On the day of the auditor’s exam, the new semester hadn’t officially started so the spacious and clear campus was quite quiet. There were only the occasional students and teachers walking by.
A teacher from Jiangyuan College’s school of artificial intelligence passed by the door of the examination room that had been cleaned up alone. Then he was surprised to see a student’s familiar face.
“Qiao Yunhe, why is it you again?”
Qiao Yunhe, who was called by name, had a very serious expression. “Reporting to Teacher Chen, it is right to contribute to the college so I took the initiative to apply to help maintain order in the examination room.”
Teacher Chen ruthlessly exposed him, “Today, there is only one student who came to take the exam.”
“……” Qiao Yunhe immediately smiled. “Order still needs to be maintained in a person’s examination room.”
Teacher Chen shook his head with a smile. “Just say it if you are curious. However, you came too early. There is still more than half an hour left.”
“It’s okay, Teacher Chen. In any case, I am idle at home and have nothing to do. I came out to take a walk.”
“You are so leisurely. Have you corrected all the problems that Professor Xiao picked out for your group?”
“…Cough, that isn’t what I meant.”
After exchanging a few words with the teacher, Qiao Yunhe wiped the sweat on his head and continued to wait outside the examination room. He also browsed the forum by the way.
The jelly bean robot dancing video had caused an uproar in this robot forum. Soon, someone found the help post from Netizen 6391323 last year and found that the design drawing released should be this jelly bean robot.
So this netizen with the default nickname, whose speech style was sometimes indifferent and sometimes arrogant, was either Pei Qingyuan, the provincial champion who was said to have made this jelly bean robot himself, or the hidden master behind him who gave him the design drawing.
At present, the mainstream view of the forum netizens was that the two of them shared an account.
Qiao Yunhe didn’t give up on the fantasy of a grandfather like Frankenstein. Combined with the various news exposed about Pei Qingyuan and he had sublimated the cross-species friendship between humans and AI, which ordinary netizens of the forum once believed in, to the relationship between a mysterious man who escaped the world and a genius who had fallen to the bottom of the world.
This was how all counterattack upgrade novels were written.
After all, he was a student taught by Xiao and he was deeply familiar with Professor Xiao’s brain supplementing style.
Maybe the Grandpa Frankenstein once hid some things in Pei Qingyuan’s belongings, such as a ring and the watch. This way, everything made sense.
It sounded outrageous and unreal but Qiao Yunhe, who was jumpy by nature, liked this type of speculation very much.
In life, a person must also have a slightly bold imagination in addition to dreams.
For example, the auditor today was said to be a friend of the champion. Qiao Yunhe was sure that the other person definitely wasn’t just Pei Qingyuan’s friend.
At the very least, he should be a fellow junior disciple!
With such a thought in mind, Qiao Yunhe showed a genuine smile when he saw the two figures approaching not far away.
Which guy would carry a bag for his friend? It was almost the same as throwing all their school bags to the other person.
Only a cold-faced senior brother could be so considerate.
…He almost believed this silky and smooth logic.
Under the enthusiastic guidance of the unfamiliar senior, Ji Tong sneezed several times for no reason.
After arriving outside the examination room, he immediately went to flip through the book in the bag on Pei Qingyuan’s shoulder, preparing for the final assault.
In the morning, there was a three hour comprehensive written test. The large paper didn’t only contain conventional language and mathematics questions, but also theory and some basic artificial intelligence knowledge.
There was lunch after the exam and the teachers would use this time to almost finish correcting the paper. In the afternoon, there was an interview.
In the end, Ji Tong didn’t have a college entrance examination score and the school must have a thorough understanding of his level in the cultural test. If he was outstanding in the professional performance then it didn’t matter as long as his cultural subjects weren’t too bad.
Ji Tong hurriedly looked at the textbook. He didn’t plan to use data to cheat during the written test. He wanted to try to use his own ability to take the test.
Pei Qingyuan saw his nervousness and comforted him. “You are well prepared.”
The invigilator came over with the papers. There were only five minutes left until the exam time and it was time for Ji Tong to enter.
He reluctantly handed the book back to Pei Qingyuan. Pei Qingyuan handed over the transparent bag that had been prepared for him last time that contained a brand new pen, eraser and ruler.
There was also a sentence of encouragement that was difficult for others to understand. “I will think about what to eat for lunch.”
Ji Tong finally relaxed a bit when he heard this and instructed, “I want a combination of meat and vegetables. I want to eat some vegetables today.”
“Okay.” There was a hint of a smile in Pei Qingyuan’s voice. “I’m waiting for you outside.”
