The admissions team gradually filtered out, leaving only Xie Guanning and Jiang Yan along with the principal and teachers in the office.
With Jiang Yan present, the teachers were more or less constrained. The principal remained silent, so the homeroom teacher had to bite the bullet and step forward. He let out a light cough and said, “Guanning, don’t leave just yet. There are a few things I need to go over with you.”
Xie Guanning turned to look at him. “Please, go ahead.”
The teacher glanced at the silent Jiang Yan standing beside him and continued, “It’s like this: our school provides bonuses for students with outstanding academic performance, and the government also offers some rewards. It’s not an immense amount, roughly around a million credits or so. It should be deposited into your account in a short while.”
Xie Guanning’s eyes instantly crinkled into a smile, and his tone grew several shades lighter—for a rare moment, he actually looked like a child of his age. He replied, “Thank you, teacher.”
The teacher had initially thought the boy wouldn’t care much about such “small” amounts, but remembering Xie Guanning’s background, he understood. He added, “Besides that, the school would like to invite you to give a lecture to the upcoming seniors to share your study methods. Of course, I know you’re likely busy lately, so there’s no rush. Whenever you have time, the school will coordinate with your schedule.”
Xie Guanning thought for a moment and didn’t refuse. His impression of this school was quite good; the students and teachers were decent, and it lacked the messy complications of his elementary and middle schools. He agreed immediately.
Relieved to have completed his task, the teacher happily asked, “It’s almost noon. Would you like to have lunch at the school?”
Before Xie Guanning could speak, Jiang Yan intervened. “No need.”
He looked at Xie Guanning as if consulting him. “The Military Academy isn’t far from here. Once we arrive, we can eat directly at their cafeteria. We can rest for a bit and then go for a walk around the campus. How does that sound?”
Xie Guanning had no interest in the cafeteria food he’d been eating for three years, so he agreed at once. Seeing this, the teacher didn’t press further and walked them out. “Call me immediately if anything comes up, or if there’s anything you don’t understand.”
Xie Guanning nodded, said his goodbyes, and walked out with Jiang Yan.
The homeroom teacher watched their receding figures for a long time, eventually letting out a low sigh. The principal slowly stood up, patted his shoulder, and asked, “What are you sighing for?”
The teacher turned back. “I just never expected that out of this entire batch of students, the one who would surprise us the most would be him.”
The principal laughed. “You’re still too young.” He tucked his hands behind his back and walked away. “Once you’ve been teaching long enough, you’ll see all kinds of students. You won’t be surprised by then.”
…
Inside the car, Xie Guanning buckled his seatbelt and looked at Jiang Yan with a smile. “What made you come all of a sudden?”
“If I hadn’t come,” Jiang Yan replied, “there’s no telling if you would have been snatched away by someone else.”
Xie Guanning raised an eyebrow, looking at him with amusement. “Oh? And you were so sure that if you came, I wouldn’t be snatched away?”
Jiang Yan stared at him for a long moment before finally letting out a helpless laugh. “My mistake. I should be begging Student Xie not to look at other schools and to consider the Imperial Military Academy instead. Our benefits really are quite good.”
Xie Guanning couldn’t help but chuckle. After spending more time together, he realized the rumors about the man being cold and inhumanly distant weren’t entirely accurate. The man before him was a normal person who could occasionally crack a joke. Though Xie Guanning had been uneasy at first, once he pushed past their previous “awkwardness,” the two actually got along quite pleasantly.
As the car sped forward, Jiang Yan asked him, “What do you plan to do next?”
“Hm?” Xie Guanning asked, puzzled.
“You’ve probably saved up enough money by now,” Jiang Yan said. “With two months left before school starts, do you still plan to stay at the underground arena every day?”
Xie Guanning paused, then said slowly, “Probably not.”
Even though mechas were his passion, doing repetitive work day after day was enough to cause burnout. Since the money issue was largely resolved, there was no need to waste so much time on such meaningless tasks.
