Chapter 73: Violation Record Violation: Excessive closeness to *

It’s clear that this examination hall has genuinely encountered a bug from being exploited.

When everything and everyone were frozen, there was, surprisingly, an exception—

It was that exceptionally fierce fire.

You Huo gazed thoughtfully at the spot.

The billowing smoke and dust spread, visibility became very low.

Those vivid teachers and students gradually blurred, eventually disappearing into the grayish-blue smoke.

It’s all too easy to feel a sense of loss.

Because there are always a few moments when they seem exceptionally real.

As if there truly was such a school, with a strict principal who loved wearing matching skirts, a few young teachers who never seemed to sleep well, a chubby little boy, and a group of girls who could even fight ghosts.

You Huo wondered if among them were former examinees?

Just like Zhao Wentu of the past, who, due to answering incorrectly or some other reason, was transformed into an NPC, remaining here.

“Lost in thought again?” Qin Jiu asked, tilting his head.

“…No.”

You Huo paused mid-step.

He pulled up his collar to cover his nose and mouth, shielding himself from the drifting smoke and dust. Then, when Qin Jiu wasn’t paying attention, he frowned and touched his earlobe and the side of his neck.

Thanks to Qin Jiu’s meddlesome hands.

Now, whenever he got even slightly closer to speak, You Huo’s ears would go on high alert.

It was like when someone made a move to tickle you—even if they were still five centimeters away, you’d already start bristling and bracing for the itch.

The difference was, this was an instinctive conditioned reflex, whereas You Huo’s was developed through nurture—

Number of nurturing sessions: 1

Duration of nurturing: 1 second

Immediate results, outstanding effectiveness.

Maybe I just have too many neurons.

The big shot thought self-deprecatingly.

The two walked through the smoke for a while, and aside from their blurred vision, they didn’t find it particularly choking.

You Huo suddenly said, “Let me ask you a question.”

“Hmm?” Qin Jiu wasn’t surprised as he glanced at him. “What question?”

“In all your time supervising exams, how many people have you seen pass smoothly?”

“Pass smoothly?”

Qin Jiu fell silent for a moment, then scoffed and said, “There are two scenarios. Which one are you asking about?”

“Two scenarios?”

Qin Jiu pointed to himself: “One type is those who passed the exam smoothly right in front of you and then transformed into examiners. I’ve seen many like them—any random person you run into in the exam area is one.”

You Huo: “…”

He originally intended to say, “Of course, I’m not asking about that type,” but somehow, he suddenly remembered what Qin Jiu had said on the merchant ship at the Barents Sea.

“Speaking of which…” You Huo asked, “Did you say your current address can’t receive letters?”

Qin Jiu said, “Yes.”

“Have you ever been out?”

“No,” Qin Jiu said. “Of course, I’ve forgotten some things, but within the part I can remember, I haven’t been out. By the way, I can also answer your earlier question—”

“The other kind who pass successfully generally have average results and unremarkable performance. According to the rules, they won’t become invigilators and can leave this place.” Qin Jiu paused for a moment, then added, “I have indeed seen it happen, not many, and they’ve become fewer and fewer over time. As for whether they really went home after leaving, or whether they remember what happened here—I don’t know.”

After all, he had never been out.

In that instant, You Huo wanted to ask—then what meaning does this examination even hold?

But then he reconsidered—how could something that has already spiraled out of control still be measured by ordinary reasoning?

He remembered 021 saying that this system was jointly developed, originally intended for military talent screening.

Logically speaking, something developed by the domestic armed forces shouldn’t have spiraled so far out of control…

However, with joint research and development, it’s hard to say. Perhaps someone with ulterior motives quietly planted the seeds during the development phase.

Then… will those who go out still remember what happened here?

Have people outside discovered that the system is out of control?

So many people have been dragged into this place for exams. Has no one noticed anything off?

However… the time in each examination hall here is random and not synchronized.

Perhaps the passage of time within the system is different from that in reality.

Could it be that after spending months here, only a day or two, or even just a few hours, have passed in the real world?

