“Let’s stop here for now. I’m going to test everyone with a few problems. As usual, if you know how to solve them, raise your hand voluntarily.”
After speaking, Professor Li felt a bit thirsty. He opened the cup placed at the edge of the lectern and, while drinking, scanned the entire class of students out of the corner of his eye.
A figure who was completely absorbed, as if lost in his own world, caught his attention. Mainly because he was holding a math textbook. If it were anyone else in the class, Professor Li would have found it normal, but this student was different—he was the one who consistently ranked last in every math exam.
He screwed the cap back on his cup, set it down, placed his hands leisurely behind his back, and strolled over.
Yang Haoran was completely unaware. Professor Li, who had walked up behind him, adjusted his presbyopia glasses and began looking at the math textbook together with him.
Professor Li’s unusual behavior attracted the attention of the entire class, and all eyes turned toward them.
When he saw it was Yang Haoran, Zhao Jun felt a secret thrill. Let’s see what you have to be so proud of now. You’re probably about to embarrass yourself in front of the whole class, he thought with anticipation, quietly watching how things would unfold.
Hopefully, Professor Li will give Yang Haoran a fierce scolding to satisfy my inner grievances, he muttered to himself.
Yang Mengyao, seeing that Professor Li was focusing on her brother, grew anxious and frantically tried to catch Yang Haoran’s eye. But how could Yang Haoran, immersed in an ocean of knowledge, possibly notice?
Xiao Shaowan, Zhou Shiwen, Wei Ming, and other classmates who had a relatively good impression of Yang Haoran also tried to signal him with their eyes that the teacher was behind him. This was especially true for those seated near him—both male and female classmates—whose eyes were darting around so frantically they nearly popped out. Some of these students had also disapproved of Zhao Jun’s actions last time but had stayed out of it and not spoken up for Yang Haoran.
However, when Yang Haoran ended up beating Zhao Jun, they felt a sense of satisfaction, and their impression of him improved slightly.
While some wanted to warn him, there were certainly no shortage of those who wanted to see Yang Haoran make a fool of himself. In fact, most of the class was looking forward to seeing a joke.
Wei Ming, seated behind him, was burning with anxiety. If the teacher hadn’t been right next to Yang Haoran, he would have kicked his chair to warn him.
The atmosphere in the entire classroom fell into silence, broken only by the rustling sound of Yang Haoran turning pages.
This eerie silence lasted for a full minute before Professor Li’s voice broke it.
“Student Yang Haoran, do you understand what you’re reading?” Professor Li asked with some surprise. He had observed him for over a minute, and judging by his expression, it didn’t seem fake—he genuinely appeared to be studying seriously. However, Yang Haoran’s rapid page-turning speed made Professor Li somewhat doubtful.
Moreover, the content Yang Haoran was currently reading was beyond the syllabus. Professor Li hadn’t even taught it yet; this was material for future lessons.
The voice sounding so close to his ear finally caught Yang Haoran’s attention.
He turned his head and was startled to see an elderly face right next to him.
“Uh… Professor.”
Once he realized it was Professor Li, Yang Haoran let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, he had felt a sense of dread.
“I’m asking you, Student Yang Haoran, do you understand all of this?”
Professor Li pointed to the textbook in Yang Haoran’s hands, which showed content about plane vectors—a topic he wasn’t scheduled to teach until at least two weeks later.
Yang Haoran hesitated for a moment before replying uncertainly, “I… I think I understand it.”
Professor Li, judging by his tone, didn’t think he was lying. With his many years of teaching experience, he could usually tell at a glance whether a student was being dishonest.
However, Yang Haoran’s frightening reading speed made him doubt himself. He began to question his own judgment, honed over decades. So he said, “Alright, since you claim to understand, do you see those problems on the blackboard? Go solve them, and I’ll believe you. If you can’t do it, that means you were lying and daydreaming in class. You’ll have to write a self-criticism.”
Professor Li spoke with firm authority, but his elderly face also revealed a hint of anticipation. Could it be that I misjudged this perennial underachiever? Is he actually a hidden math genius?
Self-studying and understanding high school math textbooks wasn’t particularly rare—many students could do it. What impressed Professor Li was Yang Haoran’s terrifying reading speed, which indicated that his thought processes were far faster than those of an average person—enough to be called frightening. That was talent.
Hearing this, Yang Haoran looked up at the problems on the blackboard: