The other candidates were surprised by Stephen Clark and Little Susan's speed in answering, though some were skeptical, since the two of them looked so young that it was hard to believe.

The proctor, Lily Wright, after stamping the test papers, returned to the stage, carefully reviewed their information again, and then smiled, a bit curious.

……

……

“All done?” The speed at which the two answered was just as Master Wright expected. Seeing them come out early, he wasn’t too surprised.

“It was fairly easy.” That was the answer from both Stephen Clark and Little Susan.

“How do you think you did? Why don’t we make a bet? If both of you rank in the top five among this year’s candidates, I’ll give each of you a special reward. If not, then there’s nothing.”

It was hard to tell if Master Wright was joking or serious as he said this with a smile.

A reward?

A reward from a top breeder—Stephen Clark didn’t even have to think to know it would be something good, and even if they didn’t meet the master’s conditions, it seemed there was nothing to lose.

As for how the overall results of this year’s candidates would be, Stephen Clark wasn’t sure. But since this wasn’t an age-based assessment, it was impossible for Stephen Clark to claim he’d definitely get first place. At the very least, facing Little Susan right in front of him, Stephen Clark wasn’t confident he’d score higher than her.

Although the test went smoothly, who knew if there were any flaws in the answers he thought were correct.

What’s more, even for the debate questions he was confident about, it was impossible to get a perfect score.

“We accept the bet.” Neither Little Susan nor Stephen Clark had any reason to refuse Old Mr. Wright’s wager. In fact, even Master Wright himself probably intended to give them both the reward anyway.

“All right then, let’s look forward to the results.” The passing score for the first round is 60 points, and the maximum number of candidates allowed to pass is 100. If more than that pass, the lowest scores are filtered out until only 100 remain, and then the second round begins.

As for the number of people who ultimately pass the junior breeder assessment, it’s almost always less than 10 each year.

Sometimes, there are just over 10; in lean years, only 4 or 5.

But when it came to the assessment, Stephen Clark and the others didn’t seem as nervous as the other candidates.

The assessment ended at 9:30, and grading would last until the afternoon. At 14:00, everyone’s results would be announced, and then the proctors would reveal the next round’s questions.

A few hours passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Stephen Clark and the others didn’t go anywhere, staying in the room discussing the written test questions.

After listening to Master Wright explain some of the questions, Stephen Clark realized there’s always someone better out there. Some answers he thought were correct turned out to have flaws, and the traps in the questions were everywhere.

For the following argumentation questions, Samuel Wright also helped Little Susan and Stephen Clark analyze them in detail, making both of them exclaim in delight. A top master truly lives up to the title—his thinking was rigorous and tightly connected, and his analysis was fascinating. Stephen Clark was completely absorbed, wishing he could hear more questions like these.

“Oh, it’s almost time for the results. Let’s go… let’s check the announcement together!” Glancing at the time, Master Wright said.

“Sure, let’s go.” Little Susan stood up with a smile and walked out the door.

Stephen Clark was looking forward to it as well. He had estimated his own score and wanted to see if there was any discrepancy.

After hearing Master Wright’s explanations, he also realized the gaps in his knowledge that led to mistakes on a few questions. Compared to Little Susan, this was his shortcoming.

Meanwhile, the other candidates were discussing among themselves: “I wonder who got first place in the written test this time… Usually, the top five in the written test are almost guaranteed to pass the assessment, right?”

“Pretty much, unless something unexpected happens.”

“I think I did okay. I hope I passed the written test—my real strength is in the second practical round.”

As they chatted, most of the candidates and their families had already gathered in front of the big screen where the results would be posted. The plaza could hold a lot of people, so there was no fear of crowding. Judging by the number of candidates this year, there was more than enough space.

“Look… look! Forty-sixth place, that’s me… that’s me… First time passing the written test! Looks like I’m one step closer to becoming a junior breeder!”

“I see myself! 75 points! Fifteenth place!”

“That’s me… tenth place! 78 points!”

Everyone watched the electronic screen as the names and scores of the candidates flashed up one by one, starting from eighty-eighth place. Only the top 100 candidates from the first written test would be selected. Of course, if there were fewer than 100, the passing score would still be 60 points. This time, it was clear that not enough candidates reached the passing line.

The few dozen who stood out among hundreds of candidates, while not yet at the level of a junior breeder, were already much stronger in knowledge than most trainers. After all, being a breeder is a special profession.