Meanwhile, Principal Fang Jianguo informed Qin Yuanqing that he would not need to attend classes for the time being. Instead, he would go to the Rongcheng Mathematics Association to join other provincial team students for intensive training in preparation for the national competition.
Holding the special leave notice personally approved by the principal, Qin Yuanqing laughed and cried simultaneously. Clearly, the school valued the national competition even more than regular classes.
At this point, Qin Yuanqing was genuinely intrigued by the National High School Mathematics League and eager to meet the country's top math talents. Undoubtedly, this competition would be an excellent stage. Achieving outstanding results could even lead to qualification for the Chinese Mathematical Olympiad (CMO).
He packed three sets of clothes, last year's exam outlines and summaries for all subjects, several books on advanced mathematics, and previous math league problems. Then, he took a bus to Rongcheng.
Jinpu County only got a train station at the end of 2013. At this time, buses were the best transportation option to Rongcheng.
Upon arrival at the Rongcheng Mathematics Association building, staff assigned him a dorm room, with two provincial team members per room.
The next day, they were called to the grand auditorium of the provincial math association. The hall was festively decorated, radiating solemnity and celebration. Leaders and experts from the Provincial Education Department and the Mathematics Association attended. Only provincial team members received this level of attention; other first and second prize winners received recognition at local city or county associations.
The ceremony began with speeches of congratulations and encouragement, urging students to represent Fujian at the national competition. The Association President and Vice President also addressed the audience.
As the only perfect scorer, Qin Yuanqing stood on stage as the provincial team representative. Holding a glass trophy in his left hand and a certificate in his right, he gave a short speech: encouraging his peers, aiming to battle national math talents, win honors, and secure CMO qualification. The audience responded with enthusiastic applause.
For these provincial team students, pride and anticipation burned inside them. They all wanted to challenge the nation's best and fight for a chance at CMO, which granted automatic admission to top universities regardless of the college entrance exam. Only about 400 students nationwide could participate.
After the ceremony came the celebratory banquet. Qin Yuanqing, experiencing such luxury for the first time since his rebirth, ate heartily.
Back in Jinpu, the school hung red banners: "Congratulations to our senior Qin Yuanqing for winning the Fujian Provincial Mathematics Championship!" The local TV station even featured him in the news, alongside routine reports on county leadership visits.
At the math association, Qin Yuanqing lived almost in isolation. Meals and lodging were at the math building. He attended one class each morning and afternoon, with experts teaching, and free time to read independently. Like a sponge, he absorbed mathematical knowledge—not just high school math, but also university-level advanced math, algebra, and more.
The national competition was less than half a month away. They would depart for the mountain city on November 13, rest on the 14th to acclimate, and start the competition afterward. Time was tight.
With higher-level teachers guiding him, Qin Yuanqing's learning speed increased sharply. Concepts he previously struggled with now clicked after a single explanation. He realized why provincial questions differed from math league questions: provincial exams cultivated talent and fostered passion, so difficulty was balanced. National-level training, however, demanded higher standards for the true elite.
In the provincial team, students could consult published mathematical journals, including the Mathematics Journal by the Chinese Mathematical Society and Mathematical Review by Yanda University. These core publications often inspired questions in the national competition, reflecting the latest domestic research. Reading them broadened students' thinking and offered insight into the minds of top mathematicians.
Mathematics required talent; deeper study demanded even more. Without aptitude, complex math was like deciphering ghostly symbols—meaningless at first glance. High school textbooks taught basics, not essence or extensions. The provincial training focused on conceptual understanding and expansion, not merely solving standard problems.
For example, the function teacher began the class by discussing the nature of functions: the study of change and invariance. No basic instruction, no worked examples—only concepts and combinatorial logic. Problem-solving was expected during self-study, with teachers available for guidance.
Topics included functions, algebra, geometry, algebraic geometry…
Half a month was short, yet sufficient for rapid growth.
On November 13, the Vice President of the Fujian Mathematics Association personally led the team to the mountain city by plane. They were accommodated at a university hotel.
Lying on his bed, Qin Yuanqing checked his system:
Host: Qin Yuanqing
Age: 18
IQ: 165
EQ: 100
Subjects:
Chinese: Level 4 (60,000/100,000)
Mathematics: Level 7 (0/100,000,000)
English: Level 3 (7,000/10,000)
Physics: Level 4 (90,000/100,000)
Chemistry: Level 4 (90,000/100,000)
Biology: Level 4 (70,000/100,000)
Physical fitness: Level 1 (0/100)
The brief training already propelled his math skills to Level 7—a two-level jump in only half a month. While this didn't necessarily improve school exam scores, the symbolic significance was immense.
In a morning exam, he scored 140/150, 30 points ahead of the second-place student, earning him the position of Fujian Provincial Team Captain. The Vice President remarked that with Qin Yuanqing's current level, securing a CMO qualification would be entirely feasible.
CMO had roughly 400 participants each year, with each province receiving 3–40 slots. Fujian, not an education powerhouse like Guangdong or Shanghai, usually had about ten participants per year.
Meanwhile, his learning coins reached 700.
System tasks:
Top score in city high school exams – 500 coins
National high school math champion – 1,000 coins
CMO champion – 2,000 coins
Task 1 (next year's high school exams) was achievable. Tasks 2 and 3 were uncertain—any national competition could see new prodigies emerge. Talents, after all, shone everywhere.
Those who constantly complained about unrecognized talent were usually those without any.
Qin Yuanqing reflected on China's education system. Despite criticism, it provided fair opportunities and upward mobility. Even children from poor families could complete nine years of education and excel in exams. Scholarships and rewards for outstanding performance ensured upward mobility. Without this system, social stratification would be rigid: the poor remained poor, the rich remained rich.
The next morning, the Vice President held a meeting:
The national competition had two sessions:
Morning session: 6 multiple-choice questions (6 points each), 6 fill-in-the-blank questions (9 points each), 3 proof questions (20 points each), total 150 points
Afternoon session: 3 proof questions (50 points each), total 150 points
The exam would start simultaneously across all provinces at 9 a.m., with the same paper.
The top 400 scores would automatically qualify for CMO.
Every province prayed to secure as many CMO slots as possible. National competitions like this were even stricter than the college entrance exam, as they selected only the best 400 students, who would later be narrowed down to six for the national team—a high-stakes affair.