Chapter 100

Chapter 100: Orientation Exam This examination is part of a large, integrated testing venue. Please be prepared, candidates.

“Three times?”

“What were the other times?”

Qin Jiu and You Huo spoke almost simultaneously, but their words were different.

After asking, they first exchanged glances.

Qin Jiu stared at You Huo, a look of inquiry in his eyes.

You Huo spoke vaguely, “I’ve remembered some things, but not much.”

“When did you remember?” Qin Jiu asked.

You Huo didn’t answer.

The two of them gazed at each other for a moment. You Huo touched his ear stud, licked his lips, and turned his head away..

Mr. Chu is an intelligent man.

A quick glance was all it took to grasp the situation—

You You recalled a part, and it was only recently that he remembered. Qin Jiu, however, still didn’t recall.

She understood this discrepancy quite well.

After all, Qin Jiu still carried the title of examiner, and at his core remained constrained and influenced by the system. Recovering his memories would not be easy.

Then consider those words widely circulated in the examiner’s quarters—how 001 and A held opposing stances, how their relationship was terrible. How one had utterly harmed the other…

All these years, Qin Jiu must have heard such things quite often. After entering the system, You Huo had also heard more than a little of them.

Under such circumstances, it’s truly remarkable that these two could still stand together.

Even they themselves have forgotten just how remarkable it was…

Only Chu Yue, who had witnessed it from beginning to end, understood it best.

She would always remember that evening years ago, when Qiu Jin—still a candidate at the time—had climbed over from the other side of the Punishment Building. Taking advantage of a vulnerability in the system’s surveillance back then, he had asked her for a favor.

He said, “If I accidentally pass the exam, or if I run out of retakes, please do me a favor and open the back door for me—I have to come back.”

At the time, things were rushed. He didn’t even come inside, crouching instead on the high windowsill while keeping an eye on the movement outside as he spoke.

“I have about the same level of authority as he does. Why don’t you just ask him for help?” Chu Yue asked back then.

Qin Jiu withdrew his gaze from outside the window and chuckled, saying, “I know your areas of authority differ from his. Besides, aren’t you aware of how difficult it is to persuade our Examiner A?”

“Then why do you think you can persuade me?”

“Shared positions make us friends, don’t you agree?” Qin Jiu said.

Chu Yue thought for a moment and said, “Then I suppose we can count as such.”

“But there are things I can’t control.” Chu Yue added, “You know, if the system sends you out, it will certainly do something, like memory interference. I can find a way to bring you back, but…”

“I know,” Qin Jiu replied. “Just being able to come back is enough.”

It seemed like he wanted to say something more—perhaps a promise or a guarantee? But in the end, he said nothing, just raised an eyebrow with a faint smile.

He had a certain talent for it.

No matter what the situation was, you could believe in him without any hesitation.

In the end, Chu Yue gave a nod.

Qin Jiu, keeping an eye on the clock, was about to climb back out through the window. Just before leaving, as if suddenly remembering something, he turned back and gestured to Chu Yue with a “keep quiet” sign, saying, “Keep this a secret for me, thanks.”

……

She would also always remember the afternoon when Qin Jiu returned as a “Supervisor” once more.

All initial and new Supervisors were called to a meeting.

As the two individuals with the highest authority, she and You Huo first went to the control center. Upon returning, they ran into Qin Jiu in the long corridor outside the conference room.

The sunshine that day must have been brilliant…

She remembered it being a bit dazzling, streaming in through the row of glass panels along one side of the corridor, so bright it made her eyes sting.

You Huo suddenly came to a halt beside her, his gaze fixed on the figure standing at the conference room door.

Qin Jiu glanced toward this direction as he entered the door, pausing briefly before suddenly asking, “Have I seen you somewhere before?”

……

Chu Yue came back to her senses.

The You Huo and Qin Jiu before her were just like and yet unlike the ones she remembered.

