Finally, the citywide unified mock exam—the First Mock Exam—had arrived.
It was the most important assessment before the Gaokao, and its results were also crucial for universities conducting their initial evaluations and considering candidates for special admissions programs.
The night before the exam, Chen Mo unusually didn't stay up late. He followed his usual routine: after finishing his review, he practiced the Black Tiger Stance for another half hour to calm his mind, then went to bed early.
On the day of the exam, the atmosphere was solemn. The students entered their assigned exam rooms according to their candidate numbers.
Chen Mo took a deep breath and sat down at his desk. He checked his stationery, closed his eyes, and quickly reviewed the framework of each subject and the Common Mistakes in his mind. The system gave him much more confidence, but it was his first time facing a formal exam in this world, so it would have been a lie to say he wasn't nervous.
The bell rang, and the exam papers were handed out.
Chinese, math, English, and the humanities or science comprehensive exams. After weighing his original host's choice against his own preferences, Chen Mo had opted for the humanities track: politics, history, and geography. One subject after another.
Chen Mo focused completely, drawing on all his knowledge and Mental Strength. He found that many of the topics being tested fell within the areas he had been "grinding proficiency" in lately. The fundamentals, especially those requiring memorization and understanding, came especially easily. Of course, there were difficult questions too, but he kept a steady mindset. If he didn't know an answer, he skipped it for the time being, making sure to secure every point he could.
The humanities comprehensive exam surprised him the most. Thanks to the system's structured "reinforcement" of his knowledge, when answering the longer questions, he could often connect one point to several related ones. His answers were logically organized and well supported, and sometimes even more comprehensive than the points in the standard answers. This was clearly an advantage of having high Mental Strength.
The two tense days of exams came to an end. As he left the exam room, Chen Mo felt as though he'd fought a hard battle. His body was tired, but his mind felt light with relief.
"I'm done for! I couldn't even understand the last two big math questions!"
"What was that English listening section even saying? It sounded like bird language!"
"I think I missed a point on one of the humanities questions..."
At that moment, the classroom was filled with a tense, oppressive atmosphere. The students' groans rose and fell, mingling with cries of surprise and regret as they compared answers. Zhang Shun approached Chen Mo with a deeply troubled expression and a near-tearful voice. "Brother Mo! This exam was so hard. I'm sure I'm going to come in last in the class again! Boohoo..."
Faced with his friend's lament, Chen Mo shook his head helplessly, then patted Zhang Shun on the shoulder and comforted him. "All right, all right. The exam's over, so there's no point agonizing over it. Let's just wait for the final results." But only Chen Mo knew how uncertain he felt inside. After all, although the mysterious system could accurately tell him how well he had mastered what he'd studied—his so-called "proficiency"—actual exam results could be affected by all sorts of complicated factors, such as being in poor form, misunderstanding a question, or lacking the right test-taking skills. After making a rough estimate, Chen Mo privately reckoned that his total score in the academic subjects would probably fall somewhere between 350 and 380 out of 600. Compared to his original self, who might not even have managed 300, that was already a tremendous improvement!
A day later, the First Mock Exam's academic tests had barely wrapped up when the notice for the Martial Arts special assessment arrived.
"Attention, all senior-year students. The Martial Arts assessment will be held tomorrow at the Martial Arts Hall of First Middle School," homeroom teacher Old Li announced from the podium, his expression serious. "First Middle School has the most advanced Martial Arts testing equipment in the city. This is a rare opportunity for Sixth Middle School students. Take it seriously and give it your best!"
A stir ran through the classroom.
"We're going to First Middle School for the assessment? I've never been inside their Martial Arts Hall!"
"I heard they have the newest equipment. Their Reaction Test Machine was converted from training gear retired by the military."
"The Iron Puppet... My cousin took the test last year. He said getting hit by that thing really hurts. It's rubber-coated iron, but it packs a serious punch."
Zhang Shun leaned close to Chen Mo and lowered his voice. "Brother Mo, your score of 82 on the Martial Arts Class mock test already impressed a lot of people. Tomorrow's the real thing. Can you hold up?"
Chen Mo didn't say anything, only gave a slight nod. He knew that the earlier mock test had been a simplified version, conducted using the school's basic equipment. The real test tomorrow would be the true challenge.
The next morning, all the senior-year students from Sixth Middle School traveled by school bus to First Middle School, accompanied by their teachers.
Through the bus window, Chen Mo got his first close look at the city's top high school. It had an impressive entrance, modern classroom buildings, and a separate Martial Arts Hall standing beside the spacious field. The building was silver-gray, with bold, clean lines, and at least three times larger than Sixth Middle School's aging gym.
"Now that's impressive..." Zhang Shun sighed as he leaned against the bus window.
After getting off, the students lined up and entered the Martial Arts Hall in class order. As soon as he stepped inside, Chen Mo could tell the difference. Even the air seemed "heavier" here, and he could faintly smell the distinctive mixture of metal, rubber, and sweat.
The hall was extremely spacious. Dozens of powerful lights hung from the lofty ceiling, illuminating the entire space as brightly as day. The test areas had been clearly laid out: a hundred-meter track and a four-hundred-meter track on the left; three Strength Test machines in the center; three hemispherical Reaction Test Machines, studded with launch ports, on the right; and, at the far end, a row of square rings enclosed in high-strength glass, each with a black Iron Puppet standing inside.
The students from Sixth Middle School were assigned to a designated waiting area. Chen Mo noticed that only Sixth Middle School students were taking tests here today. The students from First Middle School were evidently being tested at a different time or in another area to avoid interfering with one another.
"It's a shame we won't get to see how those geniuses from First Middle School do," Zhang Shun said regretfully.
"Focus on your own test," Chen Mo replied calmly. He knew that instead of envying other people's advantages, he should make the most of his own abilities.
The tests were conducted in class order. Class Seven was scheduled for the third group, giving Chen Mo a chance to watch the students in the classes ahead of them.
"First group, Class One students, begin the hundred-meter test!" came the announcement over the loudspeaker.
Five students crouched at the starting line. The moment the starting pistol fired, Chen Mo watched intently. So this was the level of Sixth Middle School's top students?
Five figures shot off the starting line, moving noticeably faster than ordinary high schoolers. The student in the middle had a well-proportioned build and an exceptionally precise running form.
"First place, 11.45 seconds!" the results announcer called.
Discussion broke out in the spectators' area.
"11.45 seconds. That's a pretty good time even for an ordinary high school."
"Is that Li Huaiyang? I heard he specializes in speed, and his Qi and Blood Value is already close to 90."
"Class One really is impressive."
Chen Mo silently assessed the result. At 11.45 seconds, that time would have met the standard for a national second-level athlete in his old world. Among high schoolers in this world, it was a good result.
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