Chapter 90: Breaking News
Translator: Ash Editor: Geoffrey
"Wow!"
The crowd remained silent for half a second before suddenly erupting into a pandemonium of cheers and exclamations.
"Helian Lie is Floating Spear City’s champion in this year’s college entrance examinations! A Spiritual Root Development Quotient of 88% and a total score of 629.2! In recent years, such a good score is rare!"
"After all these years, our Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School has finally produced a Floating Spear City's champion of the College Entrance Examination again!"
"Wow, look! Zheng Dongming from the Phoenix Ridge Second High School is second place. His Spiritual Root Development Quotient is 2% higher than Helian Lie, but his score is lower, making his final score just half a point lower than Helian Lie — that’s amazing!"
"Look, Si Jiaxue, another student of Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School, is in third place and is just half a point behind Zheng Dongming!"
"Two of the top three are students from the Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School. This time, Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School definitely deserves to be called the top high school in Floating Spear City!"
"I did it!"
Helian Lie yelled in excitement. Fiercely punching the air with his fist, his fist had unexpectedly given rise to ripples in the space before him.
Nearby, Principal Zhao Shude, the Disciplinary Head Hei Mianshen, and as well as the various trustees of the school took a deep breath in succession. Their faces revealed a look of ecstasy; they were all mad with joy.
Helian Ba was extremely complacent as he grinned from ear to ear.
"Old Zhao, this year, our Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School has a record-breaking harvest, and we have completely suppressed the Phoenix Ridge Second High School's fame!"
"Yes, due to this year's exam results, many good seedlings will definitely choose our Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School next year. If the students are good, the results will keep getting better and better. Now that we have gotten rid of the predicaments from the previous years and have stepped onto this virtuous cycle, we will only get stronger and stronger!"
"Old Zhao, this was only possible because of all of your meritorious deeds. As soon as this news reaches the Crimson Nimbus Sect, presumably even the Sect Master will be very happy!"
"How can that be? First and foremost, our students were able to get such a good score because of the collective support of every trustee. Credit also needs to be given to the hard-working teacher who had put a lot of effort into each student. Finally, it is also because of the hard work of our students. How could it be related to this Zhao? Hahahaha!"
Zhao Shude laughed very jovially. Over the past these months, Li Yao's matter had been stuck in his throat. He always felt as if there was a thorn in his heart; it was very uncomfortable.
Today, all the troubles had vanished in a puff of smoke. He felt as if all the dark clouds shrouding his heart had vanished; he felt as calm and clear as the clear sky and as boundless as the sea and sky. He was relaxed to the extreme. Even if he were granted the freedom and everlasting life of an immortal, he would not change!
"Beep Beep Beep!"
Someone had sent him a spiritual crane message. It was Elder Zhou Yin, who was the person in charge of education in the Crimson Nimbus Sect.
In the hologram, a smile that was as bright and as beautiful as a spring was hung on Zhou Yin’s face, as if hundreds of flowers were in full bloom.
"Principal Zhao, this time, the performance of the Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School is very good; two of the top three are students of Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School. Even Sect Master came to me for advice. Hahahaha. It is all due to your meritorious service. After discussing with the Sect Master, we have decided it will be better to let you, Principal Zhao, personally speak in the Sect's General Assembly. What do you think?"
Zhao Shude was so excited that he was about to have a heart attack; his face was flushed red to the ears. "It is all due to Elder Zhou's care, it is all due to Elder Zhou's care!"
Zhou Yin waved his arm.
"Fostering begets fostering, and hard work is paid with hard work. In short, this time, we got a big win and those who had done meritorious service will be rewarded! Ha, even the stocks of our Crimson Nimbus Sect are beginning to fluctuate. It seems they have already received the news. Our stock prices are going to soar! First, let's not talk about you. I still have to discuss with Sect Master about how we’re going to disseminate the news to the public — we are going to completely spread the good news! So you must be prepared to do several press releases. In a short while, we are certainly going to hold a press conference. Later, there will be a celebration party which will span over a few days. You and Helian Lie are going to be the main guests, so you can not be careless!"
