The afternoon team experiment competition came to an end.
As they were about to leave, Rong Yu bent down to disassemble the equipment, retrieving the copper wire she had inserted earlier and carefully placing it back into her wristwatch.
Song Huai glanced at her watch.
It was expensive.
Would the Rong family really buy her such a luxurious watch?
Or had Ji Zhouye gifted it to her?
The group walked out of the competition hall and entered another auditorium, waiting for the results to be announced.
A crowd of teachers and parents rushed up to them.
"Song Huai, how did it go?"
"Are you confident?"
Since Song Huai was the most outstanding and the team captain, all eyes were on him.
Song Huai replied, "No major issues."
The previous year's first-place team had achieved a precision error of 0.2%.
This time, Rong Yu and their team had managed to control the error to an unprecedented 0.001%.
Until the results were officially announced, no one dared to say much more.
Everyone waited in the auditorium for about half an hour before the organizing committee finally appeared.
The crystal chandeliers in the awards hall refracted light into countless dazzling specks, scattering across the faces of the audience below.
"The first prize for the team experiment competition—" the host's voice echoed through the surround sound system, "goes to Haicheng No. 1 High School!"
Teacher Yang couldn’t contain her excitement. "Song Huai, Zhang Haoyu, all of you were amazing! A national first prize—come on, go up and receive your award!"
Zhang Haoyu awkwardly spoke up, "It... it was Rong Yu who really did the work."
Song Huai nodded. "It’s true. We only won first prize because of Rong Yu."
"Why are you kids being so modest?" Teacher Yang laughed, her smile stretching from ear to ear. "Go on, hurry up to the stage!"
She nudged the boys forward, whether intentionally or not, completely overlooking Rong Yu.
Pei Yaru gently adjusted Rong Yu’s hair and said warmly, "Go on up."
As they stepped onto the stage, a physics professor handed the trophy to Song Huai as the team captain. Zhang Haoyu and the other boys gathered around him for a group photo.
"Wait," Song Huai said, turning to Rong Yu, who stood at the edge. "You should stand in the middle."
Rong Yu’s voice was calm and indifferent. "It doesn’t matter where I stand."
Song Huai fell silent.
Zhang Haoyu did too.
She was right. Those with true talent would shine no matter where they stood.
After the team photo, it was time to announce the individual rankings.
The morning’s theoretical exam scores, combined with the afternoon’s team experiment results, determined the final standings—and with them, the chance for a recommendation to Tsinghua or Peking University.
The tension in the room was palpable.
"Song Huai, you’ll probably take the gold," Teacher Yang said. "Zhang Haoyu, do you think you can get silver or bronze?"
Zhang Haoyu shook his head. "Theory has always been my weak point."
Teacher Yang reassured him, "It’s fine. Even a bronze medal can give you extra points for the college entrance exam."
Zhang Haoyu glanced at Rong Yu.
He wondered—had Rong Yu really given up on the exam when she turned it in early?
Could someone so skilled just abandon the test?
But then again, finishing two difficult problems in just half an hour seemed impossible...
"The individual gold medal goes to Haicheng No. 1 High School—Song Huai!"
Madam Song nearly fainted from excitement. "I knew my son would secure a spot at Tsinghua or Peking—"
Before she could finish, the host continued, "And the individual gold medal also goes to Haicheng No. 1 High School—Rong Yu..."
Her joy instantly froze. "Rong Yu? Gold medal? How is that possible? There must be a mistake!"
Teacher Yang was equally stunned. "Didn’t Rong Yu forfeit the exam? How could she win gold?"
There were only six gold medals awarded nationwide.
These six students represented the very best in physics for their age group in China—future representatives for international competitions.
Rong Yu was now one of the country’s top physics students?
What kind of joke was this?
It was absurd!
"She must have ridden on my son’s coattails!" Madam Song scoffed. "The team first prize probably boosted her score."
Pei Yaru smiled brightly. "Madam Song might not understand the competition rules. No matter how much the team competition contributes, the individual’s ability is the foundation. Otherwise, why didn’t Zhang Haoyu and the others win gold?"
Madam Song opened her mouth to argue, but Song Huai stopped her.
"Mom, is it really so hard to admit that Rong Yu is exceptional?"
Madam Song’s face darkened.
Yes.
Yes, it was.
A college entrance exam repeater, a country girl raised in the countryside, someone the entire Rong family looked down upon—now standing at the same height as her son?
How could she accept that?
Even the gold medal in her son’s hands suddenly felt less precious.
"It’s time to go up for the awards," Teacher Yang urged. "Hurry along."
Pei Yaru wanted to share the joy with Rong Wangtian, only to remember he wasn’t there.
The six gold medalists—four boys and two girls—stood in a neat row on stage.
Rong Yu held the golden trophy, emotions stirring within her.
In her past life, she had never received such honors. As an overseas-educated researcher under state protection, she had been kept out of the public eye entirely.
She even suspected her fatal car accident might have been orchestrated.
But that was all in the past.
Now, the country was strong. Brilliant young minds could stand under the spotlight without fear of foreign threats.
After the ceremony, the hall buzzed with chatter as people congratulated one another.
A man in his fifties, dressed in a suit and glasses, approached the Haicheng No. 1 High School group.
Pei Yaru, being a physics teacher, recognized him immediately. "Professor Liu!"
Professor Liu, dean of Tsinghua University’s Physics Research Institute, smiled. "The judges mentioned your team encountered a major issue during the experiment..."
Teacher Yang panicked. "Are they reconsidering our results?"
"No, no, not at all," Professor Liu reassured her. "I heard you used materials from a wristwatch to replace testing wires—an innovative solution. I’d like to hear more about it."
Relieved, Teacher Yang pushed Song Huai forward. "You’re the captain. Explain it properly to the professor."
Song Huai began detailing the problem and their solution—but halfway through, he realized Rong Yu would be the better person to explain.
He turned to look for her, only to find she was no longer there.
He had no choice but to continue.
"Impressive, truly impressive," Professor Liu said, admiration in his eyes. "Full marks in theory and practical skills. Would you be interested in studying physics at university?"
Song Huai nodded eagerly. "Absolutely."
"I teach at Tsinghua and take on a few students each year," Professor Liu said warmly. "Once you enroll, you can study directly under me."
Song Huai was stunned, then overjoyed. "Yes, Professor!"
He had been personally chosen by Professor Liu!
A distinguished Tsinghua professor, a figure of such stature, had sought him out as a student!
Winning the gold medal had truly changed everything.
Professor Liu patted his shoulder and said, "Winning the gold medal only proves that you have some talent in physics—just one foot through the door of this vast field. There’s still so much more to learn, so keep pushing forward."
After Professor Liu left, Zhang Haoyu, standing nearby, pressed his lips together and spoke up. "Song Huai, the emergency during our experiment competition was resolved by Rong Yu. That opportunity should have been his. You… you…"
Song Huai cut him off. "I know. I’ll recommend Rong Yu to Professor Liu."
