I loaded the Mysticism panel.

Chapter 251 Successive Eliminations (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets: 30)

The first weekend is over.

More than half of the students in the regular classes were eliminated.

The reason was posted on the notice board.

It's simple, yet it's also very grand.

"Basic academic ability is not up to standard".

Richard knew perfectly well that this had nothing to do with whether or not his academic ability met the standards.

The reason for elimination is simply because there are limited spots available.

There are only so many spots, and they've all been taken long ago, leaving very few for ordinary students.

Some students from regular classes feel very resentful after being eliminated, and may even plead in public.

There was one such person.

He looked to be about the same age as Richard.

"I can still make up for it. It wasn't easy for my family to support my education. Please, I beg you, please give me another chance."

The boy pleaded with Pendleton, repeating the same words over and over again.

However, Pendleton couldn't make an exception for him.

He could only tell the boy that the elimination list was set by the academy and had nothing to do with him.

Of course, many more people chose to preserve their dignity and quietly pack their things and leave.

The corridor, which had just begun to show signs of life, became deserted again.

Those people who crowded in front of the notice board a few days ago, excitedly searching for their names.

Almost all of them left.

Richard stood behind a pillar on the second floor.

Looking down into the lobby, I saw students packing up their things and preparing to leave.

Suddenly, someone caught his attention.

Representative of the Ministry of the Interior.

He came again today.

But this time he didn't look at those who were kept; instead, he focused his attention on those who were eliminated.

He seemed to be screening out students who were desperate but actually had some talent.

He wrote down some names and then left.

Richard couldn't help but feel curious.

What is this representative from the Ministry of the Interior trying to do by noting down these names?

"What are you looking at?"

A voice came from behind Richard.

Looking back, it was Phillips.

Phillips, carrying a cup of tea, came over from the corner of the stairs.

In the past, Richard would ask in surprise where his tea came from.

But I'm too lazy to ask anymore.

Phillips always finds a way, doesn't he?

Richard gestured towards the downstairs area with his chin.

Phillips leaned closer to the railing, glanced down, and shook his head: "A bunch of pathetic people."

Let's go, there's nothing to see. Seeing it will only make you feel worse.

He pulled Richard away and led him to the window at the end of the corridor.

This is a wide windowsill where you can bask in the sunlight.

This is a great spot that Phillips specifically scouted out.

He poured Richard a cup of tea: "Have a taste. This is tea from the mountains of Northwest China, and it's very well fermented."

Richard took a sip.

The tea soup is mellow and has a long-lasting sweet aftertaste.

"The same goes for the people in our special class."

Phillips leaned against the window, raising his chin to indicate the direction of the classroom:

"Look at them, they're all so tense, like they're about to go to war."

Richard: "They must have felt the competition was fierce too."

"Intense my ass."

Phillips disagreed: "The twenty spots in the special class are basically locked up. The eliminations will mainly be from the regular class."

What we really need to compete for is the rankings, who gets which advisor, and who gets into which research direction.

Even if you can't get into Imperial University, people with connections and academic background are still rare talents.

It's just a matter of being reassigned to a lower-level college; at least they'll find somewhere to go.

Richard: "You seem to see things quite clearly."

Phillips shrugged: "I'm just too lazy to argue."

"What's the point of working yourself to the bone to get a good mentor, only to work yourself to the bone for the next few years?"

Richard: "You're after an associate professorship?"

"Associate Professor?"

Phillips laughed: "Do you know how much work you have to do after becoming an associate professor?"

He held up his hands and counted: "Conservatives, forced to perform fieldwork in the wilderness, and possibly being woken up from bed in the middle of the night..."

Just thinking about it gives me a headache. My family's assets are enough for me to live comfortably as a lecturer for the rest of my life. I'm not going to suffer the hardships of being an associate professor.

Richard glanced at him and thought the man was indeed very interesting.

It seems to be swaying, but it's not quite swaying.

It's neither about completely giving up nor about striving to rise above others.

"Let's not talk about that."

Phillips changed the subject: "I've read your essay that was published in the Northern Literary Review."

Richard was somewhat surprised: "You're still looking at that?"

Phillips curled his lip: "I read everything, but what you wrote is really good. If your piece were published in the capital's newspapers, it would definitely stir up a hornet's nest."

