GAMMT - Chapter 47
Chapter 47: The Gift
What is a chaotic free-for-all?
After succeeding, Fu Chuan knew that based on the law of averages, there were bound to be some clever and capable middle school students here. For instance, she suspected Ah Qi was in one of the nine exam areas.
Although she wasn't sure where or in what guise—the girl had surely hidden her true appearance back then—that little girl was incredibly smart. She must have also noticed the pattern of the light source monitors. Once they changed, she would have sensed it.
So, would she try to trace the reason behind it?
Or would she stop her cheating, behave, and finish the exam quietly? Or perhaps…
Fu Chuan didn't know. All she knew was that the second she made her move, an arcane trace immediately followed.
So fast!
Fu Chuan raised an eyebrow, but… the arcane currents were traced to Exam Area 1.
There, they lost the source of the trace.
And with 300 people in Exam Area 1, who was the instigator?
"Bastard!" In Exam Area 2, a spiky-haired redhead fumed, knowing he had definitely been scanned earlier.
It's over!
Cheating once deducts a point from the comprehensive coefficient!!
Ah!
"Who did it?"
"What a disaster! I just had two things prepared… don't tell me they were both scanned! Ah!"
At this moment, it was the elite candidates who were in greater chaos. The mediocre ones hadn't even noticed the change and were still diligently answering questions or cheating frantically…
Ah Qi was indeed sharp and clever enough to have already stopped. She had been startled as well.
How could there be such a sudden move?
It was terrifying.
A lot of people must have been caught just now.
Including herself…
She couldn't help but wonder, who would pull a stunt like this? Were they some kind of deviant?
She discreetly glanced at the three people in her exam area.
The Lan Clan's second son, Lan Chenshuang; the Teng family's Teng Ziqin; and the daughter of Jingyang City's mayor, Zhang Qinruo.
Beyond them, she had another list of suspects in her mind, with other names besides these three.
These were all people she believed capable of pulling off such a maneuver.
Fu Chuan's earlier assessment of her had been correct; she was incredibly knowledgeable about the elites emerging from Jingyang City's noble families, financial magnates, and various social strata.
But what Fu Chuan didn't know was that at this moment, Ah Qi's suspicions were leaning more toward her.
"Could it have been the big sister? But she usually seems so proper, not this malicious…"
"But what if she's a deviant?"
Fu Chuan felt her nose itch slightly but continued to work on the exam obediently until the four-hour period was completely over.
As soon as it ended, she left early. The classroom was thick with the smell of sweat, and she found it unbearable. After four hours of examination, the candidates' clothes were soaked through, and some looked like they were on the verge of dehydration.
It wasn't surprising. After all, their futures were at stake, and in such a dangerous world, one's future was synonymous with one's life. No wonder they were so tense.
Fu Chuan followed the flow of people out, hearing constant cursing around her.
They cursed the exam setters, the bigwigs at the Education Ministry who implemented the reforms, the person next to them who wouldn't let them copy, and the proctors for being unfair—always hovering nearby or staring in their direction, wondering if it was intentional.
Some people, however, were silent. They were the ones who had noticed the light source monitors. Cursing the person behind the trick would be tantamount to admitting they had been cheating. Although it wasn't a huge deal, they still wanted to play dumb and bide their time, so they kept their mouths shut, though their expressions were grim.
On the other hand, some of the students who had simply buried their heads in their papers had rather subtle expressions.
They weren't stupid. In fact, in terms of raw intelligence, the book-smart ones were likely the cream of the crop here. They had all noticed the monitoring pattern and the subsequent change in the light. They hadn't cheated, so what about those who had?
The stronger the Arcanist, the more numerous and high-end their equipment, the more likely they were to cheat.
Mo Ruijing, the top student from Jingyang No. 1 Middle School's experimental class, gave his classmate He Duan a look. The two moved to the side, and the former mused, "So someone deliberately caused trouble to take those people down? I would have thought such an impressive skill would be better used for their own cheating."
He Duan was noncommittal. "That doesn't mean they weren't cheating themself while taking others down. Perhaps when the light swept over, they managed to avoid it."
