Cheating Craft - Chapter 6

: Preparation Before the Exam

“Entrance exam?!” Meng Ming was shocked.

It was the second day. The three of them were currently talking while eating lunch at Huang Qiao Yi’s home on the 19th floor. Her mother had told Meng Ming that their senior high school was Lin Xian Central High. Huang Qiao Yi and Meng Ming would have to attend the entrance exam two days from now.

Meng Ming asked, “But didn’t Little Qiao say she had already enrolled?”

“That’s because Little Qiao’s grades are good,” her mother said confidently. “Before she’s even taken the exam, she already knows that she will definitely pass it.”

But what about Meng Ming?

As soon as I get back I have to take an exam…if I get 0 points, then everyone will know I don’t know anything. Does that mean I’ll have to relearn from primary school?! Meng Ming was getting goosebumps just from the thought.

Huang Qiao Yi said, “Don’t worry. Although Brother Meng Ming doesn’t know anything, I believe that you will definitely get in. Let’s begin a special training for the next two days!”

Does that mean…Little Qiao really wants me to cheat on the exam? I’ve never taken a test before… Meng Ming thought to himself.

Huang Qiao Yi knew that if Meng Ming was to make it into the school without a problem, then he had to first learn the answering method of the test, as well as the proctor system. Once he managed to completely grasp the ways of the examination area, Meng Ming’s skills would be enough to cheat his way through.

All the examinees were split into two types.

Among the people, the diligent students were normally called the L-types, or the Learning-types; the cheating students were normally called the C-types, or the Cheating-types. Huang Qiao Yi said she didn’t know much about C-type students; she only knew that C-types didn’t know how to answer the test questions, and instead cheated their way through the exams.

“Don’t worry. Typically speaking, an entrance exam is quite simple.”

Huang Qiao Yi made sure her mother stopped worrying about their grades, and then dragged Meng Ming up to where he was living on the 20th floor. This home had already been tidied up so it was clean and refreshing.

She first said, “The exam will be 2 days from now, and it’s an exam that doesn’t differentiate between subjects, a synthesis of all. It’s quite easy. In terms of question type, it’s all multiple choice.”

“Multiple choice?” Meng Ming still didn’t understand the concept.

“Multiple choice means that there will be a question presented on the examination paper, and then it will offer you 4 choices: A, B, C, D. You choose the answer you think is right.”

Simply explaining it this way wasn’t enough for Meng Ming to understand, so Huang Qiao Yi wrote an example on a sheet of paper.

[How many cards does a new pack of poker cards have in total? A. 22 cards. B. 54 cards. C. 64 cards. D. 78 cards.]

“Choice B!” Meng Ming immediately responded.

“That’s right, the exam question type is just like that.”

“What…if it’s like that, then do I still need to cheat?”

“But the question topics won’t be the same…”

Huang Qiao Yi wasn’t really sure if Meng Ming really understood, so she went through the trouble of thoroughly explaining the multiple choice style to him. She also said that because they had only stated that this exam was multiple choice, but hadn’t stated they were “single-answer questions”, there might be multiple choice questions that didn’t have a specific answer (more than one correct choice).

“As for proctors,” Huang Qiao Yi chewed her pen and thought for a bit before saying, “They aren’t very strict here. To C-type examinees, there are probably many loopholes to take advantage of.”

Although Huang Qiao Yi didn’t know exactly how C-type students cheated, it was a bit obvious that the more lax the proctors were, the easier it was to cheat. It was merely an entrance exam, so it naturally wouldn’t be very strict. Meng Ming only needed to know some of the basic regulations for an examination site.

Huang Qiao Yi also knew that there were a total of 8 rooms at this examination site. One could freely choose their seat. Each room had two proctors that would collect electronics and communications equipments upon the student’s entry. Thus, it was impossible to cheat on the exam using any electronic tools.

It was just a normal classroom; it didn’t even have security cameras. Thus, one only had to avoid getting caught by the proctors’ gazes, and their cheating would go smoothly.

This entrance examination could be counted as a warm-up for the more ruthless exams in the future.

Huang Qiao Yi said, “That’s why, as long we’re in the same room, I can sit next to Brother Meng Ming. You can then take advantage of when the proctors aren’t paying attention, and copy my answers!”

When Meng Ming heard how simple it was, he felt that there was absolutely no need to even use any special skills, since his eyesight definitely wouldn’t have a problem. “Then isn’t that really easy…I can just crane my hand to copy you. As long as this minor movement isn’t discovered by the teachers, it’s fine!”

“But we have to consider the possibility of not being able to find adjacent seats. Thus, let’s run a test!”

“What letter is this?”

“B!”

The two stood in a hallway about 5 meters apart from each other. When Huang Qiao Yi heard Meng Ming give the correct answer, she backed up a step, and wrote another letter on the paper.

“S!”

……

Meng Ming wasn’t really sure why they were doing this test. He felt that although it seemed like an eye examination, it was actually a hearing test. Before Huang Qiao Yi had gotten very far, he was only able to see her movements, and was completely unable to hear her voice.

They then moved two seats over. The two sat side by side so that Meng Ming would try to look at Huang Qiao Yi’s small writing from the corner of his eyes.

Soon after, they finished the tests.

