Chapter 3: The Student Is Too Skilled—How Can I Teach?

How exactly does one dazzle to the point of blinding?

Because...

Su Shen’s training was far too “professional.”

Honestly, even though he claimed to have learned everything from watching TV, could someone really remember every detail so clearly, managing such precise control over every aspect? Surely he wasn’t joking.

Could it be...

This was what they called genius?

There was no other explanation. Su Shen wasn’t particularly remarkable in other areas, but when it came to running, he instantly became someone who could infer and apply knowledge broadly. Even Yang Yongqiang felt that this student was beyond teaching.

He was just too smart.

If he could handle everything on his own, what was the point of having a teacher?

Yet, to see if Su Shen’s “self-taught” process had any flaws, Yang Yongqiang unleashed his “fiery gaze,” but couldn’t find a single mistake. What he didn’t know was that Su Shen was actually holding back to accommodate him, too afraid to reveal anything too advanced or modern. Whenever Yang Yongqiang wasn’t around, Su Shen secretly practiced those advanced methods on his own.

And kept steadily improving his abilities.

Unfortunately, he was about to enter the third year of middle school, which meant facing the crucial high school entrance exam.

In this regard, Su Shen really...

Had little confidence.

His childhood friend and neighbor, Lin Yanfang, was fine—she was a top student. But Su Shen had devoted all his attention to running, and since he had only recently transferred, he wasn’t a “professor” yet. His grades were visibly slipping.

This made many wonder if he had become obsessed to an unhealthy degree.

The homeroom teacher spoke with Yang Yongqiang, who replied vaguely that perhaps Su Shen could pursue the path of a sports student, which still held some hope for university admission. The homeroom teacher thought that might indeed be a viable route, so aside from urging Su Shen to pass the entrance exam, he said little else. Su Shen’s grades were only enough to get into an average high school.

There was no chance of getting into a prestigious one.

But the problem was...

He had neglected physics and chemistry for over a decade.

Trying to pick them back up quickly—was he just being too ambitious? He wasn’t a top scholar, after all.

Therefore, Su Shen knew his exams were doomed. His only option was to enter a sports school and pursue a professional career. Relying solely on academics to become Professor Su was probably beyond his reach.

...

During this time, he discovered that every time he trained, his “five-dimensional” attributes increased.

But “extra points” could only be earned through competition.

Small competitions were basically useless; they wasted his energy and condition, and there was none of the typical loopholes found in some novels to exploit the system’s bugs. But Su Shen didn’t care. To him, the “five-dimensional system” was just an aid—nice to have but not essential.

Even without it, by sticking to systematic training and avoiding detours, he was confident he would break the yellow race record of 9.827 seconds.

Boredom was nothing to someone who had trained for so many years.

...

“Xiao Tian, about the entrance exam…” Lin Yanfang, his childhood friend and sweetheart, had feelings for him for a long time, but in those innocent days, they only confessed quietly from a distance. This time, Su Shen took the initiative to comfort her: “Xiao Fang, don’t worry. I’ve figured it out—if I’m strong in sports, I can still become a professor. I won’t forget the promise we made when we were kids.”

“Little girl, just wait and call me Professor Su one day.”

Su Shen’s casual confidence lifted Lin Yanfang’s spirits considerably, though she still worried. For a middle schooler, becoming a professional athlete or winning gold medals was far off. Without solid results, it would be hard to convince others.

But it was okay. He just needed more time.

Time would prove everything.

...

According to the latest regulations, students must develop morally, intellectually, and physically. At the end of each school year, a physical fitness test must be conducted.

This would be recorded in the student’s handbook.

On the coal slag playground, Su Shen stood among many classmates. They were about to finish their second year and enter the third—the last physical test of the year.

“Hey, Xiao Tian, it’s that time again. I bet I’ll have leg cramps tonight,” said the chubby Chen Cai, who loved sweets and hated exercise. Coming from a well-off family in the old town, he had grown steadily plumper. Su Shen felt his belly was almost as big as the legendary Pigsy’s.

“I’ve told you to exercise regularly. You sit still all day—no wonder you get cramps when you suddenly move,” Su Shen said, helping Chen Cai warm up to reduce the risk of cramps during his “intense” exercise.

“Hey, there’s a new game at the internet cafe. Wanna try it before we go home?”

This was the era when internet cafes were booming. Computers were expensive, and internet fees weren’t cheap, so most homes didn’t have a computer. This was unlike later times when everyone had one. Su Shen used to be obsessed with this, but with decades of memory from the future, his goals were clear, and he no longer cared.

You could say he’d grown tired of the games after seeing the ones post-2020. The games from around 2004 just didn’t excite him anymore.

Seeing Su Shen’s lack of interest, Chen Cai was surprised. “You’re usually so eager at this time. What’s changed?”

