Chapter 30: Agent

After Chen Chuan stepped through the side gate, he joined the crowd and followed the signs. With each turn he took, a new teaching assistant came to lead the way. Two students followed behind them, while security guards kept a close eye on them.

The university had notified that the follow-up exam would be conducted at the place where they had registered for the entrance exam. The examinees would be tested in the four old lecture buildings next to it, though Chen Chuan did not know just which building he would have to go to for his exam.

Soon, the examinees arrived at the entrance of one of the old lecture buildings. The teaching assistant at the door asked each examinee to say their student ID numbers. After checking the list, he sent them to their respective exam sites.

Chen Chuan was told that he was going to be tested at Exam Site Four and given a number plate with “421” written on it by hand.

He had asked around earlier and learned that there were around two thousand examinees. Based on that, each exam site had to accommodate around five hundred examinees. If the numbers were assigned based on each individual exam site, then he was likely scheduled toward the end.

The double door was wide open, and they did not need to queue up to enter. After Chen Chuan got in, he smelled disinfectant in the air. The floor was mopped clean, and rows of back-to-back benches had been placed in the once-empty training hall. The curtains were also tied up this time round, letting Chen Chuan see outside.

A female lecturer standing at the entrance said, “Boys, sit on the green benches. Girls, sit on the red benches. Pick your seats, but don’t fight for them. Your seat does not determine your exam order.”

Chen Chuan picked a seat further inside, since it would not be his turn soon. If he sat near the door, it would inconvenience the examinees when they had to move past him again and again.

The examinees who came in later also picked their seats and sat down. Some people started whispering among themselves, and Chen Chuan heard quite a number of dialects from the counties around Yangzhi City.

But regardless of whether they were from Yangzhi City or the surrounding counties, they shared one similarity—they were all commoners, and all of them had come with the dream of climbing up the social ladder.

Chen Chuan saw something move at the corner of his eye, and an examinee about the same age as he was sat down beside him. The young man was a little nervous, so he leaned over and gave Chen Chuan a little wave. “Hello, I’m Fang Zhiming.”

Chen Chuan gave him a nod. “Chen Chuan.”

“I’m 398. What about you?”

Chen Chuan showed him his number. “421.”

Fang Zhiming looked delighted. “Hey, we’re pretty close.”

Chen Chuan nodded, but this was normal. The ones with numbers further down the list naturally chose to sit at the back.

Once all the examinees entered the hall, the door closed.

Chen Chuan looked around and found that all the seats were full. No one who managed to pass the entrance exam chose to give up on the follow-up exam, because the treatment they received would be completely different if they passed compared to if they failed. Only if they passed would they be able to climb to higher places. Even if they were not strong enough, it did not stop the examinees from coming to try their luck. What if they passed by some miracle?

Chen Chuan looked around a little more but did not see Wei Dong around. He had to have been assigned to another exam site.

The female lecturer who had been standing guard by the door came in. She was rather tanned and had an average-looking face, but her braided black hair was glossy, and her footsteps were light. Chen Chuan could hear no sound when she walked.

She observed everyone. Her gaze and expression gave off an indescribably imposing aura. Even though she remained silent, all the examinees could sense an invisible pressure. Without even realizing it, all of them fell silent.

“We’ve provided the rules of the exam to you in the information we handed to you earlier, but I’m going to repeat it: Do not be loud, do not cause trouble, and do not walk around the exam site.

“Until the end of the exam, you are not allowed to leave the exam site without permission. Anyone who breaks the rules will have their qualifications canceled immediately. If the situation is serious, you will be expelled as well.”

The exam site fell into pin-drop silence.

After a brief pause, the female lecturer continued, “You are all required to wait here. Hold on to your numbers tightly. After you hear your names being called, come to register.”

The examinees had no choice but to wait patiently.

Three hours passed without anything happening. When it was past 10 a.m., the exam had still not started. Chen Chuan could not help but think,

Is this intentional, or is there a reason behind it?

At that moment, Gao Ping—the admission supervisor—Yue Hong, Bian Feng, and six other lecturers who were in charge of the students’ exams waited before the stairs of the main hall.

A black Junbei—a high-class car—drove through the main gate and stopped in front of the main hall. A middle-aged man in his forties with a long face stepped out. He wore a black western suit and had his hair gelled up. He also wore dark gray gloves.

“Mr. Jiang, we’ve been waiting for you for a long time,” Gao Ping said.

“Oh? Am I late?”

Ning Guo, the lecturer in charge of communications, quickly said, “It’s the time we agreed upon. You’re on time, Mr. Jiang.”

“That’s good. Should we start now?”

“Alright. Please sign here.” Ning Guo handed over the documents he had prepared.

