Lots of people knew about the Flying Skateboard Kid, but very few knew that the Flying Skateboard Kid was Xilin. In that video, Xilin's figure was somewhat blurry, and his face was hard to make out. As he chased the flying car, the air around him had been compressed and distorted in strange ways. The video filmed by someone aboard the Passenger Flying Car had also been low quality, and the distorted parts couldn't be restored afterward. The person who filmed it had even gone out of his way to buy a more professional camera, so he wouldn't regret it again in the future.
Xilin had happened upon the video by chance. Fortunately, he had changed clothes after arriving in the City That Never Sleeps. His original clothes had been damaged by the friction of the air while chasing the flying car. Otherwise, even if no one knew the Flying Skateboard Kid's true identity, they might still have recognized his clothes.
After arriving in the City That Never Sleeps, Xilin gained a deep appreciation for how effectively this enormous entertainment system raked in money. Of the people who came to Seven Luminaries Academy, especially those from wealthy families, more than eighty percent of their spending went here. Compared to that, tuition was practically insignificant.
Amusement parks, alcohol, the Game Hall, hotels, casinos... The frenzy of entertainment never stopped, day or night. There were disputes in the City That Never Sleeps at practically every hour, but the Security Team didn't interfere much. Seven Luminaries Academy had explicit rules: as long as things stayed within acceptable limits, people were free to cause a ruckus. But once they crossed that line, the academy's punishments were severe. Plenty of students had been expelled for causing too much trouble.
There were also relevant laws and regulations. If those were violated, both the Security Team and the Training Department would be dispatched. Who were the people in the Security Team and the Training Department? They were all people sent by the Galactic Military who had survived battlefields. Anyone hoping to fight back? No chance.
Xilin spent two days wandering around the City That Never Sleeps, then continued to his next stop. Over the following three days, he visited the Training Zone, the Research Zone, and other areas. Those areas had many restrictions, and Xilin didn't have the necessary clearance yet. Although he could only observe them from the outside, he still gained a deep appreciation for what made them special.
On the last day of registration, Xilin boarded a train back to the Teaching Zone. According to his plans, he still had plenty of time to register. He had waited until after finishing his sightseeing to register because, once he did, he would only be allowed to move around within the Teaching Zone and couldn't go out freely. After registration, the students' records at Seven Luminaries Academy would be activated, and they would officially become students of the academy. Seven Luminaries Academy was relatively strict with new students. Tight at first, then relaxed—that was how most schools in the B Star Zone managed their students.
Following the route marked on the map, Xilin arrived at the Registration Office. The first two days of registration and the final day were the busiest, but in the last hour there was definitely hardly anyone around.
From a distance, he could see that there weren't many students at the Registration Office. Only two staff members sat there, rolling their arms around. They looked exhausted, as if they'd had a heavy workload that day.
"Those guys came to Seven Luminaries Academy so early, then ran off to enjoy themselves in the City That Never Sleeps. They waited until the last day to come back and register. I'm exhausted!" one staff member complained.
"Can't be helped. It's like this every year. If those young masters register a few days early, they'll rot from boredom cooped up in the Teaching Zone," the person beside him replied from where he was sprawled in a chair.
"There's an hour left. There probably won't be anyone else. We can take a nap and leave when it's time."
"Maybe not. There's a kid coming."
As they watched Xilin approach, the two men's expressions darkened. They couldn't hide their impatience.
After looking at Xilin's card, one of them pointed to a small device beside him. "Swipe your Seven Luminaries Card here."
Once Xilin swiped his card, his information appeared on the screen.
Hmm? Someone from the Daongs Family? A prominent family, then.
After seeing Xilin's information, the two staff members at the Registration Office became much friendlier. They managed to squeeze out smiles and handed him an Electronic Notebook. "Fill in these few additional details. There are also things to choose later, like your dorm..." The staff member paused. "Looks like there are no Single Dorms left. Huh? No Double Dorms, either... I'm sorry, I think you'll have to choose a Quad Villa. But a Quad Villa's nice, too. There's lots of space. At Seven Luminaries Academy, dorm space has always followed the rule that one plus one plus one plus one is less than two plus two, which is less than four. Besides, the Quad Villas are all villa-style..."
The man explained the advantages of a Quad Villa. Xilin understood, though. While the Quad Villas did have the most space—more than four Single Dorms combined—the extra space was really just a courtyard, which many people didn't care for. Xilin was an exception...
In Seven Luminaries Academy's Student Dormitory Area, the most expensive accommodations were the Single Villas, while the most affordable were the Single Apartments. But those two options were also clearly the most popular, and those who arrived later couldn't get them. Quad Villas, meanwhile, were widely considered full of conflict and trouble. After all, four people crammed into one apartment were bound to get on one another's nerves. It wasn't unusual for students at Seven Luminaries Academy to destroy an entire villa after falling out with their roommates.
When people talked about how many students a dorm housed, they meant more than just the interior space. Each student had their own Training Room, Rest Room, bathroom, Study Room, and so on. A Single Room had only one of each, whereas a Quad Villa had four of everything except the courtyard, Living Room, and kitchen, which were shared.
"Then I'll take a Quad Villa." Xilin's ideal choice had been a Single Apartment, but if none were available, so be it. These accommodations were far better than the places he'd lived before.
As Xilin filled out the form, another person came through the door of the Registration Office. Someone he knew, too.
"Oh? Xilin, you're registering at this hour as well?" Ci Jincheng closed the book in his hands and walked over with a smile.
Ci Jincheng's Seven Luminaries Card was orange, which meant he had been admitted through Special Recruitment. The two staff members immediately broadened their smiles and warmly explained the procedures he needed to complete.
Their enthusiasm wasn't just because Ci Jincheng was a special recruit. More importantly, it was the information on his card. The surname Ci wasn't common in the Star System, and combined with Ci Jincheng's special recruitment status, the two staff members immediately thought of that family—the Academic Master Ci Family!
There was no one in the Academic World who hadn't heard of the Ci Family. The frequency with which members of the family appeared in Glory and Code, two top-tier journals, was astonishing. The Ci Family also wielded considerable influence in the Galactic Military and politics. No wonder the two men were so enthusiastic.
Normally, according to the registration order, each dorm had to be filled before students could be assigned to another one. But Xilin and Ci Jincheng had influential backgrounds, and they knew each other. The staff members didn't mind doing them a favor and opening another Quad Villa. The previous villa already had three residents, after all, so they would have to open another one anyway.
As the two filled in their information, a sudden rush of noise came from outside. There was the sound of a flying car, as well as someone riding a Flying Skateboard.
Screech—a red gemstone of a car made a graceful skid and came to a stop. It was a Luxury Flying Car. The roof opened, revealing a face familiar to Xilin.
Andrelara Long!
At the same time, the Flying Skateboard stopped in front of the entrance. A burly young man jumped off, put away his Flying Skateboard, and walked inside. The two entered almost simultaneously.
When Ci Jincheng saw them, his eyelids twitched. Those two...
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