Chapter 87: You Worked Hard—So Why Didn’t You Succeed?

The School Auditorium

This was a grand hall capable of accommodating several thousand people. At that moment, students from all over the school were trickling in, filling the vast space. Normally, school was on break, but because educational officials from the province were visiting, the administration had hurriedly summoned every student, insisting that attendance was mandatory today. Though not everyone could be reached, a considerable number had shown up, bringing the auditorium to life with their chatter and movement.

Upon learning about this situation, Chen Feng couldn't help but curse under his breath. The way things were arranged, he knew he would become the target of resentment. He certainly didn't believe the school would grant these unfortunate students a make-up holiday. What were they thinking, giving students a break only to call them back at the last minute? The administration must have lost its mind.

At the front row, the educational leaders had already taken their seats. The entire auditorium was lively, and many students had learned that it was because of Chen Feng that they were forced to return to school. One after another, they harbored feelings of animosity toward him.

This kid is just too arrogant. It was bad enough when he stirred things up during Monday’s flag-raising; now he’s causing a scene here again.

However, news soon spread that Chen Feng had achieved the top score in the national college entrance exam, and following that, the unprecedentedly high marks he received left everyone stunned, speechless.

Seven hundred fifty points—unbelievable!

The auditorium was abuzz with excitement, while Chen Feng opened his achievement extraction system. Ever since recently, he’d noticed his achievement points were increasing at an astonishing rate.

“Students, please quiet down!” At that moment, Principal Wang Zhenhan gently tapped the microphone, prompting the entire hall to fall silent. Every gaze turned to him.

Wang Zhenhan swept his eyes across the assembled students, then delivered a formulaic speech, thanking the Ministry of Education and the various officials. After a lengthy address, each leader took turns at the podium for their own remarks.

Such was the custom: the leaders were always paramount. By the time the speeches concluded, more than an hour had passed. Finally, Wang Zhenhan spoke again, “Now, for the final item. Please welcome Chen Feng to the stage for his speech!”

When Chen Feng stood up, he immediately felt the weight of everyone’s attention focused upon him. He could sense, quite clearly, the admiration in their eyes.

Yes, admiration!

Gone was the disdain, gone the mockery—what remained was respect, deep and genuine.

Click! Click!

Chen Feng walked steadily to the podium. Principal Wang Zhenhan, visibly excited, announced, “Students, Chen Feng has set a record, one that may never be broken: seven hundred fifty points, a perfect score in the college entrance exam. Now, let’s invite Chen Feng to share his study experience with us!”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

At once, all the leaders and students applauded, the thunderous applause seeming as though it might lift the roof.

The principal handed the microphone to Chen Feng, who took it without speaking at first. He bowed deeply to the assembled students—a subtle gesture that won him instant favor. Unlike the aloof and dismissive An Ran, Chen Feng seemed approachable and sincere.

When all eyes were upon him, Chen Feng cleared his throat and began, “Distinguished leaders, fellow students, I apologize for interrupting your day. I hope that this interruption, however brief, may be of some help to your future.”

He paused, then continued, “My name is Chen Feng. Some of you probably know me. But perhaps you don’t know that just a few months ago, I was a fat boy weighing more than two hundred and fifty pounds, and my grades were at the very bottom of every class.”

His words drew laughter from the students. When the laughter subsided, Chen Feng looked out over the crowd and spoke slowly, “Perhaps you don’t realize that in my first year of high school, I fell seriously ill. During treatment, the doctors administered steroids, and my weight soared past two hundred and fifty pounds. That period was the most painful time of my life.”

His voice was low, as if immersed in sorrowful memories. Indeed, Chen Feng was lost in those recollections. After a pause, he went on, “I was in agony then. My grades plummeted, my weight ballooned, and I became despondent. I even developed an aversion to studying. What good could learning do me? No matter how hard I tried, I felt I could never improve.”

“Until one day—” Chen Feng swept his gaze across the audience, a faint smile appearing on his face. “It was around March, I think. Our class held a basketball game against another class. With five minutes left in the game, one of our players had to withdraw due to injury, and I, as the substitute, took the court. The match was grueling, but we won. I held out, scored fifty points, and led our class to victory!”

He smiled, speaking earnestly, “From that day on, I began to wonder—why should I give up on myself? My life hadn’t even begun; why should I let it waste away? After that day, something called ‘desire’ awakened in me. I yearned for success. I began to face my life head-on. I worked hard—at studying, at improving myself, at reviewing my lessons, and at losing weight. When I realized the worst was behind me, I had slimmed down, my grades had improved, and in just three months, my life was transformed. A miracle happened—in May, I was named the city’s best basketball player, and now I’m the national top scorer in the college entrance exam!”

Three months!

It sounded unbelievable, but Chen Feng was living proof—a classic tale of the underachiever rising to academic excellence.

Of course, only those in Chen Feng’s class knew the real story: he hadn’t really focused on studying, instead dedicating himself to basketball. It was only in the final stretch before the exams that he buckled down and studied seriously.

Even so, Chen Feng earned their respect. With modern technology, cheating is nearly impossible, and even if one could cheat, it’s unlikely they would achieve a perfect score of seven hundred fifty. Clearly, Chen Feng’s achievement was genuine talent.

Standing on the podium, Chen Feng smiled and said, “I thought I’d be burdened by those two hundred pounds for life. I thought my grades would never improve, that I’d always be stuck as an audience member, watching successful people speak from the stage. That’s what I believed. But today, I stand here, sharing my story with you.”

“So, in these three months, I learned something: as long as you’re willing to work hard, you will succeed. Some may say, ‘I’ve tried, but I was born inferior; no matter how hard I study, I can’t match others. I can’t succeed.’ But I tell you, it’s not that you can’t succeed—it’s that you haven’t worked hard enough. If you’ve truly tried, why shouldn’t you succeed? Tell me, why shouldn’t you succeed?”

His words rang out powerfully, his final question accompanied by a sweeping gesture, echoing through the hall.

If you’ve worked hard, why shouldn’t you succeed?

In an instant, every student’s emotions ignited. Many called out loudly, forgetting themselves.

“Bravo!”

“Well said!”

“If you’ve worked hard, why shouldn’t you succeed?”

Even the leaders and teachers were moved by the fervor. Drawing from his own experience, Chen Feng’s words were stirring, inspiring a sense of passion. On the podium, Principal Wang Zhenhan couldn’t help but entertain a peculiar thought: “No script, entirely improvised. Although the content is simple, he easily aroused everyone’s emotions. Who would have thought—this kid has a real gift for public speaking!”

(Tonight, the story will be officially launched. At that time, Feng Shao will deliver a burst of chapters. Prepare your monthly tickets—another chapter will be posted at nine o’clock!)