Chapter 48
Wang Chen hurriedly returned to his seat, picking up a book and pretending to read.
Sure enough, it was Old Chen, but he wasn’t alone; two or three middle-aged men followed him.
The man in the middle looked familiar, often sitting at the center of the podium during student assemblies.
All of them wore cheerful expressions.
“Which one of you is the top student, Tang Lingwu?” the middle-aged man asked.
“Here!” Old Chen called out, and Tang Lingwu stepped out of the classroom. Old Chen pulled her to his side, saying, “Principal, this is Tang Lingwu.”
The principal seemed surprised, taking a moment to admire Tang Lingwu’s striking beauty. “I’ve heard there’s a pretty girl in your class with excellent grades, but I didn’t expect her to be this beautiful.”
As Old Chen’s most prized student, Tang Lingwu wore just the right amount of modesty, clearly accustomed to being showcased by Old Chen.
The principal didn’t wait for her to respond; he nodded and smiled, “You’ve ranked first in our entire grade, and among the senior students from several schools, you’re also number one! You’ve brought honor to Qing Shui High School!”
Zheng Fa and the others immediately understood why these men had come to see Tang Lingwu.
Being first in the grade wasn’t the main point; what mattered was that they had trampled their rival schools!
The principal praised Tang Lingwu profusely, then seemed to remember something. “I see there’s another name in the top ten list—Zheng Fa? Is he from your class too?”
Zheng Fa noticed Old Chen waving at him and stood up to walk over. Old Chen’s smile today was particularly warm.
“This is Zheng Fa.”
The principal nodded at him, looking a bit puzzled. “I don’t recall seeing this name in the top ten before?”
“Yes, this student didn’t perform well when he entered the school, but he has been working hard and making progress,” Old Chen praised.
“Oh?” The principal asked with interest, “He must have mastered some effective study methods. Zheng Fa, how do you usually study?”
Zheng Fa glanced at Tang Lingwu, and Old Chen’s bald head suddenly glistened with a bit of cold sweat. “Well, Principal, he usually studies together with Tang Lingwu, helping each other out.”
“Learning from high-achieving classmates? That’s a great method! This approach is perfect for ordinary students. How about we have Zheng Fa share his experience with the entire school during the assembly on Monday?”
“That might not be appropriate… I mean, this method is a bit unique, and others might not be able to replicate it,” Old Chen stammered.
The principal looked a bit disappointed but didn’t press Old Chen further. Instead, he encouraged, “You should still urge them to continue working together and support each other for further progress!”
Old Chen’s smile suddenly took on a pained expression, as if he wasn’t too keen on the idea.
Inside the classroom, Wang Chen stared blankly, turning to his deskmate and saying, “Do I sense that Zheng Fa has also become one of Old Chen’s favorite students?”
“You don’t need to sense it; just look at Old Chen—his smile is so sweet!”
“He’s not scolding him anymore?”
“Scolding? He’s still praising him! It’s so cheesy.”
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**Chapter 55: Comfort**
After the monthly exam results came out, Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu visited Old Bai’s house again.
“I heard you did well this time?” Old Bai asked Zheng Fa.
The expression on his face was less about praise and more about a subtle sense of pride.
“That’s because of your excellent teaching, sir,” Zheng Fa replied smoothly.
Upon hearing this, Old Bai’s face wrinkled into a radiant smile.
“I have a friend who’s struggling with his studies…” Taking advantage of Old Bai’s good mood, Zheng Fa suddenly spoke up.
“Stop right there!” Old Bai raised his hand, frowning slightly. “I refuse.”
Zheng Fa didn’t expect Old Bai to be so wary, rejecting him before he even finished his sentence.
He wasn’t in a hurry; he simply waited in silence, looking at Old Bai.
Sure enough, seeing him silent, Old Bai’s curiosity got the better of him. “You really won’t say anything?”
Zheng Fa feigned confusion. “Didn’t you tell me to stop?”
“Why don’t you plead a little more?”
Zheng Fa seized the opportunity and asked, “Do you have the simplest and quickest method for those symbols?”
“What else could be quick?”
Zheng Fa opened his mouth, unsure of how to respond.