“Hmm, I promised my parents I wouldn’t go to internet cafes anymore,” Su Shen replied with a fitting excuse. With Chen Cai’s astonished gaze upon him, the second-year physical test began.

The boys fared better, but the girls complained bitterly. Even by 2020, when “strengthening the body” was a major campaign, students were increasingly reclusive. They preferred playing games or watching videos to stepping outside, even just a little.

“Xiao Tian, you’re up,” Yang Yongqiang said, watching Su Shen.

“All right,” Su Shen replied, already warmed up. He and several other boys lined up on the coal slag running track.

According to the national physical health standards, the first event was the 50-meter sprint.

The standard for second-year middle schoolers was:

Excellent: 7.5–7.7 seconds.

Good: 7.8–7.9 seconds.

The passing line was 9.9 seconds.

Boys exceeding 9.9 seconds failed.

For girls, the failing time was over 10.8 seconds.

Su Shen took a deep breath. His body had adapted considerably recently, and he no longer suffered from the disconnect between mind and body.

“On your marks.”

“Set.”

“Go.”

Since it was just a test, there was no starting gun—only verbal commands and hand-recorded timing.

Usually, no one failed because teachers would slow the count to help students pass.

Bang—

Su Shen shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

The first few strides were his advantage, instantly putting several classmates behind him. He pulled away more and more, moving like an upperclassman “crushing dimensions.”

Like a shadow, he streaked across the short 50-meter track.

“Wow, he’s so fast!” some girls gasped in surprise, though at this stage of middle school, few cared much about running speed. Being a top scholar mattered more.

Well, that wouldn’t change much in the future.

But Yang Yongqiang was astonished.

Because Su Shen actually ran a time better than 6.4 seconds.

Though this was hand-timed and electronic timing would be slower, it was still terrifying.

By the current national standards, the best senior male students scored around 6.6 seconds.

And by Yang Yongqiang’s naked eye, Su Shen hadn’t even given his all.

In other words, Su Shen’s time was far faster than the top limit for fully developed senior students.

The “insider” Zhang Gu didn’t quite grasp the significance but wondered why Yang Yongqiang kept staring blankly. Maybe he was going through early “menopause”?

...

After this test, they moved on to the boys’ seated forward bend, and once again, Yang Yongqiang nearly had his mind blown.

Su Shen’s flexibility data far exceeded his age group—surpassing even the girls.

Then came the standing long jump.

Usually, the line was drawn around 2.8 meters, with seniors’ full score at 275 centimeters. But Su Shen launched off the ground and easily cleared well beyond the line.

Yang Yongqiang had to extend the measurement to reveal—

Nearly 3.1 meters.

Even allowing for measurement error, it definitely exceeded 3 meters.

This...

Yang Yongqiang had only expected Su Shen to be fast, but now it seemed he was quite versatile in all athletic events.

One-minute sit-ups—senior full score level.

One-minute pull-ups—senior full score level.

Endurance run—senior full score level.

...

All tests completed, among a crowd of exhausted students, Yang Yongqiang, though not a professional coach, sensed something extraordinary.

This child before him was absolutely a genius among geniuses.

Every test was at a supermodel full-score level.

Except he was a bit short.

What else could you say?

This time, Su Shen paid more attention to his height. He knew his previous stunted growth was likely due to insufficient protein and nutrition. Even ordinary city-level sports teams back then didn’t have the advanced nutrition available twenty years later.

If possible, Su Shen hoped to grow a little taller—just one more centimeter. That would make an immeasurable difference in stride length.

But height wasn’t something he could fully control. In his previous life, he was only 172 centimeters. If this time he could reach 175 centimeters or more, his potential breakthrough ceiling could rise dramatically.

So he committed to sleeping early and rising early every day, and to getting enough protein.

Previously, he had eaten carelessly and even skipped lunch to save money, spending afternoons at the internet cafe with Chen Cai.

He also hadn’t gone to bed early enough.

This time... he vowed to do better.

To push his physiological limits beyond those of his previous life.

And it was working—Su Shen already felt he was about one centimeter taller than during his last physical test. It wasn’t much, but it made him very happy.

After class, Yang Yongqiang called Su Shen over and proposed a new training plan. Su Shen outwardly nodded but had already formulated a more professional scheme in his heart.

Still, out of respect for Yang Yongqiang, his mentor and supporter, he listened carefully.

Perhaps he lacked social grace with rivals, but never with those close to him.

Seeing Su Shen patiently absorb his plan, Yang Yongqiang’s estimation of the boy rose a few more degrees.

At this age, few students could focus so deeply.

On that alone, he was certain this not-so-tall boy had a brilliant future.

And not just a small one.

Sometimes, when a student’s talent was too great, teachers even tore their hair out trying to figure out how to teach them.

PS: Come on, if you like it, save it. Professor Su awaits your research papers.