As Yu Kuangtu's words fell, Ren Suo felt as though he had plunged into an icy cavern.
It was like being caught by a teacher for not doing summer homework, having a 59 on a test discovered by his father, or having relatives find out about the love action movies he had downloaded... Nine years of compulsory education had made him sensitive to numbers. An average of 1.77, and his own at 1.25—what did that mean? It meant he was 1.77 - 1.25 = 0.52 away from the average! Then, using the ratio of 0.52/1.77, he was 29.3% below the average level! 29.3%, rounded up, was practically a hundred million! If his situation were likened to height, then if the average height of males in the Mysterious Country was 167cm, he would be 118cm—he wouldn't even need to buy a ticket at a children's amusement park! If described in terms of Lifespan, the current average Lifespan of males in the Mysterious Country was 74 years, whereas he would be 53 years old! He wouldn't have finished paying his social security and, without receiving a penny of retirement money, he would have directly made a remarkable contribution by easing the nation's aging problems and pension fund loopholes.
While there's no data available on the Mysterious Country's college entrance exam average score, being 29.3% below average meant Ren Suo would probably have to pay tens of thousands just to enroll in a community college...
Seeing Ren Suo's eyes quickly darken, a girl in Black Body Armor couldn't help but snicker. "Boss, don't scare him."
Ren Suo regained his composure. He saw a faint smile on Yu Kuangtu's lips and felt his Vital Energy and Spirit return with his breath.
"The National Security Bureau only requires Cultivators to have a Talent of 1.00, and you've exceeded that by 0.25," Yu Kuangtu said with a smile. "Don't panic. Having low Talent isn't a major flaw—at least not for ordinary people. It's not as earth-shattering as you think.
"I don't know if your instructors have told you, but Talent can be slowly improved. As long as you diligently engage in Cultivation, raising your Talent to 2.00, 3.00, or even higher isn't impossible—though you shouldn't get your hopes too high. Improving Talent is like the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill in some Martial Arts novel; the initial progress is easy, but further advancement becomes as difficult as ascending to the heavens...
"But raising your Talent to the average level isn't particularly difficult. You may not have a Talent advantage on your path of Cultivation, but there's no need to fret."
Ren Suo said, "Is it like a student who can only score 10 trying to improve to pass?"
"Hmm... more or less." Yu Kuangtu nodded. "You should be thankful—many people in this world don't even have a Talent of 1.00. Those who wish to cultivate can only wait. At least you've already passed that most important threshold. Otherwise, you would just be like the ordinary people who verbally express Envy, Jealousy, and Hatred, while actually feeling it deeply."
Hmm?
Ren Suo realized that Yu Kuangtu, the deputy director of the National Security Bureau, wasn't particularly serious—or rather, he found the man surprisingly young. About twenty-four or so, he looked as if he had just graduated from college, with a hint of youthful naivety still on his face. Yu Kuangtu wasn't what you'd call very handsome, not really fitting the current trend of delicate, pale young celebrities. Saying he had a soldier's ruggedness was also a stretch; Ren Suo had never seen a soldier with skin so fair. He was, in a word, unremarkable. But he had a peculiar charisma. Even though Ren Suo stood while he sat, Yu Kuangtu seemed very relaxed and content, exuding a confidence that made Ren Suo feel somewhat inferior. It was an attitude of someone who believed they could Perfectly control the situation and feared no surprises. If Ren Suo had previously thought that Yu Kuangtu became the deputy director through his Combat Power, he was now beginning to change his mind. A bit of thinking revealed something. For a core department like the National Security Bureau, which arranged Cultivators, being in leadership required either a strong backing or exceptional skills. Yu Kuangtu probably had both. After all, Lian Province was one of the core provinces in the Mysterious Country, ranking in the top four. Being a deputy director in Lianjiang City, the capital of Lian Province, meant Yu Kuangtu was definitely someone whom the party and leaders deeply Trusted.
Moreover, for Ren Suo, Yu Kuangtu was just too awesome—even better than Li Dan! The scent of the Key that emanated from him grew stronger as Ren Suo stared. He quickly turned his head away, afraid he wouldn't be able to control himself from pouncing on the deputy director. If that happened, he feared he might get turned into glass by a giant Fireball.
"You're from Lianjiang City, right?" Yu Kuangtu suddenly asked.
"Um, yeah," Ren Suo answered.
"Then off you go. Cultivate well in the future, and don't daydream about picking up a magic Ring from an old man," Yu Kuangtu said. "As for your Talent, just remember it yourself. If you speak of it... I don't know what might happen, but you'll be responsible."
After Ren Suo left, Yu Kuangtu finished registering his information and placed Ren Suo's file on the smaller pile of files to his right. The girl in the Black Body Armor beside him chuckled. "We're short on people in Changlong City. How about giving us this one with lackluster Talent?"
"Buzz off. Isn't everywhere short on people these days?" Yu Kuangtu retorted.
「 」
The Talent inspection progressed swiftly in the morning. When the trainees ate their last fully free meal of two vegetable and two meat dishes in the cafeteria, they were extremely excited. A few nosy ones even went around asking others about their Talent.
"My Talent is 2.20, what's yours?"
"Mine is 2.55. I'm such trash, so bad... You guys are lucky... What's yours?"
"Damn, mine is only 2.43. Looks like I don't have much Talent for Cultivation... What's yours?"
Sensible people naturally ignored such bragging. Instead, they quietly took note of their faces and then... asked for their contact information.
The higher the Talent, the greater the prospects. This was an undeniable fact. It wasn't just about personal strength increasing; the ripples they could create in the era of Spiritual Energy's revival were beyond what ordinary people could predict.
The members of the eighth team were quiet, simply chatting about finally getting their phones back. Xie Qiansi said, "Turns out I've spent five days cut off from my phone... The world must have changed by the time I get out. Ah, there must be tons of people looking for me; my phone's WeChat and QQ are probably blowing up."
"In reality, though, you don't have a single message," Qiao Muyi retorted from across the table.
"Impossible!" Xie Qiansi firmly believed.
Although something everyone understood had happened between Qiao Muyi and Ren Suo, it didn't affect them bonding over lunch in the cafeteria. Everyone knew that as Cultivators, they were bound to become important members of their respective departments. Fostering good relations now and establishing goodwill could prove useful in the future.
After finishing their meal and packing up, everyone boarded the bus to head back to their respective cities. Ren Suo got on the bus and saw Qiao Muyi sitting in her usual spot. His eyes lit up, and he was about to join her when—
"Come on, Brother Suo, sit over here! Let's play cards!" Yuan Dang and Xie Qiansi enthusiastically pulled him to the other side. Ren Suo wanted to resist, but Qiao Muyi's nearby seats were quickly taken by her dormitory mates.
"I have a 'F...' 'F...' 'Famous strategy, borrowing arrows with thatched boats,' I want to share with you all!"