from his drawer.
“This is my latest compilation. I’m giving it to you. It contains a selection of classic Olympiad problems from past years, along with some transformed questions I’ve created. The difficulty level is moderate. Take it home and treat it as your winter break homework. Finish it and hand it in when the term starts.”
[Ding—Complete the test paper within the allotted time with a correct rate of 40% to earn 300 RMB.]
[Achieve a correct rate of 50% to earn 800 RMB.]
[Achieve a correct rate of 60% to earn 1,500 RMB.]
[Achieve a correct rate of 70% to earn 5,000 RMB.]
As the system’s task notifications rang in her ears, Zhou Xiu was stunned. She could earn such significant rewards with just a 40% correct rate?
Her eyes flashed with unhidden astonishment as she looked at the thick test paper collection. Her sense of happiness was almost overwhelming.
This wasn’t just a test paper; it was practically a money-printing machine. The more she wrote, the happier she’d be.
It was both fun and lucrative.
It honed her mental abilities while also helping to support her financially.
Zhou Xiu clutched the test paper collection Old Wang had given her, deeply bowing in gratitude. “Thank you very much, Mr. Wang, for the test papers.”
She flipped to the back of the test papers and, not seeing a price tag, reached into her pocket and generously pulled out a 100-yuan bill, placing it solemnly on Old Wang’s desk.
After setting down the money, Zhou Xiu quickly scurried out of the office. This was the first time she had ever spent money with such delight.
Old Wang stared at the 100-yuan note on his desk: “…”
Had this child become so happy that she had gone silly?
…
After Zhou Xiu finished listening to Old Wang’s review and packed up her backpack to leave the office, she noticed that the lights at the Rocket Class entrance were still on; Qi Yaguang hadn’t left yet.
When Qi Yaguang heard the sound of movement, she called out to Zhou Xiu, “Wait, Zhou Xiu, stop.”
Zhou Xiu halted, and Qi Yaguang, with her head bowed, remained silent for a long time.
Zhou Xiu turned to leave.
Qi Yaguang stepped in front of her and asked, “Can I take a look at your test paper?”
Zhou Xiu raised her head, looking at Qi Yaguang’s face, and asked cautiously, “What are you trying to do?”
After a moment of hesitation, Zhou Xiu finally, reluctantly, handed over her test paper.
Qi Yaguang took Zhou Xiu’s test paper and slowly examined it. After a while, the weight on her mind finally lifted.
No wonder Mr. Wang had said she couldn’t compare to a regular class student like Zhou Xiu.
The rigorous and complex calculations on Zhou Xiu’s paper were something Qi Yaguang couldn’t currently achieve. This reality was more humiliating than a thousand words.
Her face felt hot.
“Th-thank you…”
Her lips trembled slightly as she paused, glancing at Zhou Xiu. She bit her lip and said, “I’m sorry.”
It wasn’t until she saw Zhou Xiu’s test paper that she was truly convinced. There were no mistakes—just a lack of time to fully develop the proofs.
Qi Yaguang loved math and had always admired those who excelled in it.
Zhou Xiu slung her backpack over her shoulder and said lightly, “You did owe me an apology. You’re also…”
She pondered for a moment, thinking about how to phrase it, “Pretty annoying. You always refuse to believe what’s right in front of you.”
Qi Yaguang bit her lip and couldn’t help stomping her foot.
“You… you really know how to be annoying when you talk.”
Zhou Xiu simply started walking down the stairs. “I’m leaving.”
After returning to the Xi family home, Zhou Xiu opened her backpack and contentedly immersed herself in the joy of studying Olympiad math.
In her mind, Olympiad math was fun, but it had always been a luxury hobby—time-consuming and money-draining. But now, things were different; the rewards were substantial.
If just a monthly test could be so rewarding, what about the actual provincial competition?
The system replied, [Don’t worry. The amount of money you’ll earn will blow your mind.]
[Keep studying; it’ll make you rich.]
Zhou Xiu opened the test paper collection Old Wang had given her and skimmed through it. The classic Olympiad problems inside were indeed quite challenging.
No wonder the system had set the bar so low—just a 40% correct rate would earn a reward, and a 70% correct rate offered a pay-out that was like free money.
Zhou Xiu selected a test paper with a relatively low difficulty and patiently spent two hours working through it.
As she dove into the sea of problems, Zhou Xiu found herself increasingly struggling. Despite her frantic efforts to consolidate and absorb the foundational knowledge, it wasn’t nearly enough when faced with real questions. This time, she racked her brains, relying on both guessing and reasoning to fill in the blanks.
The system then said slowly, [Correct rate: 30%, no reward.]
Even with guesses, she hadn’t managed to get many correct. The system added, [I told you, I’m not taking the blame for this. Do you believe me now?]
Having wasted a test paper, Zhou Xiu sighed and resignedly pulled out her books to shore up her Olympiad math fundamentals.
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