083 The Last Class Fund

As usual, the three requests! Vote, recommend, and add to your favorites!

"Is that all?"

"There's one more section, but it's just a lot of empty praise!"

"I want to hear it anyway."

Yang Tang had no choice but to recite the passage following "As the red sun rises, its path shines with great light," leaving Dr. Yan thoroughly astonished.

But just as they reached the school gate, before they could step outside, they ran into old Master Yan, who was beaming at them.

"Xiao Yang, did you do well on the exam?"

"Just so-so," Yang Tang replied insincerely.

"Heh, for an average performance, that essay of yours is anything but ordinary in my old eyes." As old Master Yan spoke, his gaze sharpened. "Once you're done with exams, let's find a time to have a meal together."

"We'll see about that when the time comes," Yang Tang dodged.

"Alright, as you say, we'll talk about it later!"

The afternoon's history exam went just as expected.

At least for Yang Tang, none of the topics were beyond his memory. He zipped through the questions; though he couldn't guarantee a perfect score, he was confident of at least one hundred and forty.

Finally, there was the English exam on the morning of the third day, the subject Yang Tang felt most confident about. His spoken English was already quite good, and after half a year of living anew, his vocabulary had grown immensely. Tackling the English questions was like a fish taking to water, especially with his "Eagle Eye" to assist him. By the time the listening section ended, he was already left with only the essay, and it hadn't even been forty minutes.

Dr. Yan, well-versed in French, was no slouch in English herself. Watching Yang Tang work through the paper, she was left speechless by his speed and accuracy. Some of the trickiest questions, she herself would have chosen incorrectly at first, only realizing the answer after seeing Yang Tang's choice and thinking it through again.

Yang Tang hadn't memorized any model essay for the English composition; instead, relying on his own understanding and vast vocabulary, he wove together a piece of ornate English prose using rather complex grammar.

Once again, he quietly called the invigilator over. "I'm finished," he whispered.

On the way out of the school, Dr. Yan was uncharacteristically silent, prompting Yang Tang to finally show some concern. "Sis, what's wrong? Trouble at home?"

Dr. Yan couldn't help but give him a light smack. "What nonsense are you thinking? I look after myself, and with me full, the whole family's fed. What trouble could I have?"

"Oh my, sis, though I still haven't seen your true face, the eyes are the windows to the soul. If a hundred is a perfect score, your inner beauty is at least a ninety. And you're still single? Wait, even if you're not married, what about your parents—uh, I mean, my godfather and godmother?"

She gave him another light smack. "You just can't stop, can you? My parents died in a car accident a couple of years ago."

Yang Tang quickly apologized. "Oh, sorry, sorry!"

"It's alright, I've long since gotten used to it," Dr. Yan said, trying to sound casual, but her eyes betrayed a hint of sorrow. "But you, you strange kid, you really surprise me!"

"Sis, how many times do I have to tell you, I'm not sick!" Yang Tang insisted, exasperated. "And what surprises you about me?"

"How can you say you're not surprising? I've chatted with your mother quite a bit. She says your grades fluctuate wildly, that getting into a top university might be hard, and that you might have to settle for a sponsored program. But watching you do those papers—you’re not only fast but also accurate. When others are so nervous they're sweating buckets, you go through the entire exam without breaking a sweat, as if it's nothing at all!"

Yang Tang clicked his tongue inwardly, but outwardly he joked, "Sis, you worry too much. I’ve just given up, so I’m not nervous!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

Back in the minivan, Yang Tang's phone—which had been quiet for a week—suddenly buzzed with congratulatory messages: "The people of the whole nation wish you success in the college entrance exam!" and the like. He found it unbearable and simply turned off his phone.

That afternoon, while Yang Tang was pestering his parents to let him leave the hospital and surfing the internet on his laptop, he noticed a message in the class group chat. Three days later, all students were to gather at school to receive their high school diplomas and take a graduation photo.

"Damn, it’s this routine every time!"

Originally, the graduation photo was supposed to be taken before the college entrance exam, but Yang Tang had heard that any class handled by Madame Panda Li always took the group photo after the exams. And if you didn't show up, you wouldn’t get your diploma. She could delay you for months if she wanted. What’s more, college applications hadn’t even been filled out yet, and if your homeroom teacher withheld key information, you might just fall short of "Home University" and end up at "Stay-at-Home U."

"Looks like I'll have to visit the school on the twelfth. What a nuisance!"

Over the next two days, apart from browsing the files from the Shenhai Criminal Investigation Bureau, Yang Tang spent his time arguing with his parents about being discharged from the hospital.

Yang Jixue, seeing that his son had been sleeping well and acting healthy, finally consulted some doctors he knew, had Yang Tang do another full medical checkup, spent tens of thousands more, and still found nothing. At last, Yang Tang was discharged.

