My IQ has been increasing year by year.

July 1st.

Magic City.

The air conditioning in the university auditorium was very strong.

A neat red banner was stretched above the podium.

The leader's speech draft turned another page, and then there was another sound as the paper was bent and folded until it could no longer bear the weight.

What followed was a continuation of the usual, straightforward clichés.

Chen Zhuo leaned back in his seat.

My gaze passed over the backs of the rows of dark heads in front of me and landed on a potted plant on the edge of the stage.

The hotel was a bit noisy last night, and I had some trouble sleeping.

next to.

Lin Yi's head was slowly drooping down.

She tried to open her eyes a few times, but soon she couldn't help but close them again.

In the end, she gave up resisting.

He pulled his oversized coat over his head and leaned forward onto the back of the chair in front of him.

His breathing quickly became even.

She spoke for two hours during the opening ceremony, and then slept for an hour and a half.

Zhou Kai sat on the other side of Lin Yi.

He was holding a black ballpoint pen with the cap still on.

It spun around and around on my fingertips.

His gaze was unfocused, staring at the back of the chair in front of him, in a long meditative state, if he could.

The three newcomers sitting in front of them were in completely different states.

Zhang Bai sat very upright.

The eyes behind the black-rimmed glasses were fixed on the podium, as if listening attentively.

But his right hand was on his lap, his fingers unconsciously and repeatedly folding the edge of a blank draft paper.

Li Nanbai took a thin booklet and placed it on his knees.

He would occasionally glance down at the formulas above, then quickly look up again, pretending to be reading a leader's speech.

Mo Xiaoyu was picking at her fingers, peeling off a small hangnail from the edge of her nail and then pressing it back down.

Time seemed to stretch out in this enclosed auditorium.

"Wishing this competition a complete success."

As this concluding statement came to a close.

The microphone indicator light on the podium flashed once and then went out.

Sparse applause broke out from the audience, which quickly turned into a continuous burst of applause.

The meeting room, which had been simmering for two hours, was like a pot of water slowly boiling, bubbling and gurgling.

The once quiet auditorium was instantly filled with the sounds of footsteps, zippers, coughs, and conversations.

It was noisy and chaotic.

Chen Zhuo stood up.

He reached out and gently poked Lin Yi's head, which was covered by clothes, twice.

"Wake up."

Lin Yi moved slightly.

She pulled off her coat, rubbed her eyes, and yawned deeply, her eyelids still drooping.

Zhou Kai put the ballpoint pen in his hand into the transparent pencil case and zipped up his backpack.

Zhang Bai, Mo Xiaoyu, and Li Nanbai in the front row also quickly stood up.

I stuffed the booklets and draft paper into my bag and repeatedly checked that the zipper was zipped up tightly.

Coach Xu walked over from the aisle in the front row.

He was holding a slightly worn stainless steel thermos in his hand.

"Come on, follow me, don't get separated."

Six people carried their schoolbags.

Following Coach Xu, we moved little by little towards the outside of the auditorium, following the crowded flow of people.

The moment I stepped out the door.

The cold air in the room has completely disappeared.

The weather in Shanghai in early July hit you like a ton of bricks.

The sky was grayish-white, and the clouds were low, obscuring the sun.

The air was very humid, and even the wind was still.

It's like a warm, damp towel being slapped all over your face.

"Let's go eat."

Coach Xu glanced at the sky.

"We're not eating the organizing committee's boxed meals anymore; they're all boiled vegetables. Let's go find a restaurant outside."

The group walked out along the street outside the university.

In the narrow alleys of Shanghai, there are many old plane trees on both sides. (Seriously, why do so many cities like to plant plane trees?) The canopies are huge, blocking out most of the sky.

It took about ten minutes to walk.

Coach Xu found a restaurant on the street corner.

The storefront is small, and the lettering on the signboard is somewhat faded.

There were already quite a few people sitting inside.

There were two standing air conditioners on in the lobby, and several ceiling fans were spinning loudly.

The sounds of stir-frying and plates clattering together mingled together.

It's full of the warmth and life of everyday life.

The restaurant owner had a towel draped over his shoulder.

He wiped his hands and beckoned the group to a round table in the middle of the hall.

Everyone pulled out chairs and sat down.

Zhang Bai, Mo Xiaoyu, and Li Nanbai placed their backpacks, filled with documents, at their feet.

Zhou Kai tore off two sheets of toilet paper and wiped the remaining water stains on his desk.

Lin Yi casually found a spot, leaned back lazily in the chair, and waited for the food to be served.

Chen Zhuo sat next to Zhou Kai.

