Once the debate began, both the broadcasting and arts students displayed exceptional eloquence. Their arguments were sharp and engaging, a constant back-and-forth, each word flowing smoothly and powerfully. Daqi found it quite enjoyable. Because the two sides were evenly matched, the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause whenever a brilliant statement was made. The participation of the broadcasting department made Xiaoling and her two friends nervous, as they all had a strong sense of team spirit and hoped their department would win. Daqi felt that the two departments were very evenly matched, making it difficult to predict which department would ultimately triumph.
Daqi thought to himself: We're all in the SARS quarantine period now, so it's a wise move for the school to organize some activities for the students. This will prevent them from constantly thinking about going outside. After all, SARS is no joke; it could be fatal.
As the debate concluded, the three judges discussed which department would ultimately win. During this time, the broadcasting students took the lead, chanting, "Broadcasting Department, first! First, Broadcasting Department..." The arts students, seeing this, immediately launched a spontaneous counterattack: "Arts Department, champion! Champion, Arts Department..." Xiaoling and her two friends, from the broadcasting department, continuously organized the students to chant in an organized manner. Daqi found it amusing: Damn, the debate is practically turning into a "slogan contest"! After organizing the students to chant slogans, Xiaoling returned to her seat and asked Daqi, "Honey, will our department get first place?" Jiaxin and Beibei also returned to their seats and said, "Our department will definitely get first place." Daqi smiled and said, "To be fair, the two departments are quite evenly matched. The fourth debater from the Broadcasting Department is the strongest, but unfortunately, their first, second, and third debaters are not as strong as the opposing department's. If I were a judge, I might give the championship to the Arts Department." The three girls exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Really?" Daqi laughed and said, "We hope your department wins because the three of you are in the Broadcasting Department. We hope I'm wrong."
When the judges announced the Art Department as the champion, the entire faculty and students of the Art Department burst into enthusiastic applause. The four contestants burst into tears on the spot, because the honor was hard-won… Of course, the "Best Debater" award did indeed go to the fourth debater from the Broadcasting Department. Beibei said, "Master, you're so amazing! You saw the situation so clearly." Daqi laughed, "A person who can see things clearly isn't necessarily good at debating. If you really asked me to go up there, I wouldn't be able to say a single word. Haha!" Daqi was telling the truth; he couldn't really engage in a head-to-head debate.
Because of the SARS outbreak, Daqi didn't dare to stay at Baisha Apartment with the three beautiful women. Mainly, the school was very strict, and students weren't allowed to be away from campus.
Daqi thought to himself: There's no way around it, SARS has its pros and cons. On the one hand, he's having an affair with his beautiful homeroom teacher, Han Meng; on the other hand, he can't live with his three female students anymore. But overall, the pros outweigh the cons. Haha, SARS is quite interesting. Of course, he hopes it ends soon, because being stuck at school isn't a pleasant experience!
Han Meng has returned to class. On the day she returned, the entire class gave her the loudest applause. Da Qi clapped the most enthusiastically. Han Meng kept saying to everyone, "Thank you, thank you all!..." Every student liked Han Meng's class because she explained things better and more carefully than the substitute teacher. Da Qi disliked any other teacher teaching English. If it were any other teacher, he would definitely skip class, without a doubt! Han Meng said in class, "Class, you'll be taking the CET-4 exam soon, so you must make the most of this time to review. Tong Da Qi, especially you!" The whole class burst into laughter again, and Da Qi laughed too. He had practically become Han Meng's source of amusement in English class.
On the way back from the library that evening, Xiaoling said, "Master, the CET-4 exam is coming up, what should we do?" Beibei said, "I'm fine, I'm sure I can pass." Jiaxin said, "I definitely won't pass." Daqi said, "I can't possibly pass, but I'll find a way to make it pass." Daqi didn't want to disappoint Hanmeng because she had invested so much time in him.
He thought: I can't let Teacher Han down! No, I have to call Qianru.
