The students in the line were mostly whispering to each other, and the leading teachers at the head of the line were no exception. However, their behavior was given a more respectable term—conversation. So, the teachers’ idle chat seemed somewhat more reasonable.
At the very front of the line, the team leaders from the First, Second, and Third High Schools were quite close to each other, only a few steps apart. Having been responsible for leading the teams in recent years, they had all grown rather familiar with each other. Thus, as in previous years, they casually chatted with one another while waiting for the physical assessment to start.
"Teacher Cang, that girl from your Third High School named Qin Yao seems quite formidable. She has been first in every citywide unified exam since her senior year," said Teacher Qiu from Second High. "I think she’s highly likely to be this year’s top performer at the physical assessment. I’m afraid your Third High School is going to outshine our Second High School again."
"Teacher Qiu, you’re joking," replied Teacher Cang from Third High. "Everyone knows how impressive Xu Haolong from your Second High School is. I hear he’s now a Half-step Rare Level Being. He just purposely underperformed in the previous citywide unified exams, playing possum so he could dazzle everyone during the college entrance exam."
As the conversation went on, the two team leaders from the key high schools, Second and Third, began exchanging polite compliments. The team leader from the First High School, on the other hand, was completely ignored by them. After all, in recent years, the college entrance exam results at First High had become increasingly worse, and their status had been steadily declining, going from top to bottom. So, the team leaders from the Second and Third High Schools would typically leave the leader from First High School out initially. Only after chatting enough with each other, their counterpart from another key high school, would they eventually turn the conversation to include First High School.
The pleasantries always passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the wait was nearly over. After a round of mutual flattery, the two key high school team leaders finally shifted their conversation toward First High School.
Teacher Cang from Third High walked over with a big smile on his face. Then, with the air of old friends meeting, he struck up a conversation with the team leader from First High. "Teacher Zhu, your student Zhang Nan from First High has been showing increasing strength in the recent citywide unified exams. It feels like he could become a dark horse in the college entrance exam."
Hearing this, Teacher Qiu from Second High School, who was nearby, also nodded in agreement and said, "That’s indeed true. I heard he’s been leaving the second-place finisher far behind in every exam. He might just keep improving and snatch the top spot."
Upon hearing this, Teacher Zhu from First High School thought to himself, This is getting out of hand! He quickly waved his hands, saying, "Oh no, that’s just some minor success within the school. Making it into the city’s top four would be a triumph. As for being the top performer, we wouldn’t dare to hope for it."
As the three team leaders chatted sporadically, Su Yan, who was in the line, listened to every word without missing a beat. By then, he had already memorized those two top students from Second and Third High Schools. He was just waiting for the physical assessment to start so he could go and show off to these top students, one by one.
Soon, as time ticked by, it reached 1:50 p.m. There were about ten minutes left before the start of the Evolutionary Physical Assessment. At that moment, each team leader began to distribute physical assessment forms to their students. Some of the more responsible team leaders, while handing out the forms, also made sure to give the students some ’chicken soup for the soul’ and ’shots of adrenaline’—pep talks and motivational speeches.
"Students, the physical assessment is about to begin!"
"You are only one last step away from Evolution University, the school of your dreams!"
"We must give it our all during the assessment to perform to the best of our abilities."
"Of course, even if you don’t pass, don’t be too sad or too disappointed."
"You are all still young, only in your teens. You still have hope and a future!"
"If we don’t get into Evolution University, we can still go to the top three schools, and we can also..."
"All right, good luck to everyone on the assessment!"
And so, everyone reluctantly downed the ’chicken soup’ and took the ’adrenaline shots,’ getting suitably fired up. Before long, the students in the assessment building started heading towards the assessment area in small groups.
Just as the students were entering the assessment area, about seven or eight people had gathered in the main office of the assessment center. Among them were the director and deputy director of the Luo City Education Bureau, as well as high-ranking officials from the province.
As the students entered one after another, the high-ranking official from the provincial education bureau, the middle-aged man with a square face, suddenly spoke up, his tone serious, "Director Chen, if Luo City’s passing rate for this physical assessment still doesn’t reach the 20% mark, you should start considering what you’re going to do about it."
