The school rules have always been strict. Els looked at Xie Shi’an and comforted him, “Don’t worry, there are spare buttons in the locker room upstairs. You can go fix yourself up first.”
The vice minister’s gaze fell on Xie Shi’an’s collar, noting that there indeed wasn’t a button on the shirt, so he called out to the side, “Si Xiu.”
Not far away, Si Xiu, who was also wearing the disciplinary department’s uniform, walked through the crowd. When he arrived, he looked at Xie Shi’an and Els, and then turned to the vice minister.
“The junior’s shirt lost a button,” the vice minister said. “Take him upstairs to get his clothes sorted out.”
Si Xiu agreed and led Xie Shi’an to the second floor.
Along the way, Xie Shi’an remained very quiet. It wasn’t until they entered the locker room that he finally spoke, “Senior Si Xiu, I think this is unreasonable.”
There were some spare formal wear and accessories in the locker room. Si Xiu walked over to the accessory display case and began picking out a spare button.
“Why do points get deducted just because a button fell off? It doesn’t make sense.” Xie Shi’an leaned his head against the nearby cabinet door, his tone desperate. “There’s nothing I could do about a missing button. I checked before I left home.”
Si Xiu selected a couple of silver-white buttons from the case and explained, “The buttons on everyday shirts use a special material. If you use too much force, they easily fall off. You need to control your strength.”
There was also an automatic repair device in the accessory cabinet. Si Xiu took it out and said, “We’ve already given feedback to the school about changing the shirt button material.”
This semester, quite a few students had indeed been docked points because their shirt buttons fell off—mostly first-year freshers who hadn’t mastered the right amount of force, causing the buttons to pop off easily.
“But my current point-earning speed can’t keep up with my point deduction record,” Xie Shi’an said, taking the device from Si Xiu’s hand and aiming it at his shirt collar. “I have to work ten hours in the botanical garden just to earn back a single point.”
The device made a ticking sound, and soon, the two buttons were successfully reattached.
“It’s unreasonable, completely unreasonable,” Xie Shi’an muttered repeatedly, getting angrier the more he thought about it. “I’m going to take off my clothes, throw away my gloves, and run ten laps around the school naked in protest!”
Xie Shi’an was talking nonsense out of sheer frustration.
Si Xiu put the repair device back into the display case and said calmly, “The punishment for running around the school naked is much heavier.”
Xie Shi’an was instantly distracted and asked, “How many points get deducted?”
“In severe cases,” Si Xiu replied, “you’ll be sent to the Tribunal for disrupting academy order.”
Xie Shi’an completely gave up and stopped muttering.
The two came out of the locker room and returned to the backstage area of the first-floor grand auditorium.
The assembly was about to begin. The lights in the audience seating dimmed, the backstage became spacious, and even the senior members of the disciplinary department had gone to their seats.
Xie Shi’an didn’t go to the seating area; instead, he found a sofa backstage to sit on. He could hear the voice coming from the auditorium—it was the practical combat instructor introducing the rules on stage.
“For this practical combat assessment, all first- and second-year students will participate. The assessment location is the planet of Karonis, and the duration is forty-eight hours.”
There were many complex rules, but Xie Shi’an didn’t pay much attention to them. He opened the forum on his light screen and browsed posts until he heard a burst of warm applause from the audience—it was Senior Els going up on stage.
It was also at this moment that Xie Shi’an learned Senior Els had been the top scorer in the practical assessment last year.
“Whether it’s mental power or close-quarters combat, every choice has its own path.” Els’s voice carried from the auditorium to the backstage, sharing his winning experience on stage.
After Els finished, Xia Zuo went on stage representing the first-year freshers.
Xie Shi’an picked up the bouquet of flowers beside him and, after Xia Zuo finished his speech, stood up and walked toward the outer passage to find Xia Zuo.
The assembly was still ongoing. The practical combat instructor stepped back onto the stage and slowly announced:
“Aside from the basic rewards, the extra reward for this year’s practical combat assessment is—”
“An invitation to the Floating Garden’s Royal Afternoon Tea.”
There was an uproar in the audience, and even Xie Shi’an, who was backstage, paused in his tracks.
On the podium, the practical combat instructor’s gaze swept across the audience as he continued: “His Highness Bai Lin will represent the royal family and have afternoon tea with the student who wins first place.”
