Twenty-Year Pact

At four o'clock in the morning, when the night was still dark, the campus of Jiangnan High School was already brightly lit, as bright as day.

Thousands of years have passed, and since the Luo Family implemented fifteen years of compulsory education, today's high school students are vastly different from those of the past. During their school years, most students can reach the cultivation level that Earth once called "War God Level," and can unleash hundreds or thousands of tons of force with a casual strike.

With such a robust physique far surpassing that of the ancients, coupled with the vigorous energy of youth, it would be a complete waste to still have to get up at seven in the morning to go to school as was the case thousands of years ago.

As a result, the school's morning exercise schedule was adjusted again and again.