Translator’s note: I forgot that I was supposed to release this yesterday! orz
Chapter 45
In an empty office, the male boss, wearing a deep V-collared shirt, smoking a cigarette, is chatting with the beautiful new employee, asking him to join him in his office.
No matter how you look at it, it looks like the beginning of an office scandal.
However, Si Chen knew that Song Qingyu was a smart person and a smart person would never do something so obviously dirty that could be used against them.
Rather, it was other things he was worried about.
Like how to explain the Eternal Life Abyss inside him. Or maybe Song Qingyu had found out that he’d cheated the company of 4.55 million worth of gene medicines by feigning sick…Although the probability of these things happening was very low.
Song Qingyu’s expression was very strange — not angry, but definitely not happy. His slender brows, like willow leaves, were furrowed; looking much like a class teacher correcting a student’s homework.
Si Chen asked blankly, “What’s the matter, Chief Song?”
Song Qingyu took a deep breath. “I’d like to express my concerns regarding your graduate studies.”
Dazed, Si Chen followed him to his office.
Song Qingyu sat down behind his desk. He had his elbows on the table, his hands clasped, fingers intertwined, covering the lower half of his face.
Song Qingyu asked, “The deadline for the application for the postgraduate entrance examination is coming up soon. Have you decided which university to join?”
Applying to a military academy goes much the same way as applying to general universities for other majors. There is anAalliance-wide unified written examination, after which comes the university-specific exams.
The content of the written exam tests one on theory. Then comes the tests on machine use aptitude and the physical exams. For military academies, the university-specific exam is a practical exam inside an actual Space Fold.
However, in order to avoid having students applying to multiple academies, the university-specific exams are scheduled to be conducted within a very narrow time period. And since no one can tell what will happen in a Space Fold, if you pass the written test, there is a high probability that you can only take the university-specific exam for one academy.
Si Chen replied, “Donglan.”
Donglan University is in Jiangchuan. It is close to home, making it very convenient. It is also the school where Si Chen took his undergraduate. Moreover, it ranks among the top three in the world.
Overall, it was a good choice.
Song Qingyu gave a “hmm” and began his analysis, “According to your information, you have now reached the Third Step. Donglan University is a general university. In the field of gene biology, it is indeed a model school of the Alliance. However, as a military academy, they ranked only ninth. Their admission score is too high, it’s not worth it.”
Song Qingyu presented his points in a very orderly manner and he had taken Si Chen’s standpoint when making them.
But this kind of behavior… seemed a bit too considerate.
Si Chen thought for a while. “Then Beicheng University?”
Beicheng University, the undisputed number one, the prime choice of every overachiever. Ji Chuyao too was studying there, but he was studying for a Ph.D.
Song Qingyu: “Beicheng University admits only a very small number of students. The tutors are also inhuman and the death rate is very high. The competition there is stifling and they operate on an elimination system. Every year, a few unlucky students are expelled.”
“Luo’an?”
“Space Folds have been occurring more frequently in Luo’an in recent years. It can very nearly be disqualified as a Safe Zone.” Song Qingyu was lost in thought. “Besides, because it was the first Safe Zone to be established, the infrastructure there is very poor.”
Si Chen mentioned several universities in a row and Song Qingyu was able to pick out faults in each one from various tricky angles.
Si Chen pursed his lips and said nothing. A pair of peach blossom eyes stared straight at Song Qingyu.
Song Qingyu suddenly understood why some rich old men like keeping young, beautiful and spoiled young men.
When they’re angry, they look like they’re being coquettish.
Song Qingyu gave an embarrassed cough. He took out a recruitment brochure from his desk drawer. “Why don’t you take a look at this?”
The name on the brochure was “Baidi University”. Si Chen has never heard of it. He did however remember a Safe Zone on the southwest corner of the alliance’s territory map called Baidi City. Its sense of existence though has always been low.
When Si Chen was in college, his classmates had come from all over the world. Most were from Safe Zones with a few from wealthy families in the Disaster Zones. However, he has never heard of anyone from Baidi City.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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At the time, the High-Dimensional Invasion had already ended but many High-Dimensional Creatures and mutants had remained. If they weren’t cleaned up, they could easily threaten the lives and property of Jiangchuan’s residents.
The alliance allows the major companies to exploit the resources in the Space Folds. In exchange, the major companies undertake the clean-up for free. It’s been that way for over a hundred years.
Because Xin Xiaocao said that he had encountered an unknown Evolutionary Species underwater, Song Qingyu personally dived down as well.
Unfortunately, after diving down nearly a thousand meters, he still didn’t come across the Evolutionary Species.
