I control the AI ​​empire thanks to the geniuses in my group.

Liu Zhi immediately chimed in, "I agree with Principal Ma's opinion. Su Zhou is a proud boy. If we make him sit in there for two hours and hand in a blank paper, it will be a huge blow to his confidence. It's better to let him leave gracefully before he starts writing."

Zhao Fang did not express her opinion, but her gaze was clearly biased towards Ma Jianguo.

All eyes were on Zhang Hengyuan.

Zhang Hengyuan was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Has he offered to hand in his paper yet?"

Ma Jianguo was taken aback: "No."

"Then we shouldn't have collected his exam paper."

Zhang Hengyuan's tone was not heavy, but very firm.

"Principal Ma, I understand your good intentions."

"But when it comes to competitions, there's only one criterion: the content on the test paper. If he can't do it, it's because his ability hasn't reached that level yet, which is normal. I won't dismiss him because of that."

"But if we call a halt to it before he gives up, that would be truly disrespectful."

He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall: "I have a suggestion. Let's just wait outside and give him the full two hours. If he comes out halfway through and says he's not doing it anymore, I won't say a word. But if he doesn't come out..."

"Then let's wait for him to come out."

What he said made sense, and after thinking about it, Ma Jianguo didn't insist any further.

Liu Zhi sighed and thought, "Oh well, it's only a matter of two hours anyway. At worst, I'll just hand in a blank paper. I can always talk to Su Zhou later and make sure the child doesn't have any lingering resentment."

So the five of them stood guard outside the door, each finding a spot to stand or lean against.

Ma Jianguo asked Director Wang of the Academic Affairs Office to brew a pot of tea and bring it over. The group chatted casually while drinking tea, discussing everything from textbook revisions to math olympiad selections and the difficulty of this year's college entrance examination math paper. However, each person would occasionally glance towards the crack in the door.

Ten minutes have passed.

Su Zhou did not write anything.

His gaze moved slowly across the exam paper, as if scanning each question.

From the second question to the third, and then from the third to the fourth, the pencil remained suspended in mid-air the entire time, never falling once.

Zhao Fang whispered to Hu Kai, "Is he picking and choosing questions he can answer?"

Hu Kai pushed up his glasses and shook his head to indicate that he didn't know.

Twenty minutes have passed.

I still haven't started writing.

At this moment, Su Zhou's gaze had shifted to the last page, specifically to questions five and six. He looked at it for a long time, his brow furrowing slightly, before turning back to the first page.

Zhang Hengyuan's heart skipped a beat.

Turning back to the first page means he has already looked at all six questions.

After reading through everything, flipping back to the previous page suggests two possibilities: either you're ready to start from the first question, or you've confirmed you can't answer any of them and are ready to give up.

Based on the current situation, the latter is more likely.

Zhang Hengyuan remained expressionless, but he had already relaxed considerably.

The atmosphere outside the door became subtle. Ma Jianguo glanced at Zhang Hengyuan several times, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Liu Zhi had already mentally prepared himself to comfort Su Zhou later, and even started organizing his thoughts... "It's okay, you're only in the first year of junior high school. These kinds of questions aren't really for you at this stage. Just being able to sit in the exam room and not give up is already amazing..."

More than thirty minutes have passed.

Liu Zhi had already rehearsed his words of comfort in his mind for the third time when he suddenly caught something out of the corner of his eye.

He peered through the crack in the door and got a clear look at what was happening inside.

Su Zhou has started writing!

Su Zhou's writing speed was ridiculously fast.

He started writing from the first question.

I only wrote for less than two minutes on the first question before stopping. The lines were very short, and then the pencil slid directly to the answer area for the second question.

I spent about three minutes on the second question.

Question 3.

Question 4.

Question 5.

The pencil almost never stopped, with only occasional three- to five-second intervals between questions, as if making a final check, before continuing to write continuously.

Having noticed Su Zhou's movements, Zhang Hengyuan had an uncertain guess in his mind.

It's quite possible that the child wasn't unable to do the problem during the previous thirty minutes; rather, he was carefully reading and understanding the question.