It’s all difficult to say…

Rather than contemplating what a runaway system might be thinking, he was more concerned with whether anyone had managed to leave. Could they even leave?

Can you… make everyone trapped here leave.

He glanced around.

In his eyes, besides Qin Jiu and the smoke and dust, there was nothing else around.

But Qin Jiu had said that in the examination hall, the system was everywhere.

Discussing how to kill the system or find its loopholes here was not a good idea.

So You Huo didn’t ask any more questions.

Qin Jiu was obviously thinking the same thing.

He deliberately changed the subject, “What made you suddenly think to ask about this today?”

“I wanted to ask you that on the first day, would you have answered?” You Huo glanced at him.

“The first day?” Qin Jiu walked forward at a leisurely pace, pondering for a moment before saying, “…that time I brought the note and caught you back.”

It hadn’t been that long ago, but it felt like it was from a past life.

Yet thinking back on it, it was as clear as if it had just happened yesterday.

You Huo added, “Abuse of power to drag you back.”

“Abuse of power?” Qin Jiu looked at him in confusion, unsure if he really forgot or was just pretending.

Under You Huo’s stare, he let out an “oh,” saying, “Are you referring to me writing you as a little girl?”

You Huo: “…”

Seeing him pause in his steps, Qin Jiu raised a hand in a carefree manner, saying, “Don’t rush to glare—I have the right to appeal.”

“……”

Qin Jiu: “I am very wronged, Mr. Examiner.”

Wronged, my ass.

You Huo’s icy face bore those words, unmoved.

Qin Jiu said, “You know—”

You Huo: “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know—” Qin Jiu corrected himself. “Didn’t you notice that the note 154 and 922 were holding that day was handwritten?”

“What’s wrong with handwritten?”

“If you look carefully later, you’ll realize that no system notifications are handwritten—they’re all directly received information,” Qin Jiu explained unhurriedly. “The initial information the system gave me was you. Then halfway, it jumped to a little girl, and later it jumped back to you, switching three times in total.”

You Huo cursed the system coldly, calling it a “moron.”

Qin Jiu: “Right, you’re correct.”

“It’s rare to see the system so indecisive, switching back and forth like it’s glitching. 154 with his stern expression—”

You Huo glanced at him.

Qin Jiu pressed a finger to his lips. “—Better not mention that to him. 154 kept urging us to get going, so I just grabbed a little girl and tossed her to him. After all, I was planning to follow along. Once we reach the exam site, we’ll know who actually broke the rules.”

“After that, I don’t need to explain.” Qin Jiu said: “Since the little girl didn’t exist, I naturally assumed it was you.”

Once he said this, You Huo understood everything.

Back then, Shu Xue was the one who violated the rules, and she had a special circumstance—she was considered a system bug. In many cases, she wasn’t even recognized as an examinee or a living person. The witch had attached her daughter to her, so the “little girl” referred to by the system must have been her.

Whether it was Qin Jiu, 154, or 922, of course they couldn’t find where the little girl was.

Then the one who violated the rules can only be him.

“Is this explanation acceptable?” Qin Jiu halted his steps.

A flash of light streaked across the horizon, followed closely by the rumble of distant thunder.

The dust was split open by the lightning, growing lighter and thinner until it completely dissipated.

In the blink of an eye, the scenery around them had already changed.

The ransacked school had vanished from sight. Beneath their feet was a stretch of damp ground, with cliffs of unknown depths all around. Before them stood a familiar high-rise building, its large floor-to-ceiling windows reflecting a faint, cold glow in the night.

It was one of the twin towers—the one they had jumped from.

Looking up from below, the building seemed impossibly tall.

There were no doors to enter in front of them, let alone an elevator—only steel ladders nailed horizontally across the wall, one after another.

Steel ladders… dozens of stories high.

Apart from this, there was no other path.

A familiar voice urged once more:

[Please leave this place immediately and return to the penalty center.]

Immediately, you say…

Go on, show me how you can be “immediately” then???

