Chapter 58: Seizing Profitable Opportunities

"I dislike both options! I'm choosing neither!"

Principal Wang felt a bit dizzy for a moment.

Teacher Liao opened his mouth but struggled to find the right words.

Indeed, it was like the saying goes, "Dying of thirst, dying of waterlogging." Many high school students across the country dreamed of being admitted to Shuimu University and Yanjing University, yet here was Chen Xiao, refusing both offers.

"Chen Xiao..." Teacher Liao called out again.

Chen Xiao explained, "Mr. Liao, I understand that being recruited by two prestigious schools is a wonderful opportunity. However, I still want to attend a school I'm passionate about and study the major I'm interested in. I hope you can understand my decision."

Chen Xiao had said his piece, and Teacher Liao could only sigh.

He admired Chen Xiao for his independence and hard work. He believed that Chen Xiao would be able to get into the school of his choice based on his own abilities.

However, Principal Wang was far from calm. He tried to persuade, "Chen Xiao, you need to think this through carefully! Even if you plan to attend another university, having a guaranteed option is wise!"

Teacher Liao stood by Chen Xiao's side, saying, "Principal Wang, the special early admission policy of these two schools stipulates that once a student chooses one, they can't apply to other schools, as their candidate files will be locked."

"We need to trust Chen Xiao and have faith in his ability to be admitted to the school he desires. Xia Country has many top-tier universities. While their reputation might not match that of Shuimu University and Yanjing University, their academic quality is commendable."

Chen Xiao jokingly added, "President Wang, I can give the school a headline after I graduate: 'Student from the third senior class of 2000 rejects special admissions from Shuimu University and Yanjing University.' Sounds like good publicity, right?"

President Wang chuckled, "Since you all feel this way, I won't push any further. Be it special admission or not, the college entrance exams are less than five months away. Keep up the hard work."

Chen Xiao nodded slightly, expressing his gratitude to Principal Wang, Director Tan, and Teacher Liao.

Returning to the classroom, Deng Chao, Shen Wei, and others quickly gathered around.

"Tell us, which school did you choose?"

News of Chen Xiao's early acceptance by Yanjing University and Shuimu University had spread throughout the class. What everyone was curious about now was which school he had chosen.

Chen Xiao replied, "I didn't choose either."

"What!" Everyone was astonished!

Shen Wei's heart nearly skipped a beat. Yenching University was her dream school. When she learned that Chen Xiao had been accepted early by Yenching University, she vowed to work even harder to secure a place there.

And now, Chen Xiao was saying that he hadn't chosen either.

"Brother Xiao, are you crazy?" Deng Chao seemed more anxious than Chen Xiao. "These are the two most renowned universities in the country!"

Zhang Yi clutched his chest and said, "I can't fathom the realm of academic elites. If Jiangzhou Institute of Technology (Second Edition) accepts me, I'm packing my bags and heading there."

Shen Wei asked, "Why not go there? Isn't that your field?"

Chen Xiao pulled out his books and test papers from his bag, explaining, "It's not just that. Mainly, I want to experience the feeling of the college entrance exams."

"You!" Shen Wei was both angry and concerned. "I trusted you!"

"Come on!" Zhang Yi and others chimed in.

Chen Xiao stopped jesting and smiled, "If I'm accepted, my major will be locked, and I can't switch. I don't have a strong affinity for this major, and I don't feel comfortable with the atmosphere in Yanjing."

Chen Xiao's reasons were entirely reasonable.

Anxiously, Shen Wei inquired, "So, which school do you plan to attend?"

Chen Xiao replied, "I haven't decided yet. I'll wait until I estimate my scores."

Shen Wei's emotions were tumultuous. Chen Xiao didn't like Yanjing? But Yenching University was her dream!

Afterward, Shen Wei managed to calm herself. Regardless of which school she got into, the priority was to focus on studying hard.

Following the Spring Festival, Su Qiao returned to class. Hearing Chen Xiao's conversation with others, his mood soured.

Su Qiao clenched his fists, a mix of jealousy and discomfort welling up within him.

All of this should have been his.

But soon, Su Qiao chuckled softly.

His family had already pulled strings and spent a substantial sum of money. Su Qiao's father's financial problems had mostly been disclosed, and the blame lay solely on his improper decision-making.

Barring any unexpected developments, Su Desheng would be released within a week.

Wang Qin had invested heavily in a training institution abroad. Su Qiao would take the domestic college entrance exams before finding a way to study in the UK.

Su Qiao muttered, "You bastards!"

He put away the Chinese test papers and resumed studying the IELTS textbook.

Educational resources had never been evenly distributed.

The third year of high school was marked by extreme tension, leaving many students yearning to stretch each hour into two.

Amid such pressure, quite a few students couldn't bear it.

Within a week of the new semester, seven students from the third senior class chose not to take the college entrance exams. Some opted to work, while others spent their days at internet cafes, roller skating rinks, and other places until their high school graduation.

Teacher Liao visited them one by one, but his efforts to change their minds were futile. Helpless, he could only sigh.

This was actually a common phenomenon. After all, university enrollment had just expanded, and the level of higher education per capita hadn't fully caught up. It was only natural that some students would opt out of the college entrance exams.

Chen Xiao's study group grew larger. After last semester's exam results were announced, many students who were willing to go to university but struggled with basic skills joined Chen Xiao's study group.

With the increase in group size, Chen Xiao's daily influence steadily grew by about 1 point.

To enhance efficiency, Chen Xiao changed the format of the study group to a one-on-one system.

If one person understood a particular problem, they would teach at least two other students who struggled with it. This collective approach might seem time-consuming, but it was quite effective.

Repeating a question for others reinforced the problem-solving approach. By explaining the solution two or three times, students gained a solid grasp of the problem type and rarely made mistakes on similar questions in the future.

The goal of Chen Xiao's study group wasn't to have every student master all knowledge points but rather to focus on high-scoring content. Each member was required to be familiar with at least one question type.

Chen Xiao's reputation within the class soared. Teacher Liao even submitted a teaching practice report on the study group to the school, hoping other senior classes would adopt this model.

Saturdays allowed Chen Xiao to indulge a bit. He would visit an internet cafe, play games, and simultaneously monitor the operations of the 11181 website.

One April day, as Chen Xiao walked into the internet cafe, he noticed his old friend Daozi and others were also present, immersed in their games.

"Squint, why steal my character? Go get your own experience points from somewhere else," Knife yelled.

Chen Xiao observed the dark, dimly lit interior of the internet cafe. More than ten computers displayed the same game with colorful subtitles—it looked awfully familiar!