At 11 p.m., Daqi called Qianru home: "Sister, my English proficiency exam is coming up soon. I'm not going to pass. What should I do?" Qianru said, "I was just discussing this with your sister Chunxiao a couple of days ago. How about this, leave everything to me." Daqi asked, "Sister, is that really okay?" Qianru said, "Don't worry, there are 'gunner' companies now. Everything's been industrialized, and I have all the resources in this area. I'll contact the relevant 'gunner' organizations' for you tomorrow. By the way, do Xiaoling and the others need to do this too?" Daqi said, "Beibei doesn't need to, but Xiaoling and Jiaxin can do it this way. I'll discuss it with them tomorrow too." The two chatted for a while longer before hanging up.
Daqi knew he was definitely not going to pass the CET-4 (College English Test Band 4), and he only had one way to pass it—hire a "ghostwriter"! After he returned to his dormitory, Li Xianming and Xie Changjin were also discussing how to pass the CET-4.
Li Xianming: "Boss, Lao Xie, I've made up my mind. I'll have my buddy from Fudan University in Shanghai come over to 'put out the fire'."
Xie Changjin: "I'll try it myself today and see if I can pass. If I can't pass this year, then I'll hire someone else. Boss, what about you?"
Daqi said, "I'll go up and try it myself." Daqi didn't tell them the truth because if this got out, it would be no joke. He didn't want to be expelled or disciplined from school.
Daqi asked Li Xianming, "How did you manage to get your classmate to take the exam for you?"
Li Xianming: "The school will issue the admission tickets in about twenty days. We'll see what they look like then. In short, it depends on the situation."
Daqi: "Squad leader, be careful. Don't tell anyone about this. Remember what I said, loose lips sink ships. The three of us should keep this to ourselves, and the rest of you must not say a word."
Li Xianming nodded and said, "Boss, I understand what you mean. I'll be careful. Old Xie, you can't say anything carelessly!"
Xie Changjin: "Don't worry, the three of us are buddies. If I say anything wrong, may I be struck by lightning!" The three of them burst into laughter. Li Xianming said, "If you pass Level 4, I'll definitely treat everyone to a feast!" Da Qi laughed, "If I pass, I'll treat you too! To the most upscale hotel in the city!" Xie Changjin laughed, "I hope you all pass, then I can eat two meals for free!"
School life continued as normal. Daqi and his three friends secretly slipped back to Baisha Apartment to live. Now that SARS wasn't so severe, by mid-May, the epidemic situation across the country had improved. Binhai Media School had effectively lifted its lockdown, and students could basically come and go freely.
Back at their apartment, the four were overjoyed. They were thoroughly tired of their dorm rooms at school. Daqi exclaimed, "It's so much more comfortable back in our own little haven!" Xiaoling said, "Living at school is boring." Beibei said, "Master, I'm so happy being with you." Jiaxin said, "It's like seeing the light of day again!" The four seemed genuinely happy. For dinner, the four of them ate at the "Hao Ke Lai" restaurant near the school, mainly eating steak, as a celebration of returning to their "comfort zone." After dinner, the four of them returned to their apartment together.
Upon returning to their lodgings, Daqi put his left arm around Jiaxin's slender waist and his right hand on Beibei's fragrant shoulder, saying to Xiaoling, "Ling'er, go run the water, let's take a bath!" Xiaoling smiled and nodded, then went to run the water. Daqi kissed Jiaxin on the left and Beibei on the right, quite the flirt! He said, "It's been so long since I've bathed with you two, serve me well!" The two women smiled seductively and nodded. Beibei said, "I like serving my master while he bathes!" Daqi chuckled, and the three of them went to the bathroom together. Daqi said, "You two undress yourselves first, then help me undress." Jiaxin and Beibei smiled slightly and began to take off their clothes. When they were only wearing their underwear, Daqi said, "Alright, that's enough for now. Ling'er, you do the same with them." Xiaoling was running the hot water; she turned around and nodded, saying, "Master, wait a moment, the water's almost ready." Beibei and Jiaxin began to help Daqi undress, skillfully and slowly removing his shirt. Beibei unbuttoned Daqi's clothes one button at a time. After preparing the hot water, Xiaoling, with a seductive smile, gracefully walked to Daqi's side, first bringing her red lips close to his and kissing him briefly. Daqi laughed, "Ling'er, my little vixen, my pants aren't loose enough yet." Xiaoling pouted, glanced at Daqi sideways, and then obediently knelt before him, skillfully unbuckling his belt. Beibei and Jiaxin then began kissing Daqi's arms…
Looking into Xiaoling's eyes and watching her undulating head, Daqi closed his eyes in comfort. Beibei and Jiaxin embraced him from either side, their red lips "raining" onto Daqi's body. After a pleasurable foreplay, the four of them soaked in the hot water together. Daqi asked the landlord for a bigger bathtub, and the landlord helped him get one.
