bookbashuk Chapter 35 Questioning and Recruiting
Chapter 35 Questioning and Recruiting
"You just...released the water, didn't you?"
Lin Chong looked up, shook his head at Duan Lin, and said.
"You misunderstood. I failed to assess the situation properly, but I won't lose to him next time."
Duan Lin looked at Lin Chong and chuckled: "A string of lies."
"The timing of the use of spores and photosynthesis is perfect; even I, as a professional advanced trainer, cannot find fault with it."
"With such command abilities, you are definitely not at the level of a novice trainer, so you naturally won't make any basic mistakes."
Lin Chong opened his mouth as if to say something, but was interrupted by Duan Lin.
He looked at Lin Chong, his expression suddenly turning serious: "Tell me why you let him win, otherwise, I will, as a special guest judge for the college entrance examination, disqualify you from the competition."
Lin Chong was startled. He had considered that his little actions might be noticed, but he didn't expect Duan Lin to insist on pressing the issue!
But he quickly calmed down, organized his thoughts, looked at Duan Lin, and said sincerely.
"Shao Feng and his swallowtail otter are very competitive, and that fighting spirit inspired me."
Duan Lin squinted, waiting for Lin Chong to continue.
"As you said, I did judge the situation just now, and it was correct to command Meow Meow to avoid battle. However, I also believe that with the double buff, Meow Meow, with its attribute advantage, is not afraid of Oshawott in a direct confrontation."
"I know that his family is of average means, which is similar to my own. Just now, I saw a reflection of myself in him, and I thought that if I were in his situation, I would definitely want to fight this last battle of my college entrance examination career with dignity."
So, I responded to him...
As he spoke, Lin Chong scratched his head, chuckling sheepishly, "Don't you think I'm a little silly?"
Duan Lin did not reply; he fell silent.
He only released his grip on Lin Chong's hand when the host came over to ask him what had happened.
Duan Lin looked at Lin Chong, his previous scrutiny turning into admiration. He asked, "Which academy do you plan to attend?"
Lin Chong breathed a sigh of relief; he had gotten away with it. Luckily, he had thought of his excuse beforehand.
He honestly replied, "I haven't decided yet."
"Oh?" Duan Lin laughed. "I thought you were going to say that you'd go wherever the scholarships are the best."
Lin Chong was taken aback. He hadn't expected that Duan Lin, who looked about the same age as Old Man Zhou, would actually be surfing the internet!
There's an awkward feeling when you post a sad message and it's read aloud by an elder in your family.
Seeing Lin Chong's discomfitured expression, Duan Lin laughed heartily and asked with great interest.
"What do you think of Qingshui? As the best elf academy in the Federation, the treatment we can offer you is no worse than that of Mudu."
Us? This old man is from Qingshui Academy?
Lin Chong was surprised. Before he could reply, Jiang Qianxun ran over and said to Duan Lin angrily.
"Mr. Duan, how could you disregard federal regulations and conduct early admissions for students in private?"
"Does the Shimizu Admissions Office think it can ignore the Federation's rules?"
A large pot slammed down, and Duan Lin's eyelids twitched. He looked at Qian Xun with annoyance.
"You little brat, how dare you talk to me like that? The Mudu admissions office is recruiting students online with such fanfare, and you guys just follow the rules?"
Chihiro retorted, "The Federation only said that private recruitment is prohibited. We're doing everything aboveboard, how are we breaking the rules?"
Duan Lin was too lazy to argue with her, so he looked at Lin Chong and gave him instructions.
"After the college entrance exam comes college admissions, which is a major event that affects your future. You must compare several colleges and universities, and don't get fooled by some second-tier colleges..."
"Who are you talking about! So what if we're second-tier? We'll be promoted to first-tier in this year's college competition!"
Looking at the two bickering in front of him, Lin Chong suddenly felt that his decision to agree to the bet with Jiang Qianxun had been somewhat hasty.
He thought that after three days of competition, no college admissions office had called him, so they didn't think he was a good fit. But it turned out that the federal government had restricted "early admissions"!
No wonder!
He said that he was already so high-profile and arrogant, so why was it only Mudu that recruited him, and in such a strange way?
If I lose the bet, wouldn't that be playing into Jiang Qianxun's hands, leaving me with no choice but to go to Mudu?!
However, with Meow Meow's strength, Jiang Qianxun is confident of victory no matter which early-stage Pokémon he brings out, not to mention the one million yuan prize money!
Thinking of this, Lin Chong felt relieved.
At this moment, the college entrance examination arena, which symbolizes battle and fighting, has changed its meaning.
The other examinees in the spectator area were all dumbfounded as they watched Duan Lin and Qian Xun fight over Lin Chong.
They all knew that Mudu Academy had publicly recruited Lin Chong online, but to be honest, they didn't really think much of a second-tier academy.
But the situation is completely different for Qingshui Academy, which is behind Duan Lin!
That was the Federation's first true academy, a behemoth that had won the Academy League championship for more than ten consecutive years, the Pokémon academy that every new trainer dreamed of!
Even someone like him wanted to recruit Lin Chong in advance. Is this guy really that powerful?
However, when they thought about the opponent's strong performance in the fight against Shao Feng, most people felt much better. Only Zheng Ran and Ding Chengxun still looked unconvinced.
This little incident didn't last long, and the competition quickly continued as scheduled.
The on-site doctor healed Miao Miao's injuries, and he then faced his second and third matches.
Compared to Shao Feng, the latter two opponents were much weaker. With the help of Miao Miao, who was "invincible among her peers", Lin Chong easily obtained one of the 16 qualifying spots.
Besides the four candidates who possessed evolved spirits, Jiang Qianxun also broke through the encirclement. It is worth mentioning that her opponent in the third round was Chen Bao.
The match between Aquamarine and Banban Shell was deadlocked for a time, but in the end, Chihiro won the game by a narrow margin.
Chen Bao was unfortunately eliminated, but he performed exceptionally well among this year's candidates, so getting into a top-tier college should be no problem for him.
Finally, the sixteen finalists stood in the center of the room and took a group photo titled "2026 Elf College Entrance Examination Outstanding Candidates".
Unlike the previous days' matches, their schedule for the next day was drawn on the spot and they were informed immediately.
Lin Chong had good luck in the draw, getting a relatively average player, as did Chen Xi.
Shao Feng and Ding Chengxun met in the round of 16 to 8, while Zheng Ran, who was left out, bumped into Jiang Qianxun.
When the draw results came out, some were happy and some were sad. Ding Chengxun, whose attributes were countered and whose form was not advantageous, looked ashen-faced, knowing that he had stopped there.
Zheng Ran, on the other hand, was all smiles.
He looked at Jiang Qianxun and said confidently, "I'm sorry, it seems your trip ends here."
The nine-tailed fox, possessing both ice and fire attributes, was not afraid of Shui Lanlan, who was associated with the water element. Furthermore, given Zheng Ran's arrogance, he did not believe that he would follow in Shao Feng's footsteps.
However, Chihiro was unfazed by his provocation and left Lin Chong with just one sentence before leaving.
"The bet is set, you can't back out now."