March arrived with the warmth of spring, turning the campus green with lush grass and blooming peach and plum trees.
For the students in the Olympiad class, "March" meant both challenges and opportunities.
The preliminary round of the 2006 National Junior High School Mathematics League was held in mid-March. The two-hour exam was intensely competitive, with only ten percent of participants advancing to the next round.
On the day of the preliminaries, Jiang Yubai’s uncle personally drove his nephew to school.
Before Jiang Yubai could say anything, his uncle grew nervous first: "Xiao Jiang, you’ve just started seventh grade, and you skipped two grades. For a national-level exam like this, you should keep a calm mindset. Even if you don’t do well, it’s not a big deal. When I first auditioned for a symphony orchestra, I didn’t make it, but I didn’t get discouraged. Step by step, I worked my way up to become the concertmaster. Xiao Jiang, gold will always shine…"
Jiang Yubai interrupted his uncle: "If I don’t do well today, I’ll compete again next year."
His uncle pulled his Porsche over to the curb. Gripping the steering wheel, he turned to look at Jiang Yubai: "Alright, Xiao Jiang, go for it! Even though your IQ isn’t 174, in your uncle’s eyes, you’re a little genius."
Jiang Yubai clenched his fists: "Mm!"
Jiang Yubai stepped out of the car with youthful vigor, and his uncle watched him leave.
Outside the gates of Provincial No. 1 Middle School, the noise was bustling, and the crowd was dense. Lin Zhixia weaved through the packed throng and ran up to Jiang Yubai. She carried only a small cross-body bag containing her admission ticket, bus card, phone card, and a fountain pen.
As she unzipped her bag and pulled out her admission ticket, Jiang Yubai immediately asked, "Didn’t you bring a pencil case?"
Lin Zhixia replied, "It’s fine, I don’t need one."
Jiang Yubai reminded her, "You should at least have a compass and a ruler."
Jiang Yubai took the National League very seriously. He had prepared thoroughly and brought two sets of stationery, which indeed came in handy. He set down his backpack, found the two sets, and gave the more complete one to Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia didn’t refuse. After taking a step forward, she said, "Jiang Yubai, you’re so kind." Her tone was lighter than usual, not as if she were deliberately speaking to him, but more like murmuring to herself.
"It’s nothing," Jiang Yubai responded calmly. "Just a small thing, no need to thank me."
Lin Zhixia hopped in place: "Before, I used to think that what you said and what you felt were different, but now I have a new perspective. Jiang Yubai, you’re really good to your friends, asking for nothing in return—not even forcing a 'thank you.'"
She stretched out her hand, pointing into the distance, and softly marveled, "Jiang Yubai is like a diamond in the sky, bright and dazzling. I can see him as soon as I open my eyes."
With that simple metaphor, Lin Zhixia froze Jiang Yubai in place. He had only casually given her a set of stationery—why did it earn such lofty praise again?
Jiang Yubai had almost completely forgotten that Lin Zhixia was his competitor.
"Defeating Lin Zhixia" had once been a wish of Jiang Yubai’s, deeply rooted in his heart. But he had to admit that the competitive drive she had sparked in him was quietly fading away day by day.Jiang Yubai was immersed in self-reflection when someone suddenly patted his shoulder. He glanced sideways and saw Duan Qiyan with a solemn expression. Duan Qiyan carried his backpack over one shoulder and asked as he walked: "Lin Zhixia, Jiang Yubai, can you win first prize?"
After the "lock-picking incident" during this year's winter break, Duan Qiyan had never provoked his classmates again. He had lost his former arrogance. Because he discovered that since entering junior high school, he was no longer the First War God - he had practically become the first god of misfortune.
The true "First War God" of Provincial No.1 Middle School should be the invincible Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia said confidently: "The junior high league isn't that difficult. I'll get first prize."
Neither Jiang Yubai nor Duan Qiyan felt the slightest surprise.
"It must be very easy for you, the junior high league," Duan Qiyan probed.
Lin Zhixia replied modestly: "It's alright."
Duan Qiyan asked again: "Hey, what time do you guys study until every night before going to sleep?"
Lin Zhixia answered honestly: "Before nine o'clock."
Jiang Yubai's answer was more precise: "Eight-thirty."
Duan Qiyan's breath caught. He always persisted until 10:30 at night before going to bed, thinking he was being somewhat lazy. He never expected Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai to sleep even earlier than him.
He had heard that Kim from Class 18 stayed up until midnight every night.
Lin Zhixia maintained her position as grade rank one while studying like a slacker. If she worked as hard as Kim, how powerful could she become?