Daqi kissed Xiaoling, Beibei, and Jiaxin respectively. He asked Xiaoling and Jiaxin, "Are you two sure you can't pass the English exam?" The two girls said, "There's really no way, our level is just too bad!" Jiaxin said, "I cheated on my college entrance exam English." Xiaoling said, "Me too, I don't know English, I also looked at other people's answers." Daqi said, "Okay, leave everything to Sister Qianru. But remember, before you finish the exam, don't tell anyone about the 'test-taker' thing. If someone reports it and it gets found out, you'll be expelled, understand?" Xiaoling and Beibei both said, "We know how serious this is. But we have no other way out except to hire a 'test-taker.' Master, don't worry!" Xiaoling said, "We..." "I won't joke about my future," Jiaxin said. "Me too. If I get caught, I won't go to university; I'll go to an adult education college. Anyway, I won't pass the English exam." Beibei said, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your situation, not even my parents." Daqi said, "The exams are over in June, so it doesn't matter. Once those 'test-takers' leave the exam hall, there's no way to prove anything." Beibei asked, "Master, how much does it cost?" Daqi said, "I don't care how much it costs, as long as I pass, it doesn't matter!" He continued, "Ling'er, Xin'er, give me your student IDs, national IDs, and relevant photos." The two girls nodded repeatedly; they knew Daqi was already arranging the "test-takers."
Three days later, Qianru drove to the school gate, and Daqi met her outside the school. He sat in the car and talked to Qianru.
Daqi: "Sister, what do you mean?"
Qianru: "We've already hired three English experts for the three of you. Where are their credentials?"
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Section Reading 233
Daqi gave Qianru all of his, Xiaoling's, and Beibei's student IDs and national ID cards. Qianru looked at them and asked, "Were there cameras when you registered?" Daqi replied, "No, but I guess there were photos." Qianru said, "They're a professional 'test-taking service' company. They promised me they could get any kind of admission ticket. It's best if there are no cameras, but it doesn't matter if there are; it's just a matter of paying extra to make another admission ticket." Daqi said, "I really admire them. They can get any kind of document, even our own school's admission ticket." Qianru said, "A piece of cake. My former classmate is a professor, and I helped him with his professional title English exam. Hey, these 'test-taking service' companies aren't just guerrilla operations anymore; they're professional, the best. No matter what methods the country has, they have corresponding ways to guarantee you pass that bullshit CET-4/6 and professional title English exam." Daqi said, "Sister, it's all up to you. By the way, how much did they ask for?" Qianru said, "Because their company wants to make a cut, originally..." "They said 4000 each, now they want 5000." Daqi said, "Why?" Qianru said, "They hired graduate students majoring in English from Fudan University and Shanghai Jiaotong University in Shanghai. They came all the way from Shanghai, so we need to give them some travel expenses." Daqi nodded and said, "As long as it's a graduate student majoring in English from these two universities, it's guaranteed to be foolproof. By the way, tell them not to score too high. Just a little above the passing grade is fine, so people won't gossip." Qianru nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll give them half the money first. After you get the results, I'll pay the other half. That's standard practice." Daqi said, "Sister, their documents are ready. I want to check them myself. If the documents aren't good, I won't let those 'gunmen' do it." Qianru smiled and said, "I know you're careful. Okay, I'll come back later. You go back to school first." Daqi kissed Qianru once in the car and then got out and went back to school. Qianru also drove back to the city.
