GAMMT - Chapter 55
Chapter 55: A Cross-Dressing Big Shot?
Most of the candidates were in the waiting area, and none of them looked to be in good spirits.
The main reason was that the second stage of the assessment had been utterly insane.
As soon as Fu Chuan stepped out, she noticed many people sizing her up.
It made sense. After all, she had lost a full six thousand points, plummeting from first place to eighteenth.
Fu Chuan's expression was naturally grim, especially when Lan Chenshuang sneered at her, "Xie Keli, what a pity."
There was no need for concealment now. Zhang Juan, Wu Long, and the others were all gathered behind him.
The foundation of the Lan Clan was evident.
In comparison, the Teng Family was the most miserable, completely wiped out and now just watching the show. As for the Xie Clan… they weren't united.
Even with Xie Keli in this state, no one from the Xie Clan came forward to support him. Fu Chuan didn't care. She leaned against the wall and glanced at Lan Chenshuang.
"You're a bit strange. When I was first, you didn't mock me for my 1299th place. Now that you're 999th, you come to mock my 18th place. Is your brain wired backward?"
Who could be more professional at hitting where it hurts than her?
Her recent portrayal of a profligate scumbag had reached its peak, her tone dripping with disgust. Lan Chenshuang had also taken a significant blow. Seeing the culprit suffer brought him a moment of joy, making him lose his composure and forget his own dismal 999th place.
Now, reminded of it, he suddenly felt a bit emo.
But the second stage of the assessment was finally over.
The final rankings, after the shake-up, were as follows.
First, Lin Hangjing. Second, Zhang Fulan. Third, Chen He. Fourth, Yun Cangcang. Fifth… Tenth, Shen Qixi… Sixteenth, Guan Zizai. Eighteenth, Xie Keli.
The next twenty or so were mostly people like Jian Feilan.
It was over.
Fu Chuan had lost a lot of blood and was now extremely exhausted, her head spinning. Just as she was about to leave, her communicator rang. She looked down at the message.
It was from Zhou Linlang.
Although you're not in a good situation right now, I still need to provide you with some information.
Below is Qin Minfeng's current profile. It's obvious he's doing very well, much better than you.
I don't mean anything by it, but this person is very strange. I have a vague feeling that he poses a significant threat to me, though it's inexplicable.
Fu Chuan opened the file and, after reading it, felt her mood plummet.
This damn male lead BUG!
How could he manage to climb up to a rich and beautiful heiress? And she was the beloved daughter of a powerful figure in a neighboring, stronger city. He had directly counterattacked his way into the most elite circles.
Look at him, then look at yourself.
Fu Chuan felt a pang of bitterness, like a hardworking employee defeated by a heaven-sent Jack Sue.
She immediately made a call. "So, he was the one who contacted Lan Chenshuang before and told him I had no Arcane foundation on X5, right?"
Zhou Linlang: "Most likely. There aren't any other possibilities."
She knew this person had her suspicions too.
Fu Chuan had indeed been suspicious from the start, but she hadn't expected Qin Minfeng to climb so quickly. Having entered that circle, and with his male lead halo, his progress would be unimaginable. Once he made a comeback in the High School Entrance Exam… and then used the background of that heiress to deal with her.
She was doomed!
Fu Chuan was agitated but managed to calm herself down.
"You're reminding me of this. Do you want me to fight him on my own, or do you want to cooperate with me?"
She knew that Zhou Linlang must have anticipated the threat a hypocrite like Qin Minfeng would pose to her once he rose to power.
"You trust me?" Zhou Linlang asked.
Fu Chuan: "I just want to know, logically, your family's background should still be able to suppress him. Why not act directly? Because you're a public official and can't bend the law for personal reasons? But you could have your family intervene."
Zhou Linlang seemed to have anticipated this question, as if contemplating how to answer. She finally said calmly, "You might find this hypocritical, but I do believe that before he has taken any actual action to harm me, punishing him without a crime goes against the spirit of orthodox law. Investigating him now is to prepare. As for telling you, firstly, you have the right to know. Secondly, I'm not steadfast enough in my high moral principles to ignore his threat and wait for him to harm me. So I want to start with you, to use you to solve him, because you are on a suitable platform to snipe his ascent, just as he wants to snipe you in the High School Entrance Exam."
