Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Final Examination Room

Today, the sun rose unusually early. By just past five, the horizon was already aglow. Xiao Lin had been up long before dawn; instead of heading to the playground to read as usual, he threw himself into a frenzied run around the track, pushing himself until sweat poured down his face and his legs ached with exhaustion. Only then did he stop. Lin Xudong didn’t read either; after following Xiao Lin for two laps, he collapsed in fatigue.

On exam days, students who know what they’re doing rarely cling to their books right up until the last moment. Instead, they clear their minds and preserve their energy, seeking peak performance. Those still clutching their books either believe in the adage “Sharpen your sword at the last minute—even if it isn’t sharp, it shines,” or they’re simply nervous, finding comfort in the weight of familiar pages.

Lin Xudong lay sprawled on the track, watching Xiao Lin crouch nearby, breathing heavily like an ox and drenched in sweat. He spoke with annoyance, “Hey, Boss Xiao, why are you running so many laps? Are you trying to pick a fight with your own body?”

Xiao Lin swallowed, exhaling deeply. “Doctor, some exercise is good for you. It helps you adjust your state of mind.”

“Is that what you call moderate exercise? You’re dead tired, and you still say it’s moderate?” Lin Xudong rolled his eyes.

Xiao Lin chuckled twice, pushed himself up from the ground, and hauled Lin Xudong to his feet. “Come on, let’s head back to the dorm, freshen up. After breakfast, it’s exam time.”

Lin Xudong struggled a bit but couldn’t escape Xiao Lin’s grip, rising reluctantly. “What’s the rush? Can’t we rest a little longer?”

Xiao Lin ignored him, dragging Lin Xudong toward the dormitory.

Splash—Xiao Lin threw cold water onto his face. He was so vigorous that his hair got drenched. Shaking his head, he savored the sharp sting of cold, feeling his mind clear as crystal.

Nearby, Lin Xudong was using hot water to wash his face, marveling at Xiao Lin’s toughness. “Using cold water on a chilly day—truly a remarkable guy,” he thought.

“Doctor, hurry up. Let’s get breakfast. I’ll go call Wang Tao and Yuan Weiye,” Xiao Lin said, wiping his face with a towel.

Lin Xudong grunted and sped up his routine.

At a table in the school cafeteria, Yuan Weiye sat with his hands pressed together, mumbling prayers over a plate of fried dough sticks and tea eggs.

Wang Tao was amused. Picking up his chopsticks, he tried to snatch a fried dough stick from Yuan Weiye’s tray. Yuan Weiye, quick-eyed and swift-handed, grabbed it back, puffing up with indignation. “Wang Tao, are you trying to get yourself killed? Can’t you see I’m busy with something important?”

“Is that so? Then explain to me: what’s the deal with one fried dough stick and two tea eggs?” Wang Tao teased in an odd tone.

“You don’t understand! It’s a good omen—it means I’ll score a hundred on the test.” As soon as he said this, Wang Tao and Lin Xudong burst out laughing.

“That’s a game for elementary school kids. I don’t get how a model youth for the nation still believes in this stuff. Besides, our exam is out of 150 or 120 points, not a hundred.”

“So what? If I score a hundred, I’ll be satisfied,” Yuan Weiye retorted with a sniff. Then, noticing Xiao Lin smiling nearby, he perked up: “Boss Xiao, I’m not worried. I’ve got you as my backup. Haha, you’re my best brother.”

Xiao Lin’s smile froze at Yuan Weiye’s words. He rubbed his nose and said mischievously, “This time, that might not be the case.”

Yuan Weiye waved dismissively, “No suspense. It’s certain.”

After breakfast, the group arrived at the classroom to find Liu Xiaoming handing out exam numbers. Spotting Xiao Lin and his friends, Liu Xiaoming waved his chubby hand, holding several slips of paper, and shouted, “Xiao Lin, yours! Wang Tao’s…”

Xiao Lin took his exam number: 30001089, seat 35, examination hall.

His mouth twitched; as expected, he was assigned to the last exam hall again. Innovation High School had sixteen senior classes and three additional prep classes for repeaters from the previous year. This year’s senior cohort was just over a thousand students—nineteen classes in total, with around nine hundred new students and nearly two hundred in the prep classes. The “1089” in his number meant Xiao Lin was ranked outside the top thousand in the last exam—quite literally at the bottom.

“I’m in the second exam hall. Liu Hong, where are you?”

“What a coincidence! I’m in the second hall too. What’s your seat number?”

Everyone began asking about their exam halls, looking for familiar faces.

Most students from Class One were assigned together since their scores were similar, except for Xiao Lin, Yuan Weiye, and a few others at the bottom of the class, who were placed in less favorable halls. Yuan Weiye, for example, was in hall twelve, which was still considered middle-range for the whole school.

Tan Linlin waved her exam slip and jogged to Wang Yuqing. “Yuqing, I’m in hall six. Which hall are you in?”

Wang Yuqing looked at her slip, a little disheartened. “Hall thirty-five, number 30001092. Linlin, how many halls are there altogether?”

“What? Hall thirty-five? The teacher must’ve made a mistake. That’s the last hall!” Tan Linlin’s face flushed with excitement on hearing Yuqing was in the final hall, her voice rising above the classroom din.

“The last hall? That can’t be right. Maybe the class monitor made a mistake.” Someone voiced doubt. Everyone had gotten to know Wang Yuqing lately and recognized her as a top student.

Liu Xiaoming, hearing the skepticism, shook his chubby face excitedly. “How could I make a mistake? See for yourselves—I know how to read!”

The group crowded around to inspect Wang Yuqing’s slip; sure enough, it was hall thirty-five. They were all baffled.

Xiao Lin, rubbing his nose, was surprised—he and Yuqing were in the same hall. Did fate really tie them together?

Lin Xudong coughed deliberately, lifted his chin, and squinted, feigning expertise.

Xu Tong, seeing this, said, “Alright, Doctor, enlighten us.”

Lin Xudong grinned. “It’s obvious. Wang Yuqing just transferred here, so she wasn’t here for the last joint exam. No grades means she’s assigned to the last hall. It’s that simple.”

Everyone was momentarily startled, then understood. Even Wang Yuqing nodded in realization.

Tan Linlin patted Yuqing’s shoulder. “So that’s it! Do your best this time, Yuqing. Maybe next exam we’ll be in the same hall.”

Wang Yuqing rolled her eyes at Linlin, then, noticing Xiao Lin nearby, pursed her lips and asked, “Xiao Lin, which hall are you in?”

Before Xiao Lin could answer, Yuan Weiye jumped in, “Boss Xiao is in the last hall, of course. He’s been there for centuries! Haha.”

Yuqing’s eyes lit up, tilting her head and looking at Xiao Lin for confirmation.

Seeing her gaze, Xiao Lin nodded helplessly, indicating Yuan Weiye was right.

Yuqing laughed softly, her mood lifting, as if a rainbow had appeared after the rain.