Richard: "Why?"

"Because it was 'seen' by someone."

Phillips: "What all owners hate most is being seen."

The two were chatting enthusiastically when footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Catherine Blackwood walked over with the books in her arms.

She glanced at Richard through the crowd.

Richard met her gaze and nodded in return.

Catherine nodded in return, but didn't stop, continuing to walk towards the classroom with her books in her arms.

"You've got your eye on her?" Phillips leaned closer, winking at him.

Richard: "No."

Phillips wouldn't let him off the hook, persisting: "Let me tell you, this girl looks cold, but actually..."

Richard: "Actually what?"

"Actually... I don't know either."

Phillips shrugged: "I've spoken to her less than three times, and each time I was basically shut down by her in a couple of sentences before I could even get a word in edgewise."

Richard laughed out loud.

…………

The second week of the training.

A new associate professor has arrived in the classroom.

Isabella.

The students were already very familiar with the name.

Isabella is a renowned beauty, a highly accomplished scholar, and a young associate professor at Imperial University.

She is also related to Richard, who is in the same class.

People often gossip about her.

But the moment she actually stepped into the classroom, all the whispers were immediately silenced by her imposing aura.

Isabella was dressed in a formal suit, her hair neatly pulled back.

"Today I'm going to talk to you about inscription literature."

She stood on the podium, raised her hand and wrote the question on the blackboard, her handwriting as neat as if it were printed.

"Several key variants from the later period of the Alexandrian school to the medieval church commentaries."

Richard sat in the audience, his gaze not lingering on his aunt, but intently looking at the blackboard and listening to her lecture.

After class.

Isabella walked past Richard without giving him a second glance, despite their familial relationship.

This is a matter of teaching discipline.

Richard understood.

So he didn't look at Isabella much.

This week, many new associate professors arrived.

A man arrived at the seminary, dressed in a black priest's robe.

Meticulous.

He was talking about the hidden Latin texts used in church rituals to refer to "sacraments," "contrasts," and "rituals."

He doesn't speak fast, but he has a magical quality to his voice.

No one dared to be distracted throughout the entire class.

An associate professor with a large beard also came to the engineering school.

He was talking about the industrial remains of the steam age.

How to turn each location into a new weak point.

An ether contamination has accumulated beneath a textile factory in northern Manchester.

The accident rate is unusually high on certain sections of the Imperial Railway system.

There was also an industrial remains investigation that he personally participated in a few years ago.

Richard gleaned some interesting insights from his lessons.

Industrial zones, industrial accidents, railway systems, docks, and mining areas.

This is to tell them where they will be sent to work in the future.

Training is never the end.

It's the entrance, not the entrance.

…………

After class ended on Wednesday afternoon, Croft placed a piece of parchment in the center of the podium:

"Here is some supplementary information for you."

One per person, with your name written on it. Come and get it yourself.

Take a look when you have time, otherwise just leave it aside.

After finishing his lecture, he packed up his notes and left without looking back.

As he left, a buzzing sound began to fill the classroom.

Richard went to the front of the class and looked for the copy with his name on it.

He discovered that the envelopes were different.

There are only two or three thin sheets.

The thick ones are so thick they're about to burst the opening.

The copy with Richard's name on it wasn't the thickest, but it wasn't thin either.

Phillips strolled over and found the copy with his name on it.

I picked it up and weighed it in my hand.

He held up the envelope and said to Richard, "These are specially made handouts for each person, that's quite generous."

Richard: "I don't know what's going on either."

There are seven documents in total.

The first document is a collation of a text on rhetoric.

The second question was a picture interpretation exercise related to sealing techniques.

The third question was about dating.

Richard took a look and thought it was acceptable.

The questions are tricky, but not malicious.

The person who set the question clearly reviewed his homework and class performance.

The test was specifically designed to target the few questions he answered least well.

His textual criticism of rhetoric is indeed not as solid as Montagu's, who had a strong foundation from childhood.

The three blanks in the picture reading exercise were also types he had never encountered in practice.

The question of dating and historical periods...

Richard immediately recognized it as Croft's work.

He was confident that he could achieve more than 80% of the results for these three portions.

Then there are the remaining four points.

The fourth document did not indicate its source, but the handwriting was very familiar.

It is a double-repetitive connection.

