Chapter 540 - 182: 80s Drama Queen Forced into Business as a Top Student (17)

Chapter 540: Chapter 182: 80s Drama Queen Forced into Business as a Top Student (17)

Sheng Leyun’s progress was much faster than her friends’.

Her memory and comprehension were already far superior to an ordinary person’s, to say nothing of the fact that she was competing against a group of children.

Besides, for her, absorbing all this knowledge was merely a process of deep reawakening—like someone who already knows how to ride a bicycle learning to ride an e-bike.

Moreover, she was the type of person who was ruthless with herself when she needed to be.

But she couldn’t stand burying her head in her work while others were relaxing. So, during the final exams last semester, she dragged her group of friends along with her, and they all skipped grades ahead of schedule to become seventh-graders!

During this time, Gong Zicheng also kept a tight rein on their physical training. Every morning, while they were running, holding a horse stance, or doing wrestling drills, they had to mentally recite texts, formulas, and vocabulary.

They were truly exercising their bodies and minds at the same time.

The results, however, were remarkable. Her friends shot up in height. Even Sheng Leyun—after more than half a year of ample exercise, good nutrition, and occasional extra treats from Gong Zicheng—developed a fair, smooth face with a touch of baby fat. Her hair was black and glossy, with a delicate, pampered-looking wave to it.

Whenever she walked down the street, talent scouts would pull her aside and try to persuade her with a lengthy pitch.

After receiving their seventh-grade winter break homework, the friends were beyond excited.

"From now on, we can just study at a normal pace, right? No more studying day and night?"

’They were inwardly ecstatic. All that effort over the past six months had cut five years off their time in school. What a bargain!’

Sheng Leyun smiled and nodded. "The current coursework isn’t difficult. I suggest you all pay close attention in class and maintain your ’model student’ personas."

"Don’t you think it’s fun?"

"When parents lecture their kids, they’ll definitely say, ’Look at Gong Xiaofei. He didn’t even know his Pinyin alphabet before, and now? He’s skipped right into middle school and gets top ten in his grade every single time. Now look at you...’"

Having been singled out, Gong Xiaofei couldn’t help but puff out his chest and hold his head high. A vivid scene formed in his mind as he followed Sheng Leyun’s words, especially when he imagined it being said to someone he disliked. ’Tsk, tsk, this feels pretty good!’

"And don’t you think good students enjoy different perks?" Sheng Leyun’s eyes curved into crescents, her fox-like eyes glinting with the cunning of someone coaxing a child.

"For example, take right now. It’s winter break. Because of your good grades, you’ll definitely get so many red envelopes your hands will go soft counting them, each one big and thick. Plus, you’ll get to run around and play like crazy."

"When relatives and friends get together and start comparing their kids, imagine how much face your parents will have?"

"And for another example, at school, no matter how strict the teachers are, they’ll always smile warmly when they see you. Don’t you want that kind of treatment?"

"Also, I hear middle schoolers can already get scholarships. Your parents all have jobs and get a monthly salary. Who’s going to be concerned with the few bucks we have in our pockets?"

"If none of that tempts you, then how about this: being a good student can get you direct admission to high school and even guaranteed spots at a university. How about now? Tempted?"

"All we have to do is maintain our current study habits and pay attention in class. It’ll all be easy to achieve!"

Her friends were too young. They hadn’t developed a broader perspective yet and could only focus on the here and now. How could they possibly think about a future that seemed so far away?

Even though they were natives of the Capital City, the thought of just getting through high school felt like a form of torture. How could they possibly dream of university?

"Sister Yun, you... you’re not kidding, are you? Us? Go to university?"

Let alone the others, even Third, who had always prided himself on being smart and whose grades were second only to Sheng Leyun’s, couldn’t help but ask with a tremor in his voice.

Sheng Leyun raised an eyebrow. "Is that so hard?"

"The teaching quality at our high school is pretty good. Basically, the top ten students in every class can get into a university; it’s just a matter of which one."

"But I figure, if we’re going to university, we should obviously choose a good one, right? That way, when we graduate, everyone will say, ’Hey, isn’t that the graduate assigned to us from Imperial University?’"

Hearing that last sentence, her friends started trembling with excitement.

University students were a rarity back then. If a work unit got a new graduate, especially one from a prestigious university, that person would become a focal point for resources. All sorts of opportunities would be heaped upon them.

They were the center of attention wherever they went. If there was an important meeting, they were guaranteed a spot on the attendance list.

They had their pick of all the eligible young people around them...

Thinking about the cushy lives of the prestigious university graduates at their parents’ work units, they couldn’t suppress the primal energy erupting from within. They wished for nothing more than to bury themselves in their books that very instant.