Lin Zhixia clutched her fountain pen and said softly, “I want to be classmates with people own age.”
Jiang Yubai replied, “If you don’t skip grades, we’ll all still be your classmates.”
Teacher Zhai heard their conversation and gently advised, “Lin Zhixia, your concerns are very normal, and I understand. I once had a student who skipped to seventh grade at eight years old. His classmates were four or five years older than him. They thought he was too young, wouldn’t play with him, or even talk to him, which created enormous pressure for him. He had a high IQ but was emotionally immature, and his studies fell behind significantly…”
Jin Baihui suddenly interrupted Teacher Zhai: “It’s not other people’s fault. It’s all his problem.”
Jin Baihui straightened her back, speaking in a steady tone. The spirit of stubbornness and persistence had permeated her marrow, forging her into a tenacious and diligent student.
She picked up a blank draft paper, secretly thinking that if Teacher Zhai were willing to cultivate her and send her to the high school competition class, she would seize the opportunity proactively, without hesitating and wavering like Lin Zhixia.
Teacher Zhai sighed: “Jin Baihui, you need to keep your attitude level and stable, and be a little more forgiving of yourself.”
Jin Baihui pursed her lips. Her eyes stared unblinkingly at the high school competition problem until her eyeballs ached unbearably. Only then did she remove her glasses and wipe her face with her sleeve.
Teacher Zhai returned to the podium and continued teaching. He systematically reviewed the popular exam topics from previous years. Lin Zhixia listened absentmindedly. She didn’t know what she was thinking.
Her mind was filled with chaotic, unformed, and complicated thoughts.
In computer science papers on data processing, there’s often a term called “unstructured information.” Lin Zhixia felt like she was a database with a fixed format being enveloped by “unstructured information,” unable to make clear and reliable judgments immediately.
After class, Teacher Zhai asked Lin Zhixia to consider carefully, and she casually agreed.
According to Class 17, Grade 7’s schedule, the fourth class this morning was physical education. As soon as Teacher Zhai left the classroom, Duan Qiyan jumped up and urged loudly, “Let’s go! Let’s go to the playground for PE class!”
Jiang Yubai slowly stood up. He unzipped his jacket, put both hands in his pockets, and silently followed Lin Zhixia. As Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai walked one after another toward the playground, Lin Zhixia couldn’t help but confide: “Jiang Yubai, even if I go participate in the high school competition, we’ll still be best friends…”
Her wording was usually straightforward, but today she was quite subtle.
Jiang Yubai understood her meaning—even if he studied with all his might, he and Lin Zhixia were destined not to maintain the same pace. He would rather watch her walk farther and farther away than see her stop and wait for him.
So he said, “Captain Lin Zhixia.”
Lin Zhixia was stunned for a moment, then cooperatively answered, “Leader Jiang Yubai.”
In the entire Provincial No. 1 Middle School campus, only the two of them were familiar with the “Exploring the Universe” comic series. They said each other’s special titles as if exchanging secret codes.
Jiang Yubai stepped onto the rubber track and said calmly, “Lin Zhixia goes to explore a new planet, Jiang Yubai waits for her in the spaceship. Jiang Yubai is sure that Lin Zhixia can find what she wants on that planet. Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia haven’t separated… they’re just carrying out different missions.”
Looking into the distance, he added, “Temporary missions.”
Lin Zhixia’s eyes welled with tears: “Okay.”
She murmured, “Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai will always be good friends, and will never be apart.”
“Yes,” Jiang Yubai echoed, “I support you joining the high school special training.”
Lin Zhixia nodded vigorously and then suggested, “Jiang Yubai, after the next exam, you can share a desk with Shen Fuxuan. I’ll sit in the row behind you. This way, when I return to the junior high class, I can still sit near you, and you won’t be without a deskmate.”
“No,” Jiang Yubai declined her kind offer, “you’ll continue to be my deskmate. When you go to the high school for training…”
Lin Zhixia continued his thought: “When I go to the high school for training, my seat will be empty, and you won’t have a deskmate. If I train at the high school for half a day, you’ll be all alone for half a day.”
Jiang Yubai declared: “It doesn’t matter, I don’t mind.”
The PE teacher blew his whistle, and the students of Class 17, Grade 7 hurriedly assembled. Although April’s spring sunshine was bright, it couldn’t overcome the continuous cold wind on the playground. The PE teacher led everyone through warm-up exercises and said loudly: “As usual, first run two laps, then come back here for class. Today we’ll practice for the high school entrance physical exam: boys will try pull-ups, and girls will try sit-ups. Go run now, and don’t be lazy.”
