Xie Feibai left in early June, and time continued to move forward. As the end of the semester approached at No. 1 High School, the overall atmosphere was still relatively relaxed. However, this relaxation was only relative. There were more cases of reviewing materials in the spare time and discussing difficult problems with each other.
Students who are eligible to compete for the top ten in their respective classes have all entered the review and preparation schedule, and the competition for rankings is about to begin. Some teachers are eager to see the overall results of this academic year, some have been called to the office for talks to be given high hopes and encouraging goals, some have fallen behind and been squeezed out of their rightful positions and are sharpening their knives to counterattack and give the people ahead a good beating, and some are determined to defend their place and make it clear that they will not give latecomers a chance. People's minds are different.
There are also those who are in the middle of the pack and go against the trend. They are more relaxed and carefree, discussing which chapter of Final Fantasy they reached yesterday, or which English-language original movie they watched, how the party was last week, etc. Not all of them are poor students. Some of them are good at one subject, but poor at others, which drags down their scores. Or they are in the middle of the pack. After trying hard, they find that the ranking ahead is like a reinforced concrete wall, which really doesn't give the people behind them a chance to squeeze in. They know that they can't participate in those upper-level wars, so they just go with the flow.
The invisible smell of gunpowder is gradually accumulating.
Of course, for the No. 1 High School at this time, the only reserved program is the half-yearly guessing of who will be the first in the final exam.
In the short and medium term, Song Shiqiu has continued to make great progress since the high school entrance examination. Although the monthly exams do not count towards the ranking, every month when the monthly exams come out, it seems that no one has a higher score than Song Shiqiu. But everyone knows that all this is just an illusion.
Nowadays, every major exam in No. 1 High School is like an abyss. Every time a demon king suddenly appears, which is basically a common phenomenon. Song Shiqiu is like the knight who is qualified to challenge in fine clothes and on a horse. There is a sense of tragedy in his fate.
So this kind of discussion happens frequently in school.
Sometimes, the rumors would reach Song Shiqiu's ears. The rumors were very vivid, saying that he had been suppressed by Cheng Ran since he entered the first high school, and he had always been upset. It was said that he was holding his breath and refused to admit defeat, and had already considered Cheng Ran to be his rival throughout the high school period. Naturally, many girls imagined a love-hate relationship, which was more complicated than what he, the person involved, had in his mind.
Of course, because Yang Xia is involved, the relationship between the three people gives rise to endless imagination. However, it is worth mentioning that up to now, although there have been various rumors, the relationship between Yang Xia and Cheng Ran has not been confirmed. This has led to various speculations, but it has also increased the perception of many people that they are legendary during their high school careers.
However, to Song Shiqiu, all these were just passing wind. Sometimes when he heard people talking about how he secretly regarded Cheng Ran as his rival, he would just smile and pass it by. He thought that these people were too narrow-minded and that a sparrow could not understand the ambition of a swan.
Shanhai No. 1 High School is indeed a top high school, but that is only in Shanhai City and nearby cities and counties. If you look at those national model high schools and some private super high schools, the sea of clouds you think you see in Shanhai No. 1 High School is actually just a maze under their feet.
Shanhai No. 1 Middle School was still too small. So at best, Cheng Ran was just a mirror for him to see his own shortcomings, a sharpening stone.
In the past, he was so unstoppable that he didn't take anyone seriously. Now that Cheng Ran has appeared, he has reflected and gained some insights. In fact, this is growth.
Because he fell from the first place in consecutive major exams, Song Shiqiu's parents have talked to him about strategies many times. In particular, his aunt in Beijing, who plans to help him and push his future into the energy sector, has been concerned about him frequently and often tells him some information about the average test scores of several national key high schools as a spur.
Among those high schools, Song Shiqiu's grades, although he used to be ranked first in Shanhai No. 1 High School, were just average.
Therefore, if he uses that kind of top high school as the standard, he is still far from good enough. This way, it is balanced. If he sets his sights higher, he will not be frustrated for not flying that high now. Cheng Ran is just ahead of the times for a short while.
When it comes to the opponent in front of you, you need to understand him, analyze him, simulate him, and then surpass him.
In particular, Song Shiqiu also heard a rumor that Cheng Ran's grades in the first grade of junior high school were not very good at all... and when he was admitted to the first high school, he was not the best in the school. The best student in the first grade of junior high school at that time was a girl... and it was not Cheng Ran.