"Makes sense. But I think this person took such a risk because they likely don't have a significant advantage in this area themselves. At least, they can't rely on this kind of cheating ability to overpower others. So, this move was to harm others for their own benefit."
"But their score is probably among the best of us."
When it came to the assessment of theoretical knowledge, they were confident. After all, there were exams every year, and each time, the students from their school's experimental class dominated the rankings.
However, as the two were talking, they happened to see something.
"Lin Hangjing, how did you do on the exam this time?"
The name was quite pleasant, but the tone was not friendly, even carrying a hint of condescension. Not far away, Fu Chuan, who was getting her exam permit checked to leave, turned her head. She saw a slender girl standing by the window, taking food out of her backpack. Hearing her name, the girl looked over.
A plain white, simple shirt that wasn't very form-fitting, pants washed until they were faded, flat shoes with soles that were almost worn smooth but unevenly so, and a casually tied ponytail—all of it exuded the quiet hardship of a fixed social class.
Her gaze was calm and a little timid. When she saw who had called her, she visibly relaxed and said, "It was okay."
So bland and uninteresting, utterly lacking in confidence. At best, she possessed a delicate beauty born from enduring poverty.
But she was only fifteen or sixteen; how beautiful could she be? These top students were single-minded, concerned only with each other's scores. This girl was probably not someone they usually considered a threat, so they didn't pay her much mind and simply turned away with a smile.
Perhaps disliking the attention, she seemed embarrassed and walked away. But as she passed, students who knew her, or those from other schools, covered their noses.
Fu Chuan also caught the scent of fried pancake oil on her.
She had smelled this scent on another boy before.
"Alright, those who have finished the exam, please wait in the designated waiting area for the results to be released and to collect your report cards. Students who meet the standard will proceed to the second round of exams at two in the afternoon."
Fu Chuan took back her exam permit from the proctor and, as she walked out, saw the girl leaving with a similarly slender boy.
Both individuals, usually so quiet and withdrawn, were now smiling with relief.
Fu Chuan merely glanced at them before walking out. She sat down in the teeming waiting area and checked the time on her watch.
The exam started at 8:30 and lasted four hours, so it was now 12:30. There was only an hour and a half until the next exam, and she still had to eat lunch.
No way I'm waiting.
Fu Chuan glanced at the screen, which had yet to display the results, and turned to leave. On her way out, she took out her communicator and saw two messages.
One was from Ah Qi, who had sent an "OK" emoji and nothing more.
Fu Chuan had a fair amount of trust in the little girl's abilities.
The second message was the important one. The item she had posted on the black market dark web while buying a pancake had received an inquiry.
There are quite a few enemies, huh.
Fu Chuan mused, then lowered her eyes and typed a message on her communicator, stating her price.
"The price is non-negotiable."
The other party: "If you sell it to someone else, it might be hard to pick the right person."
Fu Chuan: "That 'someone else' could be the person involved. Do you know how paparazzi make their money?"
The other party fell silent instantly, but only for three seconds before replying: "Fifty billion. Fine. But I need to ensure the video is valid. Let me see it first."
Fu Chuan: "I paid a five-hundred-million trust deposit when I registered my account. If I violate the rules, the platform will have no trouble assassinating a small fry like me. I know the rules, so don't try to set me up just because my account is new. I'll say it again: money can be made anywhere. By the way, I heard that in the ancient imperial examinations, some scholars would hire assassins to murder their classmates to become the top scholar. Because if the person who could be the top scholar died, the second-place candidate would move up. If the second-place died, the third-place would move up. Hey, do you think the money those scholars spent was worth it?"
The other side went silent.
Fu Chuan, however, ignored them and put her communicator away.
What a hick. So clueless and stingy, and still trying to climb the ladder. If she weren't so pressed for time, she definitely wouldn't have chosen a hick like this.
But just as she put it down, it beeped. She took it out again.
They bought it.
Fifty billion, paid directly.
So stingy before, and now you pay in a second. You're not short on cash, are you?
Fu Chuan had the least patience for this kind of indecisiveness. The fifty billion was currently held by the platform, acting as an intermediary. Once she uploaded the video and it was verified, the money would be transferred.
