Chapter 12: Human Constitutions Cannot Be Generalized

Xu Ming sat alone in the classroom; it was the only room in the entire teaching building with its lights on.

He did not immediately dive into his review. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the virtual screen floating before his eyes to check the experience points for each subject.

—
Name: Xu Ming
Occupation: Student
Mathematics: Lv1 (28/500)
Physics: Lv1 (4/500)
Chemistry & Biology: Lv0 (30/100)
Chinese: Lv0 (34/100)
English: Lv0 (45/100)
Talent: [Absolute Self-Discipline]
Traits: [Formula Derivation], [Deep Sleep]
—

"Let's start by reviewing English," Xu Ming decided after a brief analysis. Among the remaining level-zero subjects, English had the highest experience points. Plus, having passed the CET-6 in his previous life, he had a solid foundation and expected to reach level 1 quickly.

Furthermore, having experienced the state resulting from increased deep sleep, he wanted to see if his memory had truly improved.

With that thought, the sound of reciting vocabulary began to fill the classroom.

"Schedule..."

About ten minutes later, Xu Ming’s eyes lit up, a look of pleasant surprise appearing on his face.

"It really is faster to memorize."

Compared to a few days ago, the number of times he needed to recite a word or phrase had dropped significantly, yet the information remained deeply ingrained in his mind. This confirmed that his memory had indeed improved. He imagined that by maintaining long periods of deep sleep, his memory might become even stronger. At the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about dementia in his old age.

Faced with this discovery, he felt even more motivated, and his recitation grew louder.

[Through diligent study, your [English] proficiency has increased. You have gained 3 experience points.]

When the clock above the back blackboard struck five-thirty, students began to trickle into the classroom. Although Chen Lu was a bit later than yesterday, she was still the second person to arrive. Seeing Xu Ming already reciting words, she no longer showed surprise; she had already accepted this as the new normal. Still, she couldn't help but feel curious and envious of his energy, which looked nothing like that of someone who had just woken up.

Qian Hong remained the eternal master of punctuality, as if he couldn't pick up his pace until the bell rang.

But today, Li Wenhui arrived even after Qian Hong, which was quite interesting. Especially once most of the class had arrived, Li stood at the door with his notebook, putting on a show of checking attendance while completely ignoring his own tardiness.

Qian Hong, observing this, whispered the inside scoop to Xu Ming with a grin. "I got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and saw this guy still hiding under his covers reading. If I hadn't been kind enough to wake him up this morning, I doubt he would've made it here even after morning study."

"He's certainly studious," Xu Ming replied, looking up. Under the effect of the [Deep Sleep] trait, he was not only undisturbed by his surroundings but could fall asleep in seconds. He naturally had no idea what happened in the dormitory at night. Insomnia? That simply didn't exist for him.

Qian Hong rolled his eyes. "Is there anyone in this class more studious than you?" He paused, then asked seriously, "Seriously, when the hell did you wake up today?"

"I woke up to pee in the middle of the night and saw your bed was empty. I thought you were sleepwalking."

Xu Ming didn't answer immediately; instead, he gave Qian Hong a playful, knowing look. "Are you sure you woke up to pee?"

"Can't a guy drink too much water?" Qian Hong looked a bit guilty.

Xu Ming asked with concern, "Then you go to the bathroom quite often, don't you?"

"Don't change the subject."

"I got up as soon as I woke up, probably around four," Xu Ming said, treating it like a trivial matter.

Qian Hong stared, his thumbs ready to give a thumbs-up. "Impressive! I thought you were just working hard to secure a spot in a regular university, but the way you're going, you’re aiming for a top-tier one."

After the initial shock, he grew concerned for Xu Ming's health. "Are you sure you won't be tired during the day? If I sleep even a little less at night, I'm exhausted during class."

"Let me put it this way: everyone's constitution is different. I once spent three days and three nights in an internet cafe and still went home and finished my holiday homework."

"I don't remember you ever pulling an all-nighter at a cafe," Qian Hong said, eyeing his best friend with suspicion.

Xu Ming suppressed a smile and changed the subject. "Let's study. The English teacher is here."

Qian Hong glanced out the window and saw the English teacher, Han Xiaolan, approaching. Forced to abandon his interrogation, he pulled an English textbook from his desk.

The more immersed one becomes in a task, the faster time seems to fly. Xu Ming focused on his review, and before he knew it, the end of February had slipped away, bringing the college entrance exam one day closer.

...

During the big break on Wednesday, in the second-floor men's restroom:

Xu Ming and Qian Hong were squatting side-by-side in the stalls, handling their biological needs. Because the restroom at Dongping No. 1 High School was built on the north side of the sports field, they could clearly hear the younger students doing their morning exercises. The third-year students were exempt from morning drills and PE, allowing them to use the time for extra study.

Xu Ming had intended to use the time to review English and push his proficiency to level 1—he was already at 98 points—but Qian Hong had dragged him along. Since he hadn't used the restroom yesterday, he decided to tag along. However, being extremely disciplined, he was prepared; as he squatted, he pulled out a few sheets of draft paper to study.

If anyone looked closely, they would see that the paper was covered in English grammar notes. He kept these sheets in his pocket to review whenever he was lining up in the cafeteria or using the restroom.

A few minutes later, Qian Hong’s voice drifted over from the next stall. "Xu Ming, you got any toilet paper?"

"This is all I have, make do with it," Xu Ming said, reluctantly handing over the two pages of grammar notes he had just finished reading, before pulling a roll of toilet paper from his other pocket.

After they exited the restroom, Qian Hong looked at him with complex eyes filled with respect. "I really admire you. You don't even forget to study grammar in the bathroom. If I had known you were this addicted to learning, I should have made you cut ties with Zhang Yingxin sooner. Maybe you would've made it into a top university."

He sighed with regret before changing his tone. "But there's still hope."

"I'll take your word for it," Xu Ming said with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.

The third period that morning was English. This time, instead of following his own study rhythm, Xu Ming listened to the teacher go over the workbook problems. Reaching level 1 in English was already a certainty, and he knew that listening to the teacher's instruction was also a form of learning that would grant him experience points.