"Do you have what it takes? If my grades don't improve in the next monthly exam, even if I don't drive you away, my dad probably will," Lina Sharp said bluntly after their casual chatter faded.
Tony Snow chuckled. "What, you don't believe in me? Didn't your dad tell you about the last student I tutored? His grades shot up. Even the homeroom teacher was impressed. Whether it's math, English, or even some help with literature, I've got it covered."
"It's not that I don't believe you, it's just… your school isn't exactly impressive," Lina said. "The last few tutors Dad hired were all from prestigious universities. Jinling Normal, National East University, schools like that. Most of them were either from top-tier programs or had years of teaching experience. Why should I listen to a student from a lesser-known school?"
Tony didn't take offense. "Honestly, I'm confident. I'm just worried you might not be willing to learn. Your dad said you did well in your first two years of high school. What happened in your third year?"
Lina froze for a moment, then shot a quick glance at the door.
"Forget it. I don't want to talk about that right now. Since you're so confident, let's see what you've got." She dug into her backpack and pulled out a set of math exercises, along with English and literature test papers. She marked a few questions on each.
Tony immediately recognized the move. "She's testing me," he thought, amused. But for six hundred bucks, he was happy to oblige.
The first math problem was a derivative question involving composite functions and induction.
"This problem tests your understanding of derivatives and mathematical induction," Tony began. "But rather than jumping into the answer, tell me what you thought when you looked at it. Did you get stuck somewhere?"
"I didn't even know where to start," Lina admitted.
"Did you really read it carefully? The first part is just finding f1(π/2) and f2(π/2). Basic differentiation and substitution."
"Oh. Really? That simple?"
"Let's walk through it. Start by finding f1(x). Can you handle that?"
"Let me try."
She reread the problem. "Okay, f1(x) is the derivative of f0(x), so we just differentiate the given function."
"Exactly. Then do the same for f2(x) and plug in π/2. Done."
"Got it."
"Hold up. Don't start writing yet. Let's look at the second part. See if you have any thoughts before I jump in."
"Well… I think I need to express f(n-1)(x) and f(n)(x) together somehow. But I don't know how to finish it."
"Good start. But remember what I said earlier? This question is about mathematical induction. You need to bring that into your thinking."
Tony then explained both problems clearly and concisely. Lina nodded along, slowly growing more engaged.
English and literature followed. For Tony, these were even easier. Thanks to his prior simulations and wide reading, high school-level material was no challenge. He breezed through explanations and clarified grammar points and reading comprehension questions with ease.
As they wrapped up, Tony assessed Lina's skill level. She was sharp—smarter than he had been at her age. One clear explanation, and she picked up patterns quickly. Unlike him, who had needed repetition and error logs, Lina seemed to learn intuitively.
Tony couldn't help but compare her to others he knew. Even his girlfriend Clara Quinn, a top student, relied more on grit and discipline than raw aptitude. His dormmate Leo Clarke and his cousins were nowhere near Lina's level. She was, without a doubt, gifted.
Two hours passed quickly. Tony packed up, feeling optimistic. Despite her initial resistance, Lina had absorbed a lot. He had a feeling this tutoring gig might work out just fine.