After passing through the school's main gate, Chen Chuan followed the flow of people and the signs. At every corner, an assistant teacher was stationed to give directions, flanked by two student aides, while school security guards watched intently.
He had been notified beforehand that the re-examination would be held at the same location as the initial test: a complex of four old, adjacent academic buildings. He just didn't know which specific examination hall he would be assigned to.
Before long, the candidates arrived at the entrance to the old buildings. An assistant teacher there asked each student to state their student ID number, checked it against a list, and then assigned them to their respective exam halls.
After giving his number, Chen Chuan learned he was assigned to Exam Hall 4. He was also given a number card with "Number 421" handwritten on it.
He had heard that there might be as many as two thousand candidates this year. If that was the case, each hall would need to accommodate about five hundred people. If the numbers were assigned per hall, then his number seemed to be quite far down the list.
The two large double doors of the exam hall were wide open, and there was no need to queue to enter. A strong smell of disinfectant hit him as he walked in. The floor had been mopped clean. Rows of back-to-back benches were set up in what was originally an empty training ground. The curtains, which normally hung down, were all pulled up, offering a clear view of the outside.
A female teacher standing at the entrance announced, "Men take the blue seats, women take the red seats. Choose your own seat, and don't fight over them. The examination order is not based on seating."
Chen Chuan chose a seat a little further inside and sat down. He figured it would be a while before his turn, and the seats near the door would be inconvenient with candidates constantly coming and going.
More candidates filed in and chose their seats. As they settled down, people began to chat in low voices. He overheard many dialects from the surrounding counties and towns.
But whether they were from Yangzhi City proper or the nearby towns, they all had one thing in common: they were students from ordinary families. Every one of them was here, testing for a chance to climb the social ladder.
A figure appeared beside him, and a candidate about his age sat down. After settling in, he seemed a bit nervous. He turned sideways, raised a hand in greeting, and said, "Hello, I'm Fang Mingming."
Chen Chuan nodded back. "Chen Chuan."
"Chen, I'm number 398. What about you?"
Chen Chuan showed him his number card. "Number 421."
Fang's face lit up. "Hey, our numbers are close!"
Chen Chuan nodded. It made sense; those with later numbers would naturally choose seats further inside.
By now, all the candidates had entered, and the two large doors were closed.
Chen Chuan scanned the room. The seats were completely full. Almost no one who had passed the initial exam would give up on the re-examination. The treatment one received depended entirely on passing it. Only by passing could you reach a higher station. Even if they lacked confidence in their abilities, it didn't stop candidates from coming to try their luck. Who knew? Maybe they'd get lucky and pass.
He glanced around a few times but didn't see Weidong. 'He must have been assigned to a different exam hall,' he thought.
Just then, the female teacher who had been standing by the door walked to the front of the room. She had slightly dark skin and plain features, but her braided hair was black and lustrous. She moved with a light, nimble gait, making almost no sound.
She stood there, watching everyone. Her eyes and expression carried an indescribable presence. Though she remained silent, the candidates below felt an invisible pressure, and the room gradually fell quiet without anyone realizing it.
Once everyone had quieted down, she said with great solemnity, "The examination rules were detailed in the materials you received a few days ago. I will now reiterate them. Inside the exam hall, no loud talking, no causing trouble, and no moving around freely.
"From the moment you enter this waiting area until the end of the exam, you are not permitted to leave the hall without authorization. Any violators, once discovered, will have their examination eligibility immediately revoked. In severe cases, your student status will be revoked as well."
You could hear a pin drop in the exam hall.
The female teacher paused for a moment before continuing, "All candidates will wait here. Hold on to your number cards. When your name is called, report to the testing station."
The candidates had no choice but to wait patiently.
However, more than three hours passed. By ten o'clock, things still hadn't started. Chen Chuan couldn't help but wonder, 'Is this delay intentional, or is there some other reason?'
「At the same time」 At the grand auditorium, Master Gao from the Recruitment and Preparation Department, along with Yue Hong, Bian Feng, and three other teachers in charge of the school's examinations, were waiting on the steps.
A black luxury sedan drove in through the main gate and pulled to a stop in front of the auditorium. A middle-aged man in his forties with a long, narrow face stepped out. He wore a black, foreign-style suit, his hair was slicked back with gel, and he had a pair of dark gray gloves on his hands.
Master Gao said, "Jiang Commission Office, we've been waiting for quite some time."
The Jiang Commission Office replied, "Oh? I'm not late, am I?"
A teacher named Ning, who was in charge of communications, quickly said, "You've arrived exactly at the appointed time. You're very punctual, Jiang Commission Office."
"Good," said the Jiang Commission Office. "Shall we begin now?"
"Yes. Please sign here, Jiang Commission Office."
Teacher Ning hurriedly handed over the documents he had prepared.