Daqi still goes to Hanmeng's house every Wednesday because Hanmeng insists on tutoring him. He's quite happy with Hanmeng. They talk about English test questions one minute and other things the next. Hanmeng is incredibly kind to Daqi now; she even sits on his lap while teaching him English. Their interactions are tender and affectionate, a mix of studying and flirting, making Daqi feel wonderful.
Daqi thought to himself: "It's so damn awesome to be hugging Teacher Han while studying English!" — His real intention wasn't the English; having a beautiful woman to hug was the most important thing, and learning English was really not important.
However, not wanting to disappoint Han Meng's good intentions, Da Qi did indeed diligently study English in front of her. At least, he pretended very well. Often, while Han Meng was teaching Da Qi English, he would grab her breasts and fondle them. This made Han Meng laugh out loud, scolding him, "You little pervert, you're taking advantage of me, aren't you?" Da Qi replied, "Sister Meng's 'tofu' is the best!" Indeed, Da Qi thought Han Meng's "tofu" was incredibly delicious!
After leaving Han Meng's house, Da Qi usually chooses to return to Baisha Apartment, but occasionally he goes home. Today, Da Qi chose to go home, mainly to inquire about Qian Ru's "gunman" situation. Qian Ru said it was being handled. Da Qi asked, "Sister, will anything really go wrong? I don't care, I'm just worried about Xiao Ling and Jia Xin." Qian Ru said, "Don't worry, nothing will happen. I've handled three or four of these kinds of things, and not a single one has gone wrong. I explained the risks to them, and they said they wouldn't take a penny if anything went wrong, they'd refund everything." Da Qi sighed and said, "I only went down this path because I had no other choice. After passing the CET-4, I won't read any more English books." Qian Ru laughed, "You rascal, what's the use of reading them anyway!" Da Qi hugged her and laughed.
Daqi thought to himself: Yeah, what's the point of watching it! I'll definitely never use English in my life. Fine, let the "test-taker" handle this CET-4 exam.
It was another Wednesday evening, and Daqi and Hanmeng were studying English at home. Daqi sat with Hanmeng on his lap, feeling quite guilty. He knew she was trying very hard to teach him, but he just couldn't seem to learn. He kissed Hanmeng for a while and said, "Teacher Han, I'm so sorry..." Hanmeng asked, "Daqi, what's wrong?" Daqi shook his head and said, "You've been teaching me so diligently, but I haven't made much progress, sigh..." Hanmeng said, "It's okay, if you pass, you pass; if you don't, you don't. Sigh, do your best and leave the rest to fate. Your foundation is indeed weak, and you're not interested in English. I know you're working hard for me, right?" Daqi nodded, blushing. Hanmeng said, "It's okay, if you don't pass, you don't. But you should still come and study English with me; maybe you'll need it later. Besides, I can't do without you right now." Daqi was touched by Hanmeng's words. He whispered, "Sister, I want you!" Hanmeng nodded with her eyes closed. So, the two of them did *that* on the sofa. Today, Daqi carried Han Meng to her room and said, "I used to do it with you on the sofa... but today I want to do it in your room..." Han Meng replied, "Whatever, you rascal." Han Meng's bedroom had a wedding photo of her and her husband hanging on it, which made Daqi feel incredibly excited and thrilled. As he undressed the beautiful female teacher, he looked at Han Meng's husband in the photo, thinking to himself: "Fool! You don't cherish such a good wife? I'll cherish her for you!"
Two naked bodies rose and fell, tumbling on the Simmons bed. Daqi said, "Sister Meng, I love you!" He said as he moved his body, while Han Meng kept murmuring. Han Meng, drenched in sweat, asked Daqi, "Brother Qi, tell me, why is it so exciting to be with you? Every time, I feel like I'm about to die." Daqi smiled mysteriously, "Sister Meng, I just want you to die!" Han Meng said coquettishly, "You're bad...you're bad...ah..." To Daqi, that meant Han Meng loved him to death!
