"Seeing Lin Tiancheng's confidence, even the host began to believe that Lin Tiancheng might indeed be hiding his true capabilities. He looked over to Jin Mantang for approval.
Jin Mantang thought Lin Tiancheng's reason was valid and nodded in agreement.
In Xia Xue's beautiful eyes, there was a flash of intrigue, and she couldn't help but look forward to Lin Tiancheng's performance today, hoping it would be remarkable.
Upon hearing Lin Tiancheng's words, the other participants in the retest felt a bit more balanced. However, they also secretly decided to make sure Lin Tiancheng didn't have it easy.
No one believed that Lin Tiancheng could take on everyone alone.
Especially Wang Xiaomin, who knew Lin Tiancheng well enough. It wasn't just a matter of facing twenty people alone—she knew there was no way he could even make it to the top ten in a regular competition.
She once again felt reassured that ending things with Lin Tiancheng, someone who had no sense of his own limitations, was the wisest decision she had ever made.
The host, seeing Principal Jin's nod, nodded himself and said, "It seems that Lin Tiancheng is very confident, so let's give him a chance. I hope he takes full advantage of it."
Including Lin Tiancheng, twenty-one students stood in a circle. Since they were not grouped, the host, after consulting the school leadership, began to personally ask questions. Their intention was clear—to eliminate Lin Tiancheng before the real competition began.
Holding a thick stack of question cards, the host looked at Lin Tiancheng and asked, "People often use vinegar fumigation in rooms to prevent colds. Is it effective, and why?"
Lin Tiancheng's heart sank—the question was not from the card stack but made up by the host on the spot.
Given Lin Tiancheng's level, he couldn't answer this question.
"It's not effective because vinegar has no virus-killing properties and can irritate the respiratory tract, so it's ineffective," Qian Haoming answered confidently.
The host nodded, then asked, "Why is it not advisable to use metal utensils like iron, copper, or aluminum to decoct Chinese herbs?"
This was a basic fact even non-medical students knew, but explaining why in detail was not something everyone could do.
"Using metal utensils can cause the herbs to lose their medicinal properties, which affects treatment. Many herbs contain tannins. When tannins come into contact with metals, a chemical reaction occurs that forms insoluble tannin salts. This destroys the tannins, reducing the medicinal efficacy of the herbs. Therefore, it's recommended to use clay or ceramic pots," Qian Haoming replied again.
"Why shouldn't medication be taken with beverages?"
"Most beverages contain sugars, organic acids, bicarbonate, and flavoring agents. These components can not only interfere with the absorption of the medicine but also cause many drugs to dissolve prematurely, irritating the stomach lining and worsening side effects," Wang Xiaomin answered correctly.
The host continued with five more questions. Qian Haoming answered two correctly, Wang Xiaomin one, and two others were answered by other students.
Out of eight questions, Lin Tiancheng remained silent.
Sweat began to form on his back. He hadn't expected the host to break the rules like this.
The host glanced at Lin Tiancheng in surprise. He had asked eight questions, and Lin Tiancheng hadn't answered a single one. Was it really necessary for him to be so high-profile if this was his actual ability?
The corners of Qian Haoming's mouth turned up in a mocking smile.
Xia Xue also began to feel a faint sense of disappointment.
She had thought Lin Tiancheng might be the traditional medicine genius her grandfather had been searching for, someone who could help the Xia family regain their former glory. But now, it seemed she had overestimated him.
In the corner of the room, Ling Moxing's eyebrows were also slightly furrowed.
The confidence Lin Tiancheng had displayed when he stepped onto the stage was still fresh in her memory. She had thought he would dominate and stand out, but now it seemed the outcome would be very different.
Wang Xiaomin had no interest in watching Lin Tiancheng any longer.
The host, having lost faith in Lin Tiancheng, no longer improvised questions. Instead, he picked up the question cards. In fact, the reason he had asked his own questions earlier was to test Lin Tiancheng, but the result had clearly disappointed him.
"Which herb is used to disperse cold and warm the lungs to transform phlegm? A: Xingren, B: Zisu, C: Xixin, D: Ma…"
"Xixin," Lin Tiancheng finally answered.
He had kept the flashlight app on for so long, finally waiting for the host to ask a question from the cards, and he wasn't going to waste any more time.
Seeing Lin Tiancheng finally answer, everyone became a little interested and turned their attention to him.
The host nodded, "Correct. Xixin. Which disease can be easily spread by spitting indiscriminately…"
"Tuberculosis," Lin Tiancheng answered before the host could finish.
