Chapter 5

To avoid unnecessary lies, Li Yang said honestly, "Yes."

Yu Hongyuan had asked whether her physical score had reached sixty-five, and it certainly had.

He looked her over from head to toe and said, "You seem different from before. Did you take time off school to train?"

Li Yang replied, "Yes." Working part-time to earn money surely counted as training, didn't it?

Yu Hongyuan brightened. "And it worked really well! Which training hall did you go to?"

A training hall was a place dedicated to helping people raise their physical score, somewhat like a gym in Li Yang's world, but the workouts were much harsher, the crowds larger, and the fees far higher.

A single private lesson, it was said, started in the four-figure range.

Li Yang shook her head. "I don't have money. I can't afford a training hall."

Yu Hongyuan faltered. "Uh..." Only then did he remember that Li Yang came from a very poor family, and seemed to be a student in financial hardship.

Li Yang said nothing more. She gave a polite smile and turned back around.

Yet in Yu Hongyuan's eyes, that smile only looked lonely and embarrassed.

To compare oneself with others was truly miserable.

Li Yang had trained with all her might and still only reached sixty-five. As for Yu Hongyuan, though he had also worked hard, the effect of the Soul Condensing Pill was astonishing, especially when one's physical score was below eighty: it could raise it by ten points with frightening ease.

One Soul Condensing Pill cost one million national currency, while the girl in front of him could not even afford a training hall.

Yu Hongyuan shook his head inwardly and sighed, "Such is fate."

It was almost Li Yang's turn for the test.

This was not what she had expected. She was indeed among the last few to be tested, but the number of people on the field had not decreased at all.

The main reason was the person behind her.

Yu Hongyuan was a star of Yellow City First High. He loved being in the spotlight, and now he was giving it everything he had, determined to blind everyone at the very last moment.

People had also heard the gossip and knew he had raised himself to eighty-six with the Soul Condensing Pill, but whether that score would hold was another matter. Especially during the official test, it was all too common to drop a point or two from nerves.

Fang Chuyun's score was right there for all to see, a steady eighty-five.

If Yu Hongyuan could surpass eighty-five, he would undoubtedly become the center of attention at Yellow City First High this year. If he only reached eighty-five, then... after all, he had climbed there with the help of a pill, so everyone would naturally favor Fang Chuyun more.

The two of them had been competing since freshman year, and after three years, it was finally time to settle the score. Everyone was eagerly anticipating it.

So the students being tested did not leave; in fact, more students from other grades, along with teachers, had come over to watch the excitement.

As the crowd on the field grew larger and larger, Li Yang grew increasingly troubled. She could not help turning back to urge Yu Hongyuan, "Why don't you go first?"

Yu Hongyuan was savoring the feeling of being watched. He lifted his chin and said, "No, I want the grand finale!"

Li Yang reminded him, "The grand finale is the second-to-last one."

Yu Hongyuan blinked. "Huh? Isn't the grand finale the last one?"

Someone nearby burst out laughing and said, "Yu Hongyuan, the grand finale means the second-to-last."

Li Yang looked at Yu Hongyuan and said earnestly, "So, you should go first." Once Yu Hongyuan finished testing, perhaps the onlookers would disperse... maybe.

Yu Hongyuan flushed with anger and embarrassment. "No, I want to be the very last one!"

The students in front had finished, and the testing teacher was already watching them. Li Yang made one last attempt. "Student Yu, this position is the real grand finale." She deliberately emphasized the last two words.

Yu Hongyuan stiffened his neck and said, "Rules are dead, people are alive. As long as I go up there, I'm the grand finale no matter what place I am!"

Li Yang: "..."

She had tried her best.

The testing teacher was getting impatient. "Hurry up! Stop wasting time!"

He had been busy all day and was already exhausted. He simply could not stand people dawdling.

Li Yang strode up to the testing machine.

The machine occupied very little space and looked much like a punching post. On top was a cylindrical sandbag, and below it a solid iron base, sturdy and secure.

The testing method was simple too: students only needed to punch the post. They had two minutes to punch, after which sensors attached to the cylinder would precisely assess their physical score.

