Chapter Three: A Photographic Memory

The system notified him that he had mastered the skill of photographic memory, yet Zhang Wenhao did not feel any different. Eager to test the effect, he picked up a book at random, wanting to see whether he truly had achieved such a remarkable ability.

The book he grabbed was a Chinese language textbook. Flipping it open to a random page, he found the essay “Man Is Great Because of Thought.” With just a swift glance that took less than ten seconds, he closed the book—and to his astonishment, every single word of the essay, including the annotations, was perfectly etched into his mind!

Zhang Wenhao was so excited he nearly lost control. Had his parents not been asleep, he might have shouted with joy!

With photographic memory, he finally had hope for the college entrance examination. He was a liberal arts student; as long as he could memorize his textbooks, his scores in Chinese and the comprehensive humanities would improve dramatically. These two subjects alone accounted for 450 points on the exam!

However, for English and mathematics, relying solely on photographic memory would have a diminished effect. English included listening and essay writing; he needed to master vocabulary, as well as speaking and grammar. In mathematics, memorizing formulas was only the first step—the key was understanding their application and truly grasping their use.

He picked up his math textbook from the night before. The problems that had stumped him yesterday now seemed easier. Where his mind had been muddled before, it was now clear; some questions he could solve effortlessly. Yet for others, lacking knowledge of earlier concepts and formulas still left him unable to reach the answer.

This must have been the result of the five-point increase in intelligence. His current intelligence was twelve, nearly double his previous level, so his capacity for reasoning had improved greatly.

He recalled what his math teacher had once told him: earnestly advising him to review all his math textbooks from junior high onwards. Mathematics was a chain; if a single link was broken, it was difficult to follow the rest.

Zhang Wenhao hurried to his bookshelf and began searching for his mathematics textbooks from junior high to senior high.

Though he had never been fond of studying, he had always cherished his books. Every textbook from childhood onward had been carefully wrapped in covers and kept in pristine condition, all arranged neatly in his room’s bookshelf. Thus, retrieving them now was simple.

Now, with photographic memory and a greatly enhanced intellect, Zhang Wenhao’s understanding went beyond rote memorization—he possessed exceptional comprehension.

He started from the first year of junior high mathematics, reading each lesson and reflecting upon it until he truly understood, then doing practice problems with almost perfect accuracy. This gave him tremendous confidence, and before he realized it, it was already past eight in the morning.

Zhang Xingping and Song Huafang had discussed his future for hours the night before. Song Huafang got up at 7:40 a.m., prepared breakfast, and quietly opened Zhang Wenhao’s door, intending to wake him. She was touched to find him already at his desk, thoroughly engrossed in his books. After what had happened yesterday, her son had finally come to his senses.

“Wenhao.”

He hadn’t noticed his mother’s presence until she called his name, startling him. He turned around quickly and asked, “Mom, when did you come in?”

She smiled gently and said, “I didn’t want to disturb you, but breakfast is ready. Today is the first day of the New Year; when your father wakes up, we’ll go visit your grandparents.”

He nodded. “Alright, let’s eat. I’m hungry too—I barely ate anything last night.”

With that, he placed his pen between the pages he was reading, closed the book, and stood up. Noticing the textbook, his mother asked in surprise, “Wenhao, why are you reading your first-year math book?”

He replied with a wry smile, “My math is so poor that if I want to catch up, I have to start from scratch.”

She patted his shoulder in comfort. “Good boy. There are only four months left, but as long as you work hard, you’ll see results. If your grades improve by even a few dozen points, getting into a third-tier university won’t be a problem.”

But in his heart, Zhang Wenhao thought, with photographic memory, aiming for a third-tier university was hardly worth mentioning.

After visiting his grandparents with his parents, from that day until the sixteenth day of the New Year, Zhang Wenhao studied diligently every day. In half a month, he had reviewed nearly all the curriculum from junior high to the end of high school, and mastered it thoroughly. Apart from some deficiency in English listening and speaking, he had a firm grasp on every other subject.

Textbooks, teaching guides, and all the core knowledge for history, politics, and geography were firmly memorized. His mathematics had advanced by leaps and bounds; by starting from junior high and with his intelligence much improved, his accuracy in exercises and mock tests exceeded ninety-nine percent.

What would normally take six years to learn, Zhang Wenhao had mastered in just two weeks. He was filled with gratitude and anticipation for the Super Learning System.

Yet, after two weeks of diligent study and constant use of his photographic memory, the system had rewarded him with only twenty points. This left him somewhat disappointed.

He questioned the Super Learning System: at this rate, when would he ever accumulate enough points to exchange for advanced skills?

The system replied, “Simply using a skill will only earn you minimal points. If, however, you use your ability to accomplish great achievements recognized by the system, you will receive substantial rewards. Should you become the top scorer in the city’s college entrance examination, the system will award you one thousand points. If you become the provincial top scorer, you will be granted three thousand points.”

This news thrilled Zhang Wenhao. The system did not value silent toil, but rather the extraordinary achievements gained through its skills. Private diligence alone was not persuasive; only accomplishments recognized by the world would be acknowledged by the system.

To be the top scorer in the city—or even the province…

Two weeks earlier, had someone suggested this to Zhang Wenhao, he would have thought them mad. But now, he was filled with confidence and longing for that honor. Three thousand points—the temptation was simply irresistible!