The afternoon exam was proctored by the same female teacher as before. After handing out the papers, she paced around the classroom, paying extra attention to Evan Lin.
There were seven problems, each one a real brain-twister. If you followed the usual methods, it was almost impossible to solve them.
Near four o’clock, Evan Lin put down his pen and handed in his paper.
The proctor watched Evan Lin leave the classroom, not thinking much of it. Bored, she glanced over his exam paper.
It was a sheet packed with solution steps, all neatly written. The numbers and handwriting were so sharp and elegant that the proctor paused mid-step, taken aback.
At first, her eyes were casual, but as she read down Evan’s paper, her expression shifted: first startled, then serious, then puzzled, and finally enlightened—like she’d just had a revelation.
“These solution paths are way too weird. But this way, you cut out most of the steps—like taking a shortcut.”
“Did that student really write this?”
The proctor was shocked. She turned to look out the window, but Evan Lin was nowhere to be seen. She stood there, dazed and confused.
Logically, students sent from smaller schools to compete might be top dogs back home, but in a place like River City First High, packed with geniuses, they’d be lucky to rank in the middle.
Every year, the province held unified high-school exams, but the students who scored top marks in math were always concentrated in River City. If some freak-level math genius showed up from a smaller school, there’s no way they’d never make an appearance.
“Evan Lin…”
The proctor flipped through Evan Lin’s paper and memorized his name.
Evan Lin left the classroom. The Olympiad problems were tougher than he’d expected, but it didn’t stop him from finding the right solution paths.
Unlike other students, Evan could try out multiple solution methods in his mind at once, then pick the most accurate approach—maximizing his efficiency.
A little after four, First High students who weren’t in the Math Olympiad were still in class.
Evan Lin found a spot by the athletic field and sat down, leaning there. Not far away, some kids were playing soccer—it was PE class.
“Pass the ball!”
“Shoot!”
A bunch of kids were yelling on the field—intercepting, shooting, full of energy.
Not far away, up in the stands, a girl in a white T-shirt was resting her chin in her hand, watching the soccer game. She looked bored and even let out a yawn.
Then she spotted Evan Lin sitting nearby. Her eyebrows knitted together as she thought for a moment, then stood up, shuffled over, and stopped right in front of him—standing one step below him, her 1.55-meter frame giving off a short and cute vibe.
“Math Olympiad?”
Still cold and deadpan, her tone a little offbeat. Jill Jing stared at Evan Lin, clearly annoyed—still mad that he’d walked off without a word that morning.
“Yeah. What?” Evan Lin looked down at the tiny girl in front of him.
Jill Jing still had a bit of baby fat on her cheeks. Unlike the porcelain-doll looks of someone like Quyao Sheng, Jill always seemed to give off a ‘stay away’ vibe—her face tense, like someone owed her money. “Did you do well?”
“So-so.” Evan Lin replied, then got up to leave.
Jill Jing reached out and blocked Evan’s way, looking at him with dead seriousness. “Check answers.”
“No. Nothing to check.” Evan Lin shook his head and refused.
Jill Jing raised her eyebrows, pouted, and widened her eyes. “Don’t leave.”
Evan Lin had no idea why this loli was suddenly clinging to him. Just as he was about to say something, the soccer players noticed what was going on.
“Isn’t that Jill Jing?” The boy in the number seven jersey stopped his ball and looked over to the sideline.
“Yeah. Who’s that guy next to her?” another boy frowned.
“Never seen him. Probably some country kid here for the Math Olympiad,” one boy said, as if remembering something.
At that moment, outside the field, a tall boy in a black tank top—about 1.8 meters—was carrying a pile of KFC burgers, cola, fries, and other snacks, hurrying over.
“Gavin Duan’s here. That guy talking to Jill Jing is dead meat,” someone said, eyes gleaming with excitement as they watched Gavin approach.
“Jill Jing almost never talks to unfamiliar boys. Her math scores are insane—she’s already been guaranteed a spot in the Youth Class at the Academy of Sciences. After this Olympiad, she’ll report straight there next term.”
A few kids huddled together on the field. Gavin Duan, holding his KFC, looked excited at first, but when he saw Evan Lin standing in front of Jill Jing, his face instantly darkened and he sped up.
“You!”
When he was still more than ten meters away, Gavin Duan yelled at Evan Lin in a rough voice.
Hearing the shout, Jill Jing turned her head and saw Gavin Duan.
Gavin Duan rushed over, carefully set down the pile of KFC food, then pulled out an extra-large cola and handed it to Jill Jing with a gentle smile. “Xiao Jing, have some cola. Just bought it—super cold.”
“There’s fried chicken and fries too—take your time. If it’s not enough, just tell me and I’ll go buy more.”
Gavin shoved the big cola into Jill Jing’s hand, then turned to Evan Lin with a furious look. “Why are you bullying her?”
“You want to fight?” Evan Lin narrowed his eyes, suddenly finding himself caught up in trouble for no reason.
“Damn, acting tough?” Gavin Duan froze, then cursed and reached out to grab Evan Lin by the collar.
Evan Lin extended a finger and, just as Gavin got close, tapped him on the forehead.
It looked like a casual touch, but the moment Evan’s finger landed, Gavin Duan flew backward and crashed to the ground.
Jill Jing sipped her cola, cheeks puffed out. She hadn’t even swallowed yet when she saw Gavin crash to the ground. She glanced at him, then turned to Evan Lin, tilting her head curiously. “Was that kung fu?”
Hearing Jill’s question, Evan Lin sighed. “Why are you blocking me? I don’t even know you.”
“And you’re really putting me in a tough spot. I don’t want to hit a girl, but honestly, the way you talk makes it sound like your IQ’s offline. You’re kind of dumb—can you say more than a few words?”
Jill Jing froze for a second, then frowned and handed Evan a chicken drumstick. “Here, eat.”
After that, Jill Jing spoke again: “Check answers.”
Evan Lin: …