Chapter 34: Results Out, Top Student Emerges

Watching Wang Hai's retreating figure, Zhang Yu sighed emotionally, "What a responsible and good teacher."

Bai Zhenzhen sidled up to him and asked suspiciously, "What exactly happened just now? Laughing, shaking hands, talking and all."

"Did Wang Hai suddenly discover that you're his long-lost biological father?"

Zhang Yu shook his head. "There could be many reasons, but in the end... it all comes down to my performance on this monthly exam."

"Azhen, as long as my grades get better and my abilities grow stronger, I'll have more and more good friends in this world, don't you think?"

Watching Zhang Yu's cocky demeanor, Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself, "How many points did Yuzi score this time?"

"Did he surpass me? That shouldn't be possible..."

That evening, Zhang Yu returned to the suburbs and, as before, began practicing the Zhoutian Qi Gathering Method, his next goal being to upgrade it to level 10.

In the blink of an eye, it was early morning the next day, and Zhang Yu had improved his Zhoutian Qi Gathering Method to Level 8 (37/160).

After a day of passive breathing interspersed with active breathing, his mana had also increased again from 11.8 to 11.9.

And thanks to Wang Hai's funding, after deducting the expenses of the past few days, Zhang Yu's savings suddenly reached over seventy-two thousand yuan.

The moment he saw this deposit, Zhang Yu thought of all kinds of ways to spend it.

But in the end, he held back his various impulses, planning to first see what kind of contract the school would offer him after this monthly exam, and then decide how to use the money to improve himself.

Songyang High School at 4 a.m.

Inside the teachers' office.

After another ordinary night of working late, Su Haifeng received the score sheet for this monthly exam.

In order to let students understand themselves as quickly as possible, know their scores, and guide their studies, the teachers worked overtime and finished calculating the scores and rankings for all students who participated in this monthly exam on the night of the exam itself.

Congratulations, congratulations.

Su Haifeng looked at the specific rankings and scores.

First place, Bai Zhenzhen, total score 651

Su Haifeng nodded slightly and thought, "Bai Zhenzhen is still the undisputed number one, but it's a shame her Dao Arts is only 60 points. Otherwise, her total score could have been higher."

Second place, Qian Shen, total score 626

Su Haifeng thought, "Qian Shen has been steadily improving, especially with 80 points in Dao Arts pulling up his score."

Third place, Zhang Yu, total score 620

Su Haifeng was slightly stunned, rubbed his eyes, and looked again carefully.

Third place, Zhang Yu, total score 620

"How is that possible?"

Su Haifeng sat up straight and quickly looked at Zhang Yu's specific scores in each subject.

General Knowledge 48, Dao Heart 135, Mana 142, Physical Education 145, Martial Arts 90, Dao Arts 60.

"This..."

Su Haifeng was shocked; this was even with Dao Arts at only 60 points.

If his Dao Arts had been just 7 points higher, wouldn't he have reached 627 points and surpassed Qian Shen to become second in the year?

In other words, Zhang Yu had jumped from last time's tenth place in the year all the way to third place.

No... according to Su Haifeng's estimates, Zhang Yu's grades should have regressed to rank 20 three weeks ago, and in this period, except for mana, his scores in other subjects should have been steadily declining, with his total score dropping to nearly rank 30.

"How could there be such a huge improvement?"

"Did he win the lottery?"

After looking at Zhang Yu's scores in each subject, Su Haifeng became increasingly uncertain, especially since his mana was 142 and his Physical Education was actually a full 145 points.

He couldn't help but call Wang Hai, wanting to ask what was going on, and whether Zhang Yu's scores had been calculated incorrectly.

At 4 a.m., it was precisely the time when Songyang cultivators were at their most energetic.

Wang Hai quickly answered the phone and asked, "What's the matter? Teacher Su."

Su Haifeng asked, "I see Zhang Yu's physical education score is 145? Did something get mixed up..."

Wang Hai's attitude toward Zhang Yu today was quite good, but that didn't mean he had actually become an easygoing person.

He was still the gold-medal teacher who hated others challenging his teaching authority.

Hearing Su Haifeng's doubt, he snorted coldly and directly interrupted the other party: "Teacher Su, are you doubting our level of physical education, or are you doubting our professional ethics?"

As the ace physical education teacher of Songyang High School and a gold-medal promoter, Wang Hai was not afraid of Su Haifeng at all.

"If you have objections to the grades, then go apply for a review."

"But I can tell you, Zhang Yu's score is absolutely no problem; it's 145 points."

"Because not only has his physical strength reached level 1.25, already among the top of the grade, but his overall body structure and proportions are absolutely excellent."

"With the foundation he has built so far, his physical strength will definitely get higher and higher in the future. He is bound to be a leading figure among this batch of students, and it's not impossible for him to participate in sports competitions later."

Sports competitions, like magical power competitions, are contested with exam content far beyond the high school curriculum.

If one achieves sufficiently outstanding results in them, not only are there large bonuses, but also advantages in university interviews, and even bonus points in the college entrance exam.

