Chapter 110 - National High School Computer Competition (Part Two)

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My Rebirth Legend, No Ads

“Looks like this guy really has some skill—not just relying on good looks and background to get by.” I stared at Song Jie’s confident and handsome face, a faint sneer playing on my lips. This guy was definitely no joke. Considering the difficulty and complexity of his painting, a score of 98 was indeed fitting. Why not a perfect score? Because his painting had a tiny flaw. After all, he was only a top high school student, and in the world of 1997, there were no powerful rendering software. The only imperfection in his cosmic painting was the presence of some shadows.

“Xiao Qiang, isn’t the guy who scored 98 points Song Jie? Heh, looks like it’ll be pretty tough for you to beat him.” Chu Qitong gently tugged my arm and smirked at me. “This competition is being broadcast nationwide. If Su Xin sees you lose, you’ll really lose face.”

I rolled my eyes at this little troublemaker who knew how to rile me up and smiled bitterly. “Who said I’ll lose? Even if he got 100 points, I can get 100 points too.”

Chu Qitong glanced me over and laughed. “True, I forgot you’re the behind-the-scenes boss of Sunshine Group and a computer expert. Forget what I said.” After that, she stopped paying attention to me and went back to tinkering with the computer.

I shook my head helplessly. I knew exactly what this little girl was thinking—she was hoping I’d be defeated by Song Jie and lose face in front of Su Xin. Hah, as if I’d be afraid of a little guy like him. What a joke.

Soon, under the sweet voice of the host, painting after painting by the contestants appeared on the projector, each being scored by the judges and ranked accordingly. Twenty minutes passed in a flash. Nearly 90% of the contestants’ works had been scored. Song Jie’s vast starry sky painting still held the highest score of 98 points. Second and third places went to contestant number 46’s Mount Li painting with 91 points and a seascape painting with 88 points, respectively.

Finally, the host announced contestant number 75—my work—titled "Happiness." I smiled calmly and confidently. Just wait; my painting would surely make everyone see me in a new light!

The projector quickly pulled out contestant 75’s floppy disk. The staff carefully verified it, and the host smiled warmly as he introduced, “The title ‘Happiness’ is indeed unique—it has a very warm feeling. Wow, I’m really looking forward to contestant number 75’s work. Let’s see if this painting can truly evoke a sense of happiness in us all. I’m sure the audience feels the same way. Now, let’s witness contestant 75’s masterpiece, ‘Happiness’!”

At this moment, I caught Song Jie’s handsome face turning towards me. I smiled faintly—a smile of confidence, a smile of unwavering determination.

“Click.” A faint mechanical sound as the floppy disk was gently inserted into the projector. The machine slowly powered up, and the blank white space from the projector was soon completely filled with everything recorded on the disk...

“What is this...?” Chu Qitong gasped, covering her mouth in astonishment, her eyes fixed on the large screen. Not just her—all the onlookers were stunned, and some of the judges even stood up in disbelief!

“Tian Tian, is this even a painting? Can it really be called just a painting?” The host stared at the image with amazement and admiration. “Friends watching at home, this is the most lifelike and three-dimensional painting I’ve ever seen! The characters seem almost alive. This is incredible...”

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“Clap clap clap... Wonderful!” The scattered applause grew louder, denser, and more frequent until the thunderous collective clapping of over ten thousand people drowned out every other sound in the vast square.

Why did everyone have such expressions? The answer was simple. I had used rendering and 3D modeling technology that only appeared in future movies—I had turned the entire painting into a three-dimensional image! The scene itself was nothing special—a common amusement park in City C. In the capital, there were countless amusement parks much better than this one. But the focus was not the park; it was the man and woman in the painting. They were embracing atop a powered train, gliding through an open-air railway park. At that moment, their faces radiated pure happiness, shining with unparalleled brilliance! The most extraordinary detail was that their bodies were entirely 3D—meaning their heads, facial features, and even the electric train they rode on were as real as life itself.

“Su Xin looks so beautiful at this moment...” Chu Qitong’s beautiful eyes suddenly became misty, her face full of envy. She bit her lip and turned to me, whispering, “When did you and Su Xin go to an amusement park...?”

“Heh, since you told me I had a rival named Song Jie.” I laughed awkwardly, filled with pride. I wanted this painting to show Song Jie just how deep my feelings for Su Xin were. I wanted to make that kid understand that Su Xin was mine—and no one could take her away!

After a brief moment of shock, the judges seemed to regain their composure, many turning their gaze towards me. Someone capable of producing such a painting could no longer be called just a computer whiz. The technology I used was beyond what even computer masters could achieve, let alone a high school student like me. In a computer contest for high schoolers, such advanced techniques clearly made the discerning judges’ eyes light up.

