The Test

Stephan glanced over the extensive list Jack had written and muttered under his breath.

"I'm here to escort you. Are you... sure you won't reconsider? It's crucial to fill this out truthfully!" Stephan scanned the surroundings, then approached Jack, speaking in a hushed tone.

"And, buddy, let me tell you, you're pretty darn good at putting on a show. If you manage to pass the initial screening, they're going to dig into everything you wrote! Typically, passing the test means smooth sailing. But with all this... you might end up facing penalties for hindering official duties and wasting resources!"

From the moment Stephan first laid eyes on Jack, he had a suspicion about his age - Jack seemed eager to flaunt his abilities.

Now, with Jack filling in an excessive amount of knowledge on the form, Stephan's suspicions were confirmed.

A young guy in his early twenties claiming to know so much... Who would buy it?

"It's alright, I'm confident. Thanks for the heads-up," Jack replied with a smile.

Stephan was left speechless, shaking his head at Jack. "Well, then, let's get going!" That's all he said. Being a stranger, a simple reminder was sufficient to demonstrate his concern for Jack's well-being. All for the sake of appearances.

People are generally more forgiving of good intentions.

Soon, under Stephan's guidance, Jack arrived at a room.

The room was Spartan: just four walls, a table, and a computer.

"This is the preliminary test. You'll need to answer the questions on the computer. The test lasts an hour and consists of fifty questions. You'll need to score over 60 to pass," Stephan explained. "You can submit your answers early. The system selects the questions automatically..."

"Understood," Jack replied.

"I wish you a smooth passage," Stephan said smoothly before exiting and closing the door behind him.

"How can there be so much to fill in?" Stephan muttered as he closed the door, his lips curling speechlessly. "Even if you're lucky enough to pass the preliminary examination... forget it, it's none of my business. He looks like a good guy... It's a pity he don't have a good brain. Maybe he will have better luck as a pilot."

Stephan's tone softened as he reflected. It was true. Apart from the physical fitness required for a Jaeger pilot, the rest... really came down to luck.

Estimating the exam wouldn't conclude anytime soon, Stephan returned to his office. He input Jack's completed information into the database, then pulled up the monitoring screen for Jack's assessment room. Clutching his coke, he took a sip and closed his eyes in contentment, smacked his lips, and sighed.

"Nice," he mused.

.....

Meanwhile, Jack stared at the questions on the computer, narrowing his eyes before diving into the task.

For him, the questions were as simple as 1+1=2! There was no need to waste time pondering; just the process of moving the mouse and clicking the left button took time!

Back in the office, Stephan had just finished savoring a coke when a beeping sound interrupted his moment of relaxation.

"What's going on? You haven't beeped in two years, and now twice in one day?" Stephan muttered, only to realize this time the sound came from his own computer!

His eyes widened as the pleasant aroma of warm wolfberry suddenly lost its charm.

He glanced at the prompt on the computer screen.

"Jack has completed the answers to the fifty questions, and his score is... full marks!"

.....

In The Office 

"In this world, there will always be some geniuses, the kind who are self-taught," Jack confidently asserted from his seat in the office.

Stephan, taken aback, scratched his head in disbelief. "Buddy, it's not that I doubt you, but are you really saying you learned all this on your own?"

Jack nodded earnestly. "Yep. Any problem with that?"

Stephan hesitated before asking, "But where did you come across all this knowledge?"

Jack looked at Stephan as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "The internet, of course! In this day and age, what can't you find online?"

Stephan glanced at Jack's information on the tablet, marveling at his seemingly boundless intellect. "It's just... you seem too much of a genius! All self-taught?"

As Stephan processed Jack's incredible feat of answering fifty questions in five minutes with perfect accuracy, he couldn't help but wonder if Jack was truly just a prodigy.

"Congratulations on passing the preliminary test," Stephan finally managed to say, deciding to leave the question of Jack's authenticity to higher-ups. After all, he was more intrigued by Jack's abilities than anything else. But a nagging doubt lingered: had Jack somehow obtained the test material beforehand?

....

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