Client

Client

After passing through the academy gates, Chen Chuan followed the crowd and the signs. At every corner stood an assistant instructor responsible for guiding them, accompanied by two trainees, while school security kept a close watch.

He had been notified beforehand that the second-round examination would still be held at the same place where he had applied earlier. The test site consisted of four old teaching buildings standing side by side, though he did not know which examination room he would be assigned to.

Before long, the candidates arrived at the passageway in front of the old buildings. The assistant instructors here required every trainee to report their student ID number. After checking them against the forms, they assigned each person to a different examination room.

After reporting his number, Chen Chuan learned that he had been assigned to Examination Room Four. He was also given a number tag with "421" handwritten on it.

He had looked into it beforehand. This year's candidates might have numbered around two thousand. Going by that, each examination room would probably hold roughly five hundred people. If the numbering was calculated separately for each room, then he seemed to be fairly far back.

The two double doors of the examination room stood open. There was no need to queue to enter. As soon as he stepped inside, the smell of disinfectant hit him. The floor had been mopped spotless, and rows of long benches placed back-to-back had been set up on the previously empty training grounds. The curtains that had been drawn down were now pulled open, making the outside clearly visible.

A female instructor standing by the entrance said, "Boys sit in the teal seats, girls sit in the vermilion seats. Choose your own seats. Don't fight over them. The examination order will not be arranged according to seat order."

Chen Chuan chose a seat slightly farther inside and sat down. He figured it would be a while before it was his turn, and the seats near the entrance would be inconvenient with candidates constantly coming and going.

The candidates who entered afterward also picked their seats. As more and more people sat down, quiet conversations began around him. He heard quite a few people speaking in dialects from the surrounding counties and towns.

But whether they were from Yangzhi City itself or from the surrounding counties and towns, they all shared one thing in common: they were students of common birth, each of them coming here to take the examination with dreams of crossing the class divide.

A figure flickered beside him as a candidate about his age sat down nearby. After sitting, the boy seemed somewhat nervous. He turned toward Chen Chuan and raised a hand in greeting. "Hello, I'm Fang Zhiming."

Chen Chuan nodded as well. "Chen Chuan."

"Student Chen, I'm number 398. What about you?"

Chen Chuan took out his number tag to show him. "421."

Fang Zhiming looked delighted. "Hey, we're not far apart."

Chen Chuan nodded. That was normal enough. Those with later numbers naturally chose seats farther inside.

By then, all the candidates had entered, and the two doors were shut.

Chen Chuan looked around. Every seat was filled. Almost no one who had been admitted to the school had given up on the second-round examination, because passing or failing it meant entirely different treatment. Only by passing could they reach greater heights. Even if they lacked strength, that did not stop candidates from trying their luck. Maybe they would pass if fortune favored them? He looked around a few times but did not spot Wei Dong. He was probably assigned to another examination room.

At that moment, the female instructor who had been standing by the door walked to the front of the crowd. Her skin was slightly dark, and her features were ordinary, but her braid was glossy black. She moved lightly and briskly, seeming to make no sound at all.

She simply stood there, looking at everyone. There was an indescribable force in her gaze and expression. Though she had yet to speak, the candidates below felt an invisible pressure, and the room gradually fell silent.

Once everyone had quieted down, she said sternly, "The examination rules were already stated in the materials given to you several days ago. I will reiterate them now. Inside the examination room, no loud disturbances, no troublemaking, and no wandering around.

"From the moment you enter the waiting area until the examination ends, you may not leave the examination grounds without permission. Anyone caught doing so will immediately be disqualified. In serious cases, your trainee qualification will be revoked as well."

The examination room was silent enough to hear a pin drop.

After pausing for a moment, the female instructor continued, "All candidates will wait here. Keep your number tags with you. Once you hear your name, report to the test site."

The candidates could only wait patiently.

Yet more than three hours passed. It was already past ten, and the examination still had not begun. Chen Chuan could not help thinking, Was this deliberate, or was there some other reason?

At the same time, outside the Great Hall, Gao Shi, Yue Hong, Bian Feng, and four other instructors responsible for the school examinations were waiting at the foot of the steps.

A black Junbie luxury car drove in through the gates and stopped before the Great Hall. A long-faced middle-aged man in his forties stepped out. He wore a black imported suit, his hair slicked with pomade, and a pair of dark gray gloves on his hands.

Gao Shi said, "Committee Member Jiang, we have been waiting for quite some time."

Committee Member Jiang said, "Oh? I'm not late, am I?"

A Teacher Ning, who was responsible for coordination, hurriedly said, "You arrived exactly at the appointed time, Committee Member Jiang. You are very punctual."

Committee Member Jiang said, "That's good. Shall we begin, then?"

"Yes. Please sign here, Committee Member Jiang."

Teacher Ning hurriedly handed over the prepared documents.