Mr. Jiang’s assistant stepped forward to take and bring them to him.

Mr. Jiang was the third party agent the university board had hired to oversee the university’s exams for the students recruited through open enrollment. He had to approve the follow-up exam before it could begin. However, in truth, the position of the third party agent was usually given to the university donors. Whoever held the title could wield the authority of the role in the name of the others.

There were two lists in the folder. One of them had the names of the students who took the entrance examination at the old lecture buildings, while the one beneath it had the names of the recommended students in the main hall.

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Mr. Jiang lifted the list above without even looking at it and picked up the list containing the names of the recommended students to look through them critically. “Have all the students in the main hall arrived?”

“They arrived five minutes ago,” Ning Guo replied.

“Test the recommended students first. We need to do this via a first come, first served basis, don’t we? Besides, there aren’t too many of them, so it won’t take too much time.”

As he spoke, he took the pen his assistant handed to him and signed his name on that list. Then, he put the cap back. He did not even touch the other list.

Ning Guo looked at him like he had something to say, but Gao Ping did not say anything about that. “Let’s not waste any time, then.”

Mr. Jiang looked at his watch and said, “Yes. We can’t let the examinees wait too long. It’s 10:15 a.m. The examiners and students should take the exam seriously. We want it to end in an hour.”

Dozens of recommended students were waiting in a brightly lit up reception hall in the main building. They sat on sofas, and porcelain teacups on the tables in front of them gave off an energizing aroma. The students’ retainers occasionally stepped forward to refill the cups, while a gramophone in the corner played relaxing music.

An upperclassman—also a recommended student—was with them.

The recommended students began growing bored after waiting for only ten minutes. One of them said, “Jiang Wei, I heard that a lot of students passed the entrance examination this year.”

Jiang Wei, the upperclassman, said, “Since the university is expanding its enrollment, it only makes sense that the number keeps growing every year.”

“Even more students will be receiving aid from the Mutual Aid Group this year, then?”

“That depends on them. We don’t force them into it.” Jiang Wei chuckled.

The student raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Are you saying there are people who don’t want it?”

“It’s normal. Those who are confident that they can pass the follow-up exam don’t join. That’s fine. People should rely on themselves, as long as they don’t complain about it if they fail.” Jiang Wei smiled.

Just then, another examinee snapped impatiently, “What’s taking so long? I thought our exam was just a formality, but look at the time now!”

Footsteps echoed from beyond the reception hall, and someone who looked like an executive member of the university came in. He cast a glance at the examinees inside and smiled. “Everyone, the follow-up exam will begin now. Please come to the exam site according to your number.”

Six exam booths had been set up in the main hall. Once the teaching assistant received confirmation that the exam was to start, he started calling out the numbers.

One examinee was not paying attention and did not even notice when his number was called.

“It’s your turn, Young Master,” his retainer hurriedly said.

“So troublesome,” the examinee grumbled and stood up to enter his exam booth. Five minutes later, he came out.

“How was it, Xiao Ran?” someone asked curiously.

Xiao Ran shook his head and said in disdain, “How else could it go? It ended before I could even finish warming up.”

“You look like you’re bursting with frustration. Want to go on a hunt later?” another person teased him.

“Sure.” Xiao Ran’s eyes lit up.

The next batch of recommended students were soon called in. They went into the exam booths and came out in no time as well. Forty-five minutes later, the exam was finished. It took almost the same amount of time to clean up the place after it was done.

Once the exam had wrapped up, Ning Guo turned to Mr. Jiang. “The exam here has ended. Can we start with the follow-up exam at the old lecture buildings?”

Mr. Jiang checked his watch. “It’s almost noon. Let’s have lunch first.”

Ning Guo tried again. “But there are so many examinees waiting there, Mr. Jiang, and they’ve been here since the morning—”

“What’s this? Are you telling me those examinees don’t have any patience? We’re not testing them on their fighting abilities alone, you know?” Mr. Jiang gasped in surprise.

“But...”

“Ning Guo, Yue Hong, have lunch with Mr. Jiang,” Gao Ping said decisively.

“Alright.”

Ning Guo and Yue Hong had no other choice but to obey the order.

After Mr. Jiang left with Ning Guo and Yue Hong, a lecturer said, “Mr. Gao, that’s just...”

“Don’t complain about it to me. The higher-ups sent him to make things difficult for us. We just need to focus on what we can do,” Gao Ping said.

“But so many examinees are waiting,” Bian Feng grumbled.

Gao Ping gave him the side eye. “What’s wrong with them waiting a little? That guy is right. How can the examinees of Martial Valor University have no patience? If they can’t wait, then they can leave. No one’s going to stop them.”