Chapter Forty-Six: Drawing In

When one studies diligently, time passes swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, Friday arrived.

At seven in the morning, Zhou Xuan packed his things, slung a backpack over his shoulder, and made his way to the side of the sports field. The backpack was one he had specifically bought the previous week; its design was much like the laptop bags commonly seen in the future, far more attractive than his old schoolbag.

When he reached the meeting place, a minibus with more than a dozen seats was already parked there, and all the students participating in the essay competition had arrived. Zhou Xuan greeted Liu Yixue, then waited quietly with the others for Teacher Chen to arrive.

After a while, their Chinese teacher, Mr. Chen, and another teacher responsible for their accommodations and travel, Mr. Wang, appeared. Mr. Wang took attendance, made sure everyone was present, and then arranged for them to board the bus.

Naturally, Zhou Xuan sat with Liu Yixue. The vehicle started up, carrying them towards Rongzhou.

Rongzhou, located in the southern part of S Province by the Yangtze River, was a city renowned since ancient times for its talented people and rich culture, boasting thousands of years of history. Rongzhou Academy, once the old Rongzhou Academy, had developed over decades into a sizable university. The finals of the essay competition were to be held there, with meals and lodging provided in a college-affiliated hotel.

More than a hundred students from over twenty high schools across the city would gather in the academy’s lecture hall for the live semi-finals.

NC County was only forty kilometers from Rongzhou City; in less than an hour, they arrived at the competition venue, Rongzhou Academy.

The exam was scheduled from ten to noon. First, under Teacher Chen’s guidance, everyone signed in. Then, all items not allowed in the exam room were handed over to Mr. Chen for safekeeping; only paper, pens, and water were permitted inside.

Confident as ever, Zhou Xuan felt no anxiety about this competition.

However, with only twenty minutes to go, Zhou Xuan noticed Liu Yixue growing inexplicably nervous.

He took out a piece of chewing gum from his pocket and said, “Have some gum; it’ll help you relax.”

Liu Yixue accepted it with a word of thanks.

Chewing the gum and listening to Zhou Xuan’s light-hearted chatter, Liu Yixue found her nerves truly easing. She realized Zhou Xuan was quite considerate, with a charming way with words—truly likable.

At 9:50, everyone queued up to enter the exam room, found their seats, and waited for the teacher to distribute the papers.

It turned out there were no test papers—only essay sheets. The essay prompt was written boldly on the blackboard at the front:

“We are about to enter the twenty-first century, a new era. Since the policy of reform and opening up, people’s living standards have greatly improved, and society has undergone tremendous changes. Whether you wish to reflect on the past or envision the future, please use ‘The Era’ as your theme. The genre is unrestricted, but your essay must be at least 800 words.”

Zhou Xuan smiled as he read the prompt. Having lived from the twentieth century into the twenty-first, he had witnessed more transformations in a lifetime than most could imagine.

At this moment, no one understood this era better than he did.

He thought for a moment, then put pen to paper, beginning with his birth in the 1980s, writing about reform and opening up, the turn of the century, and the magnificent waves of the twenty-first century.

Of course, what Zhou Xuan wrote was an abstract vision of the future world—what the graders would surely see as the wild imaginings of a sixteen-year-old.

It would only be decades later, when someone stumbled upon this essay, that people would realize how astoundingly accurate Zhou Xuan’s imaginings had been—how he had, in his own way, described the dawning of a wondrous new era.

That essay would eventually become a treasured artifact in the Rongzhou Museum.

After more than an hour of careful crafting, Zhou Xuan finished his composition. Raising his head, he saw Liu Yixue still writing furiously. He smiled, stood up, and went to hand in his work.

Zhou Xuan’s relaxed smile and composure startled the other students still writing, placing them under considerable pressure.

As he exited the lecture hall, he saw teachers from various schools looking at him in surprise.

Zhou Xuan, unfazed, walked up to Teacher Chen. “Mr. Chen, I’ve finished.”

Seeing Zhou Xuan hand in his paper early, Teacher Chen didn’t say much. Compositions weren’t like other exams; there was no need to wait until the end to submit.

“How did you do?” Teacher Chen asked.

“Pretty well. The writing went smoothly. I don’t think winning a prize will be a problem,” Zhou Xuan replied confidently.

His self-assurance drew the attention of the other teachers—such confidence in a student was rare.

Some teachers, however, sneered, thinking Zhou Xuan arrogant.

“Ha, which school is that student from? So full of himself!”

“Exactly. With so many schools participating, he clearly doesn’t know his place.”

But just then, a teacher from Third City High approached Zhou Xuan and his group.

The other teachers watched with interest, anticipating a scolding.

“Could it be? Is the teacher from Third High going to put him in his place?”

Just as everyone expected the teacher to admonish Zhou Xuan, the teacher instead smiled warmly. “You must be Zhou Xuan? Handing in your paper so soon—your essay must be excellent.”

Zhou Xuan was momentarily taken aback, but Teacher Chen immediately reacted. “Zhou Xuan, this is Mr. Wang from Third City High.”

“Oh, hello Mr. Wang, I’m Zhou Xuan. It was all right—the writing went quite smoothly,” Zhou Xuan replied.

“Haha, I’ve long heard that Zhou Xuan from Second County High is an outstanding student—not just in sports, but also in writing. Today I finally get to meet you,” Mr. Wang said, clearly familiar with Zhou Xuan.

Though surprised, Zhou Xuan answered politely, “You flatter me, Mr. Wang.”

Mr. Wang looked from Teacher Chen to Zhou Xuan and then asked, “Would you mind if I spoke with Zhou Xuan alone?”

Zhou Xuan glanced at Teacher Chen, who was just about to agree when yet another teacher approached.

“Zhou Xuan, I’m Mr. Wu from First City High. Perhaps you’d like to talk with me first?”

Just then, Mr. Li from First County High joined in. “Zhou Xuan, I’m Mr. Zhang from NC First High; I’d also like to have a word with you.”

The top three high schools in the city were all vying to speak with Zhou Xuan—what was going on?

The teachers nearby were baffled, not understanding the situation.

Zhou Xuan, sharp as ever, quickly guessed their intentions. They wanted to recruit him for their schools—he must have caught their attention somehow.

He said, “Why don’t we find somewhere quieter to talk?”

With so many teachers watching, it wasn’t suitable to discuss matters there. The others agreed and followed him aside.

As the four walked away, the others realized what was happening: the three schools were competing to recruit him.

They hurried to Teacher Chen for details, and he told them the truth.

Hearing of Zhou Xuan’s excellence, all were astonished.

Half an hour later, the bell rang and the students began to file out.

Teacher Chen had just gathered everyone together when Zhou Xuan came over.

Teacher Chen pulled him aside, concern in his voice. “Zhou Xuan, which school did you choose?”

Zhou Xuan smiled. “I always planned to attend County First High for senior high. Don’t worry, with my situation, the three schools are about the same. County First is closer to home—why not choose convenience?”

What Teacher Chen didn’t know was that Zhou Xuan hadn’t committed to First High from the start. Only after hearing all three schools’ offers did he use proximity to home as an excuse to choose First High.

And so, for his three years of senior high, Zhou Xuan would have all tuition waived and, as long as he remained in the top three of his grade, receive a monthly bonus of two hundred yuan.