{"id":3055,"date":"2026-04-19T02:49:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T02:49:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/global-examination-10\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T02:52:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T02:52:42","slug":"global-examination-10","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/bn\/chapter\/global-examination-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Examination 10"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 10 \u2014 If He Breaks the Rules Four Times, Can We Recruit Him as a Colleague?

The question updated. Everyone was still stunned when a strange sound suddenly echoed through the room\u2026

Like sharp fingernails scraping across wood.

\u201cW-Who\u2019s there?!\u201d

Everyone\u2019s hair stood on end as they frantically searched for the source.

In this kind of terrifying environment, no one wanted to be alone. No one dared leave the group to investigate\u2014they could only crane their necks and look around.

Until someone suddenly broke down screaming:

\u201cBehind me\u2014behind me! It\u2019s right behind me! Help\u2026 HELP!\u201d

The one crying was Baldy.

He was the only person who hadn\u2019t gone to the answer wall earlier.

From start to finish, he had stayed alone by the dining table, as if paralyzed from the neck down, curled into the seat he\u2019d chosen.

He had fainted earlier from being scared by Hunter A, and now the scratching sound had jolted him awake.

Tears and snot streamed down his face as he wailed:

\u201cIt\u2019s right behind me! Help me! Save me, please!\u201d

\u201cBut there\u2019s no one behind you\u2026\u201d Yu Yao said softly.

\u201cYeah\u2026 there\u2019s no one\u2026\u201d

Hearing that only made Baldy cry harder.

No one dared approach him, so they waved frantically from a distance.

\u201cDon\u2019t just sit there! Come over first! Hurry!\u201d

\u201cI can\u2019t move! This chair\u2014I can\u2019t move! It\u2019s holding me!\u201d Baldy stammered in panic.

\u201cYou mean\u2026 once you sit on that chair, you can\u2019t leave?\u201d

\u201cYeah\u2026 I can\u2019t\u2026 It wants me dead\u2014it wants me dead!\u201d he cried.

Everyone backed far away from the dining table, but You Huo walked toward it alone.

\u201cBro?\u201d Yu Wen called out.

He had planned to grab You Huo to stop him from taking risks\u2014but after recalling his brother\u2019s performance\u2026 and his own embarrassing negative score, he decided to just follow him.

They circled behind Baldy and finally saw the source\u2014

Behind Baldy\u2019s chair, wood shavings were falling away, as if an invisible hand was scratching the surface, revealing lighter wood beneath.

Yu Wen: \u201cIt\u2019s\u2026 writing?!\u201d

You Huo gave a quiet \u201cMm.\u201d

This big shot had more patience for ghosts than for people. He simply crossed his arms and waited.

After hesitating, the others hurried over and huddled behind You Huo.

\u201c12! It wrote 12!\u201d the tattooed man shouted.

Then another chair nearby began to screech with scratching sounds.

You Huo took a few steps toward it. A crowd followed immediately. When he stopped, they all screeched to a halt as well.

\u201c\u2026\u2026\u201d

You Huo suspected this wasn\u2019t a physics exam\u2014but a game of ghost-tag.

\u2026

The scratching lasted five minutes. Every seat at the table was assigned a number.

From 1 to 12, clearly corresponding.

If they found the correct set of tableware, they only needed to write its number on the answer wall.

Yu Wen guessed, \u201cThe answers Yu Yao and I got marked correct were both related to refraction\u2026 so does that mean\u2026 we need refraction to find the tableware?\u201d

\u201cThat should be it,\u201d people chimed in. \u201cBut\u2026 what is refraction?\u201d

Yu Wen: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u201d

His frozen expression made Yu Yao laugh out loud.

She usually cried\u2014fragile and mournful. This was the first time she showed any other expression, and even she was surprised.

After a moment, she returned to the group and patiently explained \u201crefraction\u201d to the elderly.

Yu Wen snapped out of it\u2014and noticed You Huo staring into space.

\u201cBro\u2026\u201d he edged closer.

Following You Huo\u2019s gaze, he saw the elderly group, the broken sofa\u2014and the three ever-present invigilators sitting on it.

In a hushed voice, he asked, \u201cWhy are you looking at the invigilators?\u201d

You Huo withdrew his gaze and instead looked down at him.

Yu Wen shrank back. \u201cForget it, forget it. Look at whatever you want. I won\u2019t ask.\u201d

\u2026

Although they had survived one round and gained six more hours, no one felt relaxed.

Everyone stared at the tableware like antique appraisers.

\u201cCan we touch these plates?\u201d the tattooed man muttered. \u201cIf we pick one up, will it count as choosing a seat?\u201d

\u201cBetter not touch them. You\u2019ll di\u2014\u201d

Before Old Yu could finish, You Huo picked up a wine glass.

Old Yu: \u201c\u2014not die at all!\u201d

The tattooed man rolled his eyes dramatically.

Everyone stared nervously. Seeing You Huo still standing\u2014and not being forcibly stuck to a chair\u2014they relaxed and began examining the tableware.

