Star Hunter.

Chapter 246 Director Guan Invites Guests

Although it's just an interview, and it only requires physical movement, unlike the previous tests which were physically demanding, people often prefer to undergo those physical tests rather than this kind of grueling mental test.

Those who had been interviewed before Xilin left through another door, preventing those waiting to be interviewed from interacting with those who had already finished. However, Xilin could guess, without even asking, how those who had already been interviewed reacted.

Looking at the interviewers in the room, whose friendly smiles somehow made him want to slap them, Xilin thought to himself, "What kind of questions are they asking?!"

Finally, after asking two questions, the lead tutor was replaced. A highly respected elderly scholar wearing the insignia of the Royal Academy of Sciences next to him flipped through the documents (Chapter 246, "Guan Dao's Treat"), and then said to Xilin, "I've seen your written exam answers. You also have some knowledge of zoology. So, let me ask you: if you were a coelenterate, well, like a sea anemone, let's assume you were a sea anemone, what kind of mate would you choose?"

Xilin: "..."

Why use a sea anemone, such a primitive and simple animal that only has a mouth and no anus, uses the same mouth for both eating and excretion, and lacks even the most basic brain development, as an example?! And then ask what kind of mate it should look for?!

If you don't know how to answer, the best approach is to ask directly.

"May I ask if the sea anemone you mentioned is hermaphroditic or dioecious?" Xilin asked the old scholar.

"Does a person of the same sex need to find a partner?" The old scholar smiled kindly.

Do sea anemones have a sense of mate-seeking?

"No?"

"Have you done any research on this?"

Five minutes later, the old scholar finally let Xilin go, smiling as he put down the documents and picked up the water cup beside him to slowly drink tea.

The next person to ask a question was a refined-looking middle-aged man, but Xilin would never categorize him as a "perverted mentor" just because of his appearance.

"Don't be nervous, I won't ask them such offensive questions," said the refined middle-aged man in Chapter 246, where Director Guan was treating guests.

Xilin inwardly scoffed, "I'd be a fool to believe you!"

The middle-aged man clicked on a light screen, which displayed a passage.

"This is a passage from the First Affiliated School Student Code of Conduct. It's not very long, only about a thousand words, and the content is quite simple. So my requirement is that you read the passage aloud in two languages."

Xilin looked at the words on the screen and thought to himself: Sure enough, none of these mentors are easy to deal with. Because, although the words on the screen were not long, the problem was that the order was reversed!

It's much harder to read an article backwards than forwards. The simpler the vocabulary and the more common the phrases, the easier it is to misread them. This is because your brain has a cognitive inertia. When you understand the meaning, you will reflexively read the word forwards, not backwards.

And it has to be in two languages! What a sham!

  

Xilin thought for a moment, then read the passage on the screen once. He first read it aloud in the dialect of Old Man Chang's planet, and then read it again in the common language of the Empire. After reading it, Xilin felt quite satisfied with himself. There were no mechanical pauses, and he did not make any mistakes.

"Hmm, not bad!" The middle-aged man nodded, turned off the light screen, and continued with an innocent face, "Then, please recite that passage from beginning to end. Don't be nervous, just recite as much as you can."

Fortunately, Xilin has a good memory, and he also developed reverse thinking skills when assembling parts in the past, so dealing with this issue of middle-aged people did not take much effort.

After Xilin recited the passage fluently, the middle-aged man nodded, indicating that the next tutor could ask a question, and then buried himself in writing something.

Following the middle-aged man was a stylishly dressed woman with an intellectual air. She didn't seem like the type to go through menopause, but since she was sitting there, Xilin was certain that this woman was more difficult to deal with than any of the menopausal women he had ever encountered.

The female tutor remained silent and, seeing that it was her turn to ask a question, went straight to the point: "Are you aware of the Beatrix family incident that happened recently?"

"I know a little." Xilin had learned some information from some media outlets.

The Beatrice family was a mid-level noble family, not a minor one, but their blatant disregard for imperial authority led to numerous serious violations of imperial regulations. Recently, their production of a potion severely polluted an entire planet, and their failure to take immediate and effective measures resulted in the infection of neighboring inhabited planets, causing billions to fall ill and tens of millions to die. This incident became the catalyst for the Beatrice family's downfall. Following the pollution incident, other families who disliked or were hostile to the Beatrice family jointly appealed to the Lanza royal family, exerting considerable influence with the three kings. Ultimately, the Lanza emperor revoked the Beatrice family's titles and noble status, enforcing the judgment according to imperial law, much to the delight of the people.

"Alright, please share your thoughts on this matter."

Hearing the female mentor's question, Xilin breathed a sigh of relief. This kind of question was relatively easy to answer, since many media outlets had already reported on it extensively. Xilin then shared some information based on the media reports. However, he didn't say much about his own opinion, because he only knew about the matter from the media. The media's views would guide public opinion, and no one knew the truth behind it.

"...Seeing is not necessarily believing, and hearing is not necessarily deceiving, but to truly express a subjective opinion, one cannot say anything without personally conducting a detailed investigation of the matter. Therefore, the above is limited to..."

