Xiao Lin saw the warm smile on the president’s face and hesitated before asking all of a sudden, “Did you arrange this monthly exam?”
The president nodded. “I discussed with several teachers, as well as other individuals from the student union. The academy always attaches great importance to the freshmen’s performance. The exam’s simulation was only selected after careful consideration.”
Xiao Lin asked again, “Did anyone complete all three tasks in this exam? Umm, I’m just curious, because I think it’s almost impossible for freshmen like us to complete all three tasks at once.”
“No one did. I just scanned the results of this session, and I can tell you with certainty that the best grades anyone could get in this exam was A. Only three people achieved that,” the president answered quickly.
Xiao Lin did not ask who they were and was unsure whether or not he should breathe a sigh of relief or regret. From that result, his Grade B was actually not that bad, but he was even more curious about how the three people got Grade A.
The president thought for a while, smiled, and added, “Don’t feel pressured. The first monthly exam for freshmen is often very difficult and we don’t want you to have any misunderstandings about the admission test’s difficulty. The monthly exam is basically a simulation exercise, and the academy’s intention is to have all of you form a greater understanding of things during the first exam.”
Xiao Lin continued asking, “I heard that this exam has been used by many academies all over the world. I wonder if—”
The president understood what Xiao Lin meant and interrupted him. He replied immediately, “As far as I know, our academy’s previous students have received Grade S in this simulation battle, but you don’t need to worry too much because they were all sophomore students. A freshman will find it extremely difficult to get Grade S in this simulated exam.”
Xiao Lin persisted with his questioning after keenly noticing that the president termed it as being ‘extremely difficult’, not ‘absolutely impossible’. “Does that mean there are freshmen who managed to get Grade S?”
The incessant questions made the president frowned imperceptibly. He hesitated longer before speaking slowly, “Yes, there are freshmen who have obtained Grade S in this setting.”
Then, the president continued explaining everything in one go; perhaps he was afraid that Xiao Lin would continue asking further. “That person is an American who was admitted to Judge Academy last year and got Grade S in this Sunset Canyon exam three months after enrolling. Of course, America’s criteria might not be the same as ours, but if they were able to get Grade S, then they must have completed all the tasks. If you’re really interested, you can ask Judge Academy about it when you go there. This matter isn’t classified as confidential, so I believe the Americans will tell you about it. Hmm, I don’t know their name, but she has a nickname: the Demon Queen.”
“Demon Queen? What a cool nickname!” Xiao Lin muttered. An image of two sharp horns and a terrifying appearance popped up in his mind. He made a mental note of it. In fact, he asked a lot of questions because he wanted to know just how big the gap was between himself and true masters. It was only after he knew the gap that he had the motivation to keep improving himself.
“Thanks for your answers, President. I’ll head back to rest,” Xiao Lin politely said goodbye.
The president nodded and stopped him all of a sudden. He rubbed his forehead and said helplessly, “I almost forgot to tell you something important after you interrupted me earlier.”
“Something important?” Xiao Lin walked back again.
The smile on the president’s baby face gradually sank and his tone became low and serious. “Hank never made specific mention of what you’re supposed to do when you go to Judge Academy.”
“Isn’t it to translate?”
The president snorted softly, “That’s a big fat lie! I won’t tell you much more about the history of Ancient Normese and the Thunder Kingdom because you can check all the relevant information when you head back. What I want to tell you is when you arrive at Judge Academy, try to keep note of every single thing as much as you can, regardless of what they ask you to do. Do you understand what I mean?”
Xiao Lin understood it clearly. “You want me to be a spy. I understand.”
The president’s face twitched and he coughed a few times, “Don’t say that. We’re still allies with Judge Academy. It’s just that this is a rather abnormal matter and we place importance on… You know what, forget I said anything. You wouldn’t understand anyway. My point is, if they ask you to read something, you must remember as much of it as possible. But don’t go out of your way to do something. if Judge Academy is bold enough to recruit those who understand Ancient Normese from all around the world, they must have taken some precautions.”
Xiao Lin nodded and only half-understood everything. The president probably wanted to tell him more, but in the end, the man did not continue explaining further. As a freshman, Xiao Lin knew too little about the situation in the New World, nor about the relationship between the several academies. Eventually, the president waved his hand and sent Xiao Lin away.
The still-confused Xiao Lin did not head straight back to the dormitory, but came to the Logistics Department first. To his surprise, Song Junlang was not there. It was not a problem though, since Xiao Lin’s universal card had been given access to the department after he agreed to join Department Head Song’s so-called diet therapy research.
After swiping the card and entering the door, Xiao Lin cautiously passed through the narrow winding path in the middle of the vegetable garden without daring to stop for even a brief moment. The vegetable garden had left a lasting impression on him after his numerous visits. Weeping Chinese cabbage aside, some leafy greens might suddenly emerge from the soil and open its mouth wide at him. Although it could not go too far because its roots were deeply in the soil, the shock was enough to scare an ordinary person witless.
When he arrived at the Logistics Department, Xiao Lin waited quietly in the living room. Quite some time had passed and Department Head Song still did not come back. Feeling bored, he decided to take a walk around despite the fact that he treated the Logistics Department as though it was a beast’s lair. Countless strange hybrid creatures proved to be a sight that was hard to forget, but Xiao Lin’s curiosity got the better of him.
He reminded himself not to touch the large creatures, and with that thought in mind, he walked out of the living room and headed for the breeding area. A transparent jug on the table soon caught his attention. Compared to the chickens, ducks, snakes, rabbits, and other animals that were kept in special cages around him, there was only a two- to three-inch long loach swimming around inside.
The loach did not look any different from an ordinary one, but what really attracted Xiao Lin’s gaze was its color. Except for its black eyes, the loach’s round and smooth body was a brilliant golden color.
Xiao Lin knew that the creatures of the Logistics Department were not ordinary beings. He watched the beautiful loach carefully and began guessing what kind of biological hybrid the little guy might be.
Then, a lazy voice was heard behind him. “Are you interested in this little guy? That’s no good. I’ve no plans to feed this little guy to anyone yet, at least for the time being.”
Department Head Song had finally returned.