The waiter came over with the menu.

Coach Xu ordered several specialty dishes.

Braised eel with hot oil, braised pork belly, sweet and sour spare ribs, stir-fried shrimp.

I ordered another big bowl of tomato and pork rib soup.

While waiting for the food.

The waiter was carrying a large teapot.

I poured everyone a cup of barley tea.

Soon, the dishes were served.

The restaurant served the food very quickly.

A plate of braised pork belly, rich in oil and dark sauce, was served, emitting a sweet and cloying aroma.

Lin immediately sat up straight, picked up his chopsticks, and accurately picked up a piece of braised pork and put it into his mouth.

His cheeks puffed out, and he began to chew with gusto.

Regardless of whether it's sweet or salty, her priority now is to fill her stomach and go back to sleep.

Li Nanbai also picked up his chopsticks.

He picked up a piece of braised eel with sizzling oil, mixed it into his rice, and scooped out a big mouthful.

I chewed it twice.

Li Nanbai stopped moving.

His brow furrowed slightly, and he chewed more slowly.

He struggled to swallow the food in his mouth.

He reached out his chopsticks again and tentatively picked up a piece of braised pork.

I took a small bite.

Li Nanbai's facial features were almost squeezed together.

He put down his chopsticks, picked up the barley tea next to him, and took a big gulp.

"This meat..."

Li Nanbai looked at the dishes on the turntable and then gave Zhang Bai a bitter look.

"Did they put half a jar of sugar in this meat? It feels like my teeth are burning from all the sweetness."

Zhang Baigang stuffed a mouthful of stir-fried greens into his mouth.

Upon hearing this, he chewed twice, and his expression changed.

"Why are even the green vegetables sweet?"

Zhang Bai silently put down his chopsticks and picked up his water glass.

As a native of the South, the sheer intensity of this sweetness is somewhat irresistible.

Mo Xiaoyu already had a reduced appetite because of tomorrow's exam.

After taking a bite of the sweet and sour pork ribs, I put my chopsticks down on the side of the bone plate and instantly felt a bit full.

Chen Zhuo sat beside him.

He glanced at the table full of dishes covered in rich, dark sauces, and then at his teammate who looked troubled.

He himself didn't seem to care.

I picked up my chopsticks and took a piece of eel.

I rinsed it in my own barley tea to wash away the sweet sauce on the surface.

Then I ate it with white rice.

He ate two mouthfuls of rice.

He raised his head and glanced at Coach Xu across from him.

"coach."

Chen Zhuo put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a tissue.

The voice was natural, with a slightly joking tone.

"If they keep eating like this, they'll all faint from low blood sugar during the exam tomorrow morning."

Chen Zhuo pointed to the rice in front of Li Nanbai that had barely been touched.

"Tell the boss to make two bowls of tomato and egg noodles, with plenty of salt, but no sugar."

Coach Xu looked at these students who didn't even want to touch their chopsticks.

He sighed and chuckled as he cursed.

"We're out competing, and we can't even fill our stomachs."

Coach Xu stood up, walked to the cashier, and spoke with the owner for a few words.

Not long after.

The waiter came over carrying several large bowls.

Steaming hot tomato and egg noodles, with a rich broth and a few chopped green onions floating on top.

No sugar was added.

Li Nanbai and Zhang Bai's eyes lit up.

Each person received a large bowl.

Regardless of whether it was hot or not, they picked up the noodles and put them in their mouths.

The sound of snoring filled the dining table.

After a few mouthfuls of hot, salty soup, their tense expressions finally eased a little.

They ate and drank their fill.

Check out and leave.

It was getting darker outside.

The plum rains of Shanghai began to fall without warning.

The rain wasn't heavy, but it was dense and persistent.

The air had cooled down a bit, but it was still humid.

Coach Xu went to the nearby grocery store and bought several of the cheapest transparent plastic umbrellas.

Distribute it to everyone.

"Let's go, let's go straight back to the hotel."

Coach Xu opened the umbrella.

Chen Zhuo opened the transparent plastic umbrella.

Raindrops pattered on the umbrella, making a dull pattering sound.

Back to the hotel.

The cold air from the lobby enveloped my entire body once again.

Chen Zhuo put away the dripping transparent umbrella.

Place it on the drain rack by the door.

The elevator has arrived at the designated floor.

The door opened.

The carpet in the hallway absorbed the sound of footsteps.

Everyone walked to their respective room doors.

Take out the room key.

"I don't need to study this afternoon."

Coach Xu stood in the middle of the corridor and gave a brief instruction.