This time, from inside out, they exuded an air of unbridled arrogance and were more at ease than ever before.

It was great.

No, it was too great.

You heard her let out a soft sigh and thought she had some concerns, asking, “What’s wrong?”

Boss Chu patted both their shoulders, smiling as he joked, “It’s nothing, I suddenly didn’t know what to say, so I’ll just wish you two a happy union lasting a hundred years.”

You Huo: “?”

Qin Jiu: “???”

This lady was clearly someone who didn’t stick to the usual script, leaving both of them both laughing and exasperated.

You Huo thought for a moment and asked her, “Were you sent to the rest area as punishment? Why?”

Chu Yue didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she said, “Since you’ve dragged me here, I count as an examinee now, right?”

You Huo couldn’t guarantee it: “I don’t know, this is my first time forming a team. I’m already surprised I managed to drag you along.”

“I’m quite surprised you actually dared to try it,” Chu Yue said with admiration. “But on second thought, the rule about forming teams states that there’s no limit to the number of members, and a set of cards can only be used to form one team. It doesn’t explicitly say it has to be a candidate. I guess even the system didn’t expect you to exploit this loophole.”

Qin Jiu pointed upwards and said, “How about cursing it a few times? If you don’t receive a warning, then it counts you as a candidate.”

Without another word, Chu Yue cursed the system three times in a row.

The small speaker in the security booth crackled twice but ultimately didn’t issue any warning.

Chu Yue immediately beamed with a smile.

“Ah, then I can relax and have fun.” Chu Yue said, “Being punished is naturally because I colluded with certain people and caused trouble.”

“Then why weren’t your memories erased?”

“Because I just helped a little.” Chu Yue grinned mischievously: “According to the rules, it could be considered a coincidence or a mistake. Why punish so harshly? There’s no reason for it.”

But it wasn’t exactly light either.

She had her authority stripped away, transferred from her position as an invigilator, and punished to the most remote and desolate invigilator’s station, nestled against perennially snow-covered mountains, facing a road dusty with flying earth.

Holding onto a chest full of old memories, yet unable to contact any old friends or acquaintances, it wasn’t much different from being imprisoned.

The system was like a person wielding the power of life and death—cruel and curious—each time a problem arose, pulling those “mischievous dolls” under its palm, trying one punishment today, and if it didn’t work, attempting another tomorrow.

The first time it discovered two powerful individuals interacting too closely, posing a threat to it, it kicked one out, kept the other, erased the memory of one, and preserved the other’s.

It couldn’t comprehend the unique emotions exclusive to humans, nor distinguish the subtle differences between feelings. All it knew was the saying, “It takes two to make a quarrel.”

It didn’t work.

The second time, it noticed the threat growing bigger, nearly tripping it up for real. So it changed its approach, erasing the memories of both individuals together. It also experimented with different punishments on others—expelling them from the core, stripping away their authority, suppressing them, or sowing discord among them.

For now, it’s hard to say whether it’s useful or not.

He’s definitely pissed off, no doubt about it.

Inside the security booth, the system started its haunting call again:

[8:29 PM, the next exam is about to begin. All present examinees, please quickly select your exam subjects.]

【Please select your examination subjects as soon as possible.】

The three of them returned to the crowd. Chu Yue said with a hint of regret, “What a rare opportunity—I had so much to say, and I didn’t get to say any of it. What a pity…”

“Shall we talk once we enter the examination?” Yang Shu, who didn’t know the full context, chimed in from the side.

Chu Yue didn’t mind, smirking as she said, “Those words can’t be spoken casually, otherwise…”

This group of people might be penalized for a third time.

“There is one exam hall that’s an exception,” Chu Yue said.

“How is it an exception?”

“In that examination hall, there’s a place where you can whisper.”

Whisper?

You Huo looked at her with confusion, wondering if it meant… a place beyond the system’s surveillance, like the confinement room?

