A genius? I just love studying.

Chapter 117 Two old foxes

July 11, 8:24 AM

Wang Qiming, who had just returned to Jiangcheng University from Yanbei and immediately bought a plane ticket to Chengdu, walked out of Chengdu Tianfu Airport and fell silent as he looked at the information on his phone's navigation.

It's more than 70 kilometers from Tianfu Airport to Rongcheng No. 2 Middle School!

After checking some information, he realized that Chengdu has two airports. Shuangliu Airport is only a dozen kilometers away from Chengdu No. 2 Middle School, while Tianfu Airport is not even within the Chengdu area!
pit!
Forget it, let's take a taxi.

Wang Qiming made a decision quickly.

Although the information he found said there was a subway line that would be quite fast, he just wanted to get to Rongcheng No. 2 Middle School as soon as possible and didn't care about the taxi fare of over 100 yuan.

The student registration issue had been settled, and he trusted Chen Hui, but he still decided to make a trip to Rongcheng No. 2 Middle School to meet Chen Hui's alma mater teachers and visit Chen Hui's parents as well. Ideally, he could persuade these people around Chen Hui, which would ensure everything went smoothly.

Sitting in the taxi, Wang Qiming planned his day in his mind, then leaned back in his seat and fell into a deep sleep.

Yesterday, he flew from the capital to Wuhan, completed all the formalities, and arranged the follow-up matters. Then he bought a ticket for a flight to Chengdu at around 6 a.m. He only slept for less than four hours yesterday; he was really exhausted.

Wang Qiming woke up groggily, not knowing how long he had slept, feeling sore all over.

I stretched, moved my arms and legs, and looked up at the time.

"Ok?"

10:14?

Almost two hours have passed, and I'm still in the taxi?
Wang Qiming crouched down, adopting a defensive stance, and instantly became alert, realizing he might have encountered some kind of unlicensed taxi.

"Oh, you're awake now?"

"Is it Mai who's on a business trip to Chengdu?"

"It's not easy to make money these days."

Before Wang Qiming could take a good look at his surroundings, the driver glanced at the rearview mirror and said with a smile, "Don't worry, it rained a lot last night, so there will be some traffic today. We'll be there after two more traffic lights."

The other person was speaking in a dialect, and Wang Qiming roughly understood what they meant, so he relaxed a little. Judging from the other person's friendly and enthusiastic tone, it didn't seem like an unlicensed taxi.

Only then did he realize that the taxi was already surrounded by all kinds of cars, and the wide avenue was a sea of ​​cars, making the taxi look as tiny as a grain of sand.

The red and yellow lights flashing in the sea of ​​cars seem to be pleading for help from the world.

Rush hour!
Wang Qiming felt suffocated. Sure enough, Rongcheng would punish anyone who didn't do their research.

It's better to take the subway.

Although it was supposed to be two traffic light intersections, it still took more than ten minutes to get to the entrance of Rongcheng No. 2 Middle School.

The originally estimated taxi fare has increased by half.

This is definitely not the taxi driver's fault. Taxis are charged based on mileage and time, so this is the normal fee.

Standing at the main gate of Rongcheng No. 2 Middle School, I looked at the brand-new banner hanging above it—congratulating our student Chen Hui on winning the gold medal in the Barbary Mathematics Competition.

Come to the right place!
After tidying up his appearance, Wang Qiming strode towards the school gate.

"Hello, who are you looking for?"

Li Tianhua stopped Wang Qiming and asked.

"I am Wang Qiming, Dean of the School of Mathematics at Jiangcheng University. I would like to speak with your president. Could you please inform him?"

Wang Qiming chuckled, pulled out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, and handed one over.

Mathematicians also need inspiration when thinking about problems. Many mathematicians are heavy smokers. Wang Qiming usually has a lot of social engagements, and smoking and drinking are not uncommon for him.

Li Tianhua raised his hand to refuse; he didn't smoke, and his family's financial situation didn't allow him to.

"Please wait."

Yan refused, but the matter still needed to be done. Li Tianhua didn't recognize the person in front of him, but he could tell from the other person's demeanor that he didn't seem like a swindler.

I went into the security booth and dialed the phone number of Vice Principal Zhao Defeng.

……

On the northern section of Shenghua South Road, the traffic flow resembled a frozen steel dragon, with the glaring taillights forming a red band in the morning light. A gray-black electric scooter darted out from the shopping mall, weaving through the gaps between cars like a nimble eel. The water splashed up as the wheels rolled over potholes in the ground, mingling with the terrified screams of pedestrians nearby, tracing a chaotic arc in the morning light.

Wang Xiaohu stared at the countdown on the screen, his nerves on edge.

He knew it was unsafe, but the system was set to deliver at a speed of 3 minutes per kilometer, with a penalty of one yuan for every minute of delay. This was a microcosm of the survival struggles of these riders who were racing against the rules.

