There were still twenty minutes left before the exam ended.
After checking her paper twice and finding no mistakes, Wen Shu handed it in early.
Under the examiner's puzzled gaze and the disdain of the other candidates, she quickly left the examination room.
Wen Shu walked outside, retrieved her bag, and left the exam building.
When she reached the playground, she saw that the outer area of the exam center was packed with parents waiting to pick up their children.
Under the streetlights outside the testing area, crowds of people milled around, making the place especially crowded.
Although more than ninety percent of the students here would stop at the high school level, everyone still carried a dream in their heart, and their parents, too, had dreams of their own.
Who knew? Maybe their ancestral graves would start emitting green smoke in blessing someday.
That wasn't even an impossible fantasy.
The students taking the exam here and their waiting parents probably had nothing to do with any of the ability-user organizations.
But through one way or another, everyone knew at least one or two outstanding kids who had gotten into an academy.
Every year, there were people who performed far better than usual and were accepted into an academy. So why couldn't it be their kid this year?
When the parents saw a candidate handing in their paper early and walking out, they started murmuring in excitement.
Some wanted to ask Wen Shu why she turned it in so early.
Some wanted to ask her how difficult the test was.
But Wen Shu had no intention of talking to anyone.
"Sorry, excuse me."
She lowered her head and quickly slipped past the crowd.
Only when she entered a dim side alley and confirmed no one was watching did she finally stop walking.
Wen Shu took out her phone and immediately dialed Qin Siyang's number.
To prevent the call from being monitored, Qin Siyang hung up right away and called her back himself.
Qin Siyang's voice sounded both confused and anxious, ["Hey, Wen Shu, I see the first session of the exam isn't even over yet. Why are you calling me? Did something happen?"]
"Qin Siyang, I'll make this short. Someone's trying to swap my test paper. I need your help."
Qin Siyang instantly sat up from his bed, ["Swap your paper? What do you mean?"]
"I mean exactly that, a swap."
["Why?"]
"I don't know."
Qin Siyang asked, ["Did you piss someone off?"]
"No. Someone colluded with the examiner to switch my test paper. I'm just a student, I've got no ties with the education department. Besides, the people I pissed off are all dead."
Qin Siyang was silent for a moment, then scratched his nose, ["So that means it's probably someone I angered who's causing you trouble?"]
"Probably."
["Uh… sorry about that. I'll figure something out right now."]
"Thanks."
After hanging up, Wen Shu returned to the area outside the exam center, keeping her distance as she watched the building, waiting to see how Qin Siyang would handle the situation.
She noticed a completely black van parked in another dim alley nearby.
"Why is there a car here?"
Wen Shu frowned in confusion for a moment, but since she couldn't see who was inside, she let it go.
She didn't have to wait long.
Before the exam even ended, a group of people arrived in a hurry.
"Move aside, please, make way."
Leading them was a middle-aged man with neatly parted hair, striding quickly toward the exam entrance.
The examiners at the gate stood up immediately when they saw him.
"Director He, what brings you here?"
The man in front was He Kui, the newly appointed Director of Education for District 14121.
In this region, the director was the education bureau.
He Kui didn't speak in public. Only after the gates opened and he entered the exam building did he start talking to the person in charge inside.
Adjusting his black-framed glasses, He Kui said, "I received a report suggesting that some examiners inside may be engaging in misconduct. The college entrance exam is the only opportunity for ordinary students to change their future. It must not be tainted."
"After this session ends, the exam site will be sealed off. The Education Bureau will, within all regulations, inspect every test paper from this session."
"Misconduct?"
The exam supervisor inside looked stunned.
But seeing the firm look in He Kui's eyes, he could only nod, "This… okay."
No wonder He Kui had waited until he entered before speaking. If the candidates outside heard about this, it would cause chaos.
A new official always had to prove himself. The exam supervisor didn't want to offend him, so he hurriedly instructed staff to inform all examiners to remain in place after collecting the papers once the test ended.
Originally, the position of Education Bureau Director was supposed to go to Zhou Xing.
But Zhou Xing had been decapitated by Qin Siyang and Li Tianming, leaving the seat empty. Soon after, the power struggle across District 14121 grew fierce, with many people eyeing the position and competing intensely for it.
In the end, to everyone's surprise, the quiet, unambitious He Kui took office.
He Kui, a mid-level official who'd been sitting in the Education Bureau's cold corner for years, was suddenly nominated by Chen Zhongming as the new Director of Education.
It was clearly a leapfrog promotion.
Though it shocked everyone, no one voiced any objections.
Everyone knew He Kui was famous for being tough, cold-tempered, as straight as steel, and extremely capable.
He'd been sidelined only because he couldn't tolerate corruption or scheming and often spoke out bluntly against his superiors.
So Chen Zhongming's choice wasn't because He Kui pulled any strings.
You could say He Kui was like a glass of pure water, clean and refreshing.
Put him in a plastic bottle in the dirtiest warehouse, or pour him into a crystal decanter at a grand banquet, no one would find fault with him either way.
Now, Chen Zhongming had decided to move He Kui from the warehouse to the banquet table.
No one could object.
But everyone still couldn't figure out why Chen Zhongming would promote He Kui now.
Had his conscience suddenly awakened?
Or was he just trying to do a good deed before stepping down?
Hard to say.
After co-hosting the Crimson Crystal Conference with Qian Wenzhao, Chen Zhongming's own promotion was already in motion.
It wouldn't be long before he stepped down as Mayor of City 141 and took another position elsewhere.
But for now, he was still the sitting mayor of City 141.
That's why, after Qin Siyang learned of Wen Shu's situation, his first thought was to report it to Chen Zhongming, someone he had worked with before.
Chen Zhongming didn't question Qin Siyang's words, nor did he ask why someone would try to tamper with an exam paper.
He immediately canceled several meetings scheduled by Governor Jonathan and declared this his top priority.
Colluding with an examiner to swap exam papers?
Someone clearly found their official hat too light and wanted it heavier with consequences.
Chen Zhongming instantly ordered He Kui, who was inspecting other exam centers, to rush over and secure all test papers.
Then he got in his car and headed straight to District 14121 himself.
He trusted that with He Kui's temperament, the man would be able to stabilize the situation before he arrived.
Once He Kui confirmed Chen Zhongming wasn't joking, he came right away.
As a man of strict integrity, he would not allow anyone to compromise the fairness or justice of the exams.
At the same time, he knew this incident couldn't blow up publicly. Otherwise, the public backlash would be disastrous.
Striding into the exam hall, He Kui announced his measures.
But outside, someone who saw him quietly slipped away and made a phone call.
———
Riiiing!
The first exam session ended.
When the students learned they weren't allowed to leave even after finishing, anxiety spread quickly.
After all, no one had ever heard of such a thing.
But after He Kui personally went from room to room explaining and reassuring them, the students finally accepted it.
It turned out it had nothing to do with them, it was an examiner who had cheated.
When it came to cracking down on cheating, every student was supportive.
Especially when the cheater was one of those high-and-mighty examiners.
The two examiners from Wen Shu's testing room, upon hearing that He Kui had sealed the exam center, turned pale as paper, drenched in cold sweat.