Shock of All

As Michael watched Jack effortlessly tackle the questions, marking errors and making corrections without hesitation, disbelief washed over him. The first four questions were resolved in about thirty seconds.

"I feel like I didn't even read the questions!"

"Damn..."

Michael raised his hand to pause the video, holding it in place for a long moment as he uttered the expletive. It was the only word that could capture the astonishment coursing through him.

Michael was certain these questions hadn't been circulated elsewhere. Even if one attempted them independently, it would take hours, if not a full day. Yet, how long had it taken Jack?

Thirty seconds?

Could anyone even copy the answers that quickly?!

After a prolonged pause, Michael managed to gather himself. Resuming the video, his thoughts shifted to the final question. "Surely, one must at least glance at the question before answering, right? It took a minute and a half, after all... It must have been at least a one-second question, right?"

As the video resumed, Michael could only watch helplessly. Jack's slender fingers worked ceaselessly on the model, swiftly making alterations. Within a minute and a half, he transformed the model to match his vision without a moment's pause. 

The video concluded, leaving Michael standing in place, his gaze fixed on the holographic image of Jack suspended before him. His expression betrayed his inner turmoil, as if he wished to peer into Jack's mind to uncover a hidden supercomputer...

For a while, Michael remained motionless, then slowly sank to the floor, propping himself up with his hands and slumping down, his eyes vacant as he stared ahead.

Meanwhile, other Jaeger designers experienced a range of emotions—excitement, skepticism, jealousy, envy, sadness, anger—but ultimately, they all echoed a similar sentiment:

"Damn..."

...

"BOSSSS!"

The cry snapped Robert out of his reverie, causing him to look up from the documents on his desk with a startled expression.

"BOSS!" The secretary rushed in, his face flushed with excitement.

"What's going on?" Robert motioned for the secretary to close the door before speaking. He knew his secretary's demeanor very well. Few things could rouse him to such excitement.

Even when the monster appeared, the secretary had calmly and seriously informed Robert. So much so that Robert hadn't believed it at first!

"Something big has happened, something very significant," the secretary hurriedly shut the door and spoke in a rushed tone, "That person passed!"

"Which... oh, Jack, you mean? He passed? I thought..." Robert trailed off, his initial excitement waning. If Jack had merely passed, it wouldn't have elicited such a reaction from his secretary!

"... Be prepared," the secretary spoke with a grave expression, locking eyes with Robert.

"Is it really that serious? Surely not everything, right? There were over fifty questions from all the Jaeger designers, and I heard you mention they even included some unsolvable problems. Research-level difficulties. Could Jack really have solved them all on his own?" Robert's words trailed off as he began to sense something amiss.

Robert suddenly grasped the gravity of the situation.

"Is he... really correct?" Robert asked, his voice trembling slightly.

The secretary didn't respond verbally but nodded solemnly.

"... Including those problems that even the Jaeger designers couldn't solve?" Robert felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.

Again, the secretary nodded.

"... Hold on a moment, I recall they had just finished the questions and sent them not long ago. What time is it now?" Robert's breath quickened as he scrambled to find his mobile phone.

"No need to search, it's May 11, 2019," the secretary stated gravely, his tone serious. "We're less than a day away from when they'll distribute the test papers."

"...This is the next round," Robert was left speechless.

"So I need you to mentally prepare yourself, because this isn't the end..." the secretary sighed.

"Wait a moment!" Robert suddenly realized something and rushed to grab a glass of water. His hands trembled, spilling some water, but he paid it no mind. Downing the water in one gulp, he took several deep breaths. Feeling it wasn't enough, he dropped to the floor and did a few push-ups.

The secretary observed quietly, understanding the weight of the news he had delivered to Robert. He had been similarly shocked upon hearing it, spending a long time slumped on the sofa before recovering.

"Okay, continue," Robert said after completing dozens of push-ups, panting slightly. He looked at the secretary, waiting for more information.

"...Are you truly prepared?" The secretary hesitated to answer.

"Damn it... are you trying to give me a heart attack!" Robert exclaimed, gripping the desk for support. 

"Half an hour," the secretary finally disclosed.

"...What?" Robert's mouth hung open, speechless for a moment. Then, as if his brain needed time to process the information, he tried to confirm, "Half, an, hour?"

"Half, a, small, hour," the secretary enunciated each word carefully.

Robert fell silent, his upright posture slowly giving way as he squatted down, leaning against the desk until he was seated on the ground.

The secretary joined him on the floor.

"Fuck..." Robert finally spoke after a long pause.

"The other Jaeger designers used the same word," the secretary remarked with a smile.

"If anyone doubts it, let them try answering the test questions within half an hour, including the 'bonus' ones," Robert suggested.

"It'll still be 100% correct," the secretary confirmed.

Another silence filled the office.

"Steve, do you believe there's truly a genius in this world?"

"I'm not sure, but it seems we've just witnessed one."

"Yes, with monsters appearing, it seems God's given us a genius. It couldn't be more timely."

"..."

"..."

"Have you arranged for someone to bring him in?"

"It's been taken care of, at the highest priority. We'll have a direct call with you once he's here."

"That's reassuring."

....

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