ABFMV Chapter 25 Part 2

While the other students raced against the clock, carefully following every step of the instructions, Xu Linlang seemed to be…playing. She toyed with the parts as if she were arranging them for a child’s game, even sorting them into neat little piles.

She hadn’t glanced at the instructions even once—assembling everything purely by instinct.

It only took her twenty minutes.

A flawless component, completed in just twenty minutes? That level of efficiency was downright terrifying.

After finishing, Xu Linlang didn’t hand it in right away. Instead, she took a short nap.

When she woke up, she casually dropped the part on the submission desk and left without a care.

The professors also saw the little incident afterward: a candidate who “accidentally” knocked over two finished parts and swapped their submission boxes in the process.

Xu Linlang had actually placed her part on the Repair Department’s submission desk, but that student picked it up and set it on the Manufacturing Department’s desk instead.

So Xu Linlang hadn’t even applied for Manufacturing—she had applied for Repair. What a twist of fate.

The female professor frowned. “I knew it didn’t make sense for Xu Linlang to sign up for Manufacturing. Turns out it happened by accident.”

He Tan smiled faintly. “Looks like someone didn’t want her in Repair. And Repair didn’t want her either. They figured she wouldn’t pass our standards, so they pulled this stunt to make her end up in Maintenance instead. That way, even if the Marshal’s wife demanded answers afterward, the deed would already be done—and the only one held responsible would be the student who swapped the submissions.”

The female professor hesitated. “But with the Marshal’s wife’s influence, she couldn’t meddle with us, true, but she could have easily had Repair add one extra slot for Xu Linlang, couldn’t she?”

He Tan nodded. “Exactly. Which is why they went for this trick. By switching her submission to Manufacturing, they made sure the Repair professors would never evaluate her work. If Repair had judged her part—even if she failed—professors close to the Marshal’s wife would have just added a spot for her on the spot. But if she were rejected by us and slipped into Maintenance, there’d be no way to undo it. And if she tried to transfer into Repair afterward, the other students would resent it. After all, the specialization exams are supposed to be the fairest chance they get.”

Jiang Yan chuckled and shook his head. “I suppose they never imagined that in trying to outmaneuver each other, they’d hand us the prize.”

The professors exchanged looks, starting to understand.

Xu Linlang was truly a rare talent.

And the fools in Repair had practically gifted her to them.

Well then, they certainly weren’t about to refuse.

He Tan was the first to speak. “I want to take Xu Linlang under my wing.”

The professors: “!?”

They’d been careless—this was the classic move of “strike first, claim first”!

But his proposal was quickly shot down by the others. Each professor insisted they wanted to mentor Xu Linlang themselves.

After all, she had been endorsed by Master Jiang and was also the Marshal’s daughter. Taking her on would be a huge advantage.

The competition grew so fierce that professors even started pulling out absurd arguments: “I’m the same gender as her, so I’d be a better mentor.” “I even share her last name! We might’ve been family in a past life.”

Finally, Jiang Yan’s cold glance swept over them. “Enough. Stop bickering.”

The professors, who had been red-faced and arguing seconds earlier, immediately straightened in their seats.

Jiang Yan’s voice was firm and decisive: “This student—I’ll be her mentor.”

The professors were stunned.

Master Jiang was going to take on his very first personal disciple?!

Before long, the specialization results were posted on the giant screen in the academy’s main hall.

The Pilot Department results came out first, then Repair. Only Maintenance and Manufacturing remained unpublished.

Students swarmed the hall, craning their necks to find their names.

Some found theirs quickly, then started scanning for others.

It didn’t take long for word to spread: Qiye and Yao Mo had both been admitted into the Pilot Department, while Xu Linlang had not made it into Repair.

Yao Mo spotted Xu Linlang standing with Qiye and approached with a bright smile.

“Qiye, we’re classmates now. I’ll be counting on you from here on.”

Qiye ignored her completely, keeping his eyes only on Xu Linlang’s reaction.

Yao Mo followed his gaze and addressed Xu Linlang instead. “Don’t be too upset, Xu. The Maintenance Department is actually really good. I think it suits you.”