Quiz 64: Calculations Falling into Traps
It was a large-scale exam site; all the examinees were seated. The test papers were distributed. Just like last time, there were three question sheets, two answer sheets, and the time allowed was 150 minutes. The stationery included three pencils, one eraser, and one small blade.
The content of this exam was a mix of history and philosophy!
Stingy, how come there still isn’t any draft paper…always forcing me to rip the questions sheet. Meng Ming didn’t actually understand that this kind of humanities test that required a lot of writing didn’t really need that much draft paper. If the students did want to write a draft, they could just write directly on the question sheet instead.
“Don’t look at the test paper for now! Guo Dian is about to act!” Zhou Lun Yu reminded him.
With a kuang, the second round of the final examination officially began!
With a wave of his hand, Guo Dian pressed two fingers onto the answer sheet of the examinee sitting on his upper left side, quickly painting on two base pen colors! He already knew what Lin Xian’s level of strength was, so he definitely wouldn’t yield to them this time!
The innocent examinee’s question paper became soaked, greatly shocking him. At that moment, Guo Dian opened yet another bottle of mineral spring water, preparing to spread color!
I have to quickly block him!! Zhuge Style Cheating Technique—Water Splitting Blade Draw! Meng Ming swiftly grabbed the questions sheet. Directly drawing on the test paper, this exam site is really too convenient for him…! With a swoosh, the questions sheet was split into many pieces of paper. Just as Guo Dian was about to splash color onto that person’s test paper, Meng Ming had ripped up his paper to form several, very small square pieces. He aimed them, then tossed them out like playing cards, perfectly blocking the water that Guo Dian had just splashed out!
This is the New Zhuge Style Cheating Technique—Paper Wall!
Guo Dian remained cold and indifferent, not caring that his first wave of color had been blocked. One of his hands added water, while the other moved in a practiced way to use his blending skill, splashing various colors out in all directions. These different strokes of color instantly flew out! Meng Ming didn’t fall short either; although the distance was far, any small paper wall in his hand could quickly block Guo Dian’s paint, sticking onto the color being applied, before finally falling onto the ground. Without paying careful attention, n.o.body could really notice the many small paper pieces fluttering in midair, which faced the sun’s rays peeking through the clouds. The exam site seemed filled with the kind of bright confetti sprinkled at people during festivities, and the pieces dispersed with the wind.
So annoying! Guo Dian didn’t stop, and continuously splashed out black ink, before finally tossing up many different colors mixed together in waterb.a.l.l.s to the air above. Can you block them all?! Summer Thunderstorm!
Meng Ming didn’t slack off in the slightest; he wouldn’t let a single drop of color pa.s.s through. As long as the opposite party flung water droplets out, he’d use paper pieces to block them. I’ve said before that if I want to block them, I’ll make sure all of your water droplets lose effect! New Zhuge Style Cheating Technique—Dandelion Umbrella!
Both sides were exchanging blows with each other entirely through colors and paper. The air around the exam site was overflowing with extremely fine colored specks.
Guo Dian sn.i.g.g.e.red.
Why is he laughing? That strange smile…Meng Ming suddenly felt a chilly air!
Guo Dian flung out some more colors, and Meng Ming prepared the papers to fly out accordingly. However, he discovered that something wrong was happening before him.
Lu Xiao?! Some coins had already flown upwards from Lu Xiao’s direction. By the look of things, they were blocking Guo Dian’s colors before even Meng Ming’s paper could! Why, why is Lu Xiao blocking him? Before Meng Ming was able to make clear of the situation, the coins were knocked away by Zhou Lun Yu!
Those coins can bounce the water around. This is for the sake of changing the direction of the paints before Zhuge Meng Ming’s paper can block them! Zhou Lun Yu saw through it. It looks like from beginning to end, Lu Xiao only had one move.
“Lu Xiao, don’t make a move for now. I already know their tricks. Let me take my time playing around with them myself.” Guo Dian’s paints were still constantly being blocked by Meng Ming’s paper pieces, but he continued to sn.i.g.g.e.r.
