Chapter 276: Chapter 116 The Youngsters with Lackluster Spirits_6

For instance, how to quickly and accurately measure which category A, B, C, or D falls into using one’s palm—well, this kind of niche knowledge is something Qiao Yu had never come across, and he hadn’t even thought about it.

He wasn’t sure if what the two guys were saying was correct, but listening to them each provide ample reasoning and becoming more animated as they talked, Qiao Yu felt that maybe there was a tiny bit of truth in what they were saying.

Originally, Qiao Yu had prepared himself to study quietly until the early hours of the morning, but unfortunately, Yu Wei suddenly joined in.

“Go to sleep.”

“No, Yu Wei, don’t spoil the fun.”

“Spoil the fun? You two probably haven’t even held a girl’s hand before, right?”

“Don’t be so insulting, who hasn’t held a girl’s hand? I held them every day in kindergarten!”

“I held them every day in elementary school!”

“Heh… turns out underachievers have more stationery.”

“No, and you think you’re that amazing?”

“Exactly, are you jealous of our abundant theoretical knowledge?”

“Are you both still virgins?”

“Tsk, so what if we are? Are you not?”

“No, I’m not.”

Yu Wei’s calm voice was actually not loud, and only consisted of a few short words, but at that moment it sounded like a deafening strike, echoing repeatedly and silencing the two who were excitedly debating.

Even Qiao Yu couldn’t help but turn and glance in the direction hidden in the darkness.

Rich kids, utterly shameless!

After a long while, a timid voice piped up: “So, what does it feel like?”

“The feeling is: happiness is fleeting, while troubles are long-lasting,” Yu Wei said with a very flat tone.

Qiao Yu turned over, closed his eyes, and planned to sleep, having indeed been tired these past few days. Most importantly, he didn’t want to listen to the rich kid’s boasting anymore. Because he thought this answer was very genuine; without firsthand experience, it’s impossible to have such a real sentiment.

…

There wasn’t much to say in the days that followed. Everyone returned to their normal routine, and during the three-day period without exams, Professor Zhou, along with teachers from various schools, provided psychological counseling to these kids.

This was also a rare experience for Zhou Liang—he hadn’t gone through such a hassle before.

Generally speaking, those who have reached the training phase are easy to manage.

Because they mostly have clear goals and understand the direction of their efforts very well.

But there’s nothing one can do; living long enough means witnessing some strange occurrences.

Fortunately, everyone recovered well, and in the exams that followed over the next two days, the results already met expectations. At least a few kids who had been under special watch didn’t fall short of the top fifteen.

At least at the closing, a result that everyone could accept was announced; the good news was that Yu Yongjun once again stumbled his way into the top sixteen and entered the second stage of the special training.

In fact, at this stage, besides less than a quarter of the contestants, the rest have a clear understanding of their level. Whether they can enter the top sixteen, they have long had an answer in their hearts. Some even originally aimed for the top sixty in the national competition.

So getting eliminated at this stage wasn’t too distressing.

As for Qiao Yu’s performance, it was as stable as ever.

No one emphasized how impressive it was that he scored full marks in all four exams. Because this had already become an expected outcome. Conversely, if Qiao Yu didn’t score full marks, people might question if there was something wrong with the test.

Yes, after showing off his ability to play games while answering questions and still ensuring a 100% accuracy rate, people no longer regarded him as a human being—they called him a beast!

On the last day, before parting, when it was just the two of them, Qiao Yu finally asked the question that had been bothering him for days.

“Hey, Yu Wei, you really aren’t…?”

“Aren’t what?”

“Cut the nonsense, the thing you mentioned that night, don’t play dumb!” Qiao Yu said, giving Yu Wei a cold look.

“Oh, that night, I was lying to them,” Yu Wei said casually.

Qiao Yu was a bit surprised, confirming: “You were lying to them?”

“Yeah, they were too annoying. If I didn’t lie to them, they’d chat about that boring topic all night, which would be irritating,” Yu Wei explained.

Qiao Yu smacked his lips, feeling like what Yu Wei said made some sense, but still scornfully said: “You’re not honest.”

Yu Wei glanced at Qiao Yu and said: “Whether I’m honest or not doesn’t matter, the key is the effect, as long as they believe it, that’s enough.”

Qiao Yu sneered: “How do you know they’ll definitely believe you?”

Yu Wei naturally said: “Because people habitually trust authority. Yu Yongjun told Gong Jiatao that I’m a rich kid, they don’t know what a rich kid’s life is truly like, so they’ll believe whatever I say.

You’re also an authority now; if you say something, they’ll believe it too. The key to lying is to stay calm and composed, not to show any hesitation or let them see any flaws.”

His words made a lot of sense, and Qiao Yu found them enticing, then asked: “So, what is a rich kid’s life really like? Tell me sometime.”

Yu Wei turned his head and gave Qiao Yu an inquisitive look without speaking.

Qiao Yu immediately explained: “I’m just getting ahead of things for my future son. You know, I’m so strong, I’ll definitely be the first generation of wealth in the future, so naturally, my son will be a second generation. I think raising a son like you would be nice.”

“Goodbye!” Yu Wei said succinctly after a pause and then, without looking back, picked up his luggage and headed towards the stairs nearby.

“See you next weekend in Star City,” Qiao Yu called after Yu Wei’s retreating figure with more precise phrasing.

Indeed, they were going to meet again the following week because the second phase of the IMO training was about to start. Out of the fifteen selected, only the best would move forward, with only six gaining the eligibility to represent Huaxia in Australia, enjoying the sunshine and beaches that two greasy teens could only dream of…

At that moment, Qiao Yu was inexplicably in a good mood.

After all, he was going back to Star City soon, able to visit his mom at public expense and give her a surprise. Just thinking about it was exciting.