"Which remedy should be used first for stomach fire causing toothache? A: Gypsum, B…"
"A: Gypsum."
"Which of the following is not a function of Huangbai? A: Clears heat and drains fire, B: Detoxifies, C: Stops bleeding and calms the fetus…"
"C: Stops bleeding and calms the fetus."
"Which evil factor can lead to various bleeding disorders…"
"Fire evil."
To save power and finish the competition quickly, Lin Tiancheng didn't wait for the host to finish reading the questions and immediately gave the answers. He answered all ten of the following questions correctly.
Unknowingly, the lecture hall had become so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Everyone stared blankly at Lin Tiancheng.
In Xia Xue's eyes, the strange light had returned.
"Have I won?" Lin Tiancheng asked the host.
The host nodded unconsciously, "Correct. You answered all ten questions correctly, reaching ten points first—you win."
None of the other students in the retest seemed to have any complaints. After all, Lin Tiancheng's performance had proven he deserved the internship spot.
Only Qian Haoming looked visibly unsettled, his expression shifting between emotions.
"I don't accept this!" Just as Lin Tiancheng was about to leave, Qian Haoming suddenly stood up and protested.
Qian Haoming had confidently bet ten thousand against Lin Tiancheng. If he won, he didn't mind giving it back to Huang Zhiguo. But if he lost, Huang Zhiguo certainly wouldn't help him pay.
Ten thousand might not have been an insignificant amount for Qian Haoming.
More importantly, he had boasted to Wang Xiaomin that he would secure at least third place. He had hoped to impress her thoroughly with his first-place victory. But Lin Tiancheng, as Wang Xiaomin's ex-boyfriend, had defeated him effortlessly, which was unbearable.
Seeing Qian Haoming's protest, everyone's gaze turned toward him.
Qian Haoming stared sharply at Lin Tiancheng and said, "Lin Tiancheng, I remember you were with Wang Xiaomin during the initial test for the internship slots. You didn't take the test because you didn't have time? Don't tell me that back then you knew you could rely on your skills to make the school leadership break the rules and let you directly into the retest."
"The match is over. What's the point of all this talk? Can't accept defeat?" Qiu Dazheng interjected.
"It's not about the ten thousand. I don't care about that much money. Besides, even if you took one of the spots, I still have confidence that I will win in the upcoming rounds. I just can't stand Lin Tiancheng cheating his way into an internship slot."
"Qian Haoming, what do you mean by that?" The host frowned.
Qian Haoming replied, "Lin Tiancheng won ten thousand yuan gambling yesterday, and today he got the retest opportunity. More importantly, he couldn't answer a single question the teacher improvised earlier, yet answered all the ones from the cards flawlessly. I have reason to suspect Lin Tiancheng of cheating."
Qian Haoming's words caused an uproar.
Many students were already looking at Jin Mantang and the others with questioning gazes.
Lin Tiancheng felt a bit nervous, but he certainly wasn't going to show it. He simply said, "I won't accuse you of making baseless accusations. If I really bribed the school leaders, wouldn't they have informed the host beforehand? If they did, why would the host still improvise questions?"
Qian Haoming snorted, "Who would have expected the host to improvise?"
"Are you insulting the school leadership's intelligence?"
This accusation was a bit much, and Qian Haoming didn't dare to push back. He simply said, "Lin Tiancheng, whether you cheated or not can be easily tested."
Saying this, Qian Haoming looked around and his gaze fell on a copy of "Medical Classical Texts" in front of Xia Xue. His eyes lit up instantly.
"Medical Classical Texts" was their compulsory textbook, and it was probably the book Qian Haoming had read most thoroughly; he could almost recite it entirely.
Having made up his mind, Qian Haoming said, "Lin Tiancheng, since you're so confident, your foundational knowledge must be solid. So, do you dare compete with me in reciting Teacher Xia's 'Medical Classical Texts' in front of everyone? Whoever needs more hints during the recitation will lose."
Hearing that Qian Haoming wanted to compete with him in reciting the "Medical Classical Texts" in front of Xia Xue, Lin Tiancheng suddenly felt confident. He only needed to turn on his flashlight and read it aloud.
However, Lin Tiancheng didn't want to waste battery power. He said, "Doesn't this seem a bit unfair? If you win, it proves I cheated, and I lose my internship spot, not to mention the hundred thousand I won from you is gone, and I'd have to give you another hundred thousand. If I win, what do I get out of it?"
...