Three months passed in the blink of an eye. When Maureen said her work was done and she was ready to leave the academy, Jack was stunned to realize that during this time, he hadn't even held her hand once.
How long had it been since he experienced such intense, high-paced studying? It felt like the frantic days of his senior year in high school all over again.
No, even during his senior year, he never slept only three or four hours a day.
Maureen gave him eight hours of lessons each day, requiring him to stay focused throughout the sessions and follow up with extensive reading materials afterward.
These reading materials included various textbooks and professional books. Jack not only had to memorize them but also deeply understand the conflicting viewpoints and related case studies within.
Psychology has hundreds of schools of thought, including content psychology, volitional psychology, structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, and more.
Each day, Maureen would assess his reading progress and have him summarize the perspectives or focal points of these different schools from his own understanding.
Furthermore, English is a phonetic language with many specialized terms in professional fields. To understand these materials and professional books, Jack had to memorize these strange words.
This led to many nightmares, with his mind filled with those lengthy, professional terms every day.
Jack suspected this intense training was also part of Rossi's plan. Utilizing psychological skills in criminal investigations was one thing, but effectively communicating professionally with colleagues was another.
Rossi certainly considered this aspect, but he hadn't expected Jack's learning ability to be so astonishing. In just three months, this young man could fluently express fairly professional opinions in front of him.
"Your learning ability and diligence amaze me. Tomorrow is the official reporting day for the new trainees. The next five months should be relatively easy for you. Enjoy it."
Though Rossi already considered Jack a qualified BAU member, FBI regulations couldn't be bypassed, and the subsequent five months of training couldn't be shortened.
However, once Jack officially became an FBI agent, Rossi wouldn't mind using his influence to significantly shorten Jack's internship period.
"Oh, by the way, there's a kid I hope you can help. He's unlikely to pass the tests. Although I've made a special exception to admit him, I still hope these five months of training will benefit him."
Rossi handed Jack a photo. In it was a tall, skinny young man with a baby face and messy brown hair, wearing a dark red cardigan and neatly tied tie, looking like a student.
"Spencer Reid, a true genius. Of course, I'm not comparing you two; you're entirely different types."
Rossi explained, "He entered Caltech at 12, completed his undergraduate degree and obtained a PhD in mathematics at 16. Before he turned 21, he earned PhDs in chemistry and engineering and bachelor's degrees in sociology and psychology."
Jack laughed self-deprecatingly, "It's okay to compare me to him. It's quite flattering."
"He once served as a consultant with Jason Gideon at the BAU for less than a year. After the Boston bombing case, Gideon chose to return to teaching, and Reid followed him back to university."
"Gideon didn't want him to waste his talents at the university and strongly recommended him to me. I also appreciate him, but I'm worried he might become a 'weak link.' So, I need your help."
Jack looked at the guy with a body like a lamppost and frowned.
"What's his height and weight?"
"Six foot one, only 140 pounds," Rossi smiled wryly.
Jack squinted at the cunning Italian. "Did you check my physical exam data from a year ago?"
Rossi smiled, "I also saw your scores from the police academy. Honestly, I was amazed. I don't know how you did it, so I hope you can help this kid if possible."
"Kid." Jack was a bit displeased. "You know he's about my age, right?"
"I said, you two are different," Rossi smiled meaningfully.
---
The FBI physical fitness test, or PFT, includes sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, a 300-meter sprint, and a 1.5-mile run.
It sounds simple, and initially failing to meet the standard isn't a big deal. With five months of training, a normal person can improve enough to pass.
A passing score is a total of 12 points, with one point for 38 sit-ups in a minute, gaining one point for every few additional sit-ups up to a maximum of 58 for ten points, without pausing.
Push-ups are simpler, with 30 continuous standard push-ups earning one point and 71 or more for ten points.
The 300-meter sprint scores ten points for 40.9 seconds, and running 1.5 miles in under nine minutes scores ten points.
On the fourth day from the reporting date, the PFT began. Jack easily scored full points on all events, then reluctantly became a full-time coach.
His only student was Spencer Reid, who unsurprisingly scored zero on all physical tests.
From their interactions in the past few days, Spencer Reid wasn't as odd as Jack had imagined high-IQ geniuses to be.
Jack had watched the TV show "The Big Bang Theory" and found the character Sheldon quite annoying. He wouldn't want to interact with someone with such low emotional intelligence and irritating behavior in real life.
But Reid, despite his slightly reclusive nature, outdated clothing, and penchant for wearing mismatched socks, showed clear signs of anxiety and insecurity when interacting with people.
Yet, he didn't exhibit the low emotional intelligence or aggressive behavior often associated with high-IQ geniuses' insecurities.
On the contrary, Jack found Reid's insight extraordinary, and beneath his seemingly introverted and sensitive exterior was a heart longing for communication and recognition.
Simply put, Rossi's description of Reid as a "kid" was apt. He was like an ungrown child, pure and kind, yet capable of profound perception.
"Actually, you don't need to take special care of me. Even if I fail all the physical tests, the FBI will still hire me."
Reid's words sounded like bragging but were sincerely meant to reassure Jack.
He had watched Jack write and tear up three pages filled with different training plans.
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