Achromatic Neuroticism [Global Examination]

Chapter 1: New Subordinate

If you asked 922 about any of his good traits, he'd probably say that he was good at cooking... and maybe was a little charismatic. He got along well with people, made friends easily, was generally pretty easy-going...

But neither of those skills were essential to being an invigilator, so he couldn't help but be a little surprised when he was picked to become 001's direct subordinate.

After all, there were a lot of invigilators who were under Qin 001, and many of them were in the two digit range or even early hundreds or two hundreds... and he only had a rank of 922; quite close to the bottom, actually.

So why him?

It wasn't 922's place to question his boss; after all, he only knew his boss back when they were still examinees.

Of course, at the time, Wen Yuan had no idea who Qin Jiu was... but apparently, Qin Jiu knew who he was?

It was definitely quite the honor, now that 922 looked back on it. Qin Jiu had been a very difficult examinee, and Wen Yuan had seen his strength first hand, back in that exam at that military base.

And that was only one exam. Legend says that he almost broke the examination system... just what had he done in all the others?

"It's not easy meeting in such a big examination center so you can be considered a friend. What is your name?"

922 remembered saying... something along those lines, when they had met. Qin Jiu had seemed a little taken aback by his statement... and he had also said something that made Wen Yuan pause.

"You don't know me?"

"I... should I know you?"

His memory of the exams he had taken in the past was quite a bit fuzzy, but this exchange was something he remembered quite clearly.

Had he met Qin Jiu in the past before?

Qin Jiu certainly didn't seem like the type to misremember someone, and from the tone he had been using back then, Wen Yuan was quite confident that, yes, Qin Jiu did know him, and they might have been rather close as well.

Was that why, out of everyone else 001 had at his disposal, Qin Jiu would pick him, someone he knew in the past, to be his direct subordinate?

922 would say that was the case... except that when he met 001 for the first time, after he had been picked to be a direct subordinate... there was no recognition in 001's eyes.

001, Qin Jiu, did not know who he was.

922 would have asked... but he didn't dare. Not with that kind of gaze...

It was nothing like the look he remembered from Qin Jiu the examinee. Even if Qin Jiu didn't seem very happy about the fact that Wen Yuan didn't remember him... at least, he looked far more alive, more spirited.

The 001 he had met... gave off that kind of aura; full of sadness, melancholy. Like he had lost something he'd never been able to get back.

Like he'd never be able to be happy ever again.

The smile he constantly wore on his face, while full of jest, was just... fake, like a mask.

It was almost like Qin Jiu and 001 were completely different people, despite sharing the same face.

The duality was a little unsettling, if you asked 922. (Not that he'd dare say that to 001's face.)

Though, to be honest... 922 was a little surprised that he had even become an invigilator in the first place.