E-Scum Gong Chapter 47 (Part 1)
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 47 (1/2)
Lin Xu remained in a state of chaos up until the exam results were released.
The night the results came out, the Lin family naturally had a video call. It was only after they had seen off the teachers and neighbors that they finally had the time to share the news with their relatives in the capital.
Though Lin Xu’s parents had never harbored lofty expectations of him becoming a dragon, they were still taken aback when they learned he had become the top scorer in Jiang City. It was common knowledge in the family that Lin Xu had little interest in studying. No matter how many tutors they hired for him, none seemed to make a difference. With the increasing pressure in his senior year, they eventually gave up trying.
The family had resigned themselves to the idea that Lin Xu would either live a leisurely life as a rich second-generation heir or slowly find his place in the family business. They had even considered sending him abroad to gild his resume, reasoning that even if he didn’t get into a top school, he’d at least earn a degree.
From the moment Lin Xu decided to take the college entrance exams to the announcement of his results, it felt like a dramatic twist in a story.
Nevertheless, everyone was genuinely happy for Lin Xu.
When it came to choosing a major, his older brother, being the only one in the family who had gone through the college entrance exams, had the most say.
“Xiao Xu, what are you interested in?” his older brother asked, abandoning the usual jokes about Lin Xu joining the "family business" to sell houses. Now was the time to get serious.
In his previous life, Lin Xu’s research focus had been bioengineering. He had also minored in economics during his undergraduate years. He found this field particularly fascinating.
Of course, in an ordinary family, such a research-intensive major wouldn’t be an ideal choice. As the saying goes, the fields of chemistry, biology, materials science, and environmental science are the four great pitfalls, with low salaries for undergraduates. However, if one were to pursue advanced studies and become a researcher, earning a patent could make all the difference.
In summary, this was a field that required genuine passion.
In this life, Lin Xu still wanted to delve deeper into this area of study, so he didn’t shy away from telling his family directly.
“Mom, Dad, Ge, I can handle my tuition and living expenses on my own after I start university. I won’t need the family to cover the costs of further education either,” Lin Xu explained.
He knew that, coming from an ordinary family, his family might hope that his intelligence could quickly be monetized to generate income.
His family was initially surprised to hear about the major Lin Xu wanted to pursue. After all, it was clear he had given it considerable thought and deliberately avoided the more popular majors.
“Okay, the whole family supports you. Don't worry about money, son. Just do what you want to do with peace of mind. Have I ever been stingy with money for you?” his father said with a smile.
Lin Shen, on the other hand, pondered for a moment. If his younger brother’s interests truly lay in this direction, he wondered if Lin Xu might eventually be willing to manage the family business. But the future was unpredictable, and after moving to the capital, Lin Xu could always change his mind if he wanted.
And so, the decision was made.
Soon after, Lin Xu’s homeroom teacher also heard the news. He quickly invited Lin Xu over to his home for a meal, where they discussed the choice of majors.
As his homeroom teacher, Mr. Wang naturally wanted to recommend more practical fields with good job prospects. However, after hearing Lin Xu’s thoughts, he couldn’t help but feel that despite his many years of experience, he too had fallen into conventional thinking.
In contrast, his high school student had clear goals and unwavering determination. And for some reason, Mr. Wang had a strong feeling that this student of his would achieve something remarkable in the future — something that would make the school proud.
When the exam results were released, Lin Xu, the top scorer in Jiang City, suddenly became the talk of the town.
The moment the results came out, Jiang University Affiliated High School quickly celebrated their students' outstanding performance, posting a congratulatory message on their official website. The tribute to Lin Xu was prominently displayed on the homepage.
There was no doubt that this move was a boastful display.
Even as the leading school among Jiang City’s top four institutions, the affiliated high school couldn’t claim to produce the top scorer every year, or even half the time. This year, for example, only Lin Xu managed to earn the title of science champion, while the humanities champion came from another school.
But having Lin Xu as the science champion was already a significant win.
Everyone knew that no previous science champion in Jiang City had ever surpassed a score of 710, but this year, Lin Xu exceeded that by more than ten points, leaving the second-place finisher far behind. It was an unprecedented achievement.
Moreover, Lin Xu wasn’t just an exceptional student.He was also strikingly handsome. While the school’s middle-aged leaders simply thought he had well-defined features, the younger teachers in the publicity department were completely captivated by his looks.
“This year’s enrollment numbers are guaranteed!” they all thought.
