ATLAS TRANSLATES

Bai Lian appeared before the teachers at First High without any warning or preparation, catching them all off guard.

Lu Lingxi stared at the computer screen, scanning the entire results list from top to bottom.

She, who was usually composed, now felt lost and confused.

It wasn’t fourth or third place as the head teacher had boldly imagined, but first.

In all these years in Xiangcheng, it was already difficult to get one student into Jiangjing University, let alone achieve first place nationally.

This had never happened before in First High’s history.

Initially, the principal only dared to hope about surpassing Song Min and getting into North City’s top spot. Song Min was a rare genius in North City, and surpassing him seemed like their limit.

But now, not just one person had surpassed Song Min – even Ning Xiao had easily passed him to enter the national top ten.

And Bai Lian…

It was even more inconceivable.

Provincial top scorer and national top scorer were completely different concepts.

If a Jiangjing student had achieved national first place, no one would have been surprised.

After the national exam was unified, many people were dissatisfied. Places like Xiangcheng and Jiangjing had completely different access to resources and education. Under such information disparity, it was extremely difficult for Xiangcheng students to stand out.

All the teachers present knew that Bai Lian had switched from liberal arts to science.

Under these circumstances, Bai Lian directly achieved first place nationally.

The meeting room remained silent except for the air conditioner’s hum. Everyone, including the principal, could only watch breathlessly.

These people had all experienced countless storms, but now, faced with Bai Lian’s abnormal ranking, they were still struck speechless, unable to express their thoughts.

Several minutes later, Class 8’s homeroom teacher was the first to recover. He double-checked Bai Lian’s ID number, re-entering each digit carefully before hitting enter with a “click.”

The same score and ranking appeared.

That enter key seemed to flip a switch in the meeting room. The principal could barely support Pan Director.

Pan Director grabbed his phone, trembling as he notified the Education Bureau office of the good news, “First… national first.”

The teaching director removed his glasses, wiping them with his shirt hem: “Principal, your banner preparation wasn’t enough.”

The principal had only secretly prepared a provincial top scorer banner.

“Teacher Lu, your Class 15 really is…” Tang Ming’s homeroom teacher came to his senses.

Others congratulated Lu Lingxi, “Congratulations, Teacher Lu, having such excellent students like Bai Lian and Ning Xiao.”

Listening to the other teachers’ words, Lu Lingxi remembered when Bai Lian first came to Class 15 with an 85 in science. Who could have imagined that a year later, Bai Lian wouldn’t need to repeat a year and would achieve national first place?

“Alright,” Lu Lingxi took a photo of the computer screen with her phone, then said, “We still have two students who haven’t checked their scores.”

They were Yang Lin and Lu Xiaohan.

“Oh right.” The principal was dizzy with joy, currently rushing the factory to print banners. “Two more students.”

Lu Xiaohan scored 654, Yang Lin 691, the same as Tang Ming.

But because Yang Lin’s student number was before Tang Ming’s, she ranked ahead of him.

“Your class really did well in Chinese this time.” Class 8’s homeroom teacher looked at their Chinese scores – Lu Xiaohan 141, Yang Lin 140, while Tang Ming only had 129.

Lu Lingxi was indeed good at teaching students; Class 15’s Chinese average was always 10 points higher than other classes.

“They must have all written good essays.” Lu Lingxi wasn’t surprised.

Beside her, the principal couldn’t stop smiling, “Yang Lin, Lu Xiaohan, and Tang Ming all did very well, extremely well!”

Any of these three scores would have broken First High’s historical rankings in Xiangcheng.

“Get the honor roll written quickly. Tomorrow morning at 8:08, we’ll celebrate at the school gate.” The principal was already arranging for urgent banners.

“Hang them, hang them all,” Pan Director had finished his call, “Let’s hang some at the Education Bureau entrance too!”

He exchanged glances with the principal, both seeing each other’s thoughts. This time their Xiangcheng First High was truly going to soar – national first place, two in the national top ten.

Six in the provincial top fifty.

Stay humble in character, but bold in action.

But with First High doing so well this time, they probably couldn’t keep a low profile even if they wanted to.

**

At the Xingyi Martial Arts School.

