章 7: The Unexpected Prodigy
GENIUSES MEET GENIUS
EPISODE 6
Writer's POV
The Trio approached the chemistry lab but, to their
surprise, found no one there. They wondered why. 🤨
"Aren't we supposed to be having a chemistry practical?
What's up? Why isn't anyone in here?" Basset uttered curiously.
"We are as confused as you," Ashy replied.
"Perhaps the class was cancelled," Joy suggested.
"Strange. Let's head to class then," Ashy urged.
"Sure," Basset and Joy responded. The Trio walked
into the Einstein class.
Craig and Ken were in the chemistry lab when the Trio walked
in, but the Trio didn't see them.
"Wow! Those are the Trio over there," Clark
pointed towards the direction where the Trio had left the chemistry lab.
"Oh… okay," Ken said, confused.
"You should try to avoid them if you want to stay in
this school. They may look really pretty, but trust me, you don't want to mess
with them. They're not nice," Craig said, shrugging like he was trying to
assure Ken.
"Okay...! I have no business with them anyway,"
Ken replied abruptly.
"It might seem so, but I'm 100% sure you've been added
to their blacklist," Craig said in a sad tone.
Ken looked unconcerned. He told Clark they should head to
class. Both walked out of the lab to their class.
### KEN's POV
This school is quite exhausting. I seem to have figured out
the reason for the weird looks: it's because I'm in the most prestigious
science class without an entrance exam. It sounds unfair for sure. I got a new
friend (not sure); he seems cool.
Again, my appearance in the class constituted a nuisance.
This time, I saw someone familiar—the girl I met at the restaurant who claimed
to be my childhood friend. *It's her!* She attends this school. Wow! I sighted
the girl standing close to her; she was the girl at the cafeteria whose
presence caused chaos. The so-called childhood friend came to me hastily like
we were friends. She made Craig nervous; he had to leave me behind. She mumbled
some words silently and said, "I'll be right back." Now my so-called
childhood friend attends the same school as me. I looked around for Craig but
couldn't find him. Right after, the Earth Science teacher entered the class and
students started trooping in. Then Craig appeared out of the blue beside me. I
urged him to sit with me, which he did.
When it was time for the chemistry practical, every student
left the class for the lab. Craig and I walked down to the lab together. On
getting there, we got a notice from the chemistry teacher: "Class
dismissed. Sorry for the inconvenience, guys." Some students in the lab
were annoyed; others looked unbothered. Every student started leaving the lab
until it was only Craig and me left. I wanted to leave for class, but Craig
insisted we stay back because currently, there wouldn't be any teacher in the
class. I agreed. We stayed in the lab. Craig started discussing this school and
the Trio. I wasn't quite listening, but I do remember him saying the girl who
claimed to be my childhood friend is also a member of the Trio. Shortly, three
girls entered the lab. They didn't see us in there. They mumbled some words to
each other and left. I saw a familiar face among them; it was the so-called
childhood friend. Craig whispered slowly, "They're the Trio." He
looked bothered. I asked if they were bullies. Without hesitation, he replied
no. I suggested we go to class. We've spent enough time in the lab.
Immediately, we got to class; the mathematics teacher entered the class too.
### Writer's POV
The mathematics teacher, Mr. Ray, walked into the Einstein
class. The entire class acknowledged his presence. He replied, "Good day,
my young scientists. It's nice having an afternoon with you. So, we'd be
looking at word problems. This is a topic we've treated in our respective
previous classes. Yes or no?" Mr. Ray questioned.
The students replied with a chorus, "Yes, sir!"
"Excellent!" he continued. "In this period, I
won't go too deep into explaining it. I'll only do a little recap on this
topic, then we'll round it off with a class quiz. Are you ready?" Mr. Ray
said.
The students replied, "Yes, we are!"
He swiped the screen of the projector to view the note about
word problems. He started explaining the entire note.
"First, we'll discuss: What is a Word Problem? A word
problem in mathematics is a problem that presents a real-life scenario where
one must use mathematical concepts and techniques to find a solution. Unlike
straightforward mathematical exercises, word problems are written in a
narrative form and require translating the given information into a
mathematical format before solving.