Qin Jiu looked up and measured the distance, saying, “It seems the system really is furious.”

You Huo scoffed.

Qin Jiu watched for a moment before suddenly calling out to him, “Chief Examiner.”

You Huo turned to look at him.

“Did I ever tell you that I was in a bad mood on the day I first met you?” Qin Jiu gazed back at him.

A light frown appeared on You Huo’s brow.

“Don’t frown, I’m not done yet.” Qin Jiu continued, “Actually, this is more of what 154 and the others say. I don’t think it’s very accurate.”

“What would you say?”

“Me?” Qin Jiu paused for a moment before adding, “I don’t really remember now. I’ve said a few outrageous things about you in front of you before—some true, some false, and honestly, I can’t really tell the difference. Since the first time I saw you didn’t feel like an old friend, let’s assume most of them were true. Let’s just say… we really didn’t get along that well before.”

For a moment, You Huo’s heart skipped a beat.

Hard to put a finger on the feeling.

He noticed Qin Jiu also squinted and pursed his lips slightly.

After a moment, Qin Jiu tilted his chin toward the high-rise, his words carrying a hint of roguishness. “But no matter how bad it was, I’ve already forgotten. How about we make a deal, Examiner? Whatever I remember in the future, don’t hold a grudge, alright?”

You Huo leaned against the side, listening, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

He thought for a moment, then gave Qin Jiu a kick with his foot and said, “Hurry up and climb.”

* * *

For You Huo, this unlucky ladder wasn’t dangerous at all.

He had no fear of heights, and his physical strength was more than enough—reaching the top was nothing more than breaking a sweat.

Qin Jiu was slightly above him; their speed and stamina were similar, so the distance between them never changed.

I don’t know how much time passed before You Huo heard a rustling sound of fabric rubbing above.

Qin Jiu had already climbed onto the platform, his voice coming through as he said, “We’re here.”

You Huo gave a low “Mm” and quickened his steps.

The platform was just within reach. As You Huo was about to climb up, Qin Jiu crouched down at the edge.

Not far away, the crescent moon cast a silver lining over the clouds in the night sky, its clear glow spilling over his shoulders.

With the light behind him, Qin Jiu’s handsome features were etched into even deeper contours.

He crooked his little finger toward You Huo, a trace of laughter in his deep voice. “Have you considered what I said earlier? Would you be willing to hook it?”

You Huo: “…”

He wasn’t in a hurry to go up either.

He simply grabbed the top of the steel ladder, taking a moment to steady his breathing.

His gaze fell on Qin Jiu’s slender, sinewy little finger before lifting his eyes to meet Qin Jiu’s. “What happens after we hook pinkies?”

“Hooking pinkies means we’re friends from now on.”

This was actually something Qin Jiu had thought of earlier, but when he mentioned the word “friends,” it felt a little off—like it was missing something.

However, he only paused very slightly before finishing his sentence.

You Huo’s expression remained unchanged.

He was always like that—whether happy or unhappy, he always maintained a cold and detached demeanor.

He didn’t utter a word and only after a long moment did he reach out to slap Qin Jiu’s palm lightly.

His fingers brushed through Qin Jiu’s palm and lightly hooked the little finger when he touched it.

* * *

The old man never expected that someone would form a sworn brotherhood on the rooftop of a high-rise building.

Next to the elevator, the proctors who had received the system’s roaring notification had already arrived.

021, 078, 154, and 922, not a single one missing.

The four proctors were already looking like they were facing a formidable enemy, so when those two shook hands on the rooftop, two of them were downright terrified.

Orange in hand, 922 was so shocked he dropped it, looking utterly devastated.

021 stared for a moment, then turned her head and let out a sharp curse.

The floor-to-ceiling windows retracted, and You Huo and Qin Jiu entered the room, one after the other.

The old man pointed to the metal console before him and said, “Touch it, go on! It’s so hot you could fry an egg on it. The entire database is completely frozen.”

You Huo hadn’t expected that the system freeze in the examination hall would also affect the control consoles above.

