68: Chapter 68 School Opening

September 1st, 7:00 AM.

Chen Zhen stood at the school gate of City No. 1 High School, looking at the plaque that had been hanging there for eighty years.

The sunlight shone on the four gilded characters "Jiangcheng No. 1 High School," reflecting a blinding light.

Both sides of the school gate were crowded with parents dropping off their children. Electric scooters and sedans were blocked in a mess, and the sound of horns was incessant.

Senior year.

He picked up his schoolbag and walked inside.

Just as he entered the school gate, [Anomaly Perception] suddenly pulsed.

It wasn't energy; it was a gaze.

A gaze shot out from the crowd, carrying a certain special "texture."

Sharp, focused, like a scan.

Chen Zhen turned his head.

In the crowd stood a male student in a school uniform, with short hair, wearing glasses, holding a physics problem set in his hand.

He was staring at Chen Zhen, his eyes devoid of malice, only holding a naked curiosity.

The two locked eyes for half a second.

The boy withdrew his gaze, looked down at his book, and followed the crowd inside.

Chen Zhen remembered his face.

[System prompt: Special individual detected]

[Aura intensity: Ordinary person]

[Trait: Perception sensitivity far exceeds that of ordinary people]

[Suggestion: Keep observing]

An ordinary person, but with perception sensitivity far exceeding that of ordinary people.

Interesting.

Grade 12, Class 7, the classroom at the far east end of the fourth floor.

When Chen Zhen pushed the door open, more than half the people were already seated in the classroom.

Having not seen each other for two months of summer vacation, the changes in his classmates were not small.

"Chen Zhen! Over here!"

In the corner by the window, Zhang Meng was waving.

There was an empty seat next to him.

Chen Zhen walked over and sat down.

"Where did you go for summer vacation?" Zhang Meng asked. "I invited you to play ball, but you never came out."

"Reviewing at home." Chen Zhen stuffed his schoolbag into the drawer.

"Reviewing?" Zhang Meng widened his eyes. "Your grades have gone from the thirties to the top twenty, and you're still reviewing? How are we supposed to live?"

A girl with a ponytail in the front row turned her head.

Su Xiaoya, the Chinese class representative, who was in the same study group as Chen Zhen last semester.

"Don't listen to his humblebragging." She said, "Chen Zhen's current grades are earned by his own efforts. During the summer break, he ran five kilometers every day. Were you playing games at home?"

Zhang Meng chuckled and didn't refute.

In the front row by the aisle, a boy wearing glasses was burying his head in a math book.

Chen Hao, the math Genius, grade first last semester.

He didn't even lift his head, but his ears were clearly perked up.

Chen Zhen scanned the classroom.

His seatmate from the second year had changed; the new one was a tall, thin boy who was chatting with the back row.

Su Xiaoya was in front, and the seat next to her was empty.

In the back row were Zhang Meng and an unfamiliar boy.

But Chen Zhen noticed a gaze in the corner.

It was the boy with glasses from the school gate.

He was sitting in the last row against the wall, still holding that physics problem set.

This time he didn't hide; he looked straight at Chen Zhen, as if confirming something.

Chen Zhen locked eyes with him for two seconds.

The boy looked away first and continued reading.

"Who is that guy?" Chen Zhen asked Zhang Meng.

Zhang Meng followed his gaze and took a look: "Oh, Zhou Rui, a top student, the grade first."

"Isn't Chen Hao the grade first?"

"He was last semester, not this semester." Zhang Meng lowered his voice. "Zhou Rui transferred here. It is said he was at a key school in the provincial capital before, and his family moved to Jiangcheng. He got first in the grade in the entrance exam, pushing Chen Hao to second."

Chen Hao, in the front row, stiffened for a moment but didn't turn back.

Chen Zhen nodded and didn't ask further.

The morning reading bell rang, and the head teacher, Old Zhao, came in.

Old Zhao taught math. He was over forty, bald, wore thick glasses, and spoke slowly and methodically, but no one dared to cause trouble in his class.

"How was your summer vacation?" He stood on the podium, swept his eyes over the whole class, "Regardless of whether you had a good time or not, senior year has begun."

There was a chorus of wailing below.

"Wailing won't help." Old Zhao tapped the table. "This senior year will determine where you go next year. Whether you go to a 985, 211, or a second-tier or vocational college, it all depends on these three hundred days."

He opened the roll book and started calling names.

After finishing, he closed the book: "The seating will remain unchanged for now. It will be adjusted after the monthly exam in a month. Those who want a good seat, strive for it yourselves."