In the blink of an eye, it was time to return to school.

With the transfer from Qin Yiqing’s account, Yang Tang’s collection of bank cards grew to thirteen: ten with balances of one to two hundred thousand each, and three with a million each.

Before setting out, Yang Tang, now dressed in new clothes thanks to his mother, didn’t even bother with a wallet, only taking a few dozen yuan and two bank cards, then rode his little scooter to school.

As soon as he entered the school gate, he spotted Lü Qin, whom he hadn’t seen in over a month, tussling with her cousin on the roadside. He called out in a teasing tone, "Well, well, are we bringing family to the big group photo today?"

Neither Lü Qin nor her cousin had noticed Yang Tang until he spoke up. Once he did, there was no way to ignore him.

Her cousin, recognizing Yang Tang, immediately strode over in anger. But Yang Tang was faster—he revved up his scooter and charged straight at him.

"Holy—!"

Caught off guard, Lü Qin’s cousin tried to dodge but was tripped by Yang Tang’s outstretched foot, flipping backward in the air and landing with a solid thud.

Yang Tang, his body now far stronger than any ordinary person, was unscathed. The little scooter, however, wobbled toward the roadside shrubbery before Yang Tang righted it and continued nonchalantly toward the teaching building.

"Ying, are you alright?" Lü Qin quickly helped her embarrassed cousin up.

"I’ll kill him! I swear I’ll kill him!" her cousin snarled, eyes blazing.

"Ying, what are you saying? He’s my classmate, what’s all this talk of killing?"

Her cousin said nothing more, but from his expression, anyone could tell he wouldn't let this go lightly.

Yang Tang entered the classroom. He hadn’t even warmed his seat before Jia Li came over waving a list. "Yang Tang, pay up!"

"Pay for what?"

"The photo session!"

Yang Tang frowned. "Isn’t there still class funds for that?"

"Today Madame Panda Li is treating us to a banquet at the Brewery’s Wangjiang Tower. After the group photo and handing out diplomas, we’ll feast and sing the night away!"

Yang Tang said nothing.

Maybe it was because the college entrance examination was over and everyone would soon go their separate ways, but even Jia Li, who rarely exchanged more than a few words with Yang Tang, was in a good mood. "Third Brother, it's the last time we’re collecting class funds. Why hesitate?"

Yang Tang thought it over and asked, "How much?"

"Fifty."

It wasn’t a lot, but not a little either. Yang Tang emptied his pockets—his bank cards were in another pocket—and handed over all his cash. It totaled fifty-nine yuan.

Jia Li could hardly keep from laughing as he took the fifty and wrote down Yang Tang’s name. Then he turned to the group in the corner, calling out, "Ha! Yang Tang’s loose change really didn’t add up to more than seventy! You lost, pay up, pay up!"

Yang Tang wasn’t offended; he saw it as a harmless joke and even shouted after Jia Li’s retreating back, "Hey, since you’ve finished your bet, give me my fifty back!"

Jia Li turned and shook his head. "No can do. That fifty really is for the class fund. Ask anyone if you don’t believe me." His voice was loud enough for many in the classroom to hear, and no one objected.

Yang Tang took him at his word and dropped the matter.

Just then, Bai Keqing, whom he hadn’t seen in almost two weeks, appeared at the classroom door. Many classmates rushed over to greet her.

Still as delicate as ever, Bai Keqing politely chatted with the others before sitting down next to Yang Tang. "Long time no see. How did you do on the exams?"

"Not bad," Yang Tang replied modestly.

She tilted her head, unconvinced, and held out her hand. "Will you come for a walk with me?"

Yang Tang raised his eyebrows almost imperceptibly, then gracefully took her hand. "Of course."

"Ooooh—" Jia Li, who had been about to collect her class fund, couldn't help but start the teasing, leading the boys in a chorus of catcalls.

Yang Tang and Bai Keqing ignored them all and strolled out together.

West side of the sports field, in the grove of small trees.

"I'm going back to Yujing in a few days. Will you come see me off?"

"Back?" Yang Tang was surprised by her wording.

"You heard me right. I'm from Yujing. I came to Wudu for school to keep my grandmother company, but just at the end of last month, she..." Bai Keqing's voice broke a little as she spoke.

Hearing this, Yang Tang pieced together the situation in his mind and couldn't help but feel regret. If only she’d told him sooner about her grandmother—perhaps his "Celestial Sound Purification" could have helped. But now, after nearly half a month, even the "Five Qi Returning Spirit" technique might not work, let alone his healing skill.

A regular health check costs only a few hundred, a standard checkup a few thousand, and an extraordinary one can run into the tens of thousands for a single test. Who knows how hospitals calculate these prices!

...