Chapter 42: One or Two?

Upon hearing Hu Zheng's words, everyone was actually not very surprised.

Moreover, even if Hu Zheng did not explicitly say it, everyone had basically guessed who this person was.

However, there was another question on everyone's minds.

Hu Zheng did not specify whether it was just one person or multiple people who had made it into the final national team training for the Physics Olympiad.

This was something that Hu Shucheng was particularly anxious about.

"Teacher, is it only one person who made it?" Hu Shucheng asked anxiously.

"Well... it's likely one, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility of two."

Hearing this, everyone was even more puzzled.

How could the number still be uncertain? Amidst everyone's confusion, Hu Zheng continued:

"Based on the preliminary rankings, Xu You's total score has placed him first in the nation!"

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"What? Xu You is the top scorer in the nation?"

"Xu God is awesome! The pride of Ningjiang Province!"

"Xu God is going to be recommended for admission to Jingbei! Will he choose Jinghua or Ji University? I wish I had such problems!"

Everyone could guess that Xu You would make it to the national team, but they couldn't imagine that he would be the top scorer in the nation.

However, when Xu You heard that he was the national top scorer, his heart wasn't as joyful as one might expect.

Perhaps the joy had been diluted by the process of studying. The final result was just the natural outcome.

Of course, securing national first place and being recommended for Jingbei was an impeccable achievement.

"Not only that, but Xu You also scored full marks in both theory and experiment. His answer sheets have been reviewed many times by the grading team and no faults were found."

Hearing this, everyone was utterly astounded.

Full marks in the Physics Olympiad? What a concept!

Over the years, very few have heard of anyone achieving full marks in the Physics Olympiad. This was even more shocking than being the top scorer.

"This time, it's really not an illusion," Xu You thought to himself.

During the exam, Xu You felt the questions were of manageable difficulty.

Of course, this was something he would only think to himself, not something he would share with others.

While everyone was happy for Xu You, they were also waiting for their own results.

"Ningjiang Province's second place goes to Hu Shucheng. He did quite well but left a bit of regret."

Hearing this, Hu Shucheng immediately sensed something was wrong.

He seemed to understand the implication of Hu Zheng's words.

"Hu Shucheng, you ranked 51st among all candidates. You've definitely won a gold medal, but since this is not the final result, we can't rule out the possibility of entering the national team. Regardless, this is an excellent performance."

Everyone knew that the national team training camp had only 50 spots.

Ranking 51st meant just missing out on the opportunity.

More importantly, it meant losing the chance for direct admission to Jingbei.

At this moment, Hu Shucheng felt a deep sense of bitterness.

Suddenly, his eyes reddened.

Even someone as strong as Hu Shucheng couldn't help but shed tears over such a result.

Since junior high, Hu Shucheng had been involved in physics competitions, preparing hard for years just to be recommended for admission to Jingbei.

But in the end, fate played such a cruel joke on him.

Being just one rank away was something he found hard to accept.

"Hu Shucheng, I've already applied for a recheck of your score. If there's even a slight chance, I will fight for it. Of course, even ranking 51st is an excellent result. You can still qualify for Jingbei's elite program, and this score gives you a significant advantage."

But Hu Shucheng could no longer listen to these words, crying inconsolably.

He knew his score had been verified at multiple levels, and finding an extra point was almost impossible.

His dream of being recommended for Jingbei was shattered.

Seeing Hu Shucheng in tears, Xu You also felt uncomfortable.

The joy of scoring full marks and being recommended for Jingbei vanished at that moment.

Xu You wanted to comfort Hu Shucheng but didn't know what to say.

After all, comforting Hu Shucheng with his own top score could make Hu Shucheng feel even worse.

Xu You could only pat Hu Shucheng on the shoulder to offer his sympathy.

While crying, Hu Shucheng looked at Xu You and said:

"After being recommended, you won't need to return to No. 4 High School. I still have to go back and prepare for the college entrance examination..."

Since the elite program exams were after the college entrance exam, no one could afford to give up on the latter and put all their

 hopes on the former.

Suddenly, Hu Shucheng burst into laughter, surprising everyone.

"Nobody will compete with me for the lead in morning exercises now, right?"

Xu You never expected Hu Shucheng to think about leading morning exercises at such a time.

"I promise the platform will be yours from now on," Xu You replied helplessly.

Given Hu Shucheng's selfless help with physics experiments, Xu You felt obliged to defend Hu Shucheng's position as the king of morning exercises at No. 4 High School.

Others, not understanding the significance of Hu Shucheng's title, were confused by the conversation.

Subsequently, Hu Zheng announced the results of the other students.

According to these rankings, this year's CPhO saw Ningjiang Province win four gold medals, six silver, and five bronze, marking the best performance in the province's history.

Afterward, the grading team re-evaluated the scores upon requests from provincial team leaders.

The review confirmed the initial results, with no changes to any scores.

The initial results were indeed the final outcomes.

After the results were announced, admissions officers from Jinghua and Ji University contacted the students who made the national team to discuss direct admission offers.

With a perfect score and national first place, Xu You naturally became the focus of attention.

"Xu You, Ji University's Physics Department is the undisputed national leader. Over the years, the majority of students recommended through the Physics Olympiad have chosen Ji University's Physics Department. Of course, aside from Physics, you are free to choose any other major at Ji University."

"Xu You, look at these statistics. Last year, 60% of the recommended Physics Olympiad students chose Jinghua. Olympiad participants don't have to choose a Physics major. Our Jinghua science experimental class allows students to freely select their subjects of study and provides them with academic advisors for specialized training and involvement in relevant research groups."

(End of Chapter)