“The royal family promises that, within a reasonable scope, they will fulfill one wish of the winner.”
[Topic: Are this year’s assessment rewards for real?! Royal afternoon tea! A wish granted!]
[Topic: Please, Headmaster! Why can’t third-year students participate in the assessment! Third years want to join too!]
[Topic: Is the assessment reward real or fake?! Can any wish be made? Can it be politics-related?!]
The forum exploded with brand-new posts, and the entire homepage was discussing this year’s combat assessment.
In past years, assessment rewards were weapons or hovercrafts, but this year the reward had changed to an invitation to afternoon tea.
Students cared more about the meaning behind the afternoon tea: getting to communicate face-to-face with the Crown Prince and receiving a wish granted by the royal family.
A royal promise was priceless. Even if one simply asked the royal family for permanent residency in the capital city, or requested their help in cooperating with a family business, it could solidly secure a family’s status in the capital.
Yet, the combat assessment was only open to first- and second-year students; senior students didn’t even have the qualification to participate and could only curry favor with the juniors instead.
Fierce discussions about the assessment continued all night long on the forum, with everyone paying close attention to the practical combat evaluation.
As for the first-year freshers, their internal discussions were even more intense.
“Senior Tu Yi just sent me a message hoping we can help his younger brother.”
“Senior Tu Li? I heard Senior Iderson’s side is also urgently looking for people, but they’re mostly looking at second-years.”
“Aside from Senior Iderson and the Tu family, several other seniors are also looking for people to form teams.”
In the reception hall on the third floor of the dormitory villa, seven or eight boys sat around a table, solemnly discussing the assessment.
The assessment was a point-based system. As long as one secured one hundred points, they passed, and the person with the highest points took first place.
Therefore, in past assessments, first-year freshers would voluntarily withdraw once they hit one hundred points, leaving the opportunities to the second-year seniors.
Because it was an individual point ranking where only first place received rewards, second-year students would spontaneously form teams to eliminate everyone else first, and then let someone from their own team take first place.
“But Senior Tu Li and Senior Iderson seemed to have a falling out the other day. No matter who we help, we’ll offend the other,” one boy worriedly noted.
Ji Xun, sitting nearby, directly chimed in, “Anyway, Senior Iderson has always looked down on us first-years.”
Xia Zuo, however, thought more deeply about it. “This year involves the royal family. Senior Iderson needs the support of the Crown Prince behind him, and Senior Tu Yi also needs cooperation between the royal family and the Federation. The Colton family has been fighting for the development rights of the new mineral vein, so this year is going to be fierce.”
Usually, Xia Zuo was always gentle and patient, but right now his expression was grave, and his fox-like eyes had lost their smiles.
Every aristocratic student in the school represented the family forces behind them, and everyone fighting for first place this time was doing so for their family’s interests.
“It’s best if we don’t get involved. No matter which family we offend among these, it will be a bit troublesome,” Xia Zuo decided decisively, choosing not to participate in this political factional struggle.
In the corner of the hall, Xie Shi’an had been quietly listening the whole time without joining the discussion. Instead, he kept his light screen out, still studying the rules of this assessment.
It wasn’t until the classmates had nearly finished discussing that Xie Shi’an raised his head and asked, “Why is first place default-assigned to the second-year seniors?”
This question seemed to stump everyone, and even Xia Zuo paused for a moment.
Everyone had already defaulted to this rule: first-year freshers could not compete with second-year seniors for rewards.
First place would only ever belong to a second-year student.
The first-year students had already agreed that they would withdraw once they hit one hundred points in the assessment and would not participate in any political siding.
However, by the next morning, some seniors came to visit with gifts.
“Apologies for the abrupt intrusion, juniors, but I really have a matter I need your help with,” Senior Tu Yi said upon arriving at the first-year dormitory villa area.
Xia Zuo came out to host him, bringing Senior Tu Yi to the long table in the courtyard.
“Seniors are always welcome to visit; it is our honor.” Xia Zuo poured tea and placed it before the senior.
Xie Shi’an was also in the courtyard, arranging desserts on the table and sitting quietly in the corner like a mascot.
“The buzz around the assessment has been high lately, and I’ve come because of this matter,” Tu Yi smiled helplessly.
Tu Yi was a third-year, but his younger brother, Tu Li, was a second-year student.
