Unexpected Incident

At the school's main entrance, long lines had already formed. All students were only allowed to bring the most basic examination supplies, and they had to pass through specially installed security gates before entering the school.

The lines moved quickly. Within a few minutes, Su Ming had smoothly passed the inspection and entered the school.

He picked up his admission ticket and glanced at it. According to the instructions marked on it, he headed to Examination Room 7.

Before long, Su Ming arrived at Examination Room 7. Four invigilators, including Teacher Chen Yi, and two guards were standing at the classroom entrance.

They conducted a second identity check on the arriving students, ensuring that everyone matched the information on their admission tickets.

At the same time, Teacher Chen Yi kept reminding the students present,

"After entering the examination room, no talking is allowed! If an emergency occurs, raise your hand and speak only after receiving the teacher's permission. Otherwise, you will bear all consequences yourselves."

Su Ming took his admission ticket and stepped forward. He soon passed the identity check and entered the classroom.

He looked around the classroom. The desks had been pulled far apart, ensuring sufficient space between them.

Cameras had also been temporarily installed at the front and back of the classroom to record the examination and preserve it as documentation.

At that moment, Su Ming unexpectedly spotted Chen Tong. That kid was taking the examination in this classroom too.

Unfortunately, Chen Tong's seat was very far from his. Chen Tong was at the front left of the classroom, while Su Ming was at the rear right.

Chen Tong glanced at Su Ming, who had entered through the front door, but said nothing. Conversation was forbidden here, and the entire classroom was deathly silent.

Su Ming gave him a slight nod, then walked to the back and sat down, quietly waiting for the examination to begin.

To be honest, Su Ming had prepared in great haste, so he was not completely confident that he could do well. But precisely because of the uncertainty and challenge, he felt rather excited.

Time trickled by.

Soon, it was time for the examination to begin. The four teachers, including Teacher Chen Yi, entered carrying sealed exam papers. They placed the papers on the podium and began opening the seals.

He took the exam papers out of the sealed bags and distributed them while saying,

"We're handing out the papers now. Do not write anything after receiving yours. Wait until you are told that you may begin before picking up your pen!"

Su Ming's excitement grew stronger as he kept staring at Teacher Chen Yi, who was handing out the papers.

Soon, Teacher Chen Yi handed a paper to Su Ming. Su Ming gave it a rough glance. As usual, it was a twenty-page exam. Even from a cursory look, the questions appeared extremely complicated.

Su Ming's expression grew more solemn. The difficulty was even higher than he had imagined.

After finishing the distribution, Teacher Chen Yi stood quietly and waited.

About two minutes later, a crisp bell rang throughout the school.

"Begin writing!"

Teacher Chen Yi immediately announced.

Su Ming and the others picked up their pens one after another, but just as they were preparing to write on their papers,

the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside. Immediately afterward, the tightly closed classroom door was violently shoved open. Ten soldiers wearing first-generation gray-metal Exoskeleton Armor—Iron Shell—charged in, led by a burly man wearing second-generation crimson-metal Exoskeleton Armor—Rock Steel.

"None of you are allowed to move!"

The burly man at the front shouted at the top of his lungs.

All the examinees present were frightened, each of them showing terrified and uneasy expressions.

Teacher Chen Yi and the others were even more dumbfounded.

"You..."

"We're from the Imperial Court Cult directly under Imperial Court Academy. I'm the captain, Leo. From this moment onward, we're taking over this examination room. Invigilators, you can leave. There's nothing here for you to do."

Leo spoke in a deep voice.

When Teacher Chen Yi and the others heard that the Military Department had taken over the examination room, they were all stunned. Looking dazed, they walked outside.

Su Ming was also extremely surprised. What kind of scene was this supposed to be?

At that moment, the entire Mient Junior Academy was surrounded by Imperial Court Cult soldiers. Military armored vehicles drove one after another into the campus.

The parents waiting outside the school were dumbfounded. Watching so many troops enter, they chatted in fear and unease.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know!"

In fact, it was not only Mient Junior Academy that had been taken over and placed under control. The entire Thirteenth District—and even all the schools conducting the City Exam throughout the three cities and sixteen districts—had been placed under control.

Inside the classroom.

Leo's fierce gaze swept back and forth over all the examinees, making the students even more afraid.

Even now, they still had no idea what was happening.

At that moment, an order came through Leo's wireless communicator.

"Begin the reinspection."

After receiving the order, Leo bared his teeth in a cruel smile. He addressed all the seated examinees.

"Everyone, come out one at a time when your name is called. You'll all undergo another security inspection. Any slight movement will be regarded as cheating! And I have one more thing to tell you: anyone caught cheating will have their City Exam qualification canceled on the spot. You won't even need to draw the Red-Black Lottery anymore. You'll be sent straight to the front-line battlefield!"

As soon as he said this, several of the students present immediately revealed extremely terrified expressions.

Leo locked onto them in an instant.

"You, you, and you! The three of you, stand up!"

The three students who had been pointed out rose shakily to their feet, their faces deathly pale.

Seeing the reactions of the three students, Su Ming suddenly had a bad feeling.

Leo strode forward and glared at the three of them as he demanded viciously,

"What are the three of you afraid of? Tell me!"

"Nothing, sir."

A male student wearing glasses spoke with trembling lips.

Leo's gaze fell on the pen on the student's desk. The student grew even more uneasy. Leo walked straight over, picked up the pen, and snapped it in half.

Crack!

Precise electronic components were immediately exposed inside, along with faint sparks.

The student's face instantly turned ashen.

"Si, sir..."

"Take him away. Send him straight to the front line!"

Leo issued the order without the slightest hesitation.

A soldier stepped forward, grabbed the student by the collar, and dragged him outside.

"No, don't! I was wrong! I'll never dare do it again!"

The student was terrified beyond measure and begged for mercy repeatedly. He had even wet himself, leaving a large patch of his trousers soaked.

Unfortunately, it was useless. The Imperial Court Cult soldiers forcibly took him away.

Seeing this, one of the other two students completely broke down and immediately begged for mercy.

"Sir, can I just quit the examination?"

"Of course you can! Take him away!"

Leo revealed a cruel smile and waved his hand grandly.

"You can't treat me like this! Do you know who my father is? Let me go!"

The student shouted desperately again and again, but it was useless. He was still dragged out mercilessly.

Leo looked at the last female student and asked viciously,

"Do you want me to do it myself, or are you going to confess?"

Su Ming slightly furrowed his brows. These were elite soldiers, and it was obvious at a glance that they were veterans who had seen battle. Their methods were not only ruthless; their eyes were extraordinarily sharp as well.

These students with something to hide had such poor mental fortitude that they could not conceal their thoughts at all.

"I—I... Wuwu, I was wrong!"

The girl burst into tears on the spot.