Upon hearing this, Chen Haicheng, the director of the Luo City Education Bureau standing beside the middle-aged man, immediately began to sweat profusely and stiffened. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he said very carefully, "But Director Zhang, this 20% physical assessment passing rate is indeed very difficult to achieve..."
"Oh? Difficult?" The middle-aged man’s voice sounded even heavier. "Then why can other cities achieve it, but Luo City cannot?"
Chen Haicheng’s cold sweat broke out even more profusely. His lips trembled slightly as he pleaded, "Director Zhang, give me three more years. I will definitely be able to increase Luo City’s physical assessment passing rate to 20%..."
"You dare talk to me about three more years?" As soon as the middle-aged man heard "three years," his face immediately darkened. He looked at Chen Haicheng coldly and said indifferently, "Three years, and then another three years after that. Chen Haicheng, I’ve already given you three years once. Do you still have the gall to ask me for more?"
Chen Haicheng didn’t dare to speak anymore. He could already feel the anger emanating from the middle-aged man. Frankly, an eruption of rage seemed possible at any moment. At such times, as a subordinate, it was best to quietly accept the scolding. He shouldn’t even think about explaining himself; it was best not to say a word. Otherwise, it could easily backfire.
"What’s the matter, cat got your tongue?" Seeing that Chen Haicheng didn’t dare to speak, the middle-aged man almost wanted to laugh at his incompetence. "I’m telling you, Chen Haicheng, you must produce some results for me this year. I’m not going to expect anything from you in terms of overall performance improvement for now, but as for the top students, if you continue to drag Nanjiang Province down..."
"Then the position of director of the Luo City Education Bureau will go to someone else. As for you, well, it seems you haven’t been very active lately. Perhaps you should become a gardener. At that point, you can work with the old gardeners to weed, trim flowers, and chase away pests and beasts..."
"Director... Director Zhang..." Halfway through the middle-aged man’s speech, Chen Haicheng’s legs went weak, and he started to stutter. The others nearby also showed a slight change in expression upon hearing this, their gazes toward Chen Haicheng tinged with pity. With Chen Haicheng’s Legendary Level strength, he could still comfortably hold the position of director in Luo City. But if he were to become a gardener, after so many years of living in comfort, it might very well be a one-way trip for him...
"Director Zhang, I..." Chen Haicheng wanted to say something more.
But before he could finish, the middle-aged man glared at him and said, "If you say one more word, I’ll send you to be a gardener right now. It might even help relieve some pressure from the front lines."
Hearing this, Chen Haicheng wisely shut his mouth, not daring to utter another syllable.
「Inside the physical assessment area.」
The 2,200 prospective students from the nine high schools of Luo City had all entered. Su Yan arrived at the center of the physical assessment area and looked around briefly. He saw that the vast area was divided into six major testing zones: Speed, Elasticity, Fist Strength, Reaction, Spirit, and HP.
Because the tests for Spirit and HP significantly depleted one’s Physical Strength, most students usually saved them for last. As for the remaining four, it was up to the students’ preference; they could test in any order they liked.
There were two hours allocated for the physical assessment, and if the students didn’t dawdle, they could typically finish all the sections of the assessment in under an hour. Su Yan was aware of this, so he wasn’t in a hurry to begin. Instead, he continued to stand there, scanning the students around him, looking for a benchmark to show off against.
He quickly spotted Zhang Nan, the top student from his school’s honors class—the ultimate academic overachiever. This was the guy who consistently outperformed Lin Ruoxi in every citywide unified exam. His reputation was formidable, and many top students and teachers from Second and Third High Schools knew of him.
At this very moment, Zhang Nan was walking with the aloofness of someone who didn’t recognize his own kin towards the fist strength test area, followed by a group of sycophants, his impressive aura at full blast.
There’s an old saying: before you deal with external threats, you must secure internal stability. If that’s the case... then Nan Pikar, it’s you! My, Su Something’s, journey of showing off during the physical assessment will begin with you, my schoolmate...
Having processed these thoughts, Su Yan didn’t dilly-dally at all and immediately started walking, following Zhang Nan to the fist strength test area.
PS: Holding out my bowl, asking for your votes!