Thus, Ji Tong took a deep breath and walked into the examination room set up for him alone.
This was the second time he had taken such a special exam.
The exam began. Under the eyes of the invigilator on the podium, the slightly thin young man leaned over and filled out the papers seriously. The classroom was filled with the cold air of the air conditioning and the summer breeze was blowing through the corridor outside the classroom. Pei Qingyuan walked to the side, so as to not stand outside the window and affect Ji Tong.
Qiao Yunhe leaned over and asked him curiously, “It is quite hot. Do you want to find a place to sit and wait?”
Pei Qingyuan shook his head. “No need.”
During the two days of this college entrance examination, Ji Tong had waited quietly outside the classroom like this.
—Although Ji Tong was a leaf at that time.
Qiao Yunhe’s eyes immediately showed a trace of admiration for this deep friendship and he said earnestly, “Excuse me, Junior. Can you sign my name?”
Pei Qingyuan: “……”
It was the first time he had heard such a request.
“I think you will definitely have some achievements in the future. This signature is definitely very valuable for collection. I promise to collect it, not to sell it.”
Qiao Yunhe was ready to persuade Pei Qingyuan. “I plan to also get Classmate Ji’s signature after the exam. He must be very powerful—”
Unexpectedly, before he could finish the sentence, he heard Pei Qingyuan’s clear and sharp answer, “Okay.”
After a brief period of confusion, Qiao Yunhe tentatively said, “Then the names of the two of you… sign it on a piece of paper?”
Pei Qingyuan’s answer seemed a bit faster. “Yes.”
Seeing Pei Qingyuan cooperatively signing his name on the book that was handed over, Qiao Yunhe almost cried for his wit.
He seemed to have unintentionally mastered the knack of getting along with this cold junior.
This was the power of the friendship between disciples!
Ji Tong came out of the exam and blankly signed his name using the pen and paper Qiao Yunhe handed over. He realized belatedly on the way to the cafeteria, “I signed for someone just now.”
“Is it fun?”
“It is fun!” Ji Tong’s voice was full of novelty. “It feels so special to sign my name and hear a thank you.”
Pei Qingyuan thought that Ji Tong would really like such a new thing.
Shortly after eating lunch in the cafeteria, Pei Qingyuan received a call from Professor Xiao.
“Mr Ji’s test results are out and it is very good,” Xiao Jianping said happily. “I feel it is wronging Mr Ji for him to be an auditor. The teacher who marked the English paper said that his basic skills are very solid. If he takes the college entrance examination then he can probably get into our school.”
Pei Qingyuan wasn’t surprised by this result. After all, Ji Tong was a system and could retrieve a variety of data. He could completely control how many points he got in the written test and he felt that the relatively dangerous part should be the interview where adaptability was needed.
“Also, Mr Ji’s answers to the few basic questions on artificial intelligence are very interesting. It is an angle that ordinary people can’t think of. I’m hoping the afternoon time can pass faster. I want the interview to arrive quickly.”
In the midst of Professor Xiao’s chatter, Ji Tong sighed with relief from next to him. “I hope I won’t fail the interview.”
Pei Qingyuan didn’t think Ji Tong would fail the exam. He was only worried that Ji Tong would bring too many surprises to the teachers in the interview.
His fears were prescient.
The interview usually lasted only 15 minutes to 30 minutes but this time, it lasted nearly two hours. Finally, they had to stop out of embarrassment when the candidate said he was hungry.
Once the interview was over, all the teachers who came out of the classroom one after another were dazed.
The first thing Xiao Jianping said to Pei Qingyuan when he finally came out was, “I am really struggling right now.”
Pei Qingyuan asked him, “Why?”
“Xiao Ji shouldn’t be an auditor. I hope he will take the college entrance examination and officially and honorably be admitted to our school like you. Then he will be able to get academic qualifications and his degree in the future.”
Xiao Jianping’s tone was complicated. “On the other hand, I don’t want him to waste another year before going to college. He should immediately devote himself to research in this field. Academic qualifications are no longer important to him.”
Pei Qingyuan felt that this extremely high evaluation from a well-known professor in the field of artificial intelligence was quite objective for an artificial intelligence that was disguised as a human.
Ji Tong had been dragged to chat by the teachers for two hours. He stayed in a corner of the corridor to look at the sky, obviously a bit weak-hearted.
He forgot to play dumb when he was nervous.
Xiao Jianping suddenly sighed as they were talking. Then he lowered his voice. “Xiao Ji’s family really can’t be found? I’m really curious about his origin. There are many difficult problems that we have never understood but he seems to know the answer naturally. It is simply a subversive inspiration for us. However, he couldn’t say when I asked the reason behind it. It seems that he doesn’t remember.”
