Special Scholarship

Special Scholarship

"Special scholarship?" Principal Tan's smile froze as he flipped through the documents.

He instinctively suspected he had misheard. "Xu Bo? You mean the special tier?"

"What else?" Xu Bo glared. "Old Tan, quit talking nonsense. Hurry up and approve it."

Principal Tan immediately felt a headache coming on.

As principal, his authority was considerable. In principle, all the teachers were his subordinates... but Xu Bo held a very special position.

"Xu Bo, it's not that I won't approve it." Principal Tan pushed up his glasses and said helplessly, "A special scholarship isn't a first-tier scholarship. A first-tier scholarship is only one hundred thousand Blue Star Coins—I can approve that directly."

"A special scholarship is five hundred thousand Blue Star Coins. Even if I approve it, it still has to be reported to the Education Bureau."

"I know." Xu Bo nodded as if it were only natural. "After you approve it, I'll call Director He."

Principal Tan was taken aback.

The Director He Xu Bo spoke of was precisely Principal Tan's immediate superior.

Principal Tan knew that Xu Bo's strength was not all that terrifying. After his injury, his physical fitness was only around level 19. Yet he had ventured through the Star Realm for over twenty years and returned alive... his connections ran unfathomably deep.

As far as Principal Tan knew, when Xu Bo had come to Guanshan District No.1 High School back then, Director He had personally delivered him there.

"Xu Bo." Principal Tan shook his head. "If you want me to approve it, you have to tell me why. Which student is it? Or some promising seedling from a middle school?"

Principal Tan knew Xu Bo well.

He was strict in teaching students, but also extremely responsible. He always considered things from the students' perspective.

He was the school's star teacher.

Otherwise, even with Xu Bo's broad connections, Principal Tan would not truly have cared about him.

As for suspecting that Xu Bo wanted to pocket the five hundred thousand Blue Star Coins? That had never crossed Principal Tan's mind.

After all, Xu Bo had spent over ten million Blue Star Coins renovating his own office... the wealth accumulated by a powerful martial artist who had roamed the Star Realm for years was astonishing.

"There is a promising seedling, but not from middle school." Xu Bo said. "He's in Grade 3."

"A promising Grade 3 student? Worth a special scholarship?" Principal Tan was slightly surprised.

He did not recall any such student.

Scholarships took many factors into consideration: grades, family circumstances, talent, political background, and more.

"I'll send you his files," Xu Bo said.

Very soon, Principal Tan received the materials online and immediately began reviewing them. Having worked in education for over fifty years, he was highly capable.

"Xu Bo, this Li Yuan really is a good prospect with great potential. Discovering him counts as a merit on your part." Principal Tan first praised Xu Bo's eye for talent.

Then his tone shifted. "But if he wants to be selected for a special scholarship? To be honest, Li Yuan still falls a little short."

"Where does he fall short?" Displeasure appeared on Xu Bo's face. "Didn't you watch the footage of his spear technique?"

"I did. It was quite good."

Principal Tan shook his head. "But the scholarships are issued by the state. The review requires more than my approval and Director He's—it also has to pass the Intelligent Supervision Bureau's review."

"The Intelligent Supervision Bureau does not conduct manual reviews. It only recognizes major exam results, and whether Martial Arts Spirituality has awakened is also an important criterion."

"In the last final exam, he had only just made it into the top thirty of his grade, and his Martial Arts Spirituality had not awakened... it will be very difficult for him to pass the final review," Principal Tan said.

"With his current strength, he has a chance to break into the top twenty of the grade." Xu Bo glared.

"That's your claim." Principal Tan shook his head. "The Intelligent Supervision Bureau only recognizes major exam results. At the very least, we have to wait until the January Adjustment Exam."

"The January Adjustment Exam?" Xu Bo looked displeased. "That's still several months away. By then, the daylilies will have gone cold."

"Old Tan, you're a martial artist too. You know how important this age is," Xu Bo said. "What resources can you provide directly right now?"