Strange… Meng Ming only now realized: The paper pieces with paint on them all fall on the stone floor next to Guo Dian…
He suddenly noticed that all of the colored paper pieces were floating on a ditch of water beneath Guo Dian’s seat!
When did Guo Dian drip water into a ditch beneath him?!
I’ll take these papers. Guo Dian lifted his leg and used the water to move the large pile of paper into a line in-between one of the stone cracks. They all mixed together, the glue fusing them into a long, straight body! He then stretched his hand out and grabbed it!
The paper had large amounts of color on it, which absorbed the water. This made it unexpectedly transform into a paper painting brush!
Meng Ming only just now understood that this was Guo Dian’s strategy! Guo Dian had already calculated that the colors would be blocked by the Paper Wall, and thus fixed up a water ditch around them. He did this purely to smelt the glue on Meng Ming’s paper sc.r.a.ps to create the painting brush that he hadn’t been allowed to bring into the exam site!
What does he plan on doing? Meng Ming couldn’t understand.
Guo Dian slightly raised the brush in his hands. Do you know what this brush is for? Firstly…
Alternate Dimension Vacuum Blade!
With a rip, the brush broke. Guo Dian’s hands were now each holding one half of the brush. Firstly, it has to be split into two sections. Then…I can paint with both hands!
Guo Dian waved the brush sections, and his fingers motionlessly made the brush launch out colors to both the left and right simultaneously!
He didn’t even move! How do I block it?! [Meng Ming]
Guo Dian, that b.a.s.t.a.r.d, has clearly grasped our future moves! We’ve been completely used by his plans! [Zhou Lun Yu]
With a swoosh, Guo Dian successfully smeared two large blobs of color onto the filled answer sheets of the two examinees on his left and right.
In terms of brute strength, there was absolutely no way one could resist Guo Dian.
Only 30 minutes of the exam had pa.s.sed, and the test papers of two Lin Xian students had already been destroyed. In this way, Lin Xian’s points continued to be dragged down. Persevering for 150 minutes would definitely be impossible! There’s only this move left. Meng Ming had to execute the plans that they’d discussed last night.
Meng Ming had heard before that, in a casino, one could use liquids to temporarily stick cards to random places. Water could also be poured into dice cups to disrupt people from listening in. He’d learned before from the Zhuge Style Cheating Technique that if he ever encountered a water user as an opponent, he would have no alternative but to use his most vicious move!
“It’s coming. Zhou Lun Yu, watch over Lu Xiao carefully on your side.” [Meng Ming]
“Just worry about yourself. Any coin that Lu Xiao tosses out will be deflected.” [Zhou Lun Yu]
Guo Dian had already started to smear paint everywhere without restraint. Many examinees had already been harmed. He continuously added new colors to his paint brush. Meng Ming took advantage of the moment that Guo Dian was enjoying his painting the most to shoot out a Small Fire Arrow!
That kind of thing of yours has absolutely no effect on me. Guo Dian shifted slightly to dodge, and the Fire Arrow embedded itself deeply into the backpack that Guo Dian used to store water bottles! The tiniest bit of water trickling by was enough to extinguish the flames. Haha, I fear fire the least. Guo Dian grinned, and continued completing his paint mixing.
It’s finally come time for you to fall for my plans, Guo Dian. Meng Ming stretched out his hand and gave a hard yank, suddenly shifting Guo Dian’s backpack! The amount of strength Meng Ming had exerted from his fingertips made the backpack swiftly fly horizontally from underneath Guo Dian’s seat to Meng Ming’s seat!
That’s… Guo Dian only now reacted. That arrow had a red thread tied to it! Hmph, it’s a needle and thread?!
It’s not a needle and thread, but the old-fashioned fishing pole! Meng Ming was gleeful. This time, I’ve finally stolen away all your water bottles.
You really think you’re infallible, huh. I took out the water bottles from that bag ages ago. Guo Dian counted the water bottles at his feet; there wasn’t a single one missing.
…As expected, there’s no water. Meng Ming could also feel that the bag was very light.
