Chapter 39: Absolutely Ridiculous! Getting into Peking University with a Score of 500?

The audience, who had been on the verge of dispersing, paused upon hearing Huo Qitai’s announcement. They were curious to see which university would admit him, while simultaneously lamenting that he hadn't had enough time to prepare.

"Him? Why bother checking his admission results?" Zhang Ting scoffed with profound disdain. "He only put down Peking University as his one and only choice. Checking now is a guarantee that he wasn't admitted anywhere. He’s just grandstanding!"

Lin Yan, already feeling a bit deflated, glared and said to her younger brother, "He only applied to Peking University; he’s definitely not getting in anywhere. What a clown. Does he really think that because he read a few study tips online, he can compare himself to a top student from Peking University?"

"But, sister, I think the study methods Huo Qitai talked about actually seem quite useful," Lin Qi said, showing a bit more discernment and disagreeing with her.

"Pfft! It just sounds like it makes sense. Anyone can spout nonsense if they try hard enough. He’s just good at fooling people." Blinded by prejudice, Lin Yan refused to acknowledge anything Huo Qitai had shared.

Nearby, Vivian, who had just stood up, looked at Liu Ruyu in confusion. "Mengmeng! Didn't you say Huo Qitai only applied to Peking University? His score clearly makes it impossible for him to be admitted. Why would he go on stage to check his results and... invite such public humiliation?"

Liu Ruyu shook her head, equally puzzled. "I don't know. What could be the point of him doing this?"

Similarly, Xue Xiaoshan and Chang Lu, who had walked from behind the scenes to the stage area, were just as confused.

"Lulu, hurry and stop Brother Tai! Don't let him embarrass himself on stage! That gibberish he just spouted already made everyone think he could keep pace with a Peking University ace. If he checks his results now, everyone’s going to laugh their heads off. He spent all that time talking about study methods, only to end up not getting into any university..." Xue Xiaoshan said in a panic.

But it was clearly too late to stop Huo Qitai now. Xue Xiaoshan even covered his eyes, not daring to look at the results on the big screen. Chang Lu, however, stared at Huo Qitai’s calm and confident expression, her own eyes widening as she turned to the screen, as if she had a premonition that a miracle might occur.

The average audience members in the hall were mostly unaware of Huo Qitai's application status. They were, however, well aware of the awkwardness of a 579-point score—a provincial ranking of six or seven thousand was neither here nor there. It could barely qualify for the provincial capital's 211-project Fuzhou University, but the major would certainly not be a top-tier one. If one looked outside the province, top-tier 211 or 985-project universities in Beijing or Shanghai were essentially out of reach. One would have to settle for 211 or 985 schools in remote inland provinces to land a decent major. Whether a good school or a good major was more important had always been a dilemma for parents and students during the college application process. Therefore, everyone was eager to see which school and major Huo Qitai, with his excellent eloquence and clear thinking, had ultimately chosen.

As Huo Qitai clicked the "Query" button, everyone craned their necks to watch the big screen on stage.

*Ding!*

With the chime of a browser pop-up, the admission page appeared.

*Huo Qitai, Peking University, Department of Economics.*

It was an admission result that no one, except for Huo Qitai himself, could have anticipated. The massive hall instantly fell into a dead silence. Time seemed to freeze for a moment, and the expressions on everyone’s faces shifted to ones of exaggerated shock.

After a full five seconds, the hall erupted once more, this time with even more violent roaring and screaming.

"Peking University? How is that possible? Didn't this Huo Qitai only score 579?"

"Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Was he really admitted to Peking University? And the popular Department of Economics, at that?"

"How did he do it? He displayed his subject scores earlier; the total was 579. There’s no mistake."

...

He was insane! Almost everyone was losing their minds. It was preposterous! A score of five hundred and something couldn't even clear the threshold for Xiamen University, yet Huo Qitai was admitted to Peking University?

"It’s... it’s fake, right? Huo Qitai didn't even score as well as I did; how could he get into Peking University?" The mocking smile that had been on Zhang Ting’s face froze completely, and she stood there like a wooden statue.

"Huo Qitai got into Peking University? This... this... how is this possible? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Lin Yan rubbed her eyes fiercely, but no matter how many times she looked, the words "Peking University," seemingly shining with golden light on the big screen, remained firmly in place.

"Whoa! Sister, Huo Qitai really did get into Peking University. Does that mean his study methods really work? I have to study them carefully; I want to get into Peking University too. I’ve always been much smarter than him. If he can get into Peking University, it should be a breeze for me." Lin Qi was incredibly excited. He felt conflicted—full of contempt for Huo Qitai on one hand, and burning with envy on the other.

Liu Ruyu felt like the world was going mad. "Mengmeng! Wow! Wow! I am truly astonished. That boy Huo Qitai actually made his dream come true! You laughed at him before, saying he’d never get into Peking University in this lifetime. Isn't that what you call... right! Being short-sighted!" Vivian waved her fists excitedly; she had always loved watching these kinds of unexpected comeback stories.

She hadn't expected that she would one day witness such a scene with her own eyes.

"He... he really got into Peking University!!!" Liu Ruyu was too shocked to say anything else. She felt as if the world had suddenly turned completely abnormal.

"Peking University! Peking University! Even if this year’s test was hard, it’s not like no one applied! Damn! Brother Tai, your score wasn't even as high as mine, how did you manage to snag a spot at Peking University? You’ve hit the jackpot this time! Hahahaha..." Xue Xiaoshan was filled with envy and jealousy, but he also felt a sense of reflected glory and was happy for Huo Qitai.

Chang Lu, standing at the edge of the stage, suddenly burst into tears. She quickly covered her mouth, muttering, "It’s wonderful! Qitai! It’s wonderful! Truly wonderful!"

However... the frenzy in the hall had only just begun. Every parent and student wanted to know why Huo Qitai had been admitted to Peking University. Was it truly a stroke of luck, or was there some other secret?

Some parents who were unclear about the scoring and admission rules even began to get excited, thinking that if Huo Qitai could get into Peking University with a score in the five hundreds, their own children surely could too.

For instance, Lin Yan’s father, Lin Songsheng, who had sneaked in halfway through the speech to find his daughter and son, was now staring with wide eyes, seeing that Huo Qitai had made it to Peking University with 579 points. Since his daughter had scored 600, much higher than Huo Qitai, couldn't she also get into Tsinghua or Peking University?

"Quick! Yan'er, you go up on stage and use the computer to check as well. If he can get into Peking University, why can't you?" Lin Songsheng said, his heart burning with anticipation as he urged his daughter. If he could have a daughter who got into Peking University, even the bureau chief at his workplace would have to show him respect.

But Lin Yan shook her head. "Dad! I didn't apply to Peking University. But looking at this, the test was hard this year, and everyone was very cautious with their applications. My first choice, Xiamen University, is definitely secure. I don't need to go on stage to check; I can check with my phone. This is a Nokia 5230, a smartphone—it can access the internet..."

As she spoke, Lin Yan proudly pulled out her phone, opened the college admission inquiry website, and began tapping in her exam registration number digit by digit on the keypad.

...

[During the new book period, there is usually one chapter in the evening and one after midnight. I will ramp up the updates once it is officially published!]