Chapter 164: Return to School Day

June 27th: Return to School Day.

Xu Chen arrived at school in the morning but didn’t rush through the gate; instead, he headed to Back Street for some soybean milk and fried dough sticks from ‘Old Deng’s Place’.

After graduation, he knew chances to eat there would be rare.

This was the day to pick up report cards and start filling out college applications.

The deadline for submitting applications was the 29th, leaving just these two or three days for final decisions.

Many of life’s most critical choices, ones that could shape the next few decades, often happen in a short time, sometimes in just a moment or two.

Even the wisest people can’t foresee everything; by middle age or old age, everyone carries regrets and what-ifs.

Luckily, Xu Chen had been reborn, allowing him to avoid many missteps…

In the Teaching Building, the entire floor for the senior year buzzed with lively chatter.

No matter the results, the three years of grind were finally over.

Only a few looked downcast, likely those deciding to retake the exams.

Classmates who had spent three years together would now go their separate ways, possibly never seeing each other again for decades.

So, people shared memories—some passing around cigarettes, others signing yearbooks.

Xu Chen wandered into the Class 5 classroom, which was already packed with students clustered in groups.

But the moment Xu Chen stepped in, the room fell silent.

Eyes turned his way, making him feel a bit uneasy.

His good buddy Chen Dahai rushed over, threw an arm around Xu Chen’s neck, and exclaimed with excitement:

“Young Master Xu, how did you do on the exams?!”

“Huh?”

A crowd gathered around, their voices full of envy and surprise.

Xu Chen was confused; his score of 628 was solid, but was it really that shocking?

After all, his last mock exam was 615, so this was a good jump, but not insanely so…

Chen Dahai pulled Xu Chen to the front of the class, where the blackboard displayed everyone’s exam scores and rankings.

Xu Chen glanced up and showed a hint of surprise himself.

His total of 628 had landed him first in the class.

“Young Master Xu, how on earth did you pull that off?

You were third in the mock exams—we thought it was just luck—and now you’re first in the real deal?!”

“With scores like that, you could get into a top 985 university. I’m so jealous!”

…

Scoring first in class was still a shock to Xu Chen.

Was it because the top three from before underperformed, or did he just nail it?

He looked down the list: second was Zhang Yiyi with 612, third Yang Nanguo with 601, and everyone else below 600.

Based on past mocks, Zhang Yiyi and Yang Nanguo were a bit off.

Yet, Xu Chen had beaten the class top student Zhang Yiyi by a full 16 points.

Still, he wasn’t sure if they’d all had a minor slip-up or if this year’s test was just tougher overall…

Either way, jumping from mid-class to first place left Xu Chen thrilled.

A girl suddenly approached and said:

“Xu Chen, I heard your essay scored 59. Is that true?”

Xu Chen turned to see it was the Chinese class representative, a literature enthusiast who always aced essays.

Her words sparked even more surprise among the classmates:

“What? 59 points?! Just one shy of perfect!”

“Young Master Xu, that’s impressive. Can we get a peek at it?”

…

…

Around 9 a.m., the homeroom teacher Zhang Liqun walked in with a large file bag, and the chattering students quickly settled into their seats.

Zhang Liqun adjusted his wide, tea-colored glasses and first gave a brief overview of the exam results.

He didn’t dwell on it, since scores and rankings were already posted up front.

For Xu Chen’s top score, Zhang Liqun offered special congratulations and led the class in applause.

As the Chinese teacher, he confirmed Xu Chen’s 59 on the essay, drawing more murmurs of admiration.

Then, he outlined the next couple of days’ plans.

“We’ll hand out the college application forms shortly. Take them home, discuss with your parents, and make your choices.

Have them filled out by tomorrow noon at the latest—I’ll collect them in the afternoon.

The final submission deadline is the 29th, and once you turn them in tomorrow, no changes allowed…

Over at Yifu Building’s large lecture hall, representatives from universities across the country are available for consultations today.

From top-tier schools down to local colleges, weigh your options…

Consultations end at 4:30 p.m., so if you’re going, hurry—the crowds will be big.

Also, starting at 10 a.m., we’ll line up by class for graduation photos.

Class 5 is up soon, so stay put and don’t wander off.

At exactly 10, the class monitor will lead everyone down to assemble…”

Zhang Liqun opened the file bag, which contained the application forms.

