novelinnhs Chapter 41 The January Promise
Chapter 41 The January Promise
Lu Yuan's resounding words in front of everyone caused an uproar in the previously quiet classroom.
Snickers, whispers, and murmurs filled the classroom like a tidal wave.
Gao Zhe was Lu Yuan's staunchest supporter, but hearing Lu Yuan's almost fantastical declaration, he could only cover his face and smile wryly. He leaned close to Lu Yuan and whispered, his voice full of impatient regret: "Brother Yuan, you really miscalculated! You were so cool just now. If you had just compromised, things would have been fine. Why did you have to brag like that?"
Outside the classroom, Ye Yixian frowned slightly, but there was no hint of mockery in her eyes.
She understood that Lu Yuan simply didn't want to be looked down upon, and that he was standing up for her and speaking out against injustice.
She deeply understood this stubbornness.
Meanwhile, Li Xian and Zheng Jiarui on the opposite side were already laughing so hard they were doubled over, their faces flushed red, and tears were almost streaming down their faces.
After finally finishing his laughter, Li Xian straightened up, pointed at Lu Yuan's nose, and said sarcastically, "Lu Yuan, you're desperate, aren't you?"
"Do the math yourself. Throughout your three years of high school, on any single exam did you ever score over 300 points?" He counted on his fingers, his tone extremely sarcastic. "Do you know how much difference there is between 300 and 680 points? Do you know what that means? It's a gap built up over countless days and nights!"
Those unbridled jeers stung my ears like needles.
Lu Yuan remained unmoved, his expression calm and undisturbed. He simply raised his hand and pointed to the eye-catching words "99 days until the college entrance examination" written in the upper left corner of the blackboard.
His voice clearly pierced through the noisy crowd: "As the saying goes, nothing is impossible for a willing heart. Three months is neither a long nor a short time. I might just be able to overtake them on a curve."
"Overtaking on a curve?" Zheng Jiarui scoffed, stepping forward with disdain in his eyes. "Do you think our current grades suddenly improved after entering high school? This is the foundation laid in six years of elementary school, the groundwork laid in three years of junior high, and the intensive cultivation in three years of high school! A full twelve years, all for these two days of college entrance exams. Do you know how much sweat we've poured in?"
"With only three months left, do you really think you can turn the tables and surpass us overnight just by talking?"
"What a ridiculous joke!" Zheng Jiarui's voice suddenly rose, and the top-performing students around him echoed him, nodding vigorously. "It's one thing to brag all the time, but to dare to make such a boast at a crucial moment? Don't even mention surpassing us in the college entrance exam; even if you score 600 points, we'll still respect you as a genius!"
In their eyes, achievements are never a sudden leap, but the result of twelve years of relentless hard work.
Lu Yuan, this academic failure who barely made it into a junior college, actually dared to boast that he would crush them?
This is not only arrogance, but also a denial of everyone's efforts!
"Yes, Lu Yuan." Li Xian was now even more smug, looking down at Lu Yuan. "You don't even need to surpass me. As long as you score over 600 on the college entrance exam, I'll do anything you ask, even kneel down in public for you!"
"No."
Lu Yuan stood rooted to the spot, his voice resolute, "I don't need you to kneel. What I want is a contest of strength!"
He raised his eyes, his gaze piercing, and met the gazes of the two people on the stage: "From today onwards, for three months. When the college entrance exam results are released, if my score is higher than yours, Li Xian... and you, Zheng Jiarui, you must immediately post a public apology on your QQ space for your arrogant 'grades-only' remarks today!"
"Hahaha!" Li Xian laughed so hard he almost couldn't straighten up. "Lu Yuan, you're truly ignorant and fearless! Only incompetent people would be driven to desperation by 'grades-only' thinking! Since you've come to gamble, I'll play along to the end!"
He then faced the entire class, cleared his throat, and adopted an air of "fairness and impartiality": "While the trend of comparison is certainly undesirable, judging students by their grades can indeed stimulate their learning potential! Today, in front of everyone, I, Li Xian, accept Lu Yuan's challenge! If, three months later, my grades are inferior to his, I will not only issue a public apology on QQ Space, but I will also personally visit him and kneel down to apologize!"
