I, the World’s Strongest, Have Failed the Civil Service Exam Thirty-Nine Times – CH51

Chapter 51

As a Huaxia citizen, no matter what kind of Evolvers or superpowers appeared—even if aliens showed up—exams and studying remained an inescapable burden of life.

Bai Hewei very calculatedly shifted the topic to the civil service exam, throwing out questions like: “How exactly should one write the opening paragraph for the essay section?” “Are there any of those uncommon but deeply impressive subheadings I can use?” “What do you guys think will be the hot topics for the essay section in this year’s national civil service exam?”

The others didn’t suspect a thing and eagerly chimed in.

This was especially true for Zhang Fuzhi. He truly lived up to his background in handling reception duties. Word was he had previously ground away in the document drafting section for five or six years, and his hair had once thinned down to a “Mediterranean” bald spot. Fortunately, hair-growth Evolver clinics had popped up all over the country, which allowed Zhang Fuzhi to possess a lush head of hair now; otherwise, he could only step out the door wearing a toupee.

Returning to the main topic—Bai Hewei actually managed to learn quite a few tips from Zhang Fuzhi. Zhang Fuzhi even promised that once this mission concluded, he would package all the speech drafts and documents he had written in the past and send them to Bai Hewei. If Bai Hewei could use any of them on the exam field, he could just copy his subheadings directly.

Bai Hewei cast a serious glance at Zhang Fuzhi, expressing his polite gratitude.

In his mind, he had already placed Zhang Fuzhi’s safety at the absolute top of his list.

Even if he himself got injured, he absolutely couldn’t let Zhang Fuzhi come to any harm. Before that massive essay prep package was securely in his hands, this man could not go missing.

Initially, Pullman and Cecilia had intended to join their conversation, but as they listened, the two of them gradually fell silent.

They had long since heard that East Asians were incredibly cutthroat when it came to studying, but seeing this group of S-class Evolvers today finally showed them just how far that cutthroat nature could go.

You guys are all S-class Evolvers, so is it really normal to place this much importance on an exam?

Amidst a scene like this, their travel time passed exceptionally quickly.

By the time the helicopter touched down, reaching the border of South Africa, they finally realized they had arrived.

“It’s only been two hours. This aircraft flies that fast?” Bai Hewei checked his phone and hurriedly shut off his cellular data. “Shoot, I forgot to buy an international roaming card.”

“It’s fine, we can just get it reimbursed later,” Zhang Fuzhi chuckled. “This counts as a standard operational expense. We have partnerships with several telecom providers, so our data cards are a bit cheaper.”

“That’s good.” Save what should be saved, spend what should be spent; Bai Hewei still hadn’t learned to spend money lavishly.

“How much further is it from here to the Forbidden Zone?” Pullman looked at the azure sky and the vast, boundless landscape, harboring a trace of curiosity.

At this moment, the robot perched on Pullman’s shoulder supplied the answer.

“Navigating for you now. The current distance to the boundary of the Forbidden Zone is 102.432 km.”

“That far?” Bai Hewei was taken aback. “Can’t the aircraft deliver us closer?”

“South Africa’s largest Forbidden Zone, the ‘Devil’s Garden,’ will inflict structural damage on any flying object within a 100-kilometer radius,” the robot on Zhang Fuzhi’s shoulder introduced from the side. “Retrieving data for you. Based on existing statistics, aircraft flying above the South African Forbidden Zone over the past five years have suffered a one-hundred-percent crash rate. Airlines canceled all flights routing through this area four years ago.”

“That formidable?” Bai Hewei was stunned for a moment. “It seems like the Forbidden Zones in other places aren’t this strong.”

“Different Forbidden Zones inflict different types of destruction. Not to mention, this is the largest Forbidden Zone in South Africa, and it ranks third globally,” Pullman explained, possessing a degree of understanding regarding the area. “With the strength of our team, I’m afraid the moment we close within 100 kilometers of the perimeter, we will be forcibly sucked inside by the Forbidden Zone. Once dragged in by that force, we will likely be scattered across various locations within the zone, and there’s a chance the Forbidden Zone will directly drain the energy inside our bodies. If that happens, it will be very difficult for us to gather together. May I ask what suggestions the Research Institute has for us?”

“The robots are equipped with the latest limiters,” at this point, Mister Number One, who had been sitting silently on Bai Hewei’s shoulder all this time, finally spoke up. “As long as the robots remain firmly locked onto your shoulders, they will heavily suppress the evolutionary factors inside your bodies.”

“Exactly how long this effect can be sustained cannot be estimated due to a lack of data,” Wen Zhiyi continued. “Our current recommendation is that the six of you split into three groups, entering the Forbidden Zone from the east, west, and south respectively. Once inside the Forbidden Zone, you can utilize the robots to establish communication and regroup. This will ensure that the tactical initiative remains firmly in our hands.”

“Bai Hewei will be a single-person group,” Wen Zhiyi added. “Pullman possesses superpower dispersal capabilities, so he can group with Cecilia and Zhang Fuzhi. I’ll trouble you to help temporarily disperse the superpowers inside their bodies, as the three of you currently possess the strongest internal evolutionary factors. The remaining three—Wei Yan, Huang Silin, and Chu Han—will form the final group.”

“Why is Bai Hewei’s robot different from ours? How come his features a live human service?” Cecilia remarked, thoroughly dissatisfied.

“There’s no helping that. Who told me to have already cooperated with Mister Number One multiple times?” Bai Hewei shrugged, his face filled with smug satisfaction. “Whenever you become as formidable as I am, you can apply to switch to a live human service too.”

Conversely, Zhang Fuzhi, Wei Yan, and the others understood perfectly clearly. Even if the voice had been altered, who else could possess this commanding cadence and tone besides Chief Wen?

