Chapter 68: Is Arithmetic Really That Hard?! (Part One)

Inside the principal’s office, all was quiet. The well-insulated room was like a sanctuary, shutting out nearly all outside noise. Principal Liu sat reading in silence, radiating the air of someone who held wisdom firmly in his grasp. This mathematics test marked the first step in his new policy reforms—it was also intended to make a forceful impression on both teachers and students.

There was a knock at the door. Director Zhang from the Academic Affairs Office entered. Though only a single word differentiated the Academic Affairs Office from the Guidance Office, their duties were worlds apart. For this exam, Director Zhang had been Principal Liu’s right-hand man.

“Principal, the exam is about to begin. All invigilators and supervisors are in position,” Director Zhang said, hesitating a little. “But Principal, the teachers still feel this quiz isn’t being taken seriously enough. With no assigned seating and no restriction on bathroom breaks, the risk of cheating is very high.”

Principal Liu was not angered by this remark. Instead, he rose and poured Director Zhang a cup of tea. “Director Zhang, I’m not worried about cheating during this exam. Whether students copy or share answers—it makes no difference to the overall picture.”

“Oh?” Director Zhang was surprised. “Is there some hidden twist in the questions you wrote?”

Indeed, Director Zhang was curious. The test papers and questions for this exam had all been written by Principal Liu himself. Whether he’d outsourced the task was unknown; throughout the school, no one except Principal Liu knew the contents of the test—only that it would cover basic arithmetic. Even the packaging of the test papers was advanced. Not even Director Zhang, who was so deeply involved, knew what Principal Liu was up to.

Principal Liu didn’t explain. Instead, he changed the subject, “Director Zhang, how do you categorize students’ academic levels?”

“Levels?” Director Zhang thought for a moment, then replied, “Broadly speaking, we have failing, passing, good, and excellent.”

“More or less,” Principal Liu nodded. “Let’s say, for example, a score below sixty is failing, sixty to eighty-five is passing, eighty-five to ninety-five is good, and ninety-five to one hundred is excellent.”

The standards were strict, but not unreasonable; Director Zhang nodded in agreement.

“But, even among those who score a hundred, there are differences. Some earn a hundred because that’s the full extent of their ability, or because they performed well or were lucky that day and just managed it. Others earn a hundred because that’s all the test offers—nothing more to gain.”

“These two kinds of perfect scores are fundamentally different.”

“In an ordinary school’s eyes, the top student is the first kind. But here at Fengming First High, to be a true top student, you must be the second kind. For years, tests have maxed out at one hundred points, which is unfair to the latter type of student—they’ve had no way to fully display their abilities. As a result, the value of such students has been diminishing.”

“Long hours, enormous pressure, and yet their scores are indistinguishable from the first type. The cost-benefit ratio seems too low. Over time, fewer students aspire to become the second kind, while more settle for being the first.”

“I find this trend troubling. It fundamentally dampens the enthusiasm of those willing to delve deep in their studies and hinders their development.”

Director Zhang nodded. He had to admit, in the past few years, Fengming First High’s college admission rate had barely held steady. Compared to the three current grades, the decline in quality from year to year was palpable.

Principal Liu continued, “Many people criticize exam-oriented education. I believe that exams are just a method—there’s nothing inherently wrong with the method itself. But there are indeed problems with the current educational climate: college students who are content with mediocrity, who just want to get their diploma, who coast by, whose research abilities are extremely poor. Where does the problem lie? After much thought, I realized—it’s in what we test.”

“Exams are not just a standard, they are a guide, and more importantly, a platform.”

“Often, students learn only what is tested; what’s not on the test, they ignore. So what we test becomes crucial—if exams are narrow in scope, so is student learning. A key responsibility in education is to determine what should be tested.”

“Beyond providing direction, exams are a platform, allowing students to display their talents. If the platform is too narrow and restrictive, it cages in their abilities and prevents their development, possibly causing the school to miss out on truly gifted individuals. But if the platform is broad and generous, truly capable students can shine.”

“When exams are satisfying, students will naturally enjoy them—and thus come to love learning.”

Director Zhang nodded again. Principal Liu’s vision was admirable—but what about implementation? Grand theories were all well and good, but concrete action mattered more. Anyone could talk, but only those who could deliver results were truly impressive.

“Director Zhang, I’m not concerned about cheating this time, because anyone who needs to cheat is not worth worrying about,” Principal Liu said, exuding confidence. “This exam is different from any before. The ones who want to coast may not even bother, while those who truly wish to excel will have no time to look around.”

“Three hours—it’s not just a formality.”

In Class 28, Shi Tiexin stared wide-eyed at his test booklet. It was unusual, not a single sheet of paper, but a small volume with some thickness. The booklet’s edge was sealed—he’d have to tear it open to see the contents. He hadn’t done so yet, but because of his advanced mastery of basic arithmetic, he instantly recognized the extraordinary quality of the booklet.

[Quality: Supreme]

[Effect: Increases speed of first-level basic mathematics cultivation by 20%]

[Attribute 1: Clear Gradient. This manual progresses from easy to difficult, each stage building upon the last. As the levels increase, so does the challenge, pushing the user’s calculation potential to the limit. Total cultivation speed increase at all stages: 20%.]

[Attribute 2: High Difficulty. Some parts of this manual are extremely challenging; further details omitted.]

[Attribute 3: Obscure. Some sections are abstruse; further details omitted.]

[Attribute 4: Profound. Certain sections are extraordinarily deep. Without reaching mastery in first-level basic mathematics, one cannot use this manual. If not at the extreme level, the user’s speed will decrease according to their proficiency. Correspondingly, mastery and above grants an additional 60% speed increase.]

A supreme manual! With difficulty set to profound! A total speed boost of 80% for those beyond mastery—overwhelmingly powerful!

Shi Tiexin was astonished. Instantly, he felt that this surpassed anything found in a bookstore or even a sacred ground—just a casual, seemingly trivial quiz yielded a supreme manual.

“Exam time is from eight to eleven o’clock—a total of three hours,” Teacher Chu gave the final instructions. “You may hand in your paper after half an hour. Once submitted, you are free to leave.”

The bell rang—the exam had begun.