Chapter 144: Senior Year Surge

As June rolled in, the college entrance exam was just a week away.

The intense pressure that had gripped the senior students all year suddenly lifted, replaced by an unexpected sense of ease and freedom.

In the senior classrooms, laughter and playful banter echoed more often than not.

Teachers Chen Ming and Tian Fangfang returned to school.

That day, Xu Chen and Chen Dahai headed to the cafeteria for a meal and ran into Teacher Chen Ming.

From him, they learned that Xie Bingran had officially joined the National Team and was now in Beijing for intensive training.

Teacher Chen Ming sighed with a mix of pride and reflection, saying:

“Who would have thought one of my students would make it to the National Team? Even though I only taught for these last three months…”

Chen Dahai teased with a grin:

“Uncle, why didn’t you go with Bing Ge to Beijing?”

Teacher Chen Ming chuckled:

“Do I measure up? Do I even qualify?”

“From now on, if I want to see Bing Ge, I’ll probably need to schedule an appointment…”

During the meal, Xu Chen sent Xie Bingran a text to congratulate her.

She replied almost immediately with a multimedia message—a photo of a lavish meal tray:

[Next time, I’ll treat you to the National Team’s cafeteria…]

Xu Chen laughed and dug into his own meal with gusto.

…

Meanwhile, Chen Xinyi from Jiaduobao’s marketing department reached out to Xu Chen again over the past couple of days.

She reported that the “Fear of Overheating” promotion had launched with explosive sales growth.

On behalf of Fei Jie, Chen Xinyi expressed her thanks to Xu Chen once more.

This wave of promotion focused on offline channels.

With the positive results, they planned to ramp up widespread advertising soon, including TV spots.

In the final three or four days before the exam, Jiaduobao, through local dealers, connected with Tiancheng No. 1 High School. They wanted to sponsor the students as a way to thank Xu Chen.

When the teacher in charge of external affairs contacted Class 5’s homeroom teacher Zhang Liqun, and then Zhang Liqun reached out to Xu Chen, he was completely caught off guard.

Behind Zhang Liqun’s large, tinted glasses, his expression turned oddly strange.

He recalled the 150,000 yuan bonus from Shenbao and felt a mix of resentment and envy.

As they walked back to the classroom, Zhang Liqun pulled Xu Chen aside, lectured him at length, and then couldn’t help but whisper:

“So, is there another 150,000 yuan bonus this time?”

Xu Chen felt a wave of awkward silence inside.

If Zhang Liqun knew the bonus this time was a full million yuan, it might just shock the balding teacher to pieces.

Xu Chen didn’t answer directly; he just smiled and nodded vaguely.

Zhang Liqun let out a breath:

“With these two bonuses adding up to 300,000 yuan, you could buy a house outright.”

After holding back for a while, he added:

“If there’s another contest like this, let your teacher know about it too.”

Xu Chen agreed offhandedly.

Zhang Liqun adjusted his large tinted glasses:

“Fear of Overheating…”

“It’s more refined than that last one, ‘He’s Good, I’m Good Too.'”

“But it’s still lacking in literary flair. You should read more classical poetry and parallel prose…”

Xu Chen thought to himself: “How original…”

…

Originally, Jiaduobao’s dealers planned to sponsor by providing batches of Wang Laoshun Herbal Tea for students and teachers taking the exams, combining thanks with a bit of offline promotion.

This would show support for the exams while boosting their brand.

However, corporate involvement in schools is sensitive and must avoid any commercial displays.

After discussions, they settled on setting up “Boost Exam – Morning Breeze Supply Stations” on campus.

Jiaduobao funded it, and the school handled purchasing compliant, safe drinks and snacks for senior students to grab freely.

Of course, Wang Laoshun Herbal Tea would be included in the mix.

They even considered printing a long message like “Jiaduobao thanks Xu Chen…” on the supply station materials.

But Xu Chen flatly refused.

Having his name plastered on materials felt too embarrassing and attention-grabbing; the modest “little teacher Xu” preferred to stay low-key…

So, in the last two or three days before the exam, several “Morning Breeze Supply Stations” popped up around the school.

Students grabbing drinks and snacks had no idea it was all thanks to Xu Chen.

…

…

June 6th, the day before the college entrance exam.

The entire senior grade buzzed with an indescribable strangeness.

Classes went on as usual, but teachers skipped lessons entirely, leaving it all to self-study.

With the exam tomorrow, students seemed to shed their stress and tension, at least on the surface, embracing a lighthearted, fearless vibe.

After all, the exam was just a day away.

Now, cramming or panicking felt pointless.

During the break after the third afternoon class,

a student in one classroom tore up a test paper and tossed it out the window.

