Chapter 22: Zero Points, Hidden Genius

Chapter 22: Zero Points, Hidden Genius
The classroom was silent, the air heavy with concentration.

The invigilator furrowed his brow, ready to scold the student who dared to interrupt the exam. But when he turned and saw Elira, the irritation in his eyes turned into a sharp, cold glare.

He opened his mouth to reprimand her—but stopped himself.

Causing a disruption now would only distract the other students.

With a tight wave of his hand, he dismissed her silently. His annoyance was clear, but he let her go.

There wasn’t a single senior-year teacher in the school who didn’t know Elira.

And almost all of them had said it:

> “I’ve never seen anyone as hopeless as her.”

She once scored five points on an exam. Five. In all his years of teaching, the invigilator had never seen a student do so poorly. It was like even luck refused to help her.

Some teachers joked that even randomly guessing answers would land you a higher score. But Elira always defied expectations—in the worst way.

Her grades were at rock bottom. Her personality didn’t help. Gloomy. Hair in her face. Head always down. She spoke only when absolutely necessary.

But now… something had changed.

She’d lost weight. Her posture was straighter. Her eyes sharper. She carried herself differently. She walked with purpose. She didn’t mumble. She didn’t hide.

Still, to the invigilator, it was too late.

He glanced at her desk from afar. Her draft sheet had just a few quick markings. Barely anything.

He sighed and muttered under his breath, “Hopeless.”

Delilah, sitting in the back row, glanced toward the window.

She caught sight of Elira walking past the corridor outside.

Her brows furrowed at first—then she smirked.

> So what if she plays with computers and makes money? She's still dumb as ever.
A total dimwit.

That evening, after finishing his self-study session, Frank rushed home with his backpack swinging at his side.

The first thing he did was find Elira.

Trying to hide the thrill in his voice, he asked, “Sis… how was your exam?”

Elira replied coolly, “I finished at four-thirty.”

Frank blinked. “You handed it in early?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

The exam was scheduled to end at five-thirty.

Frank's eyes lit up. “Then tomorrow, everyone’s going to be stunned! Even if you guessed randomly, you'd get at least two answers right!”

Elira raised a brow. “You seem a bit too excited.”

Frank, usually calm and reserved, looked like he could burst with energy.

Elira narrowed her eyes slightly. “Something happen?”

Frank couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Elira… you’ve been recommended for admission to Paragon University!”

Elira didn’t react.

Frank continued quickly, “It’s true. The principal of Paragon University and the famous math genius Flynn found me.”

He handed over his phone. “I posted your solution to that problem on the Paragon University math forum.”

“Flynn messaged me last night. But Mom was around, so I couldn’t say anything. He wants to meet you. He wants to hear how you solved it.”

“And the principal messaged me too. He said if you’re a student, they want to give you direct admission. They want to meet you in person.”

Frank’s voice was trembling with excitement. The message had come just minutes before self-study. He’d nearly burst holding it in.

But Elira’s tone didn’t change. “Recommended admission?” she asked flatly. “Not interested.”

Frank froze. “Why?”

“I’m not interested in math,” she said simply. “And I don’t have time to sit around solving equations with old professors. I’ve got other things to do.”

Frank’s heart dropped a little. “Then… will you still take the Paragon entrance exam?”

He looked down. That school had always been his dream.

Elira stared at him for a moment, her eyes unreadable. Then a slow smile tugged at her lips.

“Paragon University, huh? Sure.”

But the glint in her eye had nothing to do with academics.

> The Obsidian Order’s strongest division… was based in Paragon.

Her lips curved further.

> Maybe it’s time to drop in on my old friends.
With a gift. Say… a hundred pounds of TNT.
Just like what we buried under the lab in Brookhaven.
Bang… That would be beautiful.

Her eyes shimmered with a bloodthirsty chill.

Frank didn’t notice.

He just smiled warmly. “Whatever you decide… I support you.”

To him, it didn’t even feel like a loss if she turned the offer down.

Elira chuckled.

Her gaze softened. Frank really was like a kitten. Quiet. Loyal. Always looking up at her with trusting eyes.

“Then…” she said playfully, “how should we respond to Flynn and the principal?”

Frank paused.

Elira tilted her head. “Do you want to go to Paragon?”

He looked her in the eye. “Yes. But… I want to get in through my own effort.”

Elira’s smile widened. “Then I’ll wait for you there.”

Frank nodded, heart full.

But as he turned back to his phone, his smile faded.

He still had to respond to Flynn.

He couldn’t reveal Elira’s identity. That would only bring trouble to her.

After a long pause, he typed:

> “Sorry. It’s not convenient.”

Inside a bright lab, Flynn sat hunched over his desk.

He kept glancing at his phone. The chat thread with Frank remained open—unread for hours.

Suddenly, the screen flashed.

Flynn grabbed the phone.

> “Sorry. It’s not convenient.”

His heart dropped.

Two full days of waiting… and this was all?

Flynn typed quickly.

> “We can talk over text.”
“Just five minutes.”
“I won’t disturb you.”

No reply.

Flynn stared at the screen, frustrated.

> This isn’t over.

The next day, the exam results were posted.

Students crowded the bulletin board.

As expected, Benjamin Moore was ranked first. 139 points.

No surprise there.

But what shocked everyone was what came next.

The once untouchable Roxanne Jarvis, the school’s beloved Madison, had fallen from the top 20… to beyond 100.

Whispers filled the hallway.

> “Guess that incident shook her bad.”
“Yeah, she hasn’t been the same since.”

As for Delilah—she hadn’t slept well for two nights. The memory of Elira nearly choking her haunted her dreams.

Her score? 102. A personal low.

She was still trying to shake off the disappointment when she spotted a familiar name.

Elira.
Zero points.

Delilah’s face lit up.

She almost laughed out loud.

> “Zero?! How is that even possible?”



The bell rang.

Class began.

The teacher entered the room, carrying a stack of test papers.

“Class rep, hand these out. We’re going to review the exam.”

Minutes later, the teacher stood at the front, flipping through his own notes.

“Let’s begin with question eight. I’ve explained this several times befo—”

“I have a question.”

The class fell silent.

Heads turned.

It was Elira, standing with her test paper in hand.

The teacher looked at her coldly. “What is it?”

Elira raised her paper calmly. “Who graded this? Why did I get zero?”

The room rippled with whispers.

> “Zero? That’s a new record.”
“I thought five was rock bottom.”
“Didn’t you hear? Someone on the Paragon forum blew everyone’s mind two nights ago. Flynn and the principal are looking for them!”
“What? Who?”
“You don’t know? They want to find that student so badly they might offer a reward!”

The teacher banged the podium. “Quiet!”

He turned to Elira, his voice sharp. “I graded it. And don’t pretend you don’t know why you got a zero.”

Elira didn’t flinch.

Her fingers released the paper. It fluttered down and landed on her desk.

She looked up at him, voice cool and steady.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Why don’t you tell me?”