Age of Legends

Chapter 347 Past Events of the College Entrance Examination

The scattered utility poles, the power lines that divide the sky, the dust kicked up by tricycles on the street, all reflect the late summer sunlight.

This was just an ordinary street in Rongcheng, but Zhao Tao already felt as if he had been transported to another world.

Shengfeng reopened, and everyone had already gone to their respective workstations. Qian Junyi, Hong Yao, and Bu Ruijie walked in one after another, closing the door behind them.

The group fell silent.

Hong Yao sat on the edge of the sofa, picked up a cigarette but didn't light it. Instead, he kept tapping the armrest in front of him with the cigarette butt, making a "tap tap tap" sound. Bu Ruijie looked down at the floor in front of him, without saying a word.

Qian Junyi adjusted his glasses, seemingly waiting for Zhao Tao's response.

After a long silence, Zhao Tao finally spoke: "If it weren't for the trouble that happened with Liu Qi, I'd probably be the one being detained right now."

Qian Junyi said, "How can you say that? It's obvious that someone is framing us. The key is to investigate along this line."

Zhao Tao shook his head: "Even so, you have also seen Liu Qi's ability to manipulate things behind the scenes. With his connections, he can turn white into black. If things are taken too seriously, Shengfeng could be forced to shut down. As the person in charge, they will definitely pin the blame for 'ineffective supervision' on me. He can keep dragging us down, wear us down, and leave everyone exhausted."

No one responded; they all knew that what Zhao Tao said was true.

Liu Qi was an opponent they had never encountered before.

This kind of person is different from Boss Xiong, who conquered the world purely through reckless bravery and ruthlessness (which proved to be a serial killer).

He's better at using underhanded tactics, tripping you up, and leveraging public opinion and connections to dig traps for you, leading you step by step into them.

Even someone as powerful as Zhao Tao can be entangled and overwhelmed by all sorts of backstabbing and insidious schemes. He is like a deathly swamp on the grassland, seemingly lush and green on the surface, but in reality, countless withered bones and pieces of flesh are buried beneath.

"Heh, who cares? He'll get his comeuppance now!" Hong Yao said.

At this moment, Zhao Tao looked over and asked, "Was he truly taken away by Heaven?"

With a single word, everyone fell silent again. Just as everyone had speculated before, it was something to think about, but there was no evidence, and the discrepancy with reality could easily lead people to subconsciously overlook it. But now Zhao Tao was forcing everyone to confront the issue, compelling them to consider the logic and reasoning behind it.

After a long silence, Qian Junyi spoke: "That's how it was back then. Boss Xiong attacked you, pressing you relentlessly. We all felt we had to fight him to the death. We carried daggers at all times, ready to take him down with us if he dared to show his face. We were bloodthirsty. But who knew Boss Xiong would also involve the former director of the municipal TV station, going to Chen Xuran's house and almost murdering her. When he came out, he ran into Zhang Chen and his companion. Boss Xiong wanted to kill the witness, but Zhang Chen lured him to the transformer and electrocuted him. Who can we complain to now…?"

Bu Ruijie then added, "There are rumors circulating now, probably spread by someone close to Liu Qi. Liu Qi is extremely superstitious about fortune telling and feng shui. He had someone calculate the location of this land beforehand. A feng shui master from Hong Kong said that he needed to seize land from Zhang Chen's mother, Huang Huifen, to succeed, and this is what happened. On the other hand, Xu Hui Real Estate's land, because it was in a different area from the blocked-off zone, was unaffected. Who can we complain to about this?"

Hong Yao said, "How could that be! If we're talking about what happened with Boss Xiong, Zhang Chen's quick thinking and resourcefulness could be understandable. But this time, does Zhang Chen know there's something down there? He's not a god!"

Zhao Tao nodded: "Of course it's impossible to know in advance, but you have to admit that some people are indeed lucky... that's fate."

Everyone looked at Zhao Tao, knowing that he had truly been taught a lesson by the series of unexpected events. The once fearless Zhao Tao now had a new interpretation and understanding of fate.

"When I read biographies of famous people, I had to say that a person's achievements in life are really closely related to timing. Some people always make the right choices at the most crucial moments. There is also a saying that while hard work is useful in this life, it is not that useful. What truly determines your future achievements is actually the arrangement of fate."

