75: Chapter 78 Countdown to the First Mock Exam: Sun Yaozu's Vicious Scheme

On Friday morning, Fang Jiming walked into the office just as the bell rang.

The moment he stepped through the door, a newly posted red paper on the corridor wall caught his eye.

The red paper was printed with bold, black text.

"Countdown to the First City-wide Mock Exam for Senior High: 18 Days."

Fang Jiming's pace slowed for a split second.

He walked to his desk, sat down, and pulled out the grade summary sheet from Class 18's pop quiz last week.

The average score for Mathematics was 37.2.

That was nearly double the 19 points from when he first arrived.

In a normal school, this rate of improvement would be considered a miracle.

But when faced with the First Mock Exam papers, there was no essential difference between 37 points and 19 points.

Both were failing grades.

Fang Jiming leaned back in that eighty-thousand-yuan chair, drew a horizontal line at the top of the grade sheet with a red pen, and wrote a number.

60.

The passing grade.

He stared at the chasm between 37.2 and 60, his fingers unconsciously twirling his pen.

Eighteen days.

To pull the average score from 37 to 60.

Fang Jiming: (눈_눈)

This isn't called teaching; this is called surviving a tribulation.

He closed the grade sheet and picked up his thermos to take a sip of water.

The water had been filled by Teacher Wen Ruyan earlier in the morning, and the temperature was just right.

Fang Jiming had already grown accustomed to this standard treatment of colleague care, so much so that if the cup were empty one day, he might feel that the air felt off today.

The office door was pushed open. Old Liu sauntered in, carrying his inseparable thermos, and plopped down opposite Fang Jiming.

"Did you see that countdown outside?"

Fang Jiming didn't even look up.

"I saw it."

Old Liu unscrewed the lid of his thermos, the goji berries swirling in the hot water.

"The First Mock Exam papers this year are being spearheaded by the First High School's Teaching and Research Group. You know what that means, right?"

Fang Jiming put down his pen and looked at Old Liu.

"It means the difficulty coefficient of the test papers will go up a notch."

Old Liu gave a thumbs up and nodded.

"I know Lin Zhengyang. The papers he writes never leave a way out for underperforming students; the discrimination level is extremely high."

"The first five multiple-choice questions are giveaways, but each subsequent one is more ruthless than the last. The final big question can make even the top students at First High scratch their heads and pull their hair out."

Fang Jiming was silent for a few seconds.

"To put it bluntly, it's used to widen the gap for the top students."

"Exactly."

Old Liu took a sip of his goji berry water and shook his head.

"Your group of kids has genuinely improved, but with a paper of this level for the First Mock Exam, it's hard to say if the average score can even hold at 30."

Fang Jiming didn't respond; his brain was already running at full speed.

Eighteen days, rising difficulty, weak foundations, and shortcomings in all subjects.

He could manage teaching Mathematics, but what about the other subjects?

Physics—the tragedy of the last time he had to substitute was still fresh in his memory.

English—although Zhang Huifang had agreed to cooperate, she was also busy off her feet on her own side.

Chinese Language had Teacher Wen Ruyan's tutoring plan as a safety net, but it only covered the six worst students.

Chemistry, Biology, Politics, History.

Fang Jiming mentally reviewed the faculty allocation for each subject in Class 18. The more he reviewed, the darker his face became.

Old Liu watched his expression and sighed.

"Mr. Fang, to be honest with you, don't take this First Mock Exam too seriously."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Huifang poked her head out from the adjacent desk.

"Old Liu, stop serving chicken soup for the soul. Let me tell you, the rules for publicizing the First Mock Exam scores have changed this year."

Fang Jiming and Old Liu looked at her simultaneously.

Zhang Huifang lowered her voice, her gossip radar running at full power.

"The Academic Affairs Office received a notice from the Education Bureau this morning. This year's First Mock Exam scores will be ranked and publicized city-wide by class, posted on the Education Bureau's information board, and simultaneously copied to all schools."

Fang Jiming: (ꐦ°᷄д°᷅)

This rule didn't exist in previous years.

"Who proposed it?"

Zhang Huifang curled her lip.

"Who else could it be? The notice from the Academic Affairs Office says it was suggested by the school's teaching management team. Guess what the surname of this management team is."

Fang Jiming put his pen on the table and leaned back in his chair.

Vice Principal Sun Yaozu.

Since the audit couldn't find any issues with the money, he was going to use the grades to strike.

If Class 18's First Mock Exam scores were at the bottom of the city and publicized, the label of being last despite spending tens of millions would be nailed down, and public opinion would naturally tilt toward Vice Principal Sun Yaozu's side.

By then, he wouldn't even need to lift a finger; the parents and the media would tear Fang Jiming apart for him.

Fang Jiming tapped his fingers on the desktop three times slowly.

A good plan.

A very good plan.

At this moment, on the third floor of the Administrative Building opposite the office, Vice Principal Sun Yaozu was leaning back in his leather executive chair, legs crossed, talking to Section Chief Xiao Kaihe on the other end of the phone.

