The chief examiner's assistant's words left Zhao Zijie frozen in place.
What?!
It really was a coincidence?!
Remembering his brief hesitation on the high-speed train, Zhao Zijie suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of guilt.
If I'd really turned a blind eye back then...
"Let's go. The classroom is just ahead."
Just as Zhao Zijie's thoughts descended into turmoil, the chief examiner's assistant snapped him out of it.
He instinctively wiped the thin sheen of cold sweat from his forehead and followed the assistant.
"We're here."
Zhao Zijie looked in the direction the assistant pointed.
A tiered lecture hall.
The room was large, but there weren't many people inside.
That made sense. The background checks and interviews had probably eliminated most of the applicants.
"Go in and find a seat," the assistant said flatly. "Don't even think about cheating. This classroom is proctored by artificial intelligence."
Zhao Zijie nodded silently.
After entering the classroom, he headed straight for a corner at the back.
Shortly after he sat down, a middle-aged man entered the lecture hall carrying a thick stack of exam papers.
At the sight of that all-too-familiar scene, seemingly etched into his DNA, Zhao Zijie's breath caught.
How long had it been since he had experienced anything like this after graduating?
"I'm sure someone has already warned you," the middle-aged man said gravely, sweeping his gaze around the room. "But I'll remind you once more."
"Don't even think about cheating. Don't try to test the capabilities of artificial intelligence."
"If you're caught cheating, you'll be disqualified immediately!"
"Is that clear?"
Zhao Zijie's gaze shifted slightly.
He had noticed something.
The instant the middle-aged man finished speaking, the cameras in all four corners of the lecture hall moved slightly.
Looking at those pitch-black cameras, he felt a chill creep into