Child's Play (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Fang Shuwen walked through the school gate, crossed the stone path lined with phoenix trees, and headed straight for the examination hall.

The campus was much quieter than usual, with only a scattering of students hurrying by, clutching their books with tense expressions on their faces.

This opening assessment was the first major exam since Xikou County Public Middle School implemented the Outline of New Learning.

It was said that anyone who failed would be expelled without exception, with not even a chance for a make-up exam.

For students from ordinary families, being expelled meant cutting off their only way out.

Schooling had already cost a great deal; if they were expelled, it would be nothing short of a bolt from the blue.

The exam was held in a classroom on the second floor of the teaching building, with a seating chart posted on the door.

Fang Shuwen found his name and sat down in the third row by the window.

The classroom was already more than half full.

Some were hunched over flipping through books, others had their eyes closed in silent recitation; everyone was sharpening their spears at the last minute, and the air was thick with a stifling tension.

He placed his cloth satchel inside the desk, took out his Parker Pen, and unscrewed the cap.

The nib glinted with a cold silver light in the morning sun, and it felt heavy and well-balanced in his hand.

"Yo, a Parker Pen?"

A round-faced boy next to him leaned over, his eyes fixed on the pen in Fang Shuwen's hand, his face full of surprise:

"Fang Shuwen, did you strike it rich? This thing isn't cheap. Could it be that you served Young Master Guo so well that he gifted it to you?"

His tone was suggestive, painting a picture as if Fang Shuwen had done something unsavory.

Fang Shuwen turned his head and shot a cold glare at him, a surge of Sha Qi rushing toward the round-faced boy.

The latter instantly felt as if he were being stared down by a fierce tiger, and cold sweat soaked his clothes in an instant.

His entire body couldn't help but tremble.

Fortunately, just at that moment, the classroom door was pushed open.

A crisp click echoed through the room.

Fang Shuwen turned his head away.

The round-faced boy finally felt that sense of impending death recede.

He patted his chest in lingering fear, cast a wary and uncertain glance at Fang Shuwen, and then sat down, still shaken.

At this moment, a middle-aged man wearing a navy blue Zhongshan suit and round-rimmed glasses walked in from outside.

He carried a stack of test papers, his leather shoes making crisp sounds against the floorboards.

The classroom fell silent in an instant.

Fang Shuwen recognized this man: Dean Zhou Changping, who taught the Outline of New Learning and was notoriously strict.

It was said that he had studied at Shenghai Martial University in his youth, but for some unknown reason, he returned to Xikou to teach, where he had remained for over a decade.

Zhou Changping placed the papers on the podium and swept his gaze across the classroom from behind his lenses.

"For this opening assessment, I won't repeat the rules."

"Seven subjects, all completed in one day. Cultural subjects in the morning, physical education in the afternoon. Anyone caught cheating will be expelled immediately, with no room for negotiation."

He paused, his gaze lingering on Fang Shuwen for half a second before moving away.

"Distribute the papers."

The papers were passed from the front to the back.

Fang Shuwen took a paper and spread it out to scan it.

It was a comprehensive exam covering Chinese, Mathematics, English, Steam Industry, Steam Biology, and Antiquity Exploration.

All six cultural subjects taught at the public middle school were on this single sheet.

The question density was high, but nothing went beyond the scope of the textbooks; most were memory-based subjects—you either knew it or you didn't.

He unscrewed the cap of his Parker Pen, his gaze steadying as he began to answer.

The classroom was deathly quiet, save for the rustling of nibs across paper and the occasional sound of pages turning.

The Chinese section tested memorization and interpretation, plus a short essay.

Fang Shuwen didn't write anything too outlandish; he cited a few standard arguments from the textbook and added a few of his own insights, putting down his pen once he reached three hundred words.

Mathematics and English were effortless for him given his past life, and he filled them out almost without a second thought.

Steam Industry, Steam Biology, and Antiquity Exploration took a bit more effort.

After all, these three subjects were unique products of this world.

In his previous life, he had never studied anything of the sort.

However, fortunately, the questions were all based on the textbooks.

He had spent the last few days flipping through the books to review his lessons.

Thus, he finished answering all the questions in just an hour and a half.

He checked through once, confirming there were no omissions.

Fang Shuwen stood up to hand in his paper.

Zhou Changping took the paper, lowered his head to scan it, and his eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

But he said nothing, merely nodding toward Fang Shuwen.

Afterward, he placed the test paper onto the stack of completed papers on the left side of the podium.

Fang Shuwen walked out of the exam hall; the corridor was still empty, as most students were still scribbling away.

He did not linger on campus, heading straight toward the cafeteria.

The Xikou County Public Middle School cafeteria was a red-brick bungalow situated on the west side of the playground, and the aroma of food could be smelled from far away.

When Fang Shuwen arrived, there were not many people in the cafeteria yet.

He spent four jiao to get his lunch.

Two steamed buns, a plate of braised potato chunks, and a bowl of egg drop soup; he carried his tray and sat down in a corner by the window.

He had barely taken a few bites when the number of people in the cafeteria gradually increased.

The morning exam had ended, and students poured in by twos and threes, forming long lines in front of the serving windows.

The noisy chatter was interspersed with arguments over answers and sighs of frustration.

"Did you answer that question about steam-powered organisms? Compatibility? I didn't even understand the prompt."

"Don't ask, don't ask. I left three whole questions blank; I'm dead for sure this time."

"What are you panicking for? The afternoon is the big one. I heard that with this educational reform, Martial Arts Physical Education accounts for half the score. Even a perfect score in the morning is useless if you don't pass the threshold in the afternoon; you're out either way."

Fang Shuwen's chopsticks paused for a moment.

Martial Arts Physical Education accounts for half.

He picked up the egg drop soup and took a slow sip, his expression remaining calm, but his ears pricked up.

At a table not far away, several boys were huddled together; the one speaking was a tall guy with a buzz cut.

His school uniform sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing two sturdy forearms.

His voice was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.

"My cousin is a clerk at the Education Bureau; the news is absolutely accurate."

The buzz-cut guy broke a steamed bun in half, shoved a piece into his mouth, and spoke vaguely.

"Isn't this just killing us?"

A thin, small boy beside him wailed, "I've always been at the bottom of my Martial Arts class. I didn't even pass Body Strengthening Fist last semester."

"Then just accept your bad luck."

The buzz-cut guy shrugged, "The higher-ups said that from now on, the Great Flame New Kingdom will emphasize both civil and martial arts; knowing how to read is useless on its own."

Fang Shuwen broke his steamed bun into small pieces, putting them into his mouth one by one, but his ears remained alert.

The buzz-cut guy was still holding court over there, spittle flying everywhere.

Fang Shuwen only listened for a moment before focusing on his meal.

Just then, Guo Ziming appeared at the cafeteria entrance, followed as usual by two lackeys.

His gaze swept across the cafeteria, accurately locking onto Fang Shuwen in the corner, and the corners of his mouth curled slightly as he strode over.

Looking at Fang Shuwen, Guo Ziming's mouth hooked upward.

"Fang Shuwen."

"After the exam this afternoon, I'll be waiting for you in the small woods behind the school. If you don't show up, you know the consequences!"