Chapter 77 Bridge
In the previous world, there weren't many believers, but several appeared around Fu Qing in succession.
Some were casual acquaintances like the madwoman she met in the refugee camp, while others, like Fan Zheng, hid their identities and infiltrated her life.
She always felt that this was a coincidence.
But Fu Qing's intuition told her that there was an inevitable connection behind every coincidence.
She spoke as if making a sigh, or perhaps just casually: "...Don't you think so?"
Lu Yan seemed to stiffen for a moment. Fu Qing glanced at him, and without waiting for his reply, turned and walked out of the classroom, waving her hand behind Lu Yan's back: "I've said what I needed to say. I'm leaving now. I have to train tonight."
"Oh." Lu Yan snapped out of his daze and caught up, taking a few quick steps to open the door for her.
But Fu Qing had already opened the tightly closed classroom door first. Before leaving, she suddenly paused and said out of the blue, "Actually, I might really feel a little guilty."
Lu Yan didn't react.
“Later, I replayed that day in my mind many times. The only thing that made me regret making that decision was that decision that killed you.” Fu Qing turned around again, frowning as she looked at Lu Yan, as if she were recalling that day through him.
Those days, even memories are shrouded in gloom.
“It wasn’t you,” Lu Yan corrected seriously. “I left the factory safely. The only person who was injured that day was you, Fu Qing. Everything that happened afterward was my own choice, not yours.”
"You bear the consequences of your choices, and I'll bear mine. That's fair."
fair.
Fu Qing pondered the two words for a moment, then suddenly chuckled softly.
"In any case, it feels good to see you again."
The negative emotions were just a fleeting illusion. She regained her usual composure and said decisively, "Goodbye."
Lu Yan, who almost got his nose caught in the door while trying to catch up, was speechless.
Fu Qing left in a hurry, leaving Lu Yan standing alone in the empty classroom. He stared blankly for a while, then slowly stretched out his wrist, purely subconsciously—to check his pulse.
*
The assessment has concluded. Click to view the report.
Number of survivors: 1883
Average number of low-level zombies killed: 5.32 per person (an increase of 0.41 per person compared to the last assessment)
Average number of mid-level zombies killed: 0.70 per person (an increase of 0.22 per person compared to the last assessment)
Average survival time...
...
[Overall Evaluation]
Total number of people: 2370
Grade C: 0 people (0%)
Category B: 0 people (0%)
Grade A: 2124 people (89.62%)
S-level: 239 people (10.08%)
SS-level: 7 people (0.3%)
...
[Completed: Main Quest "Ability Test - Final"]
[Requirement: At least 1500 students must achieve an A grade in their overall evaluation by the end of the academic year. (Completed)]
[Reward: 1000 Steel Spike Trap]
[Note: Each trap can be laid on a 2m*2m area of ground. No need to dig a pit beforehand. After placement, the original ground will automatically sink, positioning the trap at the bottom of the pit.]
...
[Hidden trigger requirement: Before the end of the academic year, all staff members' overall performance evaluation must be promoted to A grade or above. (Completed)]
[Reward: 3000 Teaching Points]
The final exams for the second semester at Fangzhou University were quite lively.
Although it's called a final exam, it's also, in a sense, a graduation exam.
Each teacher brought out their best skills, setting incredibly challenging and difficult exam questions. For example, the first aid course used a complete question bank directly from the simulation chamber, which was then imported into the chamber as a copy. Students had three chances to draw lots and choose one of the three questions to take the exam, including how to perform a surgical operation in extreme conditions without professional assistance.
Of the patients who survive surgery, only one in ten survives. However, the exam assesses whether the student's response was calm and professional, and whether they did their best under the possible conditions.
Do your best and leave the rest to fate.
Once the surgery is complete, the students will accompany the patient in the simulation chamber during the postoperative recovery period until they witness the final outcome—either the patient recovers their health or dies.
Only when everything has settled will the system give the final score. Even if the patient ultimately dies, the students may still receive a perfect score because they performed the operation without any mistakes.
In fact, it is difficult to find a sterile environment in the apocalypse, and the postoperative infection rate is extremely high. Only one in ten patients can survive. The rule that students stay until the end to send off the patients will bring them tremendous psychological pressure.
But the words "passed the assessment" seem to tell them: you have done your best under the possible conditions, so there is no need to blame yourself.
All emergency responders can do is try their best and leave the rest to fate.
This, in turn, dispelled the gloom brought by death, giving them the courage to pick up their first-aid kits and rush to the next battlefield belonging to the medics.
Take infrastructure courses, for example.
Throughout the second semester, the students in the infrastructure course were working on a large project—building a shelter from scratch, brick by brick, in groups on a simulation pod map selected by Xu Mingyue.
The final exam question was about how to withstand a zombie horde attack that lasted for three hours using this shelter.
There are two scoring points: the integrity of the shelter after the zombie horde recedes, and the casualties among the team members.
The horde of zombies was too large for the students to leave the shelter and fight them. They could only hold out against the outer wall, using the various traps they had made and the weapons they had scavenged from the surrounding area. In the end, it was quite like the chaotic scene in Plants vs. Zombies.