From this point of view... some things are self-evident. Song Shiqiu does not think that his talent is inferior to his opponent. Even in sports, Cheng Ran cannot compare with him. So Cheng Ran has made great progress, which is probably due to Tan Qingchuan, the special teacher of No. 1 Middle School. Wang Qi has a problem with his character and is not a good teacher. Although Wang Qi has been working with him privately to let him continue to choose his class after the second year of high school, he often does not comment on it.
After his family gave a few cartons of cigarettes to the vice-president and Tan Qingchuan, the matter was actually settled.
When the classes are divided in the second year of high school, he will be transferred to Tan Qingchuan's class, which also teaches science.
He believed that by being in the same environment as Cheng Ran, he would be able to see how Cheng Ran learned everything. With his brain, which he did not think would lose to Cheng Ran, defeating him was only a matter of time.
…
In the office, Tan Qingchuan looked at Cheng Ran with an indescribable expression on his face. As the end of the semester approached, he had already received news that Cheng Ran might not continue to study at No. 1 High School next semester.
It was Ma Weiguo who informed him of this. He heard that Principal Ma and Uncle Cheng Ran were comrades-in-arms. Since Cheng Ran enrolled in No. 1 High School, the two seemed to be closer than usual. Ma Weiguo often asked Uncle Cheng Ran to go fishing and strolling in his spare time. When talking about Cheng Ran, Cheng Bin would often say proudly, "How about it, I didn't embarrass you as your nephew!"
Ma Weiguo has the reserve of a principal. Every time this happens, he puts his hands behind his back and says things like "be humble and calm, and the most important thing is to keep calm." He says that adults should listen more to their children's future plans. If there are areas of interest, they might as well learn more about them first to predict the future trends of changing times, which will be moderately helpful in choosing majors in the future. But then again, it is always good to master a skill and go into the technical field conservatively. It is better to deal with technology and academics than with people. These are the reasons he gives from his perspective.
Later, Cheng Bin conveyed these to Cheng Feiyang in disguised form. Ma Weiguo naturally also learned that Cheng Feiyang's Fulong was going to expand to Chengdu, and Cheng Ran might follow there, so he called Tan Qingchuan. The main reason was that the top student in this grade was in his class, and he was obviously a science student. The class division in the second year of high school would generally have fallen into his hands, but the news was very sudden, so Tan Qingchuan was prepared.
"I want to leave... follow my family... then there is no other way..." Tan Qingchuan also had mixed feelings at this time, "However, Cheng Ran, have you contacted Rongcheng? Which school will you attend then?"
"Maybe I can try the transfer exam for No. 10 Middle School." Cheng Ran said.
Tan Qingchuan was stunned for a moment, then he looked at Cheng Ran again. The reluctance and regret in his heart were swept away at this moment. He laughed, "That's great, Rongcheng No. 10 Middle School is a famous school... I will write you a letter of recommendation. If you go there, you must make me, Tan Qingchuan, proud!"
Writing recommendation letters for students is generally more useful when studying abroad or getting admitted to graduate school. It is not so common in high schools, but sometimes, for example, when their outstanding students can get into a very good university, some high school principals and head teachers will do so. On the one hand, they are really proud of it and must praise the students for putting their heart into the letter. Secondly, it also shows their own honor.
Tan Qingchuan was also a senior teacher at the No. 1 High School in the city. Every time he went to the provincial teachers' meeting, he would see many teachers with senior titles in the province, and those "famous teachers" from Rongcheng No. 10 High School were still very arrogant. In comparison, people like Tan Qingchuan who had a halo in Shanhai City were just relegated to a corner.
If Cheng Ran could pass the admittedly difficult transfer exam and enter Rongcheng No. 10 Middle School, it would be an honor for Tan Qingchuan. It would also allow Rongcheng No. 10 Middle School to put aside its high standards and look down to see that Shanhai City still has a key high school in the province.
"When will you go there?" Tan Qingchuan stamped and signed Cheng Ran's documents.
"After the holidays, the exam will be on July 4th."
"So it's after the end of the semester, but we still have to attend classes during this period, and we still have to take the final exams for the first semester?"
"Everything will remain the same, except that I won't be here next semester."
"That's right. Rongcheng No. 10 Middle School not only requires a transfer exam, but also your final exam results in your original school. Then everything will remain the same!" Tan Qingchuan paused, "I won't say anything sentimental. The teacher hopes that you will do well in both exams... Life is a series of battles, and then triumph."
Tan Qingchuan spoke simply, but when Cheng Ran received his parting words before leaving, he still got goosebumps.
It was: "You are at the most enviable age, so don't waste your time. Get up at dawn, work hard to be good, and study to become a sage, not just to pass the imperial examination. One day you will start a career, wear a crown, and bear epaulettes... You should always have your country in mind, regardless of the coldness of your body."