NOVEL NEXT C44
Chapter 44: The Assessment That Determines Fate
“Ding Ling, many examinees feel inspired, their spirits lifted, gaining 25 soul charm.”
Unexpectedly, in such a specific setting, just saying a few words could earn so much soul charm. Had she known, she would have said a few more. But such occasions are rare; after Yuyin finished speaking, she gracefully walked down from the assessment platform under everyone’s gaze.
“Hi, you were amazing! I’m now your fan, Miss Xia Yuyin!” the excited Black examinee waved and called out.
Not just the Black boy; after stepping on stage, Yuyin didn’t know how many people’s dream lover she had become, even in such a serious moment as the college entrance exam.
Effort is essential!
Yuyin’s words naturally had a certain motivational effect, but her appearance, figure, temperament, and voice provided a more primal and direct inspiration to the vast number of examinees.
“Only by working hard and becoming a true strong person can one possibly win the favor of such a girl, right?”
Especially the candidates from the International Academy and the affiliated high school of the Military Academy, due to their family backgrounds and strengths, held themselves in high regard. They gazed at Yuyin’s graceful figure, igniting their ambitions!
“Hmph…” Yuwen Chengzhi let out a cold snort, “What a bunch of shallow-minded kids. Just because she’s beautiful and has a big chest, everything she says must be right?”
“If she were at our school, I could win her over in a week.” Yuwen Chengzhi looked at the stunning girl, revealing a confidence that came from years of being hailed as a prodigy.
“This girl is not ordinary…” The middle-aged woman with a somewhat gaunt and sharp face, who was the head of the examination proctors, gazed at Yuyin’s back and thought to herself, “That girl from the affiliated high school spoke too formally; although she was not at fault, she was quite ordinary. However, her words seem to carry an innate charm… No, perhaps it’s better to say an allure. But that skirt is a bit too short, I must criticize that.”
Seeing the atmosphere in the examination room improve, the head proctor walked to the center of the assessment stage and began to announce the examination rules.
“Some of you may have seen the live broadcast of last year’s individual examination rooms, but some may still be unclear, so please listen carefully to my explanation.”
The head proctor pointed to eight devices lined up on the high platform, resembling high-end, exquisitely crafted multi-functional fitness testing machines.
“These eight are nationally certified standard source energy detection devices. Teacher Jiang, please demonstrate.”
A female teacher with a ponytail, dressed in sportswear and with a very standard figure, walked over and stood upright on one of the testing devices.
“Like this, stand on the device with both feet, maintaining a relaxed posture. First, swipe your examination permit in front of the camera at the top left of the device, then place your hands on the black sensing panel in front of the device,” the head proctor instructed, while the ponytailed teacher followed the instructions precisely.
“Then, adjust your breathing, calm your mind, and wait for the signal. When you hear the electronic whistle, immediately exert all your strength and release your source energy. The device will record your accurate source energy value. In the spirit of openness and transparency, the source energy value will be displayed on the large screen behind us in the form of a light column and numbers.”
For candidates who couldn’t even release their source energy, it meant they had basically never practiced, and the head proctor couldn’t be bothered to explain further.
At this moment, the large screen behind the demonstration teacher displayed her name at the bottom: Jiang Xuehua.
“Teacher Jiang, please demonstrate the source energy test,” the proctor signaled to the equipment team.
The electronic prompt sounded, and Teacher Jiang puffed up her chest, took a deep breath, and methodically circulated her source energy within her body.
A light column appeared behind her, rising steadily and quickly until it reached 135, then stopped.
“Teacher Jiang has some skills…” A dyed-haired boy from the 39th Middle School stared intently at Teacher Jiang.
“She’s an intern teacher from the affiliated high school of the Military Academy; how could she be an ordinary person?” said a short boy next to him.
Thus, the introduction was quite clear, and the method was relatively simple.
“As for the order of candidates going on stage for assessment, we will display it on the large screen. When you see your name, please come up in order. Make sure to pay attention to the large screen. Are there any questions?” the proctor asked.
