{"id":2977,"date":"2026-04-19T01:33:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T01:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/global-examination-04\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T02:01:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T02:01:28","slug":"global-examination-04","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/chapter\/global-examination-04\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Examination 04"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter Four: Back Again
\u201cAre you planning to move in here?\u201d

When You Huo stepped out of solitary confinement, the hallway was silent.

The bald man\u2019s screams had stopped. Blood had seeped out from under his door, spreading across the floor. You Huo frowned slightly in distaste and stepped around it.

After a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

A strange sensation crept over him\u2014like being watched.

As if something unseen was leaning down, staring at him with lifeless eyes.

He looked up.

Just a pale ceiling. A dim light. Nothing else.

\u2026

\u201cDamn\u2014almost overslept and broke the rules. That dead-faced\u2014\u201d someone muttered while rushing downstairs, then abruptly stopped.

\u201cYou\u2014cough\u2014you\u2019re out?\u201d

It was Proctor 922.

Seeing You Huo, he instantly switched to a formal tone. \u201cExcuse me,\u201d he said, brushing past to open the bleeding door.

Moments later, the bald man was dragged out.

\u201cWhy are you still here?\u201d 922 asked.

You Huo stood with hands in his pockets, voice lazy. \u201cWaiting for you. Not interested in turning into ashes.\u201d

922 frowned. \u201cWhere\u2019s 154?\u201d

\u201cNo idea.\u201d

\u201cThat stiff bastard slacking again?\u201d

He muttered under his breath, then jerked his head toward the exit. \u201cLet\u2019s go. I\u2019ll take you back to the exam room.\u201d

\u2026

Upstairs, Qin Jiu leaned lazily by the window, arms crossed, watching.

922 led the two candidates through the snow below, their figures swallowed by white.

Qin Jiu narrowed his eyes, distracted.

The black bird on his shoulder gave a low croak.

\u201c\u2026Feels like something\u2019s missing,\u201d Qin Jiu muttered.

The bird mocked: \u201cHeh.\u201d

\u201cA proctor?\u201d

\u201cHeh.\u201d

Qin Jiu tapped its beak, then went downstairs.

Soon, he found the missing one.

Inside the very room You Huo had just left\u2014

Proctor 154 was tied to a chair.

Hands bound behind him.

Mouth stuffed with paper.

On the paper, written neatly in marker:

\u201cGet lost, you \u2018young girl\u2019.\u201d

Qin Jiu laughed.

154 tried to jump for attention\u2014then saw the smile and chickened out.

After being freed, he exploded:

\u201cI\u2019ve been a proctor for three years\u2014I\u2019ve never seen a candidate like this! Others scream and cry\u2014he sleeps?! Others fear proctors\u2014he ties me up?!\u201d

Qin Jiu leaned on the table, amused. \u201cNice rhythm. Keep going.\u201d

154: \u201c\u2026\u201d

\u201cIf word gets out that a proctor got tied up, embarrassing?\u201d Qin Jiu asked.

\u201c\u2026Very.\u201d

\u201cAnd you said he slept through confinement?\u201d

\u201cYes! No changes, no fear reaction\u2014nothing! Like he has no fear at all!\u201d

Qin Jiu\u2019s eyes narrowed.

\u201c\u2026Interesting.\u201d

\u2026

Meanwhile\u2014back at the snow hut.

922 dropped You Huo off and stopped him.

\u201cOne more rule. Since you were punished, you two can\u2019t answer this round.\u201d

You Huo\u2019s expression darkened.

922 waved it off. \u201cDoesn\u2019t matter. First round of this type always kills someone anyway\u2014\u201d

Before he finished\u2014

You Huo had already pushed the door open.

At that instant\u2014

The rooster crowed.

Time to collect papers.

Inside, chaos erupted.

The bald man collapsed, crawling into a corner. Others dropped to the ground in terror.

Yu Wen knelt, clutching something. \u201cBro\u2026 I found the knife. But\u2026 time\u2019s up?\u201d

Then what?

Silence. Panic.

Would they really be expelled?

Would they turn to dust like the metal can?

BANG!

The door burst open.

A violent wind surged in.

Like a plane losing pressure\u2014dragging everything outward.

Old Yu screamed as he was yanked toward the door.

Invisible hands pulling him into the storm.

\u2026

Then\u2014

Two thoughts flashed through You Huo\u2019s mind:

\u201cRooster crows nine times before collection ends.\u201d

\u201cAnd\u2026 there\u2019s a trick for these stupid questions.\u201d

No time to think.

He grabbed the folding knife from Yu Wen, vaulted over the table, and\u2014

At the final crow\u2014

He carved one word onto the wall:

\u201c\u89e3\u201d (Solve).

922 outside: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u201d

That\u2026 works?!

Yes.

The wind stopped.

The snow ceased.

Old Yu slammed to a halt at the doorway\u2014half his hair gone.

Yu Wen clung to his leg, trembling.

On the wall, next to the word\u2014

A red mark appeared:

+2

Everyone froze.

922 turned and sprinted off to report.

\u2026

Yu Wen slapped himself. \u201cI\u2019m an idiot! The teacher said\u2014always write \u2018Solve\u2019 first\u2014it\u2019s worth points!\u201d

You Huo silently put away the knife.

Not proud.

Just practical.

\u2026

Then\u2014

The wall changed again.

A new question appeared:

A group of travelers arrive at a snowy mountain lodge.
The host has 13 sets of tableware but food for only 12 people.
One set hides a secret\u2014someone is destined to die.
Find the fatal set.
Knowledge tested: Optics.

Everyone: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u201d

Then another line appeared:

Violation Warning: Penalized candidates answered illegally.
Proctors notified: 001, 154, 922.

Everyone: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u201d

\u2026

Ten minutes later\u2014

Inside the proctors\u2019 office.

Qin Jiu and You Huo sat facing each other in silence.

\u201c\u2026\u201d \u201c\u2026”

After a long pause, Qin Jiu twirled his pen, lifted his eyes, and said lazily:

\u201cAre you planning to live here?\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"novel":[],"class_list":["post-2977","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/2977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2977"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/2977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3013,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/2977\/revisions\/3013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"novel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel?post=2977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}