Perhaps it was seeing Han Meng's husband's photo that made Da Qi exceptionally excited. While pushing Han Meng's body, he said, "Sister Meng, do you and your husband only use one position?" Han Meng replied, "Are there other positions?" Without a word, Da Qi pulled away from Han Meng, turned her over, and laughed, "Today, my student is going to teach you, his teacher, a proper lesson!" He then proceeded to give Han Meng detailed instructions on how to perform the doggy style... Their intimate moments are best left unsaid. All night long, Han Meng was amazed: How does this student know so much? My goodness! But he really is amazing!
After their passionate encounter, Daqi lay in bed with Han Meng in his arms in the bedroom. He asked her, "Did you like it?" Han Meng nodded and said, "My husband suggested the things you just did with me before, but I refused. I don't know why, but I accepted your request." Daqi stroked her back and said, "Sister, this is called romance, it's nothing." Han Meng said, "You seem very experienced; I shouldn't underestimate you. But I've never underestimated you." Daqi smiled and said, "I know you're good to me. Sister Meng, can I sleep with you tonight?" Han Meng nodded and said, "Of course, you go back to school alone tomorrow morning. I'll drive to school alone too, so no one sees us." Daqi nodded in agreement. Tonight, he slept with his beautiful teacher in his arms.
Daqi was extremely proud: Teacher Han, Daqi really loves you! I really hope you will never leave me!
The next morning, Daqi woke up. Han Meng got up with him, as she also had class. Han Meng personally made breakfast for Daqi: two fried eggs and a glass of milk. After breakfast, Daqi kissed Han Meng goodbye and drove to school. Han Meng followed later in her car. In class, Han Meng, as usual, carefully taught the class and occasionally joked with the students.
Daqi was secretly very proud: Classmates, this beautiful teacher is mine now! Hahaha!
He was indeed very pleased with himself. Many classmates had praised Han Meng that day. They told Da Qi, "Teacher Han, you look even more beautiful and younger these days! Wow, so beautiful!" Da Qi was extremely proud, especially when his classmates said she looked prettier and younger. He knew he deserved some credit—the glow of love!
In class, Daqi was very well-behaved. He didn't show any overly intimate behavior or words with Han Meng. On the contrary, Han Meng, as always, often teased Daqi. In fact, every boy envied Daqi because the beautiful teacher rarely teased them. Today, Han Meng said, "Classmates, I think nearly a quarter of our class will pass the CET-4 exam this time." She turned to Daqi and said, "Daqi, you'd better work hard. Otherwise, you won't be in that quarter!" Daqi smiled and said, "Teacher Han, it's great to be with the majority! A quarter is a minority, three-quarters is the majority!" The whole class burst into laughter again. In almost all of Han Meng's classes, she would joke with the students. Of course, she joked with Daqi the most.
Han Meng went home after class. Da Qi and Qian Ru had arranged to meet that evening because Qian Ru wanted to show him the fake documents the "ghostwriter company" had made for him. Around 4:30 PM, Qian Ru arrived at the school by car. Da Qi, Xiao Ling, and the other two accompanied Qian Ru as they strolled around the campus. The five of them ate dinner together at a restaurant near the school. During dinner, Xiao Ling said, "Sister Qian Ru, why don't you stay with us tonight?" Bei Bei and Jia Xin agreed. Da Qi said, "Let's stay at Baisha Apartment tonight. You can also talk to Xiao Ling and Bei Bei about the CET-4 (College English Test Band 4)." Qian Ru smiled and said, "Okay, I'll do as you say." After dinner, Da Qi bought a lot of fruit because he definitely wouldn't be studying that night, since Qian Ru was coming. Everyone spent time with Qian Ru.