It was Tang Lingwu who understood and kindly provided the accurate translation: “For three long and one short, choose the shortest; for three shorts and one long, choose the longest…”
Old Bai’s face darkened. “No wonder you’re talking about friends. I’m a professor from a university in the capital, and you want me to teach you how to guess? You’re insulting me with these tricks!”
Zheng Fa wanted this guessing technique for a friend—Seventh Young Master.
With only two months left before Seventh Young Master ascends to the celestial gate, starting from “Elementary Mathematics” would be far too late. He could only rely on guessing, or rather, on the great and miraculous principles of probability.
Even if it weren’t for Seventh Young Master, Zheng Fa had to find a way to ensure his safety due to Madam’s demands.
As expected, upon hearing this request, Old Bai shook his head vigorously, his curly hair flailing about, expressing his refusal.
Zheng Fa exchanged a glance with Tang Lingwu.
Tang Lingwu understood and assumed the stance of the Song Crane Post.
Zheng Fa placed his hand on her back.
Old Bai watched curiously and asked, “What are you two doing?”
“I thought of a quick method,” Zheng Fa said with a smile. “It’ll help her progress faster.”
“…” Old Bai blinked. “How fast?”
“Based on my estimation, she should be able to grasp the Song Crane Post in about half a month,” Zheng Fa thought for a moment.
Old Bai’s eyes widened slightly. He remembered Zheng Fa mentioning that Tang Lingwu was young and healthy, so she should progress faster than him, but mastering the Song Crane Post usually took at least two to three months.
Now it only needed half a month?
“Well…” Old Bai rubbed his hands, hesitating. “Can I… try this method too?”
“That won’t do; how can you insult yourself with such tricks?” Zheng Fa’s refusal was sincere.
“Actually… it’s not that I can’t be insulted.”
After saying this, Old Bai looked at Zheng Fa’s unchanged smile, gritted his teeth, and turned to his study. When he returned, he held a black-covered notebook.
“What’s this?”
“I can’t teach you that kind of thing, but this will help you learn a bit faster,” Old Bai said sternly, handing the notebook to Zheng Fa.
Zheng Fa flipped through the notebook.
Inside were the patterns and rules Old Bai had summarized from those symbols—not guessing techniques, but rather how to determine which basic symbols each pattern likely evolved from.
“Except for some very complex patterns, these methods have an accuracy rate of about eighty to ninety percent.”
Zheng Fa nodded. The notebook wasn’t thin; Old Bai had put a lot of effort into it, detailing what kind of characteristic patterns corresponded to each basic symbol, with about ten examples for each pattern.
Seeing that Zheng Fa was struggling with topology, Old Bai had skipped the principles and gone straight to applications.
“Did you prepare this?” Zheng Fa asked, noticing it was something Old Bai had brought from his study. “You’ve been ready?”
“I was just bored writing a book and summarized some things,” Old Bai coughed lightly, his gaze evasive.
Zheng Fa knew that Old Bai must have put in considerable effort, and a touch of emotion appeared on his face.
“Don’t get all sentimental about it,” Old Bai said awkwardly. “I noticed you seem quite eager and serious about these things.”
Zheng Fa fell silent; he was indeed a bit anxious—not just for Seventh Young Master, but more so to use the symbols to break free from the Zhao family.
“Remember, this is just a minor path,” Old Bai reminded him again.
Zheng Fa took the notebook and bowed sincerely to Old Bai.
“I told you, don’t get all sentimental,” Old Bai waved his hand awkwardly, then suddenly looked at Zheng Fa and added, “I told you before, I didn’t want to take you on.”
“You did say that I wasn’t cut out for math.”
Old Bai pointed at the notebook in Zheng Fa’s hands. “I actually planned to give you this later, but since I’m giving it to you today, I have some things to say.”
Zheng Fa rarely saw such a serious expression on Old Bai’s face.
“I didn’t want to take you on because you’re not like her.” Old Bai pointed at Tang Lingwu beside him.
“This young lady is pure-hearted, while you have a lot on your mind.” Old Bai’s gaze fell back on Zheng Fa. “You have two issues: you’re too impatient and overly protective of your own interests.”
These words were heavy. Tang Lingwu opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something for Zheng Fa.
“I’m not criticizing this kid; given his background, it’s natural for him to have a complicated mind,” Old Bai interrupted Tang Lingwu.
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