Chapter 41: 5A-Rated Candidate
The group of trainees, who had been anxiously cramming during the last remaining minutes, suddenly burst into chaos with a loud buzz.
Countless people widened their eyes in shock: “Damn, starting off with someone who got four A-ranks?”
“That’s not right, this guy didn’t seem to study the code much…”
“Other than being involved in a lot of affairs usually, there’s never been anything extraordinary about him…”
Amidst the astonished gazes, the man with the gold-rimmed glasses walked back with a relaxed expression. Han Su turned around and said, “Friend, you only looked at the code for like half an hour before, right? I don’t recall seeing you memorizing it much…”
“This part is pretty simple?”
“Not exactly simple.”
The man with the gold-rimmed glasses pushed up his glasses with his middle finger and said, “There’s actually a higher S-level evaluation, but since I only spent half an hour a week ago, I could only manage an A-level.”
“Hmm?”
Han Su had a vague feeling that something wasn’t right.
At that moment, amidst the murmuring discussions, the Camouflage Man beside him looked somewhat troubled.
He glanced at the codebook, of which he had only flipped through three pages, shook his head, seemingly resigned to his fate.
He decisively stood up and became the second to walk into that room.
He came out just three minutes later.
Above the doorframe, his information appeared as well:
【Codename: Hei Hu】
【Code: C】
【Insight: C】
【Adaptability: A】
【Disruption: A】
【Encrypted Text: C】
【Execution: B】
【Additional Evaluation: None】
The training room stirred once again as the crowd surged. Countless eyes filled with envy: “Two A-ranks, that’s still pretty damn impressive…”
But the Camouflage Man himself seemed dissatisfied.
He sat down in silence, and after a while, as if something came to mind, he suddenly turned his head and nodded in Han Su’s direction. In his gaze, there seemed to be a hint of respect.
“?”
Han Su had a strange feeling that this man was enacting some grand emotional and motivational drama inside his own heart!
The girl in the Hēi Dōu Hood was the third.
She wore a pressured expression while flipping through the codebook, as if she had finally made some kind of decision.
She resolutely closed it and stood up to head toward the room.
About ten minutes later, she walked out. Above her head, the following information flashed:
【Codename: Crow】
【Code: C】
【Insight: A】
【Adaptability: A】
【Disruption: A】
【Encrypted Text: S】
【Execution: A】
【Additional Evaluation: S】
“Buzz”
The people outside immediately erupted into chaos, unable to believe their eyes: “Four A-ranks and two S-ranks?”
“No way, this doesn’t make sense…”
Soon, someone noticed the inconsistency: “Everyone else only has six results. The instructor told us from the beginning there were six training categories. Why does she have seven?”
Only the girl in the Hēi Dōu Hood herself seemed dissatisfied with the results.
Seeing the one C-grade evaluation in the code category, she showed deep shame.
Meanwhile, the rest of the trainees began entering the room one by one. Results soon appeared, and for the majority, not even a single A was present. Nearly all were B or C.
Even D-grades were rare.
It seemed the Disaster Management Bureau had a practice of not handing out D-grades lightly.
A few who had previously withdrawn from training due to their unusual performance in the 【Whisper of the Ruins】 segment now achieved relatively good results. Judging by their confident expressions, it seemed they already had destinations in mind.
Seeing the time was about right, Han Su also stood up to queue and then entered the room opposite.
Inside the room, there was no one—only a long table with a machine connected to countless wires placed on the opposite side.
On the screen of the machine, strings of text flashed continuously:
【Greetings, trainee Han Su. I am Miss Ai. Based on your performance in the assessment tasks and your innate ability with Encrypted Text incantations, I will compile the evaluation reports submitted by the staff and provide a final evaluation and grouping recommendation. Do you have any questions?】
【……】
Han Su had no choice but to shake his head. “No.”
【Please now proceed with the final assessment: demonstrate your understanding of the Execution Personnel Behavior Code.】
The computer screen displayed the following text: 【The full manual contains 134,567 characters. Perfect verbatim recitation qualifies as S-level.】
【Complete comprehension and accurate restatement of all code clauses qualifies as A-level.】
【Now, do you……】
【……】
Han Su honestly answered, “I only memorized the first part on Execution Regulations. For the remaining three major sections, I only had time to read them once, and I roughly understand their subject matter.”
A string of data flashed across the computer screen. Then text appeared: “B-level.”
