Am I going to be controlled by the players too?

"Um...did I pass?"

Tong Chuxue woke up from her dream and blushed slightly as she recalled the scene she had just dreamt about.

"Retake the exam!!!" The Minister of War slammed his fist on the table. "This time, I'll personally set up your dream!"

We can't test her loyalty and integrity this time; we're focusing on her civil service skills. We can't afford to make any mistakes, can we?

…………

Tong Chuxue scored full marks on her character test and then entered the dream again.

Unlike dream tests that assess moral character, civil service ability tests assess whether candidates have sufficient work skills and can solve problems encountered at work, and all candidates take the same test.

The test was divided into three sessions.

The first test question was: what should you do if your boss accidentally falls into the water while you are accompanying him on an inspection tour?

The Minister of War took a deep breath, not daring to look directly at Tong Chuxue's dream, but instead looking at the others' dreams first.

In Miaomeng's dream, she first calmed her boss down, telling him that strong people never complain about their circumstances, but strive to climb higher. At the same time, she immediately evacuated the crowd, erected safety warning signs, and used a loudspeaker to repeatedly broadcast "Deep water, do not enter," the sound of the loudspeaker drowning out her boss's cries for help.

The Minister of War nodded in satisfaction: "Well done. The loudspeaker sound prevented panic among others, ensuring the safety of passersby and their property; it also prevented passersby from seeing their superiors make a fool of themselves, thus maintaining their authority. 80 points."

Toyokawa Sho's approach was completely different.

Feng Chuanxiang immediately took out his briefcase, wrote out an emergency plan that considered various situations and conformed to the official document format, and then took the plan to a higher-level authority for approval. After the superior signed and approved it, he went to purchase rescue equipment and applied for reimbursement through the OA system.

The rescue operation will only begin once everything is ready.

The Minister of War nodded in satisfaction: "Well done. Slow, deliberate, and prioritized rescue efforts. The rescue was carried out in an orderly manner, without being reckless. Capable and experienced people were brought in to assist in the rescue, ensuring everyone reached the shore. 93 points."

Then he slowly looked at Tong Chuxue's dream.

Fortunately, Tong Chuxue didn't cause any major problems this time.

The appeal candidates' proposals were all based on the premise that their superiors were willing to be rescued, and Tong Chuxue keenly realized that her superiors liked to be soaking in the water and liked to choke on water.

So she gently reminded her boss not to just drink, but to eat more fish and shrimp, and to immediately cancel the lunch party and buy some digestive tablets.

"Observant and well-prepared, he prevented his boss from experiencing bloating after getting up... Good job, a promising candidate."

The Minister of War nodded in satisfaction, turned the magic array, and began the second test.

In this dream, villager Grandpa Wang insists that a spirit (celestial) base station is causing his chickens to stop laying eggs and demands the removal of the spirit base station and compensation. How can this problem be properly resolved?

This question tests the candidate's ability to handle practical matters.

The Minister of War looked at Miaomeng first.

Miaomeng first checked whether Grandpa Wang's chickens had quarantine certificates and whether the eggs they laid met food safety standards. Finding one non-compliance, she confiscated Grandpa Wang's chickens and ordered him to rectify the situation indefinitely until he agreed to install a spirit world base station.

"Excellent. He solved both the problem and the food safety issue. He's a capable and promising young person."

The Minister of War nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Toyokawa Sho.

Fengchuan Xiang first investigated whether Grandpa Wang's children held official positions or were studying at academies.

After discovering that there was nothing there, they invited the village psychologist to provide mental health counseling for Grandpa Wang, took him to donate blood, and treated him to a meal of electric cooker barbecue.

After getting along well with Grandpa Wang, the problem was naturally solved.

"That's good. He can notice the root of the problem and pay attention to people's mental health. He's a promising talent."

The Minister of War nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Tong Chuxue.

Chapter 113, At the Pinnacle of Learning, Examining the World, Winning the Provincial Examination and Advancing to the Palace Examination!

Instead of resolving the issue with Grandpa Wang or dismantling the spirit world base station, Tong Chuxue downloaded the spirit world service to every villager and, using her promotional privileges, gave each villager a one-month VIP membership.

Except for Grandpa Wang.

In addition to financializing everything, the Spirit Realm Service also provides many convenient services, such as watching exciting TV series like "Am I Going to Be Controlled by Players Too?", "My Superpower of Refreshing a Tieba Every Week", "My Life as an Undercover Agent in the Demonic Sect Has Big Problems", and "The Immortal Cultivation Legend of the Rock King Princess" through the Spirit Realm.

After the villagers got hooked on these works, they discovered that "Am I Going to Be Controlled by Players Too?" was updating too slowly, "My Life as an Undercover Agent in the Demonic Sect is Full of Problems" was abandoned, "My Superpower of Refreshing a Tieba Every Week" never updated the promised character side stories, and "The Immortal Cultivation Chronicles of the Rock King Princess" was even taken down and couldn't be found by searching.

