Lan Jie knew that talking about these things with a fourteen or fifteen-year-old, who should still be relying on his parents, was a bit cruel. But there was no way around it, Qiao Yu was acting too mature, not like his age.
From a teacher's standpoint, facing such a clever child, he couldn't outright deny the usefulness of money and could only make the kid believe that money might be useful but is often not the most useful thing.
It's just like how drawing on a blank sheet of paper is the simplest.
At this moment, Qiao Yu was like a piece of draft paper full of doodles, and to create a master painting on it naturally required more effort.
Now it seemed there was some effect.
The kid opposite had put away that playful grin and seemed to be starting to think.
After a moment, the kid tentatively asked, "Teacher Lan, you just said that with my current math level, I could earn a hundred thousand prize money? Really?"
Lan Jie was stunned.
Sure enough, changing a person's perspective is not so easy.
He had put his heart into saying so much, and what moved the kid was that he could earn a hundred thousand yuan with his current math level? Lan Jie smiled wryly, finally understanding what it means to not scatter until you see a rabbit.
After thinking for a moment, he simply took out his phone, dialed a number in front of Qiao Yu, and then put it on speaker, instructing, "Don't make a sound first."
Qiao Yu quickly nodded, and Lan Jie even saw a hint of ingratiating smile on the kid's face.
Good kid…
Lan Jie was just about to say something when the call was connected from the other side.
"Hello, Teacher Lan."
"Hello, Principal Zhang, I have something to report to you. It's like this, I've found a promising candidate for the Math Olympic Competition in school, but his situation is a bit special and his family is quite poor. I want to ask if he can win a gold medal in the national competition, will the school's previous promise of rewards still be valid?"
Although the line "his family is quite poor" was somewhat against his conscience, Lan Jie had to say it to save a falling soul.
"A candidate for a national gold medal? Teacher Lan, you're not joking, are you? That promise is definitely valid! And not only the student gets rewards, but you also get a reward!"
Lan Jie glanced at Qiao Yu, who was listening intently, and straightforwardly asked, "What if he can make it to the National Team, Principal Zhang? If he makes it to the National Team and wins an international gold medal, what would the school's reward be?"
"Are you saying that boy has a chance to join the National Team?"
"Whether he has a chance or not is another matter; I wanted to check the school's arrangements first to motivate the kid."
"Haha, tell the kid this: if he really makes it to the National Team, the school will award him an extra hundred thousand in cash! If he can win an international gold medal, we'll add another two hundred thousand on top of that!
Even though our school's funding is tight, if he really brings back an international gold medal, I'll put my face on the line to get that sponsorship. Oh, and if he's worried, tell him he can sign a contract with the school in advance!"
Without disappointing Lan Jie, the principal on the other end generously promised.
"Alright, then I'll thank you on behalf of that kid. Principal Zhang, I've got something else here, I'll hang up for now and report to you later."
"Okay, okay, let me know when you can bring that kid to see me."
"After I talk to him, Principal Zhang?"
"Alright, I'll wait for your news."
After hanging up, Lan Jie looked at the teenager and said without expression, "You heard it too, didn't you? Actually, Principal Zhang didn't mention it just now, but if you can win a national gold medal, there's already a hundred thousand reward. After joining the National Team, there's another hundred thousand, and if you represent the team in the International Math Olympiad and win a gold medal, it's another two hundred thousand!
In other words, if you start working hard now, you could earn four hundred thousand in prize money from the school alone in a year. This prize money doesn't even include the automatic admission tickets to top universities like Huaqing and Yanbei if you make it to the National Team.
Since you know how to surf the web, you can look up how much scholarships these top universities offer. As long as your grades are good enough, you won't need to spend a penny on education, and saving a million yuan after graduation is also possible!
As for whether you want to pursue a master's degree or doctorate next, it's all up to you. By then, you'll be old enough, and with your smarts, you can decide which path to take in the future. But at least for now, this is the most correct path you can choose. Any more questions?"
No earnest persuasion, just a straightforward tone.
Because Lan Jie had discovered that this kid simply didn't respond to that approach. It seemed, for now, that only money could grab his attention.
Qiao Yu blinked and awkwardly asked, "Well, Teacher Lan, why do you have such confidence in me, so sure I can win a national gold medal?"
Lan Jie glanced at Qiao Yu and felt like crying; what did he just hear? The kid used a respectful term, which counts as bowing to money, right?
Suppressing the urge to complain, Lan Jie replied mildly, "Nonsense, you know where those mathematics questions the two high schoolers asked you in the internet cafe and the ones I gave you in the office came from? They were slightly transformed from the real questions of the International Olympic Competition over the past twenty years. Got it?
Although a few questions can't represent everything, they demonstrate that you not only have a solid foundation in math but also immense talent. Let me tell you this: I've been working for eight years and teaching high school math for eight years, and I haven't encountered any student who could easily solve Olympic questions solely by self-study.
I'm not saying such geniuses don't exist, but I've never met one at Iron High—not even one! So for you, if the goal is just to win a national gold medal, I don't even think it's meaningful!
Of course, I'm not making decisions for you. I'm just an ordinary teacher and not even your class teacher, so I can't promise you more. But like I said, your future is in your hands; think about how to choose, just don't regret it later."
After saying that, Lan Jie no longer paid attention to Qiao Yu, who was standing there lost in thought, and nonchalantly opened his umbrella and walked out of the building.
But as he took two steps, he suddenly felt that while this looked cool, what if that kid…
So he stopped and turned around, saying solemnly, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, according to the school's reward measures, if you get a national gold medal, I'd also get a bonus of thirty to fifty thousand, which I can give to you. Meanwhile, if you've decided, find me at the office you went to today right after class tomorrow at four-thirty."
Alright, I've played all the cards I can. If that kid still can't see the light...
I can only think of another way tomorrow, luckily there's still more than a month until the high school entrance exam, everything is still possible.
Yes, although Lan Jie walked away confidently, his heart was still uneasy.
He had already clearly stated that he'd give his bonus to the kid; that slick kid should feel something, right?
But what Lan Jie didn't expect was the sincere voice from behind: "Don't worry, Teacher Lan, I know the rules, even if I really get the gold medal, I definitely won't take your money."
Rules?
He really wanted to turn around and ask what the hell kind of rules those were, but to maintain his image at the moment, Lan Jie just paused for a moment and walked away without looking back.