Immediately after, a new line of text appeared: 【Please answer the following three questions in sequence. You will have thirty seconds to consider each one:】
【What is the weak point of the Impostors encountered during the trial task? What is their transformation sequence upon entering reality?】
Han Su focused slightly, recalled the results he had observed just now, and answered one by one: 【Their weak point is the chest. First, changes resembling clothing appear on their bodies. Then facial features form. Finally, real eyes, nostrils, and mouths emerge.】
After thinking further, he added: 【The more they resemble real humans, the more vulnerable they become to bullets. Their weak point seems to shift from the chest to the head. It's as if… they’ve learned to be human, and along with that, have inherited human ‘weaknesses’!】
Text flashed again: 【Please answer: when the Impostors were about to breach the defensive line, why did you lock your team leader in the iron cage along with the Impostors?】
Han Su responded: 【Because the team leader said from the start that we had to prevent those things from infiltrating reality. At that moment, we clearly could no longer hold them off, so my only option was to lock him in there together with those Impostors.】
Text flashed: 【Since you had made that decision, why did you not stop your teammate from reopening the cage—an action contrary to yours?】
‘Because I damn well don’t like meddling…’
Han Su thought to himself, but replied aloud: 【Because that would have caused conflict. If we had turned on each other over differing opinions, the result might have been me stopping him—or him killing me—in either case, it would have led to a loss of our disruption capability.】
That line of text immediately began to flicker, as if a large volume of data was being computed.
About two seconds later, another line of text appeared: 【Based on logical inference, was the problem with the elevator, or the building itself?】
Each of the questions was very simple.
It seemed the test was assessing their attention to detail when facing the Impostors and the logical reasoning derived from those observations?
For Han Su, this was familiar territory—almost like a basic haunted mansion tour.
Any one of his adventures inside such a mansion felt several levels harder than this Disaster Management Bureau assessment.
After he answered each question, the screen finally began the last inquiry: 【Trainee Han Su, do you have a preferred codename?】
【Disaster Management Bureau field personnel typically operate using codenames. This also serves as a protective measure for personal identity. The final codename will be derived from the trainee’s personal preferences and behavioral performance. Once selected, it cannot be changed.】
“Codename?”
Han Su pondered seriously for a while, thought of something that sounded good, and then walked out of the room.
Outside, numerous people were watching the electronic display above his head with concern.
Soon, the evaluation results flashed across the screen:
【Codename: Butcher】
【Code: B】
【Insight: A】
【Adaptability: A】
【Disruption: A】
【Encrypted Text: A】
【Execution: A】
【Additional Evaluation: None】
“Damn, a 5A-rated candidate?”
The crowd was caught off guard by this result, and their expressions immediately turned bizarre.
It might have made sense for the man with the gold-rimmed glasses or a soldier from the battlefield to get this—but this guy with all the baggage? He got such a high evaluation?
No… his codename…
My god, did even the Disaster Management Bureau tacitly approve all the trouble he caused?
Not only did the trainees fall into a dead silence, even Han Su, who had just turned his head, frowned. “I don’t think this is the one I picked?”
In another office, Zhang Zhiguo saw the result and immediately spat out his tea with a “pfft”.
Wiping himself off with some embarrassment, he finally caught his breath and said, “Could there have been a mistake?”
“No.”
Beside him, the Bald Researcher—whose admiration for Zhang Zhiguo had reached oceanic depths—replied firmly, “This report was compiled from our submitted data, but the final judgment was made by Miss Ai. She doesn’t make mistakes.”
“Even our reports are merely advisory. Her decision to adopt them proves she agrees with our evaluation.”
“Director Zhang, you’re truly extraordinary. I nearly made a serious mistake…”
“……”
Faced with the Bald Researcher’s admiration and reverence, Zhang Zhiguo was already sweating bullets, silently regretting, “Damn, I was just worried his score would be too low and he'd end up in D5 or D6, but now he’s become too conspicuous…”
“One really shouldn’t abuse the authority they hold. I even considered suppressing his Spiritual Sensitivity down to a D-grade…”
“However…”
Along with this faint regret, he subconsciously bent over, tapped a few times on the surveillance monitor, and once again, the footage of Han Su’s elevator assessment replayed.
Zhang Zhiguo had already watched these clips countless times, appreciating Han Su’s every move and reaction while facing those things.
Aside from the Ghost Freight Truck, this was the first time he had seen such entities, yet he remained exceptionally composed and accurate in judgment.
Though his stance was a bit awkward during his first time using a gun, it already showcased remarkable shooting talent.
Especially, that decisive moment where he locked the team leader inside the cage without hesitation deeply impressed Zhang Zhiguo.
A faint surprise stirred in his heart:
“I had assumed that if he joined the Disaster Management Bureau, things wouldn’t go smoothly. Even agreeing to talk to him was meant mostly to appease him. After all, if I truly handed him the clues I know, he might not survive even a month…”
“But now, seeing the qualities he displayed, he can definitely be placed in D2…”
“Perhaps… he truly is qualified to know certain things?”