Chapter 28: Jiang University Joins the Festivities (Please Vote and Add to Favorites)

Zhang Chu’s recent days could be described as truly vibrant; his prestige was rising rapidly, and he buried himself in study, advancing his self-learning—or revision—of mathematics and English to the sophomore level, though progress in other subjects remained slow. The only problem was the publisher’s royalties being issued too slowly; he felt his bedroom computer was sluggish, often freezing and requiring blue-screen restarts. He longed for a new machine.

“It seems I’ll have to take a stroll outside the school. As long as I activate in-campus assistance within the system’s circle, it’ll be fine,” Zhang Chu muttered to himself. He was flush with points now; activating in-campus assistance four times would cost only two thousand points, a trivial matter! It felt much like a pauper suddenly becoming a tycoon.

Each subject ought to develop in harmony; he couldn’t allow his math and English to be stellar while the others lagged behind. Moreover, the strengths gained from in-campus assistance required Zhang Chu’s own diligence to truly internalize them, making them his own and integrating everything together.

“I’d better take advantage of the fact that the first and second-year teachers are still at school, seek their help while I can, lest my fake honor student persona be exposed,” Zhang Chu thought. He knew well that he was like a soft bun—appearing to be a top student outside, but a poor one within, ready to crumble at the slightest touch.

He didn’t want to resort to system-assisted cheating after entering university; his abilities needed to become his own.

Without hesitation, Zhang Chu, never one for procrastination, used a bookmark to save his place in the biology textbook, grabbed his wallet and phone, and stepped out.

The bookstore on the first floor was empty; at the counter, Zhang Bowen was typing away, busy with something unknown.

“Where are you headed?” Zhang Chu paused and answered honestly, “I’ve got something to do near the school.”

“Remember not to stay out too late. If you’re not coming home for dinner, call your mother ahead of time,” Zhang Bowen cautioned. “You should relax a bit after the college entrance exam. Don’t stay cooped up at home reading—go out and have fun with your classmates.”

This beautiful misunderstanding stemmed from Zhang Chu studying late into the night; his parents, Chu Lan and Zhang Bowen, saw him as a diligent, hardworking student. Zhang Chu wasn’t about to correct them. He waved his hand and said, “I’ll definitely be back for dinner. Wait for me.”

...

Jiangcheng Experimental High School was located in the city’s high-tech district, with decent teaching standards. Zhang Chu, relying on memory, found the school and sat down in a milk tea shop outside.

“System, activate the in-campus assistance function. Let’s see how big the search radius is.”

Though the college entrance exam was over, first and second-year students still had to prepare for their final exams. At this hour, Zhang Chu was alone in the milk tea shop; he pretended to play on his phone, but had already begun using the system.

Fortunately, the school wasn’t large; both teaching buildings fell within the in-campus assistance range. Zhang Chu began sifting through the densely clustered dots.

“Teacher Wang Huachi teaches sophomore physics in the experimental class—he should be quite skilled. Chemistry teacher Li Yan is said to be a nationally certified senior teacher. Who else...”

Like picking cabbages at the market, Zhang Chu mentioned one teacher after another, carefully selecting his targets, then splitting the assistance into four sessions.

But his mind felt ready to burst, flooded with a torrent of thoughts, so painful that he banged his head against the table.

That was the price of greed!

“Are you alright, student? Do you need me to call a doctor?” The shop owner was startled by Zhang Chu’s behavior; if something happened to a customer here, how could business continue?

“No, I just have a bit of a migraine. It’ll pass soon.” Zhang Chu realized he’d been reckless; in-campus assistance required linking two minds, and he’d activated it four times at once. His thoughts were in utter disarray.

Sweat streamed down his pale face, his pupils bloodshot, temples throbbing, as he endured the discomfort.

Human adaptability is remarkable; after the wave of pain, his mind felt much lighter.

Just then, Zhang Chu’s phone rang, displaying Tao Zhixin’s name.

“Why is he calling now?” Zhang Chu wondered, answering the phone while pressing his head with his other hand. “Teacher Tao?”

“It’s me. Zhang Chu, have you been drinking? Your voice sounds odd.”

“No, no, I just have a bit of a cold. Is there something you need today, Teacher Tao?”

Tao Zhixin glanced at the two others in his office and replied, “Your essay has gained a lot of attention, and the admissions office at Jiangzhou University wants to talk to you. They might offer you a special admission.”

Not only Tao Zhixin, but even Principal Liu Chengzheng of Jiangcheng Experimental High School could hardly believe it—a single essay might qualify Zhang Chu for special admission to a prestigious university like Jiangzhou? It sounded like a fairy tale!

On the other end, Zhang Chu, who had lived two lives, was equally stunned. “Special admission? Are you sure it’s not a scam?”

“Watch your words. We’ve already verified with Jiangzhou University’s admissions office—they really are here for you. If you’re available, come to school right away.”

Jiangzhou University was the best comprehensive university in Jiangdong Province. While not quite on par with Tsinghua or Peking University, it was only just behind them, a top-tier institution recognized as both a 985 and 211 university.

Even being located in Jiangdong, its admission scores were high; for science, if you didn’t exceed the key benchmark by over a hundred points, you could forget about it.

If, in recent years, ten students from Jiangcheng Experimental High School made it to Jiangzhou University in a single graduating class, Principal Liu would laugh himself awake in his sleep!

For such a school to consider breaking the rules for him, Zhang Chu found it almost unbelievable.

“I’m just nearby; I’ll be right over.”

“Good, take care on the way,” Tao Zhixin urged. He hoped Zhang Chu would make a good impression; after all, with Zhang Chu’s previous grades, getting into Zhejiang University was nothing short of a pipe dream.

At this moment, Jiangzhou University’s admissions office had announced the news. After the college entrance exam, everyone was watching the top universities, but no one expected Jiangzhou University to break the mold so thoroughly.

“The Death of Red Hare” was still circulating online, and now a famous university wanted to admit its author against all conventions, instantly stirring up a storm on the internet!

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Veteran readers of Qidian know how important the new book period is for any novel. The author shamelessly asks everyone for recommendation votes and all the support you can give~

To reiterate, the sequence from the leak of “The Death of Red Hare” to special admission by a university is adapted from real events; reality’s twists can be even more fascinating than fiction.