He read through all six questions, mentally worked out the solution path for each one, and only started writing after confirming that every step of the logic was correct.

But this places even higher demands on Su Zhou's abilities!

Can Su Zhou really do it?

Question 6.

Su Zhou finally slowed down his writing speed.

He spent more time on the last question than on the previous five, pausing twice as if he was carefully considering his words, but his pencil never left the answer area for more than ten seconds.

Then he stopped writing.

Su Zhou put the pencil on the table, checked the test paper from beginning to end, picked up the paper, stood up, and turned towards the door.

The five people were instantly ejected from the crack in the door as if a ejection button had been pressed, each quickly assuming a serious posture.

Su Zhou opened the door and walked out, glancing at the five adults in front of him with their various expressions, and said, "It's done."

Zhang Hengyuan glanced at the watch.

Ten fifty-six.

The exam lasted a total of forty-one minutes from the start of the exam to the submission of the papers.

I spent 30 minutes thinking and 11 minutes writing.

Six questions, I didn't finish one.

Zhang Hengyuan took the test paper and opened it.

At first glance, the answer area for the first question only had a few lines.

"First, verify mod 7. Substitute n≡0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 into n² + 3n + 1 one by one. The remainders obtained are 1, 5, 4, 5, 1, 6, 6, none of which are 0. Therefore, n² + 3n + 1 has no solution in mod 7, and naturally it also has no solution in mod 49. There is no positive integer n that satisfies the condition. The set of possible values ​​for the remainder is ∅."

"Hiss, Su Zhou, your process is incomplete."

Su Zhou said somewhat helplessly, "Writing out the complete process would take too much time, so I didn't write it."

Zhang Hengyuan raised an eyebrow and said something he himself didn't want to believe: "So you mentally reconstructed the whole process?"

Su Zhou didn't show any sign of boasting; he nodded very honestly: "Yes, there is actually another way to solve this problem."

"Anything else?" Zhang Hengyuan's gaze sharpened.

「对，同余方程两边同时乘4，配方后可以化为(2n+3)²≡5(mod7)。」

Su Zhou recalled, "But if I were to write out the formula process rigorously and prove on the paper that 5 is not a quadratic remainder modulo 7, there would be too many words to write."

"On the contrary, the exhaustive search of modulo 7 only has seven numbers from 0 to 6. It only takes a few seconds to mentally substitute them and calculate. Since the final result is an empty set, I wrote down the simplest exhaustive search method."

At this point, he said somewhat embarrassedly, "Teacher Zhang, is there a strict requirement for the steps in this exam? If so, I will definitely complete the steps in future exams."

Seeing Su Zhou's proactive admission of wrongdoing, Zhang Hengyuan swallowed the words of criticism that were on the tip of his tongue.

"...No, the selection exam only looks at talent and thinking, the steps are secondary." Zhang Hengyuan took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and continued to scan downwards.

If the first question was still within the realm of elementary number theory and could be solved mentally by thinking quickly, then the following questions were completely different.

Zhang Hengyuan's gaze swept over the second, third, and fourth questions... He turned the pages of the test paper more and more slowly.

"This...this is the fourth problem, combinatorial geometry? You didn't draw any auxiliary lines? Did you directly establish the coordinate system and solve it using complex numbers?"

"Pure geometry requires inspiration. I thought for about ten seconds but couldn't find a good auxiliary line, so I went straight for the unit circle of the complex plane," Su Zhou answered matter-of-factly. "Although the calculations are a bit more complex, the thought process is mechanical and won't get stuck."

Zhang Hengyuan was secretly amazed. This kid's mental calculation ability was truly superhuman. He could actually calculate this in his head.

Mom!

Did he strike it rich?

Zhang Hengyuan tried to calm himself down and continued reading.

When Zhang Hengyuan turned to the last page and his gaze fell on the answer area for question six, he froze.

The sixth question is an extremely demanding asymmetric multivariable algebraic inequality.

