Zhao Xiaofeng sat across from Chu Fei, smiling brightly.
Chu Fei set down his spoon and smiled back. "I'm guessing Brother Zhao is from a rival team of Greed Wolf Squad?"
"Hah, there's competition, but we're not exactly rivals. After all, we all have to protect Flying Tiger City."
"I'm backed by Feiyun Squad."
Chu Fei became a little more serious. "What are these squads and investments? They can influence things inside the academy?"
"Greed Wolf Squad and Feiyun Squad were both formed or joined by graduates of Dawn Academy. They have deep ties with the academy."
"After graduation, we need somewhere to go. Squads need awakened individuals, so over time, these connections grow deeper."
"For those who perform well, squads will try to win them over early—even invest in them."
"But normally, only after the second year do people start to show real talent."
Chu Fei asked, "We were all bought by Dawn Academy, right? After they've trained us, they'll just let us go?"
Zhao Xiaofeng shrugged. "They'll sell us at a good price, of course. The exact situation depends on your cultivation level at graduation, and what the squad wants. Some are bought out fully. Some get paid off in installments."
She paused, then added, "And the academy's own resources are limited. If there's outside funding, why not take it?"
Chu Fei suddenly understood. "So Huang Dapeng was backed by Greed Wolf Squad?"
"Exactly."
"How much investment did he get?"
"Not sure of the exact figure, but definitely six digits or more."
"And now, that investment's gone to waste."
Chu Fei frowned. "They invested that much, and still care about the small amount I cost them?"
"The investment is in supplies, not cash. But they can squeeze five to six hundred in cash out of new students each month."
Chu Fei nodded again.
Dawn Academy enrolls once a month, each class with 20 to 40 students. That means there are twelve classes in the first year. A wide field to exploit.
But Chu Fei still had doubts. "With all the abuse, wouldn't it affect the new students' learning?"
"No, there are always whips to 'motivate' them."
"…"
The 'humorous' words sent a chill through Chu Fei. He suddenly realized the cruelty behind it all—and he was now part of this system.
Chu Fei fell silent and quietly resumed eating.
Zhao Xiaofeng continued, "Interested in support from Feiyun Squad?"
Chu Fei was puzzled. "I'm not worthy of investment yet, am I?"
"You killed Huang Dapeng."
Chu Fei was silent for a moment. "If I accept the investment, how much would it be?"
"An initial offer of 5,000 yuan worth of supplies. More depending on your future performance."
"5,000?" Chu Fei nodded slightly. "I'll think about it."
What can 5,000 get me?
I've already sold myself once for that amount. I don't want to do it again.
And for cultivation, that's far from enough.
Zhao Xiaofeng smiled. "Five thousand is just to test the waters. If you perform well, you'll get the second step—at least fifty thousand."
"If you do okay, then you just get 5,000 in free resources. That's the unspoken rule."
Chu Fei thought for a while and still said he'd consider it.
Zhao Xiaofeng's face turned a bit cold and she lost her enthusiasm. "Fine. We're always eating here. If you change your mind, come find me."
After watching Zhao Xiaofeng leave, Chu Fei slowly finished eating and returned to the classroom.
By 11 a.m., everyone had arrived—including the "Whip Holder."
Cao Liwen dropped a thick stack of test papers on the desk with a loud thud. Several people trembled involuntarily—even Chu Fei had to take a few deep breaths.
The test papers were in three stacks, placed horizontally.
Name-calling began.
"Li Honggang, Lu Hong, Chu Fei, Zhang Xuan."
The same four again.
The four stepped up to the podium.
Cao Liwen looked at Chu Fei and nodded in approval. "All four scored full marks. Each gets a 20 yuan reward."
Chu Fei collected the reward and stood aside. Since he had been punished on the palm last night, he didn't need to be whipped again.
Then came the second stack—14 students.
These had lost less than 20 points. They received 2 to 10 lashes each. The Whip Holder swung the one-meter whip without rest.
The last group of six had lost more than 20 points. They were dragged out to the plaza for public whipping while the others watched.
In the tense atmosphere, Chu Fei was lost in thought, daydreaming:
So far, the punishments came in four levels:
Minor mistakes: bamboo stick—a real teacher's stick.
Moderate mistakes: in-class whipping with a one-meter whip.
Major mistakes: outdoor whipping with a two-meter whip.
Severe: three-meter whip—Jiang Shaohu was literally whipped to death with that.
Once all punishments were done, Cao Liwen made an announcement: class monitor and vice monitor elections would be held tonight.
"I can't watch over you all the time, and I'm sure none of you want to see my face daily. Self-directed learning is more effective."
"So, electing a class monitor and vice monitor is essential."
Everyone's eyes lit up—so the teacher does know he's annoying!
And it's true. In just over a week, everyone had lived in deep fear.
Cao Liwen laid out the rules and requirements.
The class monitor must lead by example—good grades, high potential index, strong learning attitude, and so on.
They must be recognized by the whole class and possess patience and a sense of responsibility.
Given how much a class monitor has to sacrifice, the rewards are great—access to the teachers' office to ask questions at any time, freedom to read the materials and books stored there.
Also, the class monitor will gradually gain leadership and management skills. It's a kind of early internship that will help greatly in the future.
In the past thirty-plus years, Dawn Academy has only produced three "perfect" students—all taken in by Principal Wu Yong. The rest must enter society.
So this class monitor position is no small matter.
As for the vice monitor, they get about the same benefits. Mainly, it's to prevent one monitor from slacking—so the two can compete.
Hearing all this, Chu Fei was very tempted.
Just the thought of being able to read freely in the teachers' office made his heart race.
Right now, the total number of books he had access to was just around 200. It looked like a lot, but at his current pace, he'd finish in two or three months.
Short-sightedness brings long-term trouble.
And big data cultivation requires a massive knowledge base. In fact, knowledge is the spiritual energy of big data cultivation.
In the current environment, the teachers' office was the best source of that knowledge.
While Chu Fei was deep in thought, Cao Liwen concluded, "Everyone, think it over. Come back to the classroom at 6 p.m. for the vote."
Cao Liwen turned to leave.
"Teacher," Chu Fei called out.
Cao Liwen stopped. "What is it?"
Everyone looked at Chu Fei. He quickly stepped forward.
"This morning at breakfast, someone from Feiyun Squad approached me about an investment."
Cao Liwen gave him another look and nodded slightly. "That's a good thing. But I don't know much about squad matters. You can ask Captain Huang."