paranoianovel Chapter 2: Fake Academic Star or Real Academic Star?
Chapter 2: Fake Academic Star or Real Academic Star?
"Luo Yao, you're here! The national competition results are out. Do you know your scores in the three subjects?" A female teacher wearing glasses walked in.
With a gentle smile on her face, she took a stool from the corner and sat down next to Luo Yao, completely unaware that the phone on the other end was still on.
"Teacher Li." Luo Yao finally reacted after hearing the familiar voice.
"I don't know. Those competitions are over and done with. They're in the past. There's nothing to care about." Luo Yao's face was expressionless, showing none of the nervousness that children his age usually have when they see their teachers.
After seeing this scene unfold, the live stream chat became lively.
"This kid's quite the actor! He's only a teenager and he's saying things like that. Is this some kind of scripted livestream?"
"Those qualified to participate in the national competition are definitely not ordinary people!"
"No way, could this kid really be a genius?"
"Saying such pretentious things would be ridiculous if they didn't win the award!"
"Three subjects? That means you participated in math, physics, and chemistry competitions? Is that impressive?"
The people in the live stream thought Luo Yao was just faking it, but without exception, no one chose to leave the live stream at this moment; they all wanted to see what would happen next.
As if she was already used to Luo Yao's attitude, Ms. Li smiled awkwardly, took out a blue folder from her briefcase, and then took out three flawless certificates of merit.
"Congratulations! You've won first place in the national mathematics, physics, and chemistry competitions! This is the first time in the country that someone has won three first prizes simultaneously!"
Teacher Li handed the certificate to Luo Yao. After taking it, Luo Yao showed no joy on his face. He simply glanced at the certificate, said thank you, and that was it.
The discussion in the live stream was getting increasingly heated.
"No, Ah Zhen, are you serious?"
"Outrageous! This kid doesn't look like he's from the city, right? How could he possibly win first prize in math, physics, and chemistry at the same time!"
"I can find the list of national competition winners. Wait for me, I'll go check!"
Once reminded, some people immediately went to check the list of winners of the national competition, while others shared the live stream to invite others to join in the fun!
The person who went to check the list of winners returned quickly.
"Comrades, I've found out! The first prize in the latest National Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry Competition has indeed been won by the same person! His name is Luo Yao!"
"Luo Yao? I just heard Teacher Li call out that name too!"
"If this is true, he's not just a top student, he'd be a genius, right?"
"Didn't you hear what that teacher said? For the first time in the whole country, someone has won three first prizes! That's absolutely incredible!"
"Do you have any photos?! This family environment doesn't seem like it could raise a top student!"
"That's right, even with all the resources available to kids in the city, it's impossible for them to win first prize in math, physics, and chemistry competitions at the same time!"
"Could it be a mistake? Or just someone with the same name?"
At this point, Luo Yao had no idea that he was being questioned.
Looking at Teacher Li, who seemed hesitant to speak, he quickly realized what she wanted to say.
"Did Teacher Li come all this way today to ask me if I've chosen a university yet?"
Ms. Li blushed slightly when her secret was exposed.
She often felt that she had no privacy in front of this teenager, who could always speak her mind without any restraint.
Indeed, awarding certificates is usually done at the school, but she was sent separately today to find Luo Yao to confirm his thoughts.
The school leaders had previously asked Luo Yao if they wanted to help him apply to good schools outside the school.
But Luo Yao refused.
He didn't actually want to go outside too early.
There are too many people; it will disturb his studies.
This is why he didn't choose to skip grades consecutively; he wanted to be able to control his own pace, rather than be arranged by others.
The junior high and high school courses are simple, and the teachers here don't bother him much, so he has extra time to read the books he wants.
It wasn't until recently, after he had mastered the necessary knowledge, that he began to consider going to university.
Although he is not yet 17 years old, he has already mastered more knowledge than a high school student. When he attends classes at school, the teachers sit down and listen to his lectures.
Now no teacher in the school dares to teach him, because if they do, they will be criticized for their mistakes and realize that their level is not as good as his.
The school leaders in this small county town were rather incompetent, and the leadership team was a hodgepodge. As the saying goes, three cobblers are better than one Zhuge Liang, so the group got together and came up with what they thought was the most suitable solution—to apply for a guaranteed admission to university for Luo Yao.
It's important to know that in China, there are only 47 high schools nationwide that can guarantee admission to universities, and unfortunately, their school is not among them.
This road is blocked.
The school leaders spoke with Luo Yao, advising him to prepare for the college entrance examination in advance so that he could save time and enter university sooner.
But Luo Yao refused.
In Luo Yao's words, the college entrance examination is the path that ordinary people take; he doesn't need it.
So he asked the school to help him register for the national competition.
If you can achieve a ranking in the national competition, you will have a chance to be admitted to university without taking the entrance exam.
Luo Yao's high school was in a small town, where all the teachers were second-generation teachers, living a life of teaching one day at a time.
They had never been involved in national competitions before and had no idea about the eligibility and procedures for registration. However, for Luo Yao's sake, the school leaders made a special trip to a high school in the city more than 50 kilometers away to consult with them before they were able to register.
From the provincial preliminary rounds to the provincial semi-finals, Luo Yao consistently outperformed everyone else, all the way to the national finals.
Before he went to participate in the national finals, the leaders of the key high schools in the city came to Luo Yao's home and hoped that Luo Yao would transfer to their school to continue his studies. However, Luo Yao's goal was to go to a university outside the city. He did not want to waste time transferring between different high schools.
In fact, Luo Yao's performance had already caught the attention of admissions officers from several universities during the provincial semi-finals.
They all contacted the school leaders of Luoyao High School, hoping that Luoyao's teachers could communicate with Luoyao and give them priority when choosing a school.
Normally, these admissions officers would only appear at the national finals to give presentations and recruit students, but Luo Yao's results were just too tempting for them—he was an all-rounder in mathematics, physics, and chemistry!
If nothing unexpected happens, they are very likely to achieve remarkable results in the finals. In order to attract students, they set their sights on Li Hong, Luo Yao's high school homeroom teacher.
Now that the results of the national finals are out, it's time for Luo Yao to make a decision.
Li Hong, carrying her mission and holding her certificate, arrived at Luo Yao's house.
Seeing that Luo Yao had guessed her purpose, Li Hong spoke frankly.
"Luo Yao, look at Tsinghua University, it's a very good school, and it has Qian Laoban (a class of professors). Their admissions officers promised that if you're willing to go there, you'll receive a scholarship of 500,000 yuan."
Luo Yao's family was not well-off, and having 500,000 yuan could greatly improve their living conditions. Li Hong believed that Luo Yao would not be able to refuse this offer.
Luo Yao didn't agree immediately. He looked at Li Hong and knew that she said that because the admissions officer from Tsinghua University had contacted her.
Seeing that Luo Yao remained silent, the viewers in the live stream were getting anxious.
"My goodness! A scholarship of 500,000 yuan! This guy must be a true academic genius!"
"Hurry up and say yes! That's Tsinghua University! Not some ordinary university!"
"I'm so anxious! Professor Qian's class! That's the only engineering experimental class in the national pilot program for cultivating top students in basic disciplines! Only geniuses can get in!"
"Holy crap! So, Luo Yao really did win first prize in the national math, physics, and chemistry competitions? That's unbelievable!"
While netizens were debating, they heard that the Luo family had sent more people.