Bai Lian arrived early and was bent over removing the last silver needle from Xu He’s thigh.

Lu Xiaohan was filming the details with her camera nearby.

“How does it feel?” She straightened slightly, lowering her eyelashes as she asked about Xu He’s condition.

Xu He stood up, clenching his fists as his arm muscles flexed. He could feel the abundant strength within his body. After more than two months of acupuncture, he had completely returned to his previous state.

“Miss Bai,” Xu He looked at Bai Lian, unable to hide his excitement on his usually stern face, “I think I’ve completely recovered!”

“Mm.” Bai Lian put away the silver needles, nodding slightly.

Her phone vibrated several times, and Bai Lian took it out.

Beside her, Master Jin asked, “Miss Bai, are you going to Jiangjing soon?”

“Soon.” Bai Lian nodded as she unlocked her screen. There were several messages—

[Hello student, I’m Teacher Chen from Jiangjing University’s admissions office. First, congratulations on your outstanding exam results! We can arrive in Xiangcheng by 10 AM tomorrow! Hope to discuss study and major details with you! If you have any questions, you can call this number!]

Besides Jiangjing University, there were messages from other schools.

Bai Lian hadn’t experienced modern school recruitment wars before.

If it weren’t for her phone rarely receiving spam, she would have thought these messages were advertising.

Nearby, Xu He quietly asked Master Jin, hesitating slightly: “Miss Bai is going to Jiangjing?”

He had stayed in Xiangcheng for over two months without seeing Xu Nanji, thinking the Xu family had forgotten this place. From what Bai Lian was saying, she was going back?

Master Jin nodded, “Miss Bai is going to study in Jiangjing.”

Going to study in Jiangjing?

Xu He followed Master Jin in surprise as they both saw Bai Lian out.

Lu Xiaohan put away her camera. Today several blocked students got their scores, and Ji Heng had invited these hardworking Class 15 children to eat together.

Lu Xiaohan also wanted to show Ji Heng the graduation video she had recorded. After confirmation, she would upload their final high school third year video to her account, officially bidding farewell to their senior year.

**

In Jiangjing.

Old Madam Xu was pacing back and forth in the study.

At the computer, Xu Zhiyue sat properly, entering her exam registration number and ID number.

Behind her, Ji Mulan was also watching the computer screen intently.

Xu En held a teacup, appearing calm.

“Old Madam, Miss also said she got all the scores she should have,” the butler smiled, “With this year’s exam being so difficult, second place nationally is definitely not a problem.”

The old lady turned her sandalwood prayer beads without speaking.

“Don’t put too much pressure on Yueyue.” Xu En watched Xu Zhiyue’s slightly trembling hands.

Xu Zhiyue carefully pressed enter, and a row of scores appeared—

Name: Xu Zhiyue Chinese: 141 Math: 142 English: 150 Science: 292 Total: 725 City Ranking: 2 National Ranking: 3

Ji Mulan saw these excellent scores and unconsciously covered her visibly pregnant belly.

National third place—

This was her first time experiencing such explicit high scores so directly.

“725, even higher than your estimated score by a few points,” Old Madam Xu stood behind her, immediately seeing Xu Zhiyue’s score was higher than estimated, which meant Xu Zhiyue had performed beyond expectations. Second place in the city was normal, “It’s unfortunate that you had to take the exam today and encounter the Liang family…”

The old lady’s words stopped halfway when she suddenly saw the last line, “…National ranking, third?”

The butler also exclaimed in shock, “Miss, besides that Liang student, who else scored higher than you?”

Xu Zhiyue couldn’t figure it out either.

She pushed up her black-framed glasses and took out her phone to ask about Liang Wuyu’s score.

Xu En stood behind Xu Zhiyue. He didn’t understand much about this year’s college entrance exam, but he had heard Xu Zhiyue and Xu Wenyao analyze the difficulty, “National third place, Yueyue is already amazing. Back then, Wenyao was only in the top ten. We just don’t know who got second place.”

First place was undoubtedly Liang Wuyu.

Old Madam Xu had always thought Xu Zhiyue could get second place, so hearing she was third inevitably left her feeling somewhat disappointed.

But even third place was a score the Xu family had never achieved before.