Li Xian had already made his stance clear, and Zheng Jiarui wasn't about to be outdone. She immediately followed suit, raising her voice, "I'll bet with him too! As long as his grades are better than mine, I'll do anything you ask, without a single complaint!"
Li Xian and Zheng Jiarui looked confident, with a hint of mockery in their eyes.
Who doesn't know Lu Yuan's background? This bet is clearly like throwing a lamb to the slaughter.
No one expected that a minor argument during evening self-study would escalate into such a tense public confrontation.
The bet was made, and the room erupted in commotion, with everyone's eyes focused on Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan smiled calmly and said loudly, "Fine! If my grades don't surpass yours in three months, you can ask me for anything you want. As long as I can fulfill it, I'll do it without hesitation!"
"Brother Yuan! Calm down!" Gao Zhe grabbed Lu Yuan's arm and tried desperately to pull him back, sweating profusely with anxiety.
Ye Yixian also bit her lip tightly, her eyes filled with worry. She knew all too well Lu Yuan's current situation.
This isn't a challenge; it's gambling with the dignity of young people.
Lu Yuan raised his hand and gently brushed Gao Zhe's hand away. His eyes were firm and unwavering as he looked at the two high-ranking figures on the stage.
The air seemed to freeze instantly.
The atmosphere was extremely tense, almost to the point of being deadly.
The classroom was completely silent; everyone held their breath, waiting for the outcome.
A moment later, Li Xian curled his lips in disdain: "You've got guts, Lu Yuan. I won't force you to do anything that would hurt your pride." His eyes gleamed slyly. "If you lose, all you have to do is treat the whole class to a meal."
This move, seemingly lenient, actually conceals a hidden agenda.
If Lu Yuan loses, he will not only lose money, but also lose face in front of the whole class. This double blow will be enough to make him unable to hold his head up in school.
Moreover, "treating the whole class to dinner" sounds like he's doing everyone a favor, and it also allows Li Xian to project an image of "magnanimity" in front of everyone.
Fearing Lu Yuan might change his mind, he added sarcastically, "What's wrong, Lu Yuan? You're usually quite generous, treating everyone to a meal shouldn't be difficult, right?"
Zheng Jiarui immediately chimed in, "I agree too! Let's do as Li Xian said: if your grades aren't as good as ours, you have to treat the whole class to dinner!"
Inviting someone to dinner is not difficult; what is difficult is losing completely in front of everyone and still having to invite them to dinner.
This is clearly a second humiliation.
"Brother Yuan, don't be impulsive!" Gao Zhe was so anxious that he paced around in circles, grabbing his arm tightly.
Lu Yuan's classmates, who were usually on good terms with him, also spoke up to dissuade him. Even Jiang Yiqing kept giving him meaningful glances, her eyes full of urgent dissuasion.
At this moment, looking around the class, it seemed that no one had any confidence in Lu Yuan.
This was clearly a game they were destined to lose.
Lu Yuan simply shook his head, a confident smile playing on his lips, and said loudly, "Fine. If I lose, I'll treat the whole class to a nice meal at the Binhai Grand Hotel."
"Good! Lu Yuan, you're truly impressive! You've got guts!"
Li Xian immediately gave a thumbs up, his smile widening. This was clearly a case of flattery to kill, designed to force Lu Yuan into a corner with no way out.
"Oh dear, Brother Yuan, why are you doing this to yourself!" Gao Zhe was still desperately trying to pull him back, but he knew in his heart that it was all too late.
The bet has been made; what's done is done.
If one breaks their promise, it will only be more shameful; if one is willing to accept the consequences of a bet, the expenses will be no small amount.
Li Xian and Zheng Jiarui exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with smug satisfaction, as if they could already see Lu Yuan's pathetic state as he treated them to a meal three months later.
Inside the classroom, the chatter resumed, all mocking Lu Yuan's overestimation of his abilities.
Even if Lu Yuan studies hard from dawn till dusk, it's almost impossible for him to catch up with Li Xian's Zheng Jiarui's grades.
Faced with various doubts and ridicule, Lu Yuan simply smiled faintly, not caring at all.
This standoff came to a temporary end with the signing of the bet.
But everyone in the classroom had lost all interest in studying; they were all eagerly anticipating how the college entrance examination would end three months later.