In short, she was admitting that she wanted to use her.
That was fine. Everyone used each other.
This prosecutor wasn't pedantic; she even possessed a calm, calculating mind that existed outside of pure moral principles.
Fu Chuan didn't mind. After all, she also wanted to use the other party to fend off the pressure from a cheat like Qin Minfeng.
After a moment of thought, she said, "Alright. You handle the pressure from his side, and I'll deal with him. We'll each do our part and get rid of this trouble together."
"Of course, given that your current situation is more difficult and you're on the rise, I can do you a favor. I think you need me to make a statement, to reduce the probing and threats from the Xie Clan and Lan Clan, helping you transition smoothly until the end of the exam, right?"
She was certain that Xie An was not happy to see Xie Keli's current excellence, just unsure of the reason.
Smart people didn't need too many connections.
Fu Chuan: "Yes, but getting involved with me like this will probably affect your reputation."
Zhou Linlang found it a bit amusing. In her eyes, this little sister was actually very mature in temperament. She just didn't know how she had managed to create a persona like Xie Keli's. It was probably because the original owner wasn't a good person.
"It's fine." Zhou Linlang didn't seem to mind.
In that case, Fu Chuan had nothing more to say.
If Zhou Linlang was willing to step forward, it would indeed be a shortcut, saving her a lot of trouble.
At that moment, the exam had just ended, and an announcement was broadcast.
"The exam has concluded. Candidates ranked in the top 500 in the combined total of the two rounds may enter the third stage of the assessment tomorrow. For the rest, if you have any items left behind during the exam, please come to the announcement desk to retrieve them. Please come and retrieve them…"
Fu Chuan remembered her backpack being blown up by the Dragon Goose's "Dragon Armor Stripping" and immediately walked over with her communicator. Jian Feilan and the others went over as well.
Although they were all competitors, the shared fear of being dominated by the Dragon Goose made their feelings for each other rather complicated.
They gathered at the announcement desk, waiting to get their things.
Those were resources! Their entire fortunes!
Fu Chuan endured the soreness in her calf and walked slowly, suddenly catching a whiff of something fried.
"Brother, was that Dragon Goose really that terrifying?"
Lin Hangjing was supporting Lin Chengxiu as they walked past, asking in a low voice.
Lin Chengxiu: "It was powerful. No one could withstand it."
"If I had known, I would have gone with you…"
"Silly."
Such deep sibling affection. Fu Chuan suddenly drifted off, recalling her own youth when she ran the three-thousand-meter race. She had a few friends who ran with her then.
The passions of youth were the most fervent.
With someone to accompany you, someone to support you, you always moved in groups during the middle and High School Entrance Exams.
Unlike here…
There was no one by her side.
Just as Fu Chuan was lost in thought, her sleeve was suddenly tugged.
She thought it was Zhou Linlang and turned her head, but saw no one.
"Down here!"
She looked down and saw the short and tight Pang Ci, who had a disgruntled look on his face. "Can you not look up first and then down every time you look at me?"
Fu Chuan sighed inwardly, eyeing him. "If I just looked straight down, I doubt you'd be happy either."
Pang Ci looked miserable, grumbling, "You have such a sharp tongue. And here I was, coming to check on your injuries as soon as I got out…"
Others had close classmates, good sisters, or were surrounded by aunts and grandmothers fussing over them.
And here she was, accompanied by a professional peddler of health pills.
"You're quite impressive, holding out until the end."
"Nonsense. I grew up on the streets. Of course I know how to read a situation. But what kind of Dragon Goose was it, to be so powerful? Tell me about it."
Pang Ci had a gossipy look on his face. In fact, many people had gathered here, all wanting to get information from the ten of them. They still knew nothing about the Dragon Goose and were afraid it would affect future exams.
This year's Education Ministry was truly ruthless!
Fu Chuan was in no mood to divulge information to these people and was about to brush them off. "Sorry, I'm currently with a friend…"
The call hadn't ended yet. Fu Chuan heard footsteps and looked up to see Zhou Linlang entering through a small balcony door from the second-floor seats, walking towards them.
According to the plan, Zhou Linlang would come over and put on a show, treating him like a friend or a younger brother, so others would know and be more cautious.
