Under everyone's gaze, Ye Chen scribbled down the answer.
He was completely calm and confident.
The whole room was dumbfounded.
"How is this possible?"
"Isn't Ye Chen a Xueza? How could he possibly solve this problem?"
"Pfft, he probably just scrawled nonsense—the symbols don't even look right."
…One minute later Ye Chen set the Chalk down and said calmly, "Teacher, I'm done."
The students stared at his solution in bewilderment, every eye full of doubt.
"No way it's correct."
"Obviously it's wrong."
"Even Li Sitong and Xia Yingluo couldn't crack it—how could Ye Chen?"
Nobody understood Ye Chen's answer, and he'd finished in such a short time.
No one in the class believed his answer could be right.
Teacher Wang stared at the solution in shock.
"How can this be?"
He drew a deep breath. "Ye Chen, you used University-level calculus here, didn't you?"
The moment Ye Chen started writing, he'd sensed something was off.
This line of reasoning simply shouldn't be possible for a high-schooler.
Ye Chen nodded. "You never said we couldn't use University knowledge; it's the simplest route. I can redo it with High School methods, though—it's just more tedious."
The classroom fell dead silent.
Everyone looked at Ye Chen as if he were some kind of monster.
Many students gaped, their expressions priceless.
This is the Xueza Ye Chen?
For such a brutal math problem to be crushed with University math—seriously?
Damn!
If Ye Chen's a Xueza, what does that make us?
Watching Ye Chen stand radiant at the podium, Li Sitong was head-over-heels.
"Truly the man I set my sights on—so gorgeous."
But wait—Ye Chen's been a bottom-feeder for three straight years; how could he suddenly solve something this hard?
In the corner, Xia Yingluo also studied Ye Chen with curiosity.
"So impressive—he can even handle a question that tough."
If she weren't so shy, she'd rush over after class to ask him how.
Seeing the change in Li Sitong's and Xia Yingluo's eyes, Ye Chen's lips curved slightly.
The effect he wanted had been achieved.
Still incredulous, Teacher Wang said, "Ye Chen, solve it again using only High School knowledge."
Ye Chen nodded, picked up the Chalk, and filled the board with formulas.
Sure enough, the second method was far more cumbersome.
Yet the final answer matched exactly.
Setting the Chalk down, he asked, "Teacher, is it correct?"
Adjusting his glasses, Teacher Wang exclaimed, "This reasoning is brilliant! Ye Chen, you really did this yourself?"
Ye Chen smiled faintly. "Actually, sir, this problem is pretty simple—no big deal; it's easy to crack."
"Gasp!"
A collective intake of breath swept the room.
If a Top Student said that it'd be normal, but coming from Ye Chen it sounded downright surreal.
"Wow, Ye Chen's so cool," Li Sitong gushed, stars in her eyes.
Xia Yingluo's pretty face flushed faintly pink.
The entire class gaped at Ye Chen in shock.
"Teacher, Ye Chen's cheating!"
A boy stood up and declared.
The speaker was Sun Tao, the class Math Rep.
Sun Tao had long crushed on Li Sitong; seeing her orbit Ye Chen every day filled him with resentment.
Today Ye Chen had stolen his limelight and shown off in his own strong suit—how could Sun Tao endure it?
Even Teacher Wang felt doubtful.
After all, math is rigorous; foundations matter.
Ye Chen's scores had basically never passed; how could he suddenly ace such a hard question?
Pushing up his glasses, Sun Tao stared at Ye Chen with certainty.
"Ye Chen, you must've memorized both solutions beforehand—there's no way you could solve what the whole class can't!"
Every eye turned toward Ye Chen.
Teacher Wang said nothing, merely studying Ye Chen in puzzlement.
Ye Chen flashed a sunny grin. "I was planning to muddle through as a Xueza, but fine—I won't hide it anymore: I'm actually a Top Student."
"Top Student!"
Gasps and murmurs erupted across the classroom.
Sun Tao burst into laughter.
"Ye Chen, you think solving one problem makes you a Top Student?"
Other students whispered among themselves.
"He's so full of it."
"Sun Tao's guess makes sense—Ye Chen probably just memorized it."
"Ha, caught out and can't save face, so he spouts nonsense."
Teacher Wang rapped the desk. "Quiet."
Calmly Ye Chen said, "Teacher, there's a simple way to judge: set another problem. Sun Tao and I race—whoever solves faster and more accurately becomes Math Rep."
"What!"
The class startled at the proposal.
Judging by Ye Chen's expression, he was dead serious.
Teacher Wang glanced at Sun Tao. "How about it?"
Sun Tao froze—he'd never imagined Ye Chen would challenge him head-on.
"Fine—but if Ye Chen loses, he must stand up and admit to the whole class that he's an idiot."
Teacher Wang frowned. "That's out of line."
"No problem, sir. If I lose, I'll confess to being an idiot. If he loses, besides giving up the rep seat, he does the same."
Watching Ye Chen's confident look, Teacher Wang hesitated.
Though he disapproved of humiliating classmates, he was curious—had Ye Chen really been faking mediocrity all along?
Turning to the board, Teacher Wang wrote out a problem. "Step up and solve it."
Li Sitong was on edge.
Ye Chen was the boy she liked; she couldn't bear to see him embarrassed.
"What's he thinking? He's no match for Sun Tao."
She fretted inwardly.
Xia Yingluo clenched her small fists.
Ye Chen had always been so kind to her; she too dreaded seeing him shamed.
The rest of the class shook their heads secretly.
To them the contest was a foregone conclusion.
For three years Ye Chen had ranked dead last in math; pitting him against Sun Tao, the perennial first, could only end one way.
Sun Tao stepped to the front, frowning at the board.
The problem was tough.
But soon the corner of his mouth lifted—he'd found an approach.
He began writing out equations.
Yet he'd barely finished a few lines when Ye Chen set his Chalk down.
"Teacher, I'm done."
What?
The room fell pin-drop silent.
Sun Tao sneered.
The problem was complicated—there was no way Ye Chen had solved it so fast; he must've scribbled nonsense.
Three minutes later Sun Tao completed his own solution.
He turned to look—and froze.
Their answers matched; the only difference was that Ye Chen had used barely a few steps while Sun Tao had filled half the board.
Impossible—this problem needed at least a dozen steps; how had Ye Chen been so fast?
When Teacher Wang saw Ye Chen's answer he was utterly stunned.
Not only was it completely correct, Ye Chen had used the most elegant method possible.
Looking at Ye Chen as if he'd found a treasure, Teacher Wang realized—Ye Chen truly was a Top Student?