Pei Qingyuan’s tone was very calm. “I took him to the police station. He really doesn’t have any family so he always follows me.”
Ji Tong’s practice of lying about his selective amnesia was also very prescient.
In fact, the real reason for this situation was that as a human disguised as an artificial intelligence. He was too lazy to use his brain and only wanted to eat and play. He only knew a lot of things that were too difficult and couldn’t fully grasp them.
But under the guise of amnesia, everything that couldn’t be explained could be blamed on the lost memory and the past that couldn’t be traced at all.
After receiving Pei Qingyuan’s affirmative answer, Xiao Jianping regretted it. “It is a pity. Fortunately, I met you.”
Pei Qingyuan could hear the meaning in his words.
In addition to his amazing talent, he felt sorry for Ji Tong’s life experience.
Fortunately, someone kindly took in the teenager who couldn’t find a home.
There was no suspense about the results of this exam. After the teachers of the school of artificial intelligence found the school leaders to discuss it, they even exempted Ji Tong from the high tuition fees he should’ve been charged and promised to issue stipends for the next four years. Apart from the academic degree, he would be treated the same as a student everywhere else.
On the one hand, it was because of his special background. On the other hand, it was because of the extraordinary ability he showed.
It was said that on this night, every student of the school of artificial intelligence saw sincere encouragement from different teachers of their respective classes, encouraging everyone to work hard and keep forging ahead.
[What stimulated the old teachers?]
[Did some laboratory come up with something earth-shattering?]
[No, I just know that there seems to be an exam in the courtyard today…]
The students’ private groups were full of such discussions.
Only Qiao Junhe, who was about to become a junior in the new semester, was very calm.
[Go ahead and preview next semester’s class. It must be hell mode.]
[I remember that Old Qiao went to school today, right? Is it really because of the exam? Let’s get to the bottom of it.]
Qiao Yunhe collected two signatures in advance and showed a meaningful smile.
[You will know when school starts. Hehe.]
For the first time, he was looking forward to the start of school.
After leaving Jiangyuan College, Pei Qingyuan took Ji Tong, who finally relaxed, to eat dinner. Then he bought suitcases to use when moving to the dormitories at the start of school.
Today, Ji Tong had extra time and there was no need to calculate how much longer he had in his human form.
It was because after Pei Qingyuan and Deng Shu signed a contract with a preliminary intention, he received the intention money and the fourth main mission was completed.
For the system reward, Ji Tong’s advanced form duration was directly increased from five hours to twelve hours.
The original purpose of the main brain’s restriction of the human form was to avoid an accident where a powerful system usurped the protagonist of the original storyline. This was especially the case in the early stage when the host was relatively weak. Thus, the host must control the existence of the system.
After several tasks, the host giving the system the form of an adult human represented a type of trust and recognition. The main mission progress was normal so the reward time was greatly improved. This was convenient for the system to better serve the host.
In this way, Ji Tong could basically live normally in school like an ordinary person.
The only problem was that if he lived in a dormitory, he would disappear when he slept.
Previously, Fang Hao’s host had been in retreat for too long and this affected the progress of the mission. Ji Tong got first place again at the regular system meeting after seeing the college entrance examination and the 100 million views mission.
Seeing that Ji Tong had collected a bunch of modern crayfish breeding guides and gave them to him, the elementary school student generously pointed out that he could exchange the special growth value for an item called the ‘Great Camouflage Technique.’
[President Ji: What is this for?]
[Brother Hao: It is generally used to solve some tricky troubles for the host. For example, the villain stole a magic weapon that the host has never seen at all and blames him. This item can be used to disguise the magic weapon and deceive the villain. It is more realistic and stable than the things that our system can directly conjure.]
[Brother Hao: But the most common thing I use it for is to make it into a sword in the host’s scabbard or it becomes me sleeping in bed, pretending that I am there while I actually sneaked out to play.]
[Brother Hao: I tried. This change can only become a sleeping person. It breathes but there will be no other reaction. In any case, it is much better than stuffing two pillows into the quilt.]
…As expected of the fun-loving elementary school student.
Ji Tong happily adopted this idea.
He was very much looking forward to his upcoming college campus life.
As for the random reward chosen by Pei Qingyuan this time, it could be used on the first day of school and belonged to the type that would make Ji Tong silently ecstatic.
The night before school started, there were two suitcases of different styles in the living room, filled with things belonging to Pei Qingyuan and Ji Tong.
The rented house was in the same city as the college but the two of them probably wouldn’t come back every week when the time came. They should bring everything they needed.