"Here are the components of a word problem:
1. **Context or Scenario**: The problem begins with a
description of a situation or story. This can be related to various real-life
contexts such as business, engineering, physics, daily activities, or other
practical applications.
- Example: 'A
farmer has a certain number of chickens and cows on his farm.'
2. **Quantitative Information**: The problem provides
numerical data or relationships between quantities. This information is often
presented in a way that requires careful reading and interpretation.
- Example: 'There
are 20 animals in total, and there are 56 legs altogether.'
3. **Objective**: The problem specifies what needs to be
determined or calculated. This could be finding a value, optimizing a quantity,
proving a statement, etc.
- Example: 'How
many chickens and how many cows are there?'
"Next, we'd look at the steps to solve a word problem:
1. **Read the Problem Carefully**: Understand the context
and identify what is being asked. Sometimes, rephrasing the problem in your own
words can help clarify the objective.
2. **Extract and Organize Information**: Identify and list
all given data and relationships. Write down what is known and what needs to be
found.
3. **Formulate the Mathematical Model**: ..."
"In conclusion, word problems are an essential part of
mathematics education, challenging students to apply their knowledge in
practical scenarios. By understanding and solving word problems, students
enhance their analytical abilities and gain confidence in using mathematics to
tackle real-world challenges. With that, we're through with today's explanation
on word problems. Now bring out your worksheets for the quiz," Mr. Ray
explained extensively to the students. Some students groaned in excitement; the
Trio's expressions were blank, and Ken was careless.
"Let's review the stages and rules of the quiz,"
Mr. Ray beamed. "The first stage is general for everyone. The students
with higher points will move to the second stage. In the second stage, anyone
who answers the questions correctly in a short time gets the most points and
qualifies for the third stage. Then, we'll have our winner after the third
stage," Mr. Ray pronounced to his students. The class went quiet; some
students were peeking at the Trio, trying to figure out their expressions, but
their expressions were blank.
"Here we have it. The first question you all will be
attempting within 3 minutes. Are you clear?" Mr. Ray announced.
The students replied, "Yes, sir!"
"I assure you the very first question isn't
difficult," Mr. Ray added. The students brought out their worksheets,
anticipating the question. Mr. Ray scrolled up the screen of the projector to
view the first question:
"A company produces two types of products, A and B. The
profit from product A is $50 per unit, and the profit from product B is $70 per
unit. Each unit of product A requires 2 hours of labor and 3 hours of machine
time. Each unit of product B requires 3 hours of labor and 2 hours of machine
time. The company has a maximum of 100 hours of labor and 90 hours of machine
time available per week. How many units of each product should the company
produce to maximize profit? Formulate and solve this as a linear programming
problem."
Mr. Ray paraded the class while his students attempted the
question. In 30 seconds, Basset raised her hand to signify she was through with
solving the question. Mr. Ray smiled in admiration; her action wasn't
surprising to the students—they literally expected it. In a minute, Joy and
Ashy raised their pens to indicate they were through attempting the question.
Craig whispered quietly to Ken, "Why aren't you
writing?"
"I'm done," Ken replied.
"You're what!" Craig almost exclaimed.
Ken didn't mind him. He scribbled some writing over his
blank sheet. He wondered what made Craig almost exclaim. He noticed most
students were serious about solving the problem. He didn't feel pressured;
rather, he felt the question was too cheap to make him serious.
"Time's up!" Mr. Ray announced. The entire class
stopped writing abruptly.
Mr. Ray then said, "if you think I got the question correctly, put your pens
up"
Many students in the class raised their pens, excluding the
Trio and Ken. Mr. Ray called out the Trio for not raising their hands.
Joy protested, saying, "We're sure we attempted the
question right. We don't have a second thought about it. I don't know about
him, though," she added, glancing at Ken.
Mr. Ray turned to Ken and said, "Ken, you were also not
raising your hands. Are you able to attempt the question right?"
The entire class anticipated Ken's response.
"Yes," Ken replied.
The students started murmuring. Mr. Ray shut them up. He
demanded Ken's worksheet.
Ken replied, "Um, I didn't attempt it on my
sheet."
Many of the students roared in laughter. Mr. Ray tried to
hide his disappointment.
"Where did you attempt the question then?" Mr. Ray
asked.
