Chapter 562  : I Never Said...

“Don’t you know? Our school is all-encompassing. As long as students are interested, they can sign up for any activities and competitions across departments. The school also encourages us to develop knowledge and skills outside of our majors.” Tan Mo tilted her head ever so slightly. “When the teachers heard that I was interested, they encouraged me to sign up.

“Also, it doesn’t matter if I don’t win anything. It takes courage just to sign up. Whether it’s me or anyone else who’s taking part in the competition, it doesn’t matter if we’re in the relevant major or how well we do. As long as we sign up to participate and go through the experience of challenging ourselves, that alone is a success.

“What shame is there in taking part in a competition?” Tan Mo tilted her head and asked with a puzzled look on her face. “Why do you think I shouldn’t come? Just because I don’t specialize in this major, why shouldn’t I be in this competition? Does that also mean that the rest of your classmates whose grades are not as good as yours shouldn’t be here as well? You may be ranked fifth at Hua University, but what’s your national ranking? There are plenty of other students who are way above you. Would they also think you unworthy of participating in the competition?”

“I never said...” He didn’t speak the rest of the sentence, ‘That those with bad grades shouldn’t try.’

That was still what he thought.

‘If your results were bad, why bother participating in the competition at all?’

‘It’s just a waste of time, a waste of resources, and a total humiliation to yourself.’

He didn’t say any of that aloud.

Who knew that Tan Mo could see right through him?

She was, after all, a candidate who had been hand-picked by Professor Guo.

Tan Mo did not give him a chance to explain. Tilting her head, she questioned him again with a puzzled look, “Does Hua University not allow students from other majors to register for the competition? Are those with lower ranking not given the same chance to challenge themselves and push themselves forward?”

With a confounded expression, her dark pupils contrasted against the whites of her eyes. Looking as innocent as can be, Tan Mo shot out question after question like bullets penetrating deep into his soul.

“Would lower ranking students be mocked and ridiculed by the school and fellow classmates if they wanted to challenge themselves and register for the competition?” Tan Mo stared back with searching eyes. She took a breath, covering her lips with both hands, and exclaimed in surprise, “Is that how it’s like to be in Hua University?”

As those words came out, the expressions on everyone’s faces suddenly changed.

The other students who weren’t from Hua University sneered with contempt.

Some deliberately made exaggerated expressions on their faces.

A girl who looked like she had a lively and extroverted personality leaned back dramatically and exclaimed, “Is that how Hua University is like?”

Students from Beijing University were being even more theatrical.

Even Chi Xuanzi, who was usually very level-headed and never one to cause a commotion, let out a loud gasp.

“It must be a lot of pressure to study at Hua University!” someone exclaimed loudly.

“Wow, Hua University is such a judgmental school!”

The Hua University students showed different reactions on their faces.

Some bowed their heads, clearly disconcerted.

Probably because they were lower-ranking students, they must have suffered quite a bit of mockery when they had registered for the competition.

Some quickly tried to explain to those around them, “No, we’re not like that at all.”

One student from Hua University, who was probably not great with words but seemingly impartial, explained immediately, “There are indeed some at Hua University who look down on others, but the majority of us are decent human beings. The school never mentioned or implied that students with bad grades or those from other majors aren’t allowed to participate in the competition either.”

Great. The more he tried to explain, the more he made things worse.

Tan Mo’s eyes widened in shock. “Are there really students here who look down on other classmates with grades that are not as good as theirs?”

Everyone from Hua University was at a loss for words.

‘Didn’t we just explain it to you after you said that yourself earlier?’

‘Why are you acting as if you had just heard about this?’

“We at Beijing University are not like that. Everyone has certain things that they are good and bad at. Some may not be as good as others in certain aspects, but they outshine others in another way.” Tan Mo took the opportunity to promote her university. “That is why Beijing University encourages everyone to participate in any activities and competitions you wish to be a part of. Grades are not what matters. What matters is that the students have the chance to participate.”

Everyone was confounded.

‘We’re not freshmen, and we can’t apply to Beijing University now. There’s no need for you to promote Beijing University here.’

“Don’t twist my words around. I wasn’t talking about other people, I was talking about you,” Ji Jiayi said with a solemn face.

“Besides, no one else from other majors in our university signed up,” Ji Jiayi said. “If they were good at mathematics and were interested in the subject, they would’ve applied for a major in mathematics from the very start.”

What if the school found out that it was because of him that Tan Mo was allowed to seize the opportunity to discredit Hua University?

“Isn’t it just the same in other schools? Except for you, no one else here has participated in competitions outside of their major.” The realization suddenly dawned on Ji Jiayi.

“That’s only because Beijing University encourages me to participate in all kinds of competitions,” Tan Mo said with her chin raised.

Everyone was speechless.

Those from other schools couldn’t help but curse in their hearts. ‘Isn’t that because you’re a know-it-all?’

‘If our schools had someone like you, the faculty would be encouraging them to participate in various competitions too.’

Everyone from Hua University, including Ji Jiayi, thought the same.

But Ji Jiayi kept his thoughts to himself.

Ji Jiayi opened his mouth and was about to say something, but he was once again intercepted by Tan Mo.

“Oh, wow! It’s almost time for the exam. We best be seated.” After Tan Mo sat down, she raised her head and said to Ji Jiayi, who was still standing by her desk, “Hey there, please go back to your seat. Mind the order in the examination hall.”

Right after Tan Mo finished speaking, two examiners walked in.

One of the examiners had heard what Tan Mo was saying.

The man saw Ji Jiayi standing by Tan Mo’s desk.

“Young man, hurry back to your seat,” the examiner said with a serious look on his face. “Don’t disrupt the order of the examination hall.”

Ji Jiayi was startled.

‘What the f*ck?!’

Had Tan Mo anticipated that the examiner would walk in right at this moment?

She must have been deliberately messing with him.

Ji Jiayi glared at Tan Mo fiercely and returned to his seat fuming with anger.

The examiner handed out the test papers.

When the bell rang, everyone immediately picked up their pens and began scribbling away.

Tan Mo went through all the questions once. She then immediately began jotting down the answers. The process went rather smoothly.

It was almost as if her mind had begun formulating the answers simultaneously as she was reading the questions.

Not only that, but the speed of her calculations was as fast as lightning.

The moment she picked up her pen, she never once stopped writing.

Ji Jiayi sat diagonally behind Tan Mo. There were two rows in between them.

When he encountered a problem where he was momentarily stumped, he raised his head and took a glance just to see Tan Mo scribbling steadfastly.

Ji Jiayi was startled by the sight.

Did Tan Mo really know all the answers to these questions?

Ji Jiayi lowered his head back down and focused on answering his test paper. Each time he raised his head, he saw Tan Mo scribbling away with her head down.

Over half of the examination time had passed.

Tan Mo had finished answering all the questions, and she was checking them twice to make sure everything was correct.

This time, she didn’t hand in her papers in advance and decided to keep a low profile instead.

She quietly doodled away on her draft sheet just to pass the time.

After all, even if she turned in her papers, she had nowhere to go.. She would still have to wait for the other Beijing University students to finish.