Chapter 44: The Value of the National Liberal Arts Top Scorer

On the road from Anshui County to Wangjia Village in Shiping Town, a car was speeding along.

Although the road was somewhat bumpy and uneven, the driver did not slow down much.

Inside the car.

Jia Chuanbin gazed at the passing scenery and the sights along the way, mentally drafting a general outline of how he would persuade Wang Donglai.

Rubbing his temples, Jia Chuanbin asked, "How much further to Wangjia Village in Shiping Town?"

The driver thought for a moment and replied, "It should be about another half hour, but it will take some time to actually find his house."

"Mhm. Try to drive as fast as possible. We've gained an advantage, but I'm afraid Liu Yuanqing from Peking University is also on his way. I just don't know if he's off the highway yet. We absolutely cannot let them catch up. We must finalize this Liberal Arts Top Scorer before they arrive.

"There is a Liberal Arts Top Scorer every year, but there hasn't been one for the 737 exam before, and it's unlikely to happen again in the future.

"Furthermore, based on the information I obtained from the Anshui County Education Bureau, this top scorer didn't stand out in his first or second year of high school. This means he was either keeping a low profile or had a sudden epiphany and worked feverishly to catch up, resulting in such high scores."

Jia Chuanbin hadn't expected that after obtaining Wang Donglai's scores, he would follow standard procedure and look into other background information.

As a result, he discovered that Wang Donglai's previous grades weren't particularly good; they could even be described as mediocre.

However, after entering the second half of his senior year, starting from the diagnostic exams, Wang Donglai's grades had risen steadily like a growing stalk of sesame.

In the final city-wide mock exam for Shanxi City, Wang Donglai had even scored nearly 700 points.

It was precisely these results that gave Jia Chuanbin the determination that he must secure this student.

Because of his job, he had encountered many top scorers and academic geniuses.

He understood that some people were truly born smart, with brilliant minds and fully maxed-out natural talent, while others achieved great scores through scientific study methods, excellent educational resources, hard work, sweat, and a bit of innate ability.

While both were top students and scorers, in Jia Chuanbin's view, the former possessed significantly greater plasticity and potential.

Especially when top scorers appeared in small counties, they were often individuals of astonishing talent.

With subpar textbooks, ordinary teachers, and average teaching environments, such conditions could still produce a top scorer who could dominate an entire province. If such a student were moved to a school with better conditions and stronger faculty, their scores would likely climb even higher.

Living in Beijing and due to the requirements of his work, Jia Chuanbin clearly understood the difference between students in Beijing and those in small mountain counties.

Students in Beijing could take their history classes in museums, learning amidst scenes filled with historical depth and solemnity; their physics classes could feature PhD professors from the Chinese Academy of Sciences providing detailed, accessible explanations that planted the seeds of physics; their physical education could be taught by national first-class athletes who had won medals, and their music teachers could be veterans who had composed popular songs.

Small counties simply did not have these conditions. It was already a rare feat to have a graduate from a "Double First-Class" university return to serve as a teacher.

Jia Chuanbin had no intention of discussing these matters, nor the ability to change them, but he observed them and kept them in mind.

Facing a genius student like Wang Donglai, he truly hoped from the bottom of his heart that Wang Donglai could leave this mountainous region and see the great world outside.

As for whether Wang Donglai would return to his hometown or stay in the city after achieving success, that was not something Jia Chuanbin concerned himself with.

Right now, he only wanted to bring this rare genius into Tsinghua University.

Behind the Tsinghua car, a string of vehicles with Tangdu license plates was following closely.

"Quick, catch up to the Tsinghua car! They definitely left early. They rushed over as soon as they got the news—no wonder I couldn't get through no matter how many times I called."

"The Liberal Arts Top Scorer should come to Peking University. Tsinghua should be looking for the Science Top Scorers instead."

In the car, Liu Yuanqing looked exasperated.

After receiving news of this year's Liberal Arts and Science top scorers, he hadn't paid attention and had called the Science Top Scorer first, only to have his "home" raided by Tsinghua.