It would be so much more convenient if such a place really existed. After all, relying on violations to discuss serious matters is a bit troublesome.

“Never mind, just forget I said it,” Chu Yue said. “There are thousands upon thousands of global examination halls—the chances of being randomly assigned there are way too slim. Do we have anyone here with exceptionally good luck? I certainly don’t, probably because I’ve done too many wrongs. What about you two?”

You Huan hadn’t yet spoken.

Chu Yue shook her head again and said, “Never mind, never mind, probably even worse than me. After all, in the system, you two are at the level of chaos-spreading demons—basically the villains.”

You Huo: “…”

Yu Wen said, “Actually, I have pretty good luck. But…”

With a bunch of unlucky bastards around him, the burden was too heavy—he couldn’t carry them all.

[Examinees are requested to select subjects promptly.]

[Examinees are requested to select subjects without unnecessary delay.]

It was still half a minute before the scheduled time, yet the system was urging them as if only half a second remained.

Suddenly, Shuxue’s soft, gentle voice cut in, “Um…are you trying to select a specific examination room? Maybe…I could give it a try?”

Chuyue turned to her in surprise, “How could you manage that, girl? Are you sent by the system?”

Shuxue blushed and waved her hands hastily, “No, no. My circumstances are rather unique. Well…it’s a long story.”

Yu Wen summarized for her: “This sister is a BUG.”

“A BUG?” Chu Yue grew interested. “A BUG is great, I love BUGs the most. You said you can choose the exam room? How do you choose?”

“Can you describe to me what subject it is? What does it generally test? It would be best if you mentioned something iconic, like a particular character or figure?”

Chu Yue said, “I haven’t taken that exam, I only know a little bit of information.”

She indicated a tiny gap with her fingers.

“The subject should be mathematics.”

The atmosphere on the field grew a bit heavy at the mention of the word “mathematics.”

“Iconic…” Chu Yue frowned in thought for a moment, then suddenly pulled out her phone and flipped to a photo. “This house will do.”

You Huo and Qin Jiu happened to catch a glimpse from the side.

Both of them were taken aback.

Qin Jiu said, “Isn’t this the invigilator’s area building?”

Chu Yue: “Yes.”

In the photo was a villa, its exterior identical to all the other small buildings in the Examination Monitoring Zone—the residences of some of the exam proctors.

However, for You Huo, this house seemed somewhat familiar to him, especially that camellia branch that stretched to the window.

That camellia plant was actually no different from ordinary flowers, but You Huo always felt it looked lifeless, as if it were fake.

“Remember this place?” Chu Yue asked You Huo.

“Where I used to live?”

“So you have some recollection after all.” Chu Yue said.

“His house? Wasn’t that wiped out a long time ago?” Qin Jiu said.

As is well known, after Examiner A was expelled from the system, all related information was either cleaned up, hidden, or access was restricted, making it inaccessible to ordinary people.

Of course, this house was no exception.

Chu Yue said: “No, according to the original rules, everything needs to be backed up; it can’t just be deleted without leaving a trace. So, to prevent someone like me from accessing this house, the system hid it within a certain exam room, turning it into part of that exam room.”

You Huo suddenly recalled that the first time he met Chu Yue, she had hinted meaningfully, “There are many relics in the examination hall. You might want to try looking for them.”

He had always thought that the so-called relics were little things like that half-smoked cigarette.

Never expected there to be one this big.

Shu Xue said, “Alright, I’ll give it a try! Then let’s both choose mathematics.”

【Please select your subject within 5 seconds!】

Deep down, everyone felt a bit uncertain, but they still followed Shu Xue onto the path marked “Mathematics.”

This expanse of white mist was unprecedentedly thick.

You Huo walked through the fog for a very, very long time, so long that it seemed like there was no one around him, only himself left, before he finally reached the end.

As the white fog gradually thinned, the system’s voice finally sounded again.

[This exam is a large-scale joint examination room. Please prepare yourselves, candidates.]