"Everyone keep it down, don't make a fuss," Wang Yue coughed.
Being called the top scholar everywhere he went felt incredibly exhilarating.
It was like achieving the highest rank in the imperial examinations back in ancient times.
Truly, like a spring breeze carrying one swiftly, seeing all the flowers in Chang'an in a single day.
"Alas, the difference between people is even greater than between humans and pigs. The boss is so accomplished, a true genius in business as well," said an employee at the milk tea shop.
As soon as she said this, others quickly chimed in.
"Exactly, I used to think geniuses on TV were just exaggerating. Only after meeting one in real life did I realize how ignorant I was. I have to say, the boss is truly amazing."
"Otherwise, why would he be our boss? Nothing more to say, I'll follow the boss to my grave."
"Does the boss have a girlfriend? Should you consider me? I can do anything."
"Even if he doesn't have a girlfriend, it's not your turn. Boss, look at me."
The conversation devolved into a large-scale confession session.
Perhaps it was because Wang Yue was usually approachable, but everyone wasn't afraid of him.
"Alright, alright, all of you, get back to work. I just came here to lie low. Don't make a scene like this," Wang Yue said quickly.
"Hello, are you Senior Wang Yue?"
Just then, a girl with a very well-behaved appearance walked over, her eyes sparkling.
"Who are you?" Wang Yue asked the girl.
"I'm just a little fan from the second year of high school."
The well-behaved girl took out her phone and said excitedly, "Senior Wang Yue, can I take a photo with you? It will motivate me to become a top scholar like you in the future."
Wang Yue nodded and said, "Okay."
However, taking that one photo led to chaos. Many of the other customers in the shop were students from No. 2 High School, and they all rushed over to take photos with Wang Yue.
In the end, Wang Yue had no choice but to leave again.
After leaving, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and thought, "I wish I had kept a lower profile and hadn't become the top scholar."
"Beep beep beep..."
At that moment, a QQ notification sound came through.
Wang Yue opened QQ and saw a message from Li Xiaoman.
It seemed they hadn't contacted each other much recently.
"Li Xiaoman: Old man, are you the college entrance examination top scholar??"
"Li Xiaoman: I passed by No. 2 High School and saw that banner. Oh my god, you're too amazing this time."
Wang Yue replied, "I've always been amazing, okay? What was your score this time?"
"Li Xiaoman: I got 608. I definitely can't compare to you."
"Wang Yue: 608 is also very impressive! Which university do you want to go to this time?"
Wang Yue thought for a moment.
In his previous life, Li Xiaoman had chosen Sichuan University. If nothing unexpected happened, she would likely choose Sichuan University again this time.
"Li Xiaoman: Me? I want to choose Sichuan University. What about you, old man? Are you going to choose Tsinghua or Peking University or something?"
"Wang Yue: I haven't decided yet."
"Li Xiaoman: Oh well, you can choose any university in the country now. I'm so envious~"
"Wang Yue: Don't be envious. Everywhere I go, people point and say, 'Look, that's the top scholar.' It's making me feel uneasy."
"Li Xiaoman: Hahaha, isn't it good to be called the top scholar? I wish I had such happy problems."
...
After chatting with Li Xiaoman for a while, Wang Yue's phone received a call from an unfamiliar local number.
Wang Yue answered.
A man's voice came from the other end: "Hello, is this classmate Wang Yue?"
Wang Yue responded, "Yes, what is it?"
The man said, sounding a bit pleased, "Finally got through to you. Is it convenient for you to come to the Education Bureau? Teachers from the admissions offices of Tsinghua and Peking University are all here and want to talk to you about enrollment."
"Ah, okay." Wang Yue said, stunned.
In his previous life, he had heard that top scholars were highly sought after by many universities. He hadn't expected the admissions officers from Tsinghua and Peking University to arrive so quickly.
Actually, this kind of competition for top scholars was usually quite dramatic. Wang Yue had seen many news reports online. He wondered what kind of scene would unfold this time as they competed for him.
Thinking of this, Wang Yue actually felt a little anticipation.
So, he stopped hiding and swaggered towards the Education Bureau.
The Education Bureau wasn't far from where he was. It would take about ten minutes to walk there.
However, after walking for only a few minutes, his phone rang again.