She held her prayer beads, pressed her palms together, and muttered “Buddha bless us,” “Butler, have you found the hotel?”

At this moment, Xu Zhiyue also received the screenshot Liang Wuyu sent over. She spoke softly: “Something’s wrong, this year is very wrong. Liang dog isn’t first place, first place isn’t from our school.”

“What?” Xu En was startled.

Jiangjing Affiliated High School had always been the best school in the country, producing the national top scorer every year. This year, many people in Jiangjing were betting whether the top scorer would be Liang Wuyu or Xu Zhiyue. No one would think the national top scorer wouldn’t be from Jiangjing.

Xu En looked down at the screenshot on Xu Zhiyue’s phone.

[Name: Liang Wuyu

Total Score: 736 City Ranking: 1 National Ranking: 2]

“It really isn’t him,” Xu En stared at this incredible score. With this year’s exam being so difficult, 736 points wasn’t even the top scorer: “Where did this dark horse come from…”

“Our principal is also checking,” Xu Zhiyue murmured: “736 points isn’t first place, how insanely did this person score?”

Ji Mulan was happy for Xu Zhiyue – even national third place was something she had never seen before.

With the Xu family making such a big deal about Xu Zhiyue’s third place, if the national top scorer had appeared in the Xu family, who knows what kind of sensation it would have caused?

**

Director Chen was invited to eat at Ji Heng’s house today.

Yesterday he had just gone fishing with Ji Heng, and now he was leisurely sitting by the stone table in the courtyard.

Ji Heng was cooking, and the neighbor next door came to help. Director Chen, as a guest, was chased out of the kitchen.

Beside Director Chen.

Tang Ming sat on a stone block nearby, chewing on a tree leaf with a bitter expression, one leg slightly bent.

His expression wasn’t good, and Director Chen instinctively thought he hadn’t done well, so he didn’t bring up their scores.

Until Tang Ming spoke to Lu Xiaohan: “Yang Lin really got 691?”

A banyan leaf floated down onto his leg, and he flicked it away.

“Yeah,” Lu Xiaohan looked at him sympathetically, “How did you only get 691?”

Tang Ming was devastated. He could already imagine what expression Jiang Fuli would have when he came over: “My Chinese score was too low. Don’t you think your Chinese scores are too extreme?”

Director Chen sat beside the two.

He was biting on a cigarette, listening halfway when he started to feel something was off.

Director Chen had participated in this year’s Jiangjing college entrance exam betting pool. Though he had been away from the college entrance exam for too long and didn’t care much about it, he had vaguely heard that this year’s exam questions were difficult.

“You got 691 on the college entrance exam?” He still remembered Bai Lian’s total score of 450, and hearing Tang Ming’s 691, he reflexively asked.

Tang Ming caught a glimpse of Jiang Fuli’s cold, straight figure appearing at the courtyard gate. With a bitter face: “Uncle Chen, can you stop poking at my wound?”

691 points on the college entrance exam, a wound?

Director Chen’s mind was a bit confused.

Jiang Fuli had brought alcohol, his bony fingers holding the wine rope, casually placing the jar of wine on the stone table. His scattered hair half-covered his eyebrows and eyes, casting a light shadow.

Tang Ming quickly got up from the ground, “Teacher Jiang…”

Jiang Fuli wore simple casual clothes, his light eyes coldly scanning Tang Ming. His features were deep and sharp. Without saying a word, he passed by him and left, with a “who are you, do I know you” attitude, presumably already knowing that he and Yang Lin had gotten exactly the same score.

Tang Ming: “…”

Director Chen finally came to his senses, “Little Tang, you, got 691 on this year’s exam?”

“Mm.” Tang Ming was depressed.

Director Chen reflexively asked, “That’s so high, why do you have this expression?”

“Ah,” Tang Ming tilted his head back, numbly said, “Sister Lian got 750, the study god got 718. And I, got the same 691 as Yang Lin who barely studied, I probably won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

Bai Lian, 750 on the college entrance exam? Ning Xiao, 718? Two 691s?

Director Chen slowly raised his head, confirming Tang Ming wasn’t joking: “…”

After a long while, he turned his head to look at the depressed Tang Ming beside him, then looked up to glimpse Ning Xiao carrying a stack of fruit out, then glanced at Lu Xiaohan taking photos with her camera, and finally his gaze fell in the direction of Bai Lian’s room.

