Chapter 379: Chapter 379: Pretending to Know to Grab Attention
Friday was the day of the students’ assessment—an important and utterly crucial day.
At nine-thirty in the morning, clinical medicine students from the first to the sixth year all gathered on the school’s athletic field.
The entire campus was buzzing with excitement, and students from other majors were allowed to watch from the sidelines.
The students taking part in the assessment knew how important today was, and every one of them was brimming with energy.
The winners would have the chance to observe a live surgery performed by Professor Xia alongside another top-tier expert.
Of course the students were excited. They all knew this was the best learning opportunity imaginable!
Not only would they have a chance to get close to high-level professors and leading authorities, but they would also witness cutting-edge medical technology firsthand.
More importantly, becoming a winner meant securing a position at one of the nation’s top hospitals after graduation.
It was a dream come true for countless people!
The competition was incredibly fierce this time, as there were only two spots available per class.
These two spots would be awarded through a rigorous selection process based solely on merit, not family background.
Otherwise, no amount of effort would matter; you’d just be an insignificant speck of dust.
So, everyone was giving it their all, determined to stand out from the crowd.
All the male students were dressed sharply, wearing clothes they usually only saved for the Lunar New Year.
The female students were all dolled up, eager to show off their best side.
However, some students looked completely unbothered. They were the slackers, and for them, effort made no difference.
Another was a top student, Xu Bo, the president of Class 33. As someone specializing in Chinese Medicine, he wasn’t particularly interested in surgery.
More importantly, he just wasn’t in the mood. He would never forget the day he went home to complain to his grandpa and his dad.
He’d gone on and on, thinking his grandpa and dad were engrossed. In fact, he’d noticed his dad listening quite intently several times.
When he finally finished, he expected his grandpa to praise him, but instead, he got a good smack on the head.
Then his grandpa asked him fiercely, "Xu Bo, are you certain you’re talking about Gu Jiaojiao from Class 33?"
"One hundred percent."
"Then do you know who she is?"
"A first-year. She’s my classmate."
"But did you know that Gu Jiaojiao is your grandfather’s senior martial sister?"
"What? Grandpa, what are you talking about?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. Have you learned nothing from all your studies? I said that Gu Jiaojiao from Class 33 is my senior martial sister, which makes her your Grandma."
"But Grandpa, she looks younger than me. It would be weird to call her Grandma, wouldn’t it?"
"Who cares what you call her? My senior martial sister has no interest in acknowledging you anyway!"
Xu Bo was speechless.
Since that day, he had been dropping hints to his Grandma, both overtly and covertly, but alas, he couldn’t tell if she genuinely didn’t understand or was just ignoring him.
He only understood after that day. No wonder Mr. He frequently glanced at her in class; she was his senior martial sister, too.
Professor Xia would sneak glances at her in class, and she was Professor Xia’s senior martial sister as well. In that moment, Xu Bo felt deeply ashamed.
As Xu Bo’s recollection ended, he lifted his gaze to his Grandma not far away. She was wearing a very plain outfit today and looked perfectly calm.
He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but her face seemed to hold little emotion; one might even call it cold.
Yet, it was this very placidness that exuded an indescribable pressure.
Right then, a sixth-year senior was on stage, giving an impassioned speech. Xu Bo recognized him.
He had once published an A-grade paper in a nationally renowned academic journal.
It was on the topic of pediatrics, and as a result, he was quite successful at Imperial University.
Xu Bo leaned close to Gu Jiaojiao and whispered, "Gu Jiaojiao, what do... what do you think of his speech?"
This was the first time Xu Bo had spoken to her directly since learning her identity, and he was dying of nervousness.
Gu Jiaojiao glanced at the anxious class president, wondering what he was up to.
’This class president confronted me on the very first day, and ever since, he’s been sneaking sullen glances at me.’
Although she didn’t know what he wanted, Gu Jiaojiao wasn’t one to refuse a classmate’s question over a personal grudge.
"That senior’s speech is all flash and no substance. Many of his views and proposed treatments are extremely radical.
"I get the distinct impression that he doesn’t see those suffering children as living, breathing human beings.
"Instead, he views them as stepping stones for his own career and fortune. Even if he manages to cure a few patients by chance, his approach is unacceptable.
"He hasn’t bothered to properly understand or study the medical principles our mentors taught us. Instead, he spends all his time researching these radical shortcuts.
"I’m not saying radical and fast is inherently bad—if he truly had the skills to back it up, that would be one thing. But as it stands, I’m not impressed with his speech. In fact, I find it rather distasteful."
After hearing her out, Xu Bo’s eyes went wide. He stood frozen on the spot, his face a mask of shock, as if he’d been struck by lightning.
’So, my Grandma really does have profound knowledge and skill,’ he thought. His own father had said something similar after reading that senior’s paper.
Of course, his dad hadn’t been nearly as detailed or direct as she was.
Gu Jiaojiao hadn’t lowered her voice, so the students around her heard everything.
Xu Bo and the other diligent students were stunned by her words, but they also found them incredibly insightful.
However, some of the female students who weren’t focused on their studies—especially those with a crush on the senior—were not about to let it slide.
Wang Ling sneered and said in a snide tone, "A first-year student who’s never even performed an experiment has no right to stand here passing judgment."
She spoke with such conviction, as if she were an eyewitness, that some of the other slackers started chiming in.
They had no hope of passing the assessment anyway, so they were just lashing out at anyone they could to vent their frustration.
"Exactly! Maybe they need to re-evaluate the admission scores for this university."
"Our senior has published papers in academic journals. Some people shouldn’t pretend to know what they’re talking about just to grab attention."
"I really can’t stand students like that, always trying to show off. It’s pathetic."
Xu Bo was absolutely furious, so mad he could have eaten Wang Ling alive.
He rolled up his sleeves and stormed over to Wang Ling. "Who are you talking about? I never knew you were as good at making things up as you are bad at studying!"
"Is the class president sticking up for her because he’s smitten with her good looks? Go on, hit me if you’ve got the guts!"
Completely unafraid, Wang Ling pushed her face closer to Xu Bo’s. She was betting he wouldn’t dare hit her in front of everyone.
"You... You..." Xu Bo was so furious his face turned beet red all the way to his hairline, and beads of sweat popped out on his forehead.
He bit his lip, completely unable to find the right words to defend himself. He couldn’t very well announce that she was his Grandma, could he!