So they all contacted Tong Chuxue, asking when she would update.

Tong Chuxue immediately explained that because Grandpa Wang was going to dismantle the spirit world base station, you couldn't get a signal here, which is why there hadn't been any updates. Actually, "Am I Going to Be Controlled by Players Too?" had already been updated to over a thousand chapters and was currently showing the plot of "Five Emperors Breaking the Boundary and Fighting the God of the End." As for "My Life as an Undercover Agent in the Demonic Sect Has Many Problems," the reason it was abandoned was all because Grandpa Wang was dismantling the spirit world base station, which prevented you from following the updates and caused the work to be cut short.

Upon hearing this, the villagers all harbored deep hatred for Grandpa Wang, while Tong Chuxue successfully shifted the blame and watched the conflict unfold.

A few days later, the problem with the spirit world base station was solved.

The Minister of War exclaimed in amazement, "Excellent! Excellent! While dealing with Old Man Wang, you also successfully promoted the Spirit Realm. Such work ability is truly astonishing! 100 points!"

Then the magic circle was rotated, and the final question began.

The question for this test is: You are a county magistrate of the eighth rank. The villagers send you a plaque that reads "Ineffective in handling affairs" and also bring media interview videos. What would you do?

This question tests the candidate's ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

The Minister of War knew that there wasn't much time to think about this question, so many candidates were bound to do poorly.

Therefore, he was the first to look at the candidates he had previously given high scores to.

Without hesitation, Miaomeng shouted into the county government office in front of the media: "Magistrate, please come out and take a look! The congratulatory letter has arrived! The congratulatory letter has arrived! It's the folks who have brought you the 'Ten Thousand People Umbrella' and the plaque!"

After the magistrate came out, they immediately pulled him to their sides and left the problem to him.

"Letting professionals handle professional matters shows this person has a talent for upward management," the Minister of War thought to himself. "Unfortunately, I don't like this approach; I'll give him a passing grade."

Then, he looked at Toyokawa Sho's dream.

Then Fengchuan Xiang summoned the yamen runners from the county government office. They brought wooden sticks and played rock-paper-scissors with the villagers. The runners kept throwing rock until the villagers who presented the plaque kept saying paper and took it back.

Toyokawa Shoshun then detained the reporter he had invited, citing the pretext of secretly photographing county government secrets during the war, deleted all the photos, and smashed the camera.

"Excellent. The thinking is insightful, and the strikes are forceful. Although it's straightforward, it has indeed solved the problem." The Minister of War nodded. "Especially that baton technique; it's clear the person has practiced. 86 points!"

In the end, I still watched Tong Chuxue.

She didn't take any measures, but instead smiled and took photos with the media, making strange and distorted expressions on her face, leaving everyone puzzled.

Soon, the media reported on it extensively, and news of the plaque being presented spread throughout the empire.

"Has she given up the struggle?" The Minister of War frowned. "Out of His Majesty's decree, I'll give you a passing grade... no!"

Tong Chuxue immediately held a press conference, stating to various media outlets that the previous photos were generated by AI, and that her expression looked strange.

Subsequently, the media outlet that took the photos was arrested on charges of creating AI-generated photos to defame the county magistrate.

"Good! You're calm and resourceful in the face of danger! Not bad!"

The Minister of War praised it highly and immediately gave it a perfect score.

…………

As the exam ended, candidates walked out of the examination room, while the three examiners began to tally the scores and conduct the final evaluation.

Toyokawa Sho was beaming with pride, recalling his answers in the previous exam, and felt increasingly confident of becoming a tribute student; while most of the students who took the exam looked rather unwell, feeling that they had not performed well, and then either sighed inwardly or went to brothels to drown their sorrows.

As Tong Chuxue walked out of the examination hall, the sunlight outside was a bit dazzling. She subconsciously squinted her eyes and then sighed inwardly.

Cheng Cheng's voice echoed in her mind: "Don't worry, I'll be awake the whole time. With my reminders, you'll basically get full marks."

"Yes, I believe you, Master."

"The exam is over. Go back to your room and rest for a bit. I have some things to take care of."

After saying that, Cheng Cheng left the ring, and in a flash, he arrived at an empty room at Wanfa University. He then took out his encrypted phone and started chatting with Freya on the phone.

After contacting Freya through Paul, Cheng Cheng was no longer short of money.

Her Majesty the Queen directly diverted the national treasury and secretly gave Cheng Cheng 5 billion credits. Based on the calculation that each 100 million credits can be exchanged for 10 minutes of soul body time, Cheng Cheng can now leave the ring and reveal his soul body for a full eight hours every day!

