210: Angry Zero

That voice, though not loud, carried an undeniable ruthlessness.

"Ah?"

Upon hearing this, Hill couldn't help but widen his eyes, his face full of confusion.

"But this isn't a low-level civilization. If we just keep killing, won't it make the war even more complicated?"

Hill truly struggled to understand Li Yang's resolute answer. In his opinion, the situation with advanced civilizations was far more complex than with low-level civilizations, and the approach should be more cautious.

"We're already at war. It doesn't matter if they're a surrendered Soldier or an ordinary Imperial Citizen."

Li Yang's tone was firm, carrying an aura of decisive killing.

"If we're going to fight, we fight to the end, completely and thoroughly annihilating the entire civilization. Otherwise, with the technological strength of an advanced civilization, they might rise from the ashes and make a comeback someday."

A hint of coldness flashed in Li Yang's eyes. In his view, one must never be soft-hearted towards enemies. Since they had already met on the battlefield, it was either you live and I die, or I live and you die. In short, you must die!

After hearing Li Yang's explanation, Hill frowned slightly, nodding as if he understood but didn't quite.

Although he still had some reservations about such an extreme approach, he felt that Li Yang's words had some merit.

So, he stopped dwelling on it and continued to answer the questions.

Time slowly passed in the tense atmosphere of the examination, and a few more hours went by.

Finally, everyone in the conference hall completed all the questions on the light screen.

"Alright, you may leave."

Number Zero's steady voice rang out again.

"The results of the assessment will be announced to everyone in a few days. During this period, everyone should continue with their daily studies as usual."

With that, Number Zero left the conference hall without any hesitation.

At this moment, Li Yang walked over to Hill, a hint of curiosity on his face, and asked,

"So, how did you end up writing that last question?"

"Pretty much the same as what you said, 'kill'!"

Hill looked up at Li Yang and continued,

"But I felt that simply killing wasn't quite appropriate, so I modified it slightly. I wrote that surrendered Soldiers should be executed on the spot, leaving no prisoners. As for the Imperial Citizens, they should first be gathered together, and then, depending on the development of subsequent battles, a decision would be made whether to kill them or not."

As Hill spoke, he observed Li Yang's expression, wanting to see his opinion on this approach.

"Hmm... that doesn't seem bad either."

Li Yang nodded, a look of approval on his face.

"With an answer like yours, passing is definitely not a problem. You might even achieve excellent results and reduce your study time."

Saying this, Li Yang reached out and patted Hill's shoulder, as a sign of encouragement.

"I just hope I can pass. I don't want my study time to be extended because I failed the assessment."

Hill smiled wryly and glanced at Li Yang.

"But you, you're always so diligent. Getting an 'excellent' should be a sure thing for you, right? After all, you've been working incredibly hard recently."

Hill's tone contained both teasing and a hint of envy towards Li Yang.

"Who knows? We'll see then."

Li Yang responded humbly, a faint smile on his face.

Although he spoke with such humility, he had his own confidence deep down.

He wouldn't dare to make rash judgments about other things, but regarding the grading of this assessment, Li Yang was absolutely confident that his score would definitely not be low.

Even if he ultimately didn't meet the 'excellent' standard, he could at least be rated 'good'.

After all, the diligent study day and night over the past month hadn't been in vain. He had thoroughly considered every question, presenting all his learned knowledge and insights without reservation on his answer sheet... Time flew by, and a few more days passed.

On this day, as Li Yang was immersed in study materials, the crisp notification sound from his smart brain suddenly rang in his mind.

"All Students, please gather in the conference hall."

Hearing this notification, Li Yang's heart stirred, and he mused inwardly,

"It seems the assessment grades are out. I wonder if I can get an 'excellent'..."

An irrepressible surge of excitement quietly welled up in his heart. He quickly tidied his clothes and, with this mix of anticipation and nervousness, hurried towards the conference hall.

When Li Yang entered the conference hall, he immediately spotted Hill looking around.

Seeing Li Yang arrive, Hill's eyes lit up. He quickly stood up, walked briskly to Li Yang's side, and sat down in the seat next to him.

"How is it, Li Yang? Do you know the results of the assessment grading yet?"

Hill's face was filled with eagerness, and he asked impatiently.

"The results haven't even been announced yet. If you ask me, who should I ask?"

Li Yang smiled helplessly, finding Hill's eagerness a bit exasperating.

"I thought High Instructor might have secretly told you in advance..."

Hill scratched his head, speaking with some embarrassment.

Just as the two of them were chatting back and forth, the previously noisy conference hall suddenly fell silent.

Number Zero, with a grim and dark expression, slowly walked onto the high platform with heavy steps.

His eyes revealed a hint of seriousness and solemnity, as if carrying some unusual aura, causing the Students below to wonder if something unexpected had occurred with the assessment results.

"Silence, everyone!"

Number Zero's loud and authoritative voice instantly boomed through the conference hall.

The people who were previously whispering to each other immediately quieted down upon hearing Number Zero speak.

Everyone's gaze turned towards Number Zero on the high platform. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his face was as gloomy as the sky before a storm, clearly indicating he was in a very bad mood.

"The results of the last assessment are out."

Number Zero's voice was low and cold as he continued,

"I can only say, you are truly too disappointing!"

These words, like a giant stone dropped into a calm lake, stirred up a thousand waves in everyone's hearts.

Everyone realized that the assessment results were probably not satisfactory. Even Li Yang, who was usually confident, couldn't help but feel a hint of worry.

"A total of 3,000 people participated in the assessment, yet only about two-thirds passed. A full one-third of the Students failed!"

Number Zero's face was filled with anger. He glared at the crowd below, pointing his finger at everyone, his voice trembling slightly with rage.

"Ask yourselves, with such results, are you fit to be officers of the Empire?"

"One-third? It seems there are quite a few slackers among the Students this time, no wonder Instructor Number Zero is so angry."

Hill frowned slightly, muttering softly to the side, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Why do you say that?"

Li Yang looked confused, casting an inquiring gaze at Hill.

After all, he was different from those who had been Imperial Citizens since childhood. His understanding of these internal affairs of the Empire was indeed limited.