“This is practically a work of art. Contestant number 75’s ‘Happiness’ not only lets us feel the happiness within the painting but also allows us to appreciate a stunning masterpiece. I’m eager to see what score the judges will give.” With the host’s words, the audience’s eyes quickly shifted from me to the judges’ area. Everyone was wondering how many points this painting would receive.

“The first group of judges unanimously gave... wow, 100 points! The highest score—100 points!” The host exclaimed as the first group of judges raised their big perfect score cards in front of all the cameras. Soon the second and third groups followed suit, also unanimously displaying perfect scores.

“This is unbelievable! I hereby announce that contestant number 75 has achieved the highest score in the history of the National High School Computer Contest—full marks!” The host announced excitedly. Indeed, the perfect score of 100 was a revolution for this competition. And this unprecedented perfect score was created by me, Xiao Qiang!

“Congratulations, Xiao Qiang! I bet Song Jie is so mad his lungs might burst.” Chu Qitong looked a bit jealous as she shot me a sour glance. “I thought your ‘Happiness’ would be a painting of you falling off a cliff.”

“Ha! What happiness is there in falling off a cliff?” I glared at Chu Qitong in frustration, then thought to tease her a bit and chuckled. “But I bet that moment made you feel very touched—very happy, right?”

“Who would feel happy? You bad guy!” Chu Qitong’s face immediately flushed red, and she turned away, ignoring me. I knew I’d made her shy, and I couldn’t help but laugh happily.

“Laugh all you want, I’ll kill you.” Chu Qitong, still blushing, shot back stubbornly, “You risked your life to save me and fell off that cliff. I’m not heartless—I was definitely moved and happy. What, you think I’m ungrateful? Hmph.”

“Uh, that’s not what I meant. Okay, okay, Fu Ming, you’re up next.” Seeing her so righteously indignant, I was a bit distracted and hurriedly changed the subject. Chu Qitong’s beauty was the beauty of youth—one that could instantly captivate and linger in your mind. She was an outstanding beauty, and I suddenly felt very lucky to have so many beautiful women interested in me. If I hadn’t grown somewhat immune to beauties after seeing so many, the old me would have jumped on her just like Brother Zhu! Silently reciting a Buddhist prayer, I quickly dismissed the lascivious thought and focused on the judging.

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Fu Ming’s painting depicted a beautiful landscape with a beauty who resembled herself. It was quite good and received some applause, but although pretty, the technical content was somewhat low, so it only earned 75 points.

Finally, it was Chu Qitong’s turn. The girl who had been teasing me earlier suddenly grew very serious. I glanced at her and thought she was about to go into battle, shaking my head with a wry smile.

Her painting was titled “Unforgettable Moment.” At first, I wondered what unforgettable moment this little witch would depict. Suddenly, an instant flashed through my mind—the moment on the cliff. A cold sweat broke out, and I rolled my eyes inwardly. Damn, she wouldn’t dare paint that moment, right? If Su Xin saw it... Although I had confessed many of my secrets to Su Xin, I had never told her about my rebirth, nor about that incident.

Sure enough, as if to confirm my suspicion, as soon as Chu Qitong’s painting appeared, I knew everything was utterly ruined. The familiar cliff, the perilous environment—only the unfamiliar part was that I was not the protagonist in the painting.

The main character was Chu Qitong herself, crying desperately with a face full of sorrow and despair, her tear-filled eyes staring into the endless dark abyss below the cliff. I was a mere supporting figure, falling through the air.

Damn it! That was the exact moment I sacrificed myself to save her and fell off the cliff. The expression of faint despair and bitter smile on my face was so vivid—I knew it was a scene Chu Qitong would never forget. So the “Unforgettable Moment” was indeed that instant.

“You... how could you... Ah, forget it.” I really wanted to scold Chu Qitong, but when I saw the tears of excitement in her big eyes, no words came out. Looks like I’d better think of how to explain this to Su Xin later... Hopefully, she isn’t watching TV right now.

Chu Qitong’s painting was deeply moving and technically challenging. After all, no one who hadn’t experienced it firsthand could paint such a realistic scene. Perhaps it was that touching moment that moved the judges, or maybe her technique surpassed others. In the end, the judges unanimously awarded a high score of 97 points.

Thus, the first round of the competition ended. I ranked first with a perfect score; Song Jie was second with 98 points; Chu Qitong third with 97 points; and Fu Ming only ranked tenth. The top three scores were very close—deciding the winner would depend on the next two rounds!