Li Qing, of course, didn't believe it.
As a professional reporter for the authorities, she had covered the professional trials for years.
She had seen geniuses and even interviewed them.
She had even encountered freakishly gifted trial-takers, more talented than ordinary geniuses, more than once or twice.
She believed that some people in this world were born exceptionally gifted.
But she had never believed in miracles.
"A Freelancer has been doomed to spend their entire life at the bottom of the food chain from the moment they can't change jobs."
Hard work?
Talent?
Under the rules, those things seemed so pale and powerless.
"Cameraman, point the camera at Ling Zhan."
Li Qing gave the cameraman an order.
Under the camera, nothing could be concealed. The truth was, Li Qing was a little angry. Otherwise, she wouldn't have done something so obviously rude to King Yama Zhou and all the principals and directors.
She was going to use the facts to slap these leaders in the face.
And, while she was at it, remind the freshmen in the audience who were making a fuss that lying was wrong.
On the big screen,
Ling Zhan had already entered the inner area of Sewage City. Speed Up effects flashed over him one after another as he used his skills to hurry along.
Fast!
He raced along at full speed.
"Is Senior Ling Zhan in that much of a hurry?" a student below asked in confusion.
On the viewing platform,
Qi Mu and Principal Zhong exchanged a glance, their hearts stirring.
Only a few hours had passed since the Job Transfer Trial Entrance Examination began. Logically, Ling Zhan had plenty of time to recover, heal his injuries, and so on.
Besides, at the start, he had been fighting his way in and out of the Water Prison area.
His seemingly frantic killing had looked like a waste of time, but in reality, Ling Zhan killed a thousand ordinary Sewage Poison Crabs faster than an ordinary team could kill a few dozen.
There was more than enough time to complete the Trial Stage.
During the first-stage task, Ling Zhan had been racing against the clock. Why did he still seem to be short on time now?
There was only one possibility!
"He's too impatient. You can't rush a good thing," Principal Zhong said, somewhat displeased.
By now, he had seen it clearly. Ling Zhan was absolutely preparing to compete for first place in the city. In fact, judging by his insistence on getting full marks in the first stage, the boy was even planning to challenge the provincial rankings.
Full marks in the first stage.
Ling Zhan was easily good enough to place in the city's top hundred.
He had also qualified to challenge the provincial rankings.
The second stage.
Judging by the progress of the other teams so far,
if Ling Zhan cleared the stage within five hours, he would place at least in the city's top ten.
The less time he took, the higher his ranking would be.
"Come on!"
Qi Mu's palms were sweating with nerves.
Principal Zhong was convinced that Ling Zhan wasn't good enough to challenge the city or provincial rankings. That wasn't strange. But Qi Mu, Ling Zhan's homeroom teacher, didn't share his opinion.
Ling Zhan was his student.
Ling Zhan had already pulled off so many outrageous and spectacular moves.
This time,
Qi Mu chose to trust him and support him without reservation. Unfortunately, all he could do was cheer him on. With a screen between them, there was nothing Qi Mu could do to help.
"Strange. This student named Ling Zhan has already used Speed Up three times in a row. Why hasn't he stopped to rest? Doesn't he need to recover his mana?"
Li Qing voiced her confusion beside the camera.
For a better shot, she had already come down from the viewing platform. She was now among the first- and second-year students.
Then...
A bunch of first-year students covered their mouths, struggling to hold back their laughter.
Quite a few second-year students were bolder. Their eyes kept drifting toward Li Qing.
The way they looked at her...
How could she put it? It was as if they were looking at an idiot.
"Wait a second."
"Idiot!"
Li Qing exploded.
"Hey, you there! What's with that look?"
"Huh? I didn't do anything. I don't know what you mean. Don't make stuff up!"
He clearly had.
Li Qing glared at him angrily, but he was only a freshman, so she couldn't be too harsh. She turned her attention back to the screen.
"Speed Up."
"Speed Up."
"Speed Up."
That made seven times.
"He's doing it again?"
"Holy crap! That's eight times. How does he still have mana?"
She was stunned.
She couldn't believe it.
Li Qing was sure her eyes had to be playing tricks on her.
Beside her,
some mischievous kid in the crowd of freshmen suddenly couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.
It was like a chain reaction. The next second—laughter erupted throughout the venue!
"I can't take it anymore. I can't hold it in!"
"That idiot woman is killing me. Hahahahaha..."
"Senior Ling Zhan is GOAT!!!"
"Senior, you're awesome!"
"That line, 'How does he still have mana?' I'm dead. Hahahahaha!"
Li Qing... wanted to die.
Even her colleagues couldn't bear to watch. They quietly pulled out a video they'd recorded earlier and played it for her.
On the screen,
Ling Zhan was soloing, with fifteen buffs active.
At his feet lay a mountain of Sewage Poison Crab corpses. Green blood flowed from the monsters' bodies. The underground stream in the Water Prison, which had barely reached above their insteps, was gradually rising to their ankles as more and more blood mixed with the water.
"This... a god of slaughter!?"
Li Qing's pupils trembled.
"Look, Bai Wushuang!"
Suddenly, a freshman from First High School shouted.
Almost everyone immediately turned their attention to the image of the Trial Stage where Bai Wushuang was.
"Teacher Fang, Bai Wushuang is in your class, right?"
On the viewing platform, Principal Zhong looked at Bai Wushuang and smiled so broadly that his old face resembled a blooming chrysanthemum.
He was asking even though he already knew the answer.
Bai Wushuang.
First High School's top student in the honors class.
First High School's number-one genius.
How could Zhong Wenshan, the principal of First High School, not know that Bai Wushuang was one of Teacher Fang's students?
"Bullshit!"
"Everyone, move aside. Principal Zhong's about to show off again!"
Teacher Fang: "..."
What could he do?
He had to indulge his own principal.
"Yes, Principal. Bai Wushuang came in first in the whole school during the last mock trial."
"Oh! Senior Bai Wushuang has completed the first-stage task too. He's already entered the second stage. The second stage of Sewage City—the Ghost Pool."
"Look. Senior Bai Wushuang's score for the first-stage task is up."
Whoosh.
In an instant, everyone looked at the score on the big screen.
"93 points!"
"As expected of First High School's number one. Senior, you're amazing."
Someone praised him.
But... the voices were few.
"Something's not right. In past Job Transfer Trial Entrance Examinations, 93 points was already an excellent score. It should at least be in the top ten."
Where were the cheers?
Where were the shouts?
Many people wore strange expressions. They all knew what the others were thinking. Then... collectively, they felt like crap.
"Freelancer Ling Zhan, first-stage task: full marks."
What the hell...
Which one of them was First High School's number-one genius!?
Before you continue