BEIJING: Among the millions of fresh-faced high schoolers sitting China's dreaded "gaokao" college entrance examinations on Wednesday, Liang Shi sticks out like a sore thumb: a gray-haired, self-made millionaire stubbornly taking the test for the 27th time.

Liang, 56, is no fool. He worked his way up from a menial job on a factory floor to establishing his own successful construction materials business.

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