He walked over and touched it; it was indeed scorching hot.

The screen was stuck on a buffering interface during the switch, and who knew how long it had remained that way.

You Feng’s fingers tapped a few times without any response. He asked the old man, “What are you watching?”

“Bored, just flipping through old records for nostalgia.” The old man thought for a moment and added, “But… I don’t remember who’s who anymore. This page has been stuck for twenty minutes now, and still hasn’t turned to the next one. Thanks to you all!”

You Feng leaned against his metal console and waved to 154 and the others, asking, “What does the message you received say? Is this cleanup task counted as suspended or completely finished?”

154 was an honest man: “It’s finished. The exam room has frozen up—the system probably won’t torture itself by sending you guys on a new one, will it…”

Qin Jiu nodded. “That makes sense.”

“The cleanup is done. You still have a lottery draw to use, after which you can head to the examinees’ waiting area,” 154 said. “We’ve brought the cards. 922—922?”

“Huh?”

922 snapped back to attention.

He pulled a stack of cards from his pocket and handed them to 154, saying, “You shuffle them, my hands are trembling.”

154 looked at him like he was insane.

“Fine…”

154 took the cards and shuffled them twice. Seeing that the other three had no intention of moving, he sighed and walked up to his boss and You Huo, saying, “Alright, one at a time.”

Given past experiences, You Huo now gets a toothache whenever he sees a card.

He nudged Qin Jiu and said, “You go first.”

Qin Jiu couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing that.

He knew You Huo’s luck with draws and didn’t refuse, casually picking one card from 154’s hand.

After flipping it open, he pursed his lips with dissatisfaction.

Last-Minute Cramming

As a not-so-diligent examinee, your many years of testing have honed a remarkable skill, formally known as “comprehensive last-minute emergency memorization for exams,” or colloquially, “temporary Buddha-foot hugging.” Not everyone can hug the Buddha’s feet, and those who do it with skill often possess exceptional short-term memory, extraordinary psychological resilience, and a severe case of procrastination—a deeply ingrained inertia that’s incredibly hard to shake off. Upon using the Buddha-Foot Card, the examinee has a certain probability of rapidly mastering one ability applicable within the examination hall.

Remember, you can only learn one thing.

Can’t blame Qin Jiu for curling his lip.

This really isn’t a good card.

Limited to within the examination hall, you can only learn one thing, and there’s no guarantee of mastering that ability—just a certain probability.

For experts like You Huo and Qin Jiu, this was truly a… rather useless piece of trash.

Qin Jiu’s poor luck with the draw gave You Huo some comfort.

He walked up to 154 and casually picked out a card as well.

Surely he wouldn’t get handed a “Nice Guy Card” every single time, right?

This thought had barely faded when he flipped over his card.

Fuck.

It’s the goddamn Good Student again.

Even the old man couldn’t hold back, letting out a sudden laugh and saying, “Great card.”

You Huo’s face turned green again.

Realizing he might have said something wrong, the elderly quickly followed.

For some reason, even though it was his first time meeting this examinee, he inexplicably felt a strong urge to get close to him. Mocking someone is hardly a good way to build rapport.

* * *

After the card-drawing process was completed, 154 and the others signaled to You Huo and Qin Jiu that they could leave.

You Huo greeted the elderly man and walked toward the elevator.

Other invigilators had also entered the elevator one after another.

Only Qin Jiu paused by the metal platform for a moment…

Because the screen that the old man mentioned as “stuck for 20 minutes” finally came to life. After buffering for a couple of seconds, it flipped to the next page according to the old man’s earlier command.

Qin Jiu gave it a casual glance before turning to leave.

His foot had already stepped out, but his gaze slowly drifted back.

The old man was looking at violations records from many years ago.

The records were arranged chronologically, usually with ten entries per page.

At least the page just now had ten entries.

But the newly turned page was unusual, containing only a single lonely record listed in the middle of the page, which read:

Violator: Examiner A

Violation: Excessive closeness with*.