Another seven or eight students successively signed up, all of them top-ranking students with high math scores in the college entrance examination.
"Alright, those who have signed up, please stay to receive your test papers. The rest of you are dismissed," said Teacher Zhang the counselor, cutting through the matter decisively.
"Woohoo!" The students who hadn't signed up happily packed up their things and scattered out of the classroom as school let out, while the ones participating in the selection stayed in their seats.
Teacher Zhang led the registered students to the testing classroom. With a total of over fifty people participating in the selection, the seating was rearranged. He asked everyone to wait while he went to fetch the test papers.
Song Xinmei happened to be seated directly behind Wu Hua. Wu Hua turned his head and asked with a grin, "Song Xinmei, are you still unconvinced?"
"Hmph, what is there for me to be unconvinced about? You actually think you can pass the selection test? Keep dreaming!" Song Xinmei replied with a look of disdain.
"Hey, don't be so stubborn. What if I do pass?" Wu Hua began trying to provoke her.
"Pass? There's no way you'll pass!" Song Xinmei said flatly.
"Well, you never know. How about this: if I pass the selection test, you let me call you Xinmei in private from now on. How does that sound?" Wu Hua lowered his voice and spoke softly.
Song Xinmei's face instantly flushed all the way to the tips of her fair ears. The rosy glow was remarkably striking, and she glared fiercely at Wu Hua without saying a word.
"What? Too chicken to bet? That just proves I've still got what it takes!" Wu Hua deliberately needled her.
"And if you fail?" Song Xinmei, unable to take the provocation, shot back.
"If I fail, I'll treat you to anything you want at the school canteen—take whatever you like!" Wu Hua declared magnanimously.
"Deal! It's a promise!" Song Xinmei took the bait.
Wu Hua turned back around, feeling immensely pleased with himself as the little boat of friendship rode the waves and sailed a bit further!
Teacher Zhang returned with the selection tests, handed them out to everyone, and all the students buried their heads in hard work.
The International Mathematical Olympiad, or IMO, has been held since 1959 and is an extremely prestigious international mathematics competition. The East began participating in 1985, sparking a craze for Olympiad math across the region.
Through layers of selection, the final contestants for the International Mathematical Olympiad are determined. The provincial and municipal level selections are also commonly known as the Mathematical Olympiad competitions.
Olympiad math problems are exceptionally difficult, involving calculus, geometry, algebra, combinatorics, and multiple other mathematical fields. Furthermore, the questions are novel, requiring contestants to possess a solid foundation in mathematics and sharp problem-solving skills.
Wu Hua's advantage was that he was very familiar with the types of questions that had appeared in the Olympiad over the years; to him, the problems were merely classic types that predecessors had already solved.
However, he had forgotten quite a bit of his basic mathematical knowledge by now, so he still hit a few snags while working through this selection test.
After finishing her exam, Song Xinmei took a moment to glance at Wu Hua. True to form, he was there scratching his head like a circus monkey—and he actually thought he could pass the selection test?
She knew full well that the school only had five spots available to send students to the municipal Olympiad competition!
The next morning during morning self-study, Teacher Zhang walked in holding the grade sheet for the selection test. He scanned the room, his gaze eventually landing on Wu Hua.
"The students from our class who participated in the Olympiad selection all did quite well, which is very gratifying to me!" Teacher Zhang began as an opening remark.
The students participating in the competition selection instantly perked up, straightening their postures.
"The first place in the selection test belongs to our classmate Song Xinmei. Let's give her a round of applause!" Teacher Zhang announced.
Song Xinmei smiled faintly. She wasn't surprised by this result; having set her sights on the Olympiad long ago, she had specifically hired a tutor to help her with Olympiad problems and had practiced every single past exam paper.
As the selection test happened to be last year's exam paper, she had aced it with ease.
"The second place is also in our class, and this student really caught me by surprise. The runner-up of the selection test is Wu Hua! Let's give him a round of applause!" Teacher Zhang said.
A gasp of astonishment rippled through the classroom.
Song Xinmei looked at Wu Hua in utter disbelief, just in time to catch his modest smile. It was completely mind-boggling!
Wu Hua had actually placed second and earned the qualification to participate in the municipal Olympiad competition.
Song Xinmei had never imagined that Wu Hua could pass the selection test—let alone the school's selection test!
Didn't this mean Wu Hua would now be able to call her Xinmei without any restraint? The mere thought of it made Song Xinmei want to crawl into a crack in the ground!
She even felt like shouting out to question whether the teacher had graded the papers incorrectly, or suspecting that Wu Hua might have peeked at her test paper during the exam.
Yet, sitting right behind Wu Hua, she had remained extremely vigilant the entire time and could swear Wu Hua never once turned his head—unless he had eyes on the back of his head!
This left Song Xinmei's mind buzzing, completely robbing her of the ability to think.
Wu Hua looked at Song Xinmei's undisguised expression of shock with a faint smile. Ah, this was precisely the effect he wanted! But don't rush, the good show was yet to come. Once he brushed up properly on his basic knowledge, he would dazzle everyone's titanium alloy eyes at the upcoming municipal Olympiad competition!
"Students, two people from our class made it into the school team for the municipal Mathematical Olympiad. I hope Song Xinmei and Wu Hua will build on their success in the municipal competition, achieve even better results, and strive to advance to the provincial Olympiad!" Teacher Zhang said enthusiastically.
Warm applause erupted in the classroom.
Only Song Xinmei did not clap. Her pouty expression carried a hint of cuteness, and Wu Hua thought with a grin that this campus belle could really be quite prickly at times.
After class, Teacher Zhang called Wu Hua and Song Xinmei into his office, offered them some words of encouragement, and told them that the school would assign a specialized teacher to provide intensive training for the five selected seed contestants.
He hoped they would help each other out, strive to further improve their scores, and achieve great results in the municipal competition!
Wu Hua knew Song Xinmei would never help him, but he certainly didn't need her help anyway. Seeing her looking unconvinced yet completely powerless to do anything about it felt immensely satisfying.
On their way out of Teacher Zhang's office, Song Xinmei stopped Wu Hua in his tracks.
"What is it, Xinmei?" Wu Hua didn't stand on ceremony at all, using the nickname right off the bat.
Song Xinmei clenched her small fists tightly, her rising chest heaving as she tried to calm her inner anger. Glaring fiercely at Wu Hua, she said, "Wu Hua, you only got lucky this time. I want to bet with you again!"
"Alright, what are the terms?" Wu Hua asked with a confident shrug.
"If your score is lower than mine in the municipal Olympiad competition, you are never allowed to call me Xinmei again," Song Xinmei said fiercely.
"No problem. And if I win?" Wu Hua looked straight into Song Xinmei's eyes with a trace of a smile.
Song Xinmei froze; she had never even considered the possibility that Wu Hua could beat her.
"I... I'll treat you to whatever you want at the school canteen!" Song Xinmei said through clenched teeth. She had saved up a fair amount of allowance over the years, so she could afford to bleed a little for this.
"I'm not a girl, I don't care for snacks. How about this: if I win, you have to go out on a date with me for a whole day," Wu Hua stated directly.
This time, Song Xinmei's entire face turned beet red. She hadn't expected Wu Hua to make such an outrageous demand, catching her completely off guard.
"You... hmph!" Song Xinmei bit her lower lip with her small, white teeth.
Looking at his goddess's exquisite and blushing face, a fleeting impulse stirred within him, but reason quickly reined in his unrealistic thought. If he actually tried that, Song Xinmei would surely murder him!