Money was a good thing, but the matters behind it were often the deadliest.
The verification was quite fast, as the other party was in a hurry. There were no hitches. After it was approved, the buyer received the video and didn't cause any trouble. If he had, and the intermediary had already confirmed the video was legitimate and matched the seller's description, then the buyer, for deliberately causing trouble, would be… dealt with by the intermediary.
This platform took a hefty commission and had a powerful background, but it was also ruthlessly efficient. Otherwise, how could it attract buyers and sellers in the future?
Integrity is very important.
So Fu Chuan knew the money had arrived without even needing to check. She wasn't in a hurry to collect it. Putting her communicator away, she noticed as she went outside that the square in front of the education center also had a results screen, likely for the parents waiting outside.
Beyond the education center was a commercial street, bustling with people and filled with restaurants. Fu Chuan had arrived early and found a shop directly opposite the screen. The shop's decor was interesting; it was a large space, but decorated in the style of an ancient teahouse and restaurant. Its three-sided fan doors were wide open, revealing wooden tables and stools, and even the stove was a replica of an antique. It seemed people these days loved this aesthetic, as many seats were already taken when Fu Chuan arrived.
The people who didn't even wait for their scores were either top students, hopeless cases, or just genuinely hungry.
In any case, Fu Chuan was hungry. She still wasn't quite used to a male body—it had a higher metabolism and a larger appetite. The single pancake from earlier wasn't cutting it.
"Boss, a bowl of beef noodles with extra cilantro, thank you."
Just as Fu Chuan was about to sit down, a voice came from beside her. "Boss, I'll have the same as this big brother, plus two plates of seasonal side dishes and a plate of braised eggs. Thanks."
The owner paused, looked at Fu Chuan, then at the short and stocky student, his expression bewildered. But he didn't say anything and briskly went to place the order and cook the noodles.
Fu Chuan looked at the student from the neighboring exam area. She had noticed him following her earlier but had assumed he was just coming here to eat as well.
Now it seemed he had sought her out specifically.
"Can I help you?"
"It's fate. Let's eat together, and we'll consider ourselves acquainted from now on, big brother."
Fu Chuan replied, "We can get acquainted, but let's drop the 'big brother' act. My father wasn't capable enough to have a son your age, even if he'd started at three."
Wait, are you dissing me or your dad?
The short and stocky student looked sheepish. He politely arranged the bowls and chopsticks. "If you mind my age, you can call me grandpa, that's fine too."
Fu Chuan said, "This isn't a blind date. Why would I care about your age? To inherit your estate?"
Why is this big brother's tongue so venomous?
The student's expression twitched. Faced with Fu Chuan's bluntness, he could only glance around furtively. Seeing that although many students had arrived, no one was paying them any attention, he quickly stated his purpose.
"Brother, actually, I was looking for you for a reason."
Fu Chuan waited for him to speak, observing the price of his clothes. He clearly wasn't short on money, but he wasn't particular about his appearance. He didn't seem like a child from a privileged family, but more like someone who had earned some money and didn't know how to spend it, just buying and wearing things randomly. A businessman?
Ah, it couldn't be…
"You're the one who slipped me that little pill?" Fu Chuan's gaze was unfriendly. Seeing that she had brought up the topic herself, the student immediately said, "Brother, I can see you have a remarkable physique and will surely have a great future. But our bodies are gifts from our parents, and we must take good care of ourselves…"
Fu Chuan saw that the noodles were about to arrive. She was starving and had no patience for his nonsense. "Trying to sell me? For how much? How many pounds?"
The student shook his head and took something out, stuffing it into Fu Chuan's hand. "No, I just want to be friends with you, really. You've probably figured it out, I'm a businessman. More friends mean more opportunities. I really don't have any ulterior motives. By the way, this is a meeting gift, a memento of our beautiful first meeting as brothers."
Well now, it was actually a piece of backpack equipment. There was definitely something inside.
This was a rather sincere meeting gift. Most ordinary students these days couldn't even afford backpack equipment and still used real backpacks.
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