Chapter 313: The Highly Sought-After Li Xiaofei

Someone from the top had arrived? It was a university recruitment team.

The first group to arrive consisted of six university teams. They included Lanfu University, Xijing University, Xijing Star Beasts Academy, Southeast Armed Forces University, Great Xia University of Technology, and Great Xia Army Officer Academy.

Among them, Lanfu University and Xijing University were part of the prestigious 985 series schools[1], while Great Xia Army Officer Academy was part of Great Xia’s military academies. The other three belonged to the 211 series universities.[2] All of them were considered prestigious schools, though not top-tier.

Liuhe Base City had a total of thirty-two high schools, and as such, a large pool of students. Every year, many university recruitment teams would visit to recruit members of the various high school battle teams, as well as a few academically outstanding students who weren’t part of the battle teams.

In this era, the most important thing was talent!

For universities, nurturing talented warriors could bring immense social, economic, and status benefits, along with valuable resources. As a result, the competition to recruit students had become even fiercer than it had been five hundred years ago. Many prestigious schools had already begun their recruitment campaigns before the Lunar New Year, traveling far and wide to secure talent.

Li Xiaofei, however, had set his sights on Xiajing. So, he instantly dismissed all the schools that arrived today. But those universities, on the other hand, were highly interested in him. A high school student with the combat ability of a Five Spirits Realm warrior would make any university drool with envy. Even though they knew that geniuses like him would be hard to recruit, each school’s recruitment team would pull out all the stops to try.

For example, they might offer excessive scholarships or perhaps a direct pathway from undergraduate to doctoral studies. They might even promise guaranteed employment. Some would offer exclusive, luxury accommodations, jobs for family members, or access to top-tier cultivation grounds and resources. There were even offers of one-on-one mentorship from Dao Union Realm instructors.

The Great Xia Army Officer Academy sweetened their deal by tempting him with military ranks in the Great Xia Army. In short, true prodigies were in such high demand that they were practically carried to success upon graduating high school. And clearly, Li Xiaofei was one of those prodigies.

However, he politely declined the enthusiastic offers, explaining his reasons. The recruitment teams expressed deep regret but assured him their doors would always remain open to him. Despite Li Xiaofei turning them down, the arrival of these six prestigious schools caused a major stir in Liuhe Base City's high school scene.

While Li Xiaofei wasn’t interested, there were plenty of other students who would do anything to get in, especially for the two 985 universities and the military-backed Great Xia Army Officer Academy, which were the most popular choices.

"Becoming a soldier of Great Xia is my dream." Zhuge Long from Red Flag High School’s battle team, along with Du Heng, the mechanic, and Liu Xiao, the beastmaster, all expressed the same ambition.

Without hesitation, the three of them signed up for the selection exam of the Great Xia Army Officer Academy, even dragging Li Xiaofei and Yan Chiyu along for the ride.

Li Xiaofei couldn’t help but feel at a loss as he watched the trio excitedly enter the examination hall.

"Captain, why did they drag us into this?" he asked, looking at Yan Chiyu, who stood beside him.

Yan Chiyu replied calmly, "They want the recruitment team to see that they're close to you."

Li Xiaofei was even more confused and said, "But I already turned down the Great Xia Army Officer Academy’s offer."

"True, but your influence remains. With the level of influence you have now, many universities would still want to foster good relationships with you, even if it means admitting your friends. After all, if you don’t die young, your potential to reach Dao Union Realm or even Divine Realm is very real. If you actually become a top-tier powerhouse, these schools might benefit from their association with your friends, which could lead to some positive connections with you."

Yan Chiyu seemed to speak from experience.

Li Xiaofei leaned in and asked quietly, "What good would those connections even do?"

Yan Chiyu shifted back a little, feeling slightly uncomfortable, and responded, "You're underestimating the influence of top-tier powerhouses. Strength is everything in the martial world. A single word from an elite warrior at the highest level can decide many things... within the bounds of the law, of course."

Li Xiaofei asked, confused, "Do I smell bad or something?"

Yan Chiyu was momentarily stunned and replied, "No, not at all."

"Then why are you avoiding me?" Li Xiaofei pressed.

"N-no... I'm not avoiding you," Yan Chiyu replied, her expression becoming increasingly unnatural.

Li Xiaofei glanced around, then lowered his voice and asked, "Captain, be honest, do you have an issue with me?"

Yan Chiyu turned to look in another direction. "Why would you think that?"

"Because you're always dodging me," Li Xiaofei said.

Yan Chiyu’s gaze grew distant as she replied, "I’m not."

Li Xiaofei wasn’t convinced. "You are. When I first joined the battle team, you really disliked me. A few times, I even felt like you were planning to do something to me."

"That was all a misunderstanding," Yan Chiyu explained. "I used to have certain prejudices against people from the slums."

"I know," Li Xiaofei said, "Then it seemed like you changed your mind about me. Yet after the wedding, you started avoiding me again, almost like before."

Yan Chiyu looked further into the distance. "No, that’s not it."

Li Xiaofei chuckled, "Captain?"

"Hmm?"

"You’re not secretly in love with me, are you?"

"Get lost."

"Oh, but we’re waiting for someone. Can I get lost later?"

"Then I’ll leave."

"I’m just joking! Hey, are you really leaving? Zhuge Long and the others haven’t come out yet."

"Having you around is enough."

Yan Chiyu quickly turned and hurried away.

Li Xiaofei rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

The captain really got that knockout look and a great figure too, but her temper’s way too fiery. I wonder who’ll ever be able to handle her—or maybe she just doesn’t like men?

He waited at the entrance for a full hour. Finally, Zhuge Long and the other two emerged, all smiles.

"How’d it go?" Li Xiaofei asked, stepping forward.

"Passed."

"Haha, we got the admission letters!"

"I got mine too!"

The three of them were ecstatic, their faces beaming with excitement. They were clearly thrilled to have gotten what they came for.

Zhuge Long said, "It was even easier than I imagined. It felt like we were just going through the motions. As soon as the examiners heard we were from Red Flag High School, they couldn’t stop smiling. They even asked if our teachers were Old Chen and Old Qin."

Liu Xiao chimed in, "I suspect they might actually know the principal and the dean."

"No way," Li Xiaofei said, doubting it. "How would military personnel even know... wait a second?"

Suddenly, a thought struck him. He remembered Old Tan once addressing Chen Fei as Instructor Chen.

Instructor?! That term was typically used in the military. Could it be...? Are those two peculiar individuals actually connected to the military? If the recruiters from Great Xia Army Officer Academy knew them by name, that means their military background isn’t ordinary. They have to be pretty well-known.

Holy crap. This is a major discovery.

"Where’s the captain?" Du Heng asked.

"Oh," Li Xiaofei replied, "She thought I was too handsome and said my dazzling looks were blinding her. She couldn’t handle my overwhelming beauty, so she left early."

"Pfft."

All three of them gave him the finger. Laughter and banter followed them as they walked back together.

Over the next few weeks, more and more university recruitment teams arrived at Liuhe Base City, competing to secure the best talent the city had to offer. It was during this time that those who were closely following the situation realized something both shocking and strange.

1. Project 985 was created during the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Beijing University (May, 1998). The purpose of Project 985 is to create elite universities from the 39 universities under the 211 Project. ☜

2. Project 211 is a project that constructed nearly 100 universities and disciplines in the 21st century according to a directive from the government of the People's Republic of China. The project aims at cultivating high-level talents for national economic and social development strategies. ☜