Fu Chuan had already prepared some polite words. Just then, a door behind the announcement desk opened, and Vice Minister Zhang Ruo came out, holding a large goose.
Holy crap!
The crowd collectively took several steps back… it was an almost instinctive reaction.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. This is a Dragon Goose, a newly born pet baby, and also the guardian BOSS for the second stage of this year's High School Entrance Exam. It can break through space to strip armor and retrieve items, then swallow them all. The principles of its assessment will be disclosed on the official website later. For now, let's return your things."
"Everyone who lost something, come over here."
Almost everyone went over. Fu Chuan's legs were bothering her, and she was talking to Pang Ci, so she was delayed for a moment.
She glanced over. The Dragon Goose looked at the candidates before it, arrogantly raised its head, opened its mouth, and with a waa, spat out a pile of things.
"Number 5256, Jian Feilan, this is yours!"
Jian Feilan took his things with some trepidation. There was a lot, all high-end and abundant resources, even plenty of medicine.
Birthright doesn't determine everything, but it determines most things.
Many people's eyes went wide at the sight of so many treasures.
One by one, more items were spat out.
Those who were concerned about others seeing their resources collected them quickly, not letting anyone get a clear look. Those who didn't care took their time.
In comparison, Lin Chengxiu had the fewest items… just a few things, and very little medicine.
Fu Chuan glanced at him thoughtfully as she continued to walk over. Suddenly, she heard Lin Hangjing say, "How did even the foldable bag for clothes get blown up? Does the Dragon Goose's Dragon Armor Stripping ignore secondary spaces?"
Pang Ci froze, as if he suddenly remembered something, his expression turning strange. "Uh, my stomach suddenly hurts. Second Brother Xie, I have to go."
Fu Chuan was slightly taken aback. Seeing the clothes Lin Hangjing was helping to pack—they were Lin Chengxiu's clothes—she suddenly realized something. Her nerves tensed, and she was about to hurry over, calling out, "Sorry, wait a moment, I'll be right…"
But it was too late. The Dragon Goose had a bad temper and seemed to particularly dislike Fu Chuan. Before she could get there, it deliberately opened its mouth with a waa and spat out another pile of things.
She had a fair amount of resources, but not a huge amount. Most had already been sold or consumed, though it was still more than what most students had.
"This person is definitely pretending to be weak. He's clearly very strong, getting so many resources, yet…"
"Huh, what's that?"
The Lin siblings were collecting their things nearby and saw a pile of items spat out onto the empty space on the table beside them… At that moment, both siblings froze, because they could clearly see a pile of equipment, materials, devices, and medicine.
Some things were quite conspicuous.
Clothes.
Were they all men's clothes?
Not exactly. At least, many people immediately spotted a champagne-colored silk slip dress, as smooth as water… Because it was suddenly spat out, it slid out from a pile of clothes and teetered on the edge of the table… about to fall.
It fell.
It landed silently on the floor.
The straps were particularly thin, the color elegant and gentle, tender as water. Yet, the sheen of the silk gave it a cool, indifferent tone, with a hint of intellectual aloofness.
Suddenly, the atmosphere became quiet… a strange quiet.
Jian Feilan and the others had indescribable expressions. Weren't they all just middle school students?
Why did it suddenly feel like… the whole vibe was different?
Shen Qixi was suddenly in a daze. She thought she had just seen a pair of pants… they looked familiar.
Silence needed to be broken.
And someone did break it. Slender, fair fingers hooked the strap, then closed around it in a palm. The coolly handsome young man glanced at the item in his hand, looked at Fu Chuan, and made a gesture to hand it to her.
This person… was Xie Qingyan.
He had just arrived with Xie Hezhou, probably coming over right after their exam.
To pick up his younger brother?
Zhou Linlang, who was coming down the stairs, happened to see this scene. She was very surprised, her expression subtly changing. Her fingers tapped on her communicator as she said softly, "You…"
What are you going to do, little sister Fu Chuan?
She continued walking down.
Fu Chuan paused, her gaze sweeping over Xie Qingyan and his companion, then over the descending Zhou Linlang. She frowned, took two steps forward, and snatched the slip dress from Xie Qingyan's hand. But she didn't rush to collect all her things, instead taking her time to inventory them, as if afraid something was missing.
