Twenty-eight, twenty-eight.

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The Imperial Academy had not suffered such a humiliating disgrace in years. It was said that the incident had even alarmed the chairman next door. By contrast, this was the first time in recent years that Silverstar had stolen the limelight from its neighbor. The forum erupted in celebration, and Academy Chairwoman Ming Jia immediately commissioned her lackey, Meng Mingcheng, to present them with commendations.

Before leaving, Meng Mingcheng gave Yuan Hanshuang a thumbs-up. “Junior, I knew I hadn’t misjudged you!”

A brawl between freshmen from two major academies was no small matter. At the very least, the punishment was bound to be severe.

The forums of both schools exploded over the incident, attracting numerous graduated seniors back to join in the spectacle.

The Silverstar freshmen were made to stand at attention outside the Imperial Academy, while the Imperial Academy freshmen were punished by standing outside Silverstar Academy. For an entire afternoon, they were surrounded by passersby from both schools, who pointed at them and whispered among themselves.

Unlike the military students, whose expressions were so mortified they looked ready to die of shame, the Silverstar freshmen all stood with their chests out and heads held high. Lined up outside their rival military academy, they resembled a row of roosters awaiting praise. At one point, their instructor caught them laughing and chatting instead of standing solemnly, and added another hour to their punishment.

They stood there until the moon was high and the stars had come out. Only after being lectured by the instructors were they finally dismissed.

Bian Yu was furious enough to explode. He personally escorted the students back from the gates of Silverstar Academy. Once they reached Imperial Academy grounds, he immediately shut the gates and began lecturing them.

“What on earth were you thinking?”

“On your very first day of enrollment, your seniors warned you that private fights between the two academies were forbidden. If you were caught once, you would receive severe punishment. The second time, your credits would be deducted. The third time, you would be expelled outright. Did all of that go in one ear and out the other?”

It was not as though the two schools had never experienced minor clashes before. Most of the time, they either traded verbal jabs or settled things openly during the joint classes held by both academies. A brawl on this scale, however, was unprecedented in recent years.

The military students protested indignantly. “Silverstar started it!”

“Exactly! Those people from Silverstar have no shame. When they couldn’t beat us, they called in reinforcements. We couldn’t use our mimetic abilities, and their senior students pinned us to the ground and beat us. They even kept aiming kicks at our groins!”

“And it wasn’t just their seniors. Their freshmen were vile too. They ganged up on us!”

“You’re still refusing to accept it?” Bian Yu took a deep breath. “Regardless of how it started, you lost today.”

“You should know that we have never once lost during the joint classes in all these years. No one will care how today’s incident began. All they will remember is that the losers were from the Imperial Academy, and that it was our academy whose reputation was dragged through the mud.”

Everything their predecessors had worked so hard to build had been ruined by this troublesome batch of freshmen!

The military students stood in a row with their heads hanging, wishing they could crawl into a crack in the ground.

“Chairman Lou already knows about this. You’d better be careful from now on.”

As the chief of the close-combat division, Bian Yu should not have been responsible for this matter in the first place.

He rubbed his temples. “The Third Legion is in charge of your military training this time. Your behavior determines the Third Legion’s impression of the Imperial Academy. Keep yourselves under control from now on. Don’t cause any more trouble.”

Unlike the Imperial Academy students, who were dragged away to be scolded as soon as they finished standing punishment, the Silverstar students received warm greetings from countless seniors on their way back to the academy.

“I heard you beat those show-offs from the Imperial Academy today? Well done, freshmen! Well done!”

“I never thought our academy’s grievances of so many years would finally be avenged by you. What a relief!”

“This batch of freshmen finally isn’t the worst in history. Looks like having the school leaders arrested did have its advantages. Sacrificing the leaders to the heavens brings boundless power!”

Silverstar had always loved a good spectacle and never minded making trouble worse. They practically wished they could carry the freshmen back on stretchers.