In conclusion, if they sat separated by a single seat, Meng Ming could still pretty much read the words on the examinee’s test.

Realizing that the size of the words, as well as the visibility of them, might be an issue, Huang Qiao Yi also considered the answer sheet method.

She said to Meng Ming, “Another thing is the scantron.”

Huang Qiao Yi explained the idea of the scantron method to Meng Ming─simply put, the multiple choice questions were completely graded with a computer, so one had to use a pencil to answer all the questions on the scantron. Normally, students first chose their answers on the exam paper, and then later, slowly filled the choices in on the scantron. “That’s why, Brother Meng Ming can just copy the answers on my paper. However, you have to remember that you must fill in the answers on your own scantron. When you submit the exam, you only need to hand in the scantron.”

This was a simple thing that Meng Ming understood as soon as he heard it, “In other words, the final grade depends on the computer, which only recognizes the scantron?”

“Right!”

……

It was already quite late. Meng Ming more or less understood how to conduct the examination, but he still hadn’t quite grasped how to cheat. Huang Qiao Yi had high expectations for him. Meng Ming later realized that cheating on a test was basically the same as gambling. As long as he used his strengths, he’d be able to think of a method to address any situation he encountered in the exam room whenever it came up.

Huang Qiao Yi wanted to bring Meng Ming to a nearby stationary store to look around, because Meng Ming wasn’t very familiar with the stationary. The exam site, for the sake of preventing cheating, didn’t allow students to prepare their own stationary. Instead, specific staff distributed regular stationary on every examinee’s desk. Thus, going to first understand the types of stationary was bound to have advantages.

The pencils were still the standard drawing pencils; those with a thickness of 2B were best.

In regards to blades, seeing as many people that used square blades to sharpen their pencils got their hands dirty, the exam site made use of a single designer blade. It was the type where if it rusted or broke, one could break off that specific spoiled section and continue using the blade.

The erasers were the type that didn’t leave any traces of lead on them. There was no way of writing on the surface. They could only be used to erase traces of pencil, and were extremely rubbery.

Draft paper was extremely light, and one couldn’t break through it with their pencils. However…

“But if Brother Meng Ming wants to secretly toss the draft paper to someone else, that’s definitely impossible. In order to prevent cheating, the exam papers are extremely tense, and have absolutely no way of overcoming atmospheric drag. Even if you crumpled it up into a ball…” Huang Qiao Yi took a sheet of draft paper from a pile being sold at the stationary shop and crumpled it with all her might. She then threw it hard in front of her. However, the paper ball didn’t even travel half a meter before it stopped in its advance and slowly fell to the ground. “That’s why…”

“Young miss, you still haven’t paid.” The stationary store personnel that had been standing next to Huang Qiao Yi said with a smile.

Ah! Crap, I forgot about that… Huang Qiao Yi had been too immersed in her explanation at the stationary store that she had accidentally used the draft paper being sold to show an example!

Although the draft paper wasn’t expensive, doing something like that was quite impolite.

“…Ai, how about I just buy this whole pack of paper?” Huang Qiao Yi asked Meng Ming.

“It’s no big deal, it’s only one sheet of paper…” Meng Ming said.

The staff personnel earnestly said, “I apologize, but although it’s just one sheet of paper, each pack has a set standard and number.” She held up the qualification mark on the pack of paper for Meng Ming to see.

“In other words, as long as there’s the right amount of paper, it’s fine?” Meng Ming asked.

Although she felt that Meng Ming had worded it strangely, the staff personnel still nodded.

Eh, what is Brother Meng Ming thinking…the paper from just now is already creased, it’s no good anymore… Huang Qiao Yi thought.

Meng Ming took out a new sheet of paper from that pack of draft paper, and gently rubbed it between his fingers.

Seeing Meng Ming’s movements, Huang Qiao Yi seemed to recall watching Meng Ming train before. Could it be that Brother Meng Ming plans on using that move? No way, that type of paper is too thin, how is that possible…

Meng Ming finished his preparations. Both his hands pinched the same corner of the paper, and he announced, “Zhuge Style Cheating Technique─Water Splitting Blade Draw!”

With a shua, the draft paper tore into two halves. However, it wasn’t simply two halves; what Meng Ming held in his hands were two sheets of paper that were the exact same dimensions as the original. However, the thickness of the paper had halved!

One sheet of paper, had become two.

Huang Qiao Yi’s and the staff personnel’s eyes grew round as they stared at the sheets of paper Zhuge Meng Ming was holding.

“This way, the amount is enough, right?”

“Hehe,” The staff personnel seemed to have seen through Meng Ming’s act, “You originally took out two sheets, and then put on a magic show, right?”

Thus, the staff personnel took the pack of draft paper, and after re-adding the two sheets in Meng Ming’s hand, she seriously counted the number of sheets from beginning to end multiple times.

……

“The amount…is perfect…”

“I remember Brother Meng Ming could only tear apart toilet paper a long time ago. Now you’re so much more amazing…”

“It’s no big deal,” Meng Ming laughed. “For any Cheating Technique, one must go through strict training for their fingers.”

The two of them elegantly strode out of the stationary shop. The small matter of the draft paper had made Huang Qiao Yi really respect Meng Ming’s adept skills, and also increased her confidence in his ability to pass this minor exam.