Evolution - Chapter 69
Chapter 69
The review and conferment of military merit required a lengthy and tedious process.
According to the Fourth Military University’s old rules, the admission list was released on the spot after the entrance examination concluded. Accepted candidates would return to the university directly, becoming glorious new students. Those not accepted would be taken by transport ships back to their original boarding locations to return home.
Ji Changqing’s group had previously used all their points to hire others, so now they were firmly at the bottom of the rankings. Under normal circumstances, they would have had to wait for their military merit to be awarded, then use those merit points to apply to the Fourth Military again.
But this time, the situation was special. Perhaps to mitigate the incident’s impact and salvage some face, the Fourth Military quickly made a decision. In addition to admitting 120,000 new students based on a combination of entrance exam scores and cultural class results, they would make an exception and recruit 5,000 candidates who had participated in the operation.
How fast was this?
Xie'er submitted her report after three in the morning and received a reply by nine, which in principle approved all her recommendations and stated that personnel would be sent to conduct a review. By eleven, the Fourth Military had already responded.
Those with some inside knowledge couldn’t help but be astonished by the Fourth Military’s grand gesture.
It meant that the exceptionally admitted candidates would enjoy the privileges of enrollment without having their military merit points deducted. The Fourth Military was footing the bill for them.
But it wasn’t just the Fourth Military; the other two top military academies had also made their moves.
Early that morning, Xie'er had taken several calls. After dealing with them, her expression was somewhat subtle.
Some people, she thought, were truly enviable. Give them just a sliver of an opportunity, and they would soar to the heavens.
And so, the group, who had finally found a sense of security and were utterly exhausted, had slept soundly. They were only roused by their stomachs, which were sending out relentless hunger signals, and had reluctantly gotten up for lunch. They were gathered together, chatting and yawning, not even having had the chance to digest their meal and go back to sleep, when they were summoned before Major General Xie'er.
Of course, not everyone was invited this time. Major General Xie'er had only called for four people.
Ji Changqing, Gu Changge, He Qingping, and Lu Youxia.
Seeing the confusion on their faces, Xie'er pinched the bridge of her nose. “Because of your outstanding performance in this incident, which I reported truthfully, and which the proctoring officers likely also reported to the Fourth Military, you all now have two other options. Besides the Fourth Military, there are also the First and Second Military Universities.”
The four were stunned, a mix of confusion and delight on their faces.
Being appreciated was, of course, a pleasant feeling.
“But we all applied to the Fourth Military.” Could the First and Second really poach their students?
Xie'er’s lips curved into a slightly helpless smile. “Your scores aren’t high enough. You can only be admitted through the exceptional recruitment track.”
If the Fourth Military could make exceptions, then of course the First and Second could as well.
However, while the First, Second, and Fourth were all top-tier military academies, they each had their own areas of focus.
The First Military wanted to specially recruit Gu Changge and Lu Youxia, while the Second wanted Ji Changqing and He Qingping.
“Gu Changge, Lu Youxia, the First Military’s offer is a qualification to be assessed for their special training camp.”
Gu Changge and Lu Youxia could no longer maintain their composure, letting out small gasps of surprise.
Military academies would never offer conditions like “choose any mentor you want” or “unlimited resources.” But the First Military’s special training camp held an immense attraction for someone like Gu Changge, who relied on data modeling and excelled at intelligence analysis, and for Lu Youxia, who specialized in information encryption, transmission, and decryption.
Even if it was just a qualification for assessment and not direct entry.
“Ji Changqing, He Qingping, the Second Military’s offer is this: as long as it involves command, you can choose any major you wish.”
Since it didn’t concern them directly this time, Gu Changge and Lu Youxia let out a loud “Wow!”
After all, when it came to the command specialization, the Second Military was the strongest!
He Qingping couldn’t hide his excitement either; he was visibly tempted.
Only Ji Changqing’s expression remained unchanged.
The other three looked at her with admiration. She was so incredibly composed!
They even felt a little ashamed. Hmm, were we a bit too flighty? Getting so easily worked up?
Only Major General Xie'er silently facepalmed. She took a breath and dismissed the other three. “You can discuss this with your families before making a decision. I need to explain the situation to her.”
The other three finally understood.
Damn, Ji Changqing probably didn’t get it. No wonder she was so calm.
After all, she was a country bumpkin! She had no idea how rare an offer like this from the Second Military was.
Once Gu Changge and the others had left, Xie'er dropped her formal demeanor. She didn’t say much, just gave a brief overview of the Second Military and the prestige of its command-related programs, concluding with, “Of all the classic battles recorded in the Alliance—including actual combat, drills, and competitions—about half were commanded by graduates of the Second Military.”
That was a rather formidable statistic.
A flash of amazement crossed Ji Changqing’s eyes.
“But Major General, you’re amazing!” Ji Changqing praised her with genuine feeling. Her point was that even if the Second Military’s command program was strong, people from other academies were clearly not lacking.
Xie'er smiled. No one dislikes a sincere compliment.
“After graduating, cadets enter the military as grunts and slowly get promoted by accumulating merit. So, command majors are at a disadvantage in the early stages. Most academies are more lenient with their command students when it comes to physical fitness and individual combat skills, but the Second Military is different. The individual combat ability of their command students is almost on par with those in the combat department.”
