Chapter 11: The Examination Begins

Jiang Tang was not ready to give up and drew two more cards.

However, this time her spiritual energy did not drop to zero; she still had five points left.

She dared not draw again, fearing that if her spiritual energy were completely depleted, the side effects would return.

The last time her spiritual energy went negative, if it weren’t for the help of the Goddess Nuwa, she would either be in a federal prison or lying in a graveyard now.

She drew two bronze cards in total, just enough to use up the remaining spiritual energy.

One was a character card: Han Envoy; the other, surprisingly, was an anti-aircraft gun.

She had thought only “antiques” could be drawn.

Still, the anti-aircraft gun indeed solved the problem of not being able to attack aerial targets.

Since the upcoming quiz took place on an ocean map, there would certainly be many card players capable of flying in the sky.

The anti-aircraft gun could target air units and could be used in conjunction with the previously drawn Dingyuan Battleship.

However, Jiang Tang was still doubtful about the anti-aircraft gun’s power. Others wielded miracles; could her modern technology really work?

As for the Han Envoy card, it seemed to be a one-time use card.

Jiang Tang’s gaze lingered peculiarly on the system interface.

[Human · Han Envoy
Match Rate: 3%
Affinity: 11
Proficiency: 0]

[Note: This card is a one-time use card. When used together with the gold cards "Son of Han" or "Han General," it can summon the silver card "Han Iron Cavalry."]

[The number of Iron Cavalry depends on the prosperity of the dynasty the "Son of Han" belongs to.]

[The use of the "Han Envoy" card requires more than one hostile target. After use, the host must redraw.]

Jiang Tang was momentarily speechless—was this some kind of joke served on a silver platter?

But if she used this card well, a direct strike at the alien nest wouldn’t be impossible…

She carefully put away the card, hoping that one day luck would favor her and she’d draw Emperor Wu of Han.

Exiting the spiritual realm, Jiang Tang went to the training room on the third floor.

Ordinary students could only book the public training room, which was in high demand.

But the Jiang family’s wealth was boundless.

Jiang Tang set the training room to the ocean map and began testing the power of the Dingyuan Battleship and the anti-aircraft gun.

She tried the anti-aircraft gun first—it worked well against C-grade aliens, covering the area with firepower enough to kill them.

Against B-grade enemies, it was a bit of a stretch; even with continuous fire, it only caused minor scratches.

Next was the Dingyuan Battleship. She awkwardly controlled both the direction and the firing with her spiritual energy.

The result of multitasking was a pounding at her temples, as if needles were pricking her brain.

Dizzy, Jiang Tang stumbled out of the training room, wondering when she would be able to use the Great Sage’s clone technique.

…

Three days later, Jiang Tang arrived at the examination hall full of energy.

She arrived just on time, and the venue was packed with students.

The gazes cast at her were either covert or blatant.

Gu Xue, along with her little clique, looked at Jiang Tang with cold, venomous eyes.

Jiang Tang was unafraid; she returned the gaze, provocatively drawing a horizontal slash across her own neck with her hand.

This exam was her first step to fame—naturally, the more hatred she attracted, the better.

The more flamboyant she was, the more cautious the schemers would be.

Gu Xue clenched her fists tightly, gritted her teeth, wishing she could rush forward and fight Jiang Tang to the death right then.

“Is she really the one who defeated you?” a low male voice sounded.

Gu Xue’s face darkened: “Are you blind? Or don’t you know how to use the internet?”

The newcomer had shining golden hair and emerald eyes, his laugh deep and mellow. “Sorry, let me put it another way—do you want me to help?”

Gu Xue glanced at him coldly, suddenly calling his name: “Arthur.”

Arthur bowed slightly, politely responding, “At your service, Princess.”

Gu Xue twisted her mouth. “You’re disgusting; stay away from me.”

His composed smile did not fade. “Alright. But my promise remains anytime you need~”

Gu Xue scanned the hall again, her eyes lighting up when she saw Sheng Huaian. She dropped Arthur and hurried over.

Arthur’s smile dimmed slightly. In a voice only he could hear, he muttered, “Truly ungrateful.”

Then, wearing an impeccable smile, he approached Jiang Tang.

A suddenly rising underachiever was even more intriguing.

Just as he neared, a figure stepped ahead and spoke to Jiang Tang.

“Boss Jiang Tang~”

The speaker was a petite black-haired girl, round-faced with round eyes, utterly disarming.

She leaned in close; Jiang Tang subtly backed half a step to keep a safe distance.

“You’re... Little Wang, the wholesale dealer of the recovery pods?”

The only person Jiang Tang knew who would speak that way was her.

Little Wang nodded eagerly and introduced herself, “My real name’s Wang Laicai, but just call me Little Wang, boss!”

Jiang Tang twitched at the corner of her eye, struggling to say, “Your name’s pretty straightforward…”

Little Wang proudly waved her hand. “I picked it myself. Not bad, right?”

Before Jiang Tang could reply, Little Wang asked, “Boss, how are the recovery pods? If you like them, could you give me a five-star review?”

“They’re pretty good.” Jiang Tang, wanting to make friends, gave her a five-star rating on the spot.

Little Wang smiled with squinted eyes and asked mysteriously, “Boss, do you know the odds now?”

Jiang Tang grew interested and asked, “How high?”

“One to twenty!” Little Wang answered excitedly, then revealed her true intention: “Boss, want to team up? The second-ranked student, Tanaka Mari, is on my team too. Although beating Sheng Huaian is a long shot, at least we can secure third or second place. When we win, you get 30%, I get 70%.”

Little Wang pointed to a nearby girl in a red-and-white shrine maiden outfit carrying a bow.

“No thanks, not interested,” Jiang Tang declined bluntly.

Little Wang didn’t insist and left gracefully, leaving behind a parting line: “You can find us during the match to ally up, boss!”

Jiang Tang smiled and nodded. Suddenly, she looked up and met Arthur’s observing gaze.

Arthur was surprised by Jiang Tang’s alertness. He immediately smiled, placing a hand on his chest and bowing.

But Jiang Tang inexplicably felt annoyed with him.

Where did this pretentious fellow come from…

From the high platform, the head instructor cleared his throat: “Students, it’s time to test the results of your holiday training…”

His speech was brief and full of empty formalities.

Standing in the crowd, Old Sun gave Jiang Tang a double thumbs-up, silently signaling: “If you don’t come first, I’ll jump off the rooftop.”

Jiang Tang’s temple twitched; she suspected Old Sun knew she had a backup plan, which made him so confident.

After the head instructor finished, a mechanical female voice echoed throughout the hall:

[The exam is about to begin; all candidates please prepare.]

[Transmitting…]

Beams of blue light descended from above, enveloping the students.

Jiang Tang’s vision blurred, followed by a sudden, intense sensation of weightlessness.

The whistling wind blew past her ears, forcing her eyes shut.

She was falling!

At the same time, the mechanical voice announced:

[The exam has begun!]

[This simulation instance: Deep Sea]

[Primary alien species: Deep Diver]

[Boss: Unknown]

[Wishing all candidates success!]