From Slacking Off To Becoming A Top Student - Chapter 16 - Chapter 16 – Making a Slight Move Against Him

Galileo once said, “Mathematics is the language in which God has written the universe.”

When Chen Xiaoxin saw that he had drawn the “Math” skill, not just any skill but one of the core skills, he felt like he had won five hundred million. An indescribable joy and excitement surged through him, like a flood bursting through a dam, relentlessly crashing against the walls of his heart, creating enormous waves that reached toward the sky.

At this moment, Chen Xiaoxin thought of the prince of mathematics, Gauss, the king of mathematics, Euler, Newton, Pythagoras, Archimedes, and Riemann. And in this brilliant river of mathematics, there would surely be his own bold stroke—no, there should be many strokes!

In the very next second, countless pieces of basic mathematical knowledge flooded into his mind. He felt like his brain was growing at a crazy rate!

Silently opening the system, he glanced at his data panel.

[Name: Chen Xiaoxin]

[Intelligence: 96 (Average)]

[Stamina: 61 (Disabled level)]

[Agility: 82 (Average)]

[Top Student Skills: Classical Chinese (Lv1, improves classical literature proficiency), Basic Math (Lv1, improves basic mathematics proficiency)]

[Support Skills: Neural Perception (Lv1, enhances awareness of surroundings), Kirin Arm (Lv2, enhances hand speed)]

[Slacking Points: 0]

It seems like my intelligence has increased by two points!

But why do I feel nothing?

After closing the panel, Chen Xiaoxin casually pulled out his high school math textbook, flipped to the section on functions, and randomly picked a problem from the exercises.

Chen Xiaoxin had once resisted math because he simply couldn’t understand it. Although he memorized all the formulas and tried to apply them in every way his teacher suggested, he could never arrive at the right answers. After that, he completely gave up.

But now…

He finally understood the fun of math. It turned out that… math was so simple!

He breezed through several problems, barely glancing before knowing exactly how to solve them.

But next, Chen Xiaoxin decided to increase the difficulty—to see just how far this Lv1 Basic Math skill could take him.

Test papers!

Speaking of which, where did I put all those papers?

Chen Xiaoxin searched through his desk desperately, and after a long struggle, he found a set of mock college entrance exam papers. Flipping straight to the last big question—problems like these were meant to select the top students. They were the ones who decided who got into the top universities like Tsinghua and Peking, and who had to settle for others.

So, this wasn’t just difficult, it was almost unbearably hard. Even after practicing a mountain of problems and mastering all the so-called formulas, there was still a 99.999% chance of failing to get full marks on this question.

In the past, Chen Xiaoxin wouldn’t even look at it. On a good day, he might write down the character “解” (“solve”) and leave it at that. But now, he carefully read the question and earnestly tried to work out the answer.

This seems pretty average!

It’s just about calculating derivatives, the monotonicity of functions with derivatives, and the zero points of functions with derivatives.

Chen Xiaoxin quietly grabbed a blank sheet of paper and began writing at lightning speed, so fast it left only afterimages.

Given:
f(x)=(x−1)ex−ax2+bf(x) = (x – 1) e^x – a x^2 + bf(x)=(x−1)ex−ax2+b
Domain of f(x)f(x)f(x) is all real numbers Rmathbb{R}R,
and
f′(x)=ex+(x−1)ex−2ax=x(ex−2a)f'(x) = e^x + (x – 1) e^x – 2a x = x(e^x – 2a)f′(x)=ex+(x−1)ex−2ax=x(ex−2a).

While Chen Xiaoxin was furiously solving the problem, Yan Xiaoxi, the super academic student, happened to glance over at her desk mate Chen Xiaoxin.

What the heck!

What… what is he doing?

Yan Xiaoxi couldn’t help but widen her eyes, staring in disbelief at her desk mate, who was solving math problems. Her lips trembled slightly, and she seemed so shocked that she froze in place, unable to move.

Solving problems?
Seriously solving problems?
Elementary school level?

Wait, no, that can’t be right! That looks like he’s analyzing the monotonicity of the function 𝑓(𝑥)

Yan Xiaoxi only glanced at the solution process, but she immediately understood what Chen Xiaoxin was doing, and the shock in her heart was like the collapse of the heavens and the earth.

Judging from her deskmate’s solution process, this problem was no joke; it should be on the level of a tough final question on the college entrance exam. The key point was… he was using derivatives! And not just any derivatives, but advanced ones!

What’s going on?
He actually knows such advanced derivatives?

Although high school math does cover derivatives, they are not mandatory; derivatives are only an elective topic, and the teaching never goes very deep. But he—this “crouching dragon” deskmate—has a deep understanding of derivatives!

Just as Yan Xiaoxi was bewildered, Chen Xiaoxin successfully solved the monotonicity of the function 𝑓(𝑥) and began working on the second part of the problem.

Prove that there is only one zero point.
Simple!

Chen Xiaoxin picked up his pen again and quickly wrote the solution on the white paper.

Yan Xiaoxi sat quietly beside him, staring at his work. At this point, she already knew how to solve the problem, but she wanted to see how Chen Xiaoxin would approach it. But soon, Yan Xiaoxi was completely captivated by the beautiful waltz unfolding on the white paper.

In Yan Xiaoxi’s eyes, Chen Xiaoxin’s tightly gripped black pen was like a top-tier dancer performing a beautiful waltz across the blank sheet.

How is he so fast?
Doesn’t he even think about it?

Yan Xiaoxi couldn’t help but lean forward, staring carefully at his solution process. After running the calculations in her head, she was horrified to realize that… it was actually completely correct!

At this moment, Yan Xiaoxi’s expression grew serious.

Awesome!
This feeling of satisfaction…
It’s just so exhilarating!

Looking at the densely-packed derivations on the white paper, Chen Xiaoxin experienced, for the first time, what it felt like to be a top student. It was incredibly fulfilling.

However, he didn’t feel proud about it. On the contrary, he respected mathematics even more. Chen Xiaoxin knew that with his current ability, he was just at the level of a university math major, and not even the level required for postgraduate exams. If the difficulty increased even a little more, he would be completely lost.

For now, the math problem was solved, so it was time to move on to physics.

He opened the system again and found the basic physics skill.

[Basic Physics (Lv1): Improves basic physics proficiency, one of the core skills, essential for advanced physics.]

[Conditions: Basic Mathematics (Lv1), Intelligence 95]

[Price: 30,000 Slacking Points]

With all the conditions met, the next month would be spent diligently earning points.

“Hey.”

“Chen Xiaoxin.”

Yan Xiaoxi lowered her voice and cautiously said, “Can you solve this one?”

As she spoke, she pushed a piece of white paper in front of him, on which a handwritten problem was written.

Chen Xiaoxin looked at her in confusion and replied grumpily, “You’re the top student, and you’re asking me?”

“…”

“Stop talking nonsense. Hurry up and see if you can solve it,” Yan Xiaoxi urged impatiently, embarrassed and anxious.

“Fine.”
“I’ll take a look.”

Chen Xiaoxin took the white paper and carefully looked at the problem in front of him.

Yan Xiaoxi nervously stared at him, watching his serious and meticulous expression, occasionally furrowing his brows—and in her heart, a surge of joy.

Can’t solve it, right?
This one’s specially for you. There are fewer than ten high school students nationwide who can solve this.

Hmph!
With just a slight move from me, I’ll know your limits.

Just as Yan Xiaoxi was feeling smug, Chen Xiaoxin silently turned his head and looked at her with a bewildered expression.

“This is so easy…”
“You can’t solve it?”