"But even so, when Liu Qi used the media to smear us and create problems for us, wasn't it Zhang Chen who diverted the pressure from the media, keeping certain people in the TV station who could manipulate public opinion busy with their own problems? Even getting into the express delivery business was something he convinced me to do. Back then, when I took him around to investigate, I actually had some ulterior motives. You, this kid, talked all sorts of things to me, hiding behind the scenes, only caring about talking. No, I also want you to participate, to see that things aren't as simple as just talking. Actually, I also had some ulterior motives..." Zhao Tao laughed self-deprecatingly, "It's just that I was actually a little jealous of him."

Everyone stared at Zhao Tao in astonishment, not understanding why this senior figure had opened his heart today because of Liu Qi's intervention, and frankly admitted that he had once been jealous of Zhang Chen.
“I was praised for my intelligence from a young age, and my grades were initially very good. But as the saying goes, ‘the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease.’ I always encountered various injustices in reality, so I chose to deal with bullying with my fists. As a result, I kept getting into trouble and was expelled from school many times. Each time, my dad had to swallow his pride and plead for me. In the end, my studies were ruined, and I only got into university through connections. I was forced to start working on my own. But sometimes I think, if I had been in a good school, if I hadn’t gotten into fights, if I hadn’t been involved in the underworld, would I have become a top student one day?”

"So when Zhang Chen was in front of me, I actually thought that if I were to pursue a serious academic path, I wouldn't be any worse than him. If I'm no worse than him, then why couldn't I have thought of the advice and ideas he gave me?"

Qian Junyi, Bu Ruijie, and Hong Yao looked at each other, unsure how to advise Zhao Tao.

"But now I understand that the difference between people is innate. When it comes to fighting, Zhang Chen is no match for me, but when it comes to being smart and strategizing, Zhang Chen is ahead of all of us. Sometimes even luck is on his side."

This was the first time everyone had heard Zhao Tao, who is known for being fearless, openly admit his limits.

It's important to understand that within the team, although Zhao Tao is very democratic, in the past, everyone would gather together to think about how to fight each battle, but in the end, it was often Zhao Tao who would give the most correct advice, like a gazelle hanging its horns, thus establishing his core position.

And now, this key figure, the president of Shengfeng Express, actually admitted that he was not as good as Zhang Chen in decision-making. This did not affect his prestige, but instead made the others admire him even more. This is Zhao Tao.

However, after this self-reflection, Zhao Tao suddenly said, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible resentment and hypothetical scenario: "You tell me, if I hadn't listened to Zhang Chen back then and had been determined to fight Liu Qi to the end, wouldn't I have been able to defeat him head-on? Maybe I could have even survived until the site was unearthed and watched helplessly as his Yipin Group was dragged down?"

After exchanging glances, Qian Junyi adjusted his glasses and said, "If you really had done that, we'd probably all be in jail right now, eating porridge with you."

Zhao Tao was speechless upon hearing this, and then smacked his lips awkwardly.

Indeed, the food there is really terrible.

……

At Zhang Chen's house, the situation was completely different. Huang Huifen slammed the government's official document in front of Zhang Chen: "Look, it's a good thing I didn't listen to you. You told me to tell Liu Qi that you wanted that piece of land, but Liu Qi snatched it away. If we had really taken it, we would have been finished! I have so many people under me, so many suppliers and partners, and now they're all coming to me for money. That would have driven me to my death!"

“Uh…” Zhang Chen stared at Huang Huifen.

"What are you 'uh-huh' about? Let me tell you, this is a lesson. Don't give me any random advice. You can give your dad some advice, that's enough! Don't get involved with me. Do you think doing business is like taking an exam? You think you can just memorize a few books and that's it? I knew that piece of land was no good back then. If you hadn't told me, I definitely wouldn't have chosen that land. This piece of land I have now is great! Look, it's not on the list of land prohibited from construction!"

"Oh..." Zhang Chen nodded vigorously, his eyes already unfocused as he looked out the window.

"Were you even listening to me? I'm still terrified when I think about it now. I didn't sleep a wink last night. I was arguing with Liu Qi back then, and we almost got into a fight. But look what happened! I should thank Liu Qi now. If he had given in, your mother and I would be the ones suffering now! Our family would be ruined, and we would be in debt for who knows how much! We would have to pawn all our possessions and still not be able to pay it back!"

"Huh...!?" Zhang Chen was completely bewildered this time.

However, he knew very well that Huang Huifen, who knew nothing and had no situational awareness, was just venting her emotions. Of course, you couldn't expect her to clearly discover that her son could predict the problem with that piece of land in advance, thus allowing Liu Qi to step into it.

This is beyond Huang Huifen's comprehension. If you want her to believe this, it would be better to tell her that Zhang Chen was possessed by a ghost, which she would be more likely to accept.

