Jinling International Conference Center Hotel
This colossal structure standing on the shore of Wuxuan Lake,
It reflects a dazzling golden light in the afterglow of the setting sun.
The bus slowly came to a stop in front of the fountain square at the hotel entrance.
As the car door opened, a blast of air, a mixture of the fragrance of osmanthus and the heat of the city, rushed out.
"We've arrived. Everyone, make sure you have your luggage and don't forget anything."
Shen Qingqiu stood up and clapped her hands.
Lin Que, carrying his schoolbag, slowly swayed off the bus.
The moment my feet touched the ground, a face beaming like a chrysanthemum came up beside me.
"Oh, Teacher Shen, you must be tired from your journey."
The speaker was Liu Yi from the Experimental Middle School.
Just a few hours ago,
This person was still making sarcastic remarks at the service area, mocking Lin Que for "playing the victim."
Now that we've arrived in the provincial capital,
His face, though wrinkled, was brimming with the warmth of meeting an old friend in a foreign land.
He was carrying a briefcase and even offered to help Shen Qingqiu with her suitcase.
"Our team in Jiangcheng needs to stick together. We don't know anyone here, so it's good to have someone to help us if anything happens."
Shen Qingqiu subtly avoided his hand, her movements polite yet distant.
"Teacher Liu, you're too kind. The box isn't heavy; I can carry it myself."
Liu Yi wasn't embarrassed. He turned to look at Lin Que and gave him a thumbs up.
"Lin, I was just joking in the car earlier, don't take it to heart."
Ultimately, whether Jiangcheng can make a name for itself in this competition depends on your No. 1 Middle School.
Lin Que watched this middle-aged man whose expression changed faster than turning the pages of a book.
He twitched the corner of his mouth:
"The teacher is right. When we're out in the world, we really do need to be united against outsiders."
Liu Yi clearly didn't catch the subtle rebuke in those words.
Instead, they burst into laughter, as if they had heard some kind of compliment.
Completely unaware of the clown-like smile in Lin Que's eyes.
The hotel lobby is so spacious it's like a small airport waiting area.
The front desk was packed with participating teams from all over the province.
All kinds of school uniforms have created a colorful ocean.
The trio from Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School stood in the rest area on one side of the lobby, waiting for Shen Qingqiu to check in.
Zhao Zichen was still holding the book "Guan Zhi of Ancient Prose" and muttering to himself.
Zhang Ya awkwardly straightened her collar.
His gaze would occasionally drift to the peers around him, who were chatting and laughing.
"Hey, look at that, isn't that the uniform of Jinling High School?"
I heard that their school alone sends dozens of students to Tsinghua and Peking Universities through the guaranteed admission program each year.
Zhang Ya lowered her voice and nudged Zhao Zichen next to her.
Zhao Zichen didn't even look up:
"So what if you get a guaranteed admission? Literature relies on accumulation, not quotas."
Although he said that, his fingers were noticeably stiff as he turned the pages.
Just then, a burst of laughter came from the side.
"Oh, still reciting 'Guanzi' (a collection of classical Chinese prose)? Isn't that the material we used for our morning reading in junior high?"
Several boys wearing navy blue suit-style school uniforms walked over.
Their school uniforms were well-tailored, with delicate badges embroidered on the chest.
——Jinling Normal University Affiliated High School
That is one of the top schools in Jiangsu Province, and also the main force of the host this time.
The boy in the lead was very tall.
Wearing black-rimmed glasses, he was twirling a brand-new iPhone in his hand.
His gaze swept over the book in Zhao Zichen's hand.
"Hey kid, what era are we living in? Are you still using that rote memorization method?"
The boy smiled and said to his companion.
"It seems that the teaching resources in the prefecture-level cities below are indeed limited, and even the way they prepare for the exams is so outdated."
Several students from Jinling High School nearby burst into laughter.
"You can't say that, after all, it's the 'Trouble-Relieving Cup'."
Perhaps they were trying to use classical Chinese to ease the judges' concerns?
"Haha, relieving worries? That's more like hypnosis!"
Zhao Zichen's face instantly turned liver-colored.
He slammed the book shut and stood up.
Want to refute,
However, due to excessive tension and anger,
His lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.
"you……"
Zhang Ya also stood up, unable to stand it.
What happened to us?
The bespectacled man stepped forward, looking down at Zhao Zichen and Zhang Ya.
"Student, this is Jinling."
Literature is not about showing off one's knowledge, nor can it be won by simply reading books.
Judging from your school uniforms... you must be from Jiangcheng, right?
That place that supposedly doesn't even have a decent bookstore?
Zhang Ya, standing to the side, was so angry her eyes reddened, and she wanted to speak up for her.
However, he was so overwhelmed by the other person's innate sense of superiority that he couldn't lift his head.
This is the aura of a prestigious university.
They don't need to deliberately humiliate them; they just need to stand there.
To state the "facts" in a matter-of-fact tone.
They can trample on the self-esteem of students in small cities.
As the sound grew louder...
Students from other schools nearby also cast curious glances at the spectacle.
Zhao Zichen gripped the book tightly with one hand, leaving him with nowhere to put his other hand.
Just then, a hand lazily draped over Zhao Zichen's shoulder.
"Old Zhao, that's where you're wrong."
Lin Que yawned and stood up from the sofa behind Zhao Zichen.
His school uniform zipper was still undone, revealing the white T-shirt underneath.
He exuded a listless, half-asleep vibe.
The bespectacled man frowned, looking at this suddenly appearing "passerby":
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com