The Great Genetic Era Chapter 1 - The Genetic Exam
Jincheng, Ninth High School, Class 3–7
Although the college entrance examinations had concluded and every student had received their marks, they remained fixed on Yu Zeping, their homeroom teacher, with expectant gazes. A palpable tension hung in the air.
This was because the announcement Yu Zeping was about to make carried the weight of their entire future.
Sunlight poured through the windows, illuminating the anxious, youthful expressions of the students, yet it simultaneously cast a somber shadow upon them.
“A unified directive from the Blue Star Alliance Huaya Greater Area Genetic Committee, the Huaxia Genetic Committee, and the Huaxia Ministry of Education…”
Yu Zeping had only spoken the names of the three major authorities, yet all 46 students in class 3–7 instinctively straightened their postures to listen.
Several students gripped their fingers tightly together, while others held their breath in anticipation.
What followed was considered more pivotal than the college entrance exams—an assessment that, a century ago, was said to define a person's life.
This evaluation dictated their destiny.
“The Genetic Double Excellence Score for the year 2137 is 597, the Genetic Single Excellence Score is 483, and the Genetic Admission Score is 395,” Yu Zeping stated, reeling off the three thresholds with his signature brevity and precision.
To those listening, his words struck like bolts of lightning. Several students instantly went pale, the color draining from their faces.
Conversely, others exhaled in relief, their postures sagging with relaxation.
Seven or eight students remained frozen in their seats, looking as if they had just been electrocuted.
“This… 395 points?”
“How could the Genetic Admission Score cutoff jump by 22 points compared to last year?”
“I… I was only a single point away!”
A male student struggled to keep his lips pressed together, but eventually, his composure shattered. He collapsed onto his desk and began to wail loudly.
His outburst triggered a chain reaction, and soon other students who had fallen short of the score joined him in tears.
The Genetic Admission Score had effectively sealed their fate.
Xu Tui felt a heavy weight in his chest hearing the cries of his classmates. He wanted to offer comfort to the boy weeping behind him, but he found himself at a loss for words.
He also felt a lingering tremor of fear thinking back to his own performance.
A simple three-digit score had turned into the arbiter of his classmates' future.
According to Yu Zeping, failing to reach the Genetic Admission Score meant spending one’s life trapped in the lower rungs of society, devoid of any real hope.
In that fleeting moment, Xu Tui felt that their teacher’s prior warnings, which they had heard so often, were far less brutal than the reality unfolding before them.
On the podium, Yu Zeping observed the weeping students in silence, his lips thin and pressed into a hard line. His throat was parched.
This was his sixth time overseeing a graduating class, yet he still could not find the right words to articulate the heaviness in his heart.
The consequences of this failure were nearly impossible for these eighteen-year-olds to bear.
Instinctively, Yu Zeping glanced out the window, his gaze seemingly piercing the sky. Those wretched Invaders!
If it weren't for the intrusion of the Galactic Invaders, the Genetic Admission Score would never have been this merciless.
Time is said to be the universal healer, but not here.
Eventually, the sobbing in the classroom began to subside.
Yu Zeping inhaled deeply and spoke, “For those who missed the Genetic Admission Score, do not lose heart.”
“All paths eventually lead to Rome. Should you strive hard in the coming years, obtaining a Level E or Level D Genetic Liberation Elixir remains a possibility.”
“In the journey of genetic evolution, anything is attainable. History holds many examples, though I shall not elaborate further.”
These were the only consolations he could offer.
“Very well. Those who failed to reach the score, report to the Office of Academic Affairs immediately to determine your next course of action.”
“The rest of you, gather at Court Number Four in 15 minutes.”
Yu Zeping’s eyes grew piercingly sharp. “Your real genetic tests are just beginning.”
…
At Court Number Four…
After bidding temporary farewells, the remaining 37 students, including Xu Tui, assembled on the court.
They huddled together, discussing their scores with a combination of lofty dreams and lingering anxieties.
“I hit 471. I didn’t even touch the Single Excellence threshold.”
“I scored 534, just clearing the Single Excellence mark. I wonder how many Genetic Base Points I’ll be able to activate.”
“I got 603. What did you get, Little Tui?” Cheng Mo suddenly questioned.
“Old Cheng, you should refer to me as Big Tui,” Xu Tui corrected.
“Why is that?”
“Because my score is exactly one point higher than yours.”
“Only one point?”
“Even if it’s just one, I’m still the senior one.”
Thwack!
A sudden, sharp slap landed on the back of Xu Tui’s head. He spun around, ready to explode in anger.
“Oh, screw it! Who—oh, it’s HT!” A mischievous grin broke across Xu Tui’s face.
Yu Zeping ignored the smirk entirely, marching past the students to step onto the dais.
“Some of you are feeling proud because your scores were high. I understand that. But heed my words: scoring well in the college entrance exams is merely securing an entrance ticket to the actual genetic exams.” Yu Zeping paused, watching their reactions before continuing. “Whether or not you enter a prestigious genetic college, and whether you can evolve your genes to become a genuine Genetic Warrior or a powerhouse in this universe, will depend solely on your dedication.”
Yu Zeping’s eyes rested briefly on Xu Tui.
Xu Tui flashed a sheepish, toothy grin.
On stage, Yu Zeping shifted his gaze and let out a roar toward the rest of the class.
“Now, the real training begins—triple the usual intensity!”
The class began to murmur, but Yu Zeping cut them off. “Per our agreement, all restrictions on corporal punishment and training intensity are officially lifted.”