The PE representative of Class 17, Grade 7, was named Cao Wu. Cao Wu was thirteen years old this year, tall and strongly built. He had actively applied to the head teacher for the position of PE representative, as he particularly enjoyed leading the whole class running on the playground.
As soon as the PE teacher finished speaking, Cao Wu darted onto the track.
Duan Qiyan followed closely behind Cao Wu, chasing him while shouting: “Cao Wu, if you run so fast now, you won’t have energy left for pull-ups later!”
Cao Wu spread his arms and flattened his palms like a glider. He enjoyed the feeling of racing at high speed, even slightly closing his eyes with an utterly intoxicated expression: “Duan Qiyan! Close your eyes and run faster! Tell me loudly, doesn’t it feel great?”
Duan Qiyan was bewitched. He closed his eyes tightly, extended his arms, pushed hard with his feet, and suddenly jumped up. His whole body seemed to take off from the rubber track, leaping into the vast, deep blue sky. He shouted cheerfully: “It feels great, so great!”
Duan Qiyan also said: “Jiang Yubai, quickly copy my movement.”
Jiang Yubai thought to himself: What a weirdo.
Jiang Yubai was very close to Duan Qiyan. With foresight, he stepped aside, only to see Duan Qiyan accidentally crash into Cao Wu’s back. The two fell to the ground, sprawling face-first in the dirt.
Although neither was injured, the PE teacher insisted they rest. They could only sit like fools on a military-green foam mat, watching stupidly as their male classmates took the “pull-up” test.
The PE teacher called names according to student numbers. Shen Fuxuan’s number was 2, so he had to lead the way for all the boys in the class.
Shen Fuxuan coughed once, took off his jacket, wearing only a thin woolen sweater, and gripped the horizontal bar with both hands. The boy’s back was skinny, his strength not yet fully developed. Using all his might, he managed to do just one pull-up.
“Hahahahahahaha.” Duan Qiyan laughed heartlessly.
Shen Fuxuan raised an eyebrow at him and mouthed: Old, weak, sick, and disabled.
Duan Qiyan was about to react when Cao Wu stopped him with one hand. Cao Wu put his palm on Duan Qiyan’s shoulder and advised: “The teacher won’t let us do pull-ups, so don’t move around.”
While Duan Qiyan and Cao Wu were chatting idly, Duan suddenly lifted his pant leg to show Cao Wu his newly bought Nike sports socks. Cao Wu praised him for his “good taste,” just as the PE teacher called Jiang Yubai’s name.
In an instant, all the classmates’ eyes fell on Jiang Yubai.
As everyone knew, Jiang Yubai often went to the playground after class and reportedly loved “hanging on the horizontal bar.” Had he been training in advance, mastering pull-ups, just waiting for today to make a spectacular debut?
Jiang Yubai walked toward the horizontal bar with composure and calm, expertly rubbing his hands together. With a master’s demeanor, he didn’t even take off his jacket but directly grabbed the horizontal bar, did four pull-ups in succession, and then hung motionless in mid-air.
This was his favorite “hanging on the horizontal bar.”
Lin Zhixia had observed this before. She had once broken down Jiang Yubai’s “hanging on the horizontal bar” movement into several steps, recording them in detail in her “Human Observation Diary.” Frankly speaking, she couldn’t quite understand Jiang Yubai’s behavior. But she still applauded for him: “Amazing, Jiang Yubai is amazing!”
Duan Qiyan glanced at Jiang Yubai, then at Lin Zhixia, feeling somewhat envious. He also wanted to receive Lin Zhixia’s praise and encouragement—after all, Lin Zhixia consistently ranked first in their grade. Her approval held extraordinary significance.
Duan Qiyan ran wildly to the horizontal bar, grabbed it, brought his legs together, lifted his feet off the ground, and managed to hang for a full seven seconds, coming down at the same time as Jiang Yubai.
The PE teacher advised: “For the high school entrance physical exam, if you choose pull-ups, you should practice more when you have time.”
Lin Zhixia answered for them: “Okay!”
The PE teacher smiled and said, “Female students don’t need to practice.”
Lin Zhixia still stood under another horizontal bar. The activity of “hanging on the horizontal bar” obviously exceeded her physical limits; she couldn’t even do half a pull-up. She reflected: “Everyone has their strengths and interests.”
Jiang Yubai responded: “Don’t be afraid, move forward, studying is your interest…”
Before he could finish, Lin Zhixia knocked on the horizontal bar: “I’m not afraid. I’m going to go.” Jiang Yubai knocked on the horizontal bar with her. Those complex emotions, difficult to express in words, seemed to merge into the metallic noise they made.
*
At the end of April 2006, Lin Zhixia officially joined the high school competition special training.
The senior from eleventh grade had already set a precedent. Lin Zhixia’s arrival didn’t cause a sensation in the high school division. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, she would train with the tenth-grade mathematics competition team.
