My IQ has been increasing year by year.

I didn't sleep very soundly.

Perhaps it was because the bed had been changed, or perhaps the guesthouse pillows were too soft; lying on them felt like punching a pile of cotton, making it impossible to exert any strength.

There was no alarm clock either.

What woke everyone up was Old Zhao's unique, rhythmic knocking.

"Knock knock knock!"

Knock knock knock!

The sound wasn't loud, but it had an undeniable penetrating power, seeping into my ears through the crack in the door and instantly dispelling any lingering sleepiness.

Wang Yang suddenly sat up in bed.

In that instant, his gaze was fixed, his pupils were not yet focused, but his hand had already subconsciously reached under the pillow.

After fumbling around for a bit, I finally grabbed the curled-up formula book and breathed a sigh of relief, as if I had grasped a lifeline.

It's like someone rushing to catch a train waking up and the first thing they do is check if they still have their ticket.

The curtains in the room were drawn tightly, letting in no light.

Only a sliver of corridor light peeked in through the crack in the door, a stark, pale white.

On the bed opposite, Chen Zhuo was already dressed.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, tying his shoelaces.

The dark blue school uniform was zipped up to the top, and the collar was folded very neatly.

Hearing the commotion from Wang Yang's side, Chen Zhuo didn't even look up, but hooked his fingers around his shoelaces and tightened them.

"Go wash up. I've turned on the water heater, the water's hot."

Wang Yang walked barefoot on the carpet, which was dark red and a bit hard, making no sound when he stepped on it.

Upon entering the bathroom, the mirror was still covered with a layer of water vapor left by Chen Zhuo when he washed up.

Wang Yang turned on the tap.

Water gushed out, splashing into the slightly yellowed ceramic basin.

He splashed a handful of cold water on his face.

cold.

That biting cold seeped into my brain through my pores, washing away any lingering drowsiness.

He looked up at himself in the mirror.

His eyes were a bit dark and bluish, and his hair was sticking up on one side because he had been sleeping on it.

He reached out and pressed down on that tuft of hair that was sticking up, but couldn't.

I added some water and rubbed it vigorously, and it finally adhered a bit better.

The door to room 305 next door opened.

Zhao Chen, with his messy hair, poked his head out, glanced at the corridor, and then shrank back inside.

"Fatty, I need to poop."

"Get lost, hold it in, I'm still brushing my teeth." Liu Kai's indistinct voice came from inside.

"I really can't hold it in anymore... I haven't even had breakfast at the guesthouse yet, and my stomach is already growling."

There was a gradual movement in the corridor on the third floor.

Besides the No. 1 Middle School, this floor also houses representative teams from several other counties and cities.

The sounds of doors opening, water flushing, and plastic bags being shoved together mingled together.

There were no grand pronouncements before the battle; mostly just trivial noises.

It's exactly 7 o'clock.

Eight students, carrying their schoolbags, stood at the entrance of room 306.

The five members of the math group are: Wang Yang, Zhao Chen, Liu Kai, Nan Xiaoyun, and Lin Xiao.

Two people from the physics group: Li Hao and Zhang Wei.

The team leader is Chen Zhuo.

Everyone was wearing the same dark blue school uniform and stood in the dim light of the corridor.

Old Zhao stood at the front of the line, carrying his black faux leather briefcase that he had used for over ten years.

Old Zhou stood at the very back, holding a teacup in his hand.

"Is everything ready?"

Old Zhao asked a question.

"All done."

Chen Zhuo replied.

"Let's go downstairs for dinner."

......

The restaurant on the first floor of the guesthouse is always filled with a smell that never seems to dissipate.

It was a mixture of the smells of old paint on tables and chairs, rice porridge, sulfur from boiled eggs, and medicated oil from who-knows-where.

The restaurant was bustling with noise.

Almost all the participating teams from all over the province live nearby, and it's currently the peak time for breakfast.

Looking around, all you see are teenagers and girls, dressed in brightly colored school uniforms, speaking in various dialects, chattering away like a giant farm.

The eight students from the No. 1 Middle School occupied a large round table by the window.

Several stainless steel basins were placed in the middle of the table.