Pei Qingyuan also thought about the problem of sleeping.
“It is 12 hours. If you wake up at eight in the morning and disappear at eight in the evening, what will happen after you disappear?”
Ji Tong said proudly, “I have a newly learned camouflage technique.”
“What is it?”
Ji Tong carried the new clothes bought for him by his friends from the closet one after another. He said excitedly, “You will know tomorrow.”
The room was filled with a happy atmosphere that made people want to show a smile. Pei Qingyuan looked at the suitcases that were never full and reasonably suspected that it was just a cover and all the clothes were actually thrown into Ji Tong’s magical chest.
On this night, Pei Qingyuan had the dream that haunted him for a long time for the last time.
The dream gradually faded from the hopeless paleness to the bright colors of summer.
The boy with the same face as Ji Tong left the cage-like sterile ward and moved to a more ordinary ward.
The huge mushroom floating outside the window was gone.
The elements that had been seen in reality poured silently into the dream.
As the cicadas sang in summer, Pei Qingyuan saw an exam set up in the ward. A teenager with a familiar face was the only candidate. He lowered his head and wrote the answers seriously, as if reappearing in the daylight.
There were two invigilators in the ward. More people in suits and shoes came and went outside the room and even media reporters were watching this special exam.
This was the college entrance examination.
Time passed abruptly. After receiving the score, the smiling doctors and nurses held the same newspaper in their hands.
These fragmentary words crossed the eyes of the onlooker called Pei Qingyuan.
The ‘fragile’ teenager who grew up in the hospital room finally healed… admitted to a prestigious school with a high score… tenacious life force… the great miracle of medicine…
He couldn’t read the name of the protagonist in the newspaper. There was only a colored photograph appearing next to the accompanying text.
In front of the sunny window, the light blurred everything around him. The thin boy was smiling with curved eyes at the camera.
Pei Qingyuan held his breath and watched all of this.
On the day of his discharge, the hospital that sent him away and the school that was about to welcome him held a grand ceremony. Countless spotlights shone amidst the noise.
Pei Qingyuan saw the teenager who was supposed to be the protagonist sneak away as if he was going to do something more important.
Out of nowhere, he got a small pot and a flower shovel. He went straight to the edge of a grove of trees and meadows. He crouched down and carefully dug through the soil.
Pei Qingyuan felt that the scenery in front of him was somewhat familiar.
It seemed to be the grassy area that he could see from the window when the teenager was previously trapped in the silent ward.
After a long time, the boy who succeeded turned around and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Pei Qingyuan saw the flower pot he was holding in the palm of his hand contained a small white mushroom.
He had the clearest eyes as he carefully touched the edge of the mushroom cap. Then he retracted it like he received an electric shock but there was a satisfied smile on his face.
He had a soft mushroom that grew quietly in the long rainy season in the south.
There was a subtle noise next to it that interrupted Pei Qingyuan’s loss of concentration.
The wandering white cat that occasionally ran in from outside the hospital looked warily at the stranger who was digging up a mushroom.
The young man’s eyes flashed with a bright brilliance and he explained in a low voice, “I only took one. You seem to like it very much.”
The cat snorted twice.
“I used to see you rolling around the mushrooms upstairs. I always wanted to touch the mushrooms growing in the soil with my own hands. I didn’t know what it was like.”
The teenager’s tone was very soft. He tentatively stretched out his hand and touched its head. “Hello.”
The fearful cat dodged away and its furry paws fiddled with the soft soil next to the mushrooms.
“I’m sorry.” His words were apologetic. “I took away a mushroom you like but I will treat it well.”
“I plan to plant it in the garden. If possible, I want to plant a lot of flowers. I will show you a picture of the garden next time.”
The cat couldn’t understand human words but its tense body gradually relaxed at this soft voice.
After whispering for a long time, someone looked for him. The teenager reluctantly said goodbye to the cat, got up and walked into the bright daylight.
“Goodbye, I’m starting a new life.”
He turned away with a smile on his face like he was walking into an equally bright future.
At the end of the dream, the familiar voice of the teenager overlapped with reality.
Pei Qingyuan opened his eyes in a daze and saw a snow-white cat lying on his shoulder, wagging his tail and gently scratching at Pei Qingyuan’s cheek. This faintly revealed the red love heart on the cat’s butt.
Seeing him wake up, Hua Hua immediately cleverly jumped into the arms of the person next to him to prevent being beaten.
Ji Tong, who had already washed up and dressed neatly, hugged Hua Hua. His voice was full of vigor as he smiled and called for Pei Qingyuan to get up, “You are sleeping late again.”
“Hurry up, we are going to college.”
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