At this, Xie'er nodded thoughtfully. “Your physical fitness and individual combat skills are both excellent, and you seem to have a talent for command. In that sense, you really are a good fit for the Second Military’s command program.” She gave a meaningful smile. “Honestly, the Fourth Military is very good, but the Second Military’s command program is truly exceptional. You should consider it carefully.”
Ji Changqing was somewhat tempted. Reading between the lines, Major General Xie'er was implying that the Second Military’s command program would be very beneficial for her individual combat abilities.
After a moment’s thought, she still politely declined. “Our success this time was mainly due to everyone’s seamless cooperation and thorough execution, not my effort alone. I think the Fourth Military is just fine.”
Her main reason was that she had applied to the Fourth Military. To eagerly jump ship the moment the Second extended an olive branch just felt… strange.
It was human nature to be drawn to strength, and there was nothing wrong with wanting a better starting point.
But if she were a superior, what would she think? Most likely, she would see this person as ambitious but a bit clueless, someone whose grasping nature was unseemly.
As one of the top three military academies, the Fourth Military was hardly a poor choice. Why take such risks?
Taking a step back, she had managed to stand out during the Fourth Military’s exam through a confluence of events and with everyone’s full support. But it was crucial to remember that the reason she was here, receiving such unwavering support—to the point where her orders were followed almost without question—was due to multiple factors. The support from Gu Changge and his team was definitely the main reason.
To put it bluntly, she felt this time was a stroke of luck. What was the most important thing for a commander? A team that followed orders without question and cooperated seamlessly, like an extension of one’s own limbs.
As someone with no background, how had she managed to command this group? It was because she happened to meet Gu Changge, who had a group of fated teammates, and coincidentally, these people were all highly capable.
Then, they had all unleashed the power of their wallets, using points to win over the hearts of the masses.
In a different setting, with a different group of people, would things have gone so smoothly? Only heaven knew.
A smile flickered in Xie'er’s eyes, and her estimation of Ji Changqing rose a notch.
Ji Changqing’s concerns were indeed valid. She had shone brightly in this assessment, and the Second Military’s recruitment offer, whether successful or not, was a sign of their appreciation for talent. But if she had really chosen the Second Military, she would likely have faced some hardships down the line.
Pleased with the outcome, Xie'er relaxed considerably. Her gossipy side began to stir again, and she asked tentatively, “The Second Military and the Academy of Sciences headquarters are on the same planet. You’re not going to consider that?”
Before, the country bumpkin had been unfazed by the offer because she didn’t understand its value. Now, Xie'er’s question left her even more bewildered. She asked with genuine humility, “The Academy of Sciences headquarters and the Second Military being on the same planet… is there some connection?”
She felt as if her lack of worldly knowledge was causing her to miss crucial information.
Xie'er screamed a thousand curses in her mind.
Yu Zhiyao had previously asked her to deliver clothes to Ji Changqing, and she hadn’t thought much of it at the time. Now it seemed there was quite a story there. Apparently, Ji Changqing had no idea Yu Zhiyao was at the Academy of Sciences.
In fact, it seemed the two hadn’t been in contact at all.
But Xie'er was a woman who had seen it all. She was incredibly composed. No matter how turbulent her inner thoughts, her face remained a mask of calm. “Ah, no major connection. It’s just that when the Academy has new military-related research to release, they usually choose the Second Military for trial runs since it’s nearby.”
“Oh, ‘the pavilion closest to the water sees the moon first,’” Ji Changqing nodded as if in sudden understanding. Inwardly, however, she was thinking, If the Second Military gets to test new military equipment first, they just get a slight head start in proficiency. Why does Major General Xie'er think this is so important that she had to mention it separately?
Perhaps she should ask Gu Changge and the other natives about it later?
“‘The pavilion closest to the water sees the moon first?’” Xie'er repeated the phrase, inwardly blooming with delight. “Yes, that’s right. But it’s no big deal. Being a little slower doesn’t matter much, right?”
Ji Changqing was suspicious but nodded in agreement.
Yes, what was the big deal about being a little slower in proficiency!
Xie'er cheerfully sent Ji Changqing on her way, her mind churning as she tried to figure out what kind of game Yu Zhiyao was playing.
Could it be that because of her differentiation failure and Ji Changqing’s differentiation into an Alpha, Yu Zhiyao felt there was a gap between them, and so her love remained unspoken?
Unlikely. She was so fierce; this problem wasn’t unsolvable. That couldn’t be it.
Perhaps she wanted to wait until her differentiation problem was solved before… doing that?
But that didn’t make sense either. She could earn contribution points at the Academy, and Ji Changqing seemed quite adept at earning military merit. If they worked together, wouldn’t they solve the problem faster and more effectively?
Besides, a long separation, especially with no contact, introduced too many variables. Yu Zhiyao hardly seemed like the kind of gardener who would be happy to let someone else pick the flower she had been quietly watching over and cultivating.
Major General Xie'er pondered for a few minutes before her aide arrived to drag her back to her duties. She casually set the matter aside—perhaps she just didn’t understand the little romantic games young people played these days.
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