“I’ll ask Mr. Liu later if I can get early access to the library or freshman textbooks. I can self-study for a while before the semester starts.” He paused. “I don’t plan on giving up the underground arena entirely, though. I occasionally run into challenging problems there, so I’ll go back from time to time to keep my skills sharp.”
He added, “I might hire someone to help out after a while. First, because I won’t have enough time once school starts, and second, it’s still a source of income.”
Even though the Academy had waived his tuition and fees, Xie Guanning couldn’t just sit around and consume his savings; he still needed a way to make money.
Jiang Yan gave a noncommittal hum and didn’t judge his choice. Instead, he changed the subject. “Mr. Liu said he could introduce you to a mentor. What do you think?”
The professors Mr. Liu had mentioned were legendary figures in the field of mecha design. How could Xie Guanning not be moved? Learning from one of them would definitely be better than stumbling through things on his own.
He shrugged. “I’m certainly willing to be a disciple, but they have to be willing to take me in.”
Keeping his eyes on the road, Jiang Yan spoke nonchalantly, “Dean Yu Zhengyan has been unusually free lately. He’s been staying at the Academy and hasn’t left.”
Xie Guanning turned to him, his peach-blossom eyes sparkling.
Jiang Yan glanced back, one hand resting casually on the steering wheel. “I’ve already made an appointment with Dean Yu.”
…
The car entered the Military Academy campus without obstruction. It was currently class time, so there weren’t many people around, but any student they passed paused to stare at the low-profile hovercar. Management at the Academy was strict; while there were plenty of wealthy and powerful students, no one was allowed to drive their car onto the grounds so brazenly.
It was clear the owner was no ordinary individual.
The car stopped near the cafeteria, and Jiang Yan led him with practiced ease to a small private room. He ordered a few dishes and said, “The food here is decent.” Military students had high training loads, so the school put a lot of effort into making the meals both delicious and healthy.
Xie Guanning wasn’t picky about food, but his mind was so preoccupied with the upcoming meeting with Dean Yu that the meal was practically tasteless to him. Jiang Yan tried to chat with him, but the boy was distracted, only responding after long pauses.
Jiang Yan let out a soft click of his tongue, feeling a trace of regret. If he’d known, he wouldn’t have told him so early.
After lunch, more students appeared outside, adding a sense of youthful energy to the solemn campus. Since it wasn’t convenient to drive at this hour, Jiang Yan took Xie Guanning for a slow walk. Sunlight filtered through the trees onto the path, creating a dappled, shaded walkway.
Now that the moment was near, Xie Guanning actually calmed down and found the presence of mind to look at the campus scenery. Because both of them were exceptionally good-looking, many people turned to stare or whispered in small groups. Xie Guanning had worried about Jiang Yan’s identity being discovered, but seeing the man’s natural, undisguised posture, he relaxed.
He joked, “Thanks to the Marshal, I’ll probably be famous at this school before I’ve even enrolled.”
“That’s happening sooner or later anyway,” Jiang Yan replied. Given his grades and the terms offered by the admissions team, he was bound to be the center of attention.
They walked slowly, ignoring the stares. Aside from the teaching and dormitory areas, the Academy had a specially designated residential zone for teachers. It consisted of small villas with courtyards surrounded by dense trees, making it remarkably cool in the sweltering midsummer heat.
Jiang Yan stopped in front of a small villa and pressed the doorbell. The gate opened immediately. Xie Guanning followed him inside. The villa door was open, and he could faintly see a half-gray-haired elderly man sitting on the sofa in the living room, reading a book with a cup of tea by his side. He adjusted his glasses occasionally, exuding an air of calm composure that only time can bring.
Hearing the movement, he slowly looked up. “Ah, Little Jiang is here.”
There were likely very few people in the entire Empire who could call Jiang Yan “Little Jiang.”
Jiang Yan bowed his head slightly in a respectful gesture. “Elder Yu.”
Dean Yu waved them over with a chuckle. “Come in, come in.”
“And the little friend behind you—” Dean Yu’s gaze shifted to Xie Guanning. He was about to speak, but the moment he saw the boy’s face, he froze. A look of unmistakable astonishment flashed through his eyes.