Chapter 25: Star-Plucking Academy

Hearing this, Li Chenqiu stood in place for a moment in thought. Since he was already here, listening to what they had to say wouldn't hurt. With that in mind, he sat back down and looked at the group. "Go ahead, tell me."

The group’s faces brightened, and they grabbed Li Chenqiu’s arms, chattering away.

"Think about it. Those top-ranked academies are full of geniuses. If you go there, will you be unique? Will they treasure you and nurture you as if you were their most precious asset?"

"Exactly! They won't treat you like a treasure, but we will. If you come here, you'll be the pride of the entire academy. All resources will be yours, and everyone will serve you. Do you think those four major academies could ever do that?"

"We may not be able to match their faculty, but we can offer you better things elsewhere. Whatever kind of Resurrected Beast you want to eat, if the academy has it, it’s yours—with no limits!"

"If you come to Yuelan Academy, you won't need to live in a student dormitory. You can live in a villa with your instructors, and you can live with whoever you want!"

"They’re all just making empty promises. Let me tell you about the reality..."

...

An hour later.

"And when you and your wife have children in the future, you won't have to worry about their schooling at all. The school district housing around the city's First High School is all owned by our academy, and you..."

*Knock, knock, knock!*

At that moment, a round of knocking came from the door, and the previously noisy room fell instantly silent.

Drowsy from the long lecture, Li Chenqiu looked toward the door. "Are those people looking for us?"

"That can't be right. Didn't I make the bus invisible?"

"Yeah, even if they could find us, it shouldn't be this fast, right?"

The group whispered among themselves, but no one made a move to open the door.

"I know you're all in there. Open up and let me join the fun," a young voice called from outside.

The people in the room exchanged glances. One of them summoned the courage to ask, "Who are you?"

"Li Shu from Zhaixing Academy," the young man outside replied calmly.

The four simple words struck the room like a thunderclap. Everyone froze in place.

"If you don't open the door, I'll have to force my way in," the young man’s voice carried a hint of playfulness.

Hearing this, a young woman standing near the door looked back at the group. Seeing that no one spoke or objected, she twisted the handle with a *click*.

The door was pushed open, and a handsome young man walked in with a smile, followed by a thick-set, honest-looking middle-aged man.

Li Chenqiu recognized the middle-aged man—wasn't he Zhu Cheng, the man who had driven him to the Special Abilities Bureau?

"Uncle Zhu, why are you here?" Li Chenqiu asked, full of curiosity.

Zhu Cheng smiled at the group with some restraint before looking at Li Chenqiu. "I came here with this young man."

"That’s right, I brought Uncle Zhu here," the young man said with a brilliant smile. He walked slowly to Li Chenqiu and extended his hand. "Let me introduce myself: Li Shu, from Zhaixing Academy."

"Ordinary resident, Li Chenqiu," Li Chenqiu said, shaking Li Shu's hand.

Beneath his deep gaze, a faint, imperceptible sense of wariness flashed. His sixth sense told him that this young man with the arched eyebrows was strong—very troublesome.

"Oh, what a coincidence, we share the same surname!" Li Shu smiled kindly, then withdrew his hand and looked at the others in the room. "Are you done talking? If so, it’s my turn."

After a few seconds of silence, a respected elder straightened up and said, "We've said about enough. Go ahead."

"Thank you," Li Shu said with his hands pressed together, then sat down next to Li Chenqiu without ceremony.

"Never heard of Zhaixing Academy, have you?" Li Shu asked in a low voice.

Li Chenqiu nodded in confusion. It stood to reason that if this academy could make these people so afraid, it should be among the best in the Federation, yet he had never heard of it.

Li Shu didn't seem surprised and began to explain, "To be accurate, Zhaixing is not an academy in the traditional sense, so it isn't included in the rankings of Destiny-user academies. Plus, since the academy is not located within a city, very few people know about it."

"Not an academy in the traditional sense?" A hint of confusion appeared on Li Chenqiu's brow.

"Actually, in my view, it's just a normal school. The 'non-traditional' label is just how the outside world views us. Does anyone here want to share their thoughts on Zhaixing?"

The elder who had spoken earlier replied slowly, "Heh, since you want me to tell this child, I will..."

For the rest of the time, the elder laid the reality of Zhaixing Academy bare before Li Chenqiu.

Zhaixing Academy had a graduation rate of only 32%. The reason it was so low wasn't because the curriculum was difficult, but because most people didn't live long enough to receive their diplomas.

Zhaixing Academy firmly believed that only by hovering on the brink of death could one's full potential be truly unleashed. Therefore, they encouraged killing and competition.

The missions assigned by the academy were directly coordinated with the Security Bureau. All resources were obtained through brute force—whoever was strongest became the teacher, and whoever was strongest set the rules.

This was the so-called Zhaixing Academy: an institution that stood above the laws of the Federation!

In the room, Li Chenqiu asked the elder in disbelief, "How can the Federation allow an academy to stand above the law?"

Before the elder could speak, Li Shu cut in:

"The graduates who come out of Zhaixing are geniuses among geniuses, and they hold key positions throughout the Federation. The current Director of the Security Bureau is a Zhaixing graduate, and the previous President of the Federation also came from Zhaixing."

Hearing this, Li Chenqiu had an instant epiphany. No wonder they could stand above the law—the people at the top were all their own!

"Although the environment at Zhaixing is brutal, if you are strong, it is paradise. The choice is yours. If you want to go, come find me in room 3012 downstairs."

With that, Li Shu led Zhu Cheng out of the room.

After the door closed, the room, which had been quiet, instantly became lively again.

"Child, do not be bewitched by what Li Shu said. That place is no place for humans; it's full of bellicose lunatics!"

"Exactly! And Zhaixing forces students to take missions. Those are the tasks that the Special Abilities Bureau can't solve and dumps on the Security Bureau. You're only at the First Seal stage and have no background—how are you going to deal with those Resurrected?"

"One must live well before considering how to become stronger. Even if you don't join Zhaixing, you can go very far in the future and have a wonderful life. Don't let talk of Presidents and Directors cloud your judgment; that's all a lie!"

The group pleaded earnestly.

Li Chenqiu shook his head. "You are mistaken. Only by becoming strong first can I live well. Thank you for your hospitality."

Li Chenqiu stood up, nodded politely to the group, and left the room.