The original owner had never been tested before, and this was Li Yang's first time as well.

Still, after observing for so long, and simulating it countless times in her head, she should not make any mistake.

Li Yang did not dare hold back too much either. If she failed to reach eighty-three, that would be awkward.

Although so far every result had fluctuated by only one or two points, the students had all punched with all their strength; no one had deliberately restrained themselves.

Fortunately, there would be two chances. If the first result was below eighty-three, she could strike harder on the second attempt.

Ninety points was certainly eye-catching, but she could not afford to lose the chance to apply to Zhongdu Military Academy.

The head of the provincial education bureau, Chen Xiangrong, and Principal Sun also came over. They were not there to see Li Yang; they were waiting for Yu Hongyuan's result.

Eighty-six was still very high, worth paying attention to.

As soon as they arrived, the teachers who had finished their own tests also came over.

With so many people suddenly gathered, some students whispered, "Poor Student Li really has it bad. She ended up right in front of Yu Hongyuan. If I were being watched by this many people, I'd be so nervous I'd go crazy."

"Compared to that, I feel pretty lucky. At least I performed steadily and got sixty-five."

"Hope she isn't affected by it..."

As they spoke, Li Yang began punching.

She slammed one fist heavily into the punching post, and the teacher responsible for the test clearly froze.

Li Yang did not pause, and kept punching continuously.

Chen Xiangrong had originally been watching Yu Hongyuan, but when he heard the sound, he turned around—and was suddenly shocked.

Principal Sun also noticed something was wrong. He strode toward the display and slowly widened his eyes, his face flushing red. "This... this..."

The students behind them could not really tell what was happening. They only felt that the girl's punches were very steady; she did not seem to be using much force, yet she was hammering the punching post with deep, heavy thuds.

"She's got something there... that has to be at least seventy points, right?"

"Why do I feel like she's even... above Fang Chuyun?"

"Shut up! My Fang is unbeatable!"

Fang Chuyun also looked over. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she walked quickly to the testing instrument.

On the screen, numbers were flashing wildly.

"80, 86, 83, 82, 88, 88, 88, 90..."

Each punch produced a value, but the final score was calculated through a complex formula. When that ninety appeared on the screen, everyone who saw it was shocked.

Principal Sun drew in a sharp breath, looking as though he urgently needed a quick-acting heart pill.

Chen Xiangrong was stunned too. He even removed his glasses and wiped them again and again, afraid he had seen wrongly.

The teacher in charge of Li Yang's test was sweating profusely.

What the hell?

How could this girl's physical score be so high?

Could the machine be broken?!

When the two minutes ended, the testing instrument emitted a prompt: "Assessing results. Please wait."

Li Yang was quite nervous. How many points would it be? She just hoped it would not be too high.

Then the machine announced the result in a flat mechanical voice, and the score it gave made everyone's jaws drop.

"Name: Li Yang. Student number: 20241224001. Physical score for this test: eighty-eight points."

The entire field crowded over. They had originally come to watch Yu Hongyuan, but now they were all stunned by this eighty-eight-point physical score.

Hundreds of people fell completely silent.

The testing teacher swallowed hard. "L-Li Yang... you..."

Chen Xiangrong suddenly said, "Test it again!"

The teacher seemed to think of something. "Right, right. Director Chen is right. This machine has been used too long and may be inaccurate. Let's test again and see..."

"What nonsense is this!" Chen Xiangrong said sharply. "The machine is fine! It's her physical score that can be higher!"

Not everyone had seen the earlier screen, but Chen Xiangrong had seen it perfectly clearly.

For a brief moment, Li Yang had erupted to a physical score of ninety.

Principal Sun also reacted at once. "That's right, test again! The screen flashed ninety just now! She still has one more chance! Student Li, don't be nervous, try again..."

If Yellow City First High produced a true prodigy, then next year's provincial education funding for Yellow City would increase by at least thirty percent.

More than that... Principal Sun had been stuck in this position for a long time. If a prodigy with a ninety-point physical score appeared during his tenure, he might be promoted again!