The freshmen were even more proud. The bruises and cuts on their faces had become badges of honor.

Whatever else one could say, Silverstar’s internal atmosphere was genuinely warm and united.

Yuan Hanshuang thought this as she walked.

Earlier, Xia Mengrou had come looking for her.

“Hey!”

“Um… The thing you gave me yesterday really was useful. Running was much less tiring with it in place.” The young heiress looked everywhere but at her. “Anyway, thanks.”

It was obvious that the heiress did not often thank people. Otherwise, she would not have stammered over such a simple word.

“As for the dinner, I’m not going. I’m drenched in sweat from today and feel awful. I need to hurry back and take a shower.” With that, Xia Mengrou’s face flushed bright red, and she hurried away.

The rest of the Silverstar freshmen marched toward the First Dining Hall in grand fashion.

The First Dining Hall was the most expensive restaurant on campus. It served cooked food, while the nutrient fluids sold there were all rare flavors. On ordinary days, it was frequented by wealthy students and nobles; students with limited living expenses generally never set foot inside.

The Little Imperial Grandson had announced that he would treat everyone, which meant he was paying to reserve the entire hall.

When it came to being an imperial playboy, Xuanyuan Sheng was clearly an expert.

“It’s rare that we have something worth celebrating. Everything consumed in the First Dining Hall tonight is on me. Everyone, enjoy yourselves.”

He clapped his hands. A procession of servers in tailcoats and black-and-white lace maid uniforms filed in, forcibly transforming the ordinary dining hall into a buffet.

There were champagne towers, fragrant roast chickens, mountains of candy, creamy soup, tomato-braised eggs that looked especially appetizing, layered cheese cakes, and brightly colored nutrient fluids in obscure flavors that were almost impossible to find on the market.

“Good heavens, the imperial family is loaded!” Poor Wu Haoxuan wept with envy. “Reserving the entire dining hall for dinner must cost at least a hundred thousand star coins.”

“I’d say more than that.” Ke Junda shook his head. “It’ll be hard to settle tonight’s bill without several hundred thousand star coins.”

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Following his gaze, Wu Haoxuan saw the delighted figure of their leader walking away.

Wu Haoxuan choked. “Th-That’s true.”

Yuan Hanshuang, whose appetite was well known to her two lackeys, was secretly making inquiries.

She usually did not fleece people, unless they willingly came to offer themselves up.

Just like now.

“Student Xuanyuan, reserving the entire dining hall must have cost quite a bit, didn’t it?”

“It was all right.” Xuanyuan Sheng swirled his glass of red wine. “That amount wouldn’t even be enough to buy me a new neural processor.”

Yuan Hanshuang was reassured by his answer.

Fleecing a wealthy fool was not fleecing at all. It was called boosting the empire’s gross domestic product.

With a clear conscience, she went to the nutrient-fluid counter, intending to eat to her heart’s content for once.

Wu Haoxuan and Ke Junda carried their plates over and exchanged a helpless look on behalf of the Little Imperial Grandson.

They were both poor students themselves. Since someone had finally invited them to eat cooked food without restraint, they naturally had to make the most of it.

Given Ke Junda’s build, his appetite was naturally enormous. Wu Haoxuan, on the other hand, looked short and fair, but his appetite was no smaller than his roommate’s. By now, the lobster shells they had peeled were piled into a small mountain on the table.

Halfway through the meal, someone approached them furtively with a plate and struck up a conversation.

“Oh my, you two look so distinguished. Both of you must be rare talents of A-rank. Why don’t we step aside and have a little chat?”

“You remembered wrong. I’m only B-rank.”

Ke Junda spat out a chicken bone. “And I remember you. You’re that useless senior who took a commission from our leader, still hasn’t graduated after ten years, and came to freeload some credits during the freshmen’s military training.”

Xiao Hua gave him an awkward yet polite smile. “Ha ha, fellow student, you’re very good at summarizing.”

