Additional Investment

After the physical examination, last night's test results were announced.

Chu Fei had not taken the test, so Li Honggang finally claimed first place. Zhang Xuan came in second, while Lu Hong took third.

Li Honggang was thrilled. It hadn't been easy. Being class monitor had been stifling.

Then came the eliminations. Seventeen students were cut down to ten, nearly half of them removed.

The good news was that those eliminated now could switch to industrial technology or similar fields and become technicians or industrial workers in the future.

In the post-apocalyptic world, industrial workers had pretty good jobs.

Semi-Awakened needed augmentation modifications, Awakened had to go out and fight, while workers only needed to focus on their jobs.

Chu Fei had seen the technicians and maintenance personnel in the Dawn Team. Their lives were actually quite decent.

Looking at the eliminated students, Cao Liwen comforted them. "You are already outstanding, but the path of cultivation is still too difficult for you.

"It would be better to retreat while you can and quickly learn survival skills."

It sounded like comfort, but they were still taken away.

Elimination meant elimination. There was no room for negotiation.

Cao Liwen then looked at the remaining ten and spoke with faint coldness in his voice. "This is only the third physical examination. There will be at least seven more rounds before the end of the year.

"Based on experience from previous years, only two or three will remain in the end.

"It is not unheard of for an entire class to be eliminated.

"Work hard."

With that, he turned and left.

But after taking two steps, his quiet voice drifted back. "Chu Fei, Li Honggang, Lu Hong, Zhang Xuan, come with me."

The four immediately followed Cao Liwen to the office, where they found representatives from three teams already waiting:

The high-spirited Liu Tingyun, the gloomy middle-aged Feng Yuan, and a young man in his thirties whom Chu Fei did not know, dressed in the uniform of the Dawnbreak Team.

Sun Xiangqing stood beside Liu Tingyun. When he saw Chu Fei arrive, he waggled his brows at him.

After dealing with Chu Fei for so long, not only had he not been taken out, he had even gained quite a few benefits.

Zhao Xiaofeng stood beside Feng Yuan. Like Feng Yuan, he wore a gloomy expression.

A sturdy teenager also stood beside the young man from the Dawnbreak Team.

Cao Liwen sat down. Chu Fei squeezed in beside Sun Xiangqing and glanced at the unfamiliar young man.

Sun Xiangqing immediately held up a sly little note. It read:

Dawnbreak Team investment representative: Wang Gui, Semi-Awakened;

Guo Xuan, 15 years old, has broken through the Second Limit. Potential Index: 7.8753

Chu Fei understood, but he could not help glancing at Guo Xuan several times. This was the first time he had seen a teenager who had broken through the Second Limit.

Breaking through the Second Limit essentially meant becoming Semi-Awakened. Guo Xuan was only fifteen, making him a seedling of an Awakened. Breaking through 8.0 was practically within reach!

Noticing Chu Fei's scrutiny, Guo Xuan smiled and nodded.

Chu Fei smiled in response.

Cao Liwen spoke. "Who's first?"

"I'll go first." Liu Tingyun was the first to speak. "Chu Fei."

Chu Fei immediately stood straight.

Liu Tingyun slowly said, "Congratulations on breaking through the First Limit.

"Although you did not take the test, the foundation of Big Data Cultivation is learning. Breaking through the First Limit is direct proof of excellent learning.

"Your Potential Index increased by 0.0237. When breaking through a limit, that is calculated at double, and rounding gives 0.047.

"First in academic performance: an additional investment of 500 yuan.

"An increase of 0.047 in potential is calculated according to the formula 1000 + 50n(n+1), for an additional investment of 16,300 yuan.

"For breaking through the First Limit, the Greedy Wolf Team will grant an additional reward of 10,000 yuan beyond the agreement.

"The total additional investment this time is 26,800 yuan." (See Chapter 21 for the calculation rules.)

Chu Fei was overjoyed and thanked Liu Tingyun.

