Chapter 387: Lieutenant And Graduation Season

Genius!

When they saw Li Junjie, who was in the midst of physical training, the same word popped into the minds of the two principals simultaneously. Although Li Junjie was merely performing simple body training, purely exerting his physical strength, the sharp eyes of the two principals were anything but ordinary.

Five-Spirit Body!

It was definitely an exceptionally rare innate physique, one that was naturally suited for the toughest forms of training.

Who would have thought that such a rare talent could emerge in a small border town like this? And yet, he had gone unnoticed. He’s still mingling in the ranks of the lower gangs.

The two principals exchanged glances, unable to contain their excitement as they started to tremble with anticipation. They had struck gold. This time, they had definitely struck gold. They had to recruit him, no matter what it took. No matter the cost.

Although this young man had not formally attended high school, White Deer Academy could make an exception and enroll him as a special recruit. Even though he was slightly older than the usual student, it wasn’t unheard of to have students who had repeated grades. If they spent enough time and effort on his development, he would undoubtedly make a stunning debut in the future.

The old principal's face lit up with a wide smile, his wrinkles deepening like a steamed bun that had just been plucked from the heat.

"Young man." He eagerly approached and said, "Sorry to disturb you."

"Hmm?" Li Junjie turned as his gaze immediately sharpened warily. "Who are you?"

This top enforcer under President Li stood bare-chested, his muscles rippling naturally with each movement under the sunset.

"Don't misunderstand, we’re not bad people." The old principal quickly explained.

"No, I’m not misunderstanding here," Li Junjie replied. "I know you're not bad people, but the problem is, I am. There aren't many good people around here, old man, so how did you sneak in?"

The old principal was momentarily speechless.

This young man’s talent is indeed remarkable. But he is a bit... slow.

"I’m a university recruiter from Xiajing City." The old principal got straight to the point and explained why he was there. "So, how about it? Young man, I have great faith in your talent. Come to our university. Give it three years—no, even just one year—and I promise I can transform you into a true powerhouse!"

"Really?" Li Junjie's eyes lit up.

"I guarantee it." The old principal assured him. "We’ll provide you with the resources—"

"Who asked you that?" Li Junjie interrupted. "I’m asking, are you really from the university recruitment team in Xiajing City?"

"Here are our credentials," said the old principal, handing over the documents he had prepared in advance.

"I can't tell if this is real or fake," Li Junjie muttered under his breath. He waved his hand, signaling one of his underlings, "Hey, go call Little Zhang from the publicity department to come over and verify this."

The old principal and his companion both had black lines form on their foreheads.

Does this small gang even have a publicity department?

After a while, a bespectacled female clerk arrived. She used a light core to thoroughly check their credentials. A moment later, she nodded to Li Junjie, "Hall Master, it's genuine."

"Alright, get back to work," Li Junjie said. "And don’t mention this to anyone."

"Understood," Little Zhang replied respectfully before turning to leave.

"Now do you believe us?" the old principal asked, smiling.

Li Junjie rubbed his chin, a glint of excitement flashing in his eyes. Suddenly, a bold plan formed in his mind. This could be his chance to make a huge contribution and surprise the boss.

"You want to recruit me?" Li Junjie's sharp mind started working quickly. He grinned slyly and said, "Heh, it's not impossible, but you’ll need to show some sincerity."

The old principal's heart leapt with joy. "That’s negotiable. What kind of sincerity are you asking for?"

"I want a one-plus-one," Li Junjie replied.

"One-for-one?" The old principal was momentarily stunned. "What do you mean by that?"

Li Junjie grinned proudly and said, "It’s simple. If you want me to attend White Deer Academy, you’ll have to admit my boss as well."

"Your boss?" The old principal asked, "Who is that?"

Li Junjie's face lit up with admiration as he replied, "He’s the president of the Cloudy Sky Gang, the number one handsome man in Liuhe Base City, the strongest, the most loyal, and the kindest person, Li Xiaofei."

"That... shouldn’t be a problem.” The old principal said after a brief moment of thought.

After all, recruiting one was the same as recruiting two. It wouldn’t hurt to admit one more person.

The middle-aged man with the square face standing beside the principal also looked surprised. He had expected that someone like Li Junjie, who came from a low-ranking gang, would demand resources, money, scholarships, real estate, beauty, or other material rewards and fame. But to his surprise, all he asked for was this one-plus-one deal.

No wonder the officials near the recruitment team’s camp had been talking about Mad Bull Li being fiercely loyal to his boss. It seemed the rumors were true. Li Junjie's act of loyalty and gratitude left both the old principal and his companion deeply impressed.

As for Li Xiaofei, the boss whom Li Junjie had adorned with so many titles, neither of them paid him much mind. White Deer Academy had been marginalized and suppressed by the educational elite in Xiajing so thoroughly that they were completely unaware of recent events, let alone the existence of Li Xiaofei.

