Chapter 62: A Flawless Conclusion

July in Jiangcheng was sweltering, and Chen Xiao found himself sweating even while sitting in the exam room.

This was his second time taking the college entrance exam, but he felt surprisingly calm.

The morning Chinese exam required writing an essay based on the phrase "A Colorful Answer". The topic could range from broad to narrow, deep to shallow. However, the teacher had a preference for a "Microscopic Perspective" approach - starting with small, everyday observations and gradually deepening the theme.

Chen Xiao took inspiration from his father and wrote about a diligent worker in a small machinery factory, who contributed to the country's modernization. The story unraveled the richness of the worker's life, culminating in a broader exploration of the diverse lives of workers across the nation. Chen Xiao carefully integrated his personal narrative with the nation's developmental journey.

His strength lay in the math exam scheduled for the afternoon. He finished the paper in an hour, taking the time to review and double-check his work. He also received a boost in influence.

The following morning was the comprehensive analysis exam, followed by the English exam in the afternoon. Except for a challenging physics question, the rest were relatively straightforward and point-rich subjects for Chen Xiao.

The English composition was quite interesting as it was based on a picture prompt. The topic read: "Imagine you are Li Hua, visiting relatives in the United States. On the early morning of February 8, 2000, you witnessed a traffic accident. The police station asked you to write a report describing what you saw at that moment."

Seeing the topic, Chen Xiao couldn't help but smile. Around the year 2000, there was an almost idolizing fascination with the United States among Chinese teachers and students. Mentioning any relative living or studying there would lead to years of boasting. However, Chen Xiao questioned the scenario. If the American police saw a Chinese person at a crime scene, it wouldn't be as simple as writing a report. Instead, they might suspect you, or worse.

Chen Xiao sighed, "The question creator is a bit naive."

Despite his reservations, he decided to follow the question's context, as compromising with the examiner was the wiser choice.

"The exam is over. Please stop writing..."

The announcement echoed in the room.

Chen Xiao collected his test papers and answer sheet, stood up, and took a deep breath.

High school was finally over...

The day after the college entrance exam, the Class 3-3 students gathered at the school once again. Besides a few students with an English oral test, the primary focus was on checking their answers and estimating scores.

Teacher Liao posted the answer keys for each subject and advised, "Carefully review the answers. Consider your responses and jot them down to ensure accurate evaluation during the second round of checks."

"The math multiple-choice section..."

"I'm done for! I've lost points on the first five questions! This is disastrous!"

"A for question three? How did I pick A? Is the answer wrong?"

"Oh my god, the answer is incorrect."

"I also lost significant points, and now I can only hope for a specialist seat. Waaah..."

Su Qiao, originally planning to study abroad, looked particularly flustered. Complications surrounding her father's matters and uncertainties about studying abroad had left her anxious. Su Qiao, who was typically composed, eagerly compared her answers. After seeing her math and science performance, her confidence wavered.

She estimated a score around 550, which would at best put her at the borderline.

Nervously, Su Qiao avoided answering classmates' inquiries about her performance.

"Wow! Brother Xiao, I think I struck gold!" Deng Chao's voice resonated as he exclaimed, "I just got my score, and it's around 450. Did I strike gold or what?"

450 points meant barely clearing the second-tier universities' admission threshold.

"Brother Xiao, I owe you a big one. I scored just over 440!" Zhang Yi was jubilant about his results. He hugged Chen Xiao tightly and even planted a kiss on his face.

Chen Xiao recoiled, wiping his face on Deng Chao's clothes.

Deng Chao gagged momentarily.

Most study group members had exceeded their score expectations by at least 30 points.

Many students expressed their gratitude to Chen Xiao.

"Brother Xiao, no need for many words. This feeling will stay with me for a lifetime!"

"Remember, if you ever need anything, just let us know."

Whether or not gratitude was actually remembered, what mattered more was the contribution to influence.

[Influence +10, cumulative influence 135.]

Chen Xiao glanced at the gradually increasing influence. He was eager to reach 500 points. He even considered if going to a packed central square, stripping down, and running through the crowd could expedite the process.

Meanwhile, the students who had doubted the study group's effectiveness regretted not joining.

Regret was futile, but at least they could make money off repeating classes.

"What about you, Chen Xiao?" Shen Wei asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "What's your score estimate?"

Chen Xiao shot back, "You haven't told me your estimate yet."

Shen Wei's frustration was evident as she whispered, "I roughly estimated around 625 in total. Especially the math part, I used the problem-solving method you taught me in the practice sets. It seems to have worked."

Shen Wei's cheeks turned crimson due to her nervousness. "I'm not sure how accurate the estimation is, but that's my guess."

Her low voice was still audible to everyone around.

625! A terrifyingly high score!

"Oh my goodness, Shen Wei, you're amazing! You're definitely getting into Peking University."

"Incredible! Our class is going to have two academic stars!"

Based on previous years' admission thresholds for universities like Peking University and Shuimu University