Chapter 43: An Indecisive Dilemma

Surrounded by the admission officers from Ji University and Jinghua, Xu You suddenly felt bewildered.

This once unattainable issue for Xu You was finally laid out on the table.

Should he choose Jinghua or Ji University?

"Can I go back and discuss this with my parents?"

For such a life-changing decision, Xu You was unable to decide on his own at the moment.

After all, as a high school student, Xu You didn't fully understand the impact of choosing a particular school or major on his future.

He believed his parents would offer him better advice on these matters.

"Of course, of course, you should discuss it with your parents. But let me add, Xu You, all five delegates who represented Huaxia at the last IPhO were directly admitted to the Physics Department of Ji University."

"Yes, discussing it with your parents is essential. But as everyone knows, in terms of significant scientific achievements this year, Jinghua is ranked first among Huaxia's universities."

Somehow, a tense atmosphere developed between the admission officers.

Seeing the situation worsening, Xu You hurriedly excused himself from the scene.

Before leaving, Xu You had no choice but to add both Jinghua and Ji University admission officers on WeChat and take down their phone numbers.

Afterward, the competition organizers announced the final award list and held the award ceremony.

The exact scores and rankings of the candidates were not disclosed in the final award list.

Of course, everyone knew that the order of the awardees actually reflected their final rankings.

This rule of not disclosing scores was to preserve the self-esteem of some participants, as the difficulty of the questions meant some scores were particularly low.

Xu You's perfect score, however, was not apparent from the award list, known only to the internal competition organizers, provincial team leaders, and the contestants themselves.

Upon hearing of Xu You's award, relatives, friends, teachers, and classmates all sent their congratulations.

[Xu Zhou: My son is amazing! Whatever you want to eat when you get home, your dad will make it!]

[Wu Jing: Don't rush to sign the direct admission agreement. Go back and discuss it thoroughly with your dad first, and let me know once you've decided. Mom suggests it's probably best not to study materials science, but if you really like it, mom has no objections]

[Liu Yanli: Congratulations, Xu You! You won't need to come back to classes anymore. When you have time, come back and share your study experiences with your classmates. You are a role model for our school!]

[Gao Shang: You're impressive, kid. But it's also thanks to my discerning eye for spotting you. Hehe, is Hu Shucheng crying? He had a decent result, but the policy change is unfortunate. Let him come back and prepare for the college entrance exam in peace]

[Zhao Shuang: Congratulations, Xu You! It's good you didn't listen to the teacher back then. If you had given up on the competition, the teacher would have been the sinner. You should continue to stick to your choices and not be swayed by others' opinions]

[Dong Chao: God Yu is awesome! I can also say to others, my desk mate is the national champion!]

[Yuan Hua: The greatest honor of my life is being the physics class representative in class 6. You represent the pinnacle of physics, while I, represent the average level of physics in class 6]

[Lu Zhiyao: You're going to ditch me now. You won't have a chance to compete against me anymore. But still, congratulations! Remember, you promised to choose Ji University, don't ditch me this time]

...

Faced with a barrage of congratulatory messages, Xu You found it impossible to reply to each one individually.

After responding to some important messages, Xu You could only post a status update on his social circle to collectively thank everyone for their congratulations.

On the return flight, Xu You and Hu Shucheng sat together.

After a few days of reflection, Hu Shucheng's mood had significantly calmed.

After all, compared to the previous session, Hu Shucheng's performance had improved qualitatively.

From a national silver to a national gold, it seemed like only a step away.

But the effort behind it was unimaginable to most.

During these days, Hu Shucheng had also been contemplating his future direction.

"Xu You, after giving it some serious thought these past few days, I might not apply for Jingbei's elite program."

Xu You was surprised to hear this.

"Why? With your ranking in the physics competition, even applying for Jingbei's elite program would give you a significant advantage."

"The elite program only allows applications to one university, and the ratio of shortlisting to final admission is 6:1. My regular

 college entrance exam scores are just barely enough for a 985 university. For the elite program, I'd rather play it safe, otherwise, I might end up at a lower-tier 985 university like Ningjiang University."

The elite program's exam covers mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

Even with Hu Shucheng's strong physics background, facing students who also qualified for Jingbei's elite program, he didn't have much of an advantage.

"I'm thinking of applying to Ji Aviation. If I go there, it should be pretty stable. Plus, I'm more interested in engineering. Theory isn't really my strong suit."

Back in high school, Hu Shucheng and Xu You had discussed their future directions together.

At that time, going to Ji University's Physics Department was their first choice.

Schools like Ji Aviation, Ji Institute of Technology, and Bing Industrial University were also within their consideration.

"Actually, putting aside the fame of those schools, what I really want is to go to Ji Aviation. Being part of Huaxia's aerospace engineering, sending spacecraft and space stations into space, I'd be content for a lifetime."

After calming down, Hu Shucheng didn't feel the need to insist on Jingbei.

Originally not particularly fond of theoretical research, Hu Shucheng might not have thrived in a purely theoretical environment.

Listening to Hu Shucheng talk about aerospace, Xu You also felt intrigued.

As a young man who loves his country and science.

Xu You also harbored a dream of aerospace.

At this moment, Xu You's choice for the future also began to waver.

"Old Hu, actually, I don't think Jingbei is my only option. Hearing you talk, I'm also considering this direction."

Hu Shucheng, however, waved his hand.

"It's different for you, Xu You. With your abilities, developing in the aerospace direction is naturally no problem. But basic theory is equally important. The level of Huaxia's aerospace is not solely determined by aerospace personnel."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"For example, the materials for spacecraft. Some aerospace materials might not be developed internally by the aerospace system but might require cooperation with other colleges or laboratories. Similarly, aerospace technology involves basic theories, simulation software, etc. Even if your major isn't aerospace, you can still make crucial contributions to Huaxia's aerospace industry."

Hearing Hu Shucheng's words, Xu You nodded.

Xu You had to admit, in these aspects, Hu Shucheng knew much more than he did.

"Of course, another important reason I suggest you consider Jingbei and these schools."

(End of Chapter)