Clearly, the senior was ten years older than them and had eaten ten extra years’ worth of meals. He had evolved into an old hand with skin thicker than a city wall. Faced with such a harsh assessment, he did not feel the slightest bit embarrassed and simply ignored it.

“Would you juniors be interested in taking part in some academy activities outside class?”

“What sort of activities?” Yuan Hanshuang had just returned with a full stomach and a satisfied buzz. She casually picked up a plate and loaded it with roast chicken.

“Oh, so you’re Junior Yuan.” The moment Xiao Hua saw her, his eyes lit up.

Having made a mistake once, he would not make it a second time.

As the owner of a mechanical mimetic ability, Xiao Hua had used his steel bird to quietly infiltrate the Silverstar forum and study the basic information of this year’s freshmen. Naturally, he had not overlooked this promising newcomer who had already reached the fourth rank upon enrollment.

“Spare me the attempts to build a connection.” Yuan Hanshuang tore off a chicken leg. “Tell me about the academy’s activities.”

“There are plenty of extracurricular activities at Silverstar Academy. For example, there are all kinds of student clubs, and the forum is currently recruiting moderators. Of course, the most important event is the chief selection tournament held by each division.”

Everyone was familiar with the chief selection tournament. After all, it was a tradition shared by the Seven Advanced Academies. Even Yuan Hanshuang showed a trace of interest and looked up from her plate.

Having successfully captured her attention, Xiao Hua felt pleased with himself. He cleared his throat.

“Our academy is divided into six major divisions: close combat, agility, long-range combat, defense, support, and control. Once every semester, each division holds an open internal selection to choose its chief through tenth-ranked representative.”

“The academy chairman is then selected from among the six division chiefs. The chairman is the face and representative of the academy, embodying the honor of the entire institution. It is the highest and most glorious position of all!”

“You’ve only told me empty slogans. Are there any practical benefits?” Yuan Hanshuang asked.

“The benefits are, of course, numerous!” Xiao Hua had not expected the junior to be so difficult to impress. “A division chief can move into the White House, which the academy built especially for its chiefs. The facilities are first-rate, with private rooms, a butler service available twenty-four hours a day, and an internal dining room. Even if you order food at three in the morning, someone will deliver it to your door. As for the academy chairman, that position transcends the limitations of student status. The chairman can even participate in the review and appointment or dismissal of professors, as well as wield authority over student credit evaluations. A single signature from the chairman carries tremendous weight.”

“Oh, I see. So this is what you’re really after.”

Yuan Hanshuang immediately lost interest.

She twirled a forkful of creamy pasta. “You want to invest in us so we can help you graduate sooner?”

“Junior, you understand me perfectly!” Xiao Hua’s eyes filled with tears. “Ten years. How many ten-year stretches does a person have in life?”

The academy chairman wielded enormous authority and could practically be called the hidden principal of the academy.

Xiao Hua had failed to graduate because he had offended the chairman of that year’s cohort ten years ago. Several of his mentors had also encountered trouble along the way, and he himself had been injured during an internship and spent three years in the hospital. With all those circumstances colliding, he had become the legendary student who had spent ten years at Silverstar Academy without graduating.

In his quest to graduate as soon as possible, Xiao Hua sought out every outstanding freshman each year and tried to cultivate a relationship with them.

Perhaps he might do someone a small favor, make a lucky investment in a future academy chairman, and finally graduate.

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Yuan Hanshuang lowered her head and continued eating her noodles.

“Then you’ve really come to the wrong person. I’m not very interested.”

The two-person dormitory at Silverstar was already more than sufficient for Yuan Hanshuang.

As for the butler service and three-in-the-morning food delivery, ever since the heiress had moved in, Yuan Hanshuang’s quality of life had risen dramatically. If she could freeload food and drinks, why would she pay for them herself?