In reality, she was thinking: I came to this world alone. Although I've put on two different personas—an eighteen-year-old hooligan and an eighteen-year-old female slave—I am, in fact, a mature woman of thirty with my own established habits and preferences.
I was already so lonely; I couldn't completely abandon myself.
But I never expected this to become a vulnerability.
The unexpected came faster than lightning… That goose was truly unpredictable.
There had been too many variables and suspicious things before, and she had momentarily forgotten about the clothes.
But now, she could only react and handle it on the fly.
Thus, the Lin siblings and the two from the Xie Clan also saw some women's clothing and underwear.
They were all new, made of high-quality material, and looked very expensive.
Everyone else thought she would offer some explanation, but she seemed completely unconcerned. Only after packing everything away did she glance at Xie Hezhou and say casually, "My two dear brothers, don't look at me like that. Although you're a few months older than me, I'm long past your innocent stage of not having touched a woman."
"I'm eighteen. Isn't this sort of thing normal?"
Xie Hezhou realized he was being looked down upon. This was contempt for a man.
Xie Qingyan sensed it too.
However, he remained calm and smiled. "That's good. For a moment, I thought…"
His tone was even more gentle and cool. He drew out the last word before slowly finishing, "…I thought Ah Li had a penchant for wearing women's clothes."
Holy crap, a cross-dressing big shot! Otherwise, why would he have so many clothes!
But Fu Chuan just laughed. "So Eldest Brother knows so much. Do you want to see? I can wear it for you next time. The size is wrong, though, so I'll have to buy a larger one. But you'll have to pay extra."
Xie Qingyan: "…"
Xie Hezhou: "!!!"
The faces of the Xie Clan elders turned black.
Everyone else: "…"
Fu Chuan was truly exhausted today, mentally. Seeing that Zhou Linlang had arrived, she was about to go over and coordinate their act.
Vice Minister Zhang Ruo looked back and forth between the two brothers and coughed. "Are you done collecting your things? If so, go home and prepare for tomorrow's exam…"
She was about to leave with the Dragon Goose when suddenly, the goose gagged dryly.
"Wait, he still has something of his with me. What is this stuff? There's so much."
The Dragon Goose's throat moved, and like a spatial conveyor belt, it spat out a huge pile of things with a clatter.
A few hundred? No, there must have been thousands.
A pile of pills.
Bright red, a huge pile of small pills.
Several of them even rolled to the feet of the crowd.
Xie Qingyan and the others: "?"
Xie Qingyan looked down, then back at Fu Chuan. Xie Hezhou's expression was one of utter disdain.
Shen Qixi bent down to pick one up, but her mother took it from her. After a look, she said, "Don't play with this kind of brother in the future. You're nowhere near that age."
This kind… of brother… was clearly not a good person.
Shen Qixi: "…"
Finally, the Dragon Goose spat out one last small backpack.
It was clearly the backpack that the short and tight Pang Ci had given her.
Oh, she hadn't had time to check it before. Now she finally knew what that dog had given him.
He swore he wouldn't give her any Blue Pills. He hadn't broken his promise.
Because he gave her Red Pills! Ahhh!
Zhang Ruo, who was about to leave, instantly sharpened her gaze, staring at Fu Chuan.
"What is this?"
Contraband?
Fu Chuan was utterly exhausted, her heart twitching, but she explained, "Someone gave them to me. I didn't know what they were before, but I haven't used any. I can cooperate with a drug test. By the way, there's also a blue one inside, which I use regularly. These red ones should be health supplements someone gave me."
With so much women's underwear and sleepwear, what was one little blue pill?!
Her reputation was already like this anyway. She might as well use it to cover up the matter of the clothes.
Fu Chuan reacted quickly, managing to smooth things over under pressure, but she didn't rat out Pang Ci directly.
Zhang Ruo was thoughtful. Just then… Pang Ci arrived, escorted out by guards.
The man was scared to death and confessed everything without any interrogation.
"Brother, brother, I'm so sorry. Actually, the blue ones are for recovery and nourishment."
Fu Chuan: "?"
"These red ones are… are for that. I just thought you were heroic, handsome, domineering, and infinitely charming, perfectly capable of handling these little pills. I really didn't have any bad intentions."
