#45 - Chapter 45 Recruitment Assessment
"Brother, where are we going?" Luo'er asked.
"We're going to find 'No Culture'," Shen Wengang replied.
"'No Culture'?" Luo'er was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Haha, Brother, you're so funny! Mei Wenhua, 'No Culture'! Hahaha, how did you figure it out, Brother? Why would he choose such a name?…"
Luo'er chattered on and on, leaving Shen Wengang speechless.
Was it really that funny? Such a low sense of humor!
However, seeing his sister's sunny smile, he felt quite happy himself.
Two dogs, one on each side, silently followed the two people, "extremely obedient."
Soon, following the address on the recruitment notice, Shen Wengang arrived at the door of a secluded courtyard.
Most people in the settlement lived in tents. To be able to get a courtyard here, one had to be capable.
"Who are you looking for?"
After Shen Wengang knocked on the door, a girl in her twenties came out. She seemed to be an assistant or something, dressed in professional attire.
"Hello, we're here according to the address on the recruitment notice," Shen Wengang said.
"Oh! Hello, please come in." The girl opened the door and led them inside.
"Sorry, pets are not allowed inside," the girl said, stopping them when she saw two large dogs following behind.
"Oh, is that so? But they are very well-behaved. They won't run around or bark, right, Douya?" Luo'er explained.
Luo'er named her dog Douya (Bean Sprout).
Douya nodded in cooperation.
"Is this dog a spirit?" The girl looked puzzled, so cute, what to do, she liked them so much.
While the girl was in a daze, Luo'er spoke again:
"Miss, Douya will get lost if left outside. Please let them in. Okay?"
"Okay… alright. But let them follow me first after they come in. You can pick them up when you leave," the girl said.
"Yay! Thank you, Miss!" Luo'er was very happy, and the girl smiled awkwardly.
The courtyard was designed in a very simple and ancient style. The first thing you see when you enter the courtyard gate is a screen wall made of blue bricks. A huge lotus flower was carved on the screen wall. In the upper right corner were two lines of inscription: 'Rising from the mud, yet unstained; washed by the clear ripples, yet unalluring'.
After passing the screen wall, the courtyard was already full of people. It seemed that they were all here to apply.
Although there were many people, they were all sallow-faced and emaciated, with unkempt hair and dirty faces, and their clothes were mostly tattered.
On the steps in front of the main room was a grand master's chair, and a middle-aged man in his forties was leaning on it. He occasionally picked up his thermos cup, unscrewed the lid, and took a sip of tea.
"President Mei, the people are almost here. Let's begin," a young woman wearing glasses and professional attire said, bowing her head.
The middle-aged man didn't speak, but nodded slightly.
"Hello everyone! Welcome, warriors, to apply. However, for the sake of responsibility to everyone, we will conduct some basic assessments to determine everyone's strength. Only those who pass the assessment can participate in this operation. So next, let's begin the first assessment: weightlifting."
Under the guidance of the young woman, the group came to a corner of the courtyard. A barbell was placed in the corner, but its weight was unknown.
"Here is a barbell, weighing 60 kilograms. No matter what method you use, as long as you successfully lift the barbell and hold it for 5 seconds, you will be considered qualified. Reminder, if you can't do it, don't force it, to avoid injury. Alright, let's begin."
A young man with a stopwatch was already standing quietly by the side, waiting.
The people lined up and tried one by one.
60 kilograms, which is 120 pounds. It's really a bit difficult for people who don't usually do heavy work to lift it.
As expected, several people in a row failed. Some two people couldn't even lift the barbell even one centimeter.
It can't be entirely blamed on them. They haven't had anything good to eat for months, and they were dizzy from hunger. Where would they have much strength?
Then, a strong man shouted loudly. His face was flushed red, and the blood vessels and veins on his neck bulged. He finally managed to hold on for 5 seconds.
The crowd applauded and cheered.
However, without exception, everyone behind him failed.
This time, it was Shen Wengang's turn.
Shen Wengang wasn't sure if he could lift 120 pounds. So he stretched out his hands and tentatively used some force first.
Eh? That's not right.
The barbell was lifted slightly, then put down.
The crowd thought he had given up. Unexpectedly, Shen Wengang stood up and didn't leave. Instead, he put down the long object wrapped tightly in cloth that he was carrying on his back, moved his wrists, and prepared to try again.
He grabbed the handle with both hands, and with a light lift, the barbell was successfully lifted over his head. His face was not red, and he was not out of breath. He looked effortless.
The crowd was astonished. Even the middle-aged man sitting at the door of the main room couldn't help but be shocked: Good fellow! That's real strength!
"Alright, that's enough!" The young woman next to him reminded him.
Shen Wengang put down the barbell only after hearing the reminder. The crowd cheered in unison.
Shen Wengang picked up the long object leaning next to him and walked down.
Then, Luo'er walked up.
"Qian Luo, what are you doing?" Shen Wengang scolded.
The infiltrators have a rule that they must use code names when outside. So in front of everyone, Shen Wengang no longer called her Luo'er.
"Brother, I want to try too," Luo'er said with a smile.
"Nonsense, come down quickly!" Shen Wengang ordered.
