"Alright everyone, pencils down! Time is up!" Mr. Han announced, walking down the aisles. "Hand in your papers! This time, no tricks! I want to see who is actually studying and who is just coasting on the memories of their past lives!"
It was a major mathematics and theory exam. The questions were difficult enough to stump even A-class students.
Derek, sitting directly behind Anthony, grinned evilly. He had developed a technique using his Qi to enhance his vision, allowing him to see through objects with perfect clarity. Looking at the back of Anthony's head was no different than looking at the paper itself.
Heh, Derek thought, his hand moving swiftly. I'll copy this so-called genius. If he gets it right, I get it right. If he fails, I fail, but at least I won't be alone. And if he gets full marks again, I'll just say I'm as smart as him!
Derek watched Anthony writing furiously. The words flowed like water, elegant and fast.
"Perfect," Derek whispered, copying every symbol, every line, every diagram exactly as he saw it. He was confident. This time, he couldn't fail.
When the results came back the next day, Mr. Han stood at the front of the class, looking utterly baffled.
"Anthony," Mr. Han said, adjusting his glasses. "Full marks. One hundred percent. Perfect. As expected. Your understanding of multidimensional calculus is... frankly, frightening. Good work."
Anthony nodded politely. "Thank you, sir."
Then Mr. Han turned to Derek. His expression darkened. "Derek... Zero. Absolute Zero."
"What?!" Derek jumped up so fast his chair fell over. "That's impossible! I copied Anthony word for word! Look! Look at my paper! It's exactly the same as his!"
The class went silent. Mr. Han picked up both papers and compared them side by side.
"You are correct," Mr. Han said slowly. "Visually, they are identical. But did you read what you wrote, Derek?"
Mr. Han pointed to Derek's paper. "This isn't Common Tongue. This isn't even a language used in the last five thousand years. Anthony wrote the entire exam in Ancient High Draconic script, encoded in reverse binary, and mirrored horizontally. To anyone who doesn't possess the knowledge of an ancient scholar, this looks like chicken scratch or abstract art!"
The classroom erupted into laughter so loud the windows rattled.
"I didn't know!" Derek wailed, tearing at his hair. "It looked like fancy writing to me! I thought it was just his signature style!"
Anthony turned around in his seat, wearing a face of pure innocence.
"Oh? Did I?" Anthony blinked. "Sorry about that, Derek. My hand sometimes just... writes things automatically when I am thinking deeply. It is a habit from... well, a long time ago. You should have asked. I could have translated it for you. I charge a small fee for tutoring, you know. Very reasonable rates."
"You fiend!" Derek screamed. "You did this on purpose!"
"Accusations, accusations," Anthony sighed, turning back around. "I simply operate on a higher frequency. You should try to catch up."