Study Monster Cultivation System

Chapter 89 - 089 Magnesium borate hydroxide

In the chemistry research office, Li Zheng, Lin Yujing, and Xu Mengxi, who had initially come with an invincible and vigorous attitude to slay problems, encountered the first question which seemed to trap them in an intricate maze—

[1, According to conditions, write the chemical reaction equations]

[1-1: Industrially, by reacting ammonium bicarbonate with magnesium borate (Mg2B2O4(OH)2) in aqueous solution to prepare boric acid]

Li Zheng: What the hell is this? Did I really score 150+ in chemistry?

Xu Mengxi: Don’t panic... don’t panic... analyze it carefully... work through it step by step... don’t panic... don’t...

I don’t know it!

Lin Yujing: Umm... >.

However, this was merely the first part of the first major question.

The simplest one.

If you get it right, you only get 2 points.

Li Zheng now realized why Sun Leyang had said getting 10 points made someone a big shot.

Even though the questions were this frightening, Li Zheng still hadn’t sped up to 56 times.

This time, he only wanted to understand his true level.

He would revise at home later.

...

The three of them struggled with the questions, completely losing track of time.

Until the warning bell rang.

Li Zheng looked up in alarm.

Are you kidding me?

I’ve only done 1/4 of it.

But then he heard Yu Hong saying, "Teacher Sun has gone to teach. I’ve already spoken to Teacher Tang, you guys continue the test, you have three hours, don’t rush."

Li Zheng then breathed a sigh of relief and stole a glance at the two people next to him.

Xu Mengxi’s progress was about the same as his.

Lin Yujing was sprawled on the desk, lifelessly flipping open the second exam paper.

Li Zheng’s eyes widened.

What’s going on?

Already starting on the second one, more than halfway done?

Did she sneakily study university-level chemistry as well?

That’s too damn cunning.

Li Zheng didn’t have time to think further, turning his attention back to the exam.

[In a solution of metal ion M3+, by adding acid HmX under controlled conditions, different precipitates can be obtained. pH

Damn it.

What on earth is this talking about...

Never mind, brute force it.

...

Unwittingly, all three of them turned into question-solving machines.

The bell rang repeatedly, yet they were deaf to it.

Finally, Yu Hong clapped his hands, "Alright, Teacher Sun has been waiting for half an age, it’s been three and a half hours."

Clang.

Lin Yujing slammed her pen down, faceplanting on the desk, clutching her head and rocking it back and forth, letting out a series of anguished moans unmatched by any before: "Ah uh hmm ah... uh uh... click crack!!"

Beside her, Xu Mengxi’s hand went limp, and her pen dropped to the ground.

Staring at the blank wall, eyes hollow, her body drained of strength.

As if she had lived through an arduous lifetime.

Li Zheng’s brain was already in chaos, and after tossing away his pen, he leaned back in his chair, gasping for breath.

It was as though he’d just cut the red wire on a bomb.

A narrow escape from disaster.

Meanwhile, his lips twitched uncontrollably, and unbeknownst to him, he began muttering the Calming Incantation only invoked at the brink of collapse: "Namo, Hêlôdâna, Dôluóyé... Namo, Aliyé... Póluójiédì... Shuóbóluóyé..."

Without a doubt.

All three of them had broken down.

They had been shattered by the exam.

Yu Hong also witnessed such a situation for the first time and was amazed.

"Hehe." Sun Leyang just smiled confidently, "The first time you compete, it’s always like this, hehe."

At Yu Hong’s urging, Lin Yujing and Xu Mengxi helped each other toward the restroom.

Li Zheng was even worse; his legs had become so wobbly he could barely stand.

While peeing, he hadn’t steadied his crutches properly, and they fell to the ground.

Thud!

Li Zheng slammed his fist against the wall.

Is this the realm of geniuses...

It’s... it’s fucking hard...

Harder than blindly taking the Olympiad math test in elementary school.

At least that test, you could score twenty or thirty points.

This one, I really have no confidence even for 10 points...

And all that stuff about challenging oneself... the exchange between experts...

All freaks! The lot competing are all freaks!

With such a heavy heart, Li Zheng almost pierced through the urinal.

After he was done and came out, he found Lin Yujing and Xu Mengxi shuddering against the corridor window.

"Ugh..." Lin Yujing shakily took out a piece of mint candy, struggled to tear the wrapper several times without success, got so pissed she threw it to the ground, and began crying out in frustration.

Xu Mengxi stared blankly out the window, speechless.

Li Zheng, leaning on his crutches, went over and performed a difficult bending over motion to pick up the candy, then steadily tore the wrapper and offered the white candy to Lin Yujing: "Here."

Lin Yujing paused, conflicted for a moment, but eventually reached out to take it.

But suddenly, Li Zheng pulled it back, frowning, "I think... I didn’t wash my hands... never mind, you eat it."

He then popped it into his own mouth.

"?!"

Lin Yujing felt an urge to claw at someone.

"Don’t be so petty." Li Zheng raised his hand, "I’ve given you so much medicine, getting worked up over a piece of candy."

"Ha!" Lin Yujing couldn’t bear it any longer and scratched Li Zheng’s arm.

"You really scratched me..." Li Zheng winced in pain and hastily retreated two steps on his crutches.

Although, during his time in the restroom, he was filled with negative energy.

But now, he had relieved it all out.

"I might end up with zero points," he candidly told the two, "but I will still compete, even if it’s self-study."

Lin Yujing, scared, shrank into a corner, closed her eyes, covered her ears, refusing to hear anything related to competition.

Xu Mengxi propped herself against the window ledge, turning to look at Li Zheng: "You two can do it, after all, there’s still one year of time left."

"No, I’m only participating in this year’s," Li Zheng made an effort to sound modest, "I checked the schedule already, next year I’ll be joining the physics and mathematics competitions."

"Ugh5555..." Lin Yujing, scared stiff, pedaled her legs furiously, her whimpers trembled, looking at Li Zheng as if he were a devil.

"You really are... quite strong..." Xu Mengxi shook her head and sighed, leaning on the window, "I’m not cut out for this... This is my only chance. I guess, the cutoff for provincial second tier is probably around 40 points... It seems impossible..."

Normally, Li Zheng would have certainly offered some encouragement.

But now was different.

Even he, who reveled in brutal problem sets, had come to understand what true terror was.

This went beyond simple despair; it was about killing all your passion for a subject.

"Well, if you can’t hack it, just give it up," Li Zheng consoled, stepping forward, "Focus on your college entrance exams and get into a 985 university."

"I’ll take your good wishes..." Xu Mengxi turned to look at Lin Yujing, "Jingjing, how much do you think you scored..."

Lin Yujing closed her eyes, shook her head >.

The three of them stood in the breeze for a long time, finally feeling a bit better, and huddled back to the chemistry research office.

As they pushed the door open, Sun Leyang and Yu Hong were sitting quietly, not saying a word.

What, even they can’t stand grading?

As the three approached, Sun Leyang shivered, stood up, and glared at Lin Yujing.

"Lin Yujing, you’ve already made provincial second tier."

"???"

Sun Leyang excitedly picked up the paper, "52 points! Do you know the cutoff for provincial first tier? 55, just 3 points shy of the first tier! And that’s without any formal training, you, you’ve got the makings for the national team."