With Lin Xu as a living, breathing poster boy, they were confident that his influence as a role model would attract a high caliber of young, talented students.
As a result, the school’s honor board at the main gate featured Lin Xu prominently. His name, score, and school were displayed alongside a clear and dignified photo of him — a photo that was nothing short of perfection.
For Lin Xu, if there was any tangible change after becoming the top scorer, it was that, as a newly graduated high school student, he had indeed become quite wealthy.
Actually, his family wanted to reward him, but knowing that they weren’t particularly well-off, Lin Xu didn’t want to take the money. However, he couldn’t refuse their generosity, so he put it into his card, thinking he could use it to support the family if there were any major expenses in the future.
The money that truly belonged to him came from the various awards given by the city, the district, and the school.
To celebrate Jiang City’s historic top scorer, everyone from city officials to school administrators was exceedingly generous. Lin Xu was treated with the utmost respect.
Lin Xu had lost count of how many days he had endured social death through attending award ceremonies and posing for endless photos with officials. But in the end, his bank account had grown by hundreds of thousands of yuan.
Yet, Lin Xu didn’t see it as something he truly deserved. Rather, he viewed it as a form of reward for his talent. He thought to himself that once he could stand on his own, it would be his responsibility to give back to Jiang City, to nurture new generations of talent and create a positive cycle.
What really brought him relief was that he could finally pay off his debts. Lin Xu hated owing anyone anything, so he had kept a clear mental record of this debt. Every so often, he would push himself to send a polite text to the watch’s buyer, reassuring him that he wasn’t a scammer. As soon as he got a new WeChat account, he immediately added the buyer as a contact.
This time, after taking a deep breath, he sent another message.
“Hello, sir, this is Lin Xu. Do you remember me?”
Because of the time difference, he had carefully chosen a moment that would be convenient for the other party, even though it was already late at night where he was.
"I heard the news — congratulations, student," the buyer said. Even from abroad, he kept up with news from back home, especially from Jiang City.
He found it quite amazing, never expecting that the same student who had sold him a watch, then bought it back, all while dealing with some emotional entanglements, would turn out to be such an academic god.
For many people, the honor of being a top scorer was something that seemed forever out of reach.
Lin Xu had originally intended to repay the money politely, but after seeing the buyer's message, he suddenly felt a bit awkward and embarrassed.
However, he was almost used to this by now.
“Thank you, sir. I’ve saved up the money. Is this still your card number? If everything’s correct, I’ll transfer the funds. Thank you for trusting me back then,” Lin Xu replied sincerely.
After all, the watch was quite valuable, and it was rare for someone to hand over the item without receiving payment first. The buyer was truly a kind person.
"Yes, that's the right number, but there’s no rush. By the way, you’ve graduated now, right? How’s it going with the person you liked?" the buyer asked, still curious and eager to gossip.
Teenage love was beautiful and pure, but it often ended in heartbreak.
So many couples drifted apart after graduation, but at least Lin Xu had excelled academically, leaving no regrets.
To the buyer's surprise, Lin Xu shyly responded, “We’re together now.” Despite all the challenges they had faced, they had made it through, though it was still just the beginning.
"So it's a double celebration — congratulations on both fronts! I feel honored to be a witness. I hope you'll continue to do well. Congratulations on your graduation!"
Lin Xu was still quite inexperienced, and he would soon face the temptations of university life. With his outstanding achievements, he was bound to enter circles that were anything but ordinary. The buyer could only hope that Lin Xu would remain as pure and devoted as he was now.
As Lin Xu looked at the exquisite watch in front of him, he felt a sense of unreality now that he finally had a moment to relax.
At last, the watch could be returned to its rightful owner.
Not long ago, Lin Xu had thought he would eventually send it back to Gu Jinzhi, settle the debt, and move on without any lingering ties. But fate had other plans. Now, he and Jinzhi had crossed paths again and had a different kind of relationship.
Even so, Lin Xu was determined to return the watch.
Zhizhi was kind, always expressing that what was his was also Lin Xu's — a sentiment driven by passionate and overwhelming emotion that ignored all conditions.
But Lin Xu was the rational type. He understood that differences in status were a reality, and that one should act according to their means. Since he came from an ordinary family, there was no need for him to live a lavish lifestyle. This was his grounding principle.
He was not with Zhizhi for his money.
Why couldn’t a simple student and a carefree, wealthy young master coexist in a relationship? There was no need for one to become more like the other or to make compromises.
This was who they truly were, and in their relationship, they both held equal standing.
