Episode 2 recap: Class 11 faced a challenge when recruiting new students.
Lei Ming used a game to show the disparity among classmates, emphasizing that inequality exists from the moment they are born. Only Cheng Yu Shan and Li Ran remained at the end. Lei Ming wanted to convey through this game that regardless of their current positions, he believed that under his guidance for a year, everyone could get into top universities like Tsinghua and Peking University.
At that moment, Li Ran was the first to raise his hand. Initially, it seemed like he was going to support what Lei Ming said, but unexpectedly, he intended to disrupt the situation and claimed he needed to use the restroom. It was a lesson for Lei Ming, as reality dealt him a harsh blow. Sang Xia noticed Lei Ming's actions and later confronted him.
Now, there were only Sang Xia and Lei Ming in the large office. It seemed that they were the only ones leading Class 11, which had extra students from the third year of high school. Currently, Lei Ming was Sang Xia's mentor, and despite being a senior, Sang Xia lectured Lei Ming about his so-called principles, but Lei Ming completely ignored him.
During lunchtime, Sang Xia lectured Lei Ming again, but Lei Ming remained indifferent. Sang Xia also informed him that if they couldn't recruit at least five students within a week, Class 11 would be disbanded. Naturally, Sang Xia hoped for the class's dissolution, but Lei Ming intentionally used the psychological office and performance as leverage against Sang Xia. For the time being, Sang Xia had no choice but to comply.
Lei Ming began to focus on students with severe subject imbalances and unique family circumstances. They were all interested in Li Ran, who lost his father in the second year of junior high and had been living with his grandmother. He consistently ranked first in physics throughout the school. In the evenings, Li Ran would help repair mobile phones, demonstrating his exceptional technical skills. Lei Ming and Sang Xia followed him closely.
Soon, Li Ran discovered Sang Xia trailing behind him. Li Ran also mentioned that the college entrance examination was not meaningful to him. On the other hand, Lei Ming expressed admiration for Li Ran's business acumen and mentioned that the shop across the street was good, believing that Li Ran would excel in business. Afterward, Lei Ming left.
Lei Ming informed Sang Xia that Li Ran would definitely come to the class and enroll tomorrow.
The vocational school teacher also came to Cheng Yu Shan's class for an investigation. However, Cheng Yu Shan's mother was busy with her business and only approached her son when he returned. Later, when it was time to do bookkeeping, Cheng Yu Shan's mother called her out to help. It can be said that Cheng Yu Shan excelled in mathematics, but no one cared about her studies, which made her a focal point of Lei Ming's attention.
Lei Ming found Cheng Yu Shan, but she initially refused both Lei Ming and Sang Xia. Sang Xia noticed that Cheng Yu Shan lived in a very poor environment.
Li Ran's grandmother went to work and almost missed the bus. Li Ran desperately chased after her and managed to catch the bus in time. Lei Ming wanted to persuade Cheng Yu Shan to join Class 11, but Cheng Yu Shan only wanted to achieve financial independence. However, it was discovered that Cheng Yu Shan's stepfather had been physically abusive towards her, indicating that she had her own troubles.
Although Li Ran's grandmother worked as a nanny, she would also bring back some things that the employers no longer wanted. Li Ran felt helpless about the situation. Lei Ming also presented his conditions, promising to help Cheng Yu Shan achieve financial independence, which made her hesitate.
Li Ran had initially come up with a good entrepreneurial opportunity, but when he returned home, he found his house occupied, and even the property near the electronics factory was forcefully demolished. All his hopes were shattered. Li Ran recalled the death of his father years ago and how his mother chose to leave without considering her own well-being, leaving him just as helpless as he felt then.
Due to a disturbance, Li Ran was taken to the police station, but fortunately, Lei Ming managed to bail him out. Lei Ming still wanted to encourage Li Ran to focus on his studies, but Li Ran left directly. Li Ran's grandmother took him to the house where she worked, hoping to stay overnight, only to find out that the person who opened the door was Shen Yao, the student with the best academic performance at the same school.
I have to say, it feels very fake. In reality, there are many underachieving students who lack interest in studying. It's not realistic to portray them as potential geniuses and glorify the bottom rung of society.
This approach can mislead students, promoting blind confidence rather than emphasizing the importance of hard work and practicality.
Furthermore, the depiction of psychological counseling is overly simplified. It's unrealistic for schools that previously didn't prioritize mental health to suddenly screen and identify all the key individuals within a grade in just one or two days.
It's likely that they weren't adequately prepared with the necessary resources, and conducting a comprehensive mental health assessment takes time. The storyline is quite exaggerated, another "feel-good" drama, "fantasy drama," or "inspirational drama.
I suspect that many students, influenced by such shows, believe that they can succeed without being serious and dedicated. They wait for a magical transformation one day or waste their time indulging in fantasies, or they strive with an inflated sense of self-importance, setting unrealistic goals.
However, the harsh reality eventually crushes their confidence, leading to even greater frustration.
Those who are inherently struggling and have no interest in studying are not suitable for the path of college entrance exams. The independent recruitment system is more suitable for them. The real focus should be on those who have good potential but struggle academically due to external factors and learning environments.
That's the true purpose of having this experimental class. Otherwise, do you think everyone can get into Tsinghua University and Peking University? Teachers are not gods and cannot provide them with the answers to the college entrance exams.
For intelligent students who underperform due to external influences or a lack of a conducive learning environment, there is still hope to improve their grades. However, what about students who are rebellious and refuse to study?
If their family environment is not an issue and they are willing to learn but simply struggle to comprehend, how should one handle such a situation?
Oh my, the first episode laid out the relationships between the characters, and from the second episode onwards, the amount of information just skyrocketed.
By the third episode, I was so stunned that I couldn't even utter a word.
They have chosen a group of exceptional individuals, which goes against the concept of helping underachieving students improve their grades. It's just that after the merger of the two schools and the combination of underachieving and outstanding students, there was a grand spectacle on the playground that had nothing to do with the subsequent student selection process.
The plot seems somewhat deliberately uncomfortable to watch.
Those who are inherently struggling and have no interest in studying are not suitable for the path of college entrance exams. The independent recruitment system is more suitable for them. The real focus should be on those who have good potential but struggle academically due to external factors and learning environments.
That's the true purpose of having this experimental class. Otherwise, do you think everyone can get into Tsinghua University and Peking University? Teachers are not gods and cannot provide them with the answers to the college entrance exams.
Life is in our own hands. This drama is very realistic. There aren't many benefactors in life, and if you encounter one, but fail to seize the opportunity, then you'll live a regretful life on your own.
Don't envy those who come from good families. There aren't many children from poor families who can succeed, but those few who can seize their opportunities can grow from grassroots to towering trees.
However, those who fail to seize opportunities can't blame anyone, they don't have the right to blame anyone, they can only blame themselves.