Light Barrier

Twenty minutes later.

Gu Shen was called back to the classroom where the assessment was held.

The three sealed objects on the table had already been taken back. The five members of the assessment team were sitting upright, and the atmosphere was solemn.

Is the assessment result out? Although Gu Shen was sure about passing, the atmosphere was so solemn that he still felt a little uneasy.

Seeing Gu Shen’s nervous expression, the chief justice of the Redwood District chuckled. “Kid, are you worried about the assessment results?”

Then the other assessors also laughed.

These few seconds of silence in the classroom were a small joke that the assessment team wanted to give to this S-grade newcomer after discussing.

From the moment Gu Shen completed the Dream Decipher of the Cage of Ghosts, the result was already certain.

Undoubtedly S-grade.

Let him worry a bit.

“Congratulations.” The voice of Tang Qingquan, the chief assessor, broke the silence of the classroom.

A smile slowly appeared on his stern face. This meticulously groomed and dressed grand magistrate unexpectedly gave people a feeling of warmth and kindness when he smiled.

“Gu Shen, after our assessment and deliberation, we have come to an agreement. The assessment team has decided to give you an S-grade evaluation of your potential,” the grand magistrate said solemnly. “In the past twenty years, the number of transcendents in the Adjudication Bureau who have obtained an S-grade evaluation can be counted on one hand. You are a newcomer we have high hopes for, and you are also the hope of the East Continent in the future. We hope you will continue to work hard.”

It was a very official speech, but the grand magistrate spoke with sincerity.

Gu Shen breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

He bowed deeply, stood up straight, and repeated, “Thank you.”

The five assessors opposite him stood up and took turns shaking hands with Gu Shen.

They left behind their names and positions. In the nine districts of the East Continent, every one of them was a highly renowned and authoritative figure.

“Gu Shen, you are a very good young man. It was very worth it to exchange a pardon order for your future.”

While shaking hands, the ruddy-faced old man in charge of the Sands of Time, Lin Beizhu, whispered a piece of news to Gu Shen. “Actually, even if Parliament Member Zhao didn’t issue that pardon order, someone else would have stepped forward. According to what I know, there is someone in Changye who is quite interested in you.”

Changye?

It was the most prosperous area in the north of the East Continent, a core area on par with the Dadu District.

Someone is actually interested in me there… Gu Shen had the illusion that he was dreaming for a moment.

He saw Lin Beizhu wink at him and smile. “As for who it is, it’s not convenient for me to say. If you have the chance to go to Changye in the future, I can bring you to see him.”

“Thank you for your kindness. Actually, I grew up in a small place. I’ve always wanted to see bigger cities, but I’ve never had the chance,” Gu Shen said, feeling flattered. “I’ve always yearned for Dadu and Changye.”

Gu Shen had grown up in a mountain orphanage far away from technological civilization. He had not even explored much of the city center of the Azure River District.

As for Changye and Dadu, to him, they were super cities that only existed on the Internet.

“Don’t worry. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future!”

Chief Justice Wu Mengbai of the Redwood District shook Gu Shen’s hand vigorously while patting him on the shoulder and laughing heartily. “Changye and Dadu are quite developed, but the other districts aren’t bad either. Kid, I have high hopes for you. If things don’t work out for you in the Adjudication Bureau, you can go to the Redwood District to find me.”

“… Okay!” Gu Shen bowed earnestly in thanks.

He had a deep impression of this chief justice.

The first dream he had entered was Wu Mengbai’s Blue Cube. And in this assessment, the chief justice of the Redwood District was the one who showed him the most goodwill.

It was just that… the big shots of the Penitentiary Bureau seemed to like poaching talents openly?

“Alright. Everyone, our work here is done. Let’s not delay Gu Shen’s time,” the grand magistrate said softly. “Mr. Cui is still waiting to meet this newcomer.”

Hearing the words of Mr. Cui, the others smiled and didn’t say anything else.

“Mr. Cui…” Gu Shen’s expression became solemn.

A few days before the assessment, Senior Sister Luo and Senior Brother Zhong had told him the general outline of the pardon order event and the most important figure in this assessment.

Assistant to the MP of the Dadu District, Cui Zhongcheng.

Most people were accustomed to calling him Mr. Cui. He was a very formidable man. Although the title of an MP’s assistant didn’t sound grand, in fact, he was a rather special existence. Mr. Zhao Xilai, who had a powerful voice in the Parliament, was already very old and spent most of his time recuperating. He had left many important matters to Mr. Cui to handle.

It could be said that MP Zhao trusted and relied on this assistant the most.

This was why, before the assessment began, Senior Sister Luo had instructed Nan Jin to bring him out of Oto City to avoid the limelight.

The purpose was to avoid meeting Mr. Cui before the official assessment began.

His first impression could have a significant impact on the assessment.

And now, it was finally time to meet him.

Gu Shen and the grand magistrate walked together.

Finally, he was brought to the library. The reading room was full of the afternoon sunlight, and a tall and refined middle-aged man was sitting quietly at a table, his demeanor resembling a weathered stone.

Through the full-length glass window, Gu Shen asked softly, “Is this Mr. Cui?”

He was different from what he had imagined.

He had thought… the person would be an elite figure similar to Grand Magistrate Tang Qingquan, who had his hair combed back and was dressed in a neat suit. At first glance, the grand magistrate looked like someone always busy, who worked on several things at once from morning to night, every day.

When he met Mr. Cui, Mr. Cui should have been handling official business and replying to several emails.

In reality, it was the complete opposite of what he had imagined.

Cui Zhongcheng was not dressed in fancy clothes. He appeared plain, like a professor at the University of Oto. In this deserted library, he seemed like a grain of sand sinking into the depths of the ocean.

Gu Shen looked at the figure sitting straight-backed. He had no doubt that if no one disturbed him, Mr. Cui would sit there from morning to night.

“This is Mr. Cui.” The grand magistrate reminded, “There’s no need to be nervous. Mr. Cui is a very friendly person. He’s just not good at expressing himself, so he looks solitary. In fact, he has been looking forward to meeting you, so he specifically instructed us to send you over after the assessment.”

Gu Shen nodded.

The motion sensor door slowly opened, and Gu Shen walked into the reading room, heading straight to the large table bathed in sunlight.

He noticed that the book Mr. Cui was reading was almost finished, with only the last few thin pages remaining.

Gu Shen didn’t speak or make a sound.

He simply quietly chose a few books from a bookshelf, sat opposite Cui Zhongcheng, and silently accompanied him to read.