And as a school that has produced the city's top scorer in sports, Songyang High School has always had a certain advantage in sports competitions. Hearing Wang Hai's high praise for Zhang Yu, Su Haifeng was even more astonished and, without time to mind the unfriendliness in the other's tone, pressed on: "Hasn't he been skipping proper physical education classes for the past three weeks? How did his score improve so much?"

Wang Hai's face reddened at these words. After a pause, he explained, "Zhang Yu is different from ordinary students. He has his own development path and knows how to cultivate."

Thinking that Zhang Yu was a Golden Core disciple and hardly needed his guidance, Wang Hai continued, "It was precisely because I saw this that I left the PE class for him to do as he pleased."

"Not to mention letting him manage his own class; from now on, he can even skip class if he wants."

"This is teaching according to aptitude."

After ending the call with Wang Hai, Su Haifeng still felt a bit incredulous. Was Wang Hai talking about Zhang Yu? That poor guy?

After frowning in thought for a moment, Su Haifeng made another call.

"Hello? The monthly exam results are out. Zhang Yu is third in the grade, and his score is..."

After reporting the scores, Su Haifeng sighed and said somewhat awkwardly, "I have to say, my judgment of Zhang Yu was completely wrong."

"With his performance, it's normal for the school to give him a B-grade or even an A-grade contract."

"Then that's no longer my responsibility. Probably in a couple of days, the student council will call him in for a talk."

A male voice came from the other end of the line: "I understand."

!.

"Try to stall the student council for me as much as you can. I'll try other methods."

Su Haifeng said, "You know those people in the student council. I can't stall them. Whatever you want to do, do it quickly."

……

6:30 in the morning.

The entrance of Songyang High School was already bustling with students coming to school.

As soon as Zhang Yu walked into the school gate, he saw that the huge screen at the entrance had updated the monthly exam results.

"Student privacy, psychological burden..." none of that exists in our Songyang High School, naturally.

Not only was it prominently displayed on the huge screen at the school gate, but the results of the new monthly exam were also posted on the door of each class, and even the electronic screens in the cafeteria were constantly scrolling through the rankings.

Even when Zhang Yu went to the bathroom, he could hear the broadcast talking about this monthly exam, praising students with high total scores and big improvements on one hand, while insulting those with big regressions and low total scores on the other.

The highlight of our Songyang High School is just no dead angles, no privacy, psychological burden maxed out.

"...Dear students, today we also want to specially congratulate Zhang Yu from the first-year demonstration class."

"Zhang Yu jumped from the original tenth place in the grade straight to third place this time, with a total score of 620, an increase of a full 70 points. It can be called a leapfrog improvement..."

After finishing in the bathroom, Zhang Yu washed his hands while listening to the broadcast, and couldn't help nodding inwardly: "The school's widespread publication of grades does have a positive side; there are some merits to it."

And when Zhang Yu then walked into the classroom, he was surrounded by a large crowd of onlookers, with people occasionally glancing at him, their eyes containing all kinds of different emotions.

Qian Shen looked at Zhang Yu, then at Bai Zhenzhen, their scores of 620 and 651 floating back and forth in his eyes, overshadowing the other students around them.

"Indeed, besides Bai Zhenzhen, this Zhang Yu will also be my opponent in these three years of high school."

Qian Shen felt as if he could already see the scene of the three of them confronting each other, fiercely competing, with outcomes uncertain, and finally all getting into top universities in the next three years.

He's fired up!

He couldn't wait to take out his talisman book and started learning talismans again.

"Talismans are my strong subject, but this time I only got 80 points. I still need to practice!"

On the other side, He Dayou looked gloomily at his scores in various subjects.

"Total score 603."

"Martial arts 50 points..."

The 50-point martial arts score was so glaring that he felt a surge of blood and Qi, wanting to punch the desk in front of him into pieces.

Obviously, it was because of his consecutive defeats by Zhang Yu, plus his poor performance of being taken down in seconds, that caused He Dayou's martial arts score to be so low.

This made him unable to help but reveal a hint of killing intent in his eyes when looking at Zhang Yu.

However, as the son of a school board member, he quickly suppressed this impulse.

"Every poor kid is a valuable resource for the school. How could I lay a hand on him?"

"Don't be angry. Anyway, Zhang Yu should have been targeted by the student council by now, right?"

"He and I are not even on the same track. I can't let him disturb my mind. I still need to focus on improving myself."

He Dayou circulated his mental method, gradually calming his emotions.

He also figured it out: he and Zhang Yu were not competitors on the same path at all. He shouldn't let the other affect his state and his grades, like this martial arts score of 50.

"Improving my own strength and assets is the right way after all."

"This time, Dao arts 90 points. Although it's already my strong subject, there is still room for improvement."

Thinking of this, He Dayou took out his talisman book and, ignoring all the changes around him, focused on studying.

On the other side, Bai Zhenzhen tilted her head and looked at Zhang Yu, thinking: "Has Yuzi been lying low all this time, pretending for four months, and now finally surprising everyone?"

"No, that doesn't seem right. He shouldn't have that ability."

"Could it be that Yuzi also opened a cheat, just like me?"