Chapter 288: College Entrance Exam Public Opinion, Intense Response

The scorching sun blazed; it was exactly high temperature now, and under the sunlight even the air became distorted, the construction site was like a huge steamer, countless workers poured sweat.

Wu Zhenghao carried bricks, his steps steady and strong; even some seasoned veterans couldn't match his speed, bean-sized sweat droplets rolled down his forehead, surrounding dust puffed, and even his sweat instantly turned gray.

Objectively speaking, his stature isn't particularly tall, but he is sturdy; every inch of his muscle is full of strength, a child who came out of the mountains, he had long been accustomed to farm work.

But Wu Zhenghao never imagined he would be so adept.

When he first woke from unconsciousness, hearing many classmates say he had brawled in the college entrance exam hall, Wu Zhenghao himself couldn't believe it.

Only after seeing the video recorded by onlookers, where he single-handedly faced over ten police officers and didn't lose ground at all, did he almost think it was a synthesized special effect!

Wu Zhenghao thus became famous overnight.

Many people discussed him; as for Wu Zhenghao's scores, there was no suspense, naturally he had no chance for university, after all he caused a ruckus in the exam hall and was later taken away, his science comprehensive and English were outright blank sheets.

Nevertheless, Wu Zhenghao estimated his score; his language and math combined should be over 260, facing this, countless classmates and teachers felt it a pity.

If he had written the science comprehensive back then, he might have gotten into a third-tier college, but now it's too late, there's nothing to be done.

Wu Zhenghao felt down for a while, then pulled himself together; after all, one must look forward, so he decided to retake a year.

To supplement family income and not overburden his mother, he planned to earn money during summer vacation, at least enough to cover tuition and living expenses.

Many teachers also knew Wu Zhenghao's family situation and wanted to lend a hand, but he refused them all.

As his mother said, 'poor in purse but not in ambition'; he has hands and feet, can support himself, no matter how hard life gets, he cannot reach out to others, so he ended up at the construction site.

But one thing struck him as odd: after causing a ruckus in the exam hall, he expected some punishment, after all, in such a solemn public setting it surely caused a bad influence.

Moreover, the authorities might not believe his explanation.

But after so many days, there was basically no movement, as if nothing had happened; Wu Zhenghao was glad about that, whatever the reason, at last he could breathe a sigh of relief.

Wu Zhenghao carried bricks back and forth; not to mention heavy breathing, even his complexion didn't change, his cheeks were red only because of the sun and heat.

What's more puzzling is that after the college entrance exam, Wu Zhenghao discovered his physical fitness had improved across the board; his energy was like a water-filled vat, pulling an all-nighter had no effect.

His strength also saw a significant increase; he once tested that clenching his five fingers into a fist could easily smash a brick into pieces.

Even a thick tree trunk as wide as a bowl could be snapped effortlessly!

Such strength cannot be explained even by someone accustomed to farm work; Wu Zhenghao never told anyone about the bodily changes, not even his mother.

Although he didn't know what caused it, he vaguely sensed something was off.

Nevertheless, thanks to this mysterious strength, he worked at the construction site like a fish in water; Wu Zhenghao could do the work of several people alone, causing the foreman to favor him and raise his wages.

Watching Wu Zhenghao transport bricks back and forth, a heavy basket, many coworkers around showed looks of astonishment.

"Young people working like this are just strong."

"If I remember correctly, this is Xiao Wu's eighth trip, and he hasn't rested at all."

"No wonder the foreman raised his wages; this pay is totally deserved."

Ordinary people doing such labor need to rest after a few trips, but he doesn't even pant.

The resting workers nearby whispered, they couldn't help but suspect that if the basket weren't so small, Wu Zhenghao might have been able to carry even more.

Indeed, that's exactly the case; these bricks are the basket's limit, but not Wu Zhenghao's limit.

Wu Zhenghao is like a wild grass; amidst fierce wind and rain, he doesn't bend but stands tall, showing vigorous vitality even when battered by wind and rain, growing freely.

Gazing at the youth sweating on the construction site, many around were filled with emotion.

As for this youth who just arrived at the construction site, these fellows originally took a dislike to him, thinking he was deliberately showing off, and then learning about his exam hall incident.

In such a setting, causing disorder and brawling surely means he's been mixing in society.

Unexpectedly, upon actual contact, Wu Zhenghao turned out diligent and unpretentious, skilled at work, very warm-hearted, liking to help others; never heard him quarrel with anyone to the point of flushed faces, never even a loud argument.

After they learned Wu Zhenghao came here to ease his mother's pressure, earn money and retake, their view of him gradually changed.

"Such a good kid, how could he not withstand the pressure?"