“Teacher!” At this moment, a tall foreign girl from the Oriental International School raised her hand.
“This student, please speak.”
“What are the large screens on the left and right for?”
“Oh, those two are for displaying the current source energy rankings. The left side shows the boys’ rankings, and the right side shows the girls’ rankings, each displaying the top twenty. All candidates’ names and scores must be made public. The large horizontal screen above the stands will display the name of the student with the highest source energy in this examination,” the head proctor explained, her tone somewhat elevated.
The candidates nodded in understanding, and thus, everyone basically understood.
With the explanation of the rules concluded, the head proctor announced that the assessment officially began.
The large screen rolled, displaying the first batch of eight students.
“Please, the eight students displayed on the screen, come up for assessment immediately. If you do not arrive within one minute, it will be considered a forfeit,” the head proctor announced sternly, as the screen displayed a prominent countdown: “60, 59, 58…”
The first batch consisted of the students with the lowest source energy from each school, which was quite embarrassing. However, with the countdown, the eight candidates whose names appeared on the screen were completely unprepared and rushed from the line to the assessment area. One boy, too nervous, even tripped on the stairs.
“Please don’t rush; there is enough time,” a tall physical education teacher reminded, maintaining order with a loudspeaker.
This was a source martial arts assessment, filtering out those who truly possessed certain qualifications. Source martial artists existed for combat, and psychological quality was naturally one of the selection criteria.
Even though the time was tight, the assessment was inherently ruthless.
Among the eight students, only the two from the affiliated high school remained relatively calm, while the others appeared somewhat flustered, as if the students from the affiliated high school had practiced with a simulation test beforehand.
With the electronic prompt sounding, only the two from the affiliated high school actively released their source energy, while the others had no idea how to do so, bewilderedly placing their hands on the sensing screen or holding their breath until their faces turned red.
However, not being able to release energy also meant they couldn’t contain it; their source energy remained in its natural state, which could still be measured.
In an instant, the two light columns on the far left surged upward simultaneously, naturally belonging to one male and one female candidate from the affiliated high school. Their light columns stopped at about halfway up the large screen, with source energy values of 91 and 87.
The other six did not exceed 60.
“…”
For a moment, everyone was stunned.
They couldn’t help but recall what Yuwen Chengzhi had said.
These two were the bottom students from the affiliated high school, yet they were still so high? Indeed… was the assessment just a formality for them?
After the test, the results were automatically input into the computer, and the rankings began to appear on the left and right screens.
The other candidates walked off the stage with blank expressions, while the girl from the affiliated high school suddenly covered her face and knelt in front of the device, crying. The boy also stomped his feet in frustration.
They were just a little short of last year’s first-tier line, and considering this year’s situation, they were even further from passing. For the vast majority of candidates, this was a celebratory score, but for them, it equated to failure! The girl was eventually helped down by Teacher Xie, who comforted her.
“The affiliated high school of Lingdu… truly terrifying,” Long Xiaotian’s expression was serious.
Liu Li’s face was similarly grim, “If I hadn’t pushed myself at the last moment, I wouldn’t even have been able to beat their last place.”
“Hmph, losers, don’t come to tonight’s celebration party,” Yuwen Chengzhi said coldly as the girl walked past the affiliated high school team with Teacher Xie, causing her to cry even louder.
“The college entrance examination is a crucial moment in life, but it is far from everything. Please control your emotions; you have all done very well!” the head proctor said into the microphone.
“Next group.” She immediately switched back to a cold tone.
The situation for the next group was similar; the gap between the other three schools and the affiliated high school of Lingdu did not narrow, and there was even a trend of widening, except for the International Academy.
Before long, the top 20 rankings for both boys and girls were completely dominated by the affiliated high school of Lingdu.
Only then did Yuwen Chengzhi’s expression ease a bit. He wrapped his arm around the shoulder of the female student council president beside him, looking like a golden boy and jade girl, proudly gazing at the two large lists in front that read “Affiliated High School of Lingdu.” For them, this college entrance examination was simply a pleasure.