The main competition subjects in the high school division of Provincial No. 1 Middle School included mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and informatics—these were commonly known as the “five major subject competitions.” Lin Zhixia specialized in mathematics and was also very interested in physics and informatics competitions.
Lin Zhixia’s high school mathematics teacher was surnamed Sun. This Teacher Sun, was a male teacher about thirty years old, a graduate of a key university’s mathematics program. He suggested that Lin Zhixia first secure medals in mathematics competitions before turning her attention to physics and informatics competitions.
Teacher Sun told Lin Zhixia: “Be steady and solid, step by step.”
Lin Zhixia knew that many older students participated in more than one subject competition. The school’s public congratulatory notices had repeatedly stated: Warm congratulations to our school’s certain student for winning first prize in the provincial mathematics and physics competition!
To convince Teacher Sun of her abilities, Lin Zhixia decided to answer questions actively.
In the high school mathematics competition class, Teacher Sun had just shown a slide and asked: “Do you have any ideas for this problem?”
Lin Zhixia immediately raised her hand: “Teacher Sun, this problem requires proving the upper and lower bounds of the product of sequence general terms. We can use Abel’s transformation plus the Cauchy inequality.”
Teacher Sun praised Lin Zhixia: “Very quick reaction.”
Teacher Sun briefly wrote the answer steps on the blackboard and then mentioned a prime number proof problem. Lin Zhixia raised her hand again: “Teacher Sun, the problem you just mentioned can apply Wilson’s theorem and Legendre’s theorem…”
“These problems are relatively simple,” Teacher Sun nodded.
In Teacher Sun’s competition class, he would only hold a mathematics test every half-month. But Lin Zhixia’s classroom performance disrupted Teacher Sun’s plans. To accurately measure Lin Zhixia’s problem-solving level, Teacher Sun brought a stack of test papers one Wednesday morning.
That set of papers was generally difficult, with the last two application problems beyond the syllabus.
During the exam, two students in the back row were anxiously scratching their heads. Of course, the top students in the class were still concentrating on solving problems. Teacher Sun walked back and forth with his hands behind his back, noticing that Lin Zhixia rarely used scratch paper.
All her thinking seemed to take place in her head.
She wrote very quickly.
The high school competition classes at Provincial No. 1 Middle School had strong teaching resources. Teacher Sun was not the top competition coach in the high school division. However, Teacher Sun and Teacher Zhai had a good relationship. When Teacher Zhai recommended Lin Zhixia to the high school division, Teacher Sun accepted her without hesitation.
The results of the junior high mathematics competition had not yet been released, and other competition coaches in the high school division had not yet noticed Lin Zhixia. The high school competition class itself had many extraordinarily talented students, and the coaches preferred to cultivate promising students they had personally identified.
But Lin Zhixia’s comprehension exceeded Teacher Sun’s expectations.
The last problem on the test that Teacher Sun had prepared discussed a new concept from a mathematics paper and required students to apply this concept to an actual problem. Lin Zhixia read the problem statement once and immediately began writing. Her pen made a series of “shua shua” sounds, seriously affecting the tenth-grade student next to her.
After finishing the test paper, she didn’t waste a moment and directly handed it in early.
Teacher Sun repeatedly confirmed: “You’re not going to check your answers?”
“No checking!” Lin Zhixia shouldered her backpack. “Teacher Sun, class is almost over. Can I go back to Class 17, Grade 7? In our class, the fourth class this morning is art… I like art class.”
Teacher Sun had specifically set aside the third and fourth periods for the exam. There were still more than ten minutes left in the third period, yet Lin Zhixia had already turned in her paper. And she wanted to attend art class next period?
Teacher Sun didn’t say much. He was originally a person of few words, and only after becoming a teacher did he have to speak all day. He let Lin Zhixia leave first, then found a red pen, sat at the podium, and immediately began grading Lin Zhixia’s test paper. The more he graded, the more surprised he became. Considering that Lin Zhixia was only eleven years old, he couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of responsibility as a teacher.
Producing an international champion in the high school Olympiad competition would be a glorious achievement for a competition coach.
From that day on, Teacher Sun was very attentive to Lin Zhixia. He developed a special training plan for her and introduced her to the competition coaches for physics and informatics at Provincial No. 1 Middle School. Lin Zhixia was given a dedicated computer in the computer room—it was her first real contact with programming. Before this, she had been using her brain as a program compiler. She felt that she had met many programming languages too late: C++, Java, TLAB, and even Visual Basic made her want to deconstruct them. From May to August 2006, for a full three months, Lin Zhixia would go to school whenever she had free time, and her system analysis abilities grew as rapidly as her programming skills.