Li Lang was well aware that jumping to conclusions at this moment was premature.
He planned to first observe Wen Qi's performance in the energy cube crafting segment. After all, if Wen Qi demonstrated extraordinary skill in this part, it would prove he truly had the ability, and the notion of leaked answers would be invalidated.
But if Wen Qi performed poorly in energy cube crafting, it would undoubtedly serve as strong evidence, giving him an upper hand in his conflict with Wu Wenfeng. With this thought, a glint of shrewd calculation flashed in Li Lang's eyes.
He silently calculated to himself:
"Let me wait and see whether this Wen Qi truly has real talent or relied on underhanded means to get a high score. If it's the former, then this kid is indeed impressive; if it's the latter, Wu Wenfeng, oh Wu Wenfeng, this time you've fallen into my hands."
Li Lang's thoughts grew extremely complex in that moment. He both hoped Wen Qi would prove his strength in the upcoming assessment and longed to catch Wu Wenfeng in a mistake.
The two elders watched Li Lang's expression shift unpredictably. Though filled with doubt, they didn't ask questions, merely growing equally curious about this examinee named Wen Qi.
At this point, Li Lang outwardly regained his composure, but inside, his emotions churned like a turbulent sea, far from calm.
Soon, Li Lang pretended nothing was amiss, acting natural and composed, as if he didn't even know Wen Qi.
He handed the perfect-score test paper to the two elders. When they took it and saw the name Wen Qi, they were immediately puzzled.
They had initially assumed it would be the answer sheet of some prominent family scion, thinking they might curry favor by acknowledging it. That would have been a nice bonus.
But the name Wen Qi left them baffled. In the southwest region, there seemed to be no major family with the surname Wen, nor had they ever heard of this name.
Despite their confusion, having navigated this field for years, they had long mastered expression management and emotional control, showing no hint of their inner doubts.
Afterward, the three looked over the other test papers scoring in the eighties. When they opened them, the names were far more familiar this time—mostly scions from major families, well-known in the intermediate breeder stage, so they recognized them.
After reviewing these papers, the three had staff input all examinees' scores into the computer.
Soon, the system calculated each person's final score based on preset rules. Since the energy cube test scores had already been uploaded, it only needed to combine them with the written exam results.
Before long, the final scores were out. The three were now leisurely sipping tea and chatting nearby.
After all, the youngest among them, Li Lang, was nearly sixty, and the two elders were over eighty. Having worked so long, they felt tired and took this chance to rest, waiting for the final results to be announced.
Li Lang appeared calm as he drank tea, but his mind was still on Wen Qi. The two elders chatted idly about the exam, occasionally mentioning a few familiar examinee names.
The room was filled with a faint tea fragrance, yet the atmosphere was far from relaxed. Each person was pondering the potential impacts and changes this assessment might bring.
Just then, a startled cry of "Oh my god!" reached their ears, instantly shattering their leisure.
They all turned to look, finding a female employee staring at a screen displaying scores, as if she had seen something incredibly shocking, unable to suppress her exclamation.
This cry not only piqued the curiosity of nearby staff but also drew the intense interest of Li Lang and the others.
What had this female employee seen to make her lose her composure so irrationally at this moment?
Soon, Li Lang and the two elders hurried over to the female employee. Li Lang was the first to ask:
"What's wrong? What happened that made you shout so loudly?"
Seeing the vice-chairman approach, the female employee felt a surge of fear, stammering and unable to speak for a long time. Noticing her nervousness, Li Lang exchanged a glance with the two elders, and all three couldn't help but chuckle.
Li Lang's laugh eased the tense atmosphere, calming the female employee's emotions slightly.
She steadied herself a bit and stammered:
"Vice-Chairman, could you check if the computer is malfunctioning? This score seems off."
Curious, Li Lang quickly leaned in to look at the screen. He saw the first row: Name: Wen Qi, Written Exam: 100, Practical: 100, Total: 200, Rank: 1.
At first, Li Lang thought nothing of it—just first place, perfectly normal.
But then, as if struck by lightning, he suddenly realized that the practical score was also 100! Instantly, his mouth fell open in shock.
If not for the years of experience as vice-chairman that had honed his composure, he would have cried out like the employee beside him.
Yet his stunned expression was still noticed by those around him, sparking their curiosity. What had the vice-chairman seen to make him as shocked as that female employee? Whispers and guesses began to spread.
People started murmuring among themselves.
"What did the vice-chairman see? His face looked like he'd seen a ghost—so exaggerated!"
Someone asked, eyes wide with confusion.
"I'm dying of curiosity too. For the vice-chairman and that female employee to be this shocked, it can't be anything ordinary!"
Another chimed in, leaning toward a neighbor as if seeking answers.
"Is there some unimaginably high score? Or a serious violation?"
Everyone tossed out bold guesses, one after another.
Just then, Li Lang snapped out of his shock and said to the two elders:
"You two should come take a look too—it's truly unbelievable!"
Hearing the vice-chairman's words, the surrounding staff's curiosity flared like a spark igniting a fire. If not for the vice-chairman keeping order, they would have swarmed the screen.
The two elders, already itching with curiosity, eagerly leaned in to see.
Soon, they too saw Wen Qi's practical score—a perfect score in energy cube crafting. Others might not grasp its significance, but they knew full well.
This meant the person had produced an advanced perfect-quality energy cube in the assessment—a miracle! Instantly, they wore expressions of disbelief, eyes wide and mouths slightly agape.
Seeing the two elders react the same way, the staff's curiosity peaked. Ignoring protocol, they sneaked closer, desperate to see what on the screen had stunned these big shots.
Some craned their necks like giraffes, others stood on tiptoe, straining for a better view, while a few tried to peek through gaps between people.
The scene was chaotic and tense, everyone eager to uncover the secret that had shocked them all, like a hungry crowd awaiting a lavish feast.