The teacher's pace was quite swift; even with classes and lesson planning to manage, the results were posted just three days after the exams concluded.

As school let out, the homeroom teacher walked into the classroom clutching several large sheets of white paper. A collective tension tightened in everyone's chests; it was clear these sheets held the cut-off scores for each subject and the overall rankings. Breathing became shallow across the room as every eye fixed on the teacher’s expression.

The homeroom teacher surveyed the room. Frankly, he hadn't anticipated the school pulling a stunt like this right before the junior year, yet it certainly highlighted several underlying issues.

His expression remained its usual blank slate—neither overtly happy nor displeased. Coupled with his initial silence upon entering, it kept everyone suspended in anxious anticipation.

Just as the suspense became almost unbearable, he finally spoke. "The scores are out, and the rankings are posted. While a few students will be leaving this class, it's not impossible for them to return. Likewise, don't assume that passing this test means you are safe. The midterm exam in November will be a hurdle, and the final exam will be another. I expect everyone to persist."

From the teacher's words, the students gleaned one crucial piece of information: some were indeed leaving the class, though the identities remained unknown. The number wouldn't be large, but those who felt they had underperformed immediately burst into tears. They understood the gravity of being demoted to a parallel class. Despite the teacher's assurances of future chances, everyone knew the teachers in the accelerated track enjoyed superior resources compared to those teaching the standard classes—unless, of course, the student willingly let their performance decline.

Wang Qiqi noticed that although Zhu Lina wasn't crying, her expression was far from cheerful. Rumor had it that while her overall performance was decent, she hadn't dedicated much time to Political Science, causing her score to drop significantly. Many who entered the accelerated Arts stream excelled due to strong memory recall, good English, or a solid foundation in Chinese; few were genuinely strong in Math. Besides, if one were truly good at Math, their Physics and Chemistry scores wouldn't lag, making the intense memorization seem unnecessary.

"Alright, I will announce the top fifty students in the grade." The homeroom teacher scanned the room once more and began reading out the overall rankings for the Arts stream, one by one. Only when Wang Qiqi heard her name announced at ninth place did her heart finally settle; Shi Man ranked twentieth, signaling that both of them had safely secured their spots.

Those whose names were called reacted with either a muffled cheer of relief or subdued acknowledgment, careful not to make too much noise, especially since three or four names from the parallel classes had already appeared within the top thirty. This meant at least three or four students were definitely being transferred out of the accelerated class.

As the rankings progressed lower, Zhu Lina’s expression grew increasingly strained. Just as she seemed about to break down, "Zhu Lina, ranked forty-eighth," the teacher continued reading verbatim from the paper, immediately following up with her individual subject scores.

Hearing her name, Zhu Lina finally let loose and wept, relieved to have survived and remain in the class, especially when she had been bracing for demotion.

Indeed, many students ranked in the high forties felt they had narrowly escaped; the scores in that segment were incredibly close. However, unlike Zhu Lina, they managed to hold back their tears.

The teacher stopped reading individual names after the fiftieth spot, announcing instead the rankings of the remaining students within their current class. Those hovering around fifty-something managed a slight reprieve, but anyone ranking in the sixties or seventies faced an almost insurmountable climb. At this point, the classroom erupted in sobs—from those clinging to the bottom rungs to those confirmed to be leaving the accelerated stream.

Shi Man reached out and squeezed Wang Qiqi's hand. "Qiqi, we’re definitely staying in this class, right?" Shi Man felt immense pressure. This time, they were caught unprepared, and many had genuinely performed poorly. But next time, everyone would be ready, and the competition would be far fiercer.

Wang Qiqi felt worried too. Honestly, this exam had been a surprise attack, and the questions, especially in Math, had been quite flexible. If her Math score hadn't pulled through, she might not have cracked the top ten overall. "We will definitely stay in the accelerated class."

Seeing the students so distraught, the teacher felt a pang of sympathy, but this was the administration's directive, and as the homeroom teacher, he could only comply. He opened his mouth several times, finally speaking with a slight tremor, "Starting tomorrow, you will all be assigned to new classes. Those remaining here will continue their instruction here; the rest will move to the classroom next door."

Although the distance was negligible, it wasn't a matter of two steps. For those quietly weeping, this news only intensified their sorrow—were they crying for their lack of effort or for the public loss of face?

