Chapter 67: Sincerely

"The second test requires the examiner to genuinely want to keep me?" Meng Jingzhou read the success condition in his mind again.

"What a strange test; it doesn't sound difficult at all."

"But where am I right now?" Meng Jingzhou sat on a row of benches. There were four people in front of him and five behind him, making a group of ten. He was right in the middle.

"Oh, right, I'm applying for a position at a merchant association." The setting the Immortal Cult gave him popped into his mind.

Meng Jingzhou looked at the pristine white wall opposite him, his right hand unconsciously twitching, his middle and ring fingers bending. He didn't flick anything.

"Huh? Why am I doing this strange movement?" Meng Jingzhou was puzzled; he didn't recall having such a habit.

"Never mind, I'll just focus on the interview."

Meng Jingzhou noticed that after the first person entered the examiner's room, they rushed out, then rushed back in, repeating this cycle three or four times.

Meng Jingzhou enthusiastically called out, "Hey, brother, why are you running? Is the examiner testing your running speed? If so, I suggest you change your shoes; their quality greatly helps with speed. Also, your starting posture: squat on the ground, hands on the floor, arch your body—that's the fastest way to run. Trust me, I have a lot of experience..."

The person looked at Meng Jingzhou as if he were an idiot, ignored him, and ran out to check the quality of potatoes. The rules clearly stated that candidates were not allowed to reveal questions to each other.

The first person, the second, the third, and the fourth—each ran quite diligently. Naturally, none of them passed. Regardless of whether they passed or not, they disappeared immediately after their interview, making it impossible for those waiting to determine if more trips back and forth meant passing, or fewer trips did.

"Next, Meng Jingzhou!" the plump examiner called from inside.

"Coming!" Meng Jingzhou walked in, full of spirit.

As usual, the plump examiner asked with a smile, "Meng Jingzhou, could you go to the market and see if there are any potatoes for sale?"

Meng Jingzhou didn't move.

The plump examiner thought he hadn't spoken clearly, so he repeated the question, enunciating each word.

This time, Meng Jingzhou spoke: "Why?"

"Why what?" The plump examiner couldn't follow Meng Jingzhou's line of thought.

"I mean, why should I go to the market to see if there are any potatoes for sale? Do you know what we're doing right now?"

"We're having an interview," the plump examiner said matter-of-factly.

"Exactly, you said it yourself—this is an interview, not a chore for you. Besides, didn't you ask the same question to the previous four people?"

"You're not satisfied asking a question four times, and now you want to ask it a fifth time?"

The plump examiner patiently explained, "This is part of the test."

Meng Jingzhou said "Oh," and dutifully went to the market. "There are potatoes for sale," he reported.

"How many potatoes are there?"

Meng Jingzhou didn't know the answer and stood up, ready to leave. The plump examiner sneered slightly, thinking, *You talk too much, kid. As soon as you come back, I'll declare you failed.*

To his surprise, when Meng Jingzhou opened the door, an old man was standing right outside. Meng Jingzhou asked the old man, "How many potatoes do you have in your cart?"

The old man replied, "Eighty catties."

Meng Jingzhou turned back. "He said there are eighty catties of potatoes. Do you still want to ask how much a catty of potatoes costs?"

The plump examiner opened his mouth but couldn't bring himself to ask, "How much does a catty of potatoes cost?" Even if he did, the old man outside would immediately answer. *What's the point of asking now!*

"How did you bring the potato seller here?!" the plump examiner fumed. *How am I supposed to continue the test now?*

Meng Jingzhou spread his hands. "I asked him if several people had run over to inquire about the potatoes. The old man complained to me that several people had run to look at his potatoes, then run back, then run back to ask how many catties of potatoes there were, then run back again, and even run back to ask the price per catty, but all they did was ask without buying."

"I asked him if he'd like to meet the culprit who only asks questions and never buys, and he said yes, so I brought him over."

The plump examiner was speechless.

*What do I do now? No one ever told me I'd encounter a situation like this.*

The plump examiner thought of Meng Jingzhou's disrespect towards him, hardened his heart, and yelled, "You can't fathom the superior's intentions; you're disqualified..."

Before the plump examiner could finish, Meng Jingzhou kicked him. "Fathom the superior's intentions, my foot! You're just a fat slob!"

With that, Meng Jingzhou ran out.

The plump examiner slammed his palm onto the table, shattering it. "You stop right there!"

The examiner genuinely wanted to keep Meng Jingzhou—and so, Meng Jingzhou passed.

The Vice Cult Master painfully rubbed his temples. *What kind of strange way to pass a test is this?*

He had stipulated that the examiner genuinely wanted to keep the interviewee because he was worried some interviewees might take shortcuts or bribe the examiners. He felt his rules were meticulous enough, yet an unexpected way to pass had emerged. The examiner didn't just genuinely want to keep Meng Jingzhou; he genuinely wanted to tear him apart.

*How is this kid's brain wired? Or is it that I'm the one without a brain?*

"Oh, Immortal One, undying and indestructible, please give me an answer," the Vice Cult Master murmured, praying to the Immortal One, hoping for a response.

The Cult Master interrupted the Vice Cult Master's prayer. "If only the Immortal One could hear what you say."

The Vice Cult Master didn't think the Cult Master was blaspheming; he knew the Cult Master was the most devout believer in the Immortal Cult. He sighed, "How many times have we tried, and all have failed? We still haven't been able to revive the Immortal One. If we could revive the Immortal One, what would the Great Xia Dynasty be, or the righteous path? None would be a match for the Immortal One!"

"Only through blood sacrifice can the Immortal One be revived."

The two didn't discuss this topic further. The Vice Cult Master asked, "What do you think of this Meng Jingzhou?"

The Cult Master clicked his tongue in wonder. "He doesn't follow the usual path; he's a talent."

The Cult Master thought to himself, *It's a good thing I didn't agree with the Vice Cult Master just now when he said there definitely wouldn't be other ways to pass. Otherwise, where would my dignity as Cult Master go?*

"This kid counts as talent?"

"Of course. I think our Immortal Cult needs talents with such unconventional ways of thinking."

"Look at the Dao-Seeking Sect of the righteous path. Why have they endured for so long? I've summarized a few reasons, and the most important one is that they possess wisdom beyond common understanding."

The Vice Cult Master's mouth twitched. He thought, *The Cult Master truly is the Cult Master, describing madness in such an elegant and refined way.*

The Cult Master continued, "Perhaps this Meng Jingzhou could become a cornerstone of our Immortal Cult, or even a pillar!"

"Speaking of Meng Jingzhou, how did that conspicuous kid from the first test, Lu Yang, perform?"

"Make the examiner genuinely want to keep me?"

Lu Yang pondered, "How hard can that be? Just kick the examiner. Better yet, spit on him. That's guaranteed to enrage him. Forget wanting to keep me as a person, he'd want to keep my life!"

"But that method is too barbaric. Only a crude person like Meng Jingzhou would use it. I'm a civilized person; I can't be like him."