But, Guo Dian had to seize the bag back. My student ID is in that bag. Alright, hurry up and return it to me!
Why would I return it to you? Before Meng Ming had even gotten the chance to pick up the bag on the ground, it was suddenly lifted vertically by some force, landing on the table on top of Meng Ming’s answer sheet.
Meng Ming was startled. At this moment, the backpack then quickly shot back towards Guo Dian’s hands! Only then did Meng Ming discover that a large smear had been drawn on Meng Ming’s answer sheets—Guo Dian’s bag also had paint stuck on it!
Did you think I wouldn’t know that you’d want to steal away my bag? Guo Dian chuckled madly. You’re too naive, falling for my traps again and again. My bag has rubber bands on it. When you s.n.a.t.c.hed the bag away, I grasped the rubber bands and controlled it at a distance. Seizing it? I can get it back at any time, as well as apply paint to your test papers whenever I want!
There was a huge mess of purple and red left on Meng Ming’s answer sheet, but the corners of his mouth slowly lifted upwards.
Zhou Lun Yu was watching the whole time, and thought: Did you really think that Zhuge Meng Ming would continue falling for your traps so many times? Guo Dian, you should think carefully about why the one using the fishing pole was Zhuge Meng Ming, and not me.
Guo Dian was confused at the sight of Meng Ming’s expression. Why was he smiling even though his answer sheets had been painted on?! Suddenly, Guo Dian noticed what Meng Ming was holding in his hand…Guo Dian’s student ID! He’d used the moment just now to steal it away?
It was stolen? Guo Dian hurriedly reached his hands into his bag and rummaged around…
Meng Ming, who was still holding the student ID, finally turned around and looked at Guo Dian. In the end, it’s still you that was duped, Guo Dian.
Guo Dian suddenly felt a stab of pain on his hands that had stretched into his bag! He retracted his hands, only to discover that a dust-like powdery haze had appeared in his bag. There was quite a bit of it stuck on his hands. ….What are these things? He inspected his hands, and kept feeling both pain and itchiness, and it seemed to emit heat as well.
Let me just tell you, Meng Ming pointed at the slabs on the ground next to him. There was unexpectedly a deep ditch on the ground. The powder in your bag is the Zhuge Style Cheating Technique’s top secret weapon to break through water skills—quicklime!
When quicklime came into contact with water, it would release a large amount of heat! Cold water would boil, and make it unusually and incomparably scalding, impossible for a person to touch. Meng Ming had used the slabs on the ground by burning out the ditch on the ground with high-temperature fire to excavate out large amounts of quicklime!
Guo Dian, now your hands are no longer able to touch water!
You little… Guo Dian was starting to lose his cool. His hands and desk were all covered with dust, and all he could do was pick up that paper-made brush and fling, with all of his strength, a huge amount of paint towards Meng Ming to vent his anger. Meng Ming calmly replied, “Don’t forget, your student ID is in my hands.” He used the student ID as a shield to block the paint.
With a pa, Guo Dian’s student ID was completely covered in paint, and just like all of the pieces of paper, they fell next to Guo Dian’s seat.
It was silent for a long while.
n.o.body knew what Guo Dian was thinking, but even though he used his test paper to try to wipe his hands clean , there was still dust stuck on that he couldn’t wash off. It was indeed impossible for him to touch water now.
Everyone in the exam site was quietly writing their answers, as if nothing had changed. The sun gradually rose higher, and the white clouds floated past as it got nearer to noontime. Aside from the few Lin Xian examinees that had gotten their papers smeared with paint, the exam continued to advance as usual.
10-20 minutes pa.s.sed, and the C-types still didn’t make any more moves.
It’s unusually quiet. Meng Ming kept feeling like there was something unnatural in this silence. I have to be alert all of the time.
After a long time, an examinee stood up!
Who?!
Meng Ming and Zhou Lun Yu both turned to look. It wasn’t a C-type, but one of Lin Xian’s L-type students!
Why? Why is an L-type suddenly…
The student brought their test paper to the proctor building and then left.
He…handed in his exam early?!
