Chapter 158 Excuse me!

"Someone as talented in reasoning as you is born to be an Orderly!"

"Exactly!"

"Agreed!"

Cao Guanghai and Xing Zhengtao immediately echoed the sentiment.

In truth, this was the main reason the three of them had come to find Ye Fan today. Their so-called gratitude was merely an afterthought.

With Ye Fan's astonishing deductive ability, even the top figures in the Orderly Division paled in comparison.

How could they let such a genius slip away?!

Where Ye Fan would be assigned after university wasn't important to them.

After all, a genius like Ye Fan was destined to be extraordinary wherever he went.

Their task was simple: to guide him, to make Ye Fan develop an interest in becoming an Orderly.

Meeting the three men's gazes, Ye Fan's expression remained unchanged. He politely declined, saying, "I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. While I admire the Orderlies greatly, I have no plans to apply to the Orderly University for now."

Cao Guanghai quickly clarified, "It's not about applying; it's a special recruitment. No need for entrance exams—you'd gain direct admission! The Imperial Capital's Orderly University is the only 211-ranked university in the country. Other provinces' Orderly Universities are merely first-tier schools. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Ah…"

Ye Fan scratched his head. "Director Cao, I understand everything you're saying, but I'm genuinely not interested in the Orderly University. I'm really sorry."

Xing Zhengtao, sitting to the side, was unwilling to give up. "Ye Fan, this is a special recruitment slot for a 211 university. Think it over carefully!"

"Well…"

Ye Fan rubbed his hands together and admitted, "To be honest, I recently won first place in the National High School Mathematics Competition, and Qing University offered me a guaranteed admission spot."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Stunned?

No!

To be precise, the three of them were utterly floored.

A guaranteed spot at Qing University?!

Good heavens!!!

No wonder. No wonder.

No wonder Ye Fan declined; now it all made sense.

Compared to Qing University, the Imperial Capital's Orderly University paled in comparison and wasn't even in the same league.

Any sensible person would know what to choose. Ye Fan's refusal of the special recruitment offer wasn't surprising at all.

But Ye Fan's next words left the three men completely dumbfounded.

"It's just that I don't like guaranteed admissions, so I turned down Qing University's offer."

The room fell silent.

The three men's brains froze—completely.

Now they were utterly flabbergasted!

Rejecting Qing University's guaranteed spot?!

Such a thing—they'd never heard of it. Not even once!

For context, Qing University only offered ten guaranteed spots nationwide each year. Some provinces didn't even get one slot.

As the top university in the country, Qing University was the dream institution for countless students.

Getting a guaranteed spot was a matter of such pride that some families would throw three-day banquets to celebrate. Just a few years ago, this made the news.

Observing the trio's reactions, Ye Fan had anticipated it. He calmly explained, "This year, the Ministry of Education reformed the college entrance exam to a national standardized format and introduced the Genius List. That's why I…"

At this point, he gave the three men a polite smile and refrained from continuing.

"Hiss!"

The trio collectively gasped.

Now they were truly stunned!

Looking at Ye Fan, who remained calm and composed, the three of them exchanged glances and silently reached an understanding.

Together, they cupped their hands in salute. "We apologize for disturbing you!"

Who would have thought that this young man, who had helped them crack a case, was actually aiming to make it onto the Genius List?

The term Genius List had already been sensationalized by major media outlets!

Not just the media—even university professors across the country had publicly commented on the Genius List.

To sum it up, they all said one thing: Anyone on the Genius List is a phoenix among men.

Such an evaluation couldn't be higher.

Then again, considering the requirements for making it onto the Genius List, everyone could understand.

According to incomplete statistics, nearly ten million students were taking the college entrance exam this year, but only one hundred slots were available on the Genius List.

A one-in-a-hundred-thousand chance!

If someone could secure a place on the Genius List, the term "bringing glory to their ancestors" would be an understatement.

Ye Fan cupped his hands in return. "All three of you are my seniors, so I'll boldly address you as brothers. If you ever need my help with any cases in the future, feel free to ask. I'll do my best to assist."

Cao Guanghai was silent for two seconds before secretly kicking Xing Zhengtao. "What are you waiting for? Get the drinks!"

Hearing this, Ye Fan quickly interjected, "Brothers, I have my second mock exams tomorrow, so I can't drink. I hope you understand."

"..."

Cao Guanghai awkwardly smiled and corrected himself, "Then let's eat. You haven't had dinner yet, right? Come on, don't be shy—eat up!"

"Thank you."

The three stayed at Ye Fan's house until past eleven that night before reluctantly leaving.

After seeing them off, Ye Fan let out a sigh of relief, tidied up the living room, and went to shower and sleep.

"Ding-ling—"

As the dismissal bell rang, the students in the examination hall breathed a collective sigh of relief.

One by one, they packed their things, slung their bags over their shoulders, and left the school in high spirits.

Another weekend—it felt so blissful!

Among Zhenhua High School's senior students, except for Ning Xi and Su Qiaoyu, no one knew that this weekend was won for them by Ye Fan.

The evening sunlight bathed the classroom in a warm glow, creating a serene atmosphere. The tranquil setting, paired with a beautiful girl, formed a picturesque scene.

"Knock, knock—"

Looking at Ning Xi, still bent over her desk checking her calculations on scratch paper, Ye Fan tapped lightly and reminded her softly, "Xiao Xi, it's time to go."

"Give me two more minutes," Ning Xi replied without lifting her head. "I'm almost done verifying the final math problem. I got stuck on one during the morning exam, which wasted a lot of time, so I couldn't double-check this last one."

"Stop calculating."

Ye Fan glanced at the math formulas on her scratch paper. "Your answer is correct. Pack up, and I'll come to your house tomorrow to tutor you on that tricky problem."

"Huh?"

With her hair tied in a bun, Ning Xi looked particularly sweet. Her puzzled expression only added to her cuteness, making her absolutely endearing.

She mumbled, "I haven't finished checking. How can you be so sure it's correct…?"

Ye Fan's jet-black hair framed his sharp brows, and his eyes glinted with affection. His clean, handsome face carried a gentle smile. "You only have two steps left to solve. You've done everything right so far, and with your skill level, there's no way you'd make a mistake in those last steps. So, the answer is definitely correct."

"You…"

Ning Xi glanced at Ye Fan's side profile before quickly lowering her head.

She didn't know why, but even though she saw Ye Fan every day, her heart couldn't help but race whenever she looked at his warm and sunny face.

It left her feeling troubled!

The word restraint echoed in her mind multiple times a day, as she worried about appearing infatuated in front of Ye Fan.

Why did he have to look so good?!

Annoying!!!

"Do… do you trust me that much?"