The assistant beside the Jiang Commission Office stepped forward, took the file, and placed it in front of him.
The Jiang Commission Office was a third party hired by the school's board of directors to oversee the School Office's external recruitment examinations. The re-examination could not proceed without his signature. Nowadays, however, his role was more that of a representative for the financial donors, exercising power on their behalf.
He saw two lists in the folder. The top one was the list of candidates for the entrance exam in the old buildings, and the one underneath was the list of Recommended Students here in the grand auditorium.
Without even a glance, he set the top list aside, picked up the list of Recommended Students, and scanned it carefully. He then looked up and asked, "Have all the candidates here in the auditorium arrived?"
Teacher Ning replied, "They all arrived five minutes ago."
The Jiang Commission Office said, "Then let's test the Recommended Students first. There should be a 'first come, first served' order, shouldn't there? Besides, there aren't many of them. It won't take long to finish."
With that, he took the pen his assistant offered, quickly signed the list, and immediately capped the pen. He left the second list untouched.
Teacher Ning looked at him, wanting to speak but holding his tongue.
Master Gao said nothing about it, only remarking, "Then let's not waste any time."
"Good. We can't keep the candidates waiting," the Jiang Commission Office said. He lifted his wrist to check his watch. "It's now a quarter past ten. I ask that the teachers and student proctors serving as examiners today be diligent and responsible. Let's try to finish within the hour."
In the auditorium's reception hall, dozens of Recommended Students were waiting in a well-lit room. They sat on sofas, the aroma of invigorating tea wafting from the white porcelain cups on the tables. A phonograph in the corner played soothing, melodious music, and their attendants would occasionally come forward to refill their tea.
A senior student dispatched by the school was with them—a former Recommended Student himself, naturally.
After waiting for a little over ten minutes, the Recommended Students grew bored. Someone asked, "Senior Brother Jiang, I hear a lot of students got into Wuyi this year."
Senior Brother Jiang said, "It's an expansion, of course. The numbers grow every year."
"Then there must be a lot of students accepting sponsorship from the Mutual Aid Association this year, right?"
Senior Brother Jiang chuckled. "That depends on their personal choice. We never force anyone."
The student raised an eyebrow. "What, are there people who refuse?"
Senior Brother Jiang smiled faintly. "It's quite normal. Those who refuse must be confident they can pass the re-examination on their own. That's a good thing. People should rely on themselves. They just better not complain about it later."
Just then, another candidate said impatiently, "Why is this taking so long? Isn't this just a formality? What time is it?"
Footsteps sounded outside the reception hall, and a man who looked like a high-level school official walked in. He looked at everyone and said with a smile, "Esteemed candidates, the re-examination will now begin. Please proceed to the testing stations in order of your number."
The examination area in the grand auditorium had six testing windows. After the start was confirmed, an assistant teacher began calling out numbers.
One candidate was distracted and didn't notice when his number was called. His attendant behind him quickly prompted, "Young Master, it's your turn."
The candidate grumbled, "Such a hassle." He stood up from his seat and walked down the corridor, but he came back out less than five minutes later.
Someone asked curiously, "Xiaoran, how did it go?"
Xiaoran shook his head and said with disdain, "How else could it go? It was over before I even warmed up."
Someone teased, "Seeing as you have all that pent-up energy, want to go 'hunting' later?"
Xiaoran's eyes lit up. "Sure."
The next batch of Recommended Students was called soon after. They went in one by one and came out just as quickly. In about forty-five minutes, all the assessments were finished. The subsequent cleanup and organization, however, took another half hour.
Seeing that things were nearly finished, Teacher Ning found the Jiang Commission Office again. "Jiang Commission Office, the assessments here are complete. Can we begin the examinations at the old academic buildings now?"
The Jiang Commission Office glanced at his watch. "It's almost noon. Let's go have lunch first."
Teacher Ning said, "Jiang Commission Office, look, all those candidates over there are waiting. They've been here since early this morning..."
"What?"
The Jiang Commission Office said in surprise, "Wuyi candidates don't even have this little bit of patience? We're testing more than just their combat skills, you know."
"But..."
Master Gao, who was standing nearby, cut in decisively, "Ning, Yue Hong, you two accompany the Jiang Commission Office to lunch."
"Alright."
Teacher Ning and Yue Hong had no choice but to agree.
After the Jiang Commission Office left with his entourage, a teacher said, "Master Gao, this..."
Master Gao said, "Don't come to me with your complaints. The commissioner was sent by those people specifically to aggravate us. Just focus on doing your jobs."
Bian Feng said, "But so many candidates are waiting."
Master Gao shot him a look. "So what if they wait? He was right about one thing: do Wuyi candidates lack even this much patience? If they can't wait, they can go home. No one is stopping them."
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