They were all veteran workers of the Special Operations Department; they knew that if the leader didn’t wish to expose his identity, he was bound to have his reasons. Bai Hewei might be the strongest in the world, but they were only cooperating with him this single time, whereas Wen Zhiyi was the boss who held permanent control over their year-end performance reviews. If Wen Zhiyi didn’t give the word, how could they dare expose his identity?

“Let’s proceed this way then,” Zhang Fuzhi stepped forward to say. “We will enter the Forbidden Zone in separate batches first, trying our best to avoid detection by The Embargo squad. Once we’re inside, we’ll find a way to rendezvous. If we cross paths with members of The Embargo mid-journey, do not strike rashly; observe the situation first. Inside a Forbidden Zone, the enemy isn’t the hardest element to handle—the Forbidden Zone itself is our greatest threat.”

Although Cecilia felt a bit disgruntled, the reality of the situation left him no choice but to agree.

Having finalized the decision, they wasted no more time and split up to enter the Forbidden Zone.

Bai Hewei selected the eastern path, Zhang Fuzhi’s group took the western path, and Wei Yan’s team chose the southern path.

“See you guys inside the Forbidden Zone then,” Bai Hewei waved his hand to bid them farewell, walking lazily toward the Forbidden Zone.

“What exactly does Mister Number One want me to do?” Once the others were out of sight, Bai Hewei opened his mouth to ask. “Grouping me alone grants the highest degree of freedom.”

Logically speaking, he should be the person in the squad who needed the most monitoring.

“The corporation that fell inside the Forbidden Zone previously undertook a sub-project of the Zero Research Institute. We must secure those data files first,” Wen Zhiyi’s voice emitted from the Number One robot. “This is the highest directive issued by the Central Research Institute. With Pullman present, it wasn’t convenient to state this openly.”

“Is the superpower vessel design blueprint not important?” Bai Hewei asked out of curiosity.

“It is important, but it is merely a design blueprint. It requires the Awakening Blocks to serve as the baseline energy source. As long as we master the methodology, the design blueprints can be drafted at any time,” Wen Zhiyi answered without a shred of hesitation. “The Awakening Blocks and the technology to manufacture the vessels constitute the actual core. To use a simple analogy: if you hand a flock of monkeys the blueprints to a bird’s nest, will the monkeys be able to construct it?”

This analogy was remarkably simple and easy to understand, instantly stripping away the mystique surrounding the superpower vessel design blueprints for Bai Hewei.

“Furthermore, we must maintain a degree of caution regarding the other members of the squad,” Wen Zhiyi continued. “Do not misunderstand; I do not mean to suggest they are spies. Rather, one of the members within The Embargo squad possesses a highly specialized capability—he is likely a top-tier parasitic-type Evolver. It is said he can parasite onto completely unrelated Evolvers from thousands of miles away without the host being aware of it at all. In this manner, many secrets and plans can easily be intercepted by the opposing side. Splitting into three groups is precisely to guard against this point; even if one group runs into an issue, the other two groups can continue to execute the mission.”

“And you, Xiao Bai, are the strongest Evolver in the world. A parasitic-type Evolver has no hope of host-parasiting onto your body, making you the most trustworthy individual.”

“I’m actually rather useful,” Bai Hewei chuckled. “Fair enough. In that case, wherever Mister Number One tells me to go, I’ll just go.”

“Did it ever cross your mind that I might be a spy too?” Wen Zhiyi fell silent for a long moment before inquiring.

“That’s impossible,” Bai Hewei said casually. “To be dispatched to my side, Mister Number One, you must be an exceptionally formidable figure within the Central Research Institute. Even if you’re a temporary worker, you’re bound to be the thoroughly vetted, politically reliable type who would absolutely never defect. If even you turned out to be a spy, it would prove that the Central Research Institute is no longer worthy of trust. If things truly reached that point, I’m afraid everyone around me would be a spy.”

Bai Hewei wasn’t stupid; his brain only turned slowly when he was practicing exam questions.

“Another incorrect coordinate point!” A Black woman sporting dreadlocks unleashed a torrent of furious gibberish. “What kind of godforsaken place is this? None of our equipment works.”

“If it were easy, we wouldn’t have spent this long preparing before entering,” a blonde, blue-eyed man gestured for her to calm down.

If a fan who followed the American entertainment industry were present here, they would likely be able to clearly identify the identities of these individuals before them.

Without exception, every single one of them was a “superhero.” Not only did they possess their own standalone blockbuster movies and autobiographies, but they also generated countless merchandise items; every individual was a walking source of massive cash flow.

Yet at this moment, they were merely serving as the core members of The Embargo squad, venturing inside to explore.

No one would ever imagine that those “superheroes” who were active beneath the entertainment spotlights—and whom many assumed to be mere eye candy—were the actual core members of The Embargo squad.

Naturally, the “superpower” information released to the outside world was completely fabricated, designed entirely to mislead enemies.

“You guys are losing stamina this quickly?” Shirley wore a specially crafted collar around her neck, though her hands and feet were entirely free. Seeing their state, she couldn’t help but voice a few taunts. “At this rate, before I even get a chance to treat you all, you’ll be finished off by the attacks inside the Forbidden Zone. I can only heal people; I can’t bring the dead back to life.”

“Bitch, what did you say?”

“Just stating facts,” Shirley said with a yawn. “Your control over me is merely temporary; my brother will track me down very soon. You guys better hurry up and find the item you want. I bought a villa in Huaxia and want to personally design it. My brother’s aesthetic sense is rather poor; I’m terrified he’ll turn my house into a Disney princess room.”

Author’s Note:
Shirley: You guys hurry it up, I need to go home and handle renovations!
Pullman: How about we add some lace curtains to the villa? Little sister is bound to adore pink!

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