Chapter 223: 2015 College Entrance Exam

On June 7th, the college entrance exam officially kicked off!

With the expectations of the masses as their goal and serving the examinees as their focus, the Ningyang traffic police mobilized their entire force and went all out to ensure that the order in front of and around the exam sites remained good, safe, and unobstructed.

Companionship is the longest confession of love; inside the exam halls, the examinees fought hard for their dreams.

The warmth outside the exam halls arrived as promised, with parents using their presence to express their encouragement and expectations for the examinees.

Outside the High School exam site, the waiting parents sat on the steps or on the folding stools they had brought along, quietly waiting for their children's first battle to end in victory. Among them, there was no shortage of parents wearing cheongsams and holding sunflowers.

A lady in a light green cheongsam told reporters that for every important moment—her child's first day of kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and high school—she and her husband had never been absent. Now that the child was facing the first major exam of their life, she and her husband would certainly accompany them through it.

"The cheongsam was chosen by my son; it symbolizes 'a flag raised to victory.' Holding these hand-wrapped sunflowers symbolizes 'taking the top spot.' We are using this simple method and our company to cheer for our son and give him encouragement."

How pitiful is the heart of parents everywhere!

Lu Fan served as an exam inspector, ready to handle any emergencies at any time.

Lu Fan served as an exam inspector, accompanying the supervisors throughout the process, moving through the exam halls with a serious expression. He remained vigilant at all times to handle any emergencies.

Time ticked away, and by 11:30, the Chinese exam finally ended. Lu Fan breathed a sigh of relief; no accidents had occurred.

At the school gate, the Education Bureau had set up 10 mineral water distribution points, offering both room-temperature and chilled water, allowing the examinees to feel the care and warmth.

At lunchtime, County Party Committee Secretary Hu Chengwei personally accompanied the provincial and municipal supervisors for a meal, serving the best food and drink to ensure the supervisors felt Ningyang's hospitality.

For the afternoon math exam, Lu Fan followed the supervisors just as closely, not leaving their side for a moment.

While passing by an exam hall, a supervisor spotted a student secretly looking at cheat sheets through the window and pointed it out to Lu Fan.

Seeing this, Lu Fan walked directly into the exam hall and gave the proctor a look; the problem was handled immediately.

The supervisor whispered to Lu Fan, "If they don't study hard normally, even if you give them the book now, can they even find the answers?"

Lu Fan nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right, math is different from other subjects. That one is clearly a poor student!"

The two looked at each other and smiled, brushing it off with a laugh.

If the supervisor had insisted on pursuing the matter, it would have counted as an issue, but since they had eaten the food and taken the gifts, they would only help cover it up, unless a large-scale cheating incident occurred.

In the evening, County Head Bian Jide came to dine with the supervisors.

After some drinks, Lu Fan sent Wang Fei to provide them with a "one-stop" service.

The college entrance exam entered its second day, and the examinees faced the comprehensive and foreign language exams—truly a make-or-break moment. The banner at the gate of the High School encouraged every student: Today you are a hero! Let go of yesterday, travel light, go all out, ride the wind and waves, and make the golden list!

In the morning, the provincial supervisor felt a bit low on energy and kept wanting to sit and rest, so Lu Fan kept them company with conversation. As for the municipal supervisor, they were "one of our own"!

When the examinees walked out of the exam hall, one could tell from their expressions and laughter that they had done well on the comprehensive exam.

At 17:00 in the afternoon, with the ringing of the bell to hand in papers, the two-day 2015 college entrance exam came to a successful conclusion!

The examinees walked out of the exam site one after another, their steps incredibly joyful.

The parents waiting outside the exam halls had long since prepared flowers and hugs, staging scene after scene of moving laughter and tears...

The High School broadcast played: Walking out of the school gate, your journey is boundless; the road is at your feet, and your dreams are ahead!

The sweat and tears shed for this exam will turn into miraculous power, truly and deeply merging into your bones and blood, growing into a prehistoric power ready to erupt at any time, helping you safely pass through everything unknown!

The brilliance of life must be written over a lifetime. Wishing every brave Ningyang student to take dreams as horses, live up to their youth, ride the wind and waves, and move forward all the way!

Lu Fan let out a long sigh of relief. The Ningyang Education Bureau used warm service to escort the college entrance exam, once again successfully completing it with zero errors, zero mistakes, and zero accidents.

When the teachers of each class saw off the examinees, they organized most of the students to estimate their scores. The overall reaction was good, and everyone was full of anticipation for checking their results on the 24th.

Next, Lu Fan and the Education Bureau would have to throw themselves into preparations for the high school entrance exam.

In the evening, the County Party Committee and County Government specially held a victory banquet for the Education Bureau. County Party Committee Secretary Hu Chengwei, County Head Bian Jide, the Director of the People's Congress, and the Chairman of the CPPCC all attended.

After the banquet began, Hu Chengwei stood up to deliver a speech, saying emotionally, "On behalf of the County Party Committee and County Government, I sincerely thank all the staff of the Education Bureau. Your hard work has significantly improved the overall level of education and teaching in Ningyang County. It is precisely because of your efforts that the public's satisfaction with education has been comprehensively improved. The college entrance exam has ended; next, I look forward to you creating brilliance again!"

Warm applause erupted at the scene!