"Right now?"

Principal Tan thought for a moment. "I can directly approve a second-tier scholarship."

"Fifty thousand Blue Star Coins? Not enough." Xu Bo decisively shook his head.

"That's all the authority I have." Principal Tan spread his hands, then added, "How about this? We'll also assign him a private Martial Arts Room. That's treatment reserved for the top ten in the grade."

Xu Bo frowned, seemingly still dissatisfied.

"Xu Bo, that's enough."

"For a Grade 3 student, fifty thousand is enough to buy two or three months' worth of basic qi-blood medicinal solution." Principal Tan said. "When the January Adjustment Exam comes around, if he can break into the top twenty of the grade, I'll help him apply for a first-tier scholarship."

"Top twenty in the grade? Old Tan, I have to say, you're looking down on him too much." Xu Bo shook his head. "Li Yuan has every hope of reaching the top ten by the January Adjustment Exam."

This time, Principal Tan laughed.

"His Martial Arts Spirituality hasn't awakened."

"For him to make the top ten in the grade is practically impossible." Principal Tan smiled. "If he can really do it... then, hm, I'll do everything I can to help him apply for a special scholarship."

"If the application doesn't go through, I'll personally sponsor him with some money," Principal Tan said with a smile.

"It's a deal."

Xu Bo's eyes lit up, and a sly glint flashed through them. "You said it. I recorded everything... Fine, I've already sent you the second-tier scholarship application. Hurry up and approve it."

"I have things to do. I'm hanging up first."

Beep—

Xu Bo had already ended the video call.

Principal Tan was left in his office, still not fully recovered, staring at the newly appeared "Pending Approval Document" on his work screen.

After blanking for a moment,

how could Principal Tan not understand?

He had been set up.

If Xu Bo had truly wanted to apply for a special scholarship, how could he have sent over the application for a second-tier scholarship within a second?

He had clearly prepared it in advance.

Xu Bo's target had been the second-tier scholarship all along... opening with the special scholarship had merely been asking for the sky.

"This Xu Bo." Principal Tan smiled helplessly and said, "Number Nine."

"Open the pending approval document."

"Approve."

Inside Xu Bo's office in the administrative building.

"Special scholarship?" Xu Bo revealed an unfathomable smile. "Call Director He? I'm not that stupid."

Xu Bo knew that, given Li Yuan's current situation, there was absolutely no way he could pass the Intelligent Supervision Bureau's review.

"Enough."

"And I even got him a private Martial Arts Room." Xu Bo smiled. "This Old Tan is far too rigid. Every time I ask him to release some money, he hems and haws."

"It's state funding, yet he acts as if it's secret savings he hid from his wife. It's not like I'd waste it..."

"Hm? It's approved?"

"He was pretty decisive this time." Xu Bo thought for a moment and said, "Hei Gou, send Principal Tan a smiling face."

"Oh, no—send him the smiling selfie I saved last time."

"Yes, Master."

Nine o'clock at night.

The sound signaling the end of evening self-study had already echoed through the campus, and the students were leaving one after another.

Inside the Martial Arts Room of Class 2, Grade 3,

only Li Yuan and Li Tianyou remained. Both were training with cold weapons.

"Li Yuan, you're still not leaving?" Li Tianyou could not help calling out.

"It's fine, you go ahead." Li Yuan smiled. "I'll train a while longer."

Li Tianyou froze.

He had arrived at school at 5:45 today, intending to go home early that night to rest... but now he hesitated.

Li Yuan arrives earlier than me and leaves later than me. Li Tianyou gritted his teeth. If I can't match his talent, can I not even match his hard work?

Keep training.

In the distance, Li Yuan did not notice the change in Li Tianyou's expression at all. He was looking at the data on the Divine Palace Panel.

[Life Level: 6.7 (Not Yet Ranked)]

Physical Fitness Index: 74 (A comprehensive measurement of explosive power, endurance, speed, physique, mental strength, and many other aspects.)