Committee Member Jiang's assistant stepped forward to receive them, then placed them before him.

Committee Member Jiang was a third party hired by the School Board of Directors, responsible for supervising the academy's external admissions examinations. The retest could only proceed with his presence and signature. However, by now, this role leaned more toward that of a funding donor, exercising authority on behalf of the donors.

He saw that there were two sheets in the folder. The top one was the candidate list for the entrance examination at the old buildings, while the bottom one was the list of recommended candidates at the Great Hall.

Without even looking, he removed the top sheet and directly picked up the list of recommended candidates. After carefully reviewing it, he looked up and asked, "Have all the candidates at the Great Hall arrived?"

Teacher Ning said, "They were all here five minutes ago."

Committee Member Jiang said, "Then examine the recommended candidates first. There should be an order of arrival, after all. Besides, there aren't many of them, so it won't take much time to finish."

As he spoke, he accepted the pen handed over by his assistant and swiftly signed the sheet. Then he immediately capped the pen again, leaving the second list untouched.

Teacher Ning looked at him, wanting to say something but holding back.

Gao Shi said nothing about it. He only said, "Then let's make haste."

Committee Member Jiang said, "Fine. We can't keep the candidates waiting too long." He raised his wristwatch and checked the time. "It is now 10:15. I ask the instructors serving as examiners and the trainees to be conscientious and responsible. Let us try to finish within an hour."

Inside the Great Hall's reception hall, dozens of recommended candidates were waiting in the brightly lit room. They sat on sofas, while the white porcelain teacups on the tables gave off the fragrance of invigorating tea. A gramophone stood in the corner, playing soothing, melodious music, and the attendants they had brought with them would occasionally come over to refill their tea.

A senior trainee sent by the school was staying with them. Naturally, he too had once been a recommended candidate.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, the recommended candidates grew bored. Someone asked, "Senior Jiang, I heard a lot of trainees were admitted into Wuyi Academy this year?"

Senior Jiang said, "There was an enrollment expansion. Of course there are more every year."

"Then there should be many trainees receiving aid from the Mutual Aid Society this year too, right?"

Senior Jiang chuckled. "That depends on personal choice. We never force anyone."

The trainee raised his brows. "What, are there actually people unwilling to accept it?"

Senior Jiang said with a faint smile, "That's perfectly normal. Those unwilling to accept it must be confident they can pass the second-round examination on their own. That's good. People should rely on themselves. They just shouldn't complain afterward."

At that moment, another candidate said impatiently, "Why is this taking so long? Isn't this just a formality? What time is it already?"

Footsteps sounded outside the reception hall. Someone who looked like a senior school official walked in. He looked over everyone and said with a smile, "Candidates, the retest will now begin. Please enter the test site in order according to your numbers."

There were six examination booths set up at the Great Hall. Once the start of the examination was confirmed, the assistant instructors began calling numbers.

One candidate was somewhat absentminded. His number was called, but he did not notice. The attendant behind him hurriedly reminded him, "Young master, it's your turn."

The candidate complained, "Why make it so troublesome?" He rose from his seat and walked in along the passageway, but less than five minutes later, he came back out.

Someone asked curiously, "Xiao Ran, how was it?"

Xiao Ran shook his head and said disdainfully, "How else could it be? It was over before I even warmed up."

Someone teased, "You look like you have nowhere to vent. Want to go hunting later?"

Xiao Ran's eyes lit up. "Sure."

The recommended candidates were soon called in batch after batch. They entered one by one, and all came out quickly. In around forty-five minutes, all the examinations were over, though the subsequent sorting and cleanup took another half hour.

Seeing that it was nearly finished, Teacher Ning went to Committee Member Jiang again and said, "Committee Member Jiang, the examinations here are over. Can the admissions examination at the old teaching buildings begin now?"

Committee Member Jiang checked his watch. "It's almost noon. Let's eat first."

Teacher Ning said, "Committee Member Jiang, there are so many candidates waiting over there. They came early this morning..."

"What?"

Committee Member Jiang said in surprise, "Wuyi Academy candidates no longer have even this much patience? What we are testing is not merely the candidates' martial ability."

"This..."

Gao Shi decisively spoke up from the side. "Ning Guo, Yue Hong, accompany Committee Member Jiang to lunch."

"Fine."

Teacher Ning and Yue Hong could only agree.

After Committee Member Jiang left with his people, one instructor said, "Gao Shi, this..."

Gao Shi said, "Don't come complaining to me. The client is someone those people deliberately sent to disgust us. Just do your own jobs properly."

Bian Feng said, "But so many candidates are waiting."

Gao Shi shot him a glance. "So what if they wait? He wasn't wrong about one thing. Wuyi Academy candidates can't endure even this little waiting? If they can't wait, they can go home early. No one is stopping them."