Then, another person left! In tight succession, Lin Xian’s students began to leave the exam site one after another.
What’s going on? Is this test that easy? [Meng Ming]
That couldn’t be, since Jin Nai Nai clearly hadn’t finished her test yet! Zhou Lun Yu and Meng Ming still had a portion of questions blank.
Did they already finish, or did they notice that something was off about the exam site, and wanted to leave early while they still could? [Meng Ming]
Dammit, if they just leave like that, what is there for me to draw on?! [Guo Dian]
If they left early despite not having finished, then Lin Xian’s points will…
It’s Lu Xiao! Zhou Lun Yu discovered.
There was an extremely strong charge of static electricity in the air! Meng Ming also saw the flash that had appeared and fractured the air!
He set up a voltage difference across the exam site, allowing the low alt.i.tude air to produce electricity! [Meng Ming]
That’s why all of Lin Xian’s examinees felt a lot of faint static electricity…which they found unbearably itchy, so they hurriedly wrote random things and just left. [Zhou Lun Yu]
Why is Lu Xiao doing this?! Wouldn’t Kui Yuan’s examinees feel the itchiness as well?!
Kui Yuan’s examinees didn’t have to think when doing the problems, so they could continue. Meng Ming began to feel anxious at the sight of the examinees leaving one after another. If this continued, Lin Xian’s students would’ve all left from discomfort!
At that moment, Meng Ming finally realized what Lu Xiao’s objective was. He saw Guo Dian.
Guo Dian’s expression was filled with urgency. As the examinees quickly left, his canvases were also being handed to the teacher one by one. If this went on, he wouldn’t be able to continue painting at the exam site. Guo Dian began to panic, and he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to hurry up and do something!
Lu Xiao did it in order to arouse Guo Dian’s fighting intent! Meng Ming understood. Exactly what kind of terrifying thoughts are in Lu Xiao’s mind?
In order to quickly create paintings, Guo Dian began to use his dust-covered hands to twist off the lids of the mineral spring water bottles. One after another, they were all opened, and the water came gushing out onto the ground. He then took off his shoes to use his feet to control the water stream!
He’s finally making his move… [Meng Ming]
“Follow the original plan! You keep that awful river in check, and leave that annoying lightning to me!” [Zhou Lun Yu]
There were still 30 minutes left of the test. The static electricty suddenly became weaker, but Guo Dian’s water had already filled all of the stone cracks to form a river, which was flowing towards the center of the room!
Ah, I have to let you guys have a taste of my Autumn Spindrift this time! Guo Dian adjusted his water stream.
Meng Ming watched that horrible river, having already prepared to cut off the stream. He held a test paper in his hand as he thought: New Zhuge Style Cheating Technique—Paper Wall! Like a dam, the small pieces of the test paper barred off the river’s path between the criss-crossed stone cracks.
Hmph, such an idiot. Guo Dian was in control of the water stream the whole time, while Meng Ming’s paper had already left his hands. I’ll just charge, and break your dam down!
As expected, the water stream was fast and violent. Meng Ming’s paper pieces were entirely unable to withstand Guo Dian’s charge, and collapsed at once.
Let’s go again! Meng Ming made the paper pieces thicker this time, and continued to block. However, it was still washed away by Guo Dian’s river
If that’s the case, then… Meng Ming not only made the paper thicker, but he also added a frame behind the dam with pencil wood! Another wall blocked the water stream’s advancement.
It’s useless! Guo Dian increased the water power, and still pushed the wall over.
Meng Ming didn’t slack, and continued to toss walls out to cut the flow, but they were toppled over by Guo Dian again and again.
That’s right, if this goes on, Guo Dian will definitely fall for the trap! Meng Ming displayed a panicked expression, but he was actually extremely calm on the inside. He had a countermeasure for this situation!
Guo Dian continued to add water, endlessly knocking down the paper walls Meng Ming set up to block him. The water stream had already stretched near to Meng Ming’s desk. At that moment, Guo Dian suddenly stopped the water flow!
What?! Meng Ming was momentarily stunned by the sight of the water stream suddenly stopping.