Thinking of all this, he could hardly remain calm. He continued, "If your physical score can stabilize at ninety, then after the practical assessment is over, the school will arrange for top instructors to tutor your academic subjects..."

Academic tutoring...

But Li Yang actually felt fairly confident.

Eighty-eight was already very good. She did not necessarily want ninety.

Li Yang smiled politely. "Principal, I've already done my best. Even if I try again, it may not be higher."

Hearing this, Principal Sun looked disappointed, but as a principal, he had both common sense and enough experience.

A little thought was enough for him to understand.

Li Yang's family background was ordinary—if she were exceptional, he would have known.

And this eighty-eight-point physical score was already more than enough for Li Yang. If it really reached ninety, she would instead feel it was too ostentatious.

Yu Hongyuan could be so conspicuous because his family gave him the confidence to be so. Li Yang clearly did not have that.

But Principal Sun did not want to miss this opportunity. Eighty-eight was good, certainly, but how could it compare to ninety?

Not only Principal Sun was anxious; Chen Xiangrong was anxious too.

The province had quotas. Every year they had to produce a few prodigies. This was not only to answer to the general bureau, but also to strengthen the future of Eastern Hua Province.

Prodigies generally went farther on their path, and if one day they became grandmasters, they would surely give back to their hometown, benefiting the entire province greatly.

In this world, the greatest wealth was talent.

Principal Sun wanted to rise higher. Was Chen Xiangrong any less eager?

Chen Xiangrong made a decisive call. "Principal Sun, isn't there a reward and support policy in Yellow City for a physical score of ninety?"

Principal Sun immediately said, "Yes! If you pass the entrance exam to Zhongdu Military Academy, there is a reward of one hundred thousand. If you are admitted as a ninety-point prodigy, the city will give an extra one hundred thousand!"

Li Yang: "..."

These words were clearly meant for her, and yet she found them terribly tempting.

Chen Xiangrong added, "Our Eastern Hua Province values talent more than anything, so the province also has a reward. If a student has an initial physical score of ninety and successfully passes the practical assessment, the province will award an additional three hundred thousand."

Li Yang: "!"

Of course, Li Yang did not let money go to her head. She carefully weighed the pros and cons.

From what Principal Sun had just said, the screen had already flashed ninety before... so her physical score had already been exposed. Otherwise they would not be this anxious.

If she still tried to hide it once it was already exposed, that might backfire.

Besides, a ninety-point physical score was rare in Eastern Hua Province, but looking at the whole of the nation, there were still quite a few. It would not be enough for them to drag her off for research.

As for whether standing out would attract jealousy or persecution from others...

There was not much difference between eighty-eight and ninety.

She, Li Yang, was a broke nobody. Why should she go against money?

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Li Yang began her second test.

Comparatively speaking, the least nervous person in the entire venue was Li Yang herself. Everyone else almost held their breath for the full two minutes, especially Chen Xiangrong and Principal Sun, whose fists were tightly clenched as they stared unblinkingly at the display.

"89, 88, 89, 88, 90, 90, 90..."

That steady ninety-point reading made the testing teacher's hands tremble. Principal Sun could not help wiping the sweat from his forehead and said, "Very steady."

Chen Xiangrong also breathed out in relief and sincerely exclaimed, "A poor background can produce a noble son indeed!"

Li Yang's situation was not unprecedented; every year in military admissions there were a few prodigies like this.

In previous years, Eastern Hua Province could only watch in envy. This year, however, it had been favored by luck itself.

The second test result came out:

"Name: Li Yang. Student number: 20241224001. Physical score for this test: ninety points."

Ninety points!

All eyes were fixed on Li Yang. Chen Xiangrong and Principal Sun were beaming with joy, repeatedly saying, "Good! Excellent!"

The one most dumbfounded in the entire field was probably Yu Hongyuan, who had been standing behind Li Yang. He opened his mouth, and only after a long while did he find his voice.

"Um..."

This was not at all what he had imagined.

Why had the lead role changed hands?!