This star just wants to learn.

On the podium, the physics teacher was marking exercises, the chalk stub occasionally tapping across the wooden tabletop, carrying a subtle penetrating force.

The high school seniors' desks were piled high with books, almost completely obscuring Pu Tong's figure in the back row. As for Iori Yukino, who was already a head shorter, she was practically invisible thanks to her ingenious arrangement...

Sitting in the middle, she simply pulled Pu Tong and Yu Wanwan's books in front of her as well, the three stacks of books completely blocking her view.

Her purpose was naturally to slack off in class. Although she was a little more serious during her senior year, Yukino wouldn't be Yukino if she didn't slack off.

She now emphasizes a scientific, dialectical, and efficient way of slacking off...

Of course, in other classes, most teachers turned a blind eye to her outrageous behavior, except for the homeroom teacher.

Before each English class, she would still neatly stack her books separately, showing her survival instincts.

Yukino Iori, who was dozing off on the table, yawned and vaguely saw the figure of her homeroom teacher.

I was hallucinating from exhaustion...

Why are we getting closer and closer to the homeroom teacher?
"Buhou!" Iori Yukino belatedly realized and quickly sat up. Standing at the classroom door was none other than their homeroom teacher, Zhang Binyan.

She was startled, and suddenly she was no longer sleepy. She even felt a little like standing at the back of the classroom on her own.

"Pu Tong, come out for a moment."

Upon hearing this, Iori Yukino breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the homeroom teacher's gaze was fixed on Pu Tong, and she was safe.

Now it was Pu Tong's turn to be dumbfounded. For the homeroom teacher to interrupt the physics class to call him, it must be something big in some sense.

The Trisolarans have attacked?
The other students couldn't help but be curious. Zhang Binyan was known for his strong principles; he always made sure to finish class first, no matter what was going on. What was happening this time...?

What Pu Tong didn't expect was that the homeroom teacher didn't go to the office at all, but instead led him directly upstairs towards the principal's office.

He followed closely behind and entered the room, only to find that there was more than just the principal inside; all the other school leaders were there.

He had only ever seen this kind of scene at the opening ceremony; anyone who didn't know better would think the school was planning to expel him after a three-way interrogation.

The way the leaders looked at Pu Tong was more serious than solemn, which was quite intriguing.

"Look at this."

The principal pointed to something on the table. Pu Tong looked closely and saw it was an official document... sent directly from Beijing. No wonder they had that expression.

The document is very clear; in short, it states that Pu Tong has absolute autonomy in making his choice, and that they will support Pu Tong's choice regardless of the circumstances.

As for what he should choose, that's a matter of the second document, which is an international letter sent from across the ocean.

"Guaranteed admission?"

Amei actually gave him several guaranteed admission spots to top universities. What's going on here?
"Yes, it was sent over overnight. It arrived in Beijing this morning and I sent it to you without delay." The principal paused, then smiled wryly, "The higher-ups mean they respect any choice you make. Whether you accept it or not is entirely up to you."

It seems like they're trying to recruit talent directly because they can't beat them in the competition...

It's not that Pu Tong is overly self-conscious; he's currently leading 2-1, and his opponents might genuinely be afraid of losing. After all, winning makes everything easier, while losing can lead to a very ugly situation.

The meaning above is also quite clear: they will not interfere; he can accept what he wants and refuse what he wants. This is partly out of trust in him and partly to avoid gossip.

If we don't express our stance, they might just slap a label on us. We need to clear our names cleanly so we won't be afraid of being accused of unreasonable arguments.

But you can't say that the higher-ups really trust him completely. The village went through a lot of trouble to send a college student out of school; they can't just let someone else seduce him with a few words.

The principal clearly understood; although he didn't say it explicitly, the scene in his office spoke volumes... In short, think twice before you act.

"Are you trying to send a beggar away?"

Actually, they're overthinking it. Pu Tong is already incredibly famous, there's absolutely no need to consider this kind of thing.

Moreover, this is really too shabby. This is how they recruit talent? They use this to test cadres. They should at least give them some small tokens.

Although he wouldn't accept it anyway, giving him just a university acceptance letter is too stingy...

Pu Tong had truly misunderstood them. The other side had conducted a period of research to win him over. It was said that he was not interested in fame or fortune and only liked learning, so they specially arranged this unique gift.

You love learning, right? You can choose any top university you like.

The rumors spread and became more and more exaggerated. Even Pu Tong himself didn't know he was so amazing. He wasn't a saint, and he wasn't so otherworldly.

Upon hearing Pu Tong's words, all the teachers breathed a sigh of relief. They had been worried that this boy was too studious and might actually go abroad for further studies...

It can only be said that his image as a studious persona is too solid; when faced with this kind of multiple-choice question, everyone would worry that he would choose studying.

"Well, their academic achievements and international influence are top-notch. Aren't you going to reconsider?"

Are they not buddies, and he's still testing the waters?
"No, no, I'd rather die than go. I'm afraid I'll really get beaten to death if I go."

That place is too free.

The principal wasn't testing him; these were her honest thoughts, unrelated to any other considerations. She simply wanted him to think things through before making a decision.

Asking one more question will make the answer more convincing.

“Go back to class…” Zhang Binyan looked at him with some relief and added, “After class, have Xue Nai come to my office.”

He knew it; with such sharp eyes, how could the homeroom teacher not have seen it?

When Pu Tong left the principal's office, he didn't look at the letters on the table again. Many people were secretly watching his choice, and they were only completely relieved when they saw him leave.

"What a waste of your time."

Pu Tong was well aware of this; there were undoubtedly countless eyes watching him. However, he didn't care much. He just wanted to learn; he wasn't stupid.

He didn't take it to heart. It's normal to worry in this situation, since the choice is entirely up to him, and no one knows in advance what he will choose.

However, this incident also gave him a signal: the other side was already somewhat hesitant to act rashly, and if they lost another game, the situation would completely spiral out of control.

"Herty should be her next opponent. I guess she'll be under a lot of pressure from them."

If she loses, the consequences will be unimaginable.

But Pu Tong also had reasons why he couldn't afford to lose.

"We need to find a chance to bring her over."

Others might not be able to sway her, but Pu Tong still had some confidence. Their connection transcended geographical boundaries, blood ties, and even the world and time.

You want to bring in talent, huh? I'll bring you in first. (End of Chapter)