The atmosphere grew tense. Aunt Parker chuckled and said, “Actually, your Little Alan doesn’t need to rush into taking the civil service exam. Look at today’s college graduates—most of them go out and work for a few years to gain experience before taking the exam. That way, the pass rate is a bit higher. Otherwise, how can you take the exam without any real-world experience? How many fresh graduates actually pass the civil service exam? Not even one in a thousand!”

Mom gave a couple of awkward laughs and didn’t respond.

Alan Cooper thought to himself, Are you cursing me? How do you know I won’t pass?

He could see it now—Aunt Parker was here to show off her son.

Half an hour later, Aunt Parker left with Little David. Before leaving, Little David shot Alan Cooper a cold glance, then looked away with disdain. In his eyes, Alan Cooper’s family was too poor, and he himself was useless. Forget about the civil service exam—he probably couldn’t even find a job. He was the kind of person destined to live at the bottom of society for his whole life, not worth associating with at all.

Afternoon.

Mom went to her room for a nap, while Alan Cooper sat in the living room with a stack of past civil service exam papers, both for the aptitude and essay sections, scribbling away in a final round of review. But after a while, he just couldn’t focus anymore. Even if he performed beyond his usual level, he still wouldn’t reach the minimum passing score for the civil service exam. Continuing to study like this felt pointless. Sigh, what should he do?

Suddenly, faint voices drifted into his ears.

It seemed to be coming from inside the house, but he couldn’t quite make it out.

Alan Cooper followed the sound to the bedroom door, walked over, and gently turned the handle, opening it just a crack.

He saw Mom holding an old black-and-white photo of his dad, sniffling and wiping her tears with her sleeve, crying silently. “Why is it that her son can get into a government job, but mine can’t? Please, you have to bless our son and help him pass the exam. As long as he can get into a government job, I… I’d even give up a few years of my own life.”

“…Mom!” Alan Cooper’s eyelid twitched, and he strode over.

Mom, caught crying by her son, blushed and hurriedly wiped her eyes, forcing a smile. “I’m fine, really, I’m fine.”

Standing in front of his mother, Alan Cooper steeled himself and said through gritted teeth, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely pass the civil service exam this time—even if it kills me.” His mother’s sorrowful appearance reignited Alan Cooper’s fighting spirit. A person lives for their pride, just as a Buddha competes for a stick of incense. Why is it that other people’s parents are all officials and their sons all become civil servants, while he could only be an ordinary nobody, unable to even let his mother eat well or dress warmly—these most basic things?

We all have the same shoulders and the same head—who’s better than whom?

He had to pass this civil service exam!

This time, he just wanted to win back some pride for himself and his mother!!

Chapter 5: [Preparation! Preparation! Preparation!]

There were only a few days left before the exam. Since he had made such a bold promise, he had to take action.

After dinner, Alan Cooper went home, locked himself in his small room, and started rummaging through his things. Finally, he dug out a stack of old scantron cards and blank paper from a small camphorwood box under the bed—leftovers from his high school days—and placed them on his desk. He also got out an eraser and a 2B pencil, and began memory training. ABCD, 1234—his mind was filled with options.

This was the only way he could think of to pass the civil service exam. Even though his chances were only ten or twenty percent, he had to try.

The next morning.

Alan Cooper got up from the living room sofa, which was covered in scantron cards, and threw himself back into practice. “AABDDCCABDC…” He recited the answers under his breath, eyes closed.

Mom was a bit puzzled and asked, “Alan, what are you doing?”

Alan Cooper coughed. “Studying for the exam, studying for the exam.”

Mom blinked. “Didn’t you already buy the review materials for this year’s exam? What’s the point of looking at those slips of paper?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, I know what I’m doing.” As long as BACK still worked on exam day, all this effort wouldn’t be wasted.

Practice… practice… practice…

One hour… two hours… three hours…

Ring ring ring, the phone rang. Alan Cooper picked it up and saw an unfamiliar number. “Hello? Who is this?”

“Hello, is this Little Alan?” came an elderly voice from the other end.

“Sorry, may I ask who’s calling?”

“My surname is Harris.”

Alan Cooper responded, “Oh, are you Grandpa Harris? How’s your health?”

“Thanks to you, I’m doing well. Hehe. Are you free today? If you’re not busy, could you come to the hospital and keep this old man company for a while?”

“Uh, sorry, the civil service exam is in a few days and I haven’t finished reviewing yet.”

The voice on the other end sounded a bit surprised. “You’re taking the civil service exam? The one in Beijing this spring?” After a pause, Grandpa Harris said thoughtfully, “Hmm, if you’re not confident about the written test, come find me at the Comprehensive Oncology Department at the Cancer Hospital. Don’t be fooled by how I look—when it comes to the civil service exam, I can still teach you a few answering techniques, especially for the essay section. How about it? Interested?”

Alan Cooper was stunned. “Huh? Really?”

“Of course! Hehe, would this old man lie to the person who saved his life?”