Chapter 168 Hypnosis
Chen Jianguo's sharp gaze swept across the entire room, taking in the shock and confusion on every young face.
"Starting today, you will undergo a week-long freshman training program."
Intensive training? Many students subconsciously straightened their backs, their minds already conjuring images of standing at attention, marching in formation, and running five kilometers.
“But this training camp won’t involve military-style training, and we won’t require you to run laps or do long marches.” Chen Jianguo’s words once again surprised everyone.
"There is only one goal this week."
He paused, then said earnestly, "That is, to let us truly understand each and every one of you."
"During this week, there will be dedicated teachers who will communicate with you one-on-one to get to know you better."
"After a week of intensive training, the school will re-divide you into classes and reassign your dormitories based on a comprehensive evaluation of each of you."
"At that time, your roommates and classmates will be your companions in the future."
"And your courses will truly begin."
"I have finished speaking. Now, please have each class counselor proceed to the designated area to prepare to receive your students."
As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of young people in uniform walked up from both sides of the platform. Each of them held a list and quickly dispersed to various corners of the playground.
"Class 1, Metal Department, please assemble here!"
"Students of Class 2, Wood Element Department, look here!"
...
The flow of people on the playground began to be divided and guided.
Lin Qingqian and her three roommates from different age groups stood together, feeling lost and unsure of what to do.
"Um... which class are we in?" Sun Xiaomeng, who had her hair in pigtails, asked softly.
Lin Qingqian looked down at the student card she had just received at the dormitory entrance, which clearly read "Water System Class 3".
Just then, a clear voice rang out: "Students of Class 3, Water System, come with me!"
A young woman who looked no more than twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with an exceptionally friendly smile, was holding up a sign that read "Water System Class 3" and waving in their direction.
"It's us!" she said quickly. The four of them exchanged glances and ran in that direction.
Like Lin Qingqian's dormitory, this class also has a very diverse composition.
The oldest one was that graduate student, Zhao Boyuan, who seemed to have lost all will to live.
The youngest was a little boy who had just started second grade and was still clinging to Zhao Boyuan's clothes.
"Hello everyone, my name is Su Xue, and I will be your counselor for the next period of time." The young woman smiled and said, "You can call me Teacher Su."
"Over the next week, I will be leading everyone through the freshman orientation. Now, let's go back to our classes and get to know each other."
...
The so-called intensive training officially began on the second day.
There was no assembly or morning exercises; the students simply went to their counselors' offices at their designated times, as instructed by the notice.
The one-on-one meeting was at 10 a.m. with Lin Qingqian.
With a nervous heart, she knocked on the door of Ms. Su Xue's office.
"Please come in."
The office is spacious, more like a cozy living room, with sofas, coffee tables, and green plants.
"You're here? Have a seat, don't be nervous." Su Xue pointed to the sofa opposite her and personally poured her a glass of warm water.
"Thank you, Teacher Su." Lin Qingqian sat down awkwardly.
"No need to be so polite." Su Xue sat down opposite her, holding a tablet in her hand, but she didn't look at it. Instead, she smiled and looked at her.
"Lin Qingqian, right? A high school graduate with excellent grades, whose original goal was Tsinghua or Peking University."
"yes."
Su Xue's tone was gentle: "So, let's make a hypothetical scenario: there are no exams, no pressure to get into a good school, and you don't need to worry about money or the future. Tell me, what do you want to do most?"
Lin Qingqian was stunned. What did she want to do most? Her life trajectory from childhood to adulthood was to study, take exams, get first place, go to a good university, and find a good job... She had never thought about this question before.
"I...I don't know." She seemed a little lost.
"It's okay, take your time to think about it."
Su Xue then asked, "So what do you like? Do you have any special hobbies?"
"I like...reading?" Lin Qingqian answered tentatively.
"Besides textbooks?"
"I also read some novels and history books."
"Very good." Su Xue wrote on the form: "Anything else? Is there anything that makes you feel particularly happy, or even makes you lose track of time?"