Punching Force: 445 kilograms

Speed: 14.7 meters/second

Mental Strength: Level 12.9

Physical Cultivation Method: Rock Foundation Cultivation Method

Mind Cultivation Method: Great Sun Starry Sky Sutra

Skill Realm: Spear Technique (Third Stage 46%), Movement Technique (Third Stage 29%), Fist Technique (Third Stage 94%)

[Note: A certain unawakened high-level spirituality lies dormant within the body.]

"Compared to the beginning of the month, both my physical fitness and mental strength have been improving steadily." Li Yuan was quite satisfied.

He firmly believed that as long as he continued cultivating like this without interruption,

one day, he would become a powerful martial artist.

What excited him most today was that he had created the ultimate move, Hidden Dragon in the Rocky Ravine.

"I've only just created it, so I'm still not very proficient when using it."

"I need to keep pondering it more over the next couple of days." Li Yuan was deep in thought.

Suddenly,

"Li Yuan." A cold voice, booming like a great bell, came from within the classroom.

Li Yuan and Li Tianyou turned around at the same time.

"Teacher Xu?" Li Yuan was slightly surprised.

"Come to my office." Xu Bo's voice was low. He then turned and left, vanishing into the night.

"Tianyou, I won't be going back to the classroom later." Li Yuan quickly said, putting his large spear into the weapons cabinet.

He grabbed his bag and swiftly left the classroom.

"So late at night..."

"Teacher Xu still came looking for Li Yuan?" A flash of envy passed through Li Tianyou's eyes. "No wonder Li Yuan wasn't in a hurry to leave today. Is Teacher Xu going to give him personal guidance?"

Li Tianyou shook his head and silently told himself, Li Tianyou, Li Tianyou, don't mind other people.

Just be yourself! His gaze became focused once more, and he seriously resumed practicing his saber technique.

Inside Xu Bo's office.

"Second-tier scholarship? Fifty thousand Blue Star Coins?" Upon hearing the good news, Li Yuan was first stunned, then overwhelmed with joy.

Even with his temperament, he could not completely conceal his happiness.

In truth, to Li Yuan, these fifty thousand Blue Star Coins would not only help alleviate his family's financial pressure.

They would also ease the pressure in his heart.

They could lessen some of the guilt he felt toward his uncle and aunt.

"That happy?" Xu Bo was rather surprised as he watched Li Yuan's undisguised joy.

Xu Bo immediately realized that the scholarship's importance to Li Yuan likely exceeded his expectations.

It means this much to Li Yuan.

Yet for the past half month, he never said a word, never came looking for me, never showed the slightest sign of it. Steady enough. Xu Bo's appraisal of Li Yuan rose another notch.

After Li Yuan had completely calmed himself,

"Thank you, Teacher Xu." Li Yuan said gratefully.

Li Yuan believed that the reason his reward had changed from a third-tier scholarship to a second-tier scholarship was likely because Xu Bo had spent so long pushing for it.

"The scholarship will be transferred into your account next Monday," Xu Bo said. "Also, I have two more pieces of good news for you."

"Good news?" Li Yuan listened attentively.

There was more good news?

"First, I dragged this old face of mine to the principal five or six times before he agreed to assign you a private Martial Arts Room, so you can focus more fully on cultivation." Xu Bo spoke with a serious expression.

A private Martial Arts Room? Li Yuan was astonished. This was a privilege reserved for the top ten in the grade; there were almost no exceptions.

"Teacher, you've gone to a lot of trouble." Li Yuan felt even more grateful.

"Second, the principal has already agreed that if you can reach the top ten in the grade in the January Adjustment Exam, I can help you apply for a first-tier scholarship—one hundred thousand Blue Star Coins." Xu Bo looked at Li Yuan. "If you can reach the top five in the grade, then there's hope of applying for a special scholarship."

"A special scholarship is five hundred thousand Blue Star Coins!"

"The opportunity has been given to you."

"Whether you can get it will depend on yourself."