The Hope Episode 15 Recap
> The Hope Recap
In 2016, at Longhai Experimental High School, Li Ran scored 99 in physics, ranking first in his grade. However, his head teacher accused him of cheating, pointing out his past poor performance in Lengquan County and his family's financial situation that would not allow for cram classes. Li Ran angrily retorted that the head teacher himself was running an illegal after-school class and leaking questions. The head teacher then scolded Li Ran for his attitude and lack of manners.
Li Ran, furious, almost physically confronted the teacher but stormed out when he noticed the teacher's daughter. Later, the school principal informed Li Ran that the head teacher's unauthorized cram school was uncovered, and he had been fired. The principal, while believing Li Ran, also reprimanded him for vandalizing the head teacher's car by painting it black, reminding him it was a crime. Physics teacher Bi Ke had consistently praised Li Ran's talent in physics, noting his junior high award.
Lei Ming encouraged Li Ran to sign up for the upcoming physics competition, seeing it as an opportunity for special admission or a recommendation, but Li Ran initially showed no interest. Despite his claims, Li Ran's passion for physics was evident as he found himself drawn to Shen Yao's physics notes. Shen Yao, noticing Li Ran's interest, asked Li Ran if anyone had taught him it was rude to touch other people's belongings without permission.
He then remarked on Li Ran's father's aptitude for physics despite not attending college. After a brief tense exchange, Shen Yao offered to help Li Ran get into the school team for the competition as a repayment for Li Ran saving him previously, stating he would help Li Ran register for the preliminary in three days. Li Ran ended up qualifying for the semi-finals, ranking 19th.
Students were surprised by Shen Yao's assistance, some doubting his true intentions, thinking he merely wanted a worthy opponent. Li Ran later visited a tutoring center, but upon learning the prices ranged from 9,800 to 39,800 RMB, he quickly left. Afterward, Cheng Yushan provided him with a stack of physics competition questions, reminding him there were ways to study even without money.
Following Lei Ming's advice, Bian Xiaoxiao transformed her social media account into a study live stream, declaring her ambition to attend Qingbei University. She candidly admitted to her audience that she was an underachiever, having scored 421 on her last monthly exam, but expressed confidence in her teachers' "secret weapons."
She then introduced her Class 11 classmates: Jiang Qinglang, a "Prince of Rap" who also shared words of encouragement; Cheng Yushan, whom Bian Xiaoxiao playfully called the "Princess of Mahjong"; Li Ran, the "Big Shot of Phones"; and Yu Yang, the most diligent student. Other students, like Zeng Wenhao from Pine Cypress Class 4, soon followed suit, starting their own study live streams.
Sang Xia observed that this method was highly effective, fostering self-discipline among students and giving teachers a much-needed break from supervising evening study sessions. Lei Ming and Sang Xia enjoyed a late-night motorcycle ride, celebrating their newfound "nightlife." Bi Ke, upon seeing Class 11's live stream, critiqued its poor picture quality and composition. He also mentioned receiving messages from fans asking about Class 11's streams and comments questioning if students using phones for live streams violated school rules.
Li Ran, focused on his exercises, did not engage. Bi Ke, however, stressed that this was an era of self-achievement and resource sharing, with "cyber" being the best partner for study. He later provided Li Ran with expensive mock exam papers for the upcoming physics semi-finals, which had over 2,000 provincial entrants vying for only 15 spots in the provincial team.
Li Ran, who had previously researched tutoring fees of over 40,000 RMB and knew he couldn't afford them, was hesitant. Bi Ke reassured him, revealing that Lei Ming had already paid for the materials and his tutoring, urging him to study hard and not worry about the cost. Mr. Xiao convened a meeting to discuss the study live stream trend.
While some expressed concerns about students using phones, Lei Ming, after initially agreeing on the strict prohibition of phones in school, proposed a "win-win" solution. He suggested leveraging the Mingying Online School, which belonged to their educational group, and using existing classroom cameras and multimedia equipment to manage students' study live streams centrally. This would allow students to participate without needing their personal phones.
Gao Jingjuan, in a public interview, acknowledged the spontaneous nature of the student-led live streams but clarified that the school's policy prohibiting phones on campus remained unchanged. She emphasized the school's open-minded approach to innovative learning methods and announced the plan to integrate study live streams through Mingying Online School, ensuring unified management. Class 11 teachers and students, including Lei Ming, declined media interviews due to their intense study and teaching schedules.
Many media outlets called for interviews with Class 11, keeping Lei Ming and Sang Xia busy. Sang Xia expressed suspicion about Lei Ming's sudden change of heart, questioning how an "egoist" could suddenly start considering the students' well-being. Lei Ming brushed off her doubts, jokingly claiming he wanted to be a good person after her "soul-reaching" psychological analysis.
Separately, Lei Ming met with Mr. Wang, who was impressed by Class 11's live stream success, boasting over a million views in less than half a month. Mr. Wang introduced Lei Ming to Mr. Bai from the investment department and Mr. Tian, the marketing director, indicating interest in Lei Ming's business plan. Lei Ming, however, declined a dinner invitation, citing teaching commitments, but strategically alluded to the project's momentum, suggesting it was gaining speed.
The day before Li Ran's physics competition, Class 11 surprised him with a small celebration and words of encouragement, chanting "See you at Qingbei!" Other students from Longhai Experimental High School also gathered to cheer for Li Ran, recognizing him as the first student from Longhai to reach the physics competition semi-finals. Li Ran's classmates expressed their pride, with one jokingly asking him not to raise his phone repair prices after he becomes famous.
Lei Ming instructed Li Ran to review his mistakes on the bus, drink less water, use abdominal breathing, and quicken his reading speed during the exam, assuring him, "You can make it." As the crowd cheered, Lei Ming walked solemnly at the end of the procession, his face etched with worry. Later that night, Lei Ming had a distressing dream where he heard students screaming that Li Ran was jumping off the Zhiyuan Building. He rushed to the rooftop, only to find a different girl standing there.