In Huang Huifen's mind, she had fought Liu Qi for the land with all her might, a feigned effort. Now, of course, she felt the same lingering fear as if she were fighting over landmines.

Zhang Chen sighed. He thought to himself that with his mother's level of understanding, she had managed to keep the company running until now. He wondered if it was because the tide of the times had come and even bricks could fly, or something else entirely. Anyway, all he could do was keep an eye on things in the future. As long as Huang Huifen didn't take on any big projects or risk a leveraged collapse, he would let her handle the rest.

At worst, it's just a matter of starting all over again.

"Well, you're lucky this time. But there's one more thing: your estimated score is pretty good. You really estimated 580? Based on past experience, the first-tier university cutoff score in the province this year is estimated to be around 540. If you really get that score, then what are you worried about!"

Huang Huifen was already quite satisfied that Zhang Chen had passed the cutoff score for top-tier universities. She didn't have any extra expectations, after all, before this, Zhang Chen could only manage to get into a third-tier university.

The main reason is that Huang Huifen can easily name some of the other people's children around her. Those she used to envy are now, at best, about the same level as Zhang Chen! But of course, there is another special one.

Shen Nuoyi estimated her score to be 660. Her first choice was, of course, Tsinghua University.

Normally, students would return to school to estimate their scores and fill out their college applications. But upon learning of Shen Nuoyi's estimated score, Zhang Chen immediately asked, "Is 660 a sure thing?"

Shen Nuoyi shook her head: "It's hard to say. If it's really this score, it might be close, but there are only a few dozen places available in the whole province each year, and they are assigned in order."

Zhang Chen was speechless, but this was Shen Nuoyi's problem. He didn't understand the pain of a top student.

"Then...you..."

“I’ll apply to Sichuan University,” Zhang Chen said.

Shen Nuo paused for a moment, then nodded gently. With Zhang Chen's score, Sichuan University was indeed a good choice. Actually, it didn't matter where they chose, because they were both just climbing towards the summit, both wanting to see the view from the top. And the time they would spend together in the future was still very long.

This is also why Shen Nuoyi didn't ask Zhang Chen why he didn't apply to other schools, or even to the Capital University, which is closer to her. She was destined not to be the kind of girl who would force someone to be tied to her. Having read so many romance novels, Shen Nuoyi understood even better that the best love is like letting the other person fly freely like a kite, with the string in your own hand.

July arrived on the 23rd, the time when college entrance exam scores were released across the country.

Some regions have launched online services for checking college entrance examination scores, but most people still rely on local voice information services or go back to their schools to pick up their score reports in person.

The score inquiry period officially begins at 2 PM, at which time all the national online score inquiry services become very busy, and it's usually difficult to get through at first. However, as more and more people connect to inquire, many people eventually receive their scores.

Zhang Chen was still somewhat nervous during this period, but he actually had a good idea of ​​his estimated score. Having a good estimate requires a certain level of academic performance, and the better one's usual grades, the more accurate the estimate. In his previous life, Zhang Chen's grades were so poor that his estimated score was completely unreliable.

But this time was different. After looking at the answers and estimating my score, I roughly knew which answers I got right and which ones I got wrong.

Finally, the call went through. Huang Huifen and Zhang Zhonghua stood by the phone, listening to Zhang Chen enter his admission ticket number on speakerphone.

Then the electronic voice calmly announced the numbers: "Chinese, 125; Mathematics, 126; English, 124; Science, 216; Total score: 591."

Although it was expected, Huang Huifen and Zhang Zhonghua still burst into cheers.

The cutoff score for first-tier universities is 545. Zhang Chen scored more than 40 points above the cutoff. For both of them, Zhang Chen's academic career can be considered a success!

I estimated my score at 580, but I actually got 591, which is a great reward for twelve years of hard work!
Zhang Chen was still a bit confused. He thought his score estimate was accurate, but he was wrong by eleven points. Where did the difference come from?
However, Zhang Chen soon received some strange phone calls.

Every year around this time, the media eagerly reports on anecdotes about the college entrance examination, such as the story of someone who was just a minute late and missed the exam, or someone with a disability who bravely opened a special exam room for another student. There are also stories of police escorts clearing the way for local students. And perhaps the biggest topic that sparks public discussion is the annual selection of perfect-score essays.

College entrance examination essays are a topic that must be discussed every summer, and perfect scores are presented to the public in various ways.

This year's selection of perfect-score essays included Jiang Xinjie's "The Death of Red Hare" from Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. Its creative use of classical Chinese to write about a modern theme earned it a place on the list of perfect-score essays in major newspapers.