Xilin gave a brief explanation; he didn't think the female teacher wanted to hear a long lecture, nor did she want to hear Xilin criticize the sordid affairs of the nobility.

So, after Xilin finished speaking briefly, the female tutor seemed quite satisfied, but that wasn't her only question. She then asked another question.

"About ten days ago, a rebellion of alien races occurred on a planet in the 22nd Star Sector of the Empire. However, not long after, a rare and large-scale natural disaster struck that planet. Some say this is God punishing these rebellious alien races. What do you think?"

This is indeed a sensitive topic; this is a test of Xilin's views on aliens.

These questions were not only the female tutor's questions, but also the questions asked by the previous tutors. They not only tested Xilin's understanding of certain aspects, but also Xilin's character.

The first five tests already assessed candidates' physical, psychological, and physiological deficiencies. The physical and physiological deficiencies had already been tested in the previous tests, and psychological deficiencies had been observed in the previous tests. This final interview was a further probing to see if the person was extreme, a racist, or had any crazy emotions. After all, there is only a fine line between genius and madness.

After answering the female mentor's question, other mentors followed suit and asked their own questions, which were still quite bizarre.

This interview was the most bizarre and most unbearable interview Xilin had ever experienced. Some of the questions were inappropriate for children, and the professors even asked them as if they were conducting academic research.

If these are the same professors teaching the First and Second Affiliated Hospitals, it's likely that very few of the students they produce will be normal. No wonder Peter said that the students at the First and Second Affiliated Hospitals are a bunch of abnormal people; even if a normal person goes in, they'll come out corrupted.

Xilin felt his interview was taking too long; even the people before him hadn't had such a long interview. What Xilin didn't know was that the professors were so eager to ask questions because he was jointly recommended by Ge Lifen and Guan Feng. Besides Ge Lifen, the Yuan family also had influence behind the scenes, which is why Xilin's interview took the longest.

The person behind Xilin was wondering if the interviewers had taken a break, otherwise why hadn't they called the next person for so long? He had been getting increasingly impatient.

When Xilin came out of the interview, he felt a sense of exhilaration, like being released from prison and regaining the light of day. Looking back at the interview room that had been closed, Xilin wondered if coming to the First Affiliated Hospital was the right decision.

After the interviews, the candidates were able to return to their temporary dormitories and wait for the final notification.

When Xilin returned, Li Bello and Tie Tou were already there, looking dejected. It seemed that the interview had had a significant impact on them.

According to Tie Tou, a mentor once asked him the question, "How many stones are there in an area with a radius of one kilometer centered on the interview room?"

Tie Tou did not answer.

"Are you stupid? Just say any number, right? The professors won't actually check." Gray Cat said disdainfully.

Tie Tou sighed. "The problem is, after the professor asked that question, he added, 'Please prove it.'"

The gray cat stopped talking and turned to nibble on a dried fish cake.

Although Tie Tou was very frustrated when the interview came out, he felt much more relaxed when he realized that everyone's situation was similar.

The results of the first five tests came out quickly. Those who were admitted would be given a communicator, and someone would contact them through this communicator to tell them what to do.

All five people in the Xilin dormitory received communicators. Tie Tou and Li Bello were quite excited, while Teita and Wei Lai were much calmer. However, Teita was picked up by the old servant who brought him there as soon as he received the communicator, and Wei Lai was also called away by a communicator that day and never returned. The next day, some people came to pack Wei Lai's things. Those people said they were Wei Lai's senior brothers.

What is meant by "close senior brother"? Most admitted candidates are assigned to a mentor based on the results of five tests. The previous students under that mentor are considered "close" senior brothers and sisters to the newly admitted candidates. As for the previous students under other mentors, although they are also called senior brothers and sisters, there is no "close" relationship. That is the difference.

Not long after Wei Lai left, Xi Lin's communicator also received a message.

"Are you in the temporary dormitory?" Guan Feng's image appeared on the communicator, still with that harmless and seemingly serious look.

"Yes, I'm here," Xilin replied.

"Alright, pack your things. Your senior brother will pick you up later." After saying that, Guan Feng disconnected the communication connection.

Xilin glanced at the now-off communicator, said something to Libero and Tietou, and then dragged the gray cat back to his room to pack his things.

The gray cat lay lazily on the cabinet watching Xilin pack his things, occasionally giving instructions: "Hey, and that's the loot I got from Dahl!" Xilin pulled a piece of fish skin out from under the bed and threw it into the bag.

"There's a rhinoceros horn inside! I bit it off!" the gray cat said, pointing under the bed.

Xilin threw the bag aside, unscrewed the gray cat off the cabinet, and stuffed it under the bed: "Clean it up yourself!" Under the bed, the gray cat had piled up some junk, as well as the carcasses of some insects that it had played with to death and hadn't eaten.

"From now on, if you can't finish these things, just throw them out. Don't let them pile up under the bed and get moldy!"

"These bugs don't get moldy, I asked them!" the gray cat said, swishing its tail from under the bed.

