Lin Xiaohe looked at the display screen.
[Lin Xiaohe, Physique: 120, Mental Strength: 1]
Well, it’s the latest model, no wonder it gives out specific numbers.
She tested herself three times in a row, and the result was the same each time. Lin Xiaohe couldn’t help but feel a flutter of panic. She quickly opened her Plant Summoner panel to check her own stats.
[Name: Lin Xiaohe]
[Stamina: 60 points]
[Mental Strength: 101 points]
[Skills: Plant Whisperer (cannot be upgraded), Five-Star Matrix (Level 1)]
[Summonable Plants: Xinbao, Doudou, Tiantian, Fanfan]
[Available Points: 0]
Lin Xiaohe breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Okay, her mental strength was 101 points.
She hadn’t turned into an idiot.
Cassian placed a hand on Lin Xiaohe’s shoulder, his eyes full of regret. “It must have happened… during that time. Don’t worry, we will definitely find someone to heal you.”
Bastard raised an eyebrow, glanced at Lin Xiaohe, and spoke up. “Principal, Lin Xiaohe is a Stardust Plant Manipulator. If I remember correctly, Eileen chose the Alien Combat Department, right? Why don’t we put the two of them together, so they can keep each other company?”
Chu Xue’s face changed dramatically, and she quickly said, “Alien combat is too dangerous. It’s better to let Lin Xiaohe join the Deep Space Combat Department.”
Bastard said stiffly, “Our department’s spots are already full.”
Chu Xue shot back, “Our department isn’t short on people either!”
They both looked at the president of the Mecha Department Student Council. He shook his head like a rattle drum. “Without mental strength, there’s no way to pilot a mecha.”
Students from the Command Department and the Mecha Design Department quietly started to sneak away.
Seeing Lin Xiaohe being treated like a hot potato, kicked around by students from various departments, Cassian’s forehead veins bulged. He shouted, “Enough! Even if you wanted Lin Xiaohe to join your departments, she wouldn’t go. She has her own plans and her own pace.”
“Well, that’s just perfect,” Bastard said bluntly, voicing what everyone was thinking.
Chu Xue coughed twice and asked politely, “Lin Xiaohe, which department are you planning to join?”
Lin Xiaohe stuck her hands in her pockets and stood in a bold, unrestrained posture that looked like the Chinese character for “person” (人). “The Agriculture Department.”
Huh?!
Does our school even have that department?
Maybe, probably, perhaps?
Bastard let out a snort of laughter and said sarcastically, “How nice. That department suits you perfectly, you hick from the Sixth Star Ring!”
Was Lin Xiaohe going to put up with that?
“You’re so noble, so amazing. Then don’t use backdoor connections, don’t let your mommy bail you out, and just go to jail like you’re supposed to!”
What? Bail someone out? Jail?
The students who had been sneaking towards the door stopped in their tracks and pricked up their ears to listen.
Bastard’s face turned red and green, looking absolutely terrible.
He was a big shot at the Central Military Academy, and now his reputation was being ruined!
“Aren’t you the same? You got bailed out by Marshal Chu yourself.”
Lin Xiaohe’s eyes were full of defiance. She felt she was more of a villain than Bastard. “I dare to go to jail. Do you dare?”
“What’s so hard about that…” Rain quickly grabbed Bastard, his eyes full of pleading.
“Chief, think twice! She only needs to serve three months and she’s out. We’d have to serve a year and three months! It’s not worth it, really not worth it!”
Bastard’s eyes cleared.
He rubbed his forehead. His reaction just now was very strange, as if he were possessed, only wanting to trample Lin Xiaohe underfoot.
Something was wrong, very wrong!
Bastard looked at Lin Xiaohe warily. Was she the one causing this?
Bastard’s gaze fell on the test screen. The words [Mental Strength: 1] stood out distinctly.
He let out a long breath. It probably wasn’t Lin Xiaohe. How could a mental cripple use mental strength to influence others?
Besides, his own mental strength was as high as 3S. Just how high would someone’s mental strength have to be to influence him without him knowing?
Bastard closed his eyes and then opened them again. Maybe, he was being influenced by that idiot Bai Yade.
