Melina used her authority as the Director of the Fourth Star Ring Education Bureau to send an inquiry email to the Central Military Academy’s admissions office.
The head of the admissions office, upon receiving the email, read it several times before turning to ask a staff member nearby, “Nova, how many special admissions students do we have this year?”
Nova was busy preparing invitations for the opening ceremony and didn’t look up. “A total of five special admissions students.”
“Cassius, from a military family, who performed exceptionally well in the Dual-I War.”
“Evander, only eighteen years old but the three-time consecutive champion of the StarNet Federation Mecha Tournament.”
“Nick, head weapons designer at ‘Mechanical Life.'”
“Miracle, snatched right from the Command Academy, known as the Federation’s smartest brain.”
“Eileen, granddaughter of Stardust Mutant Beast Tamer Leander. Currently, she can control E-level mutant beasts called Crystal Cluster Sparrows.”
Strictly speaking, Eileen’s strength wasn’t enough to get her into the Central Military Academy. But she was a rare, young Stardust Mutant Beast Tamer with immense potential for growth.
Moreover, the Central Military Academy had always wanted to explore a path of collaboration between tamers and mecha pilots.
So, Eileen was admitted on special status.
The admissions head glanced at the email again. “Nova, do any of these five students come from the Sixth Star Ring?”
“Huh?!” Nova looked at her boss as if he were joking. “Are you kidding me? In the last hundred years, only three students from the Sixth Star Ring have even been admitted, and they ranked at the very bottom, barely scraping in.”
These three candidates were able to get into the Central Military Academy thanks to the extra points policy for remote areas, which gave each of them an extra 5 points.
The admissions head knew it was a dumb question, but the admission notice in the email had definitely been issued by the Central Military Academy!
After thinking for a moment, he forwarded the email to the academy’s president, Cassian.
Cassian was currently arguing with the president of the Command Academy. The latter was furious because the Central Military Academy had taken Miracle away.
“You’re wasting a brilliant mind! It infuriates me, you simple-minded, muscle-bound fool! Do you even understand the art of command?! Do you know how to develop Miracle’s exceptional brain? You’re committing a crime, a crime against humanity!”
Cassian poured himself a glass of watermelon juice and said with a smile, “Come on now, we have to respect Miracle’s choice. She chose the Central Military Academy, so there must be a reason.”
“Ah! You bastard! Just wait! You stole our treasure, so I’m going to steal your secret weapon!”
The Command Academy president hung up and called Wan Tianming over. “Find a way to contact that special admissions student at the Central Military Academy, Lin Xiaohe, and recruit her to our school.”
Wan Tianming saluted. “Outstanding move, President.”
He was tired of brilliant battle plans being executed by fools.
With Lin Xiaohe, their Command Academy would surely win the next inter-academy military competition!
On the other end of the line, the Central Military Academy’s president, Cassian, was feeling pleased with himself but also slightly uneasy.
What was that sly fox planning to do? Who was he trying to take? Cassius? Or Evander?
Cassian contacted the admissions head. “How are our five special admissions students? Have they reported in?”
The head opened his smart device and glanced at the records. “Everyone except Eileen has arrived and been assigned to the A-section dorms. Eileen is undergoing special training with her grandfather and will report once it’s finished.”
Just before the president could hang up, the head quickly added, “I sent you an email. Please take a moment to look at it.”
“Alright.” Cassian ended the call and opened his email.
At first glance, Cassian thought it was a prank.
But on second look, it was a forwarded email from Melina, the Director of the Fourth Star Ring Education Bureau.
Cassian remembered Melina. She was a distinguished graduate of the Dawn Political Academy on the Second Star Ring. She had opportunities for further study but, for various reasons, had returned to the Fourth Star Ring and worked her way up to become the Education Bureau director.
Melina was a goal-oriented, decisive, and qualified politician.
She wouldn’t make meaningless jokes.
Cassian’s expression turned serious as he read the admission notice several times.
This was insane.
The notice was undeniably real. Even the signature was his own.
But Cassian could swear to the heavens that he had only signed five special admissions notices this year! Not one of them came from the Sixth Star Ring!
There couldn’t possibly be a second Cassian in the world, right?
At that thought, Cassian jolted as if electrocuted and shot to his feet.
Actually, there was one other person at the Central Military Academy who could freely use his signature and the official seal!
But that person hadn’t taken on students in years. Even getting him to teach a single class was a struggle.
Cassian’s breathing quickened. Each inhale felt like he was drawing in tension.
That person never answered calls.
Cassian rushed out of his office. He had to go find him!
“President? Cassius and Evander are here to see you,” his secretary said, hurrying after him.
“Later.”
Cassian’s mind was completely consumed with one thought: that person was taking a student!
As Cassius and Evander walked side by side toward the office building, they saw the president rushing out.
Both of them exchanged confused looks.
They glanced at each other and decided to follow him. What could have made the president lose his composure like that?
Cassian’s destination was a secluded courtyard.
In the two-hundred-square-meter yard, there were all kinds of flowerpots, but the plants inside were all withered, making the place look desolate.
A burly man was crouching bare-chested in front of one of the pots.
His back was broad and solid, his muscles clearly defined. His skin was a healthy bronze, as if tempered like durable ore over time.
Despite his tough-guy image, his rough fingers moved clumsily but carefully as he touched a plant in front of him. His expression was visibly nervous.
Cassian swallowed hard and asked in a very quiet voice, “Sir, did you happen to sign a special admissions notice this year?”
The man gently plucked a withered, yellowed leaf. Only then, as if completing some major task, did he let out a long sigh. “Yeah. Why hasn’t she reported in yet?”
Cassian’s eyes widened to the size of bells. So it was really him—he had recruited a student!!
Cassian’s mind felt like a rusted gear, creaking with every turn.
His soul felt like it was floating in the air, looking down at his own stammering reply: “She, she, just passed the Fifth Star Ring assessment.”
The man frowned deeply. “That useless?! It’s been months, and she’s only just passed the Fifth Star Ring assessment?”
Cassian explained weakly, “Don’t you think your expectations might be a little too high?”
The man stood up, his towering frame like a small mountain, radiating an intimidating aura. “Did she not take the exam seriously? With her abilities, passing the assessments for the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Star Rings should be a piece of cake. The only challenging one would be the Third Star Ring assessment.”
He crouched down again and said in a displeased tone, “Tell her to speed it up. I’m running out of patience.”
Cassius and Evander, upon clearly seeing the man’s face, had frozen solid like statues.
Why him?!
He was actually taking a student?!
