C6 Grand Prix of Mathematics

Afterward, Luke and his classmates made their way back to the classroom.

The final period was a study hall. Before the freshman classes were sorted, the schedule was fairly light—no evening study sessions meant they were free to leave after the afternoon study hall wrapped up.

Before his extraordinary journey through time, Luke had spent many of his high school classes asleep, his frail body barely able to endure a full lesson's length.

Aware of Luke's health issues, the teachers had strategically placed him in the classroom's last row to minimize disruptions to other students' learning.

Sharing this back-row exile were Emerson and Clark, two students who, unlike Luke, simply lacked the desire to study.

Emerson was the child of self-employed parents who ran a tobacco and liquor store in the locomotive works community. With considerable wealth at their disposal, Emerson saw school as a pointless delay in the inevitable pursuit of making money through business.

Clark, on the other hand, struggled academically. Despite his earnest efforts in junior high, he couldn't seem to excel in his studies. Eventually, he resigned himself to the idea of just getting through high school and following in his family's footsteps at the factory.

Their poor academic performance made them unpopular with the teachers, earning them the nickname "Auspicious Trinity" from their classmates. They were frequently the butt of jokes and the targets of disciplinary actions.

But it was perhaps their shared status at the bottom of the social hierarchy that bonded them, and they became the best of friends.

Even after graduation, Emerson and Clark visited Luke several times, offering financial assistance when they could. Their support was modest, but it deeply moved Luke, a testament to their enduring friendship and loyalty.

"Luke, since when did you start playing soccer like a pro?" Emerson couldn't contain his astonishment as they settled back into their seats and turned to Luke with the question.

"Right? You seem off today, like you're not yourself... almost like you've been replaced," Clark chimed in, unable to hold back his curiosity.

"Being low-key is a principle of mine," Luke replied, choosing not to reveal the secret of the system he carried with him and instead cloaked his response in mystery.

"Low-key, my foot!" Emerson retorted, flipping Luke the bird in scorn.

Luke just laughed in response. But their banter was cut short when the classroom door flew open, and a middle-aged teacher in a crisp suit and silver-rimmed glasses entered.

"Stand up!"

At Hildur's prompt, the entire class rose to their feet in sync.

"That's enough," the teacher said flatly, gesturing for the students to sit down with a wave of his hand.

"Victor! Wasn't he supposed to be in prison?"

Luke blurted out in shock upon recognizing the teacher. Victor had been his high school math teacher, known for his harsh treatment of Luke, often resorting to public ridicule and punishment. Luke's resentment towards him was deep-seated.

Victor's later scandal, involving coercive relationships with several female students—one of whom became pregnant—led to his imprisonment and caused a major scandal in Luke's hometown, making headlines citywide.

Describing Victor as a wolf in sheep's clothing would be an understatement.

But wasn't he supposed to be behind bars?

Luke's confusion lasted only a moment before it dawned on him—Victor's downfall had occurred when he was a sophomore, and he was currently just in the first half of his freshman year.

"During today's study period, I have an announcement to make," Victor began, standing at the podium and adjusting his glasses. "The school has issued a notice about the upcoming citywide Math Olympiad. Each class has three slots available for the preliminary round. This time, I won't be appointing anyone. If you believe you have what it takes, step forward and nominate yourselves."

As Victor's voice trailed off, the room was enveloped in silence, with no immediate response from anyone.

The students were well aware that the math competition was typically reserved for the top performers in the class. These high achievers, often arrogant and full of pride, were simply waiting for Victor to call their names, eager to feed their vanity.

Predictably, Victor offered a slight smile before addressing Hildur, who was seated below the stage, "Hildur, as our class president and a consistently exemplary student, why don't you set an example and be the first to sign up?"

At Victor's prompt, all eyes in the classroom shifted to Hildur.

Victor was known for his reserved demeanor with students, but he always showed a warm side to Hildur.

Despite being class president, Hildur's grades weren't the most remarkable; among the forty-plus students, she barely made the top ten.

"Sorry, Mr. Petersen, I'm not sure I'm quite up to the competition level," Hildur said, standing and addressing Victor after a moment's hesitation.

"No worries. The key is to have confidence!" Victor reassured her with a smile, then added, "You may not have much experience with math competitions, so I'm willing to offer some extra coaching during free periods or activity classes. I'm a bona fide university graduate, and with your cooperation, I'm confident you can achieve a respectable ranking, even if first place isn't in the cards."

"But I really don't think I can."

"Hildur, just a reminder: placing well in a city-level competition like this could earn you extra points on your college entrance exams. For the sake of your future, I believe it's worth the effort."

As Victor spoke, a fleeting and subtle change crossed his eyes.

This guy definitely had ulterior motives with Hildur!

While it seemed natural for a homeroom teacher to encourage his female class president to participate in such a competition, Luke, who was privy to Victor's vile nature and eventual downfall, suspected there was a hidden agenda behind Victor's actions.

That's right, how could I forget about my special ability?

Driven by curiosity, Luke decided to employ his mind-reading skill on Victor.

Since his special ability could be used twice a day, Luke figured it would be wasteful not to utilize it. He accessed the skill system in his mind, and Victor's attribute panel quickly materialized in his thoughts:

Name: Victor

Age: 37

Life Achievement: Awarded the school's best teacher for three years in a row, later sentenced to life imprisonment for criminal offenses, disgraced, and ultimately beaten to death by fellow inmates.

Favorability towards Luke: Indifferent

As expected, Victor met his end in prison. Serves him right! Luke felt a surge of satisfaction upon learning of Victor's demise and promptly initiated the elementary thought reading.

"This little brat had the nerve to turn me down last Sunday! Just you wait! As long as you don't switch schools, you'll never escape my grasp!"

Clearly, Victor had set his sights on Hildur.

His eagerness to push Hildur into the Grand Prix of Mathematics, coupled with his offer of private tutoring, seemed to have an ulterior motive.

Luke wasn't particularly fond of Hildur, given her manipulative nature, but he had no intention of letting Victor's vile plans come to fruition.

While Luke was pondering how to warn Hildur, she stood up and addressed the class,

"Mr. Petersen, I don't think it's fair for me to receive such a great opportunity. Moreover, this competition offers extra points for the college entrance exam, which could affect everyone's future. As class president, I shouldn't be the only one to benefit. Let's have everyone sign up voluntarily. If we can't fill all three spots, I can always join later."

Hildur's speech was met with enthusiastic applause from her classmates—her words were generous and commanding.

"Teacher, I'd like to sign up!"

"Teacher, count me in as well!"

The prospect of extra points for the college entrance exam had several students eagerly volunteering.

"Cathleen, as the study committee member and math class representative, you can have a spot. George, you ranked first in our midterms, so you're in..." Victor's eyes gleamed with slyness as he added, "As for the rest, feel free to sign up. But be warned, if you don't make it into the city's top ten, you'll face consequences for squandering this chance. I'll revoke all your scholarships and honors, and you'll be cleaning the classroom by yourself for an entire semester!"

As Victor's voice trailed off, the entire class collectively inhaled sharply. The sharper students had already figured out that the teacher was set on reserving the last spot for Hildur.

Seeing this, a few previously enthusiastic students quickly backed down, closing their mouths and opting out of the race.

"Hehe, I offered the opportunity to everyone, but it's a shame it wasn't valued," Victor remarked, a smug glint in his eye as the classroom fell eerily quiet. He turned to Hildur and began, "Hildur, there's just one spot left for you..."

"Teacher! I want to register!"

In the midst of Victor's attempt to smoothly allocate the spot to Hildur, Luke, seated at the back of the room, suddenly stood up, his voice cutting through the silence.