Ah, your head really is pretty good. You wanted to use this kind of method to bait me. Guo Dian had noticed?! That water stream didn’t continue flowing downwards, but instead stopped in its place.
Upon closer inspection, Guo Dian’s river had originally been arranged to charge to the center of the exam site! However, the cracks were criss-crossed like a net, so, after continuously chasing after Meng Ming’s unending paper walls, the end of the river had been drawn to a place near Meng Ming’s seat!
Guo Dian stopped the flow. He’d seen through Meng Ming’s plans ages ago. You’re so easily seen through. The real method to harness water isn’t to block it, but to open up a path for it. You wanted to coerce my water into moving in certain ways, and lead it to where you wanted it, right?”
Guo Dian pointed to the floor near Meng Ming—it was the large ditch that Meng Ming had burned out for the quicklime earlier!
As expected, since the beginning of the test, you’d already calculated up to this step. Guo Dian somewhat admired Meng Ming’s intelligence. Water cannot flow upwards, so you wanted my water to all pour into the ditch. I’m sorry to say, I definitely wouldn’t be so stupid.
c.r.a.p, I was found out…! Meng Ming’s plans had been seen through! Guo Dian suddenly split the middle of the river to form a tributary following the cracks, and it continued to advance towards the middle of the room!
What to do…aside from this, I don’t have any more ideas! Meng Ming was momentarily unable to come up with new plans!
This river had already entered the middle level from the upper level. Once it slipped into the crowd of people, Guo Dian would be able to move it up and down whenever he wanted! Lin Xian still had a portion of students that hadn’t handed in their tests yet; they were all facing the danger of a flood!
He has too much water, it’s completely impossible to control…!! Meng Ming knew that even if he continued to use Paper Wall, Guo Dian would still be able to recklessly charge through.
He was watching the river fill the area right before him yet was powerless to do anything. Did that mean he could only listen to this fate a.s.signed by the heavens then?!
d.a.m.n…
Meng Ming’s cool was broken.
“Zhuge Meng Ming.” At this point, Zhou Lun Yu suddenly pa.s.sed some news. “Have you blundered over on your side?! I’ve already resolved everything over here.”
Lu Xiao was still wondering why the electricity he generated had suddenly all disappeared! He could control the flow of electricity and the voltage difference generated by the exam site, but…
What did Zhou Lun Yu do?! He took my newly generated static electricity and…
The electricity was drawn away by me! Just raise your head and take a look. [Zhou Lun Yu]
He lifted his hood and saw that there was unexpectedly something made of paper suspended in midair!
If you guys can use the open-sky exam site, then so can we! This had been folded by Zhuge Meng Ming using the test paper and the pencil, and was now being firmly suspended in the air by Zhou Lun Yu’s red threads—Paper Kite!
A single kite was floating above the wide exam site! At the middle of the kite’s string hung a metal item that drew in the electricity—a blade piece!
Lu Xiao was astonished. How…how is this possible? Using that kind of thing…aren’t Zhou Lun Yu’s threads electrically insulated?!
In order to attract your electricity, the upper half uses conducting threads! Zhou Lun Yu continued pulling the kite, sucking all of the electricity in the lower alt.i.tudes of the room towards the suspended blade piece.
He’d already gained control over the string’s length, and the blade piece attached to the kite was currently hanging upside down above the river Guo Dian had created. From above, it pointed directly down towards the water spread all over the floor.
It’s the end, Guo Dian. Zhou Lun Yu waved his hands and severed the red threads, causing the small blade to suddenly drop vertically, carrying all of the stored up electricity that Lu Xiao had produced.
“Guo Dian! Hurry up and dodge!”
Guo Dian’s feet and body were covered in water, he couldn’t possibly evade. He wanted to wipe himself dry, but his hands were still covered in the quicklime! The charged blade piece fell straight into the river, and all of its electricity was endured by Guo Dian alone!
That was a heavy blow. Guo Dian’s entire body went limp and numb, making it hard for him to move.
The kite was blown away, and it lightly danced in the air before landing outside of the exam site.