In the standard solution for the competition, this problem requires the use of extremely ingenious local inequality scaling, or the construction of extremely complex algebraic transformations, and often even the adjustment method. This not only tests logic, but also tests the student's sense of algebraic structure.

However, Su Zhou's answer area did not contain any complicated algebraic transformations, the mean inequality, or the Cauchy inequality.

There are only a few clean and concise symbols.

After carefully examining the exam paper, Zhang Hengyuan's voice unconsciously rose a little: "You...you used calculus?!"

Upon hearing this, all five adults were stunned.

A seventh-grade student using calculus to solve a challenging inequality problem for the provincial team selection?!

"Did you construct a parametric integral equality here?"

Zhang Hengyuan pointed to a ∫ symbol on the exam paper and said, "Then you used the remainder of the Taylor expansion to approximate its lower bound? Do you know that this belongs to university-level mathematical analysis? You used continuous methods to reduce the dimension of discrete inequalities... How did you even think of that?!"

Faced with Zhang Hengyuan's question, Su Zhou calmly explained, "It's too much trouble to use elementary algebra to find the expansion coefficients."

He didn't reveal the reason mainly because he wasn't very good at that method.

"After observing the structure of the variables in the problem, I found that it is essentially a problem about the rate of change of a convex function within a certain interval."

Su Zhou pointed to the formula on the test paper and explained, "Since it is continuous and monotonic, we can directly find the extreme point by taking the derivative, and then connect the discrete variables through the definite integral. Logically, we can find the lower bound. I think... this is the most natural solution."

Su Zhou spoke casually, but deep down he knew exactly where his confidence came from.

Ever since he received Newton's intuition about calculus, his view of the mathematical world has changed.

For ordinary students, and even for top students in high school competitions, calculus is a complex set of rules, formulas, and theorems that requires rote memorization and a lot of practice to master.

But in Su Zhou's eyes, learning calculus was as natural as breathing.

He doesn't need to recall those tedious differentiation formulas. When he sees a function or an inequality, the undulations of the curve, the slope of the tangent, and the accumulation of area will automatically appear in his mind.

This intuition allows him to see through the essence of a problem at a glance, bypassing the convoluted techniques of elementary mathematics and solving it in the simplest and most direct way.

"The most natural thought..." Zhang Hengyuan took a deep breath.

For those who have acquired more knowledge, this is indeed the most natural thought.

However, this requires the test taker to have an extremely deep understanding of calculus and a terrifying intuition; otherwise, misusing calculus in the competition will often result in not getting any points due to a lack of rigor.

Thinking of this, Zhang Hengyuan began to carefully examine Su Zhou's exam paper. The others dared not speak and waited for him.

After what seemed like an eternity, the other four high school students in the meeting room came out one after another to hand in their papers.

Chen Feng handed the test paper to Zhang Hengyuan, deliberately feigning weakness, saying, "Teacher Zhang, the last question was so difficult, I couldn't figure it out."

Several other students chimed in, "Yeah, we didn't even figure it out before the exam was over."

Zhang Hengyuan did not reach out to take the test paper that Chen Feng handed him.

He didn't even look up.

"Wait a moment," Zhang Hengyuan said, but his eyes never left Su Zhou's test paper for a second.

Chen Feng's hand froze in mid-air.

He paused for a moment, then subconsciously glanced at the test paper in Zhang Hengyuan's hand, only to see densely packed solutions and an unfamiliar name: Su Zhou.

He glanced at Su Zhou and thought that this must be the other person.

Didn't the other person hand in their paper a long time ago?

Has he finished everything?

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

Those questions involved an enormous amount of calculation.

How could it be finished in less than an hour?

Chen Feng is the math class representative of the top class in the second year of high school at Chongming Middle School. He has consistently ranked among the top students in the grade. Last summer, he paid for his own participation in a competition training course in the provincial capital and won the first prize in the municipal math competition.

He heard today that coaches from the provincial math Olympiad training base came to the school to select students, and he was the first to sign up, determined to succeed.

Behind him stood three students from the top high school class: Li Minghui, Zhao Zixuan, and Song Yuhan, all key members of the school's math competition team.