“Because the rewards were suddenly made public, Tu Li and the others need to rearrange their team arrangements. I’m also very concerned about this assessment, so I came to ask you all.” Tu Yi looked somewhat worried.
The assessment time was fixed long ago, and the basic rewards every year never changed; the only variable was the extra reward.
Although rewards were only publicized a week before the assessment, based on past reward lists, everyone guessed this year’s would be a new model of weapon.
Aristocratic students had long since divided into their respective teams; some only intended to hit one hundred points, while others were competing for first place. If someone on a team wanted the weapon reward for first place, they could negotiate it after the assessment ended.
Yet, once this year’s reward was announced, all plans were completely disrupted.
No one could refuse such a reward: an afternoon tea invitation and a wish fulfilled by the royal family.
Although the Tu family originated from the Federation, newly rising local factions in the Federation were emerging one after another, making the Tu family’s status unstable. At this time, they needed the support and cooperation of the Asaph Empire even more.
Tu Yi discussed, “If it’s convenient, could you help Tu Li during the assessment?”
Xia Zuo looked somewhat troubled and tactfully replied, “Senior Tu Yi, we’d love to help you, but this assessment is too special. We’ve also received invitations from several other seniors, and we really can’t join a team to help out.”
Tu Yi understood the juniors’ difficulties as well. This assessment was equivalent to a political alliance-building test, posing a major dilemma for the first-year freshers.
Tu Yi said, “It’s not that we expect you juniors to necessarily join the team. If you happen to run into Tu Li and the others during the assessment and your points are sufficient, you can just exit the match near them.”
Assessment points were inheritable. When students were eliminated or actively ended and exited their match, they only kept one hundred points on themselves, while any excess points dropped on the spot and could be picked up and inherited by others.
Therefore, as long as the first-year students’ points exceeded one hundred and they actively exited near Tu Li’s team, Tu Li’s team could pick up the extra dropped points from the first-years.
Tu Yi added, “Regardless of whether Tu Li ultimately gets first place or not, we will be very grateful for your help, juniors.”
Xia Zuo neither agreed nor refused, only stating, “We can’t promise this. Let nature take its course.”
Hearing this reply, Senior Tu Yi actually felt more at ease and smiled, “It’s fine, let nature take its course.”
Senior Tu Yi left his gifts behind and departed.
Xie Shi’an, who had already finished eating his desserts in the corner, walked over to Xia Zuo and asked, “Did we agree to form a team with the senior?”
Xia Zuo lowered his head to take a sip of tea and patiently explained, “Not entirely. Anyway, when we hit one hundred points, we’re going to quit anyway. It doesn’t hurt to rack up a few extra points and pass them along to Senior Tu Li on the way.”
Xie Shi’an thought for a moment and said, “I still want to fight for first place.”
Xia Zuo was slightly surprised, but he didn’t crush Xie Shi’an’s ambition, simply saying, “Fighting for first place is going to be very hard. The seniors have already formed their teams.”
Xie Shi’an had also noticed this and nodded, “The seniors’ teams have a lot of people, and I can’t win by myself.”
Xia Zuo: “Even though there’s no way this year, when next year comes around, we can form a team together for the assessment.”
Xie Shi’an stayed in the courtyard a little longer before heading back upstairs to his bedroom and rest area.
Leaning back on the sofa, Xie Shi’an opened the forum and saw many people on the homepage posting looking for teammates.
[Topic: Iderson’s team recruiting for the assessment, rewards included, high-skill players come quick]
[Topic: Anyone want to join Tu Li’s assessment team? Great perks!]
[Topic: Assessment speed-run team recruiting, not chasing rankings, get a hundred points and leave]
Xie Shi’an clicked the post button in the lower left corner and began drafting a new post.
Posting displayed a nickname, and Xie Shi’an, who had always used the default nickname, casually changed it before hitting publish—
[Crown Prince’s Severe Dependency: Is anyone teaming up with me for the assessment? We’ll split the rewards evenly—I’ll go see His Highness, and the wish promise goes to you!]
Xie Shi’an considered himself very generous; he didn’t need the wish promise, as political interests weren’t important to him.
He just wanted an invitation to afternoon tea and a chance to get up close and personal with the Crown Prince.
After the post went live, Xie Shi’an patiently waited.
One minute, two minutes…
One hour, two hours.
The post received zero attention and quickly dropped to the second page of the forum.