38: Reverse pressure
Before the time came, at 8:30 AM, when the first session ended, they encountered their former cultural studies teacher from First High School.
"Li Wen, are you waiting for your parents here?"
"No, we're waiting for the results of this written exam."
"Whose results are you waiting for?"
The teacher still held a sliver of hope, thinking it couldn't be what he suspected. He had already failed twice; this was his third attempt.
"Uh... just mine," Li Wen replied.
Facts proved that sometimes, a person's sixth sense is quite accurate.
The teacher: Is this right? This can't be right.
He calmed himself, tried to find a topic, and get through the boring wait.
"How do you feel about this time? I feel like this time is a sure thing, I'm just a bit worried the retest will be too difficult."
"It's alright, so-so. I just wrote down everything I knew. Normal performance."
Li Wen seemed very relaxed, as he didn't know the agony of being stuck in a professional examination.
The expression on the teacher's face improved slightly.
At this moment, the traditional act appeared, and Lu Chen spoke again.
"Don't be modest. If even you can't pass, I believe very few people will pass this written exam."
"Moreover, with your skill level, you'll probably pass the retest in one go too."
"I only passed the Beginner Breeder exam on my second try. After all, there are only five spots per session, and besides personal ability, luck is also a factor."
Of course, he knew Lu Chen, who was speaking—a celebrity from First High School. Although influenced by elders in his family, being able to pass the Beginner Breeder exam during high school was a sign of extraordinary talent.
Hearing him say this, the teacher's suspended heart finally died.
The total score for the written exam was 300 points, and 270 points were needed to enter the retest. With a few practice runs, passing the written exam wasn't too difficult; the main difficulty lay in the retest.
The retest was about choosing the best of the best; the strength of your opponents determined your difficulty. Last time, he had passed the written exam but missed an opportunity due to insufficient preparation.
Therefore, the reason the teacher was having a heart attack now was the emergence of a genius admired even by another genius. But this was just the beginning; a second blow was yet to come.
"Didn't you tell me to pay attention to my opponents? Well, there really is one."
"Do you know why the teacher wanted you to participate in this assessment?"
Li Wen: "To take me on an inspection trip?"
"That's your reward, and also my reward for bringing you to the exam."
"The main reason is that Wu Lituan, a disciple of another Master in Shanghe City, is also in this assessment. The teacher wants you to compete with others!"
"Master Chen's main research direction is also insects, but a more malleable type of insect pet. And they just happen to be from the same place, so the teacher got competitive with others."
"However, the other party doesn't care at all. It's very childish, isn't it? If you knew the teacher's reputation in the circle, you wouldn't find it strange."
"He's known as the man with the reputation of 'the Master Breeder with the least Master-like demeanor'."
It was just that Lin Yan was still too young in the circle of Master Breeders. Compared to some old men, everything he did seemed childish, and he wasn't someone like Lu Chen, who was naturally old-fashioned.
"Master Chen doesn't mind, but his student, Wu Lituan, minds quite a bit. He's one year younger than us."
"Because I passed on my second try, he put all his effort into waiting until his second year of high school to take the exam, preparing to pass in one go and surpass me."
"So, I asked the teacher to bring you out to suppress him?"
Li Wen: ... Lu Chen: ... After a brief silence, Lu Chen realized he had let slip a secret.
"So, you suggested to the teacher that I participate in this exam?"
Once he got involved in matters related to breeding, Lu Chen's mind became sharp, and he began to deny everything.
"It wasn't me, I didn't say that."
Li Wen: Good, good, good. He didn't learn anything else, but he learned how to be thick-skinned perfectly.
"You, why are you so dedicated to breeding? Clearly, you don't care at all when I use your name to battle others."
Lu Chen said nonchalantly, "What's the big deal? If someone weaker than me challenges me, I'm not afraid. If someone stronger than me challenges me, they'll definitely recognize you."
Lu Chen: ... Li Wen: ... Although he reacted half a beat late, all the necessary procedures were followed.
"You admitted it, right? We're even now."
"Didn't you say you didn't care? How can we be even then?" Clearly, Lu Chen was still a step behind Li Wen when it came to being thick-skinned.
However, the social iron tower was no joke; no matter what you said, you couldn't convince him.
"Whether you want to be even or not, you still came to the assessment voluntarily. What's wrong with an early assessment?"
Watching the two bickering, he didn't know whether to cry or laugh, because the young people's competition meant two fewer spots. This retest basically had only three spots.
With just a slight move, I can reduce the retest spots by two. This is probably the privilege of a genius... At 10:30, the results finally came out. No more agonizing wait, nor any chance to agonize.
Starting from the top.
First place, Wu Lituan, 299 points.
Second place, Li Wen, 297 points.
... It wasn't until the middle of the rankings that the teacher's name appeared, with a score of 285. It wasn't exceptionally high, but it was already quite good among those who passed the written exam.
The teacher also let out a sigh of relief. No surprises in the written exam; there was still a chance this time.
There were over three hundred candidates, and not everyone could enter the retest.
Those who couldn't find their names on the list were not so lucky. One by one, they looked dejected, their time and effort yielding no reward, leaving them with a deflated sense of emptiness.
Except for a few anomalies, including current Masters, most passed the assessment after two or more attempts. The written exam wasn't as difficult as imagined; its main purpose was to weed out those who easily gave up.
The difficulty of research topics is much greater than this. If one gives up after failing due to choosing the wrong direction, such a person, even if they become a Breeder, can only handle minor illnesses and ailments. It would be better to get a Beast Tamer Physician license.
The Breeding Association operates this way, preferring quality over quantity, which is why Breeders are so well-treated and envied by all.
"It seems your fundamentals aren't as solid as his, but it doesn't matter. The retest is what's important; that's your strong suit."
... Time flew by, and the second retest session was about to begin in the afternoon.
Because the number of people had plummeted to less than 50, the venue was no longer a public place like a school, but directly within the Breeding Association, and scores were judged by more professional senior Breeders.
"You have one hour in total to design a tailored breeding plan for this Evil Dog."
Li Wen took one look and thought, 'Good heavens, my senior really does predict the questions, but in reverse.'
(／_＼) Big unlucky one