"Old Xiao, I'm not counting on the audit anymore. Director Feng's niece is too rigid; if she can't find anything, she just can't find anything."

Section Chief Xiao Kaihe's voice on the other end was somewhat hesitant.

"Yaozu, don't be too anxious. That Fang Jiming is indeed a bit eerie; our people have checked the capital chain three times and haven't found any loopholes."

Vice Principal Sun Yaozu scoffed, spinning his gold signature pen in his hand.

"If the money can't be investigated, the grades definitely won't be able to escape, right?"

"I've already greeted the Education Bureau. This year's First Mock Exam scores will be publicized city-wide by class. When the scores for his Class 18 are laid out, just see who in all of Nanqiao City still believes his nonsense about buying education with money."

Section Chief Xiao Kaihe was silent for a while on the other end of the phone.

"Are you sure the First Mock Exam papers are difficult enough?"

Vice Principal Sun Yaozu laughed, his smile full of confidence.

"The papers this year are from the First High School's Teaching and Research Group, with Lin Zhengyang personally overseeing them. The proportion of selective questions exceeds 40%."

"That bunch of losers, who haven't even finished catching up on junior high knowledge, will produce scores that will make the people of the whole city open their eyes wide."

He hung up the phone, stuck his signature pen into the pen holder, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

The tea was Mingqian Longjing, and the cup was custom-made in Jingdezhen.

Vice Principal Sun Yaozu looked at the fighting corner on the playground outside the window, which had been built with money thrown by Fang Jiming, and the corners of his mouth curled upward.

Who doesn't know how to throw money?

But grades can't be thrown out with money.

In eighteen days, your true colors, Fang Jiming, will be revealed.

———

Fang Jiming stuffed the grade summary sheet back into the drawer, stood up, and walked to the window.

On the playground outside the window, a few second-year high school students were running, and the shadows of the basketball hoops were stretched long by the morning sun.

Teacher Wen Ruyan walked over at some point, holding a cup of freshly brewed coffee in her hand.

She stood beside Fang Jiming, followed his gaze to look outside, and then placed the coffee on the windowsill.

"What are you thinking about?"

Fang Jiming didn't turn his head.

"Thinking about the First Mock Exam."

Teacher Wen Ruyan leaned against the window frame, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I've already started arranging extra classes during evening self-study for Class 17. I'm pushing both the Chinese Language and English lines simultaneously, and for Mathematics, I've asked Teacher Li from the class next door to help lead the exercise classes."

She turned her head to look at Fang Jiming's profile.

"What about your side? Does Class 18 have a preparation plan?"

Fang Jiming turned his head and revealed a standard, punchable smile.

"If there's money, there's a plan."

Teacher Wen Ruyan rolled her eyes at him.

"Fang Jiming, can you answer my question seriously for once?"

"I am being serious."

Fang Jiming picked up the coffee from the windowsill and took a sip; the coffee's temperature was moderate, and the sugar level was just right.

"Teacher Wen, you even remembered how many sugar cubes I add to my coffee. This is no longer colleague care; this is a private, customized service."

Teacher Wen Ruyan's ear tips turned red in a flash, and she reached out to snatch the coffee cup back from his hand.

"Who customized it for you? This is what I had left over."

Fang Jiming glanced at the clean rim of the cup.

"A leftover cup without even a lipstick stain? Teacher Wen, is your lip gloss invisible today?"

Teacher Wen Ruyan: (≖_≖)

She set the coffee cup back on the windowsill heavily and turned to leave.

She walked two steps, then stopped and turned back, her expression as serious as if she were reading a verdict.

"Don't take the First Mock Exam lightly. Vice Principal Sun Yaozu is determined to make an issue out of the grades this time; he was the one who proposed the rule about publicizing the scores."

Fang Jiming put away the smile on his face and watched her back.

"I know."

Teacher Wen Ruyan pushed open the office door and walked out, her high heels tapping out a crisp rhythm on the terrazzo floor.

Fang Jiming stood alone by the window and slowly finished that cup of coffee.

He opened the System Panel in his mind and glanced at his teaching ability rating.

[Mathematics: Grade A]

[Physics: Grade C]

[Other subjects: Not rated]

Eighteen days, one and a half subjects of teaching ability, to lead thirty-eight students with foundations approximately equal to zero into battle.

Fang Jiming closed the System Panel and stared at the basketball hoop outside the window, which was gilded by the sunlight.

He remembered the path the system had laid out for him.

Woo Teacher Wen Ruyan, confirm the relationship, and unlock Photographic Memory.

Any knowledge seen is permanently memorized, ready to be used at will when teaching.

Fang Jiming's fingers pinched the empty cup, his thumb slowly rubbing against the cup wall.

He lowered his head to look at the residual coffee stains in the cup, and then glanced at the door curtain, which was still swaying gently after the office door had closed.

Photographic Memory.

Eighteen days.

Fang Jiming put the empty cup back on the windowsill and let out a long sigh.

It was time to think seriously about this matter.