Late at night, the Fujian Provincial Mathematics Association headquarters was brightly lit.
Over 1,200 papers from the provincial mathematics competition had been fully graded.
"How's the statistics coming along?" asked the Vice President of the association, who was in charge of the National High School Mathematics League.
"One full score this year," a bespectacled middle-aged man reported in a deep voice. He was one of the problem setters and graders for this year's competition. "Compared to last year, the questions were harder—last year there were eight perfect papers."
Vice President Qi furrowed his brow. "The National High School Mathematics League begins mid-next month. Time is tight."
The National High School Mathematics League, established in 1981, had over twenty years of history. It was organized by the Chinese Mathematical Society and local provincial and city math societies to cultivate top talents. From the provincial competition, a group of students was selected for the national competition, and the top 400 performers could attend the Chinese Mathematical Olympiad (CMO) and the National High School Winter Math Camp organized by the Olympiad Committee.
A perfect score in the provincial competition was a significant indicator of the previous year's teaching and preparation. Only one perfect paper this year left Vice President Qi speechless. Despite his influence, he could not easily sway these eccentric, reclusive mathematicians. It was similar to the senior in charge of college entrance math exams; whenever he appeared, scores would drop dramatically, and complaints would flood in.
Meanwhile, Qin Yuanqing and his classmates were unaware of all this. After a brief stroll through the Sanfang Qixiang historical district in Rongcheng, they boarded the bus back to Jinpu No. 1 High School. Everything was organized and disciplined—no one could wander off freely.
It was Saturday, and the next day was Sunday, meaning no classes. Unlike the first and second years of high school, where weekends were mostly free, third-year students only had Sunday off, with Saturday evening free from night study. After the trip, Qin Yuanqing felt exhausted, and spent all of Sunday resting in bed, listening to music—a rare moment of leisure.
Monday morning, in his high school classroom, Qin Yuanqing immediately sensed an unusual atmosphere. Every classmate's eyes were fixed on him as he entered from the back door and walked to his seat.
Confused, he muttered, "Why is everyone staring at me? Did I forget to wash my face?"
Picking up the small mirror on his desk, he checked—his face was clean.
"Why are you all staring? You're making me shy!" he waved.
"Shy? Your face is thicker than a city wall!" teased his deskmate, Shouhou. "Do you even know what you scored on the midterm? Do you know you're ranked first in the grade?"
Qin Yuanqing suddenly remembered the usual routine: the school posts midterm scores in the morning. He hadn't checked.
"I thought I did okay… I shouldn't have dropped much, right?" he asked, a little nervous.
"Qin Yuanqing scored 695 points—first in the grade!" Lin Yuling exclaimed, hands covering her face, eyes shining.
Last month, Qin Yuanqing had scored 697, which some could call luck. But now, scoring 695 in a more difficult exam and ranking first—that was no longer luck. One time might be coincidence; two times confirmed ability. Qin Yuanqing had now truly become a top-tier student at Jinpu No. 1 High School.
"The second place, Zhao Teng, got 680—15 points behind you!" Shouhou exclaimed. Not even the experimental class could claim first—how satisfying.
Relieved, Qin Yuanqing realized his classmates weren't staring because he had failed; he had won first place.
He checked his system space. Tasks 1 and 2 were complete. Collecting the 120 learning coins, his total reached 400.
Without hesitation, he spent 200 learning coins to increase his IQ, bringing it up to 165. From now on, even IQ tests would place him among the high-intelligence elite.
At that moment, the whole class erupted in applause. Qin Yuanqing felt slightly embarrassed—he knew he had system assistance, giving him an edge no one else had. The IQ ceiling of others was fixed, no matter how hard they worked.
"Qin Yuanqing, how did you do on the math league? What rank did you get?" someone asked.
They all knew he had participated in the provincial high school mathematics competition after the midterm. Qin Yuanqing was the only one to score full marks—150 points—in the grade.
"Yeah, we're all curious!" others nodded eagerly.
When someone is slightly ahead, others may envy. But when someone leaps far ahead, the only response is admiration. Qin Yuanqing had outscored the second-place student by a staggering 100 points.
"Saturday morning, the exam just ended; the papers might not even be graded yet. How would I know?" Qin Yuanqing said helplessly.
"How was the math league?" Lin Yuling asked.
"Not as hard as you'd think," Qin Yuanqing said thoughtfully.
Just then, the school broadcast announced:
"Attention, everyone! Congratulations to our high school senior Qin Yuanqing for achieving full marks and ranking first in the provincial high school mathematics league held this past Saturday! This is the first time in Jinpu No. 1 High School history that a student has achieved this honor. Congratulations!"
"Woah!"
"Unbelievable!"
"Full marks again!"
"Not that hard?"
"Absolutely insane!"
The whole class was stunned. First, he tops the midterm with a perfect score in math; then he wins the provincial competition with a perfect score as well—a miracle.
They couldn't understand how Qin Yuanqing had suddenly advanced so rapidly, as if in a TV drama he had unlocked some secret technique, surpassing everyone overnight.
Previously, even good students could enter the top 100 without extraordinary effort. But now, Qin Yuanqing towered above all—untouchable.
Moreover, they remembered that winning the provincial first prize could guarantee admission to top universities, or at the very least, a five-point boost on the college entrance exam.
"Brother, you're off the charts!" Shouhou hugged Qin Yuanqing excitedly, feeling honored and thrilled that his deskmate of three years was so extraordinary.
Qin Yuanqing smiled. He hadn't expected to achieve a full score and first place at the provincial level. This success was the fruit of nearly a month of tireless study and analysis of Olympiad problems. The joy and sense of accomplishment were overwhelming.
"Congratulations, host! First honor achieved—provincial first place. Reward: 200 learning coins. Keep going and aim higher," the system announced.
His learning coins rose to 400 instantly—an unexpected windfall. These coins were priceless.
Just then, mathematics teacher Wu Wenshan, beaming with pride, entered the classroom and officially announced Qin Yuanqing's achievement: first place with full marks, the first student in Jinpu No. 1 High School history to enter the provincial team for the national league.
The classroom erupted in thunderous applause. Only about 2,000 students nationwide qualified for the national league each year, averaging around forty per province. Every provincial team member was a true mathematics prodigy, consistently scoring full marks in exams.
After class, Wu Wenshan took Qin Yuanqing to the principal's office. His homeroom teacher, the senior for the third-year grade, and the school math team head were all present.
The school planned a group photo and promotional video to highlight Qin Yuanqing's remarkable achievement.