Last month, he completed more than 1,400 orders and received a full attendance bonus of 200 yuan, a bonus for completing more than 1,200 orders, plus a seniority bonus of several hundred yuan, for a total of more than 7,400 yuan.

After receiving my salary, I sent 1,500 yuan each to my son and daughter for living expenses, and 1,500 yuan to my parents who live in the countryside. Although I occasionally cook for myself, my monthly living expenses are still more than 1,000 yuan. If they don't eat well, their bodies simply can't take it.

Then, I borrowed 100,000 yuan from the bank to build a house in my hometown. I have to pay more than 1,000 yuan in interest to the bank every month for ten years.

In the end, he only had a few hundred yuan left. Fortunately, he neither smokes nor drinks, which saved him a considerable amount of money each month.

What's most infuriating is that I received a bad review last month. It was raining that day, and he accidentally slipped and fell. He was fine, his car was fine, and the food he delivered was fine, but it made him a little dazed. In the end, he forgot to mark the delivery as completed, which also incurs a fine.

Thinking of the negative reviews, he thought of his colleague Lao Li, who had worked just as hard as him before. They worked at the same station and had even competed for the top spot in sales back then. It was a case of heroes respecting heroes.

Who would have thought that someone who worked so hard would be brought down by negative reviews? I haven't heard from him in a long time, and I don't know what he's up to.

He knew that Lao Li's family had a heavy burden. If he couldn't deliver food anymore, it would be difficult to support such a large family by doing other jobs. He already had two children and was already struggling, so Lao Li's family had three children, and the burden was unimaginable.

It's a pity. I heard that Old Li's child is a genius. He has excellent grades and has even won awards. He might make a name for himself in the future.

But if that genius can't get past this hurdle, he won't have the environment to grow, and he'll be crushed by the pressures of life before he even matures.

With a sigh, Wang Xiaohu banished these thoughts from his mind.

It's best not to let your mind wander while driving, otherwise, if an accident happens, you'll have wasted half a month's worth of driving, and your family won't be able to afford such a loss.

Soon, we arrived at our destination—Rongcheng No. 2 Middle School.

He parked his car in the designated parking area, grabbed his lunch bag, and jogged towards the school gate. Generally speaking, middle schools don't order takeout very often, but today the order he delivered was a small cake, so it must be someone's birthday.

Speaking of which, it seems that Old Li's child attends Rongcheng No. 2 Middle School.

For some reason, while jogging, he thought of Old Li again.

"Old Li?"

So when Wang Xiaohu arrived at the school gate and saw Li Tianhua in a security guard uniform, he thought he was hallucinating.

"Old Wang!" Li Tianhua was very happy to see an acquaintance, feeling a sense of warmth like meeting an old friend in a foreign land.

"You've come here to work as a security guard?"

Wang Xiaohu asked in surprise, "How's the income?"

Before becoming a food delivery driver, he had looked into the job of a security guard, since it was a relatively easy job. However, most security guard jobs paid very little, so he ultimately chose to become a food delivery driver.

But the school security guards are different; as far as he knows, their salaries are quite high, it's just that he can't get in.

"It's alright, I can barely make ends meet."

Li Tianhua gave a wry smile. After so many years of navigating the complexities of society, he still understood the basic principle of not flaunting one's wealth.

"congratulations!"

Although Li Tianhua seemed to be in a helpless situation, Wang Xiaohu could tell that he was in good spirits, which meant that his salary and benefits were not too bad. Otherwise, if he couldn't even meet his basic living needs, Li Tianhua wouldn't be in such a good mood.

He looks much better now than when he was delivering food. Sure enough, being a security guard is easy, and the job of a school security guard is much more stable than their food delivery job. It's not a guaranteed job, but at least it's a secure income.

For some reason, Wang Xiaohu felt a deep sense of envy.

But soon, a question arose in his mind: how could Li Tianhua become a security guard at the school?

He tried many ways to get this job back then, but all of them ended in failure. So how did Li Tianhua manage to do it?

……

Rongcheng No. 2 Middle School, third floor of the administration building, vice principal's office.
"Dean Wang, you've come from afar, may I ask what brings you here?"

Zhao Defeng specially came out of his office to greet him. He had checked the information before Li Tianhua made the call and confirmed that the person in front of him was indeed the right person.

He even had a rough idea of ​​why the dean had come to Rongcheng No. 2 Middle School, but sometimes it was better to have someone else explain the purpose of the visit.

"Principal Zhao, you're too kind."

Wang Qiming smiled and shook hands with Zhao Defeng, then took a document from his briefcase and handed it over. "Chen Hui has signed a contract with Jiangcheng University and will be a freshman at Jiangcheng University in September!"

"Oh."

Zhao Defeng feigned sudden realization, but he wasn't entirely convinced. He knew Chen Hui was outstanding, and universities had approached him before to offer him contracts, so this kind of thing was bound to happen sooner or later.

