But young children had tremendous plasticity and growth potential. A single evaluation couldn't possibly provide an accurate assessment.
So Bryan suspected these evaluations would be conducted periodically to ensure each child's potential could be maximized.
Understanding this, he began forming his own calculations. In this apocalypse, the scarcest resources were medical and research personnel. Anyone who became one of those would certainly enjoy significant privileges within the QZ.
But Bryan knew his own intelligence best. One reincarnation wasn't going to magically boost his IQ. Asking him to pursue medical research would be harder than reaching the heavens.
Beyond medicine and research, talents in mechanical engineering, botany, and similar fields would probably receive decent benefits too.
But Bryan quickly dismissed these paths. He decided to stick with his original plan: become a QZ soldier. After all, no one could guarantee the QZ would last forever. Learning professional combat skills and firearms training was essential—and currently, those skills could only be acquired in the military. With such abilities, even if he had to leave the QZ someday, he'd have what it took to survive.
Moreover, soldiers had the privilege of carrying weapons. As he advanced in rank, his authority would grow, and he'd be better positioned to look after Sarah and Anna. It would be a dangerous path, sure, but he understood there was no free lunch in this world. If you wanted something, you had to give something first.
Most importantly, Bryan knew that learning combat and firearms alone wouldn't be enough. As a soldier, he could also learn from veterans—vehicle maintenance, wilderness survival, and countless other skills...
"Hello there, can you tell me your name?"
While Bryan was lost in thought, he heard Miranda's voice beside him. He turned to find her crouched in front of Sarah, wearing that warm, friendly smile.
Unlike the nervous girl from before, Sarah's eyes crinkled with a genuine smile. She gracefully shook Miranda's hand and said cheerfully, "Hi! I'm Sarah!"
"Hmm, very good."
Observing Sarah's demeanor, Miranda gave a subtle nod of approval. She reached out to pat the girl's head and continued in that spring-breeze voice: "You must have been through a lot to get here."
"Um... not really." Sarah shook her head, smiling. "We did run into a lot of stuff along the way, but Bryan took care of me the whole time. It wasn't that hard."
"Oh?" Miranda raised an eyebrow, instinctively glancing at the roster in her hand. Then she looked around and, sure enough, spotted an Asian boy nearby.
The boy's gaze was fixed on her. She'd only meant to see who the girl was talking about, but when she noticed his eyes—dark and deep, nothing like the clear innocence of youth—her interest was piqued.
But Miranda didn't rush over. Instead, she turned back to Sarah. "Can you tell me what you most want to do now that you're in the QZ?"
"Of course, I want to find—"
Sarah nearly blurted out that she wanted to find Sylvia's sister, but she caught herself mid-sentence. That task had already been handed to Anna. It wasn't her responsibility anymore.
Without that pressing goal, she thought for a moment before answering: "Um... I want to study here and become a doctor."
The image of Sylvia's final moments was seared into Sarah's mind. Though she'd learned some emergency medical care from Armand, that knowledge was useless against bullet wounds.
That helplessness had deeply affected her. She never wanted to feel that powerless again. So she would learn more. She would become a doctor. She would save more lives.
Miranda studied Sarah's face. She'd noticed the girl cutting herself off earlier, but she didn't press. Instead, she nodded and said gently, "That's wonderful. Make sure you hold onto that goal."
"Mm-hmm!"
Miranda stood slowly and flipped to Sarah's page in the roster. She picked up the pen clipped to her board and began writing in the preliminary assessment section.
When she finished, Miranda finally turned her gaze toward the boy and walked over. She crouched in front of him, put on her signature friendly smile, and extended her hand, repeating the opening line she'd used with every child:
"Hello there, can you tell me your name?"
Bryan had watched her entire exchange with Sarah. He'd noticed that with every question, Miranda's eyes never stopped scanning Sarah's face.
This confirmed his earlier suspicion. She was definitely evaluating them.
Though Bryan didn't know exactly what the military planned to do with these assessments, he understood they might not matter now—but they certainly could later.
He watched Miranda crouch before him, that fake smile plastered across her face, asking the same rote questions.
Having prepared for this, Bryan gave a slight nod, shook her hand, and offered a smile of his own. "Hi, I'm Bryan."
Miranda then proceeded to ask him the same questions she'd asked all the other children, in the exact same way.
By the end, Bryan deliberately looked away. Honestly, staring at that manufactured smile was starting to make him uncomfortable.
Miranda gave him a long, appraising look, then picked up her pen again and began writing rapidly on the roster. Afterward, she returned to her previous position and announced:
"In a moment, I'll give you a tour of the school. After that, I'll take you to where you'll be living!"
The children followed behind Miranda, listening to her gentle voice as she explained the enormity of this university.
Emory University covered 631 acres and was one of America's top institutions of higher learning. All its buildings maintained an Italian classical architectural style. Countless trees had been planted throughout campus, with forest coverage reaching sixty percent.
The military had divided the university into three sections using high walls: one for student education, one for wounded soldier rehabilitation and medical care, and one for research personnel.
The education section included all teaching facilities—classroom buildings, libraries, athletic fields, and other academic structures.
The medical section had been created by walling off the western medical complex, which included the university hospital, emergency center, general hospital, and more. All manner of medications and equipment were available. Any injured soldiers or civilians could receive treatment there.
The research section encompassed Emory's medical school, entirely enclosed by high walls. It housed numerous experts and precision instruments, with heavy guard presence both inside and out. Entry required strict inspection and interrogation.
Since all three sections were close together, a military camp had been established between them to prevent anyone with ill intentions from causing trouble. Dozens of soldiers patrolled day and night.
Miranda specifically warned them never to cross the yellow warning tape set up by the military. Anyone who did would be expelled from the QZ for deliberate sabotage.
Hearing this, all the children nodded vigorously, putting on their most obedient expressions.
After touring the school grounds, Miranda led them to stand before four or five dormitory buildings. "This is where you'll be living. The boys' dormitory is on the left, and the girls' dormitory is on the right."
Just then, a burly, broad-shouldered man emerged from the boys' dorm. He walked over to Miranda with steady steps and said, "Miranda, are these the newest arrivals? Why are there so few?"
"No time to explain now. I'll tell you later." Miranda glanced at the man, then swept her eyes over the five boys. "These boys are yours."
"Got it. No problem."
The big man nodded, then turned to face Bryan and the other boys with a stern expression. "I'm Devin. You don't need to introduce yourselves—I'll learn everything I need to know from your files. I'm going to take you to your rooms now."
Here, his expression suddenly turned menacing, and he spoke each word with deliberate weight: "Remember this: Don't make me unhappy, and don't cause me any trouble. Otherwise, I guarantee the days ahead will be very unpleasant for you."
Devin's fierce expression and threatening words didn't faze Bryan, but Dick and two of the other boys, plus the two girls standing nearby, were terrified. They immediately burst into tears.
Even Allen and Sarah, who had killed Infected, flinched. Sarah recovered quickly—after all, she'd killed a person before. Allen trembled but didn't show any sign of backing down.
Seeing Devin's behavior, Bryan didn't think the man was indulging some twisted hobby of scaring children.
As if realizing something, he glanced toward Miranda standing off to the side. Sure enough, her eyes were sweeping over each child. It didn't take a genius to figure out this was another part of the evaluation.
...
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