“Chief Harris was promoted to Chief Inspector as early as last year, yet Nathaniel Clark still addresses him as Captain Harris, which shows they’re not close. Since his father was also a constable during his lifetime, I judge that he must have sought help from Chief Harris's family, and Chief Harris probably decided to lend a hand out of kindness.”

“Mm, that’s my guess too. Although Nathaniel Clark and Chief Harris aren’t particularly close, since Chief Harris has done him this favor, just let him pass. If he can’t keep up, he’ll be eliminated in three months all the same.”

Chapter 4 Instructor Foster’s Guidance

At the martial arts field, some servants brought over stone blocks one by one, and the candidates received their respective numbers.

Nathaniel Clark glanced at his number plate: 68.

A good omen.

Using numbers instead of names, the academy claims, is to prevent favoritism.

Nathaniel Clark scoffed at this explanation. The instructors already know which numbers need special attention.

There were over two hundred candidates in the entire martial arts field. After listening to their conversations for a while, Nathaniel Clark realized that half of them were just here for the experience.

These candidates, like Nathaniel Clark, were still a year or two away from turning seventeen. They signed up just to get a feel for the atmosphere and gain some experience.

It’s just like the college entrance exam—wealthy families can register their kids for the exam in their second year of high school, just so they can experience the atmosphere in advance.

The academy doesn’t charge a registration fee, but each candidate only gets three chances to sign up. If you fail all three times, you’re not allowed to register again, even if you’re still under seventeen.

If this rule didn’t exist, even kids under ten would probably come to sign up just for the experience.

The academy’s servants set up the stone blocks, and the instructors began grouping candidates by number. Since there were over two hundred people and each had three chances to lift the stone block, the academy arranged for multiple candidates to go at the same time to speed up the process.

Nathaniel Clark was assigned to the fifth group, overseen by an instructor with fair skin and a goatee.

There were six people in Nathaniel Clark’s group; the first five all failed, and he was the last.

“Focus your mind, steady your breath, don’t let others distract you.”

As he walked up to the stone block, the instructor suddenly spoke. Nathaniel Clark was taken aback—this instructor hadn’t said a word to the previous five candidates.

Looks like Captain Harris’s influence is at work.

But a few words of advice won’t help; he still can’t lift a two-hundred-pound stone block.

While thinking, Nathaniel Clark bent down and gripped the handles on top of the stone block with both hands, then slowly exerted force. But when the block reached his waist, he had no strength left to lift it higher.

Gritting his teeth, veins bulging on his hands, Nathaniel Clark still couldn’t manage it. The stone block slipped from his grasp and crashed to the ground.

Bang!

The stone block hit the ground and split in two.

Nathaniel Clark was stunned. Are these stone blocks shoddy work?

Are the bureaucrats of this era even more corrupt than in his previous life?

The goateed instructor’s expression didn’t change. He simply said to a servant on the side, “The stone block is broken. Bring another one.”

Soon, a servant brought over a new stone block and placed it in front of Nathaniel Clark.

It looked exactly the same as the previous one.

“Continue,” the goateed instructor said coldly.

Nathaniel Clark rubbed his arms, gripped the handles again, and gave it a light test. His expression first showed shock, then returned to normal, but his eyes lit up—he understood.

So this is how the academy cheats.

Damn, they really know how to play.

The previous stone block didn’t budge at all when he applied force, but this new one moved with just a little effort.

This meant the new stone block was much lighter than the previous one—he could lift it.

But from the outside, the two blocks looked identical.

When Nathaniel Clark lifted the block to his knees, he was sure—the block weighed about a hundred pounds, and his current strength was around one hundred and twenty pounds, so lifting it was no problem.

But he didn’t choose to lift it all the way up right away. Instead, he pretended to struggle and only managed to lift it to his waist, then, as if his hands couldn’t take it, he set it down and voluntarily gave up his second attempt.

The goateed instructor: ……

On the final attempt, Nathaniel Clark finally managed to lift the stone block over his head, his face flushed red and his arms trembling.

One second, two seconds… five seconds…

“Passed!”

Hearing the instructor’s words, Nathaniel Clark didn’t know if it was excitement or exhaustion, but the stone block slipped from his hands and fell from above his head, shattering again on the ground.

The goateed instructor gave Nathaniel Clark a meaningful look and said, “Go wait in the passing area.”

Nathaniel Clark bowed to the instructor and walked toward the passing area.

A quarter of an hour later, all the candidates had finished. In total, thirty-six candidates passed the test.

Some of those who failed hung their heads and wept—these were the sixteen-year-olds, for whom this failure meant they’d never have another chance to enter the academy.

Others just looked regretful—they could try again next year.

The failed candidates were led out a side door by the academy’s servants, leaving only the thirty-six who had passed in the martial arts field.