"Yes! Elder Zhou, don't worry. I will ardently promote the Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School!" Zhao Shude was radiating in happiness; his entire face was flushed red like a completely ripe persimmon.
Soon after, from the sky came deafening whistles. A dozen or so flying shuttles were approaching at very high speed.
"It's the reporters! The reporters from all the major news channels have arrived!" Several parents with good eyesight immediately recognized the flying shuttles.
Sure enough, the flying shuttle had yet to land, but several impatient journalists jumped out from the flying shuttle. With a murderous look on their faces, they plunged into the crowd and started shouting at the top of their lungs.
"Student Helian Lie? Where is Student Helian Lie?"
"Student Helian Lie, you are the Floating Spear City's Champion of this year’s college entrance examination. Please tell us how you are feeling."
"Student Helian Lie, may I ask how do you usually train? Can you share some of your training experience with the other students?"
"Principal Zhao, Principal Zhao Shude! Since the sudden appearance of the cultivation genius 'Fiend Blade Peng Hai' a few years back, your Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School has been completely silent. In Floating Spear City, which is one of the important cultivation city in the federation, you have been continuously suppressed by the Phoenix Ridge Second High School. But why has two geniuses suddenly appeared this year in Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School? Please tell us about your thoughts, Principal Zhao!"
"There is no need to hurry; you don't need to be so anxious. Friends from the media, please be patient. I will answer all your questions, but it’ll be in the press conference which will be held very soon. If you have any questions, please wait till then. I promise I will speak without any reservation — I'll tell you all I know!"
Zhao Shude's face was radiating happiness, grinning from ear to ear.
Helian Ba also squeezed to his son's side and patted Helian Lie's shoulder with force. He could not hide his joy. "Atta boy, you have saved your father's face. Well done, you did well!"
"Are you Helian Lie? I am a reporter from Floating Spear Morning Post. First. Please reveal a bit of your experiences in private with us!" A few reporters recognized Helian Lie and desperately squeezed over.
After the excitement at the start, Helian Lie became very calm. He swept over the hologram, shook his head, and said, "Wait! Only 80% of the scores of Floating Spear City’s examinees have been calculated; there are still some districts where the scores of their examinees have yet to be calculated. This is not the final ranking."
Because there were too many examinees, the amount of data was too much, thus all the data was divided into batches, calculated one by one, and fed into the database.
Until now, there were several slum districts where the examinees' scores had not yet been uploaded and calculated.
However, in light of the results from previous years, these examinees from the slum district would not raise any big storm. After all, they didn't have enough money to put food on their table, so how were they going to train? How could they score within the top one thousand of Floating Spear City’s College Entrance Examination?
Even if they somehow made their way into the top one thousand list, it would be near impossible for them to create any big effect on top hundred. At least, in the last few decades, it was unheard of for any high school within the slum districts to have an examinee who paved a road to the city’s top one hundred.
Therefore, once the top hundred students were determined, it was 100% certain that the ranking would not change!
Very soon, at the bottom of the hologram, the progress had jumped to "90%". Citywide 90% of the examinees’ scores had been uploaded to the database and had been calculated.
"Now, the examinees' scores from the three districts had been uploaded. There has been no change in the top thousand rankings. First place is still Helian Lie — are you now ready for the interview?"
"Wait a minute!" Helian Lie gaze still didn’t leave the hologram. On the back his hand, blue veins were bulging.
"93%! This time, even the scores of examinees who had personally registered for the college entrance examination have been calculated. You are still first. Student Helian Lie, please tell us about your experiences. You absolutely can not hide it! Student Helian Lie, the majority of viewers are now anxiously waiting for your interview!"
"Wait a minute!"
"97%! In the entire Floating Spear City, only the scores of the examinees from the Limestone District have yet to be calculated. The Limestone District is a famous slum district. The few high schools it has are all rotten to the extreme. Even last year, not a single student from the Limestone District could enter the top ten thousand in the entire city! Student Helian Lie, now can you give us an interview!"