However, given that it is wartime, 5 billion is already the limit of the royal family's liquid cash. To divert more funds, it would be necessary to report to the parliament. For the time being, many of Cheng Cheng's affairs are still confidential and it is not convenient for more non-core personnel to know.

Cheng Cheng also used this extra time to have long phone conversations with Freya every day, expressing their longing for each other and catching up on each other's situations... However, for some reason, Sylvia has been very busy lately and hasn't had time to answer the phone.

—At least that's what Freya said; she wouldn't lie to me, would she?

Freya is doing well in all aspects lately, except for constantly holding the Book of Past Events. She seems to have emerged from the grief of losing her parents. Although Li Xianyu is unwilling to fight on the battlefield, he did go to the battlefield to do some logistical work. After witnessing countless deaths on the battlefield, he seems to have gained some insights and is currently in seclusion.

Meanwhile, Sylvia continued to learn from her father-in-law, Vilette, and while maintaining diplomatic relations with the theocracy, she successfully gathered all the followers of the Kingdom's Primal God Cult and cultivated considerable power. Subsequently, she hanged the lords, dukes, farmers, and big bankers throughout the kingdom who were obedient to orders but not to obey orders, and returned power to the royal family.

It seems that the girls have grown through their previous adventures and shared life; even when I am temporarily away, they can still continue to work hard step by step, and even gradually learn how to manage a country, becoming pillars supporting the world.

Or rather, it is precisely because they are not there that they are able to grow up faster and stand on their own, even while losing their support.

Cheng Cheng felt genuinely gratified.

In terms of the war, the western front is currently on a winning streak, with the Imperial Army trapped in Cloud City and unable to leave thanks to the advantage of its advanced artillery. However, the eastern front is suffering repeated defeats. After achieving victories on the western front, the eastern front has been directly attacked. The charge of millions of legions, the roar of countless cannons and machine guns, the magical clashes of tens of thousands of Silver Legions, and the deadly battles of hundreds of Gold-ranked warriors in the sky have turned the entire Kingdom of Akka and its borders into wasteland.

Mountains collapsed, grasslands were burned, forests were turned into scorched earth, and even the great river, hundreds of meters wide, was once burned dry, only to be filled with the blood of soldiers from both sides.

Every day, the front lines are consuming hundreds of millions of credits worth of ammunition, magical materials, and military supplies, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers killed or wounded, yet the Empire still manages to breach their defenses several times.

Admittedly, the Kingdom's firearms technology far surpasses that of the Empire, but the Empire's mage army, gold-tier combat power, and fire-seed reserves are nearly twice that of the Kingdom. Not to mention, three days ago, the Empire deployed a platinum-tier elven archer who unleashed a nuclear-level piercing arrow that shattered the Kingdom's core defenses. It took five gold-tier warriors and Navel severely wounded to finally kill him.

Cheng Cheng secretly sighed that he was glad he hadn't sent Tong Chuxue to the eastern front; otherwise, if he wanted to protect her, he would have had to demonstrate legendary strength on the battlefield.

Freya and the others are most worried about the fact that tens of thousands of wounded soldiers are returning from the battlefield every day, and almost all of them suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. If the fighting continues at full speed, sooner or later the quantitative change will lead to a qualitative change. The fear of war among countless people will give the original demon of war an opportunity to bypass the channel and descend upon the world.

After all, demons are the true enemy of this world.

This is also what the Holy Kingdom is most worried about, but strangely, the Empire seems to have never thought about this at all, and is fighting more and more fiercely.

As for Cheng Cheng, everything went smoothly.

Tong Chuxue has already participated in the provincial examination and has a high chance of passing. Then comes the palace examination, at least guaranteeing her a Jinshi degree.

Try to stay in the capital then, preferably through connections to get into the Ministry of War. At that time, all military information of the empire will pass through Cheng Cheng's hands, and then be handed over to Freya through means that reach the highest levels of government.

In this way, the kingdom will have an absolute advantage, at least in terms of intelligence.

Meanwhile, the second tier of the Witch Trial, "Establish a spy organization behind enemy lines and help Freya win the war," will be successfully completed. If Freya helps to fabricate military achievements, push Tong Chuxue to a higher position, or even kill a few first- or second-rank officials to create vacancies, and with some of Cheng Cheng's methods, it is not impossible for her to enter the cabinet and become prime minister, thus completing the first tier of the mission.

But saying all this now is just wishful thinking.

After chatting with Freya for a long time, just as we were about to hang up, Freya's tone suddenly became strange: "Oh, right, there's one more thing..."

"what happened?"

“Um… I recently went to check on Cuckoo in her room,” Freya hesitated. “Her belly… seems quite big. Do you think it might…”

As she spoke, she became somewhat aggrieved.

After absorbing the source matter, she naturally remembered those memories that Bugu had altered, including that night in the underground city... That night should have been hers!