Sunlight scattered through the banyan tree gaps onto Director Chen’s eyes. Director Chen was in a daze, suddenly realizing—

The people around Jiang Fuli, when were any of them simple?

**

Bai Lian’s room door was open.

Jiang He was playing chess beside her.

Her piano was placed by the window, and she was sitting on the piano bench. By her hand was sheet music sent by Dean Jian. Her left hand pressed the piano strings while her right hand lazily picked up the constantly ringing phone.

The caller was First High’s principal, “Student Bai, congratulations!”

“Thank you.” Bai Lian unhurriedly plucked a piano string, her voice as cool as ever, her tone casual and lazy.

Even though the principal had expected Bai Lian to be calm, he hadn’t expected her to be this calm.

“The Education Bureau and local TV media reporters want to interview you,” the principal was silent for several tens of seconds before continuing to ask: “Would that be convenient for you?”

“No.” Bai Lian refused.

The principal wasn’t surprised by this either, “Alright, our school has prepared scholarships for you all, let me know when you’re free to come back and collect it. There will be a celebration ceremony at the school gate tomorrow. However, I suggest you don’t come in the short term, the school’s phones have been overwhelmed by reporters…”

Bai Lian listened carefully until the principal finished speaking before hanging up.

A shadow loomed overhead. Bai Lian put down her phone and looked up at Jiang Fuli who had come in.

His cold eyebrows and eyes were lowered as he gazed at her. His casual jacket zipper was neatly pulled to the collar, “National top scorer, going to the grasslands or Jiangjing first?”

Bai Lian came back to her senses, her gaze passing over him to look at the banyan tree swaying in the wind outside: “The grasslands.”

She estimated from the principal’s words that Xiangcheng recently had many reporters and people staking out. Thinking again about the several messages she received on her phone from various major schools, she paused slightly, “Or should we leave earlier?”

**

Jiangjing Affiliated Middle School.

The principal and grade director held the score sheet.

They stared at Liang Wuyu and Xu Zhiyue’s rankings, looking at each other.

“I originally thought meeting Liang Wuyu and these two would put this year’s examinees at a disadvantage,” the Affiliated School’s principal looked up, putting down the score sheet, “Now it seems, meeting this student was more unfortunate for Liang Wuyu and the others. Where is this student from?”

The grade director looked at his phone, “Xiangcheng, and besides that there’s someone called Ning Xiao…”

“Xiangcheng?” The principal squinted, taking a while to remember where Xiangcheng was, “This year’s college entrance exam, Jiangjing University will be quite lively…”

Jiangjing University.

Bai Lian’s score had been locked in. The admissions office staff had also taken a long time to verify Bai Lian’s score. Now in the principal’s office: “Principal, here is the information on student Bai Lian from Xiangcheng First High.”

“Perfect score?” The Jiangjing University principal took the score sheet, scanning the scores up and down, unable to help exclaiming: “No, Liang Wuyu was already rare to see in recent years, where did she come from?”

The admissions office was also puzzled.

The principal finished speaking to himself, then slapped the table: “I’ll go to Xiangcheng with the admissions office. I was wondering why this year’s exam questions were so difficult. We must keep her – did you check which major she likes?”

The admissions office staff followed, “Don’t worry, everything’s arranged. The car is downstairs, whichever major she likes is fine, we’ve arranged a PhD student from each major…”

“Xiangcheng…” The Jiangjing University principal strode out of the office door, softly repeating these two words.

He knew this year’s college entrance exam might not be simple, but hadn’t expected it to be so spectacular.

This was simply a battle of gods – how many years had it been since the college entrance exam was this lively?

Perfect score.

The last time was during Jiang Xiju’s batch of prodigies!

The scores were blocked to prevent media and businesses from over-hyping the top scorers and causing inconvenience to students.

However, this year a dark horse from Xiangcheng emerged, crushing the geniuses from Jiangjing Affiliated School to take first place with a perfect score, like a drop of water falling into hot oil—

“Xiangcheng First High’s College Entrance Exam Dark Horse” exploded across major media at noon!