There was another chorus of wailing below.

Old Zhao ignored them and continued: "Also, there is a new change this semester. The school has partnered with Jiangcheng University to organize a 'Top Talent Training Program.' We will select twenty people from the senior year to go to the university two periods a week to participate in research projects. It is voluntary, with written exams and interviews, and the best will be admitted."

The classroom went quiet instantly.

"Those who want to sign up, hand the application form to me before next Monday." Old Zhao adjusted his glasses. "Don't think it's a good thing. You'll know once you go; the university professors are even harsher than me."

He paused: "However, if you perform well, you can get twenty extra points on the college entrance exam."

Boom—

The classroom exploded.

Twenty points.

For a senior student, twenty points could determine the difference between a first-tier and second-tier university.

Chen Zhen leaned back in his chair without speaking.

But Chen Hao in the front row turned his head and looked at him.

That look was complicated.

There was vigilance, assessment, and a bit of... Battle Intent?

Chen Zhen looked back at him without reacting.

Chen Hao turned back and continued reading.

The first class was math, Old Zhao's class.

He was reviewing functions, starting from the domain and range, all the way to composite functions...

He taught quickly, reviewing half a semester's content in one class.

Below was the sound of frantic writing.

Chen Zhen didn't move his pen.

He used [Internal Vision].

Not looking at himself, but "looking" at the classroom.

Under the blessing of Qi Refining Stage 3 + [Spiritual Resonance], he could clearly "see" everyone's Aura.

Most people's Auras were very ordinary.

Weak, chaotic, without any pattern, like ordinary weeds.

A few people's Auras were slightly stronger.

Chen Hao, in the front row, his Aura was a bit more solid than an ordinary person's, concentrated in his head.

That was the "thinking Aura" formed by long-term high-intensity brain usage.

Ordinary people had it too, but Chen Hao's was obviously stronger.

Su Xiaoya, in the front row, her Aura was softer, concentrated in her chest—the "emotional Aura" of an arts student.

Zhang Meng, in the back row, his Aura was more restless, concentrated in his limbs—the "vitality Aura" of a sports student.

That Zhou Rui in the corner—

Chen Zhen's perception stopped on him.

Zhou Rui's Aura was different from everyone else's.

It wasn't strong; it was "clean."

Like a piece of uncarved jade, with few Impurities and a clear structure. Moreover, his Aura was flowing slowly.

It wasn't intentional cultivation; it was some kind of natural, spontaneous circulation.

[System prompt: Target individual possesses latent Spiritual Root Aptitude]

[Type: Perception type]

[Current status: Unawakened]

[Suggestion: Keep observing]

Latent Spiritual Root?

Chen Zhen took another look at him.

Zhou Rui seemed to sense something, lifted his head, and looked straight at Chen Zhen.

This time, he didn't hide.

The two locked eyes for three seconds.

There was no hostility in Zhou Rui's eyes, only a kind of naked... curiosity.

Like a scientist who had discovered a new specimen.

Chen Zhen withdrew his gaze and continued looking at the blackboard.

The second period was physics, the third was chemistry, and the fourth was English.

The morning passed quickly.

At noon, after school, Zhang Meng dragged Chen Zhen to the cafeteria.

"Hurry, hurry, if we go late, there won't be any seats."

The two squeezed into the crowd and rushed to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was packed with people, and there were long lines in front of every window. Zhang Meng squeezed behind a line with familiarity:

"This line is the fastest. The braised pork line is the slowest; don't ever line up there."

Chen Zhen stood in the line, [Anomaly Perception] automatically activated.

With hundreds of people in the cafeteria, their Auras were mixed into a chaotic mess. He could distinguish the Aura of hunger, the Aura of fatigue, the Aura of excitement, and the Aura of anxiety.

Hundreds of emotions intertwined to form a massive "emotional field."

Ordinary people couldn't feel it, but in the eyes of a cultivator, this was another form of "Spiritual Qi."

While waiting in line, he tried to use [Spiritual Resonance] to "touch" this emotional field.

As soon as he touched it, a massive stream of information flooded into his mind.

The emotions of hundreds of people surged in simultaneously, like hundreds of rivers flowing into a lake, impacting his perception.

He immediately cut off the resonance.

A bit dizzy.

It seems this thing cannot be used casually.

"Here it is, here it is, what do you want?" Zhang Meng's voice pulled him back to reality.

Chen Zhen looked at the window: "Braised pork, vegetables, rice."

"Two portions!"

The two carried their trays to find a seat.