The position of division chief came with neither additional pay nor additional meals. It was hardly enough to motivate Yuan Hanshuang.

Xiao Hua cried out, “Don’t be like that!”

He began backing up Silverstar’s reputation all over again.

The two lackeys, however, perked up when they heard that the White House offered food delivery.

After all, the men’s dormitory was an old building, while the women’s dormitory had been constructed only two years earlier. Its conditions were superior in every respect. On Ke Junda’s very first night, his feet touched the bed board when he lay down, forcing him to widen the bed himself.

Yuan Hanshuang naturally encouraged them. If her lackeys worked hard enough to become chiefs, they could even support her later. Why would she object?

Several hours later, the students, thoroughly fed and wined, gradually departed.

The butler hurried over with the dining hall manager.

“Your Highness, this is tonight’s bill.”

“Send it directly to the financial office at the residence.”

Xuanyuan Sheng took the pen and, without even looking at the bill, signed his name in a sweeping flourish.

The dining hall manager and the butler exchanged a glance. After the manager left, the butler hesitated.

“Your Highness, tonight’s total came to five hundred thousand star coins.”

“How much?” Xuanyuan Sheng exclaimed, unable to believe his ears.

“Five hundred thousand star coins.”

The amount was far beyond what either he or the butler had anticipated.

The menu for tonight had been personally arranged by the butler. Unless something unexpected happened, it should have come to less than two hundred thousand. Yet the final cost was more than double that. Moreover, the expense did not lie in the quality of the ingredients, but in the amount consumed.

“How is that possible? At this price, we could probably reserve the central grand hall of the Imperial Palace for a state banquet.”

Xuanyuan Sheng picked up the bill and examined it.

It showed that the cooked food had cost one hundred and eighty thousand, while the premium nutrient fluids had cost three hundred and twenty thousand. The total was clearly five hundred thousand—neither a star coin more nor a star coin less.

“Reporting this amount to the financial department may be rather inappropriate.” The butler tactfully advised him, “Your Highness, given your current circumstances, I’m afraid you can no longer afford to face an impeachment.”

The imperial heirs received a limited allowance each quarter. Every expenditure was recorded and made public to both houses of the legislature. If anyone exceeded the allotted amount too outrageously, they would be condemned by the taxpayers and might even end up on the top searches of the Star Network.

If people learned that the Little Imperial Grandson had spent five hundred thousand star coins on a single meal, the Crown Princess’s hard-won approval rating might fall once again.

“Forget it.” Xuanyuan Sheng rubbed his eye sockets. “Put it on my personal account.”

As the imperial grandson, Xuanyuan Sheng was not so poor that he could not afford the money.

It was simply the difference between having the expense reimbursed and gritting his teeth while paying out of pocket.

“By the way, don’t let Mother know about this.”

At the thought, Xuanyuan Sheng’s voice suddenly fell.

“I don’t want to disappoint her.”

If the expense did not go through the financial department but through the Crown Princess’s residence, this amount, far beyond the estimate, would still be recorded and archived. Even if it was not made public, the Crown Princess had always cared deeply about the people and refused to let her children indulge in such extravagance. If she found out, he would inevitably receive another long lecture.

Xuanyuan Sheng feared neither heaven nor earth. He could be a wastrel or a fool, but he could never let his mother find out.

The butler placed a hand over his chest. “As you command, Your Highness.”

“Come to think of it, it was only one meal. How could it have cost five hundred thousand? Was there a mistake?”

Xuanyuan Sheng picked up the bill and stubbornly read through it line by line.

“Besides, the bill says the cooked food cost less than the nutrient fluids. Do Silverstar students really prefer drinking nutrient fluids? That can’t possibly be right.”

“No, Your Highness. In fact, all those hundreds of thousands of star coins’ worth of nutrient fluids were consumed by one student.”

The butler accused her with profound grief.

“That black-haired girl with twin ponytails!”

Xuanyuan Sheng: “???”