To pass the exams, students came up with all sorts of ingenious tricks. Some didn't slack off for an entire semester; their shelters were already impregnable, and they even built traps outside, making it easy for them to defend themselves.
Some people knew that the materials chosen for the walls of their shelters were not sturdy enough, so they dug tunnels in advance, covered the surface with straw and smelly paint, and crawled into the tunnels when they couldn't hold on any longer. By the time the zombies found the tunnel entrance, they had already run far away, and at least they earned some kills.
Some people were unprepared and had to resort to last-minute scrambling. When they realized they couldn't hold on any longer, they poured gasoline down the wall in an attempt to set all the zombies on fire and pile them up to form a human wall.
Unexpectedly, the zombie was indeed set on fire, but the zombie himself was choked to death by the smoke, creating the bizarre situation where the shelter remained intact, but the zombies were dealt a zero.
In addition to the written exam, Zhao Yunxiao also held a sharing session in the auditorium for the final exam of the Zombie Characteristics course. He explained in detail the difficulties and key points of breakthroughs he encountered in making serum in his previous life, and gave everyone two printed copies of his notes.
Zhao Yunxiao's understanding of zombies had reached the cellular level, but this knowledge was all engraved in his mind by the system, and it was extremely difficult to comprehend and export it. It's like how humans are born knowing how to cry and move their limbs, but trying to figure out how they do all this and then organize the methods to teach non-human beings is as difficult as climbing to the heavens.
It took Zhao Yunxiao a full six months to organize that notebook.
Although it couldn't compare to being there in person, he believed the contents of the notes would definitely be of great help to the researchers.
Zhao Yunxiao will not die, but his fate is closely related to Fangzhou.
Just in case... if one day Fangzhou falls and the students scatter and flee, then these thousands of notebooks will be humanity's last hope.
In their final week, Bai Tang, Hao Zhenye, and Liu Yingchun, all the teachers shared their life's work and the knowledge they had gained in the face of death in various forms without reservation.
Students learn in lessons, learn in exams, learn from mistakes, and until the very last moment, they continue to grow like they have grown after a spring rain.
In fact, even from the system's perspective, the changes in Fangzhou's more than two thousand students over the past year have been astonishing.
From the vast majority being rated C, to the entire team's overall evaluation being raised to A, and even one-tenth receiving an S rating or higher—enough to serve as the leader of a small organization or survival team in the apocalypse—it's hard to imagine that just a year ago they were so green and inexperienced.
But the students always felt it wasn't enough.
As the end of the world drew closer, people were more often awakened in the dead of night, like students who were forced to take the exam before they had finished their studies, their hearts filled with indescribable panic and fear.
The course has ended, which means that from now on, no one will stand up and patiently point out their mistakes after their failures, nor will they receive a seemingly harsh but actually detailed post-mortem analysis after each failure.
It wasn't until they had to leave temporarily that the students realized they had developed a deep dependence on Fangzhou.
*
On the day the final grades were released, Fu Qing announced the official members of the elite team.
Seven students across the school achieved an overall rating of SS, meaning they are exceptionally outstanding in a particular area and can survive alone for a long time in a post-apocalyptic world.
Of course, the system only provides a general standard, and there can be significant differences even within the same level. For example, most people in Fangzhou seem to be at level A, but some people entered this level months ago and are only a little short of promotion.
These seven SS-level individuals barely made it to the top in their final exam, and they are still quite different from those who have truly struggled in the apocalypse for years.
Fu Qing believes that these gaps will be gradually bridged after the apocalypse.
Furthermore, achieving an overall rating of S or SS does not necessarily mean that all individual skills are at the same level; it simply means that there are no weaknesses.
For example, if Bai Tang were to be evaluated by the system, her overall rating might only be A, because her physical fitness and combat ability are seriously dragging her down, but her survival skills still surpass those of most of her classmates in Fangzhou.
In the principal's office, thirteen people stood nervously in front of Fu Qing, while she looked down at the seven names on the list.
Those who received an SS rating were all students from the elite class.
The remaining six looked down at their toes with expressions of regret and frustration.
Shame made them afraid to look up at the principal.
The principal has already devoted himself so much to teaching them over the past six months.
Why didn't I try harder during the exam? Why didn't I kill more zombies during practice? Why did I make that mistake...?
Some people felt a lump in their throat and even couldn't help but shed tears, which they quickly wiped away without attracting attention.
So embarrassing...
“Everyone has a different foundation. Starting from different points, even if they run the same distance or even further, they may not reach the same destination.” Fu Qing turned off the panel. “You have done very well.”
Every student in Fangzhou works very hard, but the thirteen students in the elite class are definitely the ones who have put in the most effort and shed the most sweat.
Fu Qing is well aware of how arduous his training methods are.
She had hoped to discourage a few people with the arduous training, but to her surprise, everyone gritted their teeth and persevered to the end.
According to system statistics, the thirteen students have made significant improvements in strength, endurance, agility, and speed, even leaving other students far behind.