The cafeteria was almost full, with only two empty seats left in the corner.

They walked over and sat down.

Just as they had eaten a few bites, someone walked over with a tray.

Zhou Rui.

He stood in front of the table and looked at Chen Zhen: "Is this seat taken?"

The empty seat next to him.

"No." Chen Zhen said.

Zhou Rui sat down and started eating.

He ate very slowly and focused, like doing an experiment, chewing every bite very thoroughly.

After finishing a bite, he took a sip of soup, then wiped his mouth with a tissue, and then ate the next bite.

Zhang Meng watched him, stunned.

Chen Zhen ignored him and continued eating his own food.

Halfway through, Zhou Rui suddenly spoke: "Are you Chen Zhen?"

"Yes."

"At the end of last semester, you went from thirty-fifth in the grade to eighteenth. During the two months of summer vacation, you were reviewing at home."

A declarative sentence, not a question.

Chen Zhen looked up at him.

Zhou Rui's eyes were calm, as if stating a fact.

"How do you know?"

"I checked the grade sheet." Zhou Rui said, "Thirty-five to eighteen is a span of thirteen places. During the two months of summer vacation, you were reviewing at home—this is what your seatmate Zhang Meng said."

Zhang Meng almost choked beside him: "When did I..."

"Just now in the classroom, you asked him where he went for summer vacation, and he said he was reviewing at home." Zhou Rui looked at Zhang Meng, "The volume wasn't small; I could hear it sitting in the last row."

Zhang Meng shut up.

Chen Zhen looked at him: "So?"

Zhou Rui was silent for a few seconds.

"Your speed of progress," he said, "is not normal."

Chen Zhen didn't speak.

"I calculated," Zhou Rui continued, "according to normal review efficiency, going from thirty-fifth to eighteenth requires at least four months. You used two months. Unless—"

He paused.

"Unless you used some special method."

Chen Zhen put down his chopsticks and looked at him.

"What do you want to say?"

Zhou Rui locked eyes with him.

"I want to know what the method is."

The cafeteria was noisy, but around this small table, the air seemed to have frozen.

Zhang Meng looked at Chen Zhen, then at Zhou Rui, not daring to speak.

Chen Zhen was silent for a few seconds.

Then he smiled.

"Want to know?"

Zhou Rui nodded.

"Then you tell me first," Chen Zhen said, "Why does a top student like you, who came from a key school in the provincial capital, want to study the grades of an ordinary student like me?"

Zhou Rui's expression changed for the first time.

He was silent for a few seconds.

Then he said: "Because the things I am interested in have never been grades."

In the afternoon classes, Chen Zhen didn't listen much.

This Zhou Rui was not simple.

[Hidden Spiritual Root] plus [Perception sensitivity far exceeding that of ordinary people], combined with this behavioral pattern of observing humans—

If this person were in a cultivation novel, he would be that type of character with an "innate Dao Heart."

Unfortunately, Spiritual Qi in this world is thin, and he lacks the Opportunity for Awakening.

Unless...

Chen Zhen shook his head, pushing this thought down.

Now is not the time to think about this.

After the third period in the afternoon, the homeroom teacher, Old Zhao, called Chen Zhen to the office.

"Sit." Old Zhao pointed to the chair opposite his desk.

Chen Zhen sat down.

Old Zhao took a form out of his drawer and handed it to him.

"The application form for the Top-Notch Talent Program." He said, "I got a copy for you."

Chen Zhen took it and glanced at it.

The form was very complicated, with many things to fill out: grades, awards, reasons for self-recommendation, recommenders...

"Thank you, Teacher Zhao."

"Don't thank me too early." Old Zhao took off his glasses and wiped them, "I called you here because I want to ask you something."

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"During these two months of summer vacation," Old Zhao said, "you have improved a lot."

Here it comes.

"Yes."

"How did you improve?"

Chen Zhen thought for a moment: "I adjusted my study methods, plus I kept exercising, so my body is better, and my mind is clearer."

Old Zhao stared at him for a few seconds.

Then he nodded: "Fine, I believe this reason."

He put his glasses back on: "Fill out the form and give it to me next Monday."

Chen Zhen stood up, ready to leave.

"Wait." Old Zhao called out to him.

Chen Zhen turned back.

Old Zhao looked at him, his gaze complex.

"That program," he said, "twenty people, all top-tier students from various schools. If you go, you represent our school."

He paused.

"Don't embarrass us."

Chen Zhen smiled.

"Understood."

Returning home in the evening, Chen Zhen began filling out the form.

