Chapter Eleven: Unbelievable!

The rumors swirling outside about Gu Shasha didn’t concern Chen Feng in the slightest; he was never one for gossip. Besides, those who insult others often invite insult upon themselves. If Gu Shasha hadn’t sought him out to make trouble, she wouldn’t have ended up humiliating herself.

It was his once deep-seated sense of inferiority that had gifted Chen Feng with a maturity far beyond that of his peers. Over the next few days, his life settled into a newfound rhythm. Besides attending classes and working through practice problems, he set himself a strict regimen: one hour of exercise every day. Each day, students would spot a heavyset figure running laps on the track.

Though his weight was the result of hormonal issues and losing it would be a long, arduous journey, Chen Feng nonetheless ran daily. It was not only a way to hone his willpower, but also to strengthen his body. He didn’t expect that a mere week of effort would dramatically boost his stamina, but some exercise was better than none.

Beyond exercise, most of his time was devoted to solving problems. Knowledge in the mind must be practiced to become second nature. Though he could now answer questions with almost perfect accuracy, he still spent too long analyzing them. Still, he found this new routine surprisingly engaging—far more so than sneaking a look at risqué books during class as he used to. In truth, learning could be quite interesting.

Occasionally, someone would try to bother him, but Chen Feng paid them no mind. Over the past few years, he had cultivated a stoic indifference to slights and insults; a little mockery could not faze him.

Sun Minghai, the homeroom teacher, clearly noticed a change in Chen Feng. Though he remained as quiet and unremarkable as ever, Sun Minghai saw that he had begun to study in earnest. He still didn’t pay much attention in class, but there was a new drive in him—solving problems, reading, and then reading and solving more problems. He was striving upwards.

Sun Minghai watched Chen Feng’s transformation with some surprise. Since that basketball game, it was as if he’d been reborn. If not for his familiar, heavyset appearance, one might doubt he was the same person.

Sun Minghai made no special move, just quietly observed, growing more curious about how far Chen Feng could go.

The monthly exam arrived as scheduled.

Chen Feng took his seat in the examination hall, his heart full of anticipation. Basketball was merely his first step toward success; with this exam, he intended to make more people see him anew.

When the papers were handed out, Chen Feng gripped his pen and began to answer at a furious pace.

When the exam ended, most students left with faces marked by either worry or relief. Chen Feng, however, exited the hall with a trace of frustration.

“Chen Feng!” Fang Yue called out as she saw him leaving with the crowd.

“Yes?” He stopped and looked at her. “You called me?”

“How did you do?” Fang Yue smiled at him. She hardly expected a positive answer—after all, Chen Feng was never known for good grades.

“I ran out of time. I couldn’t finish one of the questions!” Chen Feng replied with a hint of vexation. “If I’d had just two more minutes, it wouldn’t have been a problem.”

His answer caught Fang Yue off guard. What did he mean? Was it possible he’d actually done well on the test?

In truth, Chen Feng was deeply annoyed with himself. He’d overlooked one crucial fact: as a science student, he didn’t need to take the politics exam, meaning he’d wasted time preparing for a subject that didn’t count.

Fang Yue shook her head, dismissing the thought as absurd. Chen Feng’s academic struggles weren’t from lack of effort, but rather limited ability.

Just then, Lin Hang approached from a distance. Seeing Chen Feng with Fang Yue, a sneer curled his lips. “How’d you do on the test this time?” he mocked.

Chen Feng merely smiled faintly. “Not bad. Not bad at all.”

He saw no reason to argue with Lin Hang; to him, this guy was just an obstacle to be overcome, not worth his anger—a stepping stone on his path to success.

Chen Feng’s calm demeanor only stoked Lin Hang’s fury.

“Fatty, don’t get cocky. In three days, I’ll show you what real basketball is!” Lin Hang threatened through gritted teeth.

“We’ll see. Come back after you’ve beaten me in three days,” Chen Feng replied unhurriedly, glancing at him.

“You—!” Lin Hang wanted Chen Feng to argue, to give him an outlet for his anger, especially since recent rumors had also weighed heavily on him. To say he felt no pressure would be a lie. He wanted to shout at Chen Feng, even punch him, but Chen Feng’s indifference only made his blood boil.

“Let’s go, Chen Feng!” Sensing Lin Hang’s rising temper, Fang Yue quickly grabbed Chen Feng’s hand and hurried him away.

Watching Fang Yue pull Chen Feng by the hand, Lin Hang clenched his fists in rage, a guttural growl escaping his lips. “Damn it, fatso. I swear—I’ll make you regret this!”

Hand in hand, Fang Yue and Chen Feng hurried a dozen steps before she let go, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “Be careful, Chen Feng. Lin Hang is petty—don’t let him take revenge on you.”

“I know,” Chen Feng replied, his heart fluttering with unfamiliar emotion. After all, it was the first time Fang Yue had held his hand in public.

With a flustered smile, Fang Yue hurried away.

“Only the last math problem got away from me, but my score shouldn’t be too bad,” Chen Feng murmured to himself. “I’ll add another hour of exercise tonight.”

The next day!

When homeroom teacher Sun Minghai entered the classroom, his gaze instinctively drifted to the back row where Chen Feng sat, his expression complicated and unreadable. Many students tensed as the teacher entered, their hearts a mixture of anxiety and hope as they awaited their results. Chen Feng, too, stared intently at Sun Minghai, eager to know how he had done.

“Class, let’s pause for a moment.” Sun Minghai walked to the podium and tapped the desk lightly. When all eyes were on him, he announced, “The results of this month’s exam are in. I will now announce your scores.”

With his words, the students’ reactions fell into three types: the top students looked confident, the underachievers were indifferent, and those in the middle—nerves written plainly on their faces.

“Fang Yue: Chinese 140, Math 146, English 145, Science Composite 284. Total 715, fifth in the grade!” Sun Minghai smiled at her. “Congratulations, Fang Yue. Your scores have improved significantly since last time.”

As the words left his lips, the class couldn’t help but turn their gaze to Fang Yue. Chen Feng, too, looked at her. There was no denying she was gifted—beautiful, brilliant, and the focus of much admiration.

Sun Minghai continued to announce scores.

But then—Chen Feng frowned. His own result wasn’t called. Why? By rights, his performance should have been strong. Why was he being overlooked?

“That concludes the results for the entire class,” Sun Minghai announced calmly from the podium.

“Wait!” Chen Feng suddenly raised his hand. “Sir, I have something to say.”

Sun Minghai looked at him, a smile forming on his face. “You want to know why your score wasn’t announced, isn’t that right?”

“Yes!” Chen Feng replied earnestly. “Please, give me an explanation.”

“Chen Feng: Chinese 138, a perfect score in English, Math 136, Science Composite 282,” Sun Minghai recited in an even tone, as if recounting something trivial. “Total score: 706. Twenty-fourth in the grade.”

A total of 706. Twenty-fourth in the entire grade.

In the silence of the classroom, Sun Minghai’s words thundered like a muffled explosion. Every face—Fang Yue’s included—froze in astonishment.

Everyone sat with mouths agape, their faces filled with disbelief.

This Chen Feng, who was always at the bottom of the class, had actually achieved such a high score.

A total score of 706 would place someone in the top ten in most ordinary high schools. Only at No. 1 High—a provincial key school—could a score above 700 rank only in the twenties.

But even in an ordinary school, Chen Feng would have been at the bottom. How did he, of all people, achieve such a score?

No one believed it. Not for a second.

It was simply unbelievable!