Several journalists shouted at the top of their voice. They had almost plugged Helian Lie’s mouth with their crystal mic.
"Only the Limestone District is left?"
Helian Lie heaved a sigh of relief. His entire body seemed to be brimming with energy and vitality, radiating with cheerfulness.
He nodded his head at the several journalists, took the crystal mic, and started speaking with fervor and confidence, "Respected viewers, parents, students, and teachers, hello! I am Floating Spear City's champion of the college entrance examination, Helian Lie. A reporter had asked me if I have any tips to give — Of course, I do! I have three tips: first is hard work, second is hard work, and the third is work hard like a madman! I believe as long as you have worked hard enough, everyone can create miracles..."
He was prepared to speak some more when he noticed all the journalists, parents, and students were all dumbfounded. As if they had seen some ghost, they were all firmly staring at the huge hologram behind him.
Helian Lie felt as if his heart had been ruthlessly clutched by an invisible hand. He immediately turned his head and noticed that the hologram, which had been entirely still till now, was beginning to fluctuate. At the bottom of the ranking, there were some changes happening.
"Wow, breaking news!"
"Impossible, it is absolutely impossible!"
"An examinee from the Limestone District has actually made his way into the top thousand of the Floating Spear City — Rank 998!"
"That’s incredible! Student Ge Qiang from Limestone High School is truly incredible. He has actually subverted so many competitors from high-quality high schools and paved his way into the top thousand. Amazing, this is truly amazing!"
One by one, several journalists started talking about him. All of them were talking of going to the Limestone High School to interview Student Ge Qiang after interviewing the college entrance examination champion, Helian Lie.
Helian Lie once again took a long deep breath, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, glanced at the progress rate at the bottom of the hologram, and found that 99.9% of the examinees' scores had been fed into the database.
Only the waste school, the "Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School" that was at the bottom of the ranking in last year’s college entrance examination, had not entered the database.
Helian Lie collected himself. On his face appeared a smile once again.
"As everyone can see, as I have said before, as long as you work hard enough, it is possible for everyone to create miracles! At the moment, behind me, nothing less than a miracle has occurred. An examinee from the Limestone High School has actually made his way into the top thousand of the Floating Spear City's college entrance examination rankings. You can imagine how hard it must have been! In fact, you should not be interviewing me, you should go to Limestone High School and interview Fellow Student Ge Qiang. It's not strange for me to get the title of college entrance examination champion. Fellow Student Ge Qiang is truly worthy..."
Helian Lie's voice once again abruptly came to a stop.
He discovered that everyone in front of him, regardless of whether it was the reporters, parents, students, teachers, head instructor, trustees, and even his own father, Helian Ba —
Everyone was staring with their mouth agape, as if they have all lost their wits — they were all extremely horrified!
This time, the expression on their faces was completely different from a moment ago.
A moment ago, it was like they had seen a ghost.
But at this moment, as if they had become a ghost, as if they had become a wandering ghost, as if they had become a zombie… or as if some spirit glyph had been pasted onto their forehead, suppressing their bodies — their bodies had become completely rigid!
In an instant, the large campus became dead silent, much like an abandoned cemetery.
Thousands of people stood upright like the thousands of weed growing by a tombstone!
Helian Lie's breath became extremely rapid. Every one of his joints was as if it had been covered in rust, even turning his neck had become extremely difficult for him.
"Look, you, you quickly take look, quickly look..."
A reported stammered. His gaze was as if it had been stuck on something behind Helian Lie; he was unable to move.
Helian Lie's mind went blank. With all his strength, he turned his head inch by inch, forcing his own gaze to fall upon the hologram.
At the top of the hologram, just above his name, appeared a brand new name.
The name was like a ghost — from the abyss of the large amount of data, it silently made its way to the top, suddenly climbing above Helian Lie!
"Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School's Student Li Yao, college entrance examination total score 781, Spiritual Root Development Quotient 92%, final score 718.52, citywide first!"