"Thinking about those things on the exam field, there must be another reason; Xiao Wu is definitely not that kind of person."

"Can only say fate toys with people."

"No problem, with Xiao Wu's ability, he'll surely get into a good university next year!"

"A real man isn't afraid of difficulty or failure; worst case, start over!"

Facing everyone's words of comfort, Wu Zhenghao expressed his thanks.

Just as the construction site was bustling with activity, a figure came running from afar.

"Wu Zhenghao!"

"Wu Zhenghao, come out quickly!"

Many on the construction site were drawn by his shouting; the brick-carrying Wu Zhenghao also blinked slightly, put down what he held, and looked toward the distance.

All that could be seen on the dust‑filled construction site was a youth about his age, looking hurried, eyes full of anxiety.

"How did you come here?"

This person was none other than Wu Zhenghao's good friend Zheng An.

Zheng An panted heavily, hearing this he couldn't help but roll his eyes: 'How could I not come? Today is the day admission notices are handed out; why aren't you going?'

Wu Zhenghao's expression flickered with loss: 'What would I go for? With over two hundred points, I can't even get into a third‑tier college.'

Who would have thought Zheng An would reveal a mysterious smile: 'If you don't go, how would you know you can't get in?'

Wu Zhenghao had no mood to joke with his friend, so he changed the subject: 'All right, let's not talk about me; how's your situation?'

Zheng An didn't beat around the bush: 'We got into South Sichuan University.'

Wu Zhenghao blinked slightly; this South Sichuan University was also the one he had wanted to apply to, a double‑first‑class university under the 988 and 211 projects!

It was exactly that moment of absent‑mindedness that made him unconsciously overlook the 'plural' in Zheng An's words.

If those exam‑hall incidents hadn't occurred, who knows—he might have been able to get in too; even so, Wu Zhenghao sincerely felt happy for Zheng An from the bottom of his heart.

"Not bad, Zheng An—you got into South Sichuan University."

Wu Zhenghao's face broke into a bright smile, never expecting Zheng An to be even more excited: 'No, no, no—not me, but us!'

Zheng An excitedly announced the good news, hugging his close friend in one go, ignoring the cement and dust on Wu Zheng Hao's body, and directly produced the admission notice.

"This is your admission notice!"

Not to mention Wu Zheng Hao, everyone was stunned.

Wu Zheng Hao was like a robot, stiffly tearing open the envelope.

Many co-workers excitedly gathered around, looking at the exquisite admission notice, their faces full of surprise, bearing the school's steel seal and stamp, which could be said to be genuine beyond doubt, absolutely problem-free.

"Wow, this is South Sichuan University!"

"South Sichuan University is the best school in Wu Du, Xiao Wu, you've made us proud this time."

"No way, you said you didn't do well, how could you get into South Sichuan University? That's too modest!"

"Indeed, if you did well, you could easily get into Tsinghua Capital."

"If my brat had half of Xiao Wu's smarts, I'd be satisfied even if he just got into a second-tier university, let alone aiming for a key one."

The crowd chattered, all feeling happy for Wu Zheng Hao.

Only Wu Zheng Hao stood dazed in place, his face full of disbelief.

This is all too unbelievable!

Although he had filled out his application and applied to this university, he never expected to be admitted, after all he hadn't done the science comprehensive or English, couldn't even get into a third-tier school, let alone South Sichuan University.

Even with the facts before him, Wu Zheng Hao still found it hard to believe, wondering if he was dreaming, and subconsciously glanced at Zheng An beside him.

"Is this real? It couldn't be fake, could it?"

Zheng An slapped his shoulder and bluntly retorted, "I think picking bricks made you stupid—look for yourself!"

After saying that, he took out his phone and directly entered Wu Zheng Hao's admission ticket number.

"At first I thought I'd misread, after all you said you didn't take two subjects, but I guessed you definitely hadn't checked your scores afterward!"

Wu Zheng Hao indeed hadn't checked, because he had estimated, and didn't want to bring up painful matters afterward, so he didn't look; even if he had checked the scores, it wouldn't change the outcome.

Seeing his expression, Zheng An knew his guess was right, and proudly said:

"So I asked the old teacher for your admission ticket number—without checking you wouldn't know, but once checked it was shocking."

Zheng An held his phone up to Wu Zheng Hao's face, blowing it up close, and said, "Look yourself, what's the score!"

600 points!

What on earth is going on!

Wu Zheng Hao rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he saw, knowing he had left two subjects undone!

How could he possibly score so high!

Wu Zheng Hao's first reaction was that the score must be wrong; he took Zheng An's phone and carefully examined it several times, finding no error in either the admission ticket or the name.