The number was from out of town.
Wang Yue thought for a moment and picked it up.
As soon as he answered, a pleasant female voice came from the other end.
"Hello, is this classmate Wang Yue?"
The female voice was very gentle.
"Yes, what's wrong?" Wang Yue replied.
"It's like this, I'm a teacher from the Xiamen University Admissions Office, and I'd like to invite you to apply to our school. Are you interested?" the female voice said with a smile.
"I haven't decided yet. The admissions officers from Tsinghua and Peking University have already arrived, so I need to meet with them first," Wang Yue said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, the voice on the other end became noticeably anxious. "It's like this, classmate Wang Yue, if you join Xiamen University, your tuition for the next four years will be completely waived. We will also apply for a scholarship for you to study abroad, and in addition, you will receive 200,000 yuan in scholarship money each year. Please don't meet with the admissions officers from Tsinghua and Peking University. What do you think?"
After hearing the conditions, Wang Yue secretly clicked his tongue.
They said that universities would go to any lengths to compete for talent. He never expected that becoming a top scholar would bring such generous benefits.
Free travel abroad aside, four years of free tuition, and 200,000 yuan in scholarships annually – this would undoubtedly be incredibly tempting to a student who hadn't yet experienced the world.
However, Wang Yue wasn't short of money now, so he smiled and said, "Teacher, I appreciate your kindness, but I still want to meet with the admissions officers from the other universities first before making a final decision."
"Okay, classmate Wang Yue, please prioritize our school. We will do our best to secure all the benefits for you," the admissions officer said with a hint of regret.
"Okay, okay."
Wang Yue hung up the phone.
As soon as he hung up, another call came from a Shanghai number.
"Could it be another admissions office?" Wang Yue thought.
He then answered the call, and as expected, the person on the other end immediately stated their purpose: "Hello, classmate Wang Yue, we are teachers from the Fudan University Admissions Office, and we would like to invite you to apply to our school."
"If you apply to our school, your tuition for four years will be waived, and you will receive a scholarship of 1.5 million yuan, paid in full upfront. Would you consider it?"
After hearing this, Wang Yue thought, Fudan University is truly wealthy.
1.5 million yuan in scholarship money upfront, and paid all at once.
Now Wang Yue was beginning to understand the true value of being a "top scholar." These admissions officers were like wolves smelling blood, desperately vying for him.
"Teacher, thank you, but I still need to think about it," Wang Yue said with a smile.
"Student, is there anything you are hesitant about? Please bring it up, and as long as we can resolve it, we can discuss it," the other party said.
"Teacher, the truth is, I haven't decided which university I want to attend yet. Many university admissions officers are contacting me, so I want to take some more time to consider," Wang Yue replied.
"It's like this, classmate Wang Yue. Top scholars like you are indeed sought after by many schools, but our school will definitely offer you the best treatment. How about this, we are already on our way to your home. We can meet there then."
The other party said.
"Ah, I'm actually on my way to the Education Bureau right now. The admissions officers from Tsinghua and Peking University are already waiting for me there. If time permits, we can meet there, how about it?" Wang Yue said, slightly taken aback.
"Okay, we will arrive in about an hour. Please try to delay for a bit. I believe our school's offer will definitely be better than Tsinghua and Peking's," the other party said anxiously.
"Alright."
After finishing speaking, Wang Yue hung up the phone.
"The treatment for top scholars in the college entrance examination is truly magical," Wang Yue thought with a smile.
He was now looking forward to meeting the admissions officers from Tsinghua and Peking University, wondering what kind of offers they would make as top institutions.
Five minutes later, Wang Yue arrived at the County Education Bureau.
At the entrance of the County Education Bureau, Wang Yue saw two middle-aged men waiting expectantly.
Upon seeing Wang Yue, the two middle-aged men hurried over.
"Hello, are you classmate Wang Yue? You truly look like a person of outstanding talent. Let me introduce myself, I am Ma Xue, a teacher from the Tsinghua University Admissions Office."
One of the middle-aged men shook Wang Yue's hand with a smile, looking incredibly friendly.
