Chapter 23: Assessment Passed!

"No need, Chief. I am certain I can pass!" Lu Meng said, looking very earnest.

Chief Martha couldn't help but chuckle. "So confident, are you?"

"Mm-hmm."

Of course! She had studied until very late last night!

"Alright then, start writing."

"Okay."

Lu Meng responded and immediately began to write. Martha returned to her desk to handle her official duties.

About half an hour later, Lu Meng carefully checked her paper. Convinced that she had answered everything she knew, she finally put down her pen.

Hearing the movement, Martha looked over. "Finished?"

"Yes, finished!" Lu Meng replied quickly.

Martha set aside her work and beckoned with four fingers. "Bring it over and let me see."

Lu Meng had intended to show it to her anyway, so she rose immediately and handed it over.

Martha took the paper and reviewed it. The questions she had set were not difficult, revolving around basic information from the materials, though they did contain many minor, intricate details. Lu Meng, however, had filled every line, leaving not a single question blank.

She glanced at Lu Meng, a smile in her voice. "You wrote quite a lot."

Lu Meng smiled back but said nothing. Her teachers had always told her: even if you don't know the answer, fill the page! Of course, in this case, she actually knew all the answers.

Martha examined the paper carefully. In less than a minute, she looked up, her tone filled with approval. "Well written!"

She smiled at Lu Meng. "Congratulations, you’ve passed the assessment."

Lu Meng was overjoyed. "Thank you, Chief!"

Wonderful! At least her hard work over these past few days hadn't gone to waste.

"Since you’ve passed, I’ll take you to observe other guides performing mental stabilization. You can learn by watching for now, and next month, you can start taking patients independently."

Next month?

Lu Meng couldn't help but start counting. Today was the twentieth, leaving only ten days, and with four days of rest included, there really wasn't much time left.

Thinking of this, she quickly said, "That works, no problem."

Martha smiled faintly and set the test paper down. "Good, then come with me."

As she stood up, Lu Meng hurried to follow her.

They walked through several corridors and arrived at a doorway. Martha placed her hand on a square instrument nearby, and the door slid open.

Lu Meng followed her inside. The first thing she saw was a consultation desk similar to those in a modern hospital, with a folding screen partitioning the room further in.

Martha led her behind the screen. There, a slim figure sat by the side of a bed—the guide. A sentinel lay on the hospital bed, and the guide’s hand rested gently on his forehead.

Martha gestured for her to remain silent. Lu Meng nodded quickly and stood a short distance away to observe them.

Time ticked by, and Lu Meng clearly saw the guide’s body begin to tremble. Before she could understand what was happening, Martha spoke up from beside her, "That’s enough, Daly!"

She stepped forward and took the hand Daly had resting on the sentinel’s forehead.

Daly slowly opened her eyes, and only then did Lu Meng notice the dense beads of sweat on her brow.

"Chief..."

Martha frowned deeply. "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Daly swallowed hard, looking somewhat guilty. "No, I just felt the stabilization was going too slowly, and I wanted to see if I could push my limits..."

Martha was even more incensed. "Nonsense! Is that something you can just experiment with? What if something had gone wrong?"

As she spoke, she accessed her optical computer. "Medical unit, Guide Daly has overexerted her mental energy and may be in danger. Please report to Guide Room 2 as soon as possible!"

Though weak, Daly insisted, "I'm fine, Chief. Just a little tired, nothing major."

"Enough, listen to me!"

"But what about him?" Daly gestured toward the sentinel on the bed.

Martha felt a genuine headache. Even now, she was still worried about the sentinel's condition. However, a thought occurred to her as she looked at Lu Meng; this was a good opportunity.

"Xiao Meng, you go ahead and try!"

Lu Meng’s eyes widened. "Me?"

Martha nodded. "Yes, just follow the steps you wrote down this morning. Try to see if you can use your mental energy."

Lu Meng took a few deep breaths. Alright! She would give it a try!