This article features a novel story, lofty ideals, and sophisticated language, making it well-suited to the current grading system and cultural atmosphere. At the very least, essays that "dare to write, are capable of writing, and have profound themes" are particularly likely to receive high scores.

Many people admire the unique writing style of "The Death of Red Hare" and are impressed that it can be written in such a way in the examination room, and that the story can fit the theme of "integrity" so well, which is amazing at first glance.

After reading it, many people felt that this should be a perfect score essay, and it deserved the award.

Newspapers typically dedicate one page to publishing these leaked perfect-score essays.

"The Death of Red Hare" is undoubtedly the article that occupies the largest space and is the most eye-catching "center position".

Alongside this, there were other essays selected, one of which was an article titled "The Void in My Backpack".

The reason this article can be ranked alongside "The Death of Red Hare" in the selection of high-scoring essays is precisely because they are two different styles. "The Death of Red Hare" uses a storytelling approach to explore loyalty, responsibility, and sacrifice, with lofty themes.

"The Void in the Backpack" uses "backpack" and "small boat" as metaphors to gradually build up the importance of the character. It not only has real social examples but also philosophical depth, which is why it was recommended for the selection of full-mark essays in the college entrance examination.

The author is Zhang Chen.

The example essay for the 2001 National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) on the theme of "Integrity" reads: "A young man was traveling on the long road of life. When he reached a ferry crossing, he already possessed seven bags: 'Health,' 'Beauty,' 'Integrity,' 'Wit,' 'Talent,' 'Money,' and 'Honor.' The ferry set off into calm waters, but after an indeterminate amount of time, the wind picked up and the waves surged, tossing the small boat about precariously. The ferryman said, 'The boat is small and heavily laden; you must discard one bag to safely cross this difficult passage.' Seeing that the young man was reluctant to discard any of them, the ferryman added, 'There is giving and taking, loss and gain.' After thinking for a while, the young man threw 'Integrity' into the water."

The fable depicts the abandonment of "honesty," prompting reflection on what this suggests. Please write an essay on the topic of "honesty." You may write about your experiences, feelings, opinions, and beliefs, or create a story, fable, etc. All content must stay within the scope of "honesty."

The following is the text.

The Void in the Backpack

In the instant the small boat rocked, the young man cast "honesty" into the river. The story ends abruptly there, but it stirred even greater waves in my heart.

Why did he specifically abandon integrity?
Perhaps it's because health ensures his longevity, beauty makes him popular, talent brings him success, money ensures his abundance, wit helps him escape misfortune, and honor brings him pride. In comparison, integrity seems to be the most "intangible," the most invisible and intangible, and thus it becomes the victim.

However, is this really the case?

I recalled a small incident from my childhood. In third grade, I bought a comic book with my allowance but told my mother it was a gift from a classmate. My mother didn't scold me; she simply said, "Books can be bought again, but trust cannot be bought back." At that moment, I blushed, feeling that the "honesty" in my backpack was heavier than any toy. Years later, I realized my mother was actually telling me: honesty isn't a shackle imposed by others, but a key deep within the heart.

Society is rife with examples of companies sinking because they abandoned integrity. Counterfeit drug manufacturers made a fortune, only to end up in jail amidst the storms of the law; entrepreneurs falsified their finances, indulging in a life of luxury, only to have their reputations ruined when the truth came out. They may have seemingly preserved their "money" and "honor," but in reality, they lost everything. Without integrity, everything else will slip through their fingers.

However, this fable made me think more deeply: In real life, are we often forced to be "that young man on the small boat"?
In the workplace, someone might say to you, "Opportunities are rare, why bother with integrity?"

In the marketplace, some might whisper, "Business thrives faster without integrity."

Even on campus, some people will advise you: "It's no big deal to copy a little bit, you can just study hard next time."

What may seem like small choices are actually slowly pushing integrity away from the ship. So when the real storm comes, all that's left on board is empty honor, pale shrewdness, and fragile money.

I'd prefer a different ending: the young man throws his money into the river. Because I believe that money lost can be earned back; knowledge lost can be learned again; health lost can perhaps be healed. But integrity, once abandoned, can never be regained. Losing integrity is like losing the other side of the ferry.

Integrity is not an unnecessary burden, but the keel that holds up the small boat. It may be silent, not clinking like money, nor shining as brightly as honor, but it is precisely it that supports the boat's balance and allows us to reach the other shore.

So when the storm rises again, I will hold onto that backpack tightly—even if the boat sinks, even if I am covered in wounds, I am willing to sink to the bottom of the river with it.

Because that way, at least I will still have a complete soul.

(End of this chapter)