Chapter 23: Queuing

By the time Feng Ling and Luo Bi arrived at the testing center, it was already three in the afternoon. In the first-floor testing hall, a large number of children were queuing for testing, interspersed with a small number of teenagers.

The vast majority of awakenings occurred between the ages of three and fourteen. Occasionally, someone would awaken at fifteen or sixteen, but such cases were extremely rare, and generally, there was little hope for awakening at that age. Those who had not awakened by sixteen could undergo a late awakening by consuming awakening potions if they had the financial means; this was why the testing center included teenagers.

Feng Ling seemed very familiar with the testing process. He went directly to pay the testing fee. By the time Luo Bi understood what was happening, she felt a bit embarrassed, so she struck up a conversation to break the ice: "We have to pay a fee too?"

Feng Ling gave a low "Mhm" and said, "Go join the queue."

Luo Bi scanned the various lines and found one with fewer people, then stood at the end.

There were at least a dozen people ahead of her in the line. It wasn't practical for Feng Ling to stay by her side the whole time—didn't most children queue by themselves? Thus, Luo Bi said, "Go to the lounge area. Come back when it's my turn."

Feng Ling nodded and walked away, making a quick communication call to his team leader and friend, Qin Yilang: "I won't be back for a while."

"Understood," Qin Yilang replied, saying nothing else.

While waiting in line, Luo Bi looked around at the prominent individuals in the various queues, while simultaneously pondering in her mind what kind of ability she had awakened.

She was one hundred percent certain that she had awakened mental power, but she also seemed to have a resonance with spiritual plants and medicinal herbs. Vaguely, she felt that she might have also awakened soul source power. Although the possibility was slim, the thought crossed her mind from time to time.

That was just human nature—to be quite greedy—and Luo Bi was no exception.

A few children were ahead of her in line. At first, they didn't notice Luo Bi, but later they took notice and kept turning back to look at her.

"Did you take an awakening potion?" a little boy asked.

"No." The little boy was chubby and very cute; Luo Bi flashed him a smile.

"Eh? You're a natural awakener? But you look quite old!" The little boy asked in surprised confusion, his tiny eyebrows perking up.

"I just awakened later than others!" Luo Bi replied nonchalantly. She hadn't truly grown up in her past or present lives, so when she mixed with children, she tended to take on a somewhat childish temperament.

"You're so pitiful." The little boy was filled with sympathy for Luo Bi; to awaken at such an age was simply too late.

"I don't think it's a big deal! Besides, it's not like I'm only awakening now; I just haven't come for testing until now." Having been inexplicably pitied by a child, Luo Bi's favorability toward him increased significantly.

"Tch, making excuses for being stupid." Someone from a nearby queue let out a disdainful sound.

Hearing this, Luo Bi looked over and quickly discovered that the speaker was a chubby girl wearing a lace princess dress. She was probably eleven or twelve years old, with fairly decent features, but she was just too fat, with thick arms and legs, and was currently looking in Luo Bi's direction with a contemptuous gaze.

The chubby girl's voice had been overheard by those nearby, and some people were curiously following her gaze to look at Luo Bi.

Luo Bi was angry. *Dammit, who did I offend? Why am I running into weirdos all day?* Parting her lips slightly, Luo Bi spat out two words: "Get help."

"Hmph!" The chubby girl likely felt indignant but was also intimidated because Luo Bi was an adult; she gave her a fierce glare and turned her head away.

Luo Bi felt completely unwell. *Motherfucker, what the hell was that?*

The little boy blinked, looked at the chubby girl whose eyes seemed to reach the top of her head, then looked at Luo Bi, and turned his little head away as well.

(End of Chapter)