He even returned to the main page, confirming it was the official site without doubt.

Even so, Wu Zheng Hao still couldn't believe it; to be sure, he found the admissions brochure online, confirmed it was the admissions office, and quickly called to inquire.

"Hello, this is the South Sichuan University Admissions Office phone."

Wu Zheng Hao eagerly inquired: "Hello, I'd like to check whether I've been admitted by your esteemed school."

The admissions office found it strange, since these things could be checked online, there was no need to call specially, but having already called, they had no choice but to cooperate.

"Alright, may I ask your student number and name?"

"Just a moment, I'm looking it up for you."

Hearing the voice on the other end, Wu Zheng Hao felt anxious; the other side didn't keep him waiting long, and soon gave a reply.

"Congratulations, this student, you have passed our admissions with outstanding scores in the unified college entrance exam!"

Wu Zheng Hao muttered in disbelief, "I, I actually got in!"

"Yes, that's right, congratulations."

Hearing the affirmative voice, Wu Zheng Hao hung up, his expression somewhat dazed and bewildered.

Zheng An beside him still thought he was making a fuss, "The admission notice has come out, the college entrance exam scores are right here, calling them is unnecessary, isn't it?"

He chattered on with more words, but Wu Zheng Hao had no mood; his thoughts had already drifted to the clouds.

Logically he should be happy, yet this windfall pie from the sky gave him an unrealistic feeling instead.

What on earth is going on?

Clearly he hadn't done two subjects, how did it turn out like this!

All of this feels too unreal, like a flower in the mirror, a moon in the water.

Could it be that—

Wu Zheng Hao rubbed his temples hard; at that time his memory was muddled, he was in a state of impaired consciousness, and many things were hazy.

Could it be that before those incidents occurred, he had already finished all the questions!

Wu Zheng Hao's eyes lit up, he felt this possibility was great, but soon it dimmed again.

Even if he had finished the science comprehensive, later he was taken away by someone, and finally missed the English exam; subtracting those 150 points, his total couldn't have been 600.

A flash of inspiration crossed his mind, Wu Zheng Hao seemed to have thought of something.

"It must be those few bonus questions!"

"I know the reason, it must be those bonus questions!"

He muttered to himself, and Zheng An beside him kept nodding, "Yeah, you brat said you wrote them all! Who knows how you got them right, anyway those lousy questions, I can't do a single one!"

Zheng An patted his shoulder and exclaimed excitedly, "This heaven-sent good luck you've caught, brat—indeed Heaven won't let down those who strive."

Hearing his words, Wu Zheng Hao's gaze gradually brightened; now he could finally feel at ease.

"Hahaha, I really got in!"

Wu Zheng Hao finally showed a relieved, cheerful smile, hugging Zheng An and jumping about; though usually precocious, he now had the lively demeanor of a youth.

As he laughed, Wu Zheng Hao's eyes reddened; having thought he was in dire straits, he hadn't expected the dark willows to brighten, the hope in his heart reignited, becoming dazzling and radiant.

Wu Zhenghao wiped the tears from his eyes and told his fellow workers, "Everyone, wait a moment; I need to tell my mom this good news—I'll be right back."

His fellow workers were also happy for Wu Zhenghao, waving their hands, "Go ahead, we're watching here, and there's little work this afternoon, nothing major."

Wu Zhenghao bolted, running fast toward home, wishing he could instantly teleport to her side to tell her this exciting news.

In fact, it wasn't just Wu Zhenghao.

As the exam admission scores and notices were issued one after another, many students who thought they had failed also received admission notices.

Nearly a hundred examinees who had grasped the basic cultivation questions on the exam all received admission notices from Chuan Nan University, including those who hadn't applied or had poor past grades, who also received notices.

"Oh my goodness, although you usually treat me like your grandson, you're reliable in crucial moments—I actually got into Chuan Nan University!"

"Mom! Quickly call our seventh aunt and eighth aunt—I got into university too, Chuan Nan University! Set up dozens of tables for the celebration banquet; all relatives and friends must attend—finally it's my turn to hold my head high!"

"Wow, I thought just getting into a second-tier college would be nice, but it's actually Chuan Nan University—my ancestors' graves are smoking!"

"Is it really Chuan Nan University? I can hardly believe it—looks like the steady performer came through at the crucial moment, no dropped chain."

These examinees were all thrilled, yet they didn't realize that while the admission notice appeared to be from Chuan Nan University, it actually concealed something else.

Among those joyfully preparing to register, there were also a few who weren't so happy.

"What? Chuan Nan University? I definitely didn't list this as my choice!"

"This is ridiculous—I scored over 700 points, why can't I go to Tsinghua Capital and have to go to Chuan Nan University instead?"