Lin Qingqian fell into deep thought.
This week, everyone went through a similar process, being asked all sorts of "out-of-the-box" questions.
What is your favorite color?
What's the craziest dream you've ever had?
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Some even involve psychological counselors who conduct sandplay therapy, art analysis, and, with the student's consent, light hypnosis to explore their deepest desires and interests in their subconscious.
The students were all dumbfounded.
This university is so unprofessional!
Why are you asking questions that have absolutely nothing to do with studying?
The distraught graduate student spent two hours in the office complaining to his advisor about his disrupted life plans. The advisor listened with a smile throughout, nodding occasionally, and even refilled his water bottle three times.
Sun Xiaomeng, with her hair in pigtails, excitedly chatted with her counselor about her favorite game character and her newly come up with a game strategy.
The little boy with the missing front tooth spent the whole day in the art studio. His teacher stayed with him all day and kept praising him: "Wow, the Ultraman you drew is even more impressive than the one on TV!"
A week passed quietly.
The school announced the end of the training camp and gave everyone a day off. At the same time, the parents in the parent dormitory also received a notice that they could apply to visit their children.
A mother surnamed Wang was among the first parents to rush to the registration office. Her son was only in the third grade of elementary school, and he was a mischievous troublemaker, the devil in the family. She hadn't slept well for a week after leaving him alone in this unfamiliar place.
When she anxiously saw her son in the meeting room, all the words of comfort and encouragement she had prepared stuck in her throat.
The son showed no sign of reluctance; on the contrary, his face was flushed, and he rushed over to her as soon as he saw her.
"Mom! Let me tell you, our teacher, Mr. Liu, is amazing! He spent the whole day playing with the sandbox with me! He even said that the castle I built was the most creative in the whole class!"
Ms. Wang was stunned.
On the other side, a father also saw his daughter, who was in the second year of junior high school. His daughter used to be a bit introverted and didn't like to talk much. But now, she was talking to her father animatedly.
"Dad, Teacher Zhang said I'm particularly good with numbers. He gave me a cryptic puzzle, and I solved it in half an hour! He also said he'll take us to play an even bigger puzzle game next time!"
Seeing the genuine, pure joy and confidence on the children's faces, the parents gradually felt relieved.
Although they don't know what the country is trying to achieve, and this kind of education seems like coaxing a child, seeing the children so happy and recognized seems pretty good, and the parents are completely at ease.
Lin Qingqian also made a phone call home.
"Hello, Mom."
"Qingqian! How are you? Are you settling in well over there? What exactly does the school teach?" Lin's mother's voice was full of concern on the other end of the phone.
"It's fine, Mom." Lin Qingtian thought for a moment, still unsure how to explain: "The school... is quite special, the teachers are all very nice, so don't worry."
She didn't really know what to say, but inside she felt an unprecedented peace and anticipation.
A day of rest passed quickly.
In the evening, all students received a notice of dormitory reassignment.
Lin Qingqian was pleasantly surprised to find that none of her three new roommates had changed. Although at first she felt that having a junior high school student would make it difficult to have common topics, after a week of getting to know each other, the four of them had already established a friendly relationship.
Zhao Boyuan, the graduate student who was so disillusioned with life, had changed two roommates. But before he could even get excited, he discovered that the little brat was still in the same dorm room as him!
What a waste of his expectations! He really doesn't want to be called Uncle Zhao at such a young age! How awful!
Just as everyone had settled in and was preparing for the official start of classes the next day, a new announcement was broadcast throughout the entire campus.
"Attention all new students! All students are requested to assemble urgently at the central playground at 6:00 AM tomorrow morning to board the designated transportation to Practice Base No. 1..."
“Repeat it once…”
The broadcast continued, but Lin Qingqian's mind was filled with only that last sentence.
"The duration of this experiment is unknown, and it will be conducted under complete closed management, during which all communication with the outside world will be cut off."
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