Fu Chuan: "…"
She turned to look at the pile of red pills, her head buzzing as if a thousand geese were pecking at her brain. She steadied herself, rubbed her temples, and gritted her teeth. "So many. I'm honored by your high opinion of me. This should be enough to last me until I'm buried, brother."
She had no idea what the women present must be thinking of her now.
Thanks to this cooperation, Xie Keli's reputation had probably reached its zenith.
A pile of small pills had overshadowed all her previous disguises.
One step to the top.
Pang Ci was embarrassed but argued righteously, "Teacher, teacher, I haven't broken any laws! First, I didn't take any money. Second, neither of us used these pills during the exam. You can just give us a drug test. Third, I gave him the stuff at a restaurant outside, and many people were there at the time—the Lin siblings, Shen Qixi and her group, Mo Ruijing and his group… If we weren't strangers, I would have given them some too. We're not young anymore, there's nothing to be shy about, right?"
Right, my ass!
The people who were called out were mortified, but they did indeed recall being at the restaurant… it was this backpack, and Pang Ci did give it to Xie Keli.
"Alright, I understand. We'll just follow the rules and do a drug test. It's not a big deal, why are you so nervous?"
Zhang Ruo was calm and immediately called for a pharmacist to conduct a test.
This kind of blood test didn't require any waiting time; the results were available on the spot. But the other candidates didn't leave, especially Lan Chenshuang and his group.
"If his drug test comes back positive, then…"
Then they wouldn't have to worry about him in the third stage.
Beep. The drug test results came out quickly.
"No issues. He has not consumed any non-compliant drugs," the pharmacist gave a clear answer.
Many people were extremely disappointed.
Zhang Ruo wasn't too concerned, as she knew no student would be that foolish, and besides, this kind of thing couldn't enhance one's strength.
"Alright, dismiss. Go home."
Fu Chuan: "Teacher, are you going to confiscate these things?"
Zhang Ruo: "No need. Young people reach a certain age, and if their physical condition isn't up to par, it's nothing to be ashamed of. You can use them when you have free time. Be frugal, take care of your body, safety first."
Fu Chuan: "?"
She left with the Dragon Goose, but her sharp eyes caught sight of Zhou Linlang not far away.
Huh?
Zhou Linlang had already turned and walked away, but she was on the phone, even declining to speak with Jian Feilan and the others.
Interestingly, Xie Keli also walked to the side to answer a call.
Zhou Linlang: "Sorry, you mentioned before that your reputation was terrible. What did I say then?"
Fu Chuan: "You said it didn't matter."
Zhou Linlang: "Now it seems to matter a little."
Fu Chuan: "It's only human. I understand."
Zhou Linlang lowered her voice. "No, what I mean is, if I had gone over just now, the rumors wouldn't have been about a sister and brother or friends. People's talk would have been much messier. In that case, what you would attract would be people far more troublesome than Qin Minfeng."
Fu Chuan was surprised.
"In Beluke, I probably have quite a few potential fiancés. Some of them have questionable character. This is also a way to avoid risk."
So, as soon as she saw those pills and saw Fu Chuan pass the drug test, she decisively turned and left. Vicious rumors were a force to be reckoned with, and there was no need to test the limits of others with one's own principles.
When Fu Chuan heard this person had a bunch of fiancés, she immediately thought of all the scenes in the plot where the male lead beat up suitors for his various female confidantes.
One after another, one after another, an endless stream of increasingly numerous love rivals.
"That is indeed very dangerous. Why don't you avoid contact with me from now on? I'll handle it myself. That's all… Thank you, Inspector Zhou. Goodbye."
She hung up as if she had encountered a flood or a fierce beast.
Zhou Linlang: "?"
This was also human nature, understandable…
She had been thoroughly rejected.
Fu Chuan was truly exhausted. On the airship ride home with her two cheap brothers, her communicator rang. It was a call from Xie An.
"The family has unanimously approved your reward, and it has been increased from three hours to five."
"Ah Li, you haven't disappointed Father."
"You are Father's pride."
On the surface, Fu Chuan was delighted, but inwardly, she was on high alert.
There was something… not right about Xie An.
Tonight would probably not be easy for her. The benefits of the five-hour Gene Pool would likely not be easy to obtain.
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