Grades: 18th in the grade level.

Awards: Provincial Second Prize in Math Competition, City First Prize in Physics Competition.

Reason for self-recommendation: Want to challenge myself and learn more cutting-edge knowledge.

Recommender: Zhao Zhiming (Homeroom Teacher).

After filling out the form, he leaned back in his chair and looked out the window.

The moonlight was beautiful, spilling onto the balcony and shimmering with a silvery-white light.

The next day.

During the early morning reading class, Chen Hao turned his head and handed him a note.

Chen Zhen unfolded it.

"Sign up for that program together?"

He looked up at Chen Hao. Chen Hao pushed up his glasses, his expression serious.

Chen Zhen nodded.

Chen Hao turned back and continued reading.

The person in front, Su Xiaoya, turned around and whispered: "I signed up too."

Zhang Meng from the back row poked his head over: "I signed up too—even though I definitely won't get selected."

Chen Zhen smiled.

Four people, one study group, all signed up.

In the corner, Zhou Rui was reading, not even lifting his head.

But Chen Zhen knew he must have signed up too.

A week later.

On Friday afternoon, during the third period, Old Zhao walked into the classroom.

He held a list in his hand.

The classroom instantly went quiet.

Old Zhao stood on the podium and scanned the whole class.

"The selection results for the Top-Notch Talent Program are out."

He paused.

"Two people from our class were selected."

There was a collective gasp from below.

"Chen Hao."

Chen Hao stood up, his expression calm, but his fingers were trembling slightly.

"Chen Zhen."

Chen Zhen stood up.

The whole class's eyes focused on the two of them.

In the corner, Zhou Rui raised his head and glanced at Chen Zhen.

In that gaze, there was curiosity, evaluation, and a little bit of...

Battle Intent.

Old Zhao closed the list.

"Next Monday, Jiangcheng University, arrive on time at nine o'clock."

He looked at Chen Zhen and Chen Hao.

"Perform well."

After school, Chen Zhen and Chen Hao walked out of the school gate together.

"You signed up too?" Chen Hao asked.

"Yeah."

Chen Hao was silent for a few seconds.

"You know Zhou Rui signed up too, right?"

"I know."

Chen Hao turned to look at him.

"He definitely got selected too."

Chen Zhen didn't speak.

Chen Hao continued: "He's from the provincial capital, top of the grade, Provincial First Prize in Physics Competition, Provincial First Prize in Math Competition. If he didn't get selected, who would?"

Chen Zhen looked at him: "What are you trying to say?"

Chen Hao stopped walking.

"I mean," he looked at Chen Zhen earnestly, "two people from our class were selected; is it him and me, or him and you?"

Chen Zhen smiled.

"We'll know when the time comes."

Monday morning, 8:30.

Chen Zhen stood at the entrance of Jiangcheng University, looking at the magnificent school gate.

Chen Hao stood next to him, holding a notebook, his expression serious.

Zhou Rui stood not far away, leaning against the stone pillar by the school gate, still holding that physics competition book.

The three of them, no one spoke.

At 8:50, a middle-aged teacher wearing glasses walked out, holding a list in his hand.

"Chen Zhen, Chen Hao, Zhou Rui?"

The three nodded.

"Follow me."

He turned and walked inside.

The three followed.

Passing through the tree-lined path, going around the teaching building, they walked into a gray-white laboratory building.

Third floor, the classroom at the end.

Pushing the door open, more than a dozen people were already sitting inside.

They were all unfamiliar faces—top-tier students from various schools across the city.

Chen Zhen scanned them, [Anomaly Perception] automatically activated.

A dozen or so Auras, some strong, some weak, some sharp, some restrained.

But the most special one was still Zhou Rui.

His Aura was like an uncarved piece of jade, clean, transparent, and out of place in the crowd.

Chen Zhen withdrew his perception and found a seat.

On the podium, an old professor with gray hair was flipping through documents.

He looked up and glanced at the twenty people sitting there.

"Welcome to the Top-Notch Talent Program."

He paused.

"I am your mentor, my surname is Yang."

Professor Yang.

Chen Zhen's heart stirred.

The Professor Yang that Engineer Zhou mentioned?

"The goal of this program," Professor Yang continued, "is to select students with potential and expose them to university courses and scientific research methods in advance. You will stay here for one year, with two classes per week and one project discussion."

He scanned the crowd.

"But I want to remind you—this is not an easy thing. University courses are ten times harder than high school, and research is a hundred times more complex than exams. You will suffer a lot here."

