The awkwardness of being in the spotlight made the classmates burst into even louder laughter. No one had expected such a simple question to be a trap, and it had caught so many people, but the atmosphere became even more relaxed. This Old Detective, whose eyes sparkled with cunning, actually seemed more likable than the stern-faced instructor.

No one was more astonished than Ethan in the back row. He shot Eric Foster a strange look—this guy was always full of tricks, and this time he’d actually guessed right. Still, he couldn’t stand how smug he looked. He’d originally wanted to ask him something, but now he just turned away and ignored him.

At the front of the classroom, Paul Carter maintained his smiling expression without moving. But the students below were moving—some were snickering at those who had embarrassed themselves, some were discussing the real answer hidden in the previous conditions, and others were whispering quietly, talking about the conditions—not the ones in the question, but the requirements for getting household registration and housing after selection.

The pretty girl in the third row shot a disapproving glance at the boy next to her who had just made a fool of himself, her eyes teasing as she scolded, “Adam Parker, you’re hopelessly dumb.”

“It’s not that I’m too dumb, it’s just that this Old Officer is too sneaky. Even you wouldn’t have gotten it right,” the boy retorted, clearly frustrated at his careless mistake.

“How could I not get it? Six.” The girl counted, finally getting it right this time.

“Emily, don’t be a backseat driver after the fact.” Adam Parker said with a grin, his smile making him look even more handsome.

The teachers standing at the front of the classroom were all smiling as well. These clueless rookies—they were happy to see them face a little setback. Nowadays, so-called “quality issues” all stem from overly comfortable living conditions; what’s missing is this sense of frustration. The only one a bit uneasy was the department counselor, who felt anxious that none of his students had answered correctly. He glanced back awkwardly at Principal Bennett and Director Sullivan. Director Sullivan, as if reading his mind, whispered, “It’s not your fault. Back in the day, Mr. Carter was at the level of catching serial killers. Ordinary people can’t keep up with his thinking.”

The teachers standing nearby and Chief Grant all laughed. It was really hard to judge whether the comments were praise or criticism.

During the pause, Paul Carter noticed the mischievous smile on the face of the young man in the back row, which seemed out of place with the lively atmosphere in the classroom, as if he had no intention of joining in. With no time to worry about anything else, after trapping more than a dozen students, Paul Carter saw that the mood was just right, clapped his hands for silence, and said, “Let’s give everyone another chance. On the same question, who else wants to try answering?”

As everyone looked at each other, three more people stood up. The correct answer to the “guess the culprit” question wasn’t hard—many had already figured it out. No matter how tricky it was, by now some had already counted the limiting conditions. With just a few conditions, could there really be any more hidden traps?

As soon as there was a pause, three more stood up. The boy who had just been embarrassed next to the beautiful female student was unwilling to be outdone and stood up again.

“Good, your courage is still commendable… Oh, we have a heroine standing up! How about we let the ladies go first for this question?” Paul Carter noticed the girl and said with a smile. Only then did he realize she was quite tall—definitely not just a beauty with a sense of national duty; in a few years, she might be a real troublemaker. As he said this, the girls below raised their fists in encouragement, whispering, “Little Ethan, go for it…”

She clearly had a strong following—this girl was the center of attention, and as she stood up, her face was full of pride.

“Your surname is An… so you must be Emily Brooks.” Paul Carter suddenly asked.

“Mr. Carter, you know me?” The girl blinked her beautiful eyes in surprise, a little excited as well.

“No, I just saw your names on the list. You’re the only one with the surname An this year.” Paul Carter replied with a smile, causing another round of laughter. Beautiful girls always have a bit of pride, but being teased like this by Paul Carter made even Emily Brooks a little displeased. She retorted a bit defiantly, “Mr. Carter, shouldn’t you be asking the question now? Are you going to ask me who the real culprit is? Or who told the truth? Don’t tell me it’s another trick with the conditions?”

The trickiness of the answer was that, among A, B, C, and D, the one telling the truth and the real culprit were not the same person. Emily Brooks had already figured out the logic.

“You’re very confident. I hope you’re just as confident when you answer. My question is…” Paul Carter paused for effect, his smile widening as he asked, “Counting both earlier and now, including yourself if you can’t answer, how many people in total have been stumped by this question?”

Emily Brooks’s eyes widened, and the answer she’d prepared was swallowed back down, nearly choking her.

This was too much—such a huge blind spot! Emily Brooks had been thinking about the answer all along, but never expected it to be another trick question. She was stunned.

“Pfft,” someone burst out laughing. Emily Brooks uncertainly tried to recall how many people had stood up before, then looked at how many were standing now. Her hesitation made the laughter grow even louder.

How many people had stood up just now? The whole classroom was involved—was it 12 or 13? No one was sure, and Emily Brooks was so embarrassed her face turned red.

“Three seconds. If any of you know, say it now.” Paul Carter pointed at the boys who were standing. No one dared to speak up about this blind spot. After a pause, Paul Carter waved his hand in disappointment, “All of you, please sit down. Your right to answer has been revoked.”