"Get a good night's sleep, adjust your sleep schedule. It's still raining outside, so just stay in your room and don't go anywhere. Don't catch a cold tomorrow." The group nodded.

Swipe your card to enter the house.

Chen Zhuo took off his shoes.

I lay down on the bed closest to the inside and stared at the ceiling.

The rain outside hasn't stopped.

It pattered against the glass.

By evening.

There was a knock on the door in the hallway.

Chen Zhuo went over and opened the door.

Coach Xu stood at the door.

He was holding a large white porcelain plate, the kind used in hotel restaurants.

On the plate is half a watermelon, cut into neat little pieces.

"Call them all over here."

Coach Xu placed the plate on the writing table.

Chen Zhuo went next door and knocked on the door.

A short while later, Zhou Kai, Zhang Bai, Li Nanbai, Mo Xiaoyu, and Lin Yi arrived.

Several people squeezed into Chen Zhuo's room.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, or on a chair.

"Eat watermelon."

Coach Xu pointed to the plate.

"After you finish eating, take out your admission tickets and ID cards."

Everyone took a slice of watermelon and took a bite.

The cool sweetness went down my throat, dispelling much of the sweltering heat of the plum rain season.

Coach Xu was holding a brown paper bag.

They collected everyone's admission tickets and ID cards one by one.

I carefully checked the number of people.

"I will keep all the items safe and distribute them to you in the restaurant on the first floor tomorrow morning."

Coach Xu tied the thread around the paper bag.

"So you won't wake up tomorrow morning confused and unable to find anything."

After packing up the things.

Coach Xu walked to the door and opened it.

"Go to bed early tonight, no staying up late."

After saying that, the door was closed.

Only the six of them remained in the room.

Without the coach's watchful eye.

The atmosphere visibly relaxed.

Zhang Bai sat on the edge of the bed, holding a half-eaten watermelon rind in his hand.

He glanced left and right.

He suddenly lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Why."

Zhang Bai spat out a mouthful of watermelon seeds into his palm.

Did you watch the World Cup final last night?

As soon as those words were spoken...

The air in the room paused for a second.

Li Nanbai stopped stuffing watermelon into his mouth.

He suddenly raised his head, his cheeks still bulging.

"You saw it?!"

Li Nanbai threw the watermelon rind into the trash can and grabbed a tissue to wipe his hands haphazardly.

"Germany vs. Brazil! That was the final! You guys watched it last night too?!"

Zhou Kai sat in a chair.

He also put down the watermelon he was holding.

I watched half of it.

Zhou Kai pushed up his glasses.

"I just arrived at the hotel yesterday. After the coach finished checking the rooms, the TV in the next room was blasting, so I just turned it on and watched for a while too," Zhang Bai grinned.

"I blocked the door with clothes and turned the TV volume down to the lowest setting, and watched it secretly."

Lin Yi, who hadn't said a word, sat at the foot of the bed.

He rolled his eyes while biting into a watermelon.

"In the middle of the night, I heard you guys making all sorts of startling noises from inside your room. I thought I'd seen a ghost."

Mo Xiaoyu was eating watermelon in small bites beside her.

He moved aside with a look of disgust.

"A bunch of lunatics. They have exams tomorrow, and they stayed up all night watching the game yesterday."

The boys completely ignored the girls' disdain.

Once the topic is started, it's like a dam bursting.

"Da Luo is amazing!"

Li Nanbai gestured excitedly.

"His 'Ah-Fu' hairstyle, like a tile, is ugly, but it's really effective! An alien is an alien," Zhang Bai added through gritted teeth.

"And those lousy referees this year! What kind of rubbish were they calling!"

He slapped his thigh in anger.

"The referee is absolutely blind! He's been protecting the South Korean team by cheating, while Italy and Spain were eliminated. It's disgusting! If that lousy referee dared to come here, he'd be beaten to a pulp!"

"you do not say!"

Li Nanbai echoed the sentiment and joined in the cursing.

"Those knockout matches were so infuriating they could give people a heart attack; it was practically robbery."

Zhou Kai couldn't help but complain as well.

"The officiating standards this year are definitely problematic; the referees are completely biased!"

He finished cursing the referee.

Zhang Bai sighed, somewhat regretfully.

"Kahn is in trouble too."

"I made such good saves earlier, but then I dropped the ball in the final. When that ball went through, I almost screamed out loud inside the house."

Zhou Kai nodded.

"Germany's midfield was under too much pressure yesterday. Without Ballack, their defensive toughness dropped by more than one level."

The boys were enthusiastically recounting last night's epic battle.

The pre-exam stress in the room was completely washed away by those two football-related words.