To stimulate Lin Zhixia's potential, Duan Qiyan brought up a senior from the high school division of Provincial No.1 Middle School. That senior had won first prize in the National Junior High Mathematics League in seventh grade, self-studied high school courses during the summer vacation after seventh grade, and won first prize in the National High School Mathematics League in eighth grade. Later, the senior participated in the National Middle School Students Mathematics Winter Camp and achieved excellent results in the International Olympiad competition. He was one of the most outstanding students Provincial No.1 Middle School had ever cultivated.
After detailing the senior's achievements, Duan Qiyan asked Lin Zhixia: "Hey, Class President Lin, how big is the gap between you and that senior?"
Before Lin Zhixia could speak, Jiang Yubai said decisively: "Lin Zhixia and the senior are different people. Comparing them is meaningless."
Jiang Yubai's words resonated deeply with Lin Zhixia. She circled around Jiang Yubai: "Jiang Yubai, I want to participate in international competitions too. I also want to team up with you for the Romanian Master of Mathematics. That kind of competition seems really interesting - every country sends a team. I heard the competitors from the US, South Korea, and Russia are all very strong. We could try to defeat them!"
Both Jiang Yubai and Duan Qiyan had heard of the "Romanian Master of Mathematics." Jiang Yubai fell silent, while Duan Qiyan stated directly: "The Romanian Master of Mathematics is beyond my reach..."
After pausing briefly, Duan Qiyan continued loudly: "Class President Lin, wait for me for two years. During these two years, I'll regain my First War God form. You and I will join forces as a powerful team to win international championships and have our names printed in the alumni records of Provincial No.1 Middle School's archives."
To be honest, Lin Zhixia didn't want to team up with Duan Qiyan.Jiang Yubai ranked ninth in the class during the entrance exam. In the early days of the school year, Duan Qiyan would occasionally come to mock Jiang Yubai, a memory Lin Zhixia recalled vividly. As the class monitor of Class 17, Grade 7, she couldn’t openly dampen Duan Qiyan’s enthusiasm for learning. Instead, she vaguely remarked, "Duan Qiyan, why don’t you aim for a first prize in the league competition first?"
Jiang Yubai raised his left hand, stopping Lin Zhixia. "I will earn that first prize," he declared.
Lin Zhixia applauded for him. "Of course! Jiang Yubai will definitely win first prize!"
Duan Qiyan noticed how differently Lin Zhixia treated him compared to Jiang Yubai. Why was that? Since the start of the second semester of Grade 7, Duan Qiyan had frequently tried to win Lin Zhixia’s favor, but she usually responded with polite detachment.
In Class 17, Grade 7, Lin Zhixia was the undisputed and perpetual top student, while Jiang Yubai and Shen Fuxuan took turns occupying the "second place" seat. Duan Qiyan consistently ranked fourth or fifth in the class, and none of the students ahead of him ever chose to sit beside him.
As Duan Qiyan was mentally selecting his next desk mate, Shen Fuxuan’s voice rang out from behind them.
"Preliminary round, here I come!" Shen Fuxuan shouted, his figure darting past Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai like a gust of wind.
Lin Zhixia followed Shen Fuxuan, breaking into a run. "Charge! Charge!"
Seeing their momentum, Duan Qiyan refused to be left behind. He sprinted furiously, his shoes scraping loudly against the ground with a rapid "tap-tap-tap." He had run quite a distance when Shen Fuxuan burst into laughter, taunting him, "Hahahaha, look at Duan Qiyan—he’s born to run wild."
Jiang Yubai commented, "Sometimes, I find it hard to believe he’s two years older than me."
Lin Zhixia laughed cheerfully. "Hahahahaha, I don’t believe it either."
Amid this lighthearted and joyful atmosphere, the preliminary round of the Math League began.
Jiang Yubai focused with all his might. He was determined to solve every problem in both parts of the preliminary round. Once he entered high school, he planned to compete alongside Lin Zhixia in the Romanian Master of Mathematics. Then, both their names would be engraved in the provincial No. 1 High School’s archives.
Thus, the league exam was no longer just a test—it was a stepping stone on the path to his future.
Jiang Yubai worked with intense concentration, his pen moving as if guided by divine inspiration. His thoughts flowed seamlessly, the tip of his pen emitting a continuous rustling sound. With ten minutes left until the end of the exam, he had already completed the final problem. He didn’t turn in his paper early. Instead, he carefully reviewed his multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank answers, double-checking his calculations in his head.
For this preliminary round, he and Lin Zhixia were in different exam rooms.