He pulled out one and passed the rest to the class monitor for distribution.

Holding the form, Zhang Liqun walked backward toward the back row.

Xu Chen thought, ‘Oh no,’ and sure enough, the teacher stopped in front of him and handed over the form personally.

Xu Chen took it with both hands and managed an awkward smile.

Zhang Liqun adjusted his tea-colored glasses and said with a smile:

“Xu Chen, you really lived up to my expectations—your score jumped even higher from the last mock exam!”

“It’s all thanks to your great teaching, Mr. Zhang!”

Zhang Liqun tapped the desk with his finger:

“Come with me to the office for a moment.”

With that, he turned and walked out, hands behind his back.

Chen Dahai glanced at Xu Chen and muttered quietly:

“What’s that old bald guy up to now?”

Xu Chen didn’t respond and just got up to follow.

…

The office.

Only homeroom teacher Zhang Liqun and Xu Chen were there.

Zhang Liqun brewed himself some tea, looking unusually cheerful.

“Xu Chen, I have to say, I didn’t expect you to actually take first place…”

“With your score, getting into a 985 university is a sure bet. Looking at the past few years’ cutoffs, everything except Tsinghua and Peking is within reach!

As your homeroom teacher, I’m genuinely happy for you— congratulations!”

“Thank you, Mr. Zhang.”

Zhang Liqun: “So, any thoughts on where to apply?”

Xu Chen felt a flicker of caution; this familiar routine was just like in his past life.

Back then, he could have gotten into a 211 university but got talked into aiming for a 985…

Clearly, in this new life, his homeroom teacher was the same as before.

Xu Chen played it cool and replied softly:

“Not yet, I’ll discuss it with my family first!”

Zhang Liqun blew on his tea and took a sip before saying:

“As your homeroom teacher, I feel responsible for your future.

Even among 985 schools, some are better than others.

Since you made it to first in class, you should aim high with your choices!

Plus, as the top student, your school pick represents the pride of Class 5.”

Xu Chen listened quietly without a word.

Zhang Liqun took another sip and continued:

“Think it over; it’s a big decision.

But as someone who’s taught you for three years, I have a duty to offer advice.”

He paused, then added:

“Without any special admissions boosts, Tsinghua and Peking are out of reach.

But the next tier of top schools—I recommend you focus on those.

Fudan, Zhejiang University, and Renmin University are the ones to consider most.”

Zhang Liqun paused again, almost like it was settled, and went on:

“Pick from these three!

Choose a major you like, and I’ll help review it tomorrow.”

Xu Chen stayed silent, but inside he smirked, ‘Just as I thought.’

Over the past couple of days, he’d studied the past cutoffs.

With 628 points and his ranking, those schools were possible but came with a high risk of not making it.

Unless he went for some obscure majors…

Zhang Liqun’s motive was clear: having a student from his class get into Fudan, Zhejiang, or Renmin was a big win for him.

It might tie into promotions, bonuses, or something…

For students, the major matters a lot for future jobs,

but for teachers and schools, it’s all about the prestige of the university name.

As long as it’s a ‘prestige school,’ the major doesn’t count…

If Xu Chen applied to those three, he’d have to pick something like paleontology or archaeology, and even then, the risk was high.

But having lived once before, Xu Chen wouldn’t fall for it again.

…

Xu Chen just listened quietly without arguing.

Zhang Liqun stood, patted Xu Chen’s shoulder with a smile, and said:

“Alright, head back!

Talk it over with your family, and if needed, I can call your dad to help out…”

“No need, Mr. Zhang.”

He didn’t say more and turned to leave the office.

At the door, he saw three other students waiting outside.

Clearly, he wasn’t the only one called in for a ‘chat.’

These students had decent scores, some aiming for 985, others for 211…

It seemed Zhang Liqun had picked them carefully.

Xu Chen said nothing and headed back to the classroom.

As he walked, he pulled a long device from his pocket.

It was a Sony voice recorder he’d borrowed from Fang Jun.

He’d anticipated Zhang Liqun’s moves and recorded the whole conversation.

Xu Chen had no intention of risking those schools; tomorrow’s talk might get even more ‘interesting.’

What bothered him most was that, besides his past self, Zhang Liqun had probably misled many students over the years.

In this era, a lot of students were out of the loop, with families who might not even know the difference between university tiers…

They’d just follow the teacher’s advice.”