He had spent a long time looking at the manuscript in his aunt's office.

Some of them are circled in red, and they are similar to this one.

He had already memorized that stroke of the brush perfectly.

[博闻] immediately recalled the source in his mind.

Footnote number 79 in the fourth chapter footnote column of Dr. Isabella's dissertation.

Richard sighed softly.

If someone hadn't read their aunt's thesis, they probably wouldn't even be able to get started with this question.

Richard saw the fifth document, and it was still in his aunt's handwriting.

This one is even more tricky.

They provided a rubbing of an inscription with a base in ancient Greek.

Every step was interconnected, hitting Richard where he was most uncomfortable.

The same applies to the sixth and seventh portions.

Every step was precisely aimed at his Achilles' heel.

Richard reviewed all seven documents from beginning to end.

The first three were alright; they came from other associate professors.

It only addressed the shortcomings he revealed in class, so it's relatively easy to solve.

But the last four portions were paid by my aunt.

The angle is extremely tricky.

Completely beyond the scope of the curriculum.

"As expected of my aunt... she shows no mercy whatsoever."

Richard gave a wry smile and placed the materials on the left side of the table.

He brewed himself a strong pot of tea, and then placed the inexhaustible ink bottle on top of it.

Take out the pen.

Fight on!

…………

The next day at noon, in the cafeteria.

Richard carried his food tray and looked for a seat.

Phillips sat in a corner of the dining hall, with a book in front of him.

The familiar "Metamorphosis"

There were also envelopes containing materials next to it.

Between the plate and the quilt, a few pieces of paper peeked out crookedly from the envelope.

I almost got buried in bread crumbs.

Judging from this, it seems only half of it has been demolished.

"Did you prepare your portion?"

Richard sat down opposite him.

Phillips didn't even look up: "I just flipped through it, but it's pretty good, quite interesting."

Richard: "Interesting as it may be, when do you plan to do it?"

Phillips pulled out a page: "What's the rush? It's not like it's going to be collected for approval. Just take a look."

"Phillips".

Richard put down his fork and looked at him seriously: "Have you ever considered that something that isn't submitted for approval or scored might actually be more important?"

Hearing this, Phillips finally pulled himself out of the Metamorphosis.

Richard lowered his voice: "Bring out your questions, let's compare them."

Phillips pulled the remaining paper out of the envelope and placed it in front of Richard.

Richard looked at them.

Among the materials Phillips received, two were proofreading documents.

This is his best subject, and the questions are made extremely difficult.

One copy is a historical analysis.

This happened to be the question Phillips answered most casually during his private lessons.

The other three are a mixture of inscriptions and ritual texts.

This is specifically aimed at assessing the true level of students who "copied last year's model text".

The last one remaining...

Richard was surprised to find that the test was actually a practical application of rhetoric.

This question was never explicitly mentioned or tested during Phillips's lectures.

However, Richard remembered it clearly.

During a casual conversation during a break between classes, Phillips casually shared his views on the rhetoric of legal documents.

He made two very insightful remarks.

Although he didn't elaborate, he quickly changed the subject with a joke.

However, some people took those two sentences to heart at the time.

After reading it, Richard returned Phillips's materials: "Your questions are completely different from mine."

Phillips asked curiously, "How is it different?"

Richard: "Of my seven shares, four were provided by my aunt, which was exactly what I was looking for."

"And inside your notebook are notes on every time you slacked off in class, and the questions were designed based on that."

Phillips' expression changed slightly, and he slowly sat up straight: "So, this is a custom-made order for one person?"

Richard: "That's right, one for everyone."

These associate professors teamed up and created a separate set of questions for each of the thirty or so students in the special class.

Phillips frowned slightly, then relaxed: "How much work will that take?"

"Who knows?"

Richard shook his head: "But since they're willing to put in this much effort, do you think they won't spend a little more time looking at it?"

Before the first class in the afternoon.

Richard then went to find Catherine.

Catherine was working on her problems in the corner of the classroom, with the envelopes and other materials spread out on the table.

Richard glanced at it: "Your question was also custom-made."

Catherine raised her head, her grey-green eyes showing no surprise:

"I could tell from day one."

The voice wasn't loud, but it was very firm.

She continued, "The person who set this set of questions read all the answer sheets I wrote in class."