Chapter 93: Pursuing Both, A Fierce Beast Ventures Alone
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
“Mmm.” Jiang Fuyue nodded. “Is there a problem?”
Xu Jing: “Of course, there’s a problem!”
Meng Zhijian: “A big problem!”
Jiang Fuyue: “?”
Xu Jing: “The national Olympiad in mathematics is just around the corner in October. How could you have time to prepare for IOI?”
Meng Zhijian nodded, “The list for the summer camp in the science competition class is about to be announced, and you’ll have to attend the training.”
“Moreover, you haven’t received any formal training in information science competitions before…”
“I’m self-studying,” Jiang Fuyue replied.
Xu Jing wanted to say that it was practically impossible. If a competition could be mastered so easily, what would be the point of having teachers?
Yes, he admitted that Jiang Fuyue had a high IQ and strong learning abilities, but excelling in mathematics and physics didn’t automatically guarantee proficiency in information science.
Xu Jing: “What you’re doing is risky!”
She had the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) and the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) ahead of her. Winning a prize in either one would earn her direct admission to the top domestic universities, exempting her from the college entrance exam. Wasn’t that weighty enough?
Why bother with IOI? What if she messed up? The stakes were high.
“I’m not saying I don’t believe in you, but an individual’s energy is ultimately limited. It’s a well-known fact that trying to do too much can lead to failure. I don’t think I need to emphasize this point; you should already understand it. The immediate priority is to fully prepare for IMO and IPhO. Less important matters can be put aside temporarily. There will be many opportunities in the future…” Xu Jing earnestly advised.
Jiang Fuyue didn’t show much reaction and calmly said, “I understand what you’re saying, but if an opportunity is right in front of me, why wait for the future?”
Fine! He had spoken so much, and apparently, not a single word had been absorbed.
Xu Jing was exasperated. “You’re throwing away a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed!”
Jiang Fuyue remained nonchalant, “Children make choices; adults pursue both watermelons and sesame seeds.”
Old Xu was stunned, “You…!”
After stuttering for a while, he clenched his teeth and managed to say, “You’re quite arrogant.”
“Arrogant?” Jiang Fuyue shrugged, unfazed. “Well, I’ve always been like this.”
If you call it arrogance, then so be it.
Xu Jing: “?” How could there be such a shameless person in the world?
“Anyone can talk big.” Even at this point, he refused to give in.
Jiang Fuyue said, “Then let me prove it through action.”
Xu Jing’s stiff posture instantly softened, he sighed softly, his face reflecting helplessness, “Have you really thought this through?”
“Yes.”
“…The school indeed has two recommended spots…”
“Old Xu!” Meng Zhijian couldn’t believe it. He actually compromised so easily?
Xu Jing waved at him to calm down and continued, “However, due to the lack of attention given to the information science competition and the absence of specialized training, many students don’t even know what IOI is, let alone how to register for it. As a result, these two spots have gone unused for many years.”
No. 1 High School was renowned for its mathematics competitions, and even the science competition had to yield. So, how could information science competitions compare?
“The current rules and specific recommendation procedures may have changed. I need to communicate with the school before giving you an accurate response.”
“Okay.” Jiang Fuyue nodded.
Even if the school didn’t recommend her, she had other ways to participate; it would just be a bit more troublesome.
“Well, then, I’ll take my leave, Teacher Xu.”
“Mmm, go ahead. Stay safe. Don’t stay up late tonight. Rest well; you still have two subjects tomorrow.”
After Jiang Fuyue left, before Xu Jing could speak, Meng Zhijian exploded.
“Old Xu, are you out of your mind? Let Jiang Fuyue participate in IOI? The school has to recommend her? I think it wasn’t Jiang Fuyue who stayed up late last night, but you! Your brain has gone bad! You didn’t even let me speak. You… you… you’ve really angered me!”
“I wanted to stop her too, but can I really stop her? Look at the way she is. Did she come here to discuss it with me? This young girl has big ideas. She had already thought it through a long time ago. No matter how much we advise, it’s useless. It’s better to let her do it herself. She’ll only realize the consequences when she hits a brick wall!” Xu Jing explained, full of helplessness.
“But, Old Xu you can’t just let her be like this! The schedule for the math competition and science competition is already so tight. You know that. And now she’s adding information science into the mix. We’re in trouble…”
“Hmph,” Xu Jing glanced at him askew, his tone icy, “Now you understand what I felt when Jiang Fuyue joined the science competition class, right?”
“…”
The next morning, the comprehensive science exam was in the morning, followed by English in the afternoon.
In the first thirty minutes, everyone saw Jiang Fuyue start writing, but for the rest of the time, she was basically asleep.
With the end of the final exams, vacation swiftly arrived.
Xu Jing had news as well:
“The school can recommend you, but No. 1 High School doesn’t have a leading teacher for IOI. You have two options now: either go on your own or join the team from Linbei No. 7 High School. The school will negotiate on your behalf.”
Jiang Fuyue furrowed her eyebrows. “IOI always competes on an individual basis, right?”
“Well, as you said, that’s for IOI, the international competition. But currently, we are in the domestic selection phase, and many schools with strong computer science teams compete as a group. Of course, individual participants are also allowed,” replied Xu Jing.
Jiang Fuyue said, “I’ll go as an individual.”
Xu Jing wasn’t entirely in agreement and tried to advise her, “You need to think it through. Being part of a team means you’ll have teachers looking after your daily life. If you go alone, you’ll have to handle many things by yourself, which can be time-consuming and tiring.”
Moreover, the most critical point was that competing in another city as an individual could lead to loneliness, which might affect your exam performance.
After all, it was quite common for students, especially high school students with limited experience and insufficient training, to experience a breakdown in their mental state just before taking an exam.
Jiang Fuyue shook her head and said, “I don’t need that.”
Xu Jing was about to say more but was stunned when he heard her say, “Sheep and cattle move in herds, while lions and tigers roam alone.”
Afterward, he called the school and said, “Jiang Fuyue declined. She wants to go alone.”
“What? Haven’t you explained the pros and cons to her? We can’t just let her go alone; it’s worrisome!”
“What’s there to worry about? The girl said, ‘Sheep and cattle move in herds, while lions and tigers roam alone!'”
It stunned them again.
…..
During the first week of summer vacation, Jiang Fuyue spent most of her time in the city library.
She started by going through the IOI real questions from the past two decades and then analyzed the question orientation. She considered factors like the development of information science at home and abroad, hot topics in the field at the time, research outcomes, and the background of the question setters. This included their work experience, specialized research areas, and personal papers.
Only after that did she begin preparing for the domestic selections.
In Jiang Fuyue’s eyes, the domestic selections were something she could easily “deal with.”
First of all, the domestic competition and the international competition were entirely different concepts with a massive gap in difficulty.
Secondly, the competition formats were different.
Lastly, the content and intellectual focus of the competition were also distinct. She had initially aimed for the latter. As for the former, it was merely a stepping stone to reach the latter—a necessary one, important but not to be obsessed over.
Neglecting the international competition to prepare for the domestic selections would be losing the forest for the trees.
During the week when Jiang Fuyue was preparing, the results of the second round of physics competition and the final exam rankings were released…
Quiz Time!
What was Jiang Fuyue’s total score for the finals? A. Perfect score of 750
B. Deducted one point, 749
C. Deducted two points, 748
D. Left blank, 0 points
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