The other middle-aged man, wearing glasses, was not to be outdone. He quickly took out a business card and said with a smile, "Classmate Wang Yue, from the moment we learned of your results, we attached great importance to it and rushed here without delay. Let me briefly introduce myself, I am Shi Wenbo, a teacher from the Peking University Admissions Office. Shi, as in 'time,' Wen, as in 'culture,' and Bo, as in 'doctorate'."
"Hello, teachers," Wang Yue said politely.
These two looked older than his previous self, likely in their 40s.
Ma Xue glanced at Shi Wenbo, subtly nudged him, and held Wang Yue's hand, saying, "Classmate Wang Yue, it's hot outside, let's go to the office to chat."
"Ah, okay."
Wang Yue tried to pull his hand away but couldn't, indicating how tightly Ma Xue was holding on.
Seeing his old rival acting so shamelessly, Shi Wenbo decided to abandon all pretense as well and grabbed Wang Yue's other hand, saying, "Yes, yes, classmate Wang Yue, let's go to the office to chat."
Wang Yue was almost escorted into the office, with the two teachers practically framing him.
As soon as they entered the office, Wang Yue was seated on a leather chair.
Then, Ma Xue warmly brought him a glass of water and said, "Classmate Wang Yue, are you thirsty from the journey? Have some water first."
Shi Wenbo was not to be outdone: "Classmate Wang Yue, are you feeling the heat? I have prepared some ice cream for you."
Wang Yue was amused and exasperated by their antics. He quickly said, "Teachers, there's no need to be so polite. Let's get down to business."
"Ah, yes, yes, yes, let's talk business."
Ma Xue nodded quickly and said, "Classmate Wang Yue, on behalf of Tsinghua University, I invite you to enroll. We will provide you with the best resources. No matter what major you wish to choose, we can support you. Furthermore, if you wish to pursue postgraduate studies or study abroad in the future, as long as your grades remain stable, we can provide the best platform and help you apply for full scholarships, ensuring you don't spend a single penny during your university years."
After Ma Xue finished, Shi Wenbo quickly added, "Classmate Wang Yue, I believe you know that our university is a century-old institution. We can meet all the conditions offered by Tsinghua. We have a learning atmosphere and cultural heritage that Tsinghua lacks. I believe you will gain more unique experiences at our school.
In addition, we will provide a scholarship of one million yuan, paid in full upon your enrollment."
Seeing Shi Wenbo still taking a jab at their side, Ma Xue glared at him and said, "Classmate Wang Yue, don't listen to their nonsense. Although Tsinghua has been around for a shorter time than Peking University, our scientific philosophy is something they lack. Truly capable and ambitious individuals will choose our school. We will also provide a scholarship of one million yuan. In short, we can match any condition offered by Peking University."
Wang Yue was somewhat speechless by the two of them.
Why were they attacking each other? But it was also evident that they genuinely wanted to recruit Wang Yue.
The top institutions that seemed unattainable in the eyes of students were actually willing to humble themselves when facing talent.
Wang Yue thought that if he told them about his magical experience, no one would believe him.
With that thought, Wang Yue coughed and said, "Teachers, it's like this, I actually haven't decided which university to apply to yet. The teacher from Fudan University also called me and said they would be here later. Why don't we wait for them?"
Just as Ma Xue was about to say something, the door was pushed open.
A beautiful young woman walked in.
Judging by her age, she was at most twenty-something, with a sweet smile on her face.
"Hello, teachers," the sweet young woman said with a sweet smile to Ma Xue and Shi Wenbo.
"What is this troublemaker doing here?" Ma Xue and Shi Wenbo exchanged glances, both seeing nervousness in each other's eyes.
This kind of sweet young woman had too much of a devastating effect on young boys like Wang Yue. With one misstep, everything could be lost.
The sweet young woman smiled sweetly at Wang Yue and said, "Hello, classmate Wang Yue. I am Yu Lian, a teacher from the Wuhan University Admissions Office. I believe you know my purpose. Our school has many lovely young ladies, and our cherry blossoms are also very beautiful."
"As for the academic atmosphere, I believe we won't disappoint you. Although we can't compare to the schools of the two seniors, there's a saying: the best is what suits you. Don't you think so, classmate Wang Yue?" Yu Lian looked at Wang Yue, blinking her large eyes.
Those eyes seemed to speak, lively and playful.