Those six people just had much weaker foundations.
Having grown accustomed to the principal's stern and demanding demeanor, the six were not happy to receive a word of comfort from her; they felt it was merely a prelude to a farewell.
Liang Yi's eyes reddened, and he stammered, "Principal..."
He wanted to say, "Don't abandon us."
But I couldn't bring myself to say it.
He failed to meet the principal's requirements.
At this moment, Fu Qing spoke up: "Now, let's announce the five-person roster of the elite team."
Everyone silently took a deep breath.
The name that followed was somewhat unexpected.
"Song Rushuang, Shen Qingqing, Su Huaijin, Qin Yufei, Liang Yi."
"Yes!" Qin Yufei made no attempt to hide his excitement, clenching his fist, but Su Huaijin quickly stopped him.
This person is so tactless. Didn't they see that the people who were rejected were almost crying?
That being said...
Su Huaijin looked at the hand she was holding down on Qin Yufei and noticed that it was also trembling slightly.
That's...wonderful!
Song Rushuang and Shen Qingqing, two best friends, were both selected and were so excited that they hugged each other.
Only Liang Yi looked up in disbelief the moment he heard the name, his eyes still red behind his black-rimmed glasses.
He never expected to be on the list.
He clearly didn't get SS rank, did he?
One of the unsuccessful candidates quickly realized what was happening and anxiously exclaimed, "Principal!"
"I..." She glanced quickly at Liang Yi, a hint of apology flashing in her eyes, but she still gritted her teeth and said, "I'm not convinced! I clearly got SS-rank, why wasn't I chosen?"
She spoke with a hint of grievance in her voice.
“The list takes into account your training performance over the past six months, as well as each person’s strengths. I think this is the best combination at present,” Fu Qing said. He glanced down and saw Song Rushuang quietly reach out and shake the girl’s hand. Fu Qing paused slightly and continued, “In addition to selecting elites, the most important thing for the elite team is to form a team with good teamwork and no weaknesses.”
Song Rushuang and Shen Qingqing are both known for their fighting skills, high agility, flexible fighting style, and good teamwork. Together, they can achieve more than the sum of their parts.
Qin Yufei is also a fighter, but he has the advantage of good physical fitness and strength. In the last month of training, he was even able to defeat the monstrous simulated zombie. He is suitable for both one-on-one combat and protecting injured members of the team in emergency situations.
Needless to say, Su Huaijin has a strong sense of the big picture, first-class command ability, and is the brains of the team. Song Rushuang occasionally comes up with some brilliant ideas, devising unorthodox but effective tactics to make the battle strategy more flexible.
As for Liang Yi, his spatial imagination is unparalleled. With him in the team, the team's actions will be more flexible, allowing them to advance or retreat as needed.
This is the result of comprehensive consideration in supporting youth development.
She stopped short of pointing out the problem, and the students, being very clever, immediately understood why this team was the best combination.
Only the girl named Xue Ran persisted: "But..."
“Not being selected for the elite team doesn’t mean I no longer need your help,” Fu Qing interrupted her, speaking calmly. “Besides me, the other students in Fangzhou, everyone’s family and friends, and innocent compatriots all need you.”
Xue Ran was stunned for a moment.
"The eight of you who weren't selected, please stay behind. I have something to discuss with you. You can leave now." Fu Qing looked at Song Rushuang and the other four.
"Spend more time with your family this summer."
After a moment of reverie, Song Rushuang and the others managed a smile and gave a soft "hmm."
They left quietly, and the remaining eight people fell into a brief silence because of Fu Qing's last words. Their feelings were complicated, and they felt a bit bitter.
They are competitors, but more importantly, they are partners who share joys and sorrows and trust each other the most.
Only Xue Ran looked at Fu Qing with a firm expression.
She wasn't sure if the principal's statement about needing their help was genuine, or just a way of comforting "failed students." If it was the latter, she had to find a way to convince the principal to include her in the queue.
Xue Ran made up his mind.
When Fu Qing met her gaze, she felt that Xue Ran's eyes were just like her name, clear and bright, with a flame always burning silently in her eyes.
She recalled the student's family background information that she had seen in the system records.
The note stated that Xue Ran was raised by her grandparents from a young age. Her parents were both police officers who died in the line of duty shortly after her birth.
Her grandfather passed away from illness when she was in junior high school, and her grandmother also passed away earlier this year.
Whether influenced by his parents or because his close family members were no longer around and he had no more attachments, Xue Ran was the first to write "willing to participate" when Fu Qing asked everyone to sign up.
She left the principal's office with the others, but didn't actually leave. Her footsteps stopped at the door, and she stood quietly for half an hour until everyone else had arrived before returning to sign the papers.
I wonder if Xue Ran was thinking about his parents during those half hour.
Fu Qing wasn't lying; she did indeed have something to get rid of the eight people, but the task she was giving to Xue Ran was a little different.
It would be difficult for her to gain the trust of the authorities on her own.
But Xue Ran's status as a family member of a hero might serve as a bridge.
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