When he lifted his head and glanced out the window, he suddenly caught sight of Lin Zhixia. She stood with her back to his classroom, leaning against the railing, gazing up at the pale blue sky where white clouds drifted lazily.
Jiang Yubai remembered what Lin Zhixia had told him that morning. She said, "Jiang Yubai, you’re like a diamond in the sky—bright and dazzling. I can see you the moment I open my eyes."
The results of the Math League preliminary round were announced at the end of March. Unsurprisingly, Lin Zhixia qualified for the next round. In their Class 17, Grade 7, besides Lin Zhixia, seven other students advanced to the next stage—Jiang Yubai was one of them.
Teacher Zhai reappeared, taking on the role of their head coach.Teacher Zhai gathered all the promising students from Class 17 and Class 18 of the first-year junior high and conducted daily special math training with them.
During the winter break training, Lin Zhixia hadn't fully displayed her capabilities. But in the April special training sessions, whenever Teacher Zhai called her name, she would answer questions rapidly without holding back. She was clearly on a different level compared to the other first-year students. Recognizing her exceptional talent, Teacher Zhai promptly brought out questions from the high school competition.
It was the finest sunny day since the start of spring—bright sunshine, a sky as clear as if washed clean, with the sound of recitations from the neighboring class audible in the background.
Standing at the podium in one of the classrooms, Teacher Zhai held a ruler and pointed to a problem on the blackboard: "This is the 15th question from the 2001 High School Math League, which involves some basic knowledge of electrical resistance. Has your physics teacher covered resistance with you?"
Jin Baihui raised her hand: "I've studied resistance!"
Teacher Zhai nodded slightly. He had a very favorable impression of Jin Baihui from Class 18—she was extremely diligent and conscientious. No matter how difficult the task assigned to her, she always completed it on time and to the required standard.
Jin Baihui had even written the phrase "If you are as careful at the end as at the beginning, nothing will be ruined" with a marker on the first page of her math notebook. Teacher Zhai admired her attitude toward learning.
Perhaps there was a natural gap in ability between Jin Baihui and Lin Zhixia, but Jin Baihui could make up for it through her own hard work.
Full of anticipation, Teacher Zhai suggested, "Everyone, give this problem a try and write out your solutions..."
Before he had even finished speaking, Lin Zhixia told him, "Teacher Zhai, I'm done."
Lin Zhixia sat in the middle of the second row. Her desk mates were Jiang Yubai and Shen Fuxuan. Jin Baihui sat directly in front of Lin Zhixia, and the moment Lin Zhixia spoke, Jin Baihui turned her head to stare at her and asked, "Have you seen this problem before? It's a resistance proof question—how did you finish it in just one minute?"
Lin Zhixia gripped the corner of her scratch paper, slowly raised it to cover her own face, and blocked Jin Baihui's intense gaze. Her complete solution was now fully visible to Jin Baihui.
Teacher Zhai hurried down from the podium. He picked up Lin Zhixia's scratch paper with both hands, gave it a quick scan, pressed his fingertips on the page, and folded creases along both sides. Time seemed to slow down; the second hand on the wall clock advanced four ticks before Teacher Zhai finally said, "Lin Zhixia."
Lin Zhixia looked up at him: "Teacher Zhai."
She was only eleven years old this year, still a child, yet Teacher Zhai concluded: "Lin Zhixia, after you complete the second round of the junior high math league in April, you should go on to participate in the high school league. I'll help you get in touch with the teachers from the high school competition class. It's just not feasible for you to continue with junior high competition training—really not feasible. If you join the high school competition class, you'll have the opportunity to achieve more honors... I had a student before whose situation was similar to yours. He finished high school math and science content in his first year of junior high, and by his third year, he won first prize in the high school math league. In his first year of high school, he directly won international medals in physics and math competitions. He just started his second year of high school and has already been admitted to Peking University's School of Mathematical Sciences. You see, this is the path for you..."
Jiang Yubai asked, "Should Lin Zhixia skip grades and join the high school competition class?"Teacher Zhai thought for a moment, then added, "No need to skip grades. My student didn't skip grades either. Lin Zhixia is still in middle school, but she can participate in the high school competition. Lin Zhixia, if you collect enough competition gold medals, you won't even need to spend time in high school—you'll be directly recommended for admission, just like your senior."
Lin Zhixia remained silent. She and Jiang Yubai exchanged glances for a while.
This might have been the most difficult decision Jiang Yubai had ever made. He turned his face away, avoiding her direct gaze, but his tone was firmer than she had imagined: "Lin Zhixia, you must bravely move forward."
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