Chapter 24: Yenching University Admissions Team

Chen Qiang still didn't grasp what Chen Xiao was talking about and felt that Chen Xiao's claim of tens of thousands was a bit exaggerated.

However, his mind kept replaying what Chen Xiao had said - Jiangcheng Machinery Factory needed someone related to Gao Hongze, someone just like Gao Hongze.

Ren Shan was bullied, and Ma Shan was under someone else's control. No matter how naive Chen Qiang was, he knew he couldn't work at Jiangcheng Machinery Factory. Offending Gao Hongze would also bring criticism to Su Desheng for not looking out for his interests.

With determination in his heart, Chen Qiang acknowledged, "No, I won't do it! Without him, Su Desheng, I won't starve to death!"

Chen Xiao smiled and called Wang Xiang to confirm that his father would start working in Jiangzhou next week.

Returning to his room, Chen Xiao began preparing a set of mathematics study questions for Shen Wei. The exercises were categorized based on the types of questions from at least three exercise sets, specifically targeting Shen Wei's weak points. With serious practice, Shen Wei's math scores would undoubtedly improve.

Preparing exercises for Shen Wei was a process of self-review and a token of gratitude for her lending her laptop.

Apart from Shen Wei's exercises, Chen Xiao also prepared exercise sets for Deng Chao and other underachievers. These sets covered basic and typical problems that, with some effort, could yield significant improvement in their results.

He worked diligently until two in the morning.

The next day, Chen Xiao skipped most of his classes and went to a photocopying shop to typeset and print the materials. He only printed one copy of each document, allowing students to make additional copies if they needed more.

Most of the "poor" students were actually quite wealthy, so cost wasn't an issue.

Meanwhile, at Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School, Su Qiao was growing increasingly anxious.

The Yenching University admissions team had arrived at the school, and their first step was to obtain the recommendation list from school leaders and delve into each eugenics student's information in detail.

The team would conduct a preliminary screening, eliminating students who didn't meet their criteria from the interview process. As a special enrollment, the selected students had to be top talents, and the admissions team was meticulous in their evaluation.

The leaders of Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School seemed unfazed, regarding it as a routine occurrence.

Consequently, Su Qiao's file was the most comprehensive, while other students' files were relatively simple.

In the initial rough screening, the admissions team finalized a list of five candidates. Chen Xiao, secretly reported by Teacher Liao, was excluded, while Shen Wei was selected.

Chen Xiao's exclusion was due to his English grades, which were consistently poor despite one impressive result in the last exam. The admissions team deemed it luck and considered his failing grades his true performance.

However, Zhao Lixing suggested, "I think this student is promising. His mathematics and science abilities are exceptional, and though his English is weak, it won't hinder his future academic achievements. I recommend including him in the interview list for further observation."

Xu Yadong, the head of the admissions team, frowned at Zhao Lixing's persistence but eventually relented, saying, "Fine, let's include him in the interview list."

Around 10 o'clock, the interviews began.

There were three parts to the interview. First, the candidates had to answer questions, including mathematics, physics, and chemistry. They didn't need to write down the answers; explaining their thought processes sufficed. This segment focused on observing their logical and problem-solving abilities.

The second part involved answering questions posed by the interviewers, which could encompass a wide range of topics. It might involve solving a specific problem or providing an opinion on a certain matter, assessing the depth and breadth of the candidates' thinking.

Finally, there was an English oral test, where candidates had to describe a situation in English, evaluating their language and speaking skills.

The 21st century was fast approaching, and developing a country necessitated interactions with powerful countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, making English an essential tool.

As planned, Su Qiao was the last candidate.

While the students in the third class of senior three continued with their classes or exam papers, Su Qiao and Shen Wei waited near the interview room.

Soon, it was Shen Wei's turn.

Upon entering, Shen Wei was taken aback by the first question, a difficult math Olympiad problem. However, Shen Wei had never encountered math Olympiad questions before. High school math and Olympiad were completely different, a fact of which Shen Wei was unaware.

As the biology, chemistry, and physics questions followed, Shen Wei struggled to answer some and found it hard to articulate her thoughts logically. The teachers of the admissions team couldn't help but shake their heads.

The poor thinking skills of students in third- and fourth-tier cities were evident compared to their counterparts in Yanjing and Shanghai.

Shen Wei never expected to be recruited, but she was already sweating by the end of the interview.

In the second round, Shen Wei's answers lacked coherence.

Q: "In 1998, Xia Guo's GDP was a quarter of that of Dongyang. According to analysis by scholars in the United States, Xia Guo will surpass Dongyang within ten years. Please share your opinion on GDP."

Shen Wei was taken aback. Being a science student, she didn't delve into politics or watch the news. She might have heard the term GDP before, but she had no idea what it meant...

Feeling flustered, Shen Wei hesitated.

After finally completing the interview, Shen Wei sat in the lounge, dazed.

She knew herself well. Her only path to her desired university was through diligent preparation for the college entrance exam; there were no shortcuts.

Chen Xiao was the next candidate. "Chen Xiao, please come in," Director Tan of the Teaching Office called out.

Teacher Liao was anxious when she couldn't find Chen Xiao. He hadn't attended class in the morning and still hadn't arrived at school.

"This kid! Why did he skip school today?"

Xu Yadong from the admissions team frowned and said, "If he doesn't show up, we'll move on to the next candidate, Su Qiao."

Su Qiao had dressed up for the occasion, looking bright and confident in a small suit and overalls.

Being well-prepared and having practiced previous years' special admissions interview questions at Yenching University, Su Qiao felt confident.

In the first round, he aced most questions, stumbling slightly on one but managing to answer it satisfactorily.

In the second round, the admissions team asked, "Marx wrote in Das Kapital that machines took away jobs from workers. The steam engine was the enemy of manpower from the beginning. Please share your opinion on this."

Su Qiao smirked; he hadn't encountered this question before and had never even read "Das Kapital." He tried to answer one question blindly but managed to hold his own reasonably well.

In the third round, the English oral test, Su Qiao demonstrated his strength. However, due to a shortage of English teachers and the local dialect influence, his casual conversation and fluency needed improvement.

After the interview, Su Qiao felt he had performed well and left the classroom.

Xu Yadong, the team leader, said, "Let's discuss."

At that moment, Chen Xiao arrived on the sixth floor and spotted Shen Wei standing at the door of the classroom near the staircase.

Chen Xiao asked, "Aren't classes over? What are you doing here?"