Chapter 4: Far Too Simple!

An hour of outside assistance passed swiftly. When Zhang Chu finished writing his essay, he looked at his completed work, "The Death of Red Hare," and was utterly astonished. Was this truly his own handwriting, so fluid and elegant? One can copy the content of an essay, but every Chinese character must be written stroke by stroke by oneself!

“How beautiful…” In the midst of the college entrance examination, Zhang Chu became lost in self-admiration. The system was indeed powerful; he was still himself, but the characters he wrote were as refined as a calligrapher with decades of practice.

Standing behind Zhang Chu’s desk, Zhou Yuling was equally surprised and curious. What was the content of "The Death of Red Hare," and how did it relate to the essay prompt? As a Chinese teacher, she silently calculated in her mind, eager to see the actual composition. However, as she was about to approach, members of the inspection team entered the classroom, forcing her to abandon her plan.

With a passion for talented students, Zhou Yuling reminded everyone, “There’s an hour and a half left in the exam. Please pay attention to your progress.”

Zhang Chu paid no heed. The Chinese exam lasted two and a half hours, and he could only submit half an hour early. He decided to immerse himself in the Savior System, passing the time.

To the outside world, he appeared to be dozing at his desk, carefree as could be.

...

Lu Yu was a top student in the experimental class at Tianyang No. 2 High School. His Chinese grades were usually excellent, but this exam felt daunting, and he found it difficult to write smoothly.

While he was still mulling over the poetry analysis, the student in front of him was already writing his essay energetically—now he was even sleeping!

“No way. Could it be that the test isn’t actually hard? Why is he writing so fast?”

Lu Yu’s confidence took a severe blow. The student ahead was progressing so quickly that it unsettled him.

“No, no, no, he must be scribbling nonsense!”

Over and over, Lu Yu tried to reassure himself, hoping to calm down. But his mind remained in chaos, and the poetry he’d once known well vanished entirely; no matter how he tried, he couldn’t recall a thing.

His face turned pale as he tugged at his hair, desperately pondering.

...

Zhang Chu had no idea his actions were causing turmoil among the students behind him. He was busy familiarizing himself with the various pages in the Savior System.

Ten thousand reputation points to level up?

“System, what’s the benefit after leveling up?”

“After leveling up, the lottery prizes will be more valuable, and corresponding items and skills can be exchanged. Please strive to upgrade! You are currently in the novice stage; ten thousand reputation points mark the beginner level.”

From the look of things, reaching the beginner level was quite difficult. Making so many people aware of him would require considerable effort.

The system shop was filled with dazzling goods that made his mouth water: triple-speed hand cards, prank bugs, puppet possession, memory erasers—everything imaginable, though the prices weren’t cheap.

“Earn money, gain reputation, I must hurry.”

Unbeknownst to him, time slipped by, and soon it was eleven o’clock. Two hours of the Chinese exam had passed.

Zhang Chu raised his hand and said to Zhou Yuling, “Teacher, may I hand in my paper now?”

“You may, but perhaps you should check it over again?” Zhou Yuling advised earnestly. Though she didn’t know Zhang Chu, she hoped a student who could write such beautiful characters would achieve a good result.

But Zhang Chu firmly shook his head. “No need. I finished an hour ago. The questions were too easy!”

Unintentionally, his words dealt another heavy blow to Lu Yu behind him. Easy? Impossible! He was completely at a loss!

The rest of the candidates in the exam hall turned angrily to glare at Zhang Chu. Showing off to this degree might attract divine retribution.

Everyone was so tense, yet he finished early and said such a thing—how excessive!

“Pack your things and leave the exam room quietly.” Zhou Yuling didn’t want to hear any more arrogant remarks. She quickly collected Zhang Chu’s paper and answer sheet, placing them on the podium, and urged him to depart.

After tidying up his belongings in a transparent stationery bag, Zhang Chu waved his sleeve, leaving without a trace.

At this moment, the teaching building was silent. Every classroom was filled with candidates hastily writing their essays, and only Zhang Chu’s footsteps echoed in the stairwell.

At the security line at the entrance, the guard looked curiously at the handsome young man who was the first to come out. Out at eleven? Either a top scholar or a hopeless case!

“He’s out!”

“Look, someone came out!”

“Who is it?”

“Handed in the paper so early?!”

“If my son handed in his paper this early, I’d beat him when he got home!”

At the school gate, many parents waited anxiously under the scorching sun. Seeing Zhang Chu walk out so casually, they began to chatter amongst themselves.

There were even reporters with cameras and video equipment waiting for first-hand news; the citywide college entrance exam was truly a major event.

“Hello, I’m a reporter from River City Television. May I ask why you handed in your paper so early?”

The female reporter held a microphone and spoke in standard Mandarin. Her makeup hadn’t melted at all in the blazing summer heat, which was something of a marvel.

Standing before the camera, Zhang Chu felt no awkwardness and replied confidently, “I finished, so I handed it in. Isn’t that normal?”

“So, was this year’s test difficult? Could you tell us a bit about it?”

With the reporter’s question, the surrounding parents and teachers all craned their necks in curiosity, eager to know the specifics of the exam.

“For me, it was definitely very easy. I suppose it’s much harder for everyone else. After all, intelligence varies. Chinese was so simple—I could earn high marks with hardly any effort!”

The beautiful reporter was momentarily speechless. She had never encountered such a self-absorbed, shameless student.

Yet Zhang Chu was not finished. “Many people believe that by persistently self-studying, working hard, maintaining the right attitude, and enduring loneliness, they can achieve great results. But in the end, victory belongs to those like me who perform well in the exam. People are simply different! If you’re a stone, you’ll never shine, no matter where you are.”

He casually dispensed a dose of toxic inspirational wisdom, watching as his reputation points surged past two hundred in no time.

The reporter quickly shifted topics, asking about what parents cared most about. “So, how many points do you think you’ll get?”

“I’d estimate conservatively—probably not less than 135!”

The parents nearby looked as if they might burst into flames; 135 points was a conservative estimate. If he were optimistic, wouldn’t it be over 140?

Their own children considered themselves lucky to score 100; could 135 be a lie?

“That’s so high! Your grades must be excellent. Which school do you plan to apply to?”

“Besides Peking University and Tsinghua, I won’t consider any others.”

Zhang Chu had become the center of everyone’s attention—just as he had hoped!