Song Qingyu was about to return empty-handed, when just as he turned around, he bumped into White King.
Song Qingyu has only ever seen this Great Grand Uncle of his in the group photos kept by his grandmother.
In the photo, the young White King was holding his infant niece, smiling casually.
But Song Qingyu recognized him instantly, because White King looked exactly like he had in the photo. Also, he wasn’t blind.
Song Qingyu was wearing a full diving suit and a breathing filter.
While White King was dressed pretty much the same as if he were taking a stroll along the street. Even his hair defied physics and hung easily down his back.
White King said these words to him at the bottom of the lake.
“Isn’t this Little Qingyu?”
“You’re almost 40 years old, why are you still at the Fifth Step? I remember you showed good promise. Have you been slacking off?”
“There’s an employee named Si Chen at your company, isn’t there? Any chance you can get him to study in Baidi City?”
…
…
If he only had to get Si Chen to Baidi City, Song Qingyu had no less than ten plans to get him there.
Forceful ones included knocking him out, drugging him or abducting him.
Non-forceful ones included company funded business trips, business trips with management, an exchange and training program, branch inspections, etc.
But getting him there specifically to study was difficult.
Song Qingyu knew that his Great Grand Uncle had the habit of picking up orphans all over the world. There was a time in his life, before he was ten, that he wished he was an orphan because of it.
He flipped through Si Chen’s resume and found out that, sure enough, this man had no father or mother.
But Si Chen was already 22 years old. He’s been working for almost a year and was already past the stage of needing assistance.
Song Qingyu didn’t understand why White King had named Si Chen specifically. He’d called him by his full name and asked him to go to Baidi City to study.
It can’t be because of Si Chen’s good looks.
Song Qingyu had to admit that, despite being used to seeing beautiful people, he also found Si Chen pleasing to the eyes.
Especially since his was a purely natural sort of beauty, one that was bestowed by the heavens.
Beauty is indeed a scarce resource, but at the top level, this resource is so abundant to the point of being superfluous. With tens of millions of beauty injections and all kinds of life metals sculpted onto one’s face, good-looking people are never in short supply.
But when all was said and done, this was an order given by his Great Grand Uncle.
Therefore, Song Qingyu put away his inner grievances and introduced it in a serious manner, “Baidi City is rich in resources and the residents’ happiness index is high. The environment is beautiful. Because the school is not well-known, competition among Baidi University’s students is low. In the previous joint exercises, Baidi University scored quite well. This year is an exception as Baidi University does not usually recruit outside its city. Baidi University’s monthly subsidy for its graduate students is most generous. Its faculty members are very capable and knowledgeable. I think it is most suitable for you.”
“Moreover, there is a 100% probability of securing your master’s degree,” Song Qingyu emphasized.
The academic qualification system of the Alliance is very strict.
Every year, a large number of graduate students drop out of school, only able to get a graduate certificate but not a master’s degree certificate.
For graduate students without the degree certificates, their monthly income drops by 40%.
Si Chen was full of doubts in his heart. He opened the brochure. Judging from the admission brochure, Baidi University looked more than decent.
The school motto is “Fairness and Excellence”.
Among the more than 300 colleges and universities in the alliance, this university ranks 201 overall. But looking at just its military program, it ranks 18.
Not to mention its excellent accommodation conditions, living allowances and tuition standards. Not only is each military student assigned his or her own dorm room but he or she is also given a living stipend. Up to 5 million credits worth of annual living expense may also be reimbursed.
If everything goes as it should, during his two years of graduate study, not only would he not be required to pay tuition fees but he’ll also earn millions.
However, it didn’t say how many students the university was accepting.
Si Chen put away the brochure and replied politely, “I will consider it, thank you, Chief Song.”
Song Qingyu looked as though he wanted to add something. “Then, go back and think about it first.”
Si Chen nodded. Just as he was about to walk out of the office, Song Qingyu suddenly called out from behind him. “Wait a minute.”
He turned his head with a questioning expression.
Song Qingyu: “If you are admitted to Baidi University, the company will promote you by two ranks. Also, take the time to log into the game to see your ranking.”
*
The Alliance, Office of Admissions.
The secretary-general rushed into the IT Group with a file on a hard drive. “This is bad! This is bad!”
One programmer looked up. “What’s the matter?”
“Baidi University is recruiting graduate students this year!”
Programmer: “But, didn’t you ask the principals to sign and confirm their slots half a year ago? Why is there still some no-name diploma mill recruiting students?”
The secretary-general looked at this programmer and found that he looked very unfamiliar. Judging from his employee number, it looked as though he was only in his thirties this year.
He shook his head, decided not to argue with the young man, instead heading straight into the group leader’s office.