The four of them took the test for two hours until their brains were practically boiling, but none of them could solve the last question.

But there's nothing shameful about it.

They knew how difficult that question was. It was the same question from last year's provincial team selection competition, and only three out of sixty contestants solved it. Even in a high school league, it would be considered the most challenging question.

It's normal if you can't do it; it would be a miracle if you could.

So when Chen Feng said, "The last question is so difficult," he was actually very calm.

He said this on purpose, hoping to lower Zhang Hengyuan's expectations first. He thought that when Zhang Hengyuan finished reading the paper and found that he had done well on the first five questions, his impression of Zhang Hengyuan would be even better.

Anyone who's been in the competitive scene for a while knows all the ins and outs.

However, Zhang Hengyuan did not accept his paper.

The provincial team coach was hunched over a test paper, his expression extremely serious. His brows furrowed and relaxed at times, and his lips parted slightly, as if he were reciting some formula.

Having been a competition student for two years, Chen Feng had met many coaches and judges. He knew one thing very well: a senior coach's expression while grading papers speaks volumes.

If the paper is mediocre, the coach will just flip through it a couple of times and move on without even changing his expression. If it's well done, the coach will nod slightly and occasionally mark it with his pen. But if the coach shows the kind of expression Zhang Hengyuan is showing now, it means that the paper has surprised him.

"Whose test paper is that in Teacher Zhang's hand?" Li Minghui whispered to Chen Feng.

"I don't know. The name on the form is Su Zhou. I've never heard of him." Chen Feng shook his head. "He must be from another school, right? Didn't Teacher Zhang say today that we were selecting people from several schools?"

"Did he solve the last question?" Zhao Zixuan also craned his neck, trying to see the contents of the test paper.

Chen Feng didn't answer, a strange feeling of unease welling up inside him.

He just said that he didn't solve the last question. If this guy named Su Zhou actually solved it, wouldn't that make him look like a noob?

No, we need to see what this person actually wrote.

The four students simultaneously abandoned their intention to leave and stood silently behind Zhang Hengyuan, waiting.

Anyway, the results will be out soon. Let's see what Su Zhou is really capable of.

The principal's office was eerily quiet for a moment, with only the rustling sound of Zhang Hengyuan turning the pages of the exam papers.

Liu Zhi leaned against the wall, arms crossed, silent, waiting intently for Zhang Hengyuan to draw a conclusion.

Ma Jianguo, Zhao Fang, and Hu Kai were also waiting there.

So much so that even at noon, no one was willing to go for lunch.

About five minutes later, Zhang Hengyuan finally straightened up.

He gently placed Su Zhou's exam paper on the table.

"No problem."

Zhang Hengyuan spoke, his voice not loud, but everyone could hear him clearly.

"All six questions were answered correctly, the process was complete, the logic was closed, and there were no flaws."

He paused for a moment, then looked at Su Zhou standing to the side: "Especially the last question."

Chen Feng's eyes widened.

All correct? All six paths correct?

Including that insane final question that all four of them couldn't even solve together?

"Teacher Zhang," Chen Feng couldn't help but ask, cautiously, "which school does Su Zhou go to?"

As he asked this question, his mind was already rapidly searching for answers.

He knew a lot about the competition teams of several key high schools in Chengdu, including No. 7 High School, No. 9 High School, and Experimental High School. He recognized most of the seeded players whose names he could name, but he had never heard of the name Su Zhou.

Are you from out of town?

Or is he a hidden talent from some school?

Zhang Hengyuan did not answer Chen Feng's question directly, but turned to look at Ma Jianguo.

Ma Jianguo understood and cleared his throat: "Su Zhou is a student at our Chongming Middle School."

Chen Feng breathed a sigh of relief. Since it was his own school, he wouldn't be outdone by outsiders.

But then he frowned. He had been at the school for over a year and knew all the top math students in every grade of the high school, but he had never heard of anyone named Su Zhou.

"What grade?" Chen Feng blurted out.

Ma Jianguo's lips twitched, as if he was restraining something.

