White hair, a tried-and-tested fortune, and yet: Among the millions of Chinese candidates taking the gaokao, the equivalent of a high school diploma, on Wednesday is Liang Shi, a 56-year-old millionaire trying his luck… 27 times .
In terms of social success, Liang Shi can be proud, as he started his career with a menial job in a factory before founding his own thriving building materials company.
But the 50-year-old was always frustrated because he hadn’t gotten a good enough grade on the “gaokao” — the college entrance exam — to get into the prestigious University of Sichuan, the southwestern province. from China where he lives.
In the Asian country, this test is the test of their lives, especially for the most humble.
Only students with a very high score have access to the best universities in a country where educational competition is fierce, places are limited and family pressures are high.
And a degree from a recognized university means social status and the practical assurance of being hired by a good company.
“The Irreducible of Gaokao”
In order to be competitive among the 13 million candidates in the ranks, Liang Shi led a “monastic life” for several months this year. He woke up at dawn every day and immersed himself in the textbooks for twelve hours a day.
“It’s uncomfortable to think that I didn’t make it to university,” he told AFP. Because “I really wanted to go there and become an intellectual”.
In the last four decades he has tried his luck 26 times, but each time his grades have not been enough to open the doors to the university of his choice.
The local media eventually made him a celebrity. “They call me ‘the irreducible of the Gaokao,'” he says proudly.
When he first took the exam in 1983, he was only 16 years old. He then ironed for almost ten years to improve his grade before throwing in the towel in 1992.
At the time, authorities restricted access to gaokao to high school students or students under the age of 25.
When this limit was lifted in 2001, Liang Shi believed he had a new chance.
Back to Mahjong
Since then he has taken the exam 16 times, every year since 2010. Even the time of COVID-19, marked by strict health restrictions that made it difficult to conduct exams, did not discourage him.
His case is fascinating. Some netizens even wondered if he wasn’t doing it just for fame or as part of a publicity stunt.
“What’s the point?” Mr. Liang replies. “No sane person would walk past the gaokao for a publicity stunt for decades.”
A sign of his motivation, he says jokingly, while preparing for the exam he stopped drinking and playing mahjong, a traditional game very popular in China.
His son passed the gaokao in 2011, sometimes a bit embarrassed by this multiple recidivist father.
“He didn’t really agree at first (that I’m retaking the exam so many times), but now he doesn’t care,” says Liang Shi.
After passing the exam for the 27th time, the eternal candidate wanted to relax a little after all those months of work.
“I’m going to play mahjong with my friends for three days and three nights!” he says.