Chapter 181: President Ji is Awesome
Cheng Yuan really wanted to rush back and have his way with Lin Ruoxi, but he was burdened by karmic debts that needed cleansing. He simply didn’t have the time.
A quiet night passed.
Today was the day of the first round of the provincial Mathematical Olympiad.
Cheng Yuan’s family woke up bright and early.
Before five o’clock, everyone in the family except Shen Youchu was up to cheer on Cheng Qianqian.
"Qianqian, you’ve placed first in two consecutive tests, and you even got a perfect score on the last one. You’ll definitely get a great result in this provincial exam."
"Qianqian, don’t feel any pressure. Even if you don’t do well, it’s okay. Mom, Dad, and your brother all support you."
Facing her family’s encouraging gazes, Cheng Qianqian nodded firmly. "Don’t worry, everyone. I won’t let you down!"
Cheng Hongbing drove the Benz that Cheng Yuan had bought, taking Cheng Yuan and Cheng Qianqian to the high-speed rail station.
On the way, Cheng Yuan once again smoothed out the capillaries in Cheng Qianqian’s Brain Domain, further increasing her mental agility.
After Cheng Yuan and Cheng Qianqian entered the waiting hall, they saw that the supervising teachers, as well as the other two students and their parents, had already arrived.
They were all familiar faces.
In the last mock exam, Cheng Qianqian had taken first place with a perfect score, Ji Tingting had taken second with 147 points, and Li Xin had taken third with 145 points.
And just like that, all three spots for the competition went to students from Class 1.
The Academic Dean and homeroom teacher of Class 1, Zhang Jing, along with Class 1’s math teacher, Li Yankui, naturally became the supervising teachers.
Zhang Jing owed her promotion to Academic Dean to Cheng Yuan’s help, so she greeted him with great enthusiasm the moment she saw him from afar.
"Mr. Cheng, you’ve arrived!"
Li Yankui was a little intimidated by Cheng Yuan, and he too offered a somewhat reserved greeting.
Li Xin’s father, Li Bo, wore a fawning expression, acting as if their minor past conflict had never happened.
Only Ji Tingting’s father, Ji Yanjun, remained slightly reserved. He had attended university in the Provincial City and had many connections there. ’Cheng Yuan might have some influence in Luocheng, but in the Provincial City, everyone will have to look to me, President Ji!’
"Train LK2068 from Luocheng to the Provincial City is now arriving. Passengers traveling to the Provincial City, please begin boarding."
A pleasant voice rang out, and the passengers began to line up in an orderly fashion to have their tickets checked.
The group followed the crowd, entered the platform’s queuing area, and boarded the train in an orderly manner.
The math competition was considered official business, so the high-speed rail tickets were paid for by No. 1 High School. The school had booked economy class tickets in car number 6, hoping it was a good omen, as the number six is associated with things going smoothly.
After the students were seated, they all took out their competition materials and began studying with intense focus.
At first, everything went smoothly.
After about ten minutes, some passengers gradually fell asleep, a few even snoring softly.
The students were somewhat affected, but they could still manage for the time being.
Suddenly, a baby just over a year old started wailing, either out of hunger or fear from the unfamiliar environment.
The baby’s cries were incredibly loud and simply wouldn’t stop.
The mother couldn’t soothe the child no matter what she tried, and she apologized to the surrounding passengers with a regretful expression.
The passengers expressed their understanding; it was normal for a small child to cry.
However, Cheng Qianqian, Ji Tingting, and Li Xin were on the verge of a breakdown. The baby was crying so loudly that they couldn’t focus on their study problems at all.
Seeing the three students’ frustration, the teachers and parents grew anxious as well, but they couldn’t exactly scold a baby.
What could they do?
Li Yankui was the most worried. Having chaperoned students to the Olympiad many times, he knew very well how much a contestant’s state of mind could affect their performance.
"Director Zhang, and parents, we have to think of something! If the kids’ minds aren’t settled, they’re very likely to underperform."
Cheng Yuan smiled faintly. "Teacher Li, don’t panic. We just need to calm the baby down."
As he spoke, Cheng Yuan activated his Double Pupil and looked at the baby. He saw that the child wasn’t sick or injured, and its little belly was full, so it wasn’t hungry. That meant it was either frightened or sleepy.
Faced with this situation, even Cheng Yuan was at a loss.
"The little one isn’t sick or hungry. It must be startled by the unfamiliar surroundings. I don’t have a good solution for that."
Hearing that even Cheng Yuan had no solution, everyone looked disappointed. ’Is this trip doomed to be a rough one?’
Ji Yanjun was secretly pleased. ’And here I thought this Cheng fellow actually had a few tricks up his sleeve.’
’Is that all he’s got?’
Ji Yanjun waved to a train attendant not far away.
The attendant hurried over and asked respectfully, "Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"
"I’m a high-speed rail VIP member. Here’s my membership card. Can I use my mileage to upgrade our seats?"
The attendant looked apologetic. "I’m very sorry, sir. Currently, only airlines offer mileage upgrades. However, you can receive our highest discount by upgrading with your VIP membership card."
Ji Yanjun nodded in understanding. "Are there any seats left in business class? I need eight."
"Yes, sir."
"Alright then, I want to upgrade. Just charge my card."
"Of course, sir. Who will be upgrading? Please give me your tickets, or the electronic tickets will also work."
Everyone quickly handed their tickets to the attendant.
The attendant was very proficient and completed the upgrade process quickly.
"The upgrade is complete. Please follow me to business class."
The group followed the attendant forward, heading straight for business class.
The business class cabin was spacious, and the seats were luxurious. Except for Ji Yanjun, it was everyone’s first time in business class, and they were all a little excited.
The students cheered aloud.
"Wow, the seats in business class are so big and soft!"
Li Yankui and Li Bo didn’t hide their flattery.
"President Ji, you’re amazing! A VIP member, no less! We’re really basking in your glory today!"
"President Ji, you’re so rich! That upgrade must have cost a fortune, right?"
Ji Yanjun glanced at Cheng Yuan with a touch of smug restraint. "Not much. Just an extra seven or eight thousand."
Cheng Yuan shrugged. It wasn’t that he was unwilling to pay for an upgrade; he just didn’t have any experience with it.
If the thought of upgrading had occurred to Cheng Yuan, he absolutely wouldn’t have cared about a few thousand yuan.
Cheng Yuan just smiled faintly at Ji Yanjun’s provocation, not even bothering to respond. After all, they weren’t even in the same league.
Ji Yanjun was very displeased by this. ’I shelled out real cash, and this Cheng guy doesn’t even say thank you? What’s with that expression? He’s so damn pretentious!’
It had to be said, Ji Yanjun’s several thousand yuan was money well spent.
Business class was quiet, with everyone speaking in low voices. The students could finally focus on their practice problems in peace.
「An hour later, the bullet train arrived at the station.」
Zhang Jing took out her phone, instinctively about to call a rideshare.
Ji Yanjun said with a broad smile, "Teacher Zhang, no need to call a car. I’ve already arranged for one."
Li Yankui and Li Bo immediately started laying on another round of flattery. Zhang Jing’s expression also warmed considerably, and she offered Ji Yanjun a couple of compliments.
Cheng Yuan was dismissive of this. It was only because he was trying to keep a low profile and had hidden his travel plans. Otherwise, the cars from the Hu and Zhu Families would have blocked the entire high-speed rail station.