Choosing a Class Monitor

Zhao Xiaofeng sat across from Chu Fei, his smile brilliant.

Chu Fei set down his spoon and smiled as well. "I guessed Brother Zhao must be from Greedy Wolf Team's competitor."

"Ha, there is competition, but we aren't opponents. Everyone needs to protect Flying Tiger City.

"I accepted an investment from Flying Cloud Battle Team."

Chu Fei grew a little more serious. "What are battle teams and investments? They can actually influence the academy's internal affairs?"

"Greedy Wolf Team and Flying Cloud Battle Team are both battle teams formed or joined by Dawn Academy graduates.

"They have countless ties to the academy.

"After we graduate, we all need somewhere to go, while battle teams need Awakened ones to join them. Back and forth, the connections naturally deepen.

"For those who perform exceptionally well, the battle teams will recruit them early, even invest in them.

"However, those able to display talent usually have to wait until after their second year."

Chu Fei asked, "Weren't we all bought by Dawn Academy? Once we've been successfully trained, will the academy really let us go?"

Zhao Xiaofeng shrugged. "Of course they'll sell us for a good price. The specifics depend on our Cultivation Level at graduation, the circumstances of the battle teams, and so on. Some buy people out outright, while others pay in installments."

After a brief pause, Zhao Xiaofeng continued, "Besides, the resources the academy itself can provide are ultimately limited. If outside resources can supplement them, why refuse?"

Chu Fei suddenly understood. "Huang Dapeng accepted an investment from Greedy Wolf Team?"

"Right!"

"How much investment did Huang Dapeng receive?"

"I don't know the exact amount. But it was no less than six figures.

"Now, that investment has gone down the drain."

Chu Fei was puzzled. "They invested that much, yet they care about these few bucks from me?"

"Investments provide supplies, not cash.

"Every month, they can squeeze five or six hundred in cash out of the New Life students."

Chu Fei nodded again.

Dawn Academy enrolled students once a month, with twenty to forty people in each class. Thus, the "first year" had twelve classes in all, a vast field ripe for exploitation.

But Chu Fei still had a question. "If they're constantly oppressed, won't it affect the New Life students' studies?"

"No. There are whips."

"..."

The words were "humorous," yet Chu Fei suddenly realized the cruelty behind them—and he himself was part of that backdrop.

Chu Fei fell silent and ate quietly.

Zhao Xiaofeng continued, "Interested in accepting support from Flying Cloud Battle Team?"

Chu Fei was doubtful. "I don't meet the investment standards yet, do I?"

"You killed Huang Dapeng!"

After a moment of silence, Chu Fei asked, "If I accept the investment, how much would there be?"

"Five thousand yuan worth of supplies for now. We'll see about the rest later."

"Five thousand yuan?" Chu Fei nodded slightly. "I'll think about it."

What could five thousand yuan even do!

I already sold myself once for five thousand yuan. I don't want to sell myself a second time.

And for cultivation, this is far too little.

Zhao Xiaofeng smiled. "Five thousand is just testing the waters.

"If you perform well, there will naturally be a second step—at least fifty thousand.

"If your performance is average, it will be like getting five thousand yuan worth of supplies for free. That's considered an unspoken rule."

Chu Fei thought it over, but still said he needed to consider it.

Zhao Xiaofeng's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. He was no longer warm. "Fine, then. We eat here anyway. If you make up your mind, come find me."

Watching Zhao Xiaofeng leave, Chu Fei slowly finished his meal, then slowly returned to the classroom to study.

Soon, it was eleven in the morning. Everyone had arrived, including the Whip Holder!

Cao Liwen tossed a thick stack of test papers onto the lectern. At the thud, quite a few people could not help but tremble. Even Chu Fei took several deep breaths.

The test papers were divided into three sections, laid crosswise in the middle.

Roll call began.

"Li Honggang, Lu Hong, Chu Fei, Zhang Xuan."

The same four again.

The four strode up to the lectern.

Cao Liwen looked at Chu Fei and nodded in satisfaction. "All four got perfect scores. Twenty yuan each as a reward."

Chu Fei collected his reward and stood to one side. Their palms had already been struck last night, so they did not need to be whipped.

Then came the second stack of test papers, for a full fourteen people.

These people had lost no more than twenty points, and received two to ten lashes. The Whip Holder kept busy swinging his one-meter whip.

The last six people had lost more than twenty points. All of them were taken to the square to be whipped, while everyone else watched.

Amid the tense atmosphere, Chu Fei was distracted, letting his thoughts wander:

It seemed there were four levels of punishment:

Minor mistakes meant bamboo rods—so those were the real Discipline Whips, weren't they?

Moderate mistakes meant a one-meter whip inside the classroom;

Major mistakes meant a two-meter whip outside the classroom;

Severe mistakes meant a three-meter whip—Jiang Shaohu had been beaten to death by a three-meter whip.

Once everything had been dealt with, Cao Liwen announced, "Tonight, we will select a class monitor and vice class monitor."

"I can't watch you every day, and I trust none of you want to see my face every day either. Besides, independent study is the most efficient.

"So, choosing a class monitor and vice class monitor is imperative."

Everyone's eyes lit up—Teacher Cao, you do have some self-awareness. You know you're disliked.

In the short week and a half since then, everyone had indeed been living in profound fear.

Cao Liwen briefly explained some rules and requirements.

A class monitor had to set an example. Academic performance, Potential Index, study attitude, and so on could not be overlooked.

They also had to earn the recognition of the whole class, and possess sufficient patience and a sense of responsibility.

Considering how much the class monitor would have to give, there would naturally be tremendous rewards as well—they could go to the teachers' offices at any time to ask questions and freely browse the books and materials there.

Furthermore, a class monitor would gradually develop a certain degree of management ability. It could be considered an early internship, offering considerable benefits for future development.

Over the past thirty-odd years, Dawn Academy had produced only three "perfect" disciples, all taken under Principal Wu Yong's wing. Everyone else had to enter society.

Thus, the position of class monitor carried considerable value.

As for the vice class monitor, the value was basically the same as that of the class monitor. The main consideration was that having only one class monitor could easily lead to slackness; with two, they could compete with each other.

Upon hearing these conditions, Chu Fei was greatly tempted.

The condition allowing him to freely enter the teachers' offices to read alone made Chu Fei yearn for it immensely.

The books he could currently access totaled only around two hundred. That sounded like a lot, but at his current pace of learning, they would last only two or three months.

He who has no foresight is sure to have immediate worries.

And Big Data Cultivation itself required a vast ocean of knowledge. Or rather, knowledge was the "spiritual energy" of Big Data Cultivation.

In the current environment, the teachers' offices were Chu Fei's best route to obtaining vast amounts of knowledge.

As Chu Fei pondered, Cao Liwen concluded, "Go back and think it over. Gather in the classroom at eighteen hundred tonight, and we'll hold a vote."

Having finished his instructions, Cao Liwen turned to leave.

"Teacher." Chu Fei spoke up.

Cao Liwen stopped and asked, "What is it?"

Everyone looked toward Chu Fei. Chu Fei quickly took two steps forward and came before Cao Liwen. "This morning at breakfast, someone from Flying Cloud Battle Team approached me and spoke of investment."

Cao Liwen gave Chu Fei another look and nodded slightly. "That's a good thing. But I don't know much about battle team matters. You can go ask Captain Huang from the battle team."