He paused.

"But if you push through it, the gains will also be ten times greater than in high school."

There was silence below.

Professor Yang closed the documents.

"Today's first lesson, we won't talk about knowledge, but thinking."

He wrote two characters on the blackboard.

"Model."

Then he turned around, his gaze sweeping over twenty young faces.

"In your three years of high school, you've learned countless formulas, theorems, and problem-solving methods. But have you ever thought about what the essence of these things is?"

No one answered.

Professor Yang answered himself: "It is a model."

"Physics formulas are mathematical models describing physical phenomena. Chemical equations are symbolic models describing chemical reactions. Biological classification is a structural model describing forms of life."

He paused.

"Learning is building models in your brain. Exams are using models to solve problems."

Chen Zhen's heart jolted.

Model Thinking.

This is exactly the ability unlocked by his [Learning Dimension Lv.6].

Professor Yang continued: "But the models you have now are built by others. You have only learned to use them, but you cannot build them yourselves."

He tapped the blackboard.

"This year, what I want to teach you is how to build models yourselves."

People below started taking notes.

Chen Zhen didn't pick up a pen.

He was using [Internal Vision] to observe Professor Yang's Aura.

Unlike others, Professor Yang's Aura was not a lump, but a structure—a clear, multi-layered structure that operated like a precise instrument.

This was not an Aura an ordinary person should have.

This is...

[System Prompt: Practitioner Aura detected]

[Realm: Qi Refinement Stage (approximately 5th layer)]

[Status: Aging stage, spiritual power is decaying]

[Identity speculation: 'Professor Yang' mentioned by Engineer Zhou]

Chen Zhen withdrew his perception and looked at the gray-haired old man on the podium.

So that's how it is.

In this world, there are other practitioners.

And this person is standing right in front of him now.

Professor Yang seemed to sense something, his gaze sweeping over and stopping on Chen Zhen for a moment.

That gaze—

Same as Chen Yuanshan's.

Understanding everything, but saying nothing.

He withdrew his gaze and continued the lecture.

"Today, let's start with the simplest model..."

Two hours later, the first class ended.

Twenty people walked out of the classroom one after another.

Chen Zhen walked at the very back.

When he reached the door, Professor Yang called out to him.

"That student, wait a moment."

Chen Zhen stopped.

Only the two of them remained in the classroom.

Professor Yang looked at him, his gaze calm.

"Are you Chen Zhen?"

"Yes."

Professor Yang nodded.

"Old Zhou mentioned you to me."

Chen Zhen didn't speak.

Professor Yang was silent for a few seconds.

Then he said: "Old Chen mentioned you too."

Old Chen—Chen Yuanshan.

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"They asked me to pass a message to you."

"What message?"

Professor Yang walked to the window and looked outside.

"They said: That door, no rush. Walk the path in front of you well first."

Chen Zhen's heart jolted.

They know.

They all know.

Professor Yang turned around.

"Go now, there is class again next Tuesday."

Chen Zhen nodded and turned to walk out.

Reaching the door, he stopped and turned back.

"Professor Yang, are you one too?"

Professor Yang looked at him and smiled.

"I used to be."

He paused.

"Now I'm just an old man who teaches."

Walking out of the laboratory building, the sun was just right.

Chen Hao stood under the phoenix tree in front of the building, waiting for him.

"Why did that old man look for you?"

"Just chatting."

Chen Hao glanced at him and didn't press further.

The two walked out side by side.

Walking to the school gate, Zhou Rui walked over from the side.

He stood in front of Chen Zhen, looking at him.

"You were selected."

A declarative sentence.

Chen Zhen looked at him: "You were selected too."

Zhou Rui nodded.

Then he said: "This year, I will keep an eye on you."

Chen Zhen smiled.

"Feel free."

Zhou Rui turned and left.

Chen Hao watched from the side, looking confused.

"What does he mean?"

Chen Zhen looked at Zhou Rui's back.

"Nothing."

He turned and walked towards the bus stop.

The sun shone on him, warm and cozy.

The fragment in his chest was warm.

The Dantian Spiritual Pearl rotated slowly.

This year won't be boring.

[Main storyline update: Senior year campus arc started]

[Current task: Adapt to the new environment, explore hidden clues on campus]

[Special prompt: Hidden Spiritual Root individual detected × 1, suggest keeping under observation]

Chen Zhen got on the bus and found a window seat to sit down.

Outside the window, Jiangcheng University's gate gradually faded into the distance.

He closed his eyes, feeling the flow of spiritual power.