A perfect score on the college entrance exam? The Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng has astonis

Principal Wang stood at the front of the conference table, his hands resting on the surface, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"This afternoon, I received three phone calls in a row. They were from the admissions offices of Zhejiang University, Tsinghua University, and Peking University."

A low gasp of surprise rippled through the meeting room.

"They called because of the same student—Chen Mo from Class 7 of Senior Three."

The head of the grade was taken aback: "Chen Mo? That... Chen Mo whose grades have never been very good?"

"Yes. It's Chen Mo."

"Principal, is this... a mistake? I know Chen Mo's grades; he scored 487 on the last monthly exam, and his grade ranking was—"

"I know," Principal Wang interrupted him.

"I've seen his transcript. But people from Tsinghua and Peking University wouldn't make a mistake."

He paused, then uttered the words that silenced everyone.

"The admissions office at Tsinghua University told me that Chen Mo's score was the highest in the country this year. People at Peking University said that this score has never been seen before in the history of the college entrance examination."

The meeting was deathly silent.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, mouths agape, as if they had heard something impossible.

"The highest in the country?"

"Has this never happened before in history?"

"This...how is this possible?"

"A student who scored 487?"

The murmurs rose like a tide, everyone was talking, but no one's voice was normal—they were all trembling, incredulous, as if someone had choked them.

"Quiet down." Principal Wang slammed his hand on the table.

The discussion abruptly ceased.

"The most important thing now is to verify the authenticity of the information. Lao Zhang, contact the Provincial Examination Authority immediately to verify Chen Mo's final score."

Director Zhang nodded, took out his phone, and walked out of the conference room.

"The second thing,"

Principal Wang continued.

"If the news is true—Chen Mo would be the first national top scorer in our school's history. And according to Tsinghua and Peking Universities, his score may be the highest in history."

He glanced around at the people in the conference room.

"You should understand what this means."

Everyone fell silent.

They were well aware that this meant the school, the place where they had worked for decades, was about to be placed under the national spotlight of education.

Five minutes later, Director Zhang pushed the door open and came in.

His hands were trembling, and he almost dropped his phone.

"headmaster,"

His voice was trembling.

"The provincial examination authority has confirmed it. Chen Mo's college entrance examination score... is the highest in the country."

"What score?" Principal Wang asked.

Director Zhang swallowed hard and uttered the number 750.

The meeting room was silent for a full ten seconds.

Then, someone, I don't know who, knocked the chair to the ground with a "bang".

No one helped them up.

"Meeting."

Principal Wang's voice became resolute.

"Now, immediately, let's discuss the next steps. First, protect Chen Mo's personal information; no media should be allowed to access it before the official results are released. Second, contact Chen Mo's homeroom teacher and have him handle the communication. Third—"

He glanced out the window; the setting sun had already sunk behind the teaching building, leaving only a dark red afterglow.

"Third, be prepared for what's to come. Tsinghua and Peking University won't give up after just one phone call. They will send people, they will come to the school, they will find Chen Mo's doorstep."

He turned around and looked at everyone present.

"From this moment on, Chen Mo's matter is the most important thing in our school. Without exception."

Meanwhile, at the escalator entrance on the fourth floor of the mall, Chen Mo's phone was still ringing.

He knew nothing about any of this.

He took out his phone and glanced at the screen—an unfamiliar landline number.

He answered the call.

"Feed?"

"Hello, are you Chen Mo? I'm Ms. Liu from the Admissions Office of Beijing Normal University."

Chen Mo raised his head and glanced at the group of people in front of him.

Zhao Tianyu's expression had changed from mockery to a subtle scrutiny. The boys behind him exchanged glances, their laughter caught in their throats as if someone had pressed the pause button.

Su Wanci stood to the side, her eyes widening slightly.

Chen Mo said into the phone, "I'm not available right now, can I call later?"

"Of course. But Chen Mo, I want to tell you in advance that our school is very interested in you. We can discuss the specific details later. When would be a convenient time for you?"

"Let's talk about it later, thank you."

Chen Mo hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket.

There was silence at the escalator entrance on the fourth floor for about three seconds.

Then a boy behind Zhao Tianyu couldn't help but laugh out loud—but this time the laughter was different from the previous one, carrying a hint of uncertainty.

"This...this isn't some kind of scam, is it? There are so many scammers these days, impersonating admissions officers..."

Zhao Tianyu seemed to be awakened by these words, and the expression on his face changed from scrutiny back to mockery.

"Yes, you're right. There are so many scammers these days, especially targeting college entrance exam takers. They come up with all sorts of scams, like 'internal quotas' and 'special admission spots.' Chen Mo, be careful not to get scammed."

He patted Chen Mo on the shoulder, with a light but firm touch, as if he were patting a little brother who needed to be "cared for".

"After all—you estimated it at 700 points, who else would a scammer scam if not you?"

The boys behind him started laughing again.

But this time the laughter was noticeably less self-righteous than before.

Chen Mo ignored him.

His expression remained calm.

The phone rang again.

This time, the ringtone sounded particularly jarring in the quiet atmosphere.

Chen Mo took out his phone and glanced at the screen.

Another landline number starting with 010, but the number is different from the previous one.

He answered the call.

"Hello, are you Chen Mo?"

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded younger and spoke faster.

"I am."

"Hello Chen Mo, this is Ms. Li from the Tsinghua University Admissions Office. It's a pleasure to contact you!"

The moment the words "Tsinghua University" leaked from Chen Mo's phone receiver, the air at the escalator entrance seemed to be sucked out.

Zhao Tianyu's hand was still on Chen Mo's shoulder.

But the hand froze—as if it had been struck by an acupuncture point, suspended in mid-air, neither able to be pulled back nor put down.

The laughter of the boys behind him stopped abruptly.

Tangtang's milk tea cup slipped from her hand, and she hurriedly caught it, but the lid was askew, and a few drops of milk tea spilled out, splashing onto her white shoes without her noticing.

Su Wanci stood next to Chen Mo, her breathing becoming very light, as if afraid that her breathing would drown out the sound on the phone.

"Chen Mo, your college entrance examination results have shocked us."

The voice on the other end of the phone continued, "Our Tsinghua admissions office has held an emergency meeting, and we hope you will give our school priority consideration."

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