But he didn't know what magic Jiangcheng University possessed that could attract Chen Hui.
He took the contract without even looking at it, and gestured for Wang Qiming to walk into the office. "Come, sit down, let's talk in the office."

As he spoke, Zhao Defeng placed the contract on the coffee table in his office and began to make tea.

Only after making Wang Qiming a cup of tea did he pick up the contract again and begin to read it carefully.

He found the answer in the contract.

He believed that Chen Hui wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of a 200,000 yuan scholarship.

"Chen Hui is a good kid!"

Zhao Defeng had just finished reading the contract when Wang Qiming took a sip of tea and spoke again, "I originally told him to go directly to Jiangcheng University and transfer his student status there, but he wanted to participate in the IMO to bring glory to his alma mater."

"Although time is precious for a talented young man like him, and there's no need to waste it by participating in the IMO, his intentions are understandable. Those who pursue academics should also know how to be grateful, value relationships, and possess both talent and virtue in order to build a great motherland."

Zhao Defeng had already read the contract. The terms offered by Jiangcheng University were quite good, and the final signature was Chen Hui's handwriting, so it didn't seem like a forgery, since that would be meaningless.

"That child is like this; he has always respected his teachers and is a good child!"

Zhao Defeng was also all smiles, very pleased. Since Chen Hui was so loyal and righteous, he, as the teacher, should of course protect Chen Hui's interests. "Since Chen Hui does not want to transfer his student status for the time being, we should of course respect the opinion of the person involved."

He was still a little confused about the dean's purpose in coming. If it wasn't for the student registration, why did he make such a long trip?

Wang Qiming seemed to see through Zhao Defeng's thoughts, "I came here today to see what kind of school could produce such an outstanding student as Chen Hui. Seeing is believing!"

"Perhaps only a school like Rongcheng No. 2 Middle School can cultivate such a promising talent as Chen Hui!"

"If such a student goes to Peking University or Tsinghua University, he will not stand out among a group of geniuses. He will only enjoy ordinary treatment and will not be able to give full play to his talents, thus wasting his time."

"It's different when he comes to Jiangcheng University. He can enjoy the best treatment and the most resources, and develop his talents to the maximum extent, just like he did at Rongcheng No. 2 High School."

"Better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond, isn't that the idea?"

He had done his research before he came. Rongcheng No. 2 Middle School was not the worst among the middle schools in Rong Province, but it was still a very ordinary high school.

Oh!
Zhao Defeng understood.

Dean Wang was clearly still not at ease after signing the contract, so he made a special trip to Rongcheng No. 2 Middle School to sound out their opinions, or to put it bluntly, he wanted to curry favor with these people around Chen Hui and get them to help him by giving him some encouragement.

He understands everything.

But what magic does Chen Hui possess that would make the dean of a prestigious 985 university personally make the trip?
Judging by the time, it's only the second day of the CMO exam, and the results shouldn't be out yet. Why does this dean look like he's afraid someone will snatch Chen Hui away? The contract has already been signed, but he still has to come here to sign it again.

He couldn't figure it out.

He felt that after seeing the dean off, he should call An Chengzhang to update him on the information and get the details aligned.

As for the Barbary Mathematics Competition gold medal, everyone knows it's prestigious, but to think that you can get a university to admit you based solely on that is a joke.

So the recent online uproar about Peking University and Tsinghua University specially recruiting Chen Hui is something that people in the education circle don't really take seriously.

However, Wang Qiming's point is not without merit.

Although he didn't know what earth-shattering things Chen Hui had done at Yanbei University, this also proved Wang Qiming's words well: it's better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. That's why the dean of the School of Mathematics at Jiangcheng University came in person, while Yanbei and Tsinghua University didn't make any gesture.

What kind of place is Yanbei Tsinghua? There, geniuses are as common as cabbages by the roadside. Even if Chen Hui went there, he probably wouldn't be taken seriously.

On the contrary, he would have been able to perform better if he had gone to Jiangcheng University.

A person's academic achievements are related to talent, but with enough resources, it is often possible for someone with only an 8 in talent to produce results equivalent to an 8.5 or even a 9.

With this consensus reached, the conversation between the two became much smoother. Both were shrewd old foxes, and the conversation was truly enjoyable for both host and guest.

"I also wanted to meet Chen Hui's uncle and aunt during my visit. Could you please introduce them, Brother Zhao?"

Seeing that the conversation was almost over, Wang Qiming spoke again. In a short time, the two had become like brothers and were having a very pleasant conversation.

"Brother Wang, you're too kind. His uncle and aunt work at the No. 2 Middle School. I'll call them over right away."

Zhao Defeng waved his hand and picked up the phone next to his desk.

Wang Qiming quickly stepped forward to stop him, "How can this be? I should be the one visiting them!"

(End of this chapter)