The group leader sighed, “I’ve already received the notice. I’ve just gotten off the phone with the nth bigshot to call me about this matter.”
The secretary-general was taken aback. “What are they calling you for?”
They want me to have some under the table dealings with them. They all want to have their children accepted for the graduate studies examination. Either that or they’re asking me to disclose the qualifications for the application. But White King was the one who personally arranged this. Just how the hell do they expect me to handle it?” Saying so, the group leader turned off the terminal in front of him. “Old Liu, I’ve already submitted my request. I’ll be taking half a month of sick leave. During this half month, treat me like I’m dead. See you after the registration’s over.”
**
Because he didn’t have to work, Si Chen stayed at the company for half a day and then went home.
After all, even his immediate superiors weren’t at work. Who was he there to impress?
As a scientific research animal who has long been used to doing 996 and occasionally 8107, he still wasn’t used to eating, drinking and having fun at work.
Before leaving, Si Chen took his employee card and went to the company cafeteria to buy something to eat.
Under the puzzled eyes of the cashier, he bought 2 large boxes of nutrient solution.
A box contained 30 tubes. At 2 tubes a day, these two boxes could last him a month.
The trademark of Serpent Staff Gene was printed on the packing box, with the words “Serpent Staff Gene-3 Series Type II Nutrient Solution (Compound Flavor)” written prominently.
In the Disaster Zone, ordinary people would be robbed if they carried these two boxes across the city.
After returning home, Si Chen took off his new prosthetic eye and let the Eternal Life Abyss’ little tentacles come out of his eye socket.
“Mom~”
The Eternal Life Abyss called out to him softly. But it just wanted to call out to Si Chen, it wasn’t actually aiming for anything. And so, it simply rubbed its tentacles against Si Chen’s face.
The surface of these small black tentacles was covered with a layer of warm mucus.
This scene, even in broad daylight, looked a little scary. Fortunately, Si Chen was used to it.
No matter how ugly it may be, he had been the one to raise it and so he wouldn’t go strangling it to death.
As Si Chen was changing out of his clothes in front of the mirror, the admissions brochure fell out of his uniform pocket.
There was something fishy about the whole thing.
Si Chen actually didn’t quite understand why Song Qingyu so badly wanted him to apply for Baidi University.
But there was one thing Song Qingyu was right about. This school was actually quite suitable for him.
Si Chen turned on the computer and searched for some relevant information. Surprisingly, there was little information to be found about Baidi University.
Founder: Song Bai.
Current principal: Song Changming.
There was scant few media reports about the Baidi City Safe Zone. The only thing they said was that it was the only autonomous zone in the Alliance.
It seemed to have been forgotten by the Alliance but because of its geographical location, it was difficult to ignore.
Baidi City was located in the very center of the mainland.
“They’re all surnamed Song…,” Si Chen murmured.
After hesitating for a moment, he opened the postgraduate application page of the alliance’s official website.
A brief introduction was given on the official website.
Baidi University (comprehensive private university, rank: 201), Baidi Univesirty’s High Dimensional College is currently recruiting out of city students. Recruitment quota: undecided.
Postgraduate supervisor: Song Bai, et al.
Si Chen added “Baidi University” to his list of preferred schools.
The system then notified him that he has successfully applied for the exam.
In order to screen candidates, each school has their own admission requirements.
For example, Donglan University requires applicants to have graduated from a top 10 university for their undergraduate degree. They must not be lower than the Second Step.
Beicheng University not only requires applicants to be a top 10 university graduate but also requires that they be among the top 5 graduates of their school.
As for Baidi University, this year’s application requirement is a list and there are only 6 names on it. Except for them, no one else can successfully sign up.
Save for Si Chen, the other five people are the pride of their family, raised to be an heir from an early age.
If Ji Chuyao weren’t already studying for a Ph. D., he would also be on this list.
And the final admission quota for this university is 1.
The author has something to say:
Song Bai = White King
White King is Song Bai’s new name for himself. He doesn’t want a last name. But the name on his identity card is still Song Bai.
This seems to be a chapter of High Dimensional Invasion, but posted under IUYACUL?
Just a small posting error 🙂
Thanks for the chapter! I wonder what’s Song Bai wants with Si Chen!
Thank you for your translation 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛
Was very happy for THIS update. Wondering about the other? Thanks🤣❤️🤣❤️🤣❤️
Thank you so much for the chapter!!
Please let me know if I’m understanding this properly:
“Yes, this university founded by the white king is accepting applicants! There’s only 6 on the list but for final admissions, we’re only accepting one by the name of Si Chen :)”
I understood the same as you ^^