"Right here," Ken said, pointing to his head.
The class went silent again. Mr. Ray nodded at Ken in
affirmation and walked to the front of the class. He asked the students to
submit their solutions to the Einstein Class WhatsApp group. They did
immediately, and the solutions of the entire class appeared on the projector
screen. Everyone could see each other's work.
"Annie, I'm impressed. You tried, but your final answer
isn't right. You have just 1 point," Mr. Ray commented.
He moved on to the next student. "Richie, you did well,
but your final answer is incorrect. You also have 1 point. Next is Beckham. You
got the part where the company should produce 14 units of product A, but not 54
units of product B to maximize profit. So you didn't entirely get it right. You
have 5 points for your solution. Better luck next time."
After Mr. Ray mentioned the Trio's names, the entire class,
excluding Ken, was curious about their answers. Deep down, they knew the Trio
would get the question right.
"You guys got the question right. You tackled it
without any crumbs left," Mr. Ray flattered the Trio. The students weren't
disappointed. Craig giggled slightly and said to Ken, "See, I told you the
Trio are geniuses." Ken glared at Craig in response.
"Nice work, everyone," Mr. Ray congratulated his
students. Joy stood up and said, "Sir, what about the new student? He
needs to show the entire class his workings."
The students nodded in agreement. Mr. Ray sighed. "I
was about to ask him to show us his working. Remember, he said he solved it in
his head. So, Ken, show us your work. We have an ink marker board if you'd like
to use it."
Ken stood up and requested the ink marker. The students were
amused by his composure. Ken walked up to the board and started solving the
question without needing to see it again and without any mathematical tools.
After a few seconds, he arrived at the answer: the maximum profit is achieved
at \( (14, 24) \) with \( P = 2380 \). The company should produce 14 units of
product A and 24 units of product B to maximize profit.
"Wow!" Mr. Ray exclaimed. "The solution is
accurate and correct."
The entire class was shocked. They couldn't believe their
eyes and ears. The Trio were also very surprised. Craig was both shocked and
excited. It seemed like the world stopped at that moment.
Mr. Ray stared at Ken for a while in excitement. "You
can go back to your seat, Ken," he said. Ken was satisfied with everyone's
reactions. Somehow, his eyes met the Trio's; they glared at him, but Ken didn't
mind.
Afterward, Mr. Ray told the students, "The first stage
has ended with the Trio and Ken, along with some other students, having 20
points. The second stage will be in our next class. Students with 5 points and
above are straight to the second stage. See you in the next class. Bye,
everyone." Mr. Ray left the Einstein class.
The class became quite noisy immediately after Mr. Ray left.
The Trio also walked out of the class, and the commotion increased in their
absence.
"Who could believe the new dude could solve the
question and even get it right? I mean, I couldn't even get it right,"
Annie lamented.
"Surprisingly, the dude we thought had nothing in his
skull, who's probably here with connections, turns out to be a wolf in sheep's
clothing. Now, I think we shouldn't judge a book by its cover anymore,"
Blake, a student in the Einstein class, commented.
"Nah, I don't agree with what you said, Blake. The
reason for the backlash against him was because he got in here without an
entrance exam, not because we felt he was unintelligent. For him to be here, he
had to be smart," Richie replied.
"Let's imagine he wrote the exam and aced it. Would you
guys think of him this way?" Sophie added.
"Maybe, yes. Why wouldn't we? The question for the quiz
is quite cheap, let's be sincere," Blake replied, grinning.
"And… many of us still couldn't get it right,"
Beckham half-yelled.
The students laughed again. The chatter in the classroom
continued.
Ken and Craig were in the library. Ken was listening to a
podcast with earbuds in his ears—a podcast between Elon Musk and a random tech
guy—while Craig was reading a book called "Automation vs Mechanics."
Some minutes later, students received a notice from the
school board which read: "All students of Barley High School are to assemble in
the auditorium immediately. Important information will be disseminated."
Every student started trooping out of their classes,
including Ken and the Trio.
---
So readers, what do you think about this episode? What do
you expect in the next one? Also, if you have an idea of what the information
that'll be disseminated is about, comment below.
Love you guys 😘 #lazywriter 😃
Creation is hard, cheer me up! VOTE for me!
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