The shreds fluttered and spun in the wind as they fell.

It was like a spark hitting dry cotton or a stone dropping into a still lake…

In just minutes, that casual act sparked a full-blown celebration.

Students in senior classrooms ripped up stacks of papers on their desks, cheering as they flung the confetti out the windows.

Under the clear, hot evening sky, a blizzard of paper snow fell.

Accompanied by endless noise and release.

It was as if the restless spirits of youth, suppressed for so long, were finally awakening.

Some boys and girls, overcome with mixed emotions, burst into tears.

…

The Discipline Office Director arrived with a few teachers to intervene…

But when they stood on the ground floor and looked up at the flurry of paper blotting out the sky, they fell silent.

The pudgy Discipline Office Director sighed and muttered:

“Let them go wild. Once they’re done, we’ll clean up…”

…

…

The exam days, July 7th and 8th, passed smoothly.

Xu Chen stepped out of the exam room with his pencil case in hand, finally exhaling in relief.

It all went as expected, without a hitch.

The essay topic matched what he’d seen in his past life.

Xu Chen glanced at the Chinese paper, confirmed the topic, and copied out the polished essay from his memory word for word.

No brainpower wasted, saving tons of time, and his handwriting stayed neat…

In math, that final sequence problem showed up again. Though he couldn’t recall the exact question, his months of focused practice made it a breeze.

For English, drawing from his previous life’s work in an all-English environment, he performed better than anticipated.

Overall, with the rebirth advantage, he felt far more confident about his scores than before.

Xu Chen wasn’t dreaming of top marks, but he’d definitely beat his past 595 points.

When filling out applications, he wouldn’t let the homeroom teacher push him toward safe choices; a Tier 1 university was in the bag, and a 211 was no sweat.

If things went extra well, he might even snag a spot at a 985 university.

…

Xu Chen wandered out of school and spotted his father, Xu Zhiquan, waiting at the gate.

Xu Zhiquan saw his son from afar and broke into a warm smile.

Unlike other parents who jumped straight to “How did you do?”, he grabbed Xu Chen’s wrist and said with a grin:

“Come on! Dad’s taking you out for a great meal!”

Xu Chen glanced at his father:

“Dad, those dark circles under your eyes are pretty bad. Haven’t you been sleeping much lately?”

Xu Zhiquan laughed it off:

“It’s nothing. These past days have been hectic…

But it’ll settle down soon!”

…

Xu Zhiquan drove his son to what was arguably the most upscale restaurant in Tiancheng.

Tucked near the city government offices, the place looked unassuming from outside, almost like it wasn’t a spot for dining.

But step inside, and it revealed a hidden gem.

Even the tanks and cages at the entrance held exotic ingredients most folks rarely saw.

In 2006, for people in northern county towns, oysters and abalone were novelties.

Yet here, they had massive lobsters and eels on display…

As soon as Xu Zhiquan entered, a server greeted them with a smile:

“President Xu, how many today?”

“Just the two of us!”

The server, quick to notice Xu Chen was Xu Zhiquan’s son, offered just the right mix of questions and compliments that had Xu Zhiquan chuckling.

Inside, it wasn’t a sprawling open hall but a series of private rooms, each door shut tight for discretion.

In their lavish private room, three servers attended solely to Xu Zhiquan and Xu Chen.

Soon, the hearty dishes arrived:

“Son, dig in and build up your strength!”

Xu Chen smiled and didn’t hold back with his chopsticks.

As someone reborn, Xu Chen had visited places like this with clients in his later years.

What surprised him was that such a spot existed in Tiancheng back in 2006.

In his previous life, after Xu Zhiquan’s factory went bankrupt, there was no chance for outings like this.

Father and son chatted casually over the meal.

From Xu Zhiquan, Xu Chen learned the restaurant had only opened in the last few months.

With his recent projects, Xu Zhiquan often needed to host important figures.

This place had the right atmosphere—elegant yet understated, perfect for key guests who preferred low-profile settings.

The more exclusive the guest, the less they liked flashy entrances.

…

“Dad, you look exhausted—is this about the mechanical factory?”

Xu Zhiquan smiled:

“It’s fine, just been keeping a close eye on things these past days; it’s been a bit of a grind.”

Xu Chen: “What’s going on? Fill me in!”

Xu Zhiquan chuckled:

“Actually, I might need your help, son!

I just got back from the city after the first ‘intention meeting’; I’ve got a good handle on the basics…”

He paused, then served Xu Chen a big shrimp:

“Let’s not talk about that now—focus on eating!

We’ll head to the company tonight; Fang Jun and Director Yang are waiting there. We’ll discuss it then!”