To them, Li Xiaofei was just an extra, someone added as a side note. Securing Li Junjie was the real win. Whether they met Li Xiaofei or not was of little importance. To avoid any unnecessary delays, the old principal made the decision right on the spot. Without wasting any time, he swiftly processed the admission paperwork via the light-network, securing Li Junjie’s enrollment as the newest student of White Deer Academy.

Then, almost as an afterthought, he casually added Li Xiaofei to the roster as well. However, when the old principal checked Li Xiaofei’s details, he was surprised to discover that this so-called gang leader was just a 19-year-old, and still a registered high school student.

But he didn’t ask any further questions. Nor did he think too much about it. After all, if a high schooler hadn’t yet been accepted into a university, it likely meant he wasn’t particularly remarkable. Perhaps he had simply registered as a high school student to pad his resume.

Soon, all the procedures were completed. The old principal, after receiving multiple assurances from Li Junjie, reluctantly took his leave.

"You must report to school!" he said, turning around every few steps.

Li Junjie replied, "Don't worry, old man. As the top lieutenant of my boss, my word is as good as gold. I won’t back out."

Once the two had left, Li Junjie clenched his fist in excitement and let out a triumphant "Yes!"

Mission accomplished! Hahaha, this time my boss is definitely going to praise me. He would never have imagined that it was someone as reckless as me who finally solved his long-standing problem.

Li Junjie happily trotted off to the office with both acceptance letters in hand.

Knock, knock, knock.

Li Junjie entered the room.

"You rascal, you're grinning like a weasel that just stole a chicken," Li Xiaofei glanced at him impatiently. "Spit it out. What kind of mess have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"Boss, this time you're definitely going to praise me," Li Junjie teased, holding back the details. "I found a way to cure your worries."

"Oh?" Li Xiaofei's interest was piqued. He leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on his desk. "Speak up. If you can't cure my worries, I'll give you some new worries."

"Huh?" Li Junjie's face immediately fell. He obediently handed over two acceptance letters, cautiously explaining, "Boss, haven’t you always wanted to attend a university in Xiajing? Well, I practically sold my soul to get you an acceptance letter. It’s from White Deer Academy. I even had Little Zhang from the publicity department verify it. It's legit..."

Li Xiaofei didn’t even bother listening to the rest of what Li Junjie said. He immediately snatched up the two acceptance letters and read through them several times, carefully cross-referencing the details. He even looked it up on the light-network.

Sure enough, there was indeed a university called White Deer Academy, which was located in Xiajing City. However, there wasn’t much other information available. Li Xiaofei rubbed his chin thoughtfully. White Deer Academy was likely a private, low-tier institution with little reputation. But that was enough for Li Xiaofei. As long as it meant obtaining student status and a smooth route to Xiajing, it would do.

After confirming everything, Li Xiaofei looked up at his top lieutenant. Li Junjie’s earlier swagger had faded away. Under Li Xiaofei's scrutinizing gaze, he began to feel uneasy and nervous.

"Boss, I... I didn’t screw up this time, did I?" He asked carefully.

Li Xiaofei suddenly jumped up, giving Li Junjie a hard slap on the shoulder.

"Well done! Hahaha, who would’ve thought? You really turned out to be a lucky charm," Li Xiaofei crowed, genuinely surprised.

"Boss, so you're saying I didn’t mess things up this time?" Li Junjie finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Haha, that's right. You did great this time," Li Xiaofei responded, clearly pleased. "No need to be so stiff. We’re classmates now! Haha, who knows, I might even end up calling you senior one day."

"No," Li Junjie said seriously. "I will always be your lieutenant, Boss. No matter the past, the present, or the future."

Li Xiaofei patted his shoulder and said, "Don't be foolish. Being a follower has no future. A man needs his own dreams. You've been given this rare opportunity, and when you get to university, you need to focus on learning and cultivation. You should aim to rise above others, not spend your life thinking about being my underling."

Li Junjie replied firmly, "No, Boss, you’re my idol. Serving you is my privilege. If it weren’t for your desire to go to Xiajing, I would have stayed here in Liuhe Base City forever, drinking and hunting with the gang brothers."

Li Xiaofei chuckled.

"Starting today, you're going to Red Flag High School. I'll have Principal Qin give you some extra lessons to brush up on basic knowledge and cultural studies. We can’t have you embarrassing our Cloudy Sky Gang when you get to White Deer Academy."

He had already started preparing for his lieutenant’s university journey.

"Huh?" Li Junjie’s face immediately fell, his expression one of dismay. "Boss, do I really have to? Cultural studies are the worst for me. Just looking at that stuff gives me a headache."

Li Xiaofei firmly rejected his plea, "This is an order."

