Alex walked over to the desk, propped his hands on the table, gasped, and said anxiously, "President Merlin, something terrible has happened! I just received reliable information that many candidates, including students from the Arcane Academy and those noble children, are secretly planning to cheat. They made cheat sheets and used all kinds of strange alchemical props and magic equipment. If we let them do whatever they want, this exam will become a farce and there will be no fairness at all!"
His eyes were full of anxiety and anger, and he obviously hated this rule-breaking behavior.
Merlin, however, remained calm as if facing a mountain collapsing before him. He slowly put down the book in his hand, raised his head, looked at Alex calmly, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a meaningful smile, and said softly, "Electrolux, relax, let them do whatever they want."
"What?" Alex's eyes widened in disbelief, and his voice suddenly rose. "How can this be possible! Fairness in the exam is the foundation for selecting talents. Once it is destroyed, how can we identify people with real ability and moral integrity to serve the Arcane City? How can we convince the public in the future!"
He waved his hands excitedly, trying to convince Merlin to change his mind.
Merlin looked at Alex's anxious expression and suddenly let out a creepy laugh. The laughter echoed in the quiet study, seeming particularly strange.
After laughing, he slowly stood up, put his hands behind his back, walked to the window, looked through the window, and said leisurely: "Cheating? Haha, do they think this little trick can succeed? Don't worry, Electrolux, I'm prepared."
Merlin had an evil thought in his heart, that he wanted to let these natives from another world have a taste of what practical ability test and essay writing are like!
After Alex left, Merlin sat back at his desk. The smile on his face disappeared instantly, replaced by a greedy look.
He gently flipped open an account book on the table, which recorded in detail the income and expenditure of the Steam and Star Alchemy Workshop. A large part of the profit came from the alchemical props that were about to be used for cheating.
It turned out that the so-called strange and bizarre cheating alchemy props in the hands of these examinees were almost all produced by the Steam and Star Alchemy Workshop under Merlin's secret instructions.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the account book, thinking secretly in his mind: These noble children and students are willing to spend a lot of money to buy cheating tools in order to stand out in the exams. How can I miss this great opportunity to make money?
Under his control, this cheating scandal will definitely not cause much trouble. As for affecting the test results? What a joke, would Merlin allow these students to successfully cheat? Are there such things as practical ability test and essay writing in this world?
In the early morning, the first ray of sunlight shines on the streets and alleys of the Arcane City, and the whole city gradually wakes up from its sleep. However, the atmosphere today is very different from the past. The air is filled with a mixture of tension and expectation, because the Arcane City Civil Service Selection Examination kicks off today.
A bustling crowd had already gathered in front of the gate of the Arcane Academy. Graduates and students of the Arcane Academy, dressed in colorful magic robes, walked into the academy in groups of two or three, carrying their dreams and ambitions.
There was a gleam in their eyes; some held their heads high and walked with firm steps, as if they had already seen themselves becoming powerful officials in the future; some seemed a little nervous, but their clenched fists and pursed lips revealed their inner determination to fight for a good future in this exam.
The location for the written test was chosen to be the Arcane Academy, which was the result of many considerations.
On the one hand, as a temple of magical knowledge, the Arcane Academy has spacious and bright classrooms and complete desk and chair facilities. It is the only place that can accommodate so many candidates and is suitable for serious examinations.
On the other hand, the college has sufficient number of experienced teachers who are familiar with the students' personalities and can keenly detect any abnormalities during the examination process to ensure the fairness of the examination - at least, that is what the candidates think it should be.
The candidates walked into the classroom pretending to be calm, carrying cheat sheets and hiding cheating tools.
When they found that the teachers who used to be extremely strict in the college exams were just standing in front of the podium today, distributing the test papers in an orderly manner, and did not conduct body searches as usual, and there was no trace of magic shielding devices and alchemical props detection devices, many people could not help but secretly look at each other, with a hint of joy in their eyes.
"Hey, did you see that? There's no body search this time!" A graduate lowered his voice and said to his companion next to him, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise, and his voice was full of surprise.
"That's right! In previous exams at the academy, we were searched inside and out by the teacher every time. We also had to walk under a magic shielding device. If we made any noise with the alchemical props, we would be dragged out. But this time it's so lenient. It seems the goddess of luck is helping us! We're sure to pass this exam!" The companion responded excitedly, his eyes full of eagerness to try.
They thought that as long as they could pass this exam, they would be able to become officials and bring honor to their family.
Ordinary candidates look forward to the future, as if they have already seen themselves escaping from their ordinary backgrounds with the help of official positions, making a great leap in social class, bidding farewell to their difficult lives, and allowing their families to live a prosperous life.
The noble candidates were even more excited, with future scenes emerging in their minds: even if the family followed the tradition of the eldest son inheriting the title, they would no longer have to act according to the eldest son's wishes.
When he thought that his elder brother might look at him with flattery in the future and ask him for help in handling family affairs, he felt so happy in his heart that a smug smile unconsciously appeared on his face even though the exam had not started yet.
Just as the candidates were immersed in their sweet dreams, the door of the classroom slowly closed, the invigilator cleared his throat and began to read out the examination rules.
At this moment, they had no idea what kind of unimaginable test they were about to face. Their smugness and underestimation of the enemy were leading them step by step into the "trap" carefully designed by Merlin.
In the examination classroom, the atmosphere was so solemn that it seemed to be condensed into substance. The examinees had mixed feelings, either nervous or expectant, and the buzz of their whispers echoed in the air.
On the podium, the invigilator held up a file bag with a thick seal with a solemn expression. The seal was flickering with a faint magical light. It was obvious that a special sealing magic had been cast to prevent the test questions from being leaked.
"To ensure the fairness of this exam, please two students come forward and witness the opening of the exam papers together." The invigilator glanced at the audience and spoke in a steady and powerful voice.
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