novelraw Chapter 532: An Easy Victory
Chapter 532: An Easy Victory
Time’s up—
The processed materials from Ji You and Xu Siyu are already laid out on the platform, clearly visible to both the front and back rows of the audience. Judging by appearance alone, these two materials looked similar. However, Xu Siyu’s piece seemed more translucent, while Ji You’s was darker, so dark it even seemed a bit dull.
Below.
Student A: "Just based on appearance, Xu Siyu is a notch above."
Student B: "Xu Siyu’s piece would have an efficacy rate no lower than 95%."
Student C: "This Ji You, so arrogantly brash, doesn’t seem to amount to much after all."
Student D: "Not so great in actual skill, but quite good at making a spectacle with fanciful gimmicks."
...
The students buzzed with comments, and it was clear that they weren’t optimistic about Ji You’s piece. Of course, these students also acknowledged that Ji You’s performance on stage, which resembled an acrobatic show, truly took them by surprise. However, material science is fundamental, whether it concerns Mecha, Starships, spaceships... all need materials. The foundation must be stable and solid; there is no need for flashy fluff.
The assessment was managed by the Student Affairs Office, Material Science Department, and several teachers overseeing the process, eliminating any possibility of cheating.
Soon.
The results were announced.
The announcement was made by Cheng Jing of the Student Affairs Office. The senior sister wore a serious expression as she looked around and said, "The first piece, from Xu Siyu, the result is: efficacy rate of 98.6%."
Shushed sounds filled the audience, their eyes wide: "!!!"
"Incredible, that’s Xu Siyu for you. If it were me handling such materials, I could get at most 80%."
"Even 80% would be high. If it were up to me, I’d probably just ruin it."
"Such talent from a talented woman, truly deserving of her reputation!"
Next, the big screen displayed the complete data of Xu Siyu’s processed material, which elicited even more admiration from the audience.
Ji You was also slightly surprised by the results.
Achieving over 98%, Xu Siyu had clearly put in tremendous effort. The fact that Xu Siyu could ride on the coattails of Xiao You’s achievements to gain her current reputation also proved that Xu Siyu did have some skill. If Xu Siyu were willing to buckle down and earnestly improve her techniques, even if she couldn’t cause a sensation upon entering the school, she would become renowned for her skills over time.
But—
She always looked for shortcuts instead of taking the right path.
Xu Siyu, upon hearing the results, breathed a sigh of relief and then lifted her head to look at Ji You with a swiftly passing smug look of assured victory.
Ji You kept silent.
Cheng Jing continued: "The second piece, from Ji You. The result is..."
At this point, Cheng Jing suddenly stopped.
The audience craned their necks, looking over.
Cheng Jing took a deep breath and said, "I can’t say it, you’ll have to see for yourselves."
The audience: "Huh?"
Was the result too dreadful?
Cheng Jing didn’t beat around the bush and directly put the results on the big screen. Many of Xu Siyu’s supporters, mouths agape, about to scoff, froze as their gaze landed on the big screen: "!!!"
Displayed was: [Efficacy Rate: 100%!]
"Impossible!"
"How could this be?"
"Are my eyes deceiving me?"
...
Cheng Jing declared: "The result is verified as accurate."
The audience: "..."
Xu Siyu’s face turned ashen in an instant.
How—
How could this be possible?
Ji You smiled, looking at Xu Siyu, and said, "I’ve been outdone! I’ve been outdone!"
Professor Ye Hong, who was seated in the front row, suddenly snorted coldly, saying, "Next time, cut out those flashy moves."
Ji You: "..."
Ji You quickly defended herself, saying, "Professor Ye, my actions just now were all necessary, without a single superfluous move."
Professor Ye Hong: "Humph."
After the huff, Professor Ye Hong suddenly looked up, glancing at Xu Siyu, who was pressing her lips together, but didn’t say anything.
Xu Siyu gritted her teeth.
Then.
The second round.
This time, Xu Siyu was even more diligent. She had no mind to pay attention to Ji You, completely engrossed in the material processing.
And Ji You?
Ji You stood quietly aside, in no hurry. Only when Xu Siyu was almost done did she begin to move. But in just a moment, the audience felt that she had finished as soon as she started.
In the second result, Xu Siyu was defeated again.
Audience: "..."
The third time.
The fourth time.
The fifth time.
...
If at first Xu Siyu could keep her composure, after repeated failures, she began to panic. It was clear to the audience that not only was her rhythm disturbed, but she also made frequent mistakes.
Next to her, if Ji You initially seemed indifferent, the more the competition progressed, the more engrossed Ji You became. She quietly processed the material in her hands, producing one impressive result after another, each one astonishing.
By the end, Xu Siyu was completely disordered while Ji You was still immersed in her work. Her technique captivated the onlooking students, inadvertently drawing them into her concentration.
...
Ji You stopped her hands, slightly annoyed, muttered to herself, "Using the Disassembly Method to divide the material in two, to use each part as separate pieces, is indeed a bit difficult."
Audience: "..."
But everyone already knew that this was not a show of skill -- this was the diligence expected of a researcher, the pursuit of excellence, the continuous exploration...
"Ji You is really strong, are we sure she’s only a freshman?"
"I’m a junior, and I feel far inferior to her."
"I... I’m a senior, about to graduate, and I’m in trouble, feeling like I haven’t mastered the skills."
"Is she strong because of her technique? No! She’s strong because of her creativity."
"No! It’s not just her creativity; it’s her confidence! Ordinary people would not dare to use her methods. Today was truly an eye-opener. I now realize I’ve always been too rigid, afraid to try..."
Hearing the voices below and feeling the gaze of those around, Xu Siyu clenched her palms and forced a smile, proactively saying, "Ji You, congratulations on your victory. I... I’m very happy. The field of materials needs fresh blood and more talented people to innovate together. Really, I’m genuinely pleased you don’t have to leave."
She wanted to appear magnanimous, so at least to score some impression points and show her supporters the grace of her defeat.
Indeed—
"Si Yu actually performed very well today."
"Si Yu was a bit mentally unstable today. Otherwise, she could have performed better."
"Si Yu was deliberately going easy on Ji You! She’s just too kind-hearted. Otherwise, with her skills, how could she make a mistake?"
"Si Yu actually retained a talent for the material field with her own loss..."
"I, too, think Si Yu was deliberately going easy on Ji You."
...
Listening to the voices below, the corners of Xu Siyu’s mouth quietly curved upwards.
Ji You’s eyes turned cold.
At this moment—