Liu Zhi, who was standing next to Ma Jianguo, couldn't help but smirk and answered the question for him: "First year of junior high."

Chen Feng thought he had misheard: "What?"

"Class 3 of Grade 7 just started school this September," Liu Zhile added with a chuckle.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zixuan immediately took a step back.

He is sixteen years old and in his first year of high school. He has studied competitive mathematics for three years and attended many summer training courses. The stack of past exam papers he has done is taller than everyone else.

As a result, the final, most challenging problem that he couldn't solve was solved by a seventh-grade kid.

And it was a perfect score?

Zhao Zixuan felt that his efforts over the past three years had been insulted.

Li Minghui's reaction was slightly calmer, but not much better. His Adam's apple bobbed twice, and he finally managed to squeeze out only one sentence: "...First year of junior high?"

Song Yuhan was the only girl among the four, and also the quickest to react.

She paused for two seconds, then looked down at the test paper in her hand that had been revised several times.

She silently turned the test paper over, folded it in her hand, revealing the blank back.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Chen Feng is still in shock.

He stared straight at Su Zhou, who wasn't wearing his school uniform today. Su Zhou was about the same height as him, but looked even smaller standing next to the door frame.

He looked like an ordinary first-year junior high student.

But this one person finished the exam earlier than them and got all six questions right!

Chen Feng suddenly remembered his behavior and instantly felt a burning sensation on his face, as if he had been slapped.

Zhang Hengyuan then took the exam papers from Chen Feng, and also collected the papers from the other three people.

He glanced through them briefly without looking at them closely, and then said to the four of them, "I'll grade your papers tonight, and the school will be notified of the results in a couple of days."

Chen Feng felt the gap between expectations and reality.

When Zhang Hengyuan was looking at Su Zhou's test paper earlier, he read it line by line. But now, when he collects their test papers, he just piles them up like a cafeteria lady collecting trays.

Why is there such a big difference in treatment when they are both taking the same exam?

Chen Feng felt a tightness in his chest, but he wasn't the kind of person who couldn't accept defeat.

Despite the blockade, we still have to comply.

In the competitive arena, skill is the only true currency. If you can't do it but someone else can, there's nothing more to say.

But there's one thing he needs to figure out.

"Teacher Zhang," Chen Feng hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Could I take a look at Su Zhou's solution to the last question?"

This request is not excessive.

There is a tradition of mutual learning and exchange in the competition community. It is common practice to exchange solutions after the exam, especially for problems that you couldn't solve. Seeing other people's approaches is itself a form of improvement.

Zhang Hengyuan glanced at him, neither refusing nor agreeing outright, but instead turned to Su Zhou: "Do you mind?"

Su Zhou shrugged indifferently: "I don't mind."

Zhang Hengyuan turned the last page of the exam paper and laid it flat on the windowsill in the corridor.

Chen Feng immediately moved closer, and Li Minghui and Zhao Zixuan followed. The three heads were huddled together, and all six eyes were fixed on the question-answering area.

Then all three of them fell silent.

The reason for the silence wasn't that I didn't understand... well, it really was because I didn't quite understand it.

The solution process on the exam paper is extremely concise, totaling no more than fifteen lines.

The first three lines are equivalent transformations of the problem's conditions, the middle five lines construct an integral expression with parameters, and the last seven lines complete the final proof through differentiation and Taylor expansion.

The leaps between each step were so large that Chen Feng needed to mentally fill in at least three or four intermediate steps to keep up with the logical chain.

This style of writing has a special name in the competition circle: "god-like style," which refers to a situation where the problem solver's way of thinking is so unique that it is difficult for ordinary people to understand.

Zhao Zixuan asked the question he most wanted to ask: "Are you really only in the first year of junior high?"

Su Zhou glanced at him and nodded.

Zhao Zixuan then asked, "How long have you been studying for competitions?"

"I haven't studied it."

Three words, light and airy.

Zhao Zixuan: ? ? ?

P.S. Please read on and vote with monthly tickets and recommendations! As a new author, I want to get on the new book charts, so please don't hold off on adding more chapters for now. I'll be updating like crazy soon!