In science and engineering circles, the "Huaxuan Cup" Applied Physics Competition was highly prestigious.
Because behind this competition was—Huaxuan Technology.
And Huaxuan Technology’s parent company was none other than the National Power Equipment Group.
The very same domestic photolithography machine giant that occasionally made an appearance on the Broadcast.
Within the group, Huaxuan Technology’s role was primarily focused on precision optical path calibration and micro-displacement measurement and control.
In layman’s terms, they made the "eyes" for the photolithography machines.
A competition held by a company of this caliber naturally wouldn’t be like one of those unaccredited contests that just throws together a few questions, hands out a certificate, and calls it a day.
The reason the Huaxuan Cup was taken so seriously by major universities was because it often "slipped in its own material."
The question-setting committee would often take real-world engineering problems encountered during production—or highly representative technical pain points that had already been solved—simplify and sanitize them, and then release them as the final challenge questions.
It didn’t test how many formulas you could memorize, but rather your ability to apply physics, and that little spark of genius that could potentially change the world.
In one of the competitions a few years ago, a contestant whose grades weren’t even considered top-tier proposed an exceptionally original heat-dissipation concept for a question about "thermal distortion from multi-layer mirror reflection."
As a result, before the competition results were even announced, Huaxuan Technology had already taken notice of him. Not only did they fully sponsor all his undergraduate tuition fees, but he was also hired directly by the parent company, National Power Equipment. It’s said that he’s now a key member of the core R&D team.
The whole sequence of events was like something out of a cultivation novel: an ordinary Outer Sect disciple uses a self-created Swordsmanship technique during the Sect’s grand competition and is immediately noticed by a Divinity Transformation Stage old ancestor emerging from seclusion, who takes him on as a Direct Disciple.
It was the perfect example of rising to the heavens in a single step.
「Rongcheng, High-Speed Rail Station.」
At the bustling exit, Zheng Hua was exchanging pleasantries with a middle-aged man with a receding hairline.
"Ah, Director Liu, long time no see! It looks like Sixth Middle School has sent out all its top talent this time," Zheng Hua said, his face wreathed in smiles.
"Not at all, not at all. You’re too kind, Director Zheng. They’re hardly top talent, just some ordinary students I’ve brought along to broaden their horizons."
This man with the receding hairline was Liu Limin, the Director of Studies and Head of the Physics Department at Jiangcheng Sixth Middle School. Standing behind him were eight students in the school’s uniform.
"Your Seventh Middle School is doing quite well this time, too. I heard you had a student get a perfect score and first place in the preliminaries? Truly impressive."
"Luck, it was all luck."
Zheng Hua laughed it off.
The two exchanged a few more pleasantries and wished each other’s teams good luck.
"Well, Director Liu, we’re going to head to the hotel and check in. See you next time."
"Alright, Director Zheng. See you."
The two waved goodbye and went their separate ways.
And just like that, Zheng Hua, who had been all smiles a moment ago, now had a thunderous expression.
He curled his lip and muttered under his breath, in a voice only Li Dong could hear.
"We’re the same rank, but he’s always putting on airs. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he was the principal of Sixth Middle School, not just a director."
Walking beside him, Li Dong was secretly taken aback.
’So this is the world of adults?’
Zheng Hua turned and patted him on the shoulder, his tone becoming earnest and heartfelt.
"Li Dong, you have to make us proud this time."
Li Dong, his backpack on, looked at Zheng Hua’s expectant face and was at a loss for words.
’Sir, I’m really just here for the twenty thousand... I mean, to bring glory to the school.’
’Can you adults please not drag me into your complicated drama?’
Meanwhile, in another corridor.
Liu Limin was walking briskly with his students.
His expression wasn’t very pleasant, either.
"Director, was that the teacher from Seventh Middle School just now?" a boy with glasses walking behind him asked.
Liu Limin nodded without a word.
"And the one standing next to him, was that Li Dong, the one who got first in the preliminaries?"
The boy pushed up his glasses.
"He actually showed up for the in-person finals?"
Liu Limin’s pace faltered slightly, and he sighed.
"It seems things are a little different than we thought."
"This Li Dong... he might actually have some real ability."
"Director, in that case, should we..."
"Don’t mind him. In a few days, we’ll probably have forgotten all about him."
Liu Limin waved his hand dismissively, cutting the student off.
Although Li Dong’s daring to show up meant he had some substance, Liu Limin still didn’t believe that the perfect score in the preliminaries was earned through genuine skill.
After all, the preliminaries were online, and there were too many loopholes.
He was more inclined to believe the student had a certain level of skill. That way, even if he didn’t perform well in the finals, as long as his score was passable, Seventh Middle School could find a way to justify the perfect score from the preliminaries.
After all, having an off-day was common enough.
So he didn’t pay Li Dong too much mind.
He turned his head to look at the boy.
"Zhao Ziv, you don’t need to worry about that kid from Seventh Middle School. Just focus on your own performance, answer the questions carefully, and don’t make any elementary mistakes."
"You and Lin Xiao from Tianli were only one point apart in the preliminaries, and your rankings in the city-wide joint exams are always neck and neck."
"Qin Yan went to the national training camp, so he won’t be coming to a commercial competition like this. That means the highest score from Jiangcheng will most likely be a fight between you two."
"As for Rongcheng Seventh Middle School..." Liu Limin trailed off with a sigh.
Their Sixth Middle School might reign supreme in Jiangcheng, but compared to Rongcheng Seventh Middle School?
Forget it. The teachers there supposedly scold their students by saying, "If you don’t work harder, you’ll just have to go to Sichuan University next door."
Chen Yue: ???
Zhao Ziv nodded.
"Don’t worry, Director."
「Huaxuan Hotel.」
This was a five-star hotel owned by Huaxuan Technology and also the designated reception venue for the finals.

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