Perhaps it was fate, Wen Qi’s exam paper indeed ended up in Li Lang’s hands. Of course, the name on the paper was deliberately concealed. When Li Lang began grading it, he was instantly captivated by the answers, his eyes lighting up. The more he read, the more engrossed he became, marveling inwardly—some of the answering methods on this paper were even more ingenious than what he himself had conceived.
Staring at the clear, logically rigorous, and innovative answers, Li Lang found himself in a dilemma, unsure whether to deduct points. After all, he had already seen the multiple-choice section, and this paper had not a single mistake. If he didn’t deduct any points, this paper would likely become the first perfect score in the association’s many advanced assessments.
Initially, Li Lang considered deducting a point or two, thinking that something too perfect often felt unreal. But after careful deliberation, he felt that giving this paper a perfect score was entirely reasonable. After all, if a perfect score appeared under his grading, it might bring him numerous benefits, greatly enhancing his influence within the association. He understood that being the first to oversee a perfect score was a matter of great honor. However, despite his strong desire to grant it, he hesitated—since it was the first perfect score, giving it outright might seem somewhat biased.
With that thought, Li Lang decided to err on the side of caution. He looked up at the two other elders, cleared his throat, and said: “Both of you, I have a paper here I’d like you to take a look at and share your thoughts.”
The two elders set down their pens and leaned in. Li Lang handed them the paper and continued: “The multiple-choice section is all correct, and the subjective answers are quite impressive. I’m a bit torn on whether to give it a perfect score.”
The elders took the paper and began reading intently. At first, their expressions were calm, but as they delved deeper, their eyes gradually revealed surprise and admiration. One elder couldn’t help but remark: “This examinee’s reasoning is remarkably clear, and the methods are extremely clever. There are parts I hadn’t even thought of.”
The other elder nodded in agreement: “Indeed, I think giving this answer a perfect score is entirely justified.”
Hearing their words, Li Lang was overjoyed but maintained a composed demeanor as he said: “I think so too, but I wanted to hear your opinions, given that this is the first potential perfect score.”
The two elders exchanged a glance before replying: “In that case, let’s give it a perfect score. This examinee’s skill is truly exceptional; we shouldn’t bury such talent.”
With their agreement, Li Lang felt the weight lift from his shoulders, a satisfied smile spreading across his face as he said: “Alright, since we’re all in agreement, let’s give this paper a perfect score.”
And so, with the joint decision of Li Lang and the two elders, Wen Qi’s paper earned a perfect score.
Meanwhile, Wen Qi, still unaware of all this, was in his hotel room calmly awaiting the next day’s results.
After the three finished grading, they handed the papers to the waiting staff for scoring and tallying. The staff worked swiftly and efficiently, soon compiling the scores for all the papers.
When the three heard that the scores were ready, they went over to check. Their eyes first fell on the ranking list. Unsurprisingly, the top score was that perfect paper, its brilliance undeniable. Beneath it, the highest scores were only in the eighties, and even then, only three or four people achieved that. Further down, most scores hovered around the sixties and seventies, with many failing outright.
To obtain an advanced breeder certificate, one needed at least seventy points in the written exam. Failing to pass meant no hope at all. Moreover, this was only the first step; the next was the performance in making energy cubes, which also required a minimum of seventy points. Only those who scored above seventy in both areas were eligible for the certificate.
Of course, there were exceptions. If one scored above ninety-five in either the written exam or the energy cube making, the other subject could be below seventy, as long as it wasn’t a fail, and the certificate could still be granted. But achieving over ninety-five in one subject was far more difficult than scoring above seventy in both.
In this exam, only Wen Qi, that “freak,” had managed a perfect score. The other examinees maxed out at the eighties, paling in comparison to Wen Qi. At this stage, only about thirteen or fourteen people met the written exam requirement.
Everyone knew that the energy cube making test would eliminate a large portion. Typically, only three or four, at most six or seven, passed each exam.
Li Lang pondered the results. Those with scores in the eighties might still have a chance if they didn’t slip up in the energy cube making, while those in the sixties and seventies likely had slim hopes. He couldn’t help but think of the perfect-score paper, wondering how that examinee would perform in the energy cube making.
The two elders murmured to each other, sharing their thoughts on the written exam. They lamented the exam’s difficulty and felt sorry for those with poor results. After all, everyone had put in significant effort to reach this stage. But the assessment was strict; only the truly outstanding could stand out.
After a cursory glance at the scores, the time came to unseal the papers and reveal the names. Though the two elders were eager to open the perfect-score paper themselves, Li Lang, being younger and quicker, beat them to it—both were over eighty and naturally slower. In the end, Li Lang was the first to unseal the only perfect-score paper.
Seeing this, the elders sighed: “We really are getting old.”
But they had no time to dwell on it, consumed by curiosity about who had written such a paper, achieving a stunning perfect score.
Soon, Li Lang tore off the seal, his eyes scanning the name on the paper. Instantly, he froze. “Wen Qi?”
The name felt incredibly familiar. Suddenly, he remembered—this was the person Wang Dao had mentioned, recommended by Wu Wenfeng. He had been eager to see the examinee’s skill level, never expecting that the perfect-score paper would be the one he graded, and that he himself had given it a perfect score.
At that moment, doubt clouded Li Lang’s mind. According to Wang Dao, Wen Qi was very young, and by common sense, unlikely to achieve such a high score. He couldn’t help but suspect that Wu Wenfeng had leaked the answers to Wen Qi.
Though the answers to the last three questions weren’t identical to the association’s standard ones, if not for Wu Wenfeng’s leak, how could such a young examinee perform so brilliantly?
But Li Lang quickly calmed down, deciding to steady the situation and keep quiet for now.