A bowl of plain rice porridge, a bowl of plump white steamed buns, a large plate of boiled eggs, and two small dishes of finely shredded pickled vegetables.

The breakfast was typical of a guesthouse; it was filling, but definitely not delicious.

But right now, even if you served them a Manchu Han Imperial Feast, probably very few of them would be able to appreciate the flavor.

The two from the physics group, Li Hao and Zhang Wei, were in good appetites because they were on reprieve for the afternoon session.

Li Hao grabbed two boiled eggs in one go, cracking them on the edge of the table while muttering to Zhang Wei.

"Hey, do you think the physics exam this afternoon will be on thermodynamics? I saw that air conditioner outdoor unit last night and it suddenly reminded me of the Carnot cycle."

"Who knows? We'll just have to do whatever the exam is for."

Zhang Wei poured some vinegar into the porridge.

"Anyway, the math group brothers went to their deaths first in the morning, while we didn't go to the execution ground until the afternoon."

The five math students standing nearby turned even greener upon hearing this.

Wang Yang was holding a boiled egg and peeling it for a long time.

The egg was probably boiled for too long, or it wasn't rinsed in cold water; the shell and the flesh were stuck together tightly.

Wang Yang's hand trembled slightly. With a quick scratch of his fingernail, he tore off a large chunk of egg, skin and flesh, leaving it pitted and uneven, as if it had been gnawed by a dog.

He looked at the mangled egg in his hand, sighed, and, not in the mood to peel it clean, stuffed it directly into his mouth.

dry.

It's too dry.

The egg yolk got stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down, making him roll his eyes back in frustration.

He quickly picked up the bowl of porridge and gulped down a large mouthful, forcing the choking substance down his throat.

Zhao Chen looked at the half-eaten steamed bun with a worried expression.

"I'm not hungry... I feel bloated in my stomach."

Nan Xiaoyun and Lin Xiao, the two girls, barely touched their chopsticks. They shared a bowl of porridge and whispered about whether they could bring water bottles into the exam room later.

"eat."

A calm voice broke the somber atmosphere.

Chen Zhuo is peeling an egg.

The movements were slow and methodical.

In no time, a smooth, white, and intact egg appeared in his hand.

He ate the egg in two bites, then drank some millet porridge and picked up a piece of pickled vegetable shreds.

He had a great appetite and even ate an extra steamed bun than usual.

"You have to eat it even if you don't want to."

Chen Zhuo didn't look up, but picked up a piece of pickled vegetable and put it in his mouth.

"The exam lasts three hours, involving intense mental work. The brain's only energy source is glucose."

"The brain needs a lot of glucose to function at high intensity."

If you don't eat enough, you'll get low blood sugar after an hour and a half of the exam. At that point, you won't be able to hold your pen, let alone answer the questions.

He pointed to the steamed bun in Zhao Chen's hand.

"Shove it in, even if you have to use water, you have to shove it in."

Zhao Chen shrank back after being told off. He glanced at Chen Zhuo's expression, which left no room for negotiation, and could only grimace as he began to gnaw on his steamed bun like he was taking medicine.

Old Zhao and Old Zhou were squatting on the steps at the restaurant entrance, smoking, with large tea mugs in their hands.

Looking at the children inside through the glass, although they were a bit stubborn about eating, their overall spirits were quite good.

"Looks like everyone slept well last night."

Old Zhao glanced at the group of kids, and half of the weight was lifted from his heart.

"That's right."

Old Zhou blew away the tea dust floating on the water.

"With Chen Zhuo there keeping things under control, things won't get out of hand. As for that kid, I heard some noise coming from their room last night, but I didn't bother with it."

"You heard that too?"

Old Zhao was delighted.

"I heard that too, it sounded like they were playing cards? These brats are getting bolder and bolder."

"Playing cards is good."

Old Zhou took a sip of tea.

"Playing cards shows you're not in a panic. If you're still trying to memorize things at this point, then you're really doomed."

"yes."

Old Zhao stubbed out his cigarette and threw it into the trash can.

"Old Zhou, keep an eye on Li Hao and Zhang Wei this morning, don't let them run around."

Don't worry.

Old Zhou patted Old Zhao on the shoulder.

"In the morning, I took them to a cool spot outside the exam hall to study."