After the banquet began, Hu Chengwei slowly stood up and said emotionally, "Here, on behalf of the County Party Committee and County Government, I express my most sincere gratitude to the comrades of the Education Bureau! Your hard work has allowed Ningyang County's educational cause to see hope and a future!"

In the past days, you have stood at your posts day and night, watering Ningyang's educational cause with your heart's blood and sweat. It is precisely because of your unremitting efforts that the overall level of education and teaching in Ningyang County has been significantly improved, bringing confident smiles to the faces of every child and lighting the fire of hope in every family!

Today, the college entrance exam has come to an end. I look forward to you continuing to create brilliance, allowing more students to realize their dreams, and contributing more wisdom and strength to the development of Ningyang County!"

As soon as the voice fell, thunderous applause erupted at the scene, lasting for a long time. This applause was both a response to Hu Chengwei and an affirmation of themselves!

While eating, Hu Chengwei asked Lu Fan with special concern, "Do you estimate that we can break into 'Qingbei' (Tsinghua/Peking University) this year? Municipal Party Secretary Li Mingzhou has been concerned about it!"

Lu Fan answered seriously, "Secretary, our Yingjiang City hasn't had a student make it to 'Qingbei' in over a decade; the difficulty is certainly not low. Our five 'seed' players are particularly outstanding and have the level to compete for the city's top liberal arts and science scores, but whether they can actually make it to 'Qingbei' depends on luck."

Hu Chengwei nodded and said, "If those few children can really rank in the top few in the city, we can answer to the Municipal Committee. Yingjiang Middle School is so powerful, don't they also 'get shaved bald' (get zero results) every year? They can't compare to the five famous schools in Chang'an!"

Lu Fan took the opportunity to report to Hu Chengwei and Bian Jide, "Secretary, County Head, we have a hard flaw in creating a provincial key and provincial demonstration school: a shortage of academic leaders and backbone teachers. Can the County Party Committee and County Government approve the external hiring of a few excellent teachers during the holiday?"

Hu Chengwei said, "That would have to be based on an annual salary, right?"

Bian Jide also said, "According to the conditions in other places, we would also have to solve the housing problem, right?"

Lu Fan replied, "The example and demonstration effect brought by a good teacher is huge! As the saying goes, if you don't sacrifice the child, you won't catch the wolf. Without the attraction of real money, what excellent teacher would cast their gaze toward Ningyang? Annual salary and housing are indispensable."

Hu Chengwei sighed, "It is time to treat Ningyang's educational work as a business card to build! Jide, the County Government should carefully consider Lu Fan's suggestion, come up with an effective plan, and pass it through the government executive meeting."

"Okay, Secretary, the County Government will study it seriously." Bian Jide responded positively. Building a provincial key high school is definitely a massive political achievement. The momentum of Ningyang High School has already risen, and he knew that many people from other counties were already trying every way possible to come to Ningyang High School to study.

It is very difficult for a deputy to get things done. One must not only accurately grasp the pulse and thoughts of the main leaders but also rack one's brains and try every possible way to win the leaders' support and recognition for one's work in order to put one's concepts into practice.

The next day, Lu Fan organized a meeting with the Education Bureau and the High School to conduct a special discussion on making up for shortcomings and strengthening weak points in creating a provincial key high school and provincial demonstration high school, while also arranging and deploying matters related to the high school entrance exam.

Deputy Director Wang Fei organized everyone to seriously study the "Double Creation" evaluation rules and listed a responsibility list, detailing it down to every responsible person.

At the meeting, High School Principal Zhang Shangjin was well-prepared and proposed 35 specific items that needed support.

Lu Fan emphasized that the "Double Creation" work is the most important goal pursuit of the entire county's education system at present. The Education Bureau and the County High School must actively mobilize, improve understanding, identify gaps, grasp implementation, condense a powerful joint force for creation, solve the "pain points" and "difficult points" of creation, and fully promote the creation work.

In the provincial capital, Secretary Chen Jiazhong and Governor Liu Congfeng were discussing several important vacant positions in the province, especially the Yinzhou Municipal Party Secretary and Vice Provincial Governor.

Regarding the Yinzhou Municipal Party Secretary, the two had basically reached a consensus: Deputy Secretary Wang Hongtao would preside over the overall situation. After all, Yinzhou had experienced a major shock and needed a leader who was enterprising and familiar with the situation to sit in command, leading Yinzhou out of the quagmire and toward revitalization. Both believed Wang Hongtao was the only candidate. Now, what they needed to consider was what kind of mayor to pair with Wang Hongtao.

Regarding the candidate for Vice Provincial Governor, Chen Jiazhong said, "Congfeng, last time I went to Jingcheng for a meeting, Vice Premier Huang specifically sought me out to talk and recommended Le Xueren."

Liu Congfeng looked solemn and said, "The qualifications are fine, the ability is standard, and I heard Duan Pengfei supports him very much."

"The Provincial Party Committee only has the right to recommend; as for the result, it must be decided from above. Vice Premier Huang still has a lot of prestige, so let's wait and see!"

Chen Jiazhong suddenly said, "The Yinzhou matter involved Zhao Wenfeng of the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission. Although he didn't commit any principled errors, he still has to bear corresponding responsibility. He shouldn't be able to stay in his current position. The higher-ups have already talked to me, and I suggest Liu Tuo take over the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission."

Liu Congfeng nodded and said, "Secretary, I have no objections." ===== CHAPTER 224 =====