Welcome to 听故事说中文, the podcast where stories come alive to help you improve your Chinese language proficiency and cultural competency.

This week, we've got a powerful, satirical story about a young man who is, quite literally, a "testing genius."

He did everything right: top student every single year, culminating in scoring the highest in the province on the college entrance exam—the Zhuangyuan. But his success came at a cost. His life was completely mapped out by his high-achieving parents, treating him more like a project than a person.

The heart-wrenching twist comes after the final exam. When his mother finally offers him freedom—TV, games, going out—he can only stare blankly and reply: "没意思" (méi yìsi), "It's boring."

Join us as we explore this story about an exam-obsessed culture and the devastating moment a mind brilliant at tests loses the ability to live. Comment below and share with us your thoughts. Btw, did you tell the difference on the sound quality ? 😊 Simeng

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