Chapter 214. Final Interview (1/2)
"As they say, ’Tall trees catch much wind.’ It must’ve been suffocating," Lily remarked, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the crowd.
Tyler raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"Look over there," she said, tilting her head towards a figure in the distance.
Tyler followed her gaze and spotted Senior Cyan, who was watching him with a complicated expression. The older student’s face was a blend of surprise, unease, jealous and what seemed like reluctant admiration before he turned and walked away. Tyler was momentarily baffled.
Lily shrugged nonchalantly. "It’s probably because of the results."
"Why do you think it’s because of the results?" GG asked, clearly intrigued.
"He came from the direction of the results announcement board," Lily replied, her tone as casual as if she were pointing out the weather. She gave her shoulders a little shrug, as if it were obvious.
GG looked at Lily with newfound respect. The girl was younger, at least in appearance, but there was an intelligence and perceptiveness about her that GG rarely encountered. Strong, smart, and mysterious—Lily’s true age was unknown to GG, but she sensed the girl had a vast depth of experience.
The group headed towards the announcement board, which was hard to miss. It was a massive, hollow, graphic screen that stretched wide and thin, suspended like a monolithic banner over the main square. Thousands of names were displayed in neat rows, but it was easy for each examinee to check their own results: as they stepped closer, their individual name and rank would appear automatically. If anyone wanted to check results for someone else, all they needed to do was enter the examinee’s number, name, or other relevant details.
As they approached, the screen began to shift and adjust. Lily’s name appeared first, then Silvia’s, Mathilda’s, Astrid’s, and finally Darla’s. Each name popped up in sequence, bringing varying levels of excitement from the group. Mathilda, in particular, let out a triumphant cheer upon seeing her rank: she had secured the 15th position. Lily followed close behind with an impressive 25th rank.
These were significant accomplishments, especially considering the sheer number of examinees. Tens of thousands of applicants from diverse backgrounds and regions had gathered for this Entrance Exam, each one aspiring to secure a place in one of the world’s most prestigious academies.