Wei Dayong left in embarrassment, and the classroom immediately erupted into a commotion.

Many students gathered around Lin Chen, discussing animatedly with each other.

"Kid, you've kept yourself too hidden."

"Lin Chen, you've really made a stand for us underachievers."

The reason Wei Dayong was called Wei Zhongxian by the students was because of his opportunistic nature. He had different standards for treating excellent students and underachievers, as well as for students from wealthy families and those from poorer ones.

Many underachievers and students from less affluent families had some grievances against this Teacher Wei. Now that Lin Chen had done what they had wanted to do but dared not, they were naturally elated.

Several people were laughing and chatting when suddenly a crisp voice sounded: "Lin Chen, may I ask you a question?"

Because of Lin Chen's poor grades, he sat at the back, which was almost exclusively the domain of the underachievers. The top students generally disdained interacting with them.

"It's actually Zhang Yue." Lin Chen's deskmate Wu Fan gasped, his jaw almost dropping.

"Oh my gosh, Zhang Yue is actually taking the initiative to ask Lin Chen a question." A few of the underachievers around Lin Chen exclaimed in surprise.

Lin Chen looked at Zhang Yue with a beaming smile, "Zhang Yue, what's your question?"

Zhang Yue sat across from Lin Chen, holding her textbook, and pointed to the problem, asking, "How did you just solve that question so quickly?"

Lin Chen smiled slightly, "That problem was really simple!"

He took out his pen and wrote a few simple formulas on paper, saying with a smile, "And that's how the result comes out."

"My goodness, how did you think of that!" Zhang Yue's beautiful eyes couldn't help but light up.

Lin Chen's approach was completely different from the teacher's—it was both simple and practical. A problem that normally required over ten steps to solve, Lin Chen had managed to solve in just one step.

"You're simply a genius, I'll be bothering you with my questions often in the future," Zhang Yue said, blinking her lovely eyes.

"Haha, always welcome to bother me," Lin Chen chuckled.

"Oh right, as a thank you, let me treat you to lunch at noon!" Zhang Yue said with a smile.

"No problem." Lin Chen could hardly refuse an offer from a beautiful girl.

"Oh my, Zhang the beauty is actually inviting Lin Chen to lunch." Several boys nearby were so shocked they had their mouths agape.

Zhang Yue was the school's top student and a beauty. There were many boys who liked her, including good-looking guys, as well as the sons of officials and the wealthy. However, she was intensely focused on her studies and always kept others at arm's length.

But today, this ice queen was actively inviting Lin Chen to lunch; it was an event that could create a sensation across the entire school.

"Right, this guy seems to have something going on with Zhao Xiaowen and Zhou Yufei."

"He's simply a beast, too detestable, stretching his evil claws toward my Yueyue," lamented the boys in the class amidst cries and howls.

When the bell for the end of the morning classes rang, Lin Chen and Zhang Yue headed to the cafeteria together.

The news of Zhang Yue treating Lin Chen to lunch had already spread across the school. Many people didn't believe it, thinking it was just a rumor; one was a top student, the other a poor student—how could these two possibly come together.

But when the two walked shoulder to shoulder into the cafeteria, everyone was dumbfounded.

"Let's sit here," Zhang Yue suggested, pointing to a spot by the window.

"Sure!" The two sat down.

Many nearby people whispered and pointed, but Lin Chen was indifferent to their remarks. He casually ordered a few dishes.

Just then, a handsome boy walked into the cafeteria. Seeing Lin Chen laughing and talking, his face suddenly darkened.

"Damn it, how is Zhang Yue with that jerk?" the handsome boy muttered, clenching his fists in anger.

"Look, Liu Bin is here," someone exclaimed as a boy entered, stirring up murmurs throughout the cafeteria.

At DY High School, the ranking each term was set in stone, with Zhang Yue always first and Liu Bin second, unchanged at every major exam.

Moreover, Zhang Yue was beautiful, and Liu Bin was handsome, both acknowledged by the school as the golden boy and jade girl.

Even Liu Bin considered Zhang Yue to be his girlfriend.

However, Zhang Yue had never admitted to this, leaving the true nature of their relationship a mystery.

Today, seeing the girl he had earmarked as his girlfriend eating with another boy, how could Liu Bin not be angry?

"Hey, didn't Liu Bin claim Zhang Yue was his girlfriend? Why is she with Lin Chen, then?"

"Exactly, Zhang Yue has never eaten with Liu Bin before."

"Psh, you don't know the half of it. Liu Bin's been pining after her all along, but Zhang Yue has never acknowledged it," someone retorted.

Listening to the surrounding chatter, Liu Bin was seething with rage.

He strode over to where Lin Chen and Zhang Yue were sitting.

"Zhang Yue, why are you sitting with a poor student like Lin Chen? The college entrance exam is coming up; he'll only drag you down," Liu Bin said coldly.

Zhang Yue looked up at him with disgust, "Are you sick? What does me being with Lin Chen have to do with you?"

"You! I definitely won't allow you to be with someone like Lin Chen, who's a poor student. Lin Chen, I advise you to stop pestering my Zhang Yue, or you'll have me to answer to," Liu Bin declared, furious.

Hearing Liu Bin's words, Zhang Yue's expression darkened, "Liu Bin, don't go too far, we are eating, please don't disturb us."

With a fierce look on his face, Liu Bin said, "Xiao Yue, if you insist on being with this poor student, I'll tell your aunt. I can't allow you to be with someone like him."

Just as Zhang Yue was about to get angry, Lin Chen finally spoke up, "Hey, keep calling me a poor student, do you really think you're so great?"

Liu Bin looked at Lin Chen with contempt, "Of course, I'm great."

Lin Chen nodded, "Hmm, the eternal number two, I'd say you're really 'great' at that."

"Who are you calling great at being number two?" Liu Bin said furiously.

Lin Chen let out a sneer, "You always thought you were excellent, right? Well, let me tell you that in the upcoming monthly test, you won't even qualify for number two, you're going to be number three!"

"You're the one who's going to be number three!" Liu Bin's face was turning green with anger at Lin Chen's words.

Shaking his head, Lin Chen said, "I mean you won't even qualify for second place this time. The first place will be mine, leaving you as 'little third'."

The cafeteria buzzed with shock at Lin Chen's bold claim.

"Has this kid lost his mind? Did he just say he's going to be first?"

"Is there no tax on bragging for this guy? He probably means first from the bottom!"

Laughter echoed through the cafeteria; Lin Chen's ranking had always been steadily lingering around the bottom ten, and even with hard work, it was simply impossible for him to claim the top spot.

"If he could get first place, I could get into Tsinghua University," someone joked.

"It's pure fantasy, if he gets first place, iron trees might as well bloom," another quipped.

Nearly no one believed Lin Chen, taking his words as a joke.

Unable to resist, Liu Bin also burst into laughter, "Lin Chen, do you dare to make a bet? If you score higher than me, then I'll kneel down and kowtow to you, calling you 'grandpa' three times right here. If you lose, you can't be with Xiao Yue anymore, and the same goes – you'll kneel and kowtow, calling me 'grandpa' three times."

"Surpassing you is too easy. If I don't get first place in this monthly test, then consider it my loss," Lin Chen confidently stated."

"Lin Chen, if you really do surpass me and get first, then I'll become your girlfriend," Zhang Yue said, smiling radiantly.