Chapter 128: Ye Chao’s Class

Because there are so many major subjects and a vast number of students, the various exams are held simultaneously. Students apply for their exam times based on their own habits and capabilities, with the organizers coordinating the overall schedule.

For instance, the three endurance events certainly cannot be scheduled on the same day; it is best to space them out by one or two days, otherwise, it could be fatal. High-intensity, heavy-lifting events that might cause muscle strain are arranged as the final event of the day, because once a strain occurs, it would inevitably affect other events.

Therefore, Ye Chao's choice for his first event was actually quite unreasonable.

Several cameras quickly focused on him. Despite being hissed at and not being favored, he was, after all, the candidate currently ranked first with the most traffic.

Negative traffic is still traffic!

Just as those who owe money are the bosses, the immoral are successful people, and negative growth is still growth... In an instant, the eyes of almost the entire city were fixed upon him.

Weighted squats, which strongly stimulate the lower limbs and torso, are the most complex of all strength training exercises. They stimulate a vast number of muscle groups and are rumored to enhance certain other abilities; they are no different now than they were before the Cataclysm.

If there is any difference, it lies in those rows of barbells of varying weights. Due to the existence of "abilities," one can create ultra-high-density, super-strength alloys. Barbell plates that look similar to those from before the Cataclysm—which were 20kg or 25kg—can now easily weigh 100kg for the same volume.

"Strength test, weighted squat. Candidate Ye Zichao, student ID 51034002. For your first attempt, what weight do you request?" The judge checked his report and asked Ye Chao.

"1,000 kilograms," Ye Chao said calmly.

"100... 1,000 kilograms?" The judge shuddered as if he had suffered a cerebral embolism. "Ahem, are... are you sure?"

1,000 kilograms is the maximum score limit for the weighted squat.

If eyes could talk, the judge’s glare could have tied cherry stems into knots!

If the proctor weren't standing right there, he would have grabbed Ye Chao and demanded, "Have you lost your mind? Even if I'm supposed to help you, you should at least try to be discreet and put on a believable act! If you start like this, how am I supposed to help you?"

That's right, he was one of Li Jing'ao's arrangements. Or rather, most of the judges Ye Chao would encounter next would be arrangements.

"Li Jing'ao the Airtight" is not a name given for no reason.

The barbell props on the field are all inscribed items. A four-star strength judge can make them heavier or lighter just by a thought.

However, since Ye Chao started off with such a massive demand, attracting so many eyes, even if the judge wanted to help, he had to worry about being seen through.

"I am sure," Ye Chao replied calmly.

"How much did he just report?"

"1,000 kilograms? Full marks? Did I hear that right?"

"This kid, he got full marks on his internship and now he's getting cocky... doesn't he know what he usually lifts?"

The murmurs buzzed. Although it hadn't been long, much of Ye Chao's official information had already been dug up; after all, Jiang City is only so big.

What kind of scores did he get before? 80, 90... those were in kilograms, which converted to a score of 8 or 9 out of 100. It was rare for him to ever hit double digits; he had only had that one burst of performance. He couldn't even use a standard barbell and had to use a junior high school one because the standard barbell bar alone weighed 100 kilograms.

Major subjects are inherently ones with very low floors but extremely high ceilings.

Although it was difficult to arrange, Ye Chao had already made his bold claim, and two hundred thousand people in the city were watching. The judge could not refuse, so he bit the bullet and filled out the form. Once the staff loaded the plates, he signaled for Ye Chao's first attempt.

Just like in a weightlifting competition, everyone gets three attempts.

Amidst the murmurs, Ye Chao walked slowly to the barbell. Although the plates were made of super-density alloy, with one plate equivalent to four or five old ones, the ten heavy plates sitting on the bar still carried a strong sense of pressure.

"The whole city is watching you. At a time like this, you should hold your head high, puff out your chest, and remain composed. You could also wave to the audience or even say a few words and crack a joke. This is what we call stage presence," Alpha Ji floated to the side, actively coaching him.

"If you don't know how, I can teach you. For example: 'Life is like this; there are laughs and there are tears. It's just that some people are mainly responsible for the laughter, while others are mainly responsible for the tears.'"

"Or perhaps: 'Autumn is the season of harvest. However, some harvest success and joy, while others harvest the realization that not everyone will find success and joy. Let us encourage one another.'"

"Don't think these things are unimportant! Grace and temperament are reflected bit by bit through the details."

Although he was disgusting and annoying, he was still her host after all. She could hit him, scold him, and mess with him, but others couldn't...

With a light cough, Ye Chao actually spoke, but the content was vastly different from Alpha Ji's suggestions: "Hello everyone, I am candidate Ye Zichao. Today, I would like to explain a concept in physics: hydraulics."

"The concepts of pressure, liquid pressure, and atmospheric pressure were all learned in high school physics. But I don't know if you've noticed that liquids transmit pressure, not force. This creates a very subtle phenomenon—through the static pressure of a liquid medium, one can easily accomplish the accumulation, transmission, and amplification of energy."

Ye Chao projected a chart showing that liquid-transmitted pressure is positively correlated with contact area, followed by a holographic animation of a simple barrel-splitting experiment.

"A Mr. Pascal figured out this principle and performed the famous barrel-splitting experiment. With just a few cups of water, he split a sturdy wooden barrel, proving the power of hydraulic transmission."

"Today, I will do something similar to what he did."

He produced two objects that looked like bicycle pumps out of thin air: "This is called a hydraulic jack. Before the Cataclysm, when people were not as strong as they are now, it was a very common little tool."

"I made a simple modification by connecting the two cylinders in series to balance the pressure, and then adjusted the lever height..."

The holographic PowerPoint slides continued to project, explaining the structural principles.

And so, more than 200,000 people in Jiang City watched in bewilderment as Ye Chao placed the jack under the barbell; watched in bewilderment as he gave a physics lecture; and watched in bewilderment as he pressed the handle, deftly lifting the barbell, lifting it continuously until it was parallel to his shoulders, and then he ducked underneath it...

The jack he chose could bear 5 tons per cylinder before the Cataclysm; with two cylinders in series, that’s 10 tons. After his "Mind Alloy" modifications, it could easily handle four or five times that limit.

Lifting a 1-ton barbell was like a short-legged dachshund trying to dominate a chihuahua—the scale was just all wrong.

"You should all be familiar with hydraulic jacks. Some people use them to engrave fire-seed weapons, and some have used them in college entrance exams. Some succeeded, some failed, because they didn't understand the principles or were vague about the mechanical structure."

"In truth, the principle is just that simple."

"Alright, that’s it for today's lesson! If there is anything you don't understand, please leave a message in the holographic helmet's online classroom."

"Finally, I want to say one more thing: there was a famous saying before the Cataclysm—'Knowledge is power!' People today scoff at this, but I want to say: Knowledge is power, whether before the Cataclysm or after!"

"To those of you who prefer using your brains over your bodies, let us encourage one another."