After the five returned to Baisha Apartment, Beibei went to wash the fruit. Qianru, Xiaoling, and Jiaxin talked about "test-takers" because the CET-4 exam was next week. Recently, many of Daqi's classmates had hired "test-takers," and he had heard a lot of news about people wanting to hire them. Qianru told Xiaoling and Jiaxin, "Don't worry, I've hired professional 'test-takers' for you. They guarantee you'll pass. They usually hire their own classmates, so it's not guaranteed they'll pass smoothly." Beibei washed the fruit and invited everyone to eat, then sat aside and listened to their conversation. Xiaoling said, "Recently, someone in our department has been selling the standard answers for the CET-4 exam. 500 yuan a set, but I don't know if it's real or fake?" Qianru said, "It might be real, but I think it's probably fake. We don't need to buy it." Jiaxin said, "One of the girls in our dorm asked if anyone wanted to participate in a 'collaboration'?"
Daqi asked, "What is 'cooperation'?"
Chapter 31: The Gunman Appears
Jiaxin said, "Someone would come and collect money from us, charging each of us a 100 yuan deposit. We would give him our phone numbers. He would then edit our phone numbers into his phone and send us a text message with the answers to all the standard multiple-choice questions 40 minutes after the start of the CET-4 exam. After the job was done, if we passed, we would give him another 100 yuan as a reward."
Qianru said, "In other words, if you give someone 200 yuan, someone will send you a mass text message with the answer inside."
Jiaxin said, "Yes, one of my former roommates has already spent 100 yuan. She said she was just trying her luck."
Beibei said, "My goodness, how come there are all sorts of methods for just one CET-4 (College English Test Band 4) exam?"
Xiaoling said, "This scripture is called 'The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, Each Displaying Their Unique Abilities'!"
Daqi said, "'The devil is always one step ahead,' people will try any method. Hey, to be honest, this kind of English exam is unnecessary. I'd love for more people to cheat, since I won't be using English anymore anyway, it's annoying to even look at it!"
Qianru said, "Hey, it doesn't matter whether you pass the exam or not. Nowadays, universities don't guarantee job placement. In my opinion, they should just give everyone a diploma. In fact, many universities are just certificate-issuing factories, and students are just commodities. As the old saying goes, 'The master leads you through the door, but the practice depends on yourself.' Whether you university graduates can find a job really depends on yourselves. Why bother with so many exams? When we were in university, there weren't so many exams. Hey, the world has changed, and universities have changed too."
Daqi said, "That makes sense, I like hearing that. I think most people won't use English after they finish learning it. In other words, most people are wasting their time! I'm determined to study Chinese, haha."
Beibei said, "I used to think cheating was shameful. But thinking about it carefully, it might not be that bad. Because many exams are just unreasonable."
Xiaoling said, "We can't change the whole world, but we can change ourselves. Let's take the exam. Sister Qianru, how's it going with hiring our 'test-takers'? By the way, we all want to see those certificates."
Qianru immediately said, "Oh right, I almost forgot about the important matter. Here, take a look." Qianru took out a stack of documents from her bag, and Daqi and the other three examined them carefully. Daqi exclaimed in surprise, "The ID cards and student IDs are exactly the same! My God, they're so realistic!" Qianru returned the real documents to Daqi and the other two, and put the fake ones back in her bag. Actually, everyone was secretly impressed: these fake documents were made exactly like the real ones, both the ID cards and the student IDs. The only difference was the photos on the documents; the fake documents used photos of three "ghostwriters"!
Qianru said, "The proctor will only look at your ID; he doesn't know you. The three of you should stay in this room for a week and wait for news. Don't let anyone from the school see you. Beibei, just lead those three 'test-takers' into the exam room and tell them where it is."
Beibei nodded and said, "Okay, I understand."
Qianru said, "These three are 'exam pros,' they get up every day to take exams for others and earn a lot of extra money every year. Don't worry, you three, if you have any English exams in the future, just come to me."
Xiaoling was so happy that she kissed Qianru and said, "Sister, thank you! I just need to pass the CET-4. I will never look at English books again."
Jiaxin said, "I'm about the same."
Qianru said, "All three of you are lazybones, only Beibei studies diligently. Beibei, you're really great." Beibei smiled slightly...