\u201cYou\u2019ve got guts!\u201d Old Yu rushed over. \u201cWhat if picking up a glass counts too?!\u201d

You Huo picked up a second glass. \u201cIt won\u2019t. I already picked one up in the kitchen.\u201d

Old Yu: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u201d

And you\u2019re proud of that?

Old Yu nearly coughed blood, but didn\u2019t dare scold him\u2014only glared behind his back.

\u201cDad, move.\u201d

Yu Wen stepped past him, grabbing a silver spoon\u2026 then a fork.

Everything looked ordinary. Plain white plates, no patterns. Simple utensils.

But when he picked up a sauce dish, he realized\u2014

\u201cBro, why are you only looking at glasses?\u201d Yu Wen asked.

\u201cNo need to look at anything else.\u201d You Huo set down the third glass and left the table.

\u201cNo need?\u201d Yu Wen was stunned.

Meanwhile, the tattooed man had already checked most items and complained, \u201cThese useless things have nothing! What secret are they hiding?!\u201d

Another person sighed, \u201cThe question gets more abstract, but gives zero hints\u2026\u201d

\u2026

You Huo crouched beside Hunter A\u2019s corpse, picking up a shard of broken glass.

To him, the clues were already enough.

Back in the kitchen, he had tricked Hunter A\u2014and noticed how much he cared about those wine glasses.

And when one broke, the question updated: \u201cOnly 12 sets of tableware remain.\u201d

That meant\u2014for the purpose of the question, the only meaningful item in a set was the glass.

So the secret had to be inside the glass.

Yu Wen stared at the answer wall, then suddenly slapped his thigh.

\u201cOh\u2014! Bro, I get it! Everything else is useless! Only the glasses matter!\u201d

Everyone holding plates, forks, and spoons froze awkwardly.

Yu Wen waved excitedly. \u201cStop checking those\u2014just look at the glasses!\u201d

He rushed over, skidding to a stop beside Hunter A and plopping down. \u201cI\u2019m pretty smart, right?!\u201d

You Huo gave a perfunctory hum.

\u2026

But the excitement didn\u2019t last.

Soon, everyone grew frustrated again.

They examined every glass\u2014fogging them with breath, warming them, shaking them, flipping them.

Nothing unusual.

On the sofa\u2014

922 cracked his knuckles. \u201cI\u2019m a bit anxious\u2026 and a bit hungry. Is invigilating always this exhausting?\u201d

154 replied, \u201cEndure it. Still 36 hours to go.\u201d

922 looked despairing.

Qin Jiu rested his chin on his hand, gaze drifting toward a corner.

There, You Huo stood with his back to them, examining the broken glass. His shoulder blades and back formed a clean, sharp line.

Qin Jiu watched quietly for a long time, then suddenly asked:

\u201cHave you ever seen him before?\u201d

154 paused. \u201cWho?\u201d

922 looked confused. \u201cHuh?\u201d

That reaction was answer enough.

After a moment, Qin Jiu lazily said, \u201cNever mind. If you\u2019re hungry, go get something from the kitchen.\u201d

154 and 922 glanced at the kitchen, faces stiff. \u201cNot hungry at all.\u201d

A few seconds later, 922 stood up anyway. \u201cMm\u2026 I\u2019ll just go take a look.\u201d

154 sighed. \u201cYou can stomach that kitchen?\u201d

\u201cI\u2019m just looking.\u201d

After 922 left, 154 stared at the candidates for a while, then suddenly understood Qin Jiu\u2019s earlier question.

He looked at You Huo, then hesitated before looking at Qin Jiu.

After a full minute of silent staring, Qin Jiu finally spoke:

\u201cAm I dead? Why are you staring at me like you\u2019re keeping vigil?\u201d

154: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u201d

Qin Jiu glanced at him. \u201cIf you\u2019ve got something to say, say it.\u201d

154 considered his words. \u201cI just mean\u2026 if we\u2019d met before, that \u2018rule-breaking gentleman\u2019 would\u2019ve recognized us.\u201d

Qin Jiu\u2019s gaze returned to You Huo.

After a moment, he gave a soft \u201cMm.\u201d

154 was right.

If they had met, the reaction wouldn\u2019t be like this.

It couldn\u2019t be that everyone randomly lost a piece of memory. That would be too coincidental.

\u2026

Meanwhile, 922 wandered the kitchen twice before giving up and relocating.

Back at the sofa, he knelt by his suitcase, pulled out a grill\u2014and a box of sliced beef.

Just as he opened it, Yu Wen suddenly shouted from the table:

\u201cBro, don\u2019t be reckless!!\u201d

The three invigilators turned\u2014

Just in time to see You Huo pick up the base of Hunter A\u2019s broken glass\u2026 and casually knock it against the table edge.

Crack\u2014

Another piece snapped off.

922\u2019s hand trembled. Beef spilled all over his pants.

Holding the half-empty box, he asked 154:

\u201cIf he breaks the rules four times, can we recruit him as a colleague? I really don\u2019t want to keep invigilating him.\u201d

154: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u201d

Anyone who wants that is an idiot.
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