Cao Liwen nodded as well, recorded Liu Tingyun's terms, and then looked at the other two teams.

Wang Gui of the Dawnbreak Team spoke. "Zhang Xuan."

Zhang Xuan immediately stood straight.

The little girl had caught on too—money was being handed out!

Her potential had surged during her first investment, increasing by 0.0325. Rounded off, that was 0.033.

Zhang Xuan was delighted, and Wang Gui, the investment representative, was even more delighted—she had given him face.

Everyone followed the same investment rules, so Zhang Xuan received an additional investment of 1,600 yuan.

After finishing the calculation, Wang Gui glanced at Liu Tingyun and swept his hand grandly. "The Dawnbreak Team is never stingy in rewarding elites. You are only thirteen, yet you have already performed so outstandingly. An additional reward of 10,000 yuan!"

Cao Liwen said nothing and merely recorded it silently.

Zhang Xuan's little face flushed red with excitement as she thanked him again and again.

Though young, she had long tasted every hardship in the post-apocalyptic world, and her mind had matured early.

That left the Flying Cloud Battle Team, along with Li Honggang and Lu Hong.

Feng Yuan's expression was unpleasant, while Li Honggang and Lu Hong were both trembling.

Liu Tingyun and Wang Gui looked at Feng Yuan with half-smiles, their faces full of expectation and amusement.

At that moment, Sun Xiangqing once again held up his sly little note. After reading it, Chu Fei understood why.

Normally, teams would not choose first-year students for investment. But this year, the Flying Cloud Battle Team had broken the rules and taken in Li Honggang and Lu Hong first.

Of course, everyone now knew that the Flying Cloud Battle Team had done this purely to steal something. Yet they had failed to steal the chicken and lost the rice besides.

Was this going to be a public execution?

Sure enough, Feng Yuan spoke in a low voice. "Li Honggang, Lu Hong, according to the investment agreement, there will be no additional investment this round."

Li Honggang and Lu Hong lowered their heads in silence, their bodies seeming to tremble slightly.

Cao Liwen lightly tapped the desk and said, "The investment results for this round: the Greedy Wolf Team invests 26,800 yuan in Chu Fei, and the Dawnbreak Team invests 11,600 yuan in Zhang Xuan. The Flying Cloud Battle Team makes no investment.

"If there are no objections, we'll end here for today."

The atmosphere was heavy.

Until Chu Fei's stomach started growling.

Chu Fei: ...

Liu Tingyun laughed, rose to her feet, and headed outside. "Go eat. Keep it up!"

Keep it up? Of course he had to.

Chu Fei did not slack off because of today's reward.

The reason he could attract attention now, and even receive Liu Tingyun's "understanding," was because he had performed well.

If he failed to perform well next time, would Liu Tingyun still refrain from settling accounts afterward?

Sun Xiangqing called to Chu Fei. "It's lunchtime anyway. Let's go."

The two walked away chatting and laughing.

On the Dawnbreak Team's side, Guo Xuan left with Zhang Xuan and explained some cultivation precautions and such.

From today onward, Guo Xuan would be Zhang Xuan's guide.

Wang Gui and Cao Liwen then left as well. Only the four from the Flying Cloud Battle Team remained.

Feng Yuan took a deep breath, snorted coldly, and left.

Zhao Xiaofeng bared his teeth at Li Honggang and Lu Hong before swiftly leaving.

Only Li Honggang and Lu Hong remained, trembling—this was not merely a matter of receiving no additional investment. They might be abandoned!

Li Honggang felt aggrieved. He had finally earned "first place," only for this to be the outcome.

As Sun Xiangqing and Chu Fei walked, Sun Xiangqing said, "This afternoon, I'll take you around the Academy Mission System."

"The Academy Mission System?" Chu Fei was a little dumbfounded, then somewhat embarrassed. "Brother Sun, I've really never heard of it."

Sun Xiangqing was already quite calm about it. "I know, I know. You advanced too quickly."

Chu Fei: ...