They traveled through time at the same time, but the villainous scientist

Chapter 61 Skipping Grades and Idol Theory

Zhuge Gong's eyes widened in disbelief as he picked at his ear.

He even wondered if he was hallucinating because of his age.

"Say it again? What the hell are you participating in?"

Zhuge Gong's voice trembled slightly, and his finger pointing at Zhuge Qing quivered.

This kid usually seems quite composed, so why is he talking nonsense today?
"I'm preparing to take the college entrance examination."

"I used the pocket money you gave me to buy a lot of high school study materials."

By now, I have completed my high school curriculum.

Zhuge Qing, however, remained remarkably calm and replied.

This world is different from the world of Naruto. To gain national-level support, taking the formal academic path is undoubtedly the fastest and safest way.

His age and his ability to take the college entrance examination directly and achieve good results will inevitably attract widespread attention.

But this may not necessarily be a bad thing.

After all, when a recognized genius makes some groundbreaking achievements, people are more likely to accept it and take it for granted, even if they are shocked.

However, if an ordinary person, or someone who is far from reaching that level in the public's perception, suddenly produces something far ahead of its time, it will only attract endless scrutiny and trouble.

People might wonder if he received something he shouldn't have, like... some heaven-sent treasure, or if he dug up someone's ancestral grave.

Therefore, he needs to first gain sufficient prestige before he can gradually reveal those technologies...

He had been preparing for this for a long time...

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Gong opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know where to begin.

He was skeptical.

He knew his son was exceptionally talented.

But isn't this leap a bit too big?

Reading books is one thing, but to truly master complex knowledge, especially in subjects like math, physics, and chemistry, and reach a level sufficient for the college entrance exam...

That's not something that can be done overnight!
"Alright, since you're so confident, I'll let you give it a try!"

Zhuge Gong slapped his thigh and made his decision.

He was, after all, the patriarch of the Zhuge family, and still held some influence in the circle.

Therefore, Zhuge Gong quickly contacted a good high school and secured an entrance exam opportunity for Zhuge Qing.

The tests, covering the six main subjects of Chinese, mathematics, English, physics, chemistry, and biology, were conducted at the same level as those for graduating high school seniors, with no preferential treatment whatsoever.

As a result, when the exam results came out, the entire school leadership team was shocked!
In the office, several teachers held Zhuge Qing's almost perfect answer sheet, their hands trembling.

"This...this was really made by a ten-year-old child?"

"Principal, look at the solution to this last math problem! It's even simpler than the standard answer! This approach is brilliant!"

"And this physics, this chemistry, my god, this was all self-taught?!"

"Um... is it really that amazing?"

Seeing this scene, Zhuge Gong was completely bewildered.

"Mr. Zhuge! Your son is a genius! A true genius!"

"Look at this score! It's far above the first-tier university cutoff! It even... it might even be a contender for the provincial top score!"

"He must come to our school! We'll give him the best resources! The best teachers! Tuition is completely free! No, no, no, we'll give him scholarships! The highest scholarships ever!"

Upon hearing this, the principal grabbed Zhuge Gong's hand with great enthusiasm.

This child is only ten years old. Even if he only gets into an ordinary university, it will still be the most impressive promotional material for his school.

If they did even better on the exam, we could run a headline like, "Ten-year-old prodigy enrolled at our school and got into a top university in one go"—that would be so eye-catching!

Zhuge Gong listened to these effusive compliments and looked at the principal's demeanor, as if he wanted to worship his son on the spot, and his expression became somewhat strange.

Pride, that's for sure.

But more than anything, it was a complex feeling... like one's own cabbage was being eyed by a pig, oops, I mean, one's own prodigy son was finally about to be exposed. "Since the school thinks so highly of this kid, let's give him a try."

Finally, he coughed twice and nodded.

In this way, Zhuge Qing became a "senior high school student" in a way that left everyone speechless.

Months later, amidst countless gazes filled with surprise, doubt, or anticipation.

Zhuge Qing, a ten-year-old "college entrance exam candidate," naturally entered the college entrance exam hall.

After that, it was time to wait for the results to be released.

The day the college entrance examination results were released, the whole country was in an uproar!

The front pages of major news media outlets were dominated by one name—Zhuge Qing!

This year's top scorer in the college entrance examination, a super genius with a near-perfect score, is actually just a ten-year-old child!

The whole country was shaken!
"Ten-year-old prodigy wins top score in college entrance exam!"

"A prodigy breaks historical records!"

Similar headlines sprang up like mushrooms after rain, and photos and "deeds" of Zhuge Qing spread throughout the streets and alleys.

What followed was naturally a deluge of publicity and media coverage.

The media swarmed in like sharks smelling blood.

Initially, the focus of the publicity was naturally on Zhuge Qing's reputation as a "child prodigy," and various reports analyzing his learning methods and family education emerged one after another.

However, when reporters dug deeper and discovered that this newly crowned top scorer in the college entrance examination was actually a descendant of the famous Zhuge Liang, the entire public opinion was instantly ignited!
The focus of the publicity campaign immediately shifted dramatically.

"A descendant of Zhuge Liang is the wisest in the world, and he topped the national college entrance examination at the age of ten!"

"A thousand years of wisdom passed down, the descendants of Zhuge Liang continue the legend!"

"A unicorn emerges from the land where dragons lie, and a golden phoenix flies out from Zhuge Village!"

Headlines like these quickly dominated the front pages of major media outlets, their popularity even surpassing all entertainment and social news.

This trend even directly sparked a wave of "Kongming fever".

Across the country, tourist attractions even remotely associated with Zhuge Liang, such as the Wuhou Temple and the ancient Longzhong, are overflowing with visitors.

Especially in their Zhuge Village, it was completely packed!

The path at the village entrance is always completely blocked.

Most of those who came were parents of students, all incredibly devout, saying they wanted to absorb the "literary aura" of the top scorer in the college entrance examination and Zhuge Liang, hoping their children would also achieve top honors in the exam.

The incense in the village ancestral hall has almost blackened the roof beams.

Zhuge Qing was initially quite uncomfortable with this sudden and immense fame and the almost fanatical adulation, and even somewhat resistant to it.

He pursues fame to make things easier, not to become a monkey in a zoo being watched by everyone.

This feeling of being overly glorified and exploited made him very uncomfortable.

However, just as he was pondering whether he should deliberately keep a low profile for a while and avoid the limelight.

An unexpected event, or rather, a strange perception, changed his initial thoughts.

He found that as his reputation as a "descendant of Zhuge Liang" and a "top scorer in the college entrance examination" grew, he received more and more attention and discussion.

Especially when countless people, particularly parents who hope their children will succeed and hardworking students, regard him as a kind of spiritual sustenance and even mention him with an almost worshipful gaze.

He could vaguely sense that an invisible, peculiar "energy" seemed to be gathering around him in the dark.

This "energy" is very weak, yet it is inexhaustible.

It is not the original primordial Qi, but rather a processed product.

After several days of observation, Zhuge Qing discovered that this energy contained countless thoughts, as if it were the product of the interweaving and condensation of the thoughts of countless people.

If he wasn't mistaken, this should be the power of faith...

(End of this chapter)