He put his gloves back on and said slowly, “Lin Xiaohe from the Agriculture Department, I hope you can still talk tough like today when the school competition comes around. Oh, I almost forgot. For so many years, the Agriculture Department has never even participated in the school competition. You’re really lucky. You won’t have to go to the arena and get beaten up.”
Lin Xiaohe looked at the principal and Marshal Chu with a puzzled expression.
What is the school competition? What’s it for?
If it’s just for a little bit of honor, she wouldn’t bother joining. Fighting costs a lot of money and skill points.
Cassian explained, “The school competition is for competing for each department’s resources and funding. The champion, runner-up, and third place split half of the funding.”
The Central Military Academy has always followed the principle of survival of the fittest. After setting aside a portion of the annual funding for the school’s operations, the rest is distributed based on which department is stronger.
Historically, the top three spots have been monopolized by the Deep Space Combat Department, the Alien Combat Department, and the Mecha Department. These three departments eat well, while the others only get a little bit of soup.
Lin Xiaohe asked curiously, “How much funding does the Central Military Academy have this year?”
Cassian felt very fond of Lin Xiaohe. He thought she was a kind kid but unlucky, so he told her everything. “Federal allocation is 10 billion, military district allocation is 20 billion, alumni donations are 3 billion. Business hasn’t been good this year, so dividends from shares are only 30 billion. That totals 63 billion. We set aside 13 billion for operating expenses, and the remaining 50 billion goes to the departments.”
Oh, only 50 billion.
Lin Xiaohe’s eyes widened like saucers. What?! How much?! The unit is billions?!
Not 500 bucks, not 5 million, but 50 billion!
Lin Xiaohe wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth. All she could see in her eyes were star coins.
“I…”
“No! You can’t!” Chu Huaizhi knew that this kid was having another episode—a serious case of money-greed!
Chu Huaizhi spoke with difficulty, “Xiaohe, we need to act within our capabilities. The school competition is a team event.”
Lin Xiaohe’s mind was completely filled with 50 billion.
The top three split half, that’s 25 billion.
Although the number 250 doesn’t sound very nice, the unit after it is billions. Lin Xiaohe indicated that the number 250 is actually very lucky!
“Dean Chu, I can do it! Principal, when does the school competition start? How do I sign up? My blood is boiling! To farm better, I desperately need to participate in the competition!”
Cassian felt a mix of relief and deep regret. “Just have your Agriculture Department student council president submit the documents in the military academy competition registration system.”
Lin Xiaohe’s eyes lit up. That’s easy! Marshal Chu promised to let her be the student council president.
Lin Xiaohe grabbed Marshal Chu. “Come on, come on, let’s quickly follow through on your promise.”
…
While Lin Xiaohe was preparing to register, the news that her mental strength was only one point had already spread.
On the StarNet Military Academy forum, a post was pinned to the top.
[The Fall of a Genius! 18-Year-Old Stardust Plant Manipulator Turns into a Mental Cripple!]
The post contained a large, clear test image.
[Lin Xiaohe, Physique: 120, Mental Strength: 1]
The image was high-definition and uncensored, guaranteeing that everyone could see it clearly.
The comments below were refreshing at high speed, increasing by hundreds per second.
[Whoa! It’s Lin Xiaohe, the special admittee to the Central Military Academy. How did her mental strength become 1?]
[The Central Military Academy took a huge loss. They thought they were recruiting a genius, but it turns out they got a cripple.]
[I have reason to suspect this is all a setup! If her mental strength is only one point, she definitely can’t be a Stardust Plant Manipulator anymore, right? Hehe, those who get it, get it.]
[What are you being so sarcastic about upstairs? Do you think our Central Military Academy is like your trashy school, where you can get in as long as you have money? Your jealousy is twisting your face!]
[Actually, this result is pretty normal. Lin Xiaohe probably has a congenital genetic defect. Her father is a cripple, her mother is seriously ill, her sister is mute, her brother has a mental illness, and her grandparents are only in their sixties but look really old and worn out.]
[That’s right. Commoners with inferior genes like the Lin family shouldn’t have children. They can’t afford embryonic gene testing or customize embryos. Any children they have will only become a burden to the Federation.]
[Support the “Citizen Subdivision Act”! Low-class citizens like the Lin family don’t deserve to have children and don’t deserve to enter the First Star Ring!]