Chen Zhuo sat on a single sofa by the window.

He was holding a slice of watermelon.

Listening to these talented young boys pounding their chests and stamping their feet over a single goal.

He didn't interrupt.

He was just biting into a watermelon, a slight smile on his lips.

We've finished discussing the finals.

The conversation naturally turned to this year's World Cup.

Li Nanbai's eyes shone brightly.

He slapped his thigh, exuding the youthful energy characteristic of fans from 02.

"Although our national football team failed to score a single goal and was eliminated, this is still a historic breakthrough!"

Li Nanbai's tone was full of longing.

"Just think about it, our players have such a good foundation that they can compete against Brazil in the World Cup."

He clenched his fist.

"If they can maintain this momentum, they'll definitely get stronger and stronger, break out of Asia and go global. In the next World Cup, they'll definitely make it to the round of 16!"

Zhang Bai nodded vigorously beside him.

"Yes! I saw in the newspaper that the experts said that this is just paying tuition and accumulating experience. By 06, we will definitely have a chance!" Zhou Kai was rational, but also a little expectant.

"The youth training program is being implemented quite rigorously now, let's take it slow."

Chen Zhuo sat on the sofa.

I just took a bite of the watermelon.

Hearing Li Nanbai and Zhang Bai's impassioned speech...

His movements stopped.

Chen Zhuo slowly chewed the watermelon in his mouth.

He maintained a gentle smile on his face.

He nodded in agreement, even nodding to Li Nanbai across the watermelon rind he was holding.

But inside, he felt like spitting out a mouthful of blood.

The 2002 World Cup was by no means the beginning of a rise.

That was a desperate last gasp before death.

From then on, let alone the round of 16.

He hasn't even touched the grass at the World Cup again.

Chen Zhuo's gaze became somewhat complicated.

In every qualifying round of his past life, he carried a kind of blind faith, foolishly believing that he would definitely succeed this time.

Even in football betting, they have consistently beaten the Chinese national team to victory several times.

He was obsessed with the idea of ​​a villa by the sea.

The result was that they lost so badly they didn't even have their underwear left.

The money I poured in didn't even make a ripple; I never won it back in a single round.

The entire amount was handed over to the gambling company.

Looking at these three pure-hearted young men in front of me, who are full of hope for the future of the national football team.

Look at the clear stupidity in their eyes.

Chen Zhuo sighed silently in his heart.

Let's dream more while we can.

You'll have your turn to smash remote controls and break TVs someday.

The happier you are now, the dirtier you'll be cursing later.

Chen Zhuo precisely tossed the watermelon rind in his hand into the trash can.

I took out a tissue and wiped my hands.

"Alright."

Chen Zhuo glanced at the clock on the wall.

It was already 8:30 p.m.

He stood up and clapped his hands.

"We've finished talking about the game and eaten our fill of gossip."

Chen Zhuo looked at Li Nanbai and Zhang Bai, who were still not satisfied.

"Go back, take a shower, and go to bed."

Zhang Bai glanced at the time and stood up from the edge of the bed.

Li Nanbai also stood up and stretched.

"Okay, after the exam tomorrow, I'll go back and watch two replays at the internet cafe."

Everyone tidied up the tissues and sunflower seed shells on the table.

They each returned to their own rooms.

The door closed.

The room fell silent again.

Chen Zhuo walked to the window.

Pull back the curtains.

The plum rains are still falling outside.

The raindrops, illuminated by the streetlights, looked like thin silver threads, slanting down onto the asphalt road.

The glittering neon lights of Shanghai are reflected in the puddle.

Chen Zhuo drew the curtains.

I walked up to the writing desk and picked up the remote control.

He turned on the heavy CRT television.

I didn't choose any of those random channels.

It went straight to CCTV.

The television was emitting a slight buzzing sound.

The screen flickered and then an image appeared.

He turned the volume down to the lowest setting, so that only a very faint sound echoed in the room.

The screen is showing a replay of some news.

Chen Zhuo took the clothes and went into the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later.

After taking a shower, Chen Zhuo walked to the television.

Press the power button.

The image on the screen instantly shrank into a small dot of light and then disappeared.

The room was plunged into darkness.

Only a faint reflection of the city light seeped in through the window.

Chen Zhuo walked to the bedside, lifted the quilt, and lay down.

Even through a wall, you can hear the occasional footsteps coming from the corridor outside.

And there was the continuous sound of rain outside the window.

It's nine o'clock.

No one is working late into the night.

No one bothers with permutations, combinations, and spatial geometry anymore.

Everything seemed very calm.

tomorrow.

July 2nd.