In the end, Old Tang registered Jiang Chan for the examination. Of course, he did not publicize it. He wanted to give her a quiet environment in which to study.
Jiang Chan openly replaced her textbooks with final-year practice questions. She continued studying in Old Tang’s class and only needed to sit the examination in June.
Time passed in a flash. During the college entrance examination, the whole school was given time off to free up examination rooms for the candidates. Jiang Chan carried her stationery pouch into the examination room. Apart from never taking it in her real life, she had already sat this examination an unknown number of times.
Jiang Chan was not nervous at all. Her composure stood out sharply among the final-year students. One final-year student from her own school shared her examination room. Looking at her back, he widened his eyes.
Wasn’t she the genius from their second year? Why was he seeing her here? Heavens!
The three days of the college entrance examination passed quickly. Jiang Chan felt completely relaxed afterward, naturally confident in her own abilities. After the examination, she still had to attend second-year classes until her results came out.
No sooner had she reached the classroom than someone stopped her. The academic representative puffed up indignantly. “Well, Lian Qiao! Confess and we’ll go easy on you. Where have you been these past few days? I heard you took the college entrance examination!”
Every student looked at Jiang Chan with burning eyes. These past few days had left them unbearably curious. The news sweeping the school forum was that the formidable second-year student had actually skipped ahead to take the college entrance examination.
To avoid affecting Jiang Chan’s performance, the students of Class One had restrained themselves from bothering her. Now that she was here, surely they were allowed to get a clear answer?
“I just went to test the waters. Maybe I didn’t do well.” Jiang Chan spoke modestly. Arrogance at a time like this would only give people something to criticize.
“All right. It’s fine if you didn’t do well. We’ll keep working hard next year!” A girl cheered Jiang Chan on, earning looks from the others as though they were humoring an idiot.
The academic genius only said that because she was modest. Anyone who actually believed it was a fool!
When Wu Jin went home that evening, she was distracted over dinner. Wu Xiuzhen tapped the table. “What’s wrong today? Why do you look so unsettled?”
Wu Jin bit her lip. “Lian Qiao took this year’s college entrance examination. The news has spread all over school.”
She kept wondering how things had reached this point. In the past, she had always kept Lian Qiao beneath her feet. Now Lian Qiao had reached a height she could never catch up to, however hard she tried.
Wu Jin had also looked at this year’s examination papers. At most, she could answer a little over half. There was a great deal of final-year material she had not yet learned. If Lian Qiao did well this time, Wu Jin dared not imagine the consequences.
At the mention of Lian Qiao, Lian Shuguo, Lian Yanbin, and Wu Xiuzhen all reacted differently. Wu Xiuzhen’s face stiffened. “Why bring that up? Just mentioning that wretched girl makes me angry.”
Lian Shuguo silently took a gloomy sip of liquor, and the table fell quiet. Lian Yanbin frowned. “Don’t tell people outside that Lian Qiao has a bad relationship with the family. If word gets out, I won’t be able to keep my job.”
Wu Xiuzhen hurriedly smiled. “We won’t mention it. Never again. Eat up, eat up.”
The college entrance examination results came out in late June. At the time, Jiang Chan was still attending classes, studying, and reading with her second-year classmates. When Old Tang received the good news, he smiled so broadly his eyes nearly disappeared.
When Jiang Chan had wanted to take the examination, many people had doubted her. As the homeroom teacher who registered her, he had been under considerable pressure. Now, seeing her results, Old Tang felt all his efforts had been worthwhile.
The provincial top scorer! Who would have imagined that after only two years of teaching, he would have produced a provincial top scorer? The announcement of Jiang Chan’s score stunned the students of No. 2 High School.
Class had just ended when Old Tang appeared by the window and beckoned to Jiang Chan, looking delighted. Seeing his expression and remembering that today was the day results could be checked, every student in Class One grew excited.
“Old Tang, how much did Qiaoqiao score?”
“Look at that smug smile. Qiaoqiao must have scored really well.”
“How much exactly?”
“Tell us!”
Looking at all those expectant faces, even the usually calm Jiang Chan began to feel a little anticipation. Perhaps she could allow herself a little hope?
“Three points short of full marks. She’s our province’s top scorer!” Old Tang finally stopped keeping them in suspense and announced Jiang Chan’s results. The classroom erupted.
“Wow, Qiaoqiao, you’re amazing!”
“Boss, don’t forget us when you’re rich and successful!”
“…”
“…”
Jiang Chan smiled, feeling that this was much as she had expected. When estimating her score, she had thought she could get around this mark. Now it seemed she had done quite well.
After that, filling out her university preferences and the rest followed naturally. Because Jiang Chan’s household registration was at the school, her admission letter was mailed directly there. The principal even signed for it himself.
Jiang Chan chose a university in her own province that belonged to Project 985, majoring in financial management. She had decided to build achievements in the business world again. This was also one of the paths she knew best.
While attending university, she learned how to trade stocks and funds. She suffered losses along the way too, but overall, she earned more than she lost. By her second year, she had accumulated her first substantial capital.
In this way, Jiang Chan formally came to the attention of the major players in the investment world. Naturally, people extended offers to her. Of course, she refused. What was interesting about working for someone else?
It was better to be her own boss. Soon, Jiang Chan established her company. She was thoroughly familiar with all of this. By the time she was about to graduate in her fourth year, her company had already gone public.
At the same time, Jiang Chan delivered a graduation speech as an outstanding graduate. Her name immediately became widely known. After all, she had started a business as a university student and was even singled out for praise by a certain daily newspaper.
By now, Jiang Chan was worth over a hundred million yuan. Beautiful, wealthy, talented, and careful about her personal conduct, she immediately became the dream woman of countless men.
Wearing reading glasses, Lian Shuguo read a certain newspaper. He had subscribed to it since Jiang Chan entered university. A photograph of her featured prominently in the headline story. Dressed in a women’s suit, she looked so composed and capable that no one could tell she was a young woman who had only just turned twenty.
Indeed, Jiang Chan had entered university at sixteen. Four years had now passed, so wasn’t she just twenty? Lian Shuguo read the report word by word, his hands trembling.
Wu Xiuzhen came out carrying a teacup and said helplessly, “Are you trying to make your nearsightedness worse? Hold it farther away.”
Lian Shuguo paid her no attention. Only after reading the entire report did he take off his reading glasses.
“Do you think we really were wrong? She left just like that and never even calls us.”
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