That night, Daqi slept in the bed with Qianru and Beibei. Xiaoling and Jiaxin slept on the sofa in the living room. At daybreak, Qianru left. Before leaving, she said, "Master, keep your phone on at all times. I'll be picking up those three students in a few days; I'll call you then." Daqi nodded, and Qianru left without even eating breakfast. Then, Daqi ate breakfast with Xiaoling, Beibei, and Jiaxin before driving to school.
Saturday was the CET-4 (College English Test Band 4). The school had distributed the admission tickets on Thursday. Daqi immediately called Qianru, who was already staying at a hotel near the school with three "test-takers." Qianru asked, "Does the admission ticket have a photo?" Daqi replied, "No." Qianru laughed, "That makes things easier. I thought it did. If it did, I'd go to the city right now and have them make one within three hours. Since it doesn't, just send it over, and I'll handle everything." Daqi said, "Okay, wait for me." After hanging up, he immediately called Xiaoling and Jiaxin and collected their admission tickets as well. Daqi didn't have dinner with the three female students that evening. He took the three admission tickets to Qianru's hotel. Upon entering Qianru's room, he handed her the three admission tickets. Qianru looked at the tickets and smiled, "..."
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Section Reading 234
"Oh, so you need 'ID card, student ID, and exam admission ticket, all three are indispensable'? You might as well add two more; that would make the fake document business even more successful." Daqi chuckled. "And the other three people?" Qianru replied, "They're staying in the three rooms next door. Let's treat them to dinner tonight." Daqi nodded.
That evening, Daqi, Qianru, and the three "test-takers"—one man and two women—met for dinner. Qianru treated them to a private room at the most upscale restaurant in the school district. The table was laden with food. Qianru raised her glass first, saying, "I'm counting on you three to help with my younger brother and sisters' affairs this time!" The three smiled and replied, "Not at all, not at all." At this moment, "Tong Daqi"—the person who took the exam for Daqi—said, "Mr. Tong, Ms. Fang, please rest assured! Just wait at home for good news." Daqi raised his glass, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, I'll toast you!" Then, Daqi toasted "Lin Xiaoling" and "Sha Jiaxin." To be honest, "Lin Xiaoling" and "Sha Jiaxin" were far less attractive than they actually were. Daqi sighed inwardly: Talented women are often ugly! The women who had impersonated Xiaoling and Jiaxin were far inferior to the real ones!
During the drinking session, Qianru took out three red envelopes from her bag and handed them to the three men, saying, "This is an extra thank you to you three. Don't worry, we will definitely pay the other half of the reward after the matter is done!"
Lin Xiaoling said, "Sister Fang, you're too kind. You've treated us to dinner and given us red envelopes; we're really too grateful. We already received 2,000 yuan from the company this afternoon. We'll decline this red envelope..."
Qianru smiled and said, "Don't be so polite! We're all friends, and company money is company money. This is Mr. Tong's extra way of thanking everyone, so please don't stand on ceremony, it would be too formal!"
"Sha Jiaxin" said, "Then we'll gladly accept your offer! Sister Fang, Mr. Tong, you are the kindest employers I've ever met. I'll make sure your sister passes the exam the day after tomorrow, you don't need to worry at all!" Qianru told the three of them and the "test-taker" company that she was looking for someone to take the exam for her younger brother and two younger sisters. Daqi, Xiaoling, and Beibei were her siblings-in-law.
Daqi said, "Can you tell me about your experiences with English exams?" The three "test-takers" looked at each other, and "Tong Daqi" spoke first: "I passed the CET-4 in the second semester of my freshman year with a score of 95; I passed the CET-6 in the first semester of my sophomore year with a score of 90; the year I graduated, I got an excellent score on the professional English level 8 exam; after being admitted to Fudan University's English graduate program, I took the CET-4 and CET-6 exams three times and the senior professional English exams three times, all with high scores."
"Lin Xiaoling" smiled and said, "I passed CET-4 in the first semester of my sophomore year and CET-6 in the second semester, and I also got an excellent grade in TEM-8. After entering the graduate school of Shanghai International Studies University, I took the CET-4, CET-6, and the Advanced Professional English Test four times. In short, if they want 60, I'll give them 60; if they want 70, I'll give them 70; if they want 80, I'll give them 80; if they want 90, I'll give them 90. It all depends on what the employer requires. A score above 95 is quite difficult. Sister Fang, what score do you want for your sister?" Qianru looked at Daqi, and Daqi said, "Anything between 65 and 75 is fine." "Lin Xiaoling" nodded and smiled slightly, "No problem!"
