Chapter 5: Mathematics Level 1—Acquired the Attribute [Formula Derivation]

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Inside the classroom, everyone was stunned. Chen Lu couldn’t help but lift her head, her bright eyes shifting back and forth between Xu Ming and Li Wenhui. Coupled with the incident during the early morning self-study, their curiosity about Xu Ming’s transformation grew. Qian Hong, fully aware of the situation, wholeheartedly supported his close friend’s actions.

“Well done!”

Before Xu Ming even sat back down, Qian Hong gave him a thumbs-up, his face brimming with excitement.

“If I recall correctly, this is the first time Zhang Yingxin has taken the initiative to approach you. It should’ve happened ages ago.”

“Don’t worry.”

“After the college entrance exam, I’ll introduce you to someone even better.”

As he spoke the last sentence, he pounded his chest emphatically with his right hand, clearly doubting that Xu Ming would remain focused on studying once he entered university.

Xu Ming brushed Qian Hong’s hand off his shoulder, decisively rejecting the well-meaning offer.

“Forget it.”

Knowing Qian Hong well, it was obvious he intended to add a QQ friend. Although online romances nowadays were somewhat reliable, Xu Ming had no time to waste. Living a disciplined life, he had no such plans.

He turned back to his math studies.

Today’s classes had multiple teachers, each with a completely different teaching style. Fortunately, it didn’t affect Xu Ming. Even though some teachers asked about him during class, seeing his dedication, they stopped bothering him. After all, it was the second semester of senior year; everyone had basically found the review methods that suited them best.

Forcing oneself to follow the schedule rigidly might even be counterproductive.

And so, after a full day of reviewing math knowledge, Xu Ming successfully gained a significant amount of subject experience.

The level-up to Math Level 1 was now within arm’s reach.

...

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“Finally finished the compulsory textbook.”

During evening self-study, Xu Ming closed his senior year math book with a sigh of relief, muttering quietly to himself.

He then shifted his gaze to the panel, checking the experience bar for math.

[Math: Lv0 (86/100)]

“If I finish reviewing the elective math content tomorrow, I should be able to reach Level 1.”

Thinking about the mysterious new skill he would unlock, no matter how calm he tried to be, excitement crept into his voice.

Of course, he understood well that the rapid experience gain was mainly because he was re-familiarizing himself with high school material. Coupled with the talent that made studying enjoyable, his review progress naturally felt swift.

If he delved into more advanced math theories, gaining experience might not be so easy.

But he was certain that if he were to tackle yesterday’s math practice paper now, there was no way he would have submitted a blank sheet.

The class bell rang.

Like yesterday, Xu Ming stayed an extra twenty minutes reviewing in class before packing up and heading back to the dormitory.

As he opened the dorm door, he saw Li Wenhui lying on his bed, clutching a textbook, deeply engrossed in study.

Perhaps the harsh words from earlier that day weighed heavily, as Li Wenhui had kept a stern expression all day and didn’t utter even a word to him.

Xu Ming didn’t care much, glancing briefly before looking away.

He hurried to wash up, eager to get to bed.

Notably, Xu Ming’s plan didn’t include studying in the dorm at night.

Without a flashlight, and to protect his eyesight, he preferred to get up early rather than secretly study under the covers.

—

The next morning.

Lying on the wooden bed, Xu Ming’s eyes snapped open, his biological clock waking him promptly.

After dressing and washing his face, he headed straight to the classroom.

Seeing the lights still off, he knew Chen Lu hadn’t arrived yet. He skillfully pulled out his English book and stood in the corridor, using the overhead light to review vocabulary and grammar.

After what happened last time, Chen Lu had deliberately gotten up ten minutes earlier today, determined to arrive first and unlock the classroom. But spotting the familiar figure in the hallway from afar, she froze in surprise.

“Did he really get up at five again?”

For some reason, a bold thought surfaced: Xu Ming might truly be able to keep this up.

While pondering this, she hurried over and took out her key to unlock the door.

She felt awkward about not speaking; as the key holder, she couldn’t be at ease letting her classmate stand outside twice in a row.

Xu Ming noticed Chen Lu’s flushed face and damp bangs—she had rushed to class and forgotten such details—so he said nothing, just nodded politely and took his seat.

Dongping No. 1 High School strictly prohibits students from leaving campus at night to surf the internet, disallowing day students entirely.

Only on Sunday afternoons are students permitted to leave for a few hours.

For senior students, it was a rare chance to catch a breath.

By noon, some students’ attention had already started to drift.

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“Open all the windows. Those feeling sleepy, stand up on your own. Let’s continue with the classical Chinese text,” said Sun Zhiqiang, pushing up his reading glasses. He was over fifty and displeased with the class’s atmosphere.

Time was running out; instead of focusing on improving their scores, students were only thinking about leaving campus.

This generation’s awareness was simply too low.

His gaze involuntarily drifted to Xu Ming, who was diligently studying on the left side of the room.

That sight brought him some comfort.

Even at the start of class, he had noticed Xu Ming focused on math.

“Using a parameter as a connecting bridge, we derive the conditions that coordinates x and y must satisfy. This parameter leads to the curve equation f(x, y) = 0.”

Xu Ming was now studying elective math, specifically coordinate systems and parametric equations.

As the memories became clearer, his subject experience steadily increased.

Until new information appeared on the panel:

[Through diligent study, your [Mathematics] level has increased to Lv1.]

[You have obtained the skill—[Formula Derivation].]

[Skill: Formula Derivation]

[Effect: Your understanding of formulas deepens, and your ability to derive them improves.]

“This is... a subject level up.”

As the words flashed before his eyes, Xu Ming’s eyes grew brighter and brighter.

He was filled with joy.

Though his university major hadn’t been math, he understood the importance of strong formula derivation skills.

The derivation process helps explain why a formula holds true.

It makes it easier to see the underlying mathematical concepts, relationships, and structure.

Studying no longer felt like rote memorization.

Even if he forgot the details of a formula, he would have the ability to re-derive it.

He remembered during graduate school at Yan University, hearing stories about math prodigies from the neighboring Mathematics Institute—someone had forgotten the conditions and conclusion of a theorem during a midterm but managed to re-derive it on the spot.

His mind racing, Xu Ming immediately flipped open the unfinished math workbook on his desk.

He set about testing the results of his recent review and the newly enhanced formula derivation ability.