The "them" that the gray cat was referring to were animals like King Kong and Bona.

"I don't care, if you keep hoarding bugs under the bed, I'll pack you and all those bugs up and throw you out." "............, okay."

Because he couldn't bear to throw away the insects, the gray cat devoured them all from under the bed.

Xilin sighed as he looked at the gray cat. This cat had gotten even fatter. Xilin didn't have many things here. Not long after he finished packing, Gore arrived in a flying car.

"Hey, Sirin, it's great to see you again!" Gore greeted Sirin.

After greeting Li Bello and Ironhead, Xilin got into Goreyo's car with Gray Cat.

"Where are we going?" Xilin asked.

"Go to your advisor's place. Professor Guan is treating everyone today, so let everyone get to know your junior brother," Goreyo said, though his lips twitched slightly as he said it.

"How many disciples does Instructor Guan have?" "Our instructor has a strange temper and high standards, so there aren't many. Counting you and me, there are two more: a senior brother and a senior sister. The senior brother is Pistura, and the senior sister is Fu Qingqing. However," Gore paused, then continued, "none of the three of us have been permitted to use the Hellfire Serpent. So, even though the senior brother and senior sister believe they are capable of using it, they haven't been allowed by our instructor. Therefore, among us, you are the only one who has been permitted by Instructor Guan to use it. It's inevitable that the senior brother and senior sister have some different opinions."

Gore was subtly reminding Xilin that his two senior brothers and sisters, whom he hadn't yet met, would have opinions about him, and that conflict was inevitable. But Xilin wasn't afraid.

"What are you afraid of? Just fight back!" Gray Cat said, perching on Nose Forest's shoulder.

Goryo didn't interrupt. He had already done his research on the cat. He wasn't confident he could handle a creature that could bully the black panther Panther to the point of wanting to burrow underground and make the usually domineering giant Zandal cry. However, Goryo also wondered if his mentor, Guan Feng, that old fox, had been so forceful in snatching Xilin from Griffin because Xilin had this cat with him. It was a buy-one-get-one-free deal.

Goreyo drove his flying car to a relatively open area where a large aircraft was parked. Upon seeing Goreyo's car approach, the aircraft's hatch opened, and Goreyo drove straight inside.

"This is Director Guan's private aircraft. But Director Guan has more than one private aircraft. If you want to go somewhere during your vacation, just ask Director Guan for one to play with. Director Guan will definitely lend it to you." Gore led Xilin into the cockpit of the aircraft.

Guan Feng's private spaceship transported Xilin from the planet of the preparatory campus of the First Affiliated School to the planet of the main campus.

The three affiliated schools on the planet each occupy a territory, but often, students from Affiliated School 1 and 2 prefer to ignore Affiliated School 3. This is because only Affiliated School 1 is qualified to compete with Affiliated School 2.

The First and Second Affiliated Schools are the most prestigious in the Lansa Empire, teeming with geniuses. These geniuses are always eager to compare themselves to one another. Therefore, the competition between the First and Second Affiliated Schools, both overt and covert, is constant.

The students in Affiliated 3 were quite calm. Even though they were often ignored, they didn't complain. On the contrary, they were quite happy. At least being ignored was better than being remembered. Being remembered by students in Affiliated 1 and Affiliated 2 would not end well.

That's why people on Planet One and Planet Two often refer to each other as "the neighbor" rather than using the words "Planet One" and "Planet Two" directly.

Especially those from the Second Affiliated High School—why are they called "Second Affiliated High School"? It sounds like they're far inferior to those from the First Affiliated High School!

In fact, 90% of the curriculum is the same for both Affiliated High School 1 and Affiliated High School 2, and sometimes elective courses are even taken together at both schools. However, in addition to those courses, the most important thing is the tasks assigned by the student's advisor.

According to Goreyo, life at the affiliated school is not as simple as in other schools. The tasks you receive from your mentors may involve killing someone or doing other high-risk things.

"However, you don't need to worry too much. Although Director Guan can be extreme at times, he is quite reliable when it comes to task assignments, and he pays a high salary," Gore explained.

Students at Affiliated Schools 1 and 2 do not need to pay tuition fees. Instead, they receive a living allowance from the school. The funding for students at Affiliated Schools 1 and 2 comes from two sources: part of it is provided by the school and part of it is provided by their mentors.

The amount you receive will vary depending on your mentor; some will receive more, some less. Of course, it also depends on the specific tasks you are assigned to. If you complete the task well, your mentor will be happy and you will receive a large sum of money. If you don't complete the task well and your mentor is unhappy, then sorry, you'll be lucky if they don't deduct your salary.

Gorejo took Xilin to the First Affiliated Hospital to arrange accommodations. The students and their fellow students were not in the same accommodation area; these were assigned randomly.

Although it's a single apartment, it's quite large, twice the size of Qiyaoshi's single apartment, and it looks very nice.

Gore checked the time and said to Xilin, "Let's go see Director Guan."

"Didn't you say you were treating?"

"Yes," Gore said with a somewhat forced smile. "Director Guan always treats us to meals at his home, and he cooks for us himself."