Helpless, he could only call Wang Yanxing, hoping to achieve his goal indirectly through the parent.

To his surprise, that didn't work either. Now, he could only follow behind the Tsinghua car, hoping for a face-to-face meeting.

...

"Donglai, I've received several calls, all from top universities in the country, saying they want you to apply to their schools. What exactly are you thinking?"

Wang Yanxing walked up to Wang Donglai holding his phone and asked.

Cao Shuxian and Wang Chenyue had also gradually calmed down from their initial excitement. Hearing Wang Yanxing's words, they looked toward Wang Donglai.

"Dad, Mom, I'll go to whichever school offers the better terms. Universities need high-quality students, but for me, as long as the school is decent, I don't need anything else.

"And right now, our family needs some money, and by tradition, a Gaokao top scorer receives cash rewards—anywhere from a few tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands.

"You guys can just leave this matter to me. I won't gamble with my future.

"Trust me!"

Wang Donglai was not annoyed by Wang Yanxing's repeated questioning.

He could understand Wang Yanxing's feelings and thoughts. A timid, insecure farmer, when faced with such a massive opportunity, wouldn't think too much; he would only want to seize the chance immediately.

In fact, as long as they could enter such a school, any major would do.

The "Civil Engineering brothers," "Biochem/Materials," and similar majors were mostly filled with high-achieving students from rural areas.

No one guided them; no one told them that if they wanted stability, they could study Law or Chinese Language and Literature. If they wanted to make money, they should study Computer Science, where professional skills and a prestigious university background could lead them straight into big tech companies.

An engineering undergraduate followed by a Master's in Law, pursuing intellectual property—that was both easy and lucrative.

They were often misled into thinking that Civil Engineering was the "ace of aces," that they could enter state-owned enterprises immediately with good pay. Or that "Biochem/Materials" was the golden finger of the 21st century and a bright path to the future, where graduating would mean driving luxury cars, living in mansions, and enjoying a beautiful life.

Wang Yanxing naturally didn't know that in this short amount of time, Wang Donglai had already thought through so much.

Hearing Wang Donglai reiterate that he would decide for himself, Wang Yanxing nodded and said, "Alright. I don't understand these things. Which school you want to go to or what major you want to study, I can't pave the way for you; you'll have to rely on yourself.

"However, no matter what you choose, your mother and I will support you.

"Your second sister also did well this time, scoring 615. I just told your second uncle and eldest uncle that we'll renovate your grandfather's and grandmother's graves in a while.

"Our family has produced your eldest sister, your second sister, and now three college students, and you are the National Liberal Arts Top Scorer. In ancient times, you would have been a Jinshi. Our branch has finally risen. From now on, our family will have people serving in the government; we've finally made it."

Wang Yanxing's tone was full of gratification and a hint of pride, and he seemed to become revitalized.

"Dad, just handle those matters; I'll leave them to you. It's time for our family to prosper.

"In the future, when you go out, tell people you are the father of the 2012 National Liberal Arts Top Scorer, that your son scored 737, and that top universities in the country called wanting him to enroll.

"Mom, you too. In the future, when you go out, introduce yourself that way—that you gave birth to a National Liberal Arts Top Scorer. I guarantee you'll be the center of attention wherever you go, and people will look up to you."

There was a saying that Wang Donglai only truly understood at the age of thirty in his previous life.

Thirty years ago, the son respects the father; thirty years later, the father respects the son.

It seemed simple, but it was filled with the unspoken rules of human interaction.

"If the father is strong, he becomes an official; if the mother is weak, she becomes a merchant; if the clan is prestigious, they stay in the village; if the family is poor, they wander far and wide." This was a profound truth.

Hearing Wang Donglai's words, Cao Shuxian and Wang Yanxing became even more proud, their faces beaming with joy. Clearly, Wang Donglai's words had touched their hearts.

When children take pride in their parents, parents will also be proud because of their children's achievements.