Chapter 2: The Strange Test

Page 1 of 3

“Xiao Ninglong, be good to your godmother. She worked hard to raise you,” the repair shop owner said, hoping to win the goddess’s approval with a lecturing tone.

But the goddess was fiercely protective.

Zou Shuyi pulled Su Ninglong aside. “Leave the robot here for now; we’ll come back to get it later.” She could lecture Su Ninglong herself, but it was better if outsiders stayed out of it.

The repair shop owner lacked this subtlety. Even after they walked away, he shouted, “Xiao Ninglong, you have to study hard, okay?”

Zou Shuyi rolled her eyes. Her daughter hated school, and the more others nagged, the more she resisted.

Seizing the moment, Su Ninglong struggled again. “What’s so great about kindergarten? It’s just a bunch of little brats, right? I can teach myself. If I study a bit more on my own, I can fix your robot.”

Here we go again, Zou Shuyi sighed. “You need to make friends.”

“I have lots of friends.”

“Those drunkards don’t count.” Zou Shuyi hinted subtly, “Honestly, kindergarten isn’t just about playing with other kids. You might also…”

“Might what?”

“Maybe get a head start in life. You’d better. I can’t say more now. You’ll understand after they assign you.”

They arrived at the kindergarten assignment center.

The hall was filled with various races: blue-skinned, green-scaled, but mostly humans with varying skin tones.

The term “human” here referred to skin color variations depending on the individual. Humans had less body hair, smooth skin, and almost no natural defenses.

Some races were indistinguishable after the great interstellar integration. Except for a few small-bodied races with distinct features, most looked similar.

The assignment center resembled a bustling market, with younglings screaming in waves.

Zou Shuyi held Su Ninglong tightly to prevent her from running off.

With so many children, if Su Ninglong escaped, she’d blend in easily and be hard to find.

Zou Shuyi squeezed into the line and queued up.

The others in line looked familiar. The green-scaled girl’s mother in front also gripped her child’s arm to stop him from running.

The green-scaled child was especially energetic, crying and yelling, making the nearby parents increasingly irritated.

The mother snapped, “If you keep causing trouble, I’ll send you to the countryside. I won’t keep you.”

“Don’t send me to grandma’s,” the child whimpered and quieted down.

Page 2 of 3

Embarrassed, the mother apologized to those around her. While doing so, she glanced at Zou Shuyi and then at the calm Su Ninglong, sighing, “Your child is so good, you don’t have to worry.”

“Every family has its troubles. My child doesn’t cause worry, but she hates school,” Zou Shuyi said, making all the parents simultaneously glance at their own kids—who didn’t hate school?

Both worried and rebellious, a dreadful combination.

“Is that your first test? Mine is the second. Last time I failed by just one level. This time it’s harder—I don’t know if I’ll pass.”

One parent comforted her, “Failing by one level is still impressive. If she can get into the First Kindergarten, that’s different from my kid who’s on the third test—the last chance. If they fail now, they have to wait until they’re eighteen to try again.”

“That’s why I’m not satisfied. Just one level away, and she could join the Star Alliance. Kids who come out of there get assigned high-paying jobs right away.”

Everyone wanted to get into academies that guaranteed good jobs.

Zou Shuyi’s expression was complicated as she thought, “It’s not guaranteed. It depends on the individual.”

Getting into the Star Alliance was a one-in-ten-thousand chance. Naturally, she hoped Su Ninglong could make it—to receive the most elite education from a young age and be exposed to environments beyond the Alliance’s protective circle.

Besides, Su Ninglong had to try. If she failed once, twice, there was a third chance.

With her intellect and temperament, she had a good shot at passing.

But all parents could only hope for luck.

Su Ninglong listened carefully, catching the key phrase: Star Alliance.

The news said the Star Alliance was established five years ago, a coalition of multiple countries responsible for external contact.

News anchors were vague about its purpose, and drunken patrons wouldn’t talk about it to a child, so she still didn’t know exactly what the organization did.

The line moved slowly. When it was their turn, Zou Shuyi handed over the pre-filled form to the clerk.

She said, “First test.”

The clerk checked Su Ninglong’s ID—it showed she was exactly four years old. “Are you willing to let her take a special test?”

“Of course.” Zou Shuyi had forced Su Ninglong here precisely for the special test.

The clerk called over a staff member. “This child needs to go to Room One.”

“Little one, would you like to come with me?” The staff was a tall, handsome Star Qi man, his golden hair and eyes a distinctive mark of his people.

He spoke gently, both in tone and voice, like a warm spring breeze.

Zou Shuyi nudged her. “Go ahead. There are things I can’t tell you beforehand—it might affect the test results.”

Page 3 of 3

The Star Qi man nodded approvingly. “Yes, your mother is right.”

Su Ninglong didn’t hesitate. “Alright, brother, I’ll come with you for the test.” She raised her noble hand and placed it in the golden-haired young man’s.

“Good girl.” The Star Qi man led her into Testing Room One.

Inside, two other children awaited—both boys.

“Now that we have three, we can start,” a voice came from the speaker above.

The Star Qi man arranged the three children to sit.

The three toddlers, about as tall as three heads, obediently sat on small stools.

Seated side by side, Su Ninglong’s unique aura stood out. Her posture was relaxed, utterly unbothered by the unfamiliar setting.

It was as if she was saying, “Please begin your performance; I’m the audience, and you’re the one being tested.”

Shaking off the strange thought in his mind, the Star Qi man said, “Before the test, I need to ask you a few questions, alright?”

The other two children, about the same age as Su Ninglong, nodded nervously.

“My questions might be difficult. If you know the answer, raise your hand. If not, we’ll move on.”

Su Ninglong didn’t understand why they needed three children to start.

“What’s fifty plus thirty-one? Anyone want to answer?”

The other two raised their hands, carefully counting on their fingers.

Su Ninglong just wanted to finish quickly and get back to training.

Damn the stars—there was so little spiritual energy here, if she wasn’t diligent, she might not reach foundational cultivation by thirty.

“Eighty-one.”

The golden-haired young man applauded. “Excellent, Su Ninglong, you’re right.” He checked the box on the form.

The other two boys stared at her in shock, growing anxious. “How do you know that? Did your parents teach you beforehand?”

“She showed me children’s math. I taught myself.” Su Ninglong was fascinated by the era’s mathematics—not that her previous numerology was useless, but interstellar math had formulas, no need for complicated deductions, making it simpler and easier to understand.