Principal Zhao is worried about talent loss!
The old cronies at the second and seventh high schools would definitely offer absurdly favorable terms to get a genius like Ma Ran!
Offering terms isn't a big deal; First High could do it too.
But if Ma Ran really transfers before the college entrance exam, then...
Before long, old Zhao might be rumored to be an idiot who failed to recognize a gem!
His thoughts are indeed reasonable.
Unfortunately, due to age and generation gap issues, Principal Zhao overlooked "school forums" and "grade DingTalk groups".
The soul of gossip is inherent in everyone.
The more a secret is concealed, the more people are interested in it.
Information readily available online, people are too lazy to search for.
Ma Ran's fame quickly spread throughout the campus.
...
Time flies by like a fleeting horse.
In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.
On this day at 6:05 in the morning, the moon hadn't set yet, and the sky was dim with little light.
Ma Ran was silently organizing his future plans at home when the homeroom teacher suddenly visited.
"The Education Bureau suddenly arranged an emergency exam, and all students must attend."
The teacher's face was full of annoyance and embarrassment: "I actually received the order yesterday but was afraid of disturbing you, so I didn't inform you."
"But this morning, there was a final warning from higher-ups, saying that every student must attend the exam!"
"Failing to attend might result in disciplinary action."
At this point, the teacher calmed down a bit and whispered: "It's said to be a nationwide test, covering a wide range, not just high school students, junior high and college students have to attend too."
"This is a big move!"
"Hurry up, the exam starts at seven sharp."
"I came here on an electric scooter, I'll take you back to school."
"Okay."
Ma Ran seemed a bit silent, looking a little disinterested.
But the actual situation was completely the opposite!
Previously, it was just small-scale tricks, akin to appetizers.
Today, it's just the end of the opening theme of the movie.
The main drama is about to begin!
...
Qingquan City First High School.
After eating a tasteless bowl of tofu alkali noodles and drinking a glass of soy milk in the cafeteria, Ma Ran arrived in the classroom fifteen minutes early.
"Is he really that genius? Doesn't look like it..."
"Damn handsome! If I had these looks, why study at all? I'd directly debut as an idol at the center stage!"
"His looks are okay, just a bit better than mine. Mainly it's the aura, tsk, I'm jealous."
"No way! No way! Is there still someone who thinks all geniuses look ugly?"
"When you say this, it's kind of brainless. Su Qiangwei from class 2, ranked first for three consecutive years, comes from a good family, and is also beautiful!"
"The person who just passed by... is Ma Ran, right? If he's really that awesome, why does Su Qiangwei always rank first?"
"Hiding strength, playing dumb to catch tigers!"
"In my opinion, perhaps it's disdain—true geniuses disdain competing with peers, get it?"
"So, that's the reason you hang out in internet cafes daily and always end up at the bottom?"
"It's tough enough, don't rub it in! I'm genuinely dumb, please don't mock! I'm just not cut out for studying!"
"The exam is about to start, hurry! Don't be late!"
Maybe it's because of the saying "seeing is believing," without going through true tests (weekly exams, monthly exams, final exams), without seeing the grades on the red paper and black-lettered leaderboard, most people held doubts towards the rumors about Ma Ran.
Even so...
As Ma Ran strolled across the campus, a badge only visible to him gradually appeared in his vision.
This badge was a shade of red copper, illustrated with cartoon eye-glasses.
With a slight focus, Ma Ran knew the badge's name—[Scholar God]!
This is the Multiplication Ability provided by [play] to him!
To be considered a Scholar God by a person whose prestige even a top student like Su Qiangwei admits she's not as good as, isn't too much, right?
Ma Ran could markedly feel that after the appearance of [Scholar God], his memory, speed of thought, and efficiency in absorbing and understanding knowledge had all significantly improved.
His mind clearer, even when standing before the mirror, he could evidently feel his gaze becoming livelier!
Can't compare to his pre-rebirth self, but during his student days, wherever he stood, he would instantly become the focus of attention.
"The N-S equation, solved it?" Su Qiangwei's voice rang in Ma Ran's ear.
Watching the girl's expression, Ma Ran almost broke into laughter.
This expression, he was all too familiar with — clearly hating something immensely inside, yet forcing oneself to appear magnanimous.
Too naive!
Such tender youngsters, he hadn't seen them for years...
Su Qiangwei's antagonistic mood and conflicted demeanor gave Ma Ran a nostalgic teenage feeling.
In a pleasant mood, Ma Ran's mouth curled slightly as if smiling.
He pulled out a stack of thick A4 printed papers from his backpack, lowering them into her hand: "Halfway through solving, not interested in continuing. If you're interested, you can take a look."
Whoever wants to solve it, solve it. I haven't got time to waste on such a dull simple problem—Su Qiangwei instantly imagined in Ma Ran's tone this sentence.
Then...
She almost exploded on the spot!
Feeling completely humiliated, Su Qiangwei nearly wanted to throw all those papers in Ma Ran's face.
But after hesitating repeatedly, thinking long and hard, she obediently placed the documents in her pink little backpack, haughtily replied: "The N-S equation, I'll solve it for you."
"By then, I'll send the files to you, won't take advantage of you!"
Speaking rather boldly, in reality, Su Qiangwei had long realized the gap between herself and Ma Ran.
That was the gap between heaven and earth!
Without the approach provided by Ma Ran, the N-S equation was the millennium challenge, even giving her hundreds of years, she couldn't possibly solve it.
With these approaches, she dared to boast and reclaim her ground in front of classmates.
"Good luck."
Ma Ran's calm reply instilled a tiny sense of gratitude in Su Qiangwei.
Just a little, about a thumbnail's worth.
On one hand, it was due to his genuine encouragement; on the other, it was because he didn't expose her prideful little thoughts.
"What a gentleman..."
Su Qiangwei's quiet mutterings reached Ma Ran's ears.
To this, he remained utterly composed.
The N-S equation, Ma Ran didn't plan to continue solving.
Because he didn't have the capability to solve it.
From the beginning, this was a play, a pure deceit.
The detailed solution of the N-S equation was something Ma Ran memorized by heart while the Shusi Squad was carrying out a special operation to play a mathematician.
On paper was the correct approach, but Ma Ran only remembered half of it!
Continuing would prove his façade.
As for the arithmetic sequence of previous math exam scores, that was purely coincidental.
For someone who treats "passing is glory, one more point is waste" as a mantra, passing every time is already quite good, what more can you expect?
If someone dug out all of Ma Ran's exam papers and compared them one by one, they'd find that not only in mathematics, but in all his subjects, he hovered around the passing mark.
By the way, Ma Ran's pre-rebirth "Shusi Squad" was one of China's special execution teams for supernatural phenomena, unrelated to mathematics, and even less to the renowned mathematician Gauss.
The term "Shusi" came from the "Classic of Mountains and Seas: Western Mountains".