"Could this be a mistake?"

After all, they were talents selected from Greater Xia, the best of the best—gifted in cultivation and equally outstanding in other studies, just like Wu Zhenghao, top students who could easily get into Tsinghua Capital.

Yet upon seeing the issued admission notices, their faces went blank.

Chuan Nan University??

It's not that the school is bad, but they never applied here, and even adjustment wouldn't be like this.

Moreover, with their scores they wouldn't need adjustment at all.

One young man turned pale with anger and directly called the admissions office of Capital University.

"Why, with my sufficient score, I applied to Capital University but got admitted to Chuan Nan University instead!"

"Sorry, this is an arrangement from above; please accept the adjustment."

"Your score isn't sufficient to apply to Capital University; Chuan Nan University is the result of careful selection."

"If you go, you'll receive a full scholarship, direct admission to master's and doctoral programs, a stipend, and preferential treatment like guaranteed job placement upon graduation."

"If you refuse, you'll lose your current and future eligibility for the college entrance exam."

The person on the other end spoke in the gentlest tone while uttering the harshest words, making those genius examinees tremble with rage.

"Aren't you afraid I'll report you to the higher-ups!"

"Everything follows the principles of fairness, justice, and voluntariness, with final interpretive authority belonging to the relevant education departments."

Obviously, the person on the other end isn't afraid.

Losing present and future college entrance exam eligibility undoubtedly blocks all their retreats!

It's still the regulation from above!

Who on earth came up with this idea!

These few don't believe this nonsense, because it's truly bizarre—how can such high scores not qualify them for Capital University?

Doubts welled up inside them as they were about to call the relevant departments to file a complaint and demand an explanation.

Then the relevant departments of Greater Xia suddenly issued a notice!

As soon as the notice appeared, many people were shocked!

From now on, the college entrance exam will not encourage retaking; furthermore, it stipulates that when universities enroll in the future, with equal scores, priority will be given to current-year examinees!

And Greater Xia's top universities will only admit current-year examinees, not repeaters!

Once this news was released, it undoubtedly shot to the top of hot searches and stirred a tremendous wave among the populace.

The college entrance exam is the most important thing in Greater Xia's history, called the foundation of the state, and can be said to be the fairest institution.

Even minor changes spark public discussion, let alone such a major measure; online debates abound, and most people oppose this policy.

After all, no one can guarantee that they or their daughters and sons won't suffer a setback on the exam.

Retaking is undoubtedly their safety net; now that this retreat is cut off, how could they possibly give up? Whether protesting or filing complaints, it's all in vain—the relevant departments pay no heed.

Actually, in peaceful times the exam could be retaken, which would be absolutely good, but now heavenly and earthly catastrophe is imminent, and the whole world must change.

Whether future humanity can withstand the catastrophe remains unknown; who has the energy to worry about so much?

Numerous education departments of Greater Xia also submitted various feedback reports to Hua Tiancheng.

"Hesitant and overcautious—how can one accomplish great deeds!"

"This group, the first to grasp the cultivation method of the Longyuan Mountain Range, has the greatest opportunity and is very likely to grow before the catastrophe arrives."

"I don't expect them to cultivate to the level of a Great Demon, but they must absolutely become a sharp instrument for Greater Xia to resist disaster!"

Hua Tiancheng remained composed, yet his words were razor-sharp: "In special times, special methods must be used!"

"We must rapidly cultivate those who have grasped the Longyuan Mountain Range cultivation method!"

"Revising the exam rules for these over a hundred people clearly shows how much the Greater Xia high officials value the Longyuan Mountain Range."

"In fact, Hua Tiancheng's decision is also correct; with the heavenly and earthly catastrophe approaching, time is short, and we must act decisively."

"Whatever is not cut off when it should be will inevitably invite chaos."

"To prevent the situation from expanding and leaking the catastrophe prematurely, altering the exam criteria is already the smallest thing we can do now."

"The attitude of the Greater Xia high officials in changing the exam rules can be described as overly harsh; once the order from the 749 Bureau is issued, subordinates must obey it no matter how dissatisfied they are."

"Faced with this news, the people of Greater Xia were stunned."

"They're actually playing for real?!"

"Not only Greater Xia, but many other countries paying attention to Greater Xia are also baffled."

Great Xia has always been the most attentive to rules since ancient times; moreover, the college entrance examination model has existed for a long time, and now it suddenly changed, causing them to be very curious.

Many people worldwide expressed doubt about this.

After all, it's not a big deal; it's just an internal matter of Great Xia, merely causing a small ripple, and hasn't stirred up any waves in the world.

(End of chapter)