He snapped the thin whip in his hand, causing the air to crackle loudly.
The students, who usually showed no fear, suddenly looked terrified—Xu Tui included.
On a normal day, Yu Zeping only applied 50 percent intensity, and even that was enough to make them howl during training.
Who knew how brutal it would be with all limits removed?
No one dared to find out.
Without a word, Xu Tui bolted like a rabbit.
The first exercise was a 5,000-meter run.
No, that was their standard routine. Today, tripled, meant a 15,000-meter run. That was 15 kilometers!
No one complained.
No one questioned it.
Firstly, every student knew the necessity behind it.
Secondly, they were already hardened by three years of training under Yu Zeping, a physical education teacher.
Indeed, Yu Zeping was at heart a physical education teacher.
In this era, almost all homeroom teachers were recruited from the physical education department.
They were affectionately known as the masters of corporal punishment.
***
The training raged on.
It was the same grueling routine they faced daily, reinforced by the sting of the whip.
The long, slender lash struck Xu Tui’s buttocks with terrifying speed, accuracy, and ferocity.
“Try to score another point higher with your physical training if you can!”
The force of the impact caused Xu Tui’s muscles to swell instantly, and he let out a sharp cry of torment.
“Today’s objective is to shatter your limits, ensuring your bodies absorb the upcoming genetic elixirs with maximum efficiency.”
The snapping sound of the whip in Yu Zeping’s hand echoed like thunder, urging the students to pick up their pace. They quickened their stride instinctively.
Some of the faster students surged forward, leaving Xu Tui behind as they took the lead.
Xu Tui pushed himself to speed up, though he focused on maintaining a steady rhythm and controlling his breath.
This was a 15-kilometer slog, not a quick 5,000-meter dash.
After the run, there were still 80 pushups, 50 burpees, 80 frog jumps, 10 sets of springs, 50 pull-ups, 300 meters of obstacle drills, and 10 minutes each of agility and reflex training.
Indeed, three times the normal volume.
Even with their high endurance, the triple load combined with the threat of the teacher’s whip left them utterly drained.
When the teacher finally signaled the end of the session, the students collapsed onto the ground like exhausted hounds.
They gasped for air, chugging the pungent energy drinks provided by the school while sprawled on the pavement.
“Who’s heading for the toilet?”
Xu Tui stood up unsteadily, limped by the pain in his thighs.
Cheng Mo hurried over, grabbing Xu Tui’s neck for support. He grinned, dumping his full weight onto the already grimacing Xu Tui.
Cheng Mo’s laughter was short-lived, however, ending in a pathetic yelp.
Tang Ting, weighing nearly 100 kilograms, followed suit and piled onto Cheng Mo’s back.
The rest of the group followed, leading to a chain of groans and laughter.
Under the fading light, the grimacing youths stumbled into the restroom, propping each other up.
Yu Zeping narrowed his eyes as he watched one student in particular.
After finishing in the restroom, the group began to head out, but the heavyweight Tang Ting slowed down.
“Brothers, come closer. Let’s shake off the fatigue and get a boost!”
Tang Ting handed out cigarettes, tossing one to Xu Tui, and pulled a hidden stash from a crack in the wall like a magician.
The eight boys huddled together, but suddenly, the door opened to reveal a rotund figure.
Sensing danger, the boys panicked, ditching their items into the toilet. Cheng Mo stepped on the flusher immediately.
Xu Tui, still mid-puff, was caught red-handed. Left with no options, he grit his teeth and held the smoke inside his cheeks, squeezing his lips together.
“It smells quite heavy in here. What are you lot up to?” Yu Zeping asked with a stern gaze.
“Just peeing.”
“Teacher, it was just a bathroom break.”
“Exactly! We even let out a few farts!” Cheng Mo chimed in hurriedly.
Yu Zeping glared at Cheng Mo before turning his focus to Xu Tui, who remained silent with his mouth tightly sealed. “What about you, Xu Tui?”
Xu Tui kept his mouth shut, refusing to speak.
The homeroom teacher raised his whip, and sparks seemed to dance off the tip.
“I said answer me!”
Faced with the imminent threat of the whip, Xu Tui cracked.
“I… I’m just angry!”
Three distinct clouds of white smoke billowed from his nostrils and lips as he spoke.
The rest of the boys couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Yu Zeping struck the back of Xu Tui’s head, hard.
“Angry?”
“Look at you!” Yu Zeping roared. “You can spout smoke when you’re angry? Why don’t you go and declare yourself a deity then? Since you’re so full of energy, you’re doing another half-day of training!”
Xu Tui made a face of utter despair, while the others laughed—until Yu Zeping finished his sentence.
“The same applies to the rest of you!”
Their cheers instantly shifted into pitiful wails.
“HT, you’re truly a genius!”
Xu Tui yelled as he scrambled out of the washroom, giving Yu Zeping a thumbs-up.
…
Under the twilight's fading glory, the sweaty group of youths clung to one another as they walked home.
The echoes of their physical punishment master’s voice still rang in their ears.
“Behave yourselves over the next few days. I’ll make you regret it if you dare touch that trash again—it ruins the efficacy of the genetic medication, and I’ll whip the skin off your backs,” Yu Zeping threatened. “Go home, eat your protein, and focus on muscle recovery.”
The boys acknowledged his orders, and Yu Zeping added, “Don’t forget: bring your electronic files, the liability waivers signed by your parents, and your insurance forms tomorrow.”