The teacher was genuinely upset, too. "Never mind, you should all head home early. I trust that even those leaving this class will return quickly." With that, he hurried out. In his many years of teaching, he had never experienced splitting a class mid-year. The sadness was mutual between the students and himself.

On the other hand, he felt a degree of satisfaction that talented students from other classes would now filter into the accelerated stream, injecting fresh competition. Many students in the fast track had grown complacent, believing their placement was secure and losing their drive. He understood the plight of the other teachers, who were reluctant to send their top performers to bolster the accelerated class’s results, thereby making the accelerated teachers’ successes shine brighter. From this point forward, every teacher in the fast track would be walking on volcanic ground, subject to constant, biting criticism from their colleagues in the parallel classes.

The homeroom teacher left. Normally, the students would have dispersed instantly, but today, no one moved from their seats. This situation was fundamentally different from the initial liberal arts/science split, where everyone had been mentally prepared.

After a long silence, someone finally spoke up. "So what if we leave the accelerated class? I refuse to believe I won't come back. Starting today, I’m hitting the books hard to earn my spot back by the midterms." After delivering this declaration, the girl picked up her bag and left.

As one student departed, others gradually followed suit, gathering their bags. After all, time spent wallowing was better invested in studying; the chance to return was not lost.

Shi Man and Zhu Lina silently followed Wang Qiqi out of the school. Although they had all managed to stay, the sudden high level of motivation—driven by the pursuit of those fifty spots—meant everyone would push harder. Even Wang Qiqi dared not entertain any thought of letting up. "Our lives are going to get much tougher from now on."

In the past, even when parallel class students occasionally outperformed the top students, there hadn't been this level of anxiety because the class division happened only once. Now, entering the accelerated class was no longer a fixed position; slack off, and someone was ready to take your place. There was also a potential downside: the growing chasm between the accelerated class and the parallel classes. The fast track always moved ahead in pace and depth. If a student from a parallel class entered, it would present a significant challenge for them. It remained to be seen if the situation would develop in the manner the principal envisioned.

Zhu Lina had composed herself. She called out loudly, "How about we go out for a good meal today to celebrate?" Zhu Lina was genuinely stunned she had evaded dismissal; after the exam, she had compared answers with others and knew she had gotten many wrong. She never expected to be one of the lucky ones.

"Tomorrow, maybe. Mom's cooking today." Wang Qiqi never turned down an opportunity for better food. Home-cooked meals were reliable, but occasionally, a stronger flavor profile was a welcome change.

Zhu Lina didn't care when they ate out; it was simply an outing. "I honestly never thought I would stay." The thought alone thrilled her.

Gao Kai walked slowly, head down, swinging his backpack, replaying the events in his mind, wondering why, why this result? He had never imagined falling out of the accelerated class. "Damn it." The more he thought, the angrier he became. Seeing a small pebble on the sidewalk, he gave it a powerful kick.

He had played this game before, though never kicking it hard enough to hit anyone. But this time, an elderly woman was shuffling slowly ahead of him, and the stone flew precisely toward her back.

If he had only kicked one pebble, it might have been overlooked, but for some reason, there were several small stones on the pavement, and he kicked them one after another. The old woman initially thought the objects falling were just debris, paying them no mind. But when the second stone struck her back, she realized something was amiss—likely some mischievous child playing games behind her.

As the woman turned, she saw Gao Kai kicking the last of the stones. Naturally incensed, she quickly advanced a few steps, intending to grab Gao Kai and teach him a lesson. Had she remained still, the stone would have struck her chest, but because she moved, the angle shifted. The stone hit her near the corner of her eye. The woman clutched her eye, crying out in pain, while using her other hand to restrain Gao Kai, preventing his escape.

Gao Kai froze, dumbfounded. He hadn't intended to hit anyone, let alone cause a severe eye injury. As he snapped out of his shock and tried to bolt, he realized the old woman had his clothing firmly grasped.

"It wasn't me, it wasn't me!" Gao Kai stammered out a frantic denial.

The old woman was shocked that this seemingly well-mannered boy would immediately deny responsibility. "If it wasn't you, who was it? You tell me who it was."

By now, several bystanders attracted by the commotion had gathered, all pointing fingers and chastising Gao Kai. Kicking small stones was bad enough, but hitting someone and then refusing to admit it? That was pure evasion of responsibility. The crowd began lecturing Gao Kai vehemently, turning his face an ashen white.