"Yes, Boss, I will complete the mission!" Li Junjie shouted with determination.

Watching his top lieutenant leave the office in visible pain, Li Xiaofei let out a long breath of relief. The university issue was finally settled.

The recruitment team at White Deer Academy clearly hadn’t done their homework. They hadn’t known about his exploits as the president of the gang and had only recruited him as a bonus to get Li Junjie.

But that was fine by him. The less they knew, the better. He didn't want to risk them reconsidering if they learned too much. However, the fact that White Deer Academy saw potential in Li Junjie and was willing to make an exception to admit him showed that the recruitment team had some truly bold and capable individuals.

Maybe this academy wasn’t as mediocre as he had originally thought. Li Xiaofei looked out at the blood-red sunset and smiled contentedly.

***

Time passed.

The university admissions season had gradually come to an end. There would be no more universities coming to Liuhe Base City to recruit students. Most of the online application channels were also beginning to close.

According to the latest data released by the Education Department, as of now, the university acceptance rate for senior high school graduates in Liuhe Base City stood at a little over 48 percent.

This meant that, in the end, more than half of the graduating students would not be able to enter university for further education. They would have to enter the workforce early and start a new chapter in their lives.

This reality was undoubtedly harsh for those who didn’t make the cut. But this acceptance rate was the highest ever recorded. In previous years, the university acceptance rate for senior high students in Liuhe Base City had been below 30 percent.

Based on the data from the Education Department, the current 48 percent acceptance rate was the second highest in the entire Northwest Administrative Region, just behind Lanfu Base City. Moreover, the gap between the two cities was not large.

Many in the Liuhe City education circles understood that this improvement was largely due to the sudden rise of Li Xiaofei and Red Flag High School, creating a catalyst effect that had spurred students across various high schools to push themselves in cultivation and academic performance, leading to a rapid overall improvement in student quality.

Another contributing factor was that, over the course of the semester, with support from the city government and the Education Department, Red Flag High School had promoted new teaching methods, openly sharing many ancient martial arts techniques and battle skills. This widespread promotion had benefited many cooperating high schools, allowing them to reap great rewards.

It was also worth noting that Red Flag High School, as the frontrunner, had achieved a legendary record in university admissions. A 100 percent acceptance rate! Every single senior graduate from Red Flag High School had received a university acceptance letter.

These numbers were truly staggering, not just in Liuhe Base City, but even in the entire Northwest Administrative Region and perhaps across the country. This was an absolutely remarkable achievement. Unfortunately, due to certain reasons that couldn’t be publicly disclosed, this legendary data was never made official nor widely publicized by influential media or social media platforms.

However, Gao Changlin, the head of the Education Department, had been having sleepless nights from pure joy lately. Initially, his plan had simply been to ride on Li Xiaofei’s coattails to gain some political achievements. Who could have anticipated this unexpected windfall?

As time passed, the High School War God League finally reached its conclusion. In the final match, Red Flag High School played on home turf, facing off against their old rivals, the former champions, Duxing High School, for the second time.

The result of the match, unsurprisingly, held no suspense. Red Flag High School steamrolled their opponents, securing a decisive victory. Last season's Killer King and MVP, Xiong Zhigang, despite giving his all, was still defeated by Zhuge Long, a substitute player from the Red Flag High School team. Duxing High School's season came to an end in a way that evoked both reflection and sadness.

Inside the stadium, amidst the heart-pounding music and the roaring cheers of the audience, a new king of the high school league in Liuhe Base City was crowned. Red Flag High School had won the championship!

The moment when Li Xiaofei and Yan Chiyu lifted the trophy together was forever captured by countless cameras, destined to become an iconic image in the history of Red Flag High School. Xiong Zhigang, Wang Siyu, Zheng Shou, and others from different places watched this scene unfold. They too were once known as prodigies, having chased after this very honor. Today, they had no choice but to look up in awe at that young man.

Li Xiaofei! This boy from the slum, who had seemingly emerged out of nowhere, had completely transformed the educational landscape of Liuhe Base City and altered the destinies of countless people. He was like the morning sun, radiating an unstoppable brilliance, rising higher and higher as everyone basked in his light and warmth.

Living in the same city and graduating in the same year as him was both a curse and a blessing for all the senior students.

Soon, graduation season arrived. Some graduates from wealthy families ended their studies early and moved to the cities where their universities were located, preparing themselves for local life and the upcoming university journey.

Others from poorer backgrounds joined adventure guilds or hunting companies, venturing into the wild to hunt and capture star beasts, accumulating money and resources to pay for their university tuition.

It was at this moment that the Cloudy Sky Gang suddenly made a groundbreaking announcement to the public. The entire base city was shocked when the news broke. No one had expected that such a thing would be orchestrated by a gang!