American Adventure: My Uncle is Don Quixote-Chapter 39 - 36: The Heaven-defying North American High School Student
The last time Li Wei had come to Franklin K. Lane High School was more than twenty days ago.
He found that this time, the school was still the same damn shithole. It really lived up to its reputation as a top-tier high school that had a school shooting back in the ’90s.
As a notorious high school in Brooklyn, on the day of the placement assessment exam, there were somehow as many as five police cars parked at the entrance.
They had added another security scanner since his last visit to handle today’s unusually large crowd.
"Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?"
Inside the Toyota, Don Quixote watched a few high schoolers covered in tattoos pass through the security scanner before turning to Li Wei.
"Reconsider what?" Li Wei turned his head back. "Whether I should switch to a different school?"
"Yes," Don Quixote nodded. "Although this is the only public high school zoned for our current address, if you studied for another month, you could probably transfer to a Specialized High School. You’d just have to repeat a grade."
The so-called Specialized High Schools are schools not assigned by district, but rather designed for high school students with special talents in academics and the arts. Any student in New York can apply.
For example, schools like Stuyvesant High School, Bronx Science High School, and so on.
Li Wei turned his head to look at the students, who, in his eyes, now seemed like scrawny little chicks.
’I feel like with just a little more strength, I could crush their wrists.’
"That’s probably not necessary, right?" He smiled. "Does anyone actually bring guns into the school?"
"Generally not inside the school. Didn’t you see the security scanners at the entrance?" Don Quixote pointed at the security guards. "Besides, public safety is relatively better here in New York."
Unlike states like Colorado and Texas, which have extremely lenient gun laws, New York City enforces incredibly strict security protocols in its public schools. Over 80 high schools have security scanners at their entrances, and last year, more than 15 firearms were confiscated by the scanners alone.
Add to that the police cars parked out front, and you really can’t say high schools in the United States of America aren’t safe.
Excellent. That’s the United States of America for you.
"But the students inside can definitely get their hands on daggers and sharp objects, no doubt about it," he added. "So, what do you think? Want to repeat a year?"
If it was just daggers and sharp objects, then Li Wei wasn’t worried at all. His Body of Bronze couldn’t even be scratched by a blade wielded with his own strength, let alone by these American high schoolers who’d probably drunk so much soda their bones were brittle.
Besides, the more chaotic the place, the more quests he might be able to trigger.
"No need," Li Wei gave him a thumbs-up. "Let’s go."
With that said, he opened the car door and got out before Don Quixote could say anything more.
Don Quixote could only sigh, grab the prepared documents, and follow behind Li Wei.
"Proof of residence, utility bills, a copy of the passport..." Don Quixote handed the documents and proofs to the administration window one by one. "Okay, it’s all here."
Inside the booth, the administrative staffer filed all the materials and handed a piece of paper back to Don Quixote. It had Li Wei’s name and exam admission number written on it.
"Classroom 3. Go on," Don Quixote handed the slip to Li Wei. "The placement exam only has two subjects: math and English."
"I thought they’d be testing the AP course material today," Li Wei said, taking the slip and looking at it. "I guess not?"
"They’ll test you on that after you finish today’s exam and get your class assignment," Don Quixote patted his shoulder. "I’ll go find the football coach for you and see what the situation is."
Li Wei carried his bag into a small classroom. Dusty art posters were taped to the white-tiled walls, and a few numbered placards hung from the ceiling. There were about a dozen desks inside, and a few students who looked to be about his age were already seated.
Li Wei pulled out a chair at a desk covered with a blank sheet of paper and sat down, waiting quietly for the exam to begin.
Sitting diagonally in front of him was a Latino teenager wearing an oversized hoodie despite the early September weather. A string of crooked letters was tattooed on the side of his neck.
At that moment, he was staring at the placement test paper, his brow furrowed.
"Hey, mister!" he raised his hand and asked in broken English. "This part here says to ’print’ your name. What does that mean? Do I have to find a printer?"
One of the proctors, a Black man who looked as old as the school itself, couldn’t help but roll his eyes when he heard the tattooed teen’s question.
"Mr. Zaharis, it means to write your name in capital letters. Now, shut up and pick up your pencil."
Li Wei glanced over the English and math test papers on his desk. He realized that, for the math section at least, if students from the Celestial Dynasty could understand the English, the difficulty was probably only at a first or second-year middle school level.
It was worlds apart from the difficulty of the AP courses he had been preparing for.
Less than ten minutes after the exam began, Li Wei, relying on his incredibly high Spiritual Power, finished more than half of the math problems.
Just as he was about to check his work before starting the English section, he felt a poke on his back.
He glanced up at the proctor, who was looking down and scrolling through his phone, then looked behind him.
Sitting behind him was a white kid with a somewhat innocent look in his eyes. Seeing Li Wei’s Asian face, a hint of glee appeared in his eyes as he whispered:
"Hey, buddy," he asked. "This says ’Math,’ but why are there letters? Aren’t X and Y supposed to be in English class? Is this test a misprint?"
’Huh?’
Li Wei was silent for a second, then whispered back, "That’s algebra, man. The letters represent unknown variables."
"Unknown variables?" The white kid looked like he’d just heard some kind of witchcraft. "If we don’t know it, why are we writing it on the paper? That’s not logical, man."
"You’re a real genius," Li Wei sighed and turned back around. "Put down 1. Don’t ask me why."
Fifteen minutes later, as the white kid behind him was attempting to draw a crooked stick figure on his answer sheet, Li Wei grabbed his bag, stood up, and turned in his test.
"If you’re trying to protest having to go to school by turning in a blank test, I’d suggest you recon— Oh! It’s you."
The proctor muttered while still looking down at his phone, but when he looked up and saw Li Wei’s Asian features, he immediately changed his tune.
"Hm... not bad. Just what you’d expect from an Asian," he said, taking the test paper and glancing at it. "Alright, you can go. We’ll notify you later about your class placement and what you need for enrollment."
Li Wei gave a polite nod of thanks and walked out of the classroom.
He walked in the direction of the administration hall, turning down two Black girls who hit on him and asked for his number along the way. He found Don Quixote on a bench in the waiting area.
"You’re out already?" He looked up at Li Wei. "You didn’t turn in a blank test, did you?"
"Come on, I could do those problems with my eyes closed," Li Wei rolled his eyes. "What’s the story with the football team?"
"Their school team has an opening, but they’re a little skeptical about your physical fitness," said Don Quixote. "At my request, he agreed to let you participate in the joint tryouts this afternoon, but before that, you need to go to the nurse’s office to complete a physical examination."
