I was a top student in America.

Chapter 98 The New Captain (Please Subscribe!)

Jamal's shout was quite loud, and his grandmother Liu Guifang, who was busy in the kitchen, didn't even have time to pour water before quickly coming out after wiping her hands.

"Grandma Liu, slow down," Jamal stepped aside to make room for half the screen. "Look, there are hundreds of comments. Leo is now completely famous at school."

Liu Guifang leaned closer to the screen and immediately noticed a line of text below the announcement: "This—the school is going to give out bonuses!"

Li Ao's family found out a few days ago that he won a perfect score gold medal and a special award at the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Compared to the exaggerated comments online, Liu Guifang had long since passed the peak of her excitement.

But seeing the announcement in black and white still made her beam with joy.

Putting everything else aside, I'll feel proud and have something to show for it when I go out and chat with my neighbors.

Hearing the commotion, Li Ao also came over and glanced at the computer.

The screen displays Wyndham High School's community page, with a pinned announcement on the homepage followed by a lengthy repost from Principal Smith.

He glanced at it briefly, then straightened up and left.

Winning the IMO gold medal was already part of the plan, so it didn't excite him much.

More than the school leaders' flowery praise, he was concerned about when the promised bonus from Wyndham High School would be deposited into his account.

Mrs. Paterson had texted him beforehand, saying the school wanted to use the gold medal for publicity, but he really didn't expect them to act so quickly.

He had only been back in Chicago for a few days when the special webpage was already online.

Besides, this wasn't the first time he had become famous at Wyndham High School.

He had previously achieved a perfect score on the AMC 12 and participated in the Greater Chicago Basketball Championship; the Chicago Tribune had interviewed him at the school.

Even if the students at the school have never spoken to him, most of them have heard of his name.

The hype will eventually fade, but learning must continue.

Thinking this, Li Ao picked up Ahlfors' thick book "Complex Analysis" again and started doing practice problems as usual to consolidate the new knowledge and related theorems he had just mastered.

Whether it's a perfect score at the IMO or the two papers just published online, they are merely stepping stones.

His daily study rhythm was not affected in the slightest by these things.

Just as I was reading, there was a knock on the door.

The people in the living room stopped what they were doing and looked up at the same time.

"I'll open it," Jamal volunteered, standing up to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, a dozen or so familiar faces rushed in.

Leading the way was Principal Smith, followed closely by Teacher Brown, Mrs. Paterson, and several other school officials.

The group of people couldn't hide their excitement.

Jamal, his hand still on the doorknob, paused for a moment, then blurted out, "What are you doing—"

We came specifically to see Leo.

Principal Smith's eyes were almost slits from smiling.

Upon hearing his name mentioned, Li Ao put down his pen and went to greet him.

"Principal Smith, is there something you need?"

"Congratulations, Leo." Principal Smith greeted him warmly, shaking his hand vigorously. "A perfect score on the MO exam, a gold medal, and a special award—that's an extraordinary achievement!"

The leaders behind him also chimed in with their own opinions.

Congratulations, Leo.

"You really made Wyndham High School look great this time."

"Keep it up! We need to show those white schools in the North that we can produce real math geniuses in the South too."

"Once school starts next month, the school newspaper will definitely give you a front-page interview."

Faced with the praise from everyone, Li Ao could only nod and thank them one by one, and couldn't really get a word in edgewise.

He expected to receive some praise from the school.

But the fact that the principal personally led the team to visit him made him feel like he was becoming the mascot of Wyndham High School.

If things continue like this, Coach Durant might have to bring him out for a prayer before every game to bring good luck to the whole team.

Jamal and Liu Guifang stood by the sidelines the whole time, unable to get involved, and looked somewhat bewildered.

The old apartment 306 had never before seen so many people in suits crowd in at once.

The group spent almost ten minutes taking a quick look around before finally leaving, satisfied.

-

Once the door was closed, the living room finally became quiet again.

"Leo, you've really become the school's living advertisement now." Jamal plopped back down on the sofa and let out a long sigh.

Liu Guifang was tidying up the water glasses on the table that hadn't been poured yet, and interjected with a smile: "What's with all this talk about reputation? As long as he studies hard and doesn't go astray at school, that's fine."

"How could that be? Leo is Principal Smith's precious darling now. Who would dare to lead him astray?" Jamal replied seriously.

Then, as if remembering something, he looked up and asked, "By the way, are you still going to the basketball team's summer training camp tonight?"

"Go ahead," Li Ao thought for a moment and agreed.

Last season, the Wyndham Hawks achieved their best results in school history and even secured commercial sponsorship for the first time, giving Coach Durant a moment of glory.

However, with key players like TySean and Darryl graduating and moving on to higher education, the team will not only have to undergo a major overhaul next season to bring in new players, but its tactics and playing style will also have to be completely overturned and rebuilt.

Coach Durant specifically arranged this summer training camp to help the new lineup gel.

Li Ao knew that he would need basketball skills to continue to be a plus when applying to universities later.

Moreover, the high-intensity training on a daily basis can steadily improve the strength and agility values ​​on the panel.

Therefore, no matter how busy one's studies are, staying on the school team in the 12th grade is still a necessary plan.

Evening, Wyndham High School Gymnasium.

The team members were stretching and warming up on the sidelines. They didn't say much, but their eyes kept glancing at Li Ao.

On one side of the stands, Lin Jinni and a few other girls from the same class were sitting scattered around.

Because the Eagles are now the most outstanding sports club in the whole school, people even come to watch their training sessions.

In addition, Li Ao was a prominent figure who had just won an international gold medal. Not to mention the girls, even boys from other grades who passed by the stadium would often peek in to watch the excitement.

Li Ao didn't care about any of that.

He dribbled the ball, oblivious to the tactics board on the wall and the training plan for the evening.

Not long after, Coach Durant walked into the arena with a tactical board in his hand.

He walked to the center circle, his gaze sweeping over the team members, finally settling on Li Ao with a hint of emotion in his eyes.

慨。

He still clearly remembers what Li Aogang looked like when he came for a trial last semester.

At the time, this Asian kid was the only newcomer who could score against Ty Shore's defense, and that alone made him more anticipated.

He can score against the best defensive player in the South Division, withstand the grueling training of the basketball team, and keep improving. Plus, he has a reliable three-point shot. He will definitely become a qualified rotation player in the future.

That was his judgment at the time.

But he never expected that Li Ao's evolution speed would be so outrageous.

In just a few months, before the coaching staff could even react, this kid had already grown into an indispensable ball-handling core for the team on the perimeter, carrying the team in crucial games and repeatedly making game-winning shots.

Not to mention that he has now won a world-class gold medal in academics.

As the head coach, he naturally felt proud to have trained such a talented individual who excelled in both academics and martial arts.

"Everyone's here." Coach Durant clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back to the court. "Everyone knows what tactics we're going to practice today, so I won't waste any more words. Let's get straight to the runs."

After the familiar opening remarks, the daily training proceeded smoothly and efficiently.

Because the first half of the game mainly focused on reviewing basic tactical coordination, Li Ao, who had just returned to the team, spent most of his time on the sidelines doing physical recovery exercises.

About an hour later, as the training session was nearing its end, Coach Durant blew his whistle and called everyone together.

"There's something else I'd like to make a formal announcement since everyone's here today."

The coach paused, then turned his gaze to Li Ao. "After discussion among the coaching staff, it has been decided that Leo will officially replace TySean as the new captain of our Eagles team for the new season."

.