"Sha Jiaxin" also said: "I also have an excellent professional level 8, and I can't remember when I passed the CET-4 and CET-6. I am a graduate student at Beijing Foreign Studies University. I took the CET-6 and the Senior Professional Title English Test a total of 6 times. Like my friend at Shanghai Foreign Studies University, as long as the score is between 60 and 95, I will let the other party get whatever score they want, with an error margin of within 3 points."
Daqi had to admire them; the three people in front of him were indeed "masters among masters" in English exams! If English exams were likened to murder, these three would definitely be top-tier "professional killers"—able to accurately determine when and in what state their target would die! Daqi thought to himself, "Even in my next life, my English level won't be a third higher than any one of theirs!"
Finally, Daqi said, "The three of us just need to keep our scores between 65 and 70." Daqi emphasized 65 because he was worried someone might not have done their homework and scored a 59. Therefore, he required a minimum of 65, as 65 would be safer. The three of them smiled and replied, "No problem at all!"
After having dinner with the three gunmen, Daqi drove them back to their hotel. He said to Qianru, "I'm going back to Baisha Apartment to see if there's any news from the school. Sister, I'm leaving things here to you." Qianru said, "Don't worry, on the day of the exam, have Beibei take the three of them into the exam hall. You three wait for news at your place; I'll come over later. The four of us can play a few rounds of mahjong to relieve the tension." Daqi smiled, kissed Qianru goodbye, and drove back to Baisha Apartment.
Back at their lodgings, Daqi asked Xiaoling and the other two, "Have you heard anything from school?" Xiaoling replied, "I only know that quite a few people have hired 'test-takers.' These past few days, a lot of people have been busy picking up classmates at the station, probably all for the CET-4 exam."
Beibei said, "My roommate Xiao Zhao even called her boyfriend from Peking University back. It seems she's determined to pass the CET-4."
Jiaxin said, "Someone asked me if I needed a standard answer, and I said I didn't. There's been no further news about it."
Daqi said, "The exam is the day after tomorrow. I met with three test-takers tonight. Ling'er, Xin'er, don't worry, they're all absolute English experts. Qianru is very efficient and clean in her work. The day after tomorrow, Beibei, you take those three 'test-takers' to the exam hall. We, Xiaoling, Jiaxin, and Qianru will play mahjong in the apartment while we wait for you to come out of the exam hall. Beibei, no matter what happens, don't make a sound. Even if someone finds out that the three of us hired test-takers, pretend you don't know anything. Understand?"
Beibei nodded and said, "Are you afraid I'll get implicated?"
Daqi nodded and said, "Although the risk isn't great, we still need to be prepared to get caught. Ling'er, Xin'er, are you scared?"
Xiaoling sighed and said, "The arrow is already on the bowstring, it has to be released, there's no use being afraid. When the time comes, I'll just relax and play mahjong."
Jiaxin said, "I had already prepared for the outcome of being arrested. I'll go work at my master's coffee shop and not go to school. Or, I'll take the adult college entrance examination and go to another school."
Daqi thought to himself: Although Qianru is reliable and her documents are flawless, I still hope that God will give us some luck and that nothing bad will happen. I don't care if something happens to me, I'm just afraid that something will happen to Xiaoling and Jiaxin.
Xiaoling seemed to sense what Daqi was worried about, and she said, "Master, aren't you usually very brave? What's wrong with you today?"
Daqi sighed and said, "Even if I die, it'll be over in the blink of an eye. I'm worried about what might happen to you. I hope we all have good luck! There's no use worrying, everyone go to sleep!"
Xiaoling said, "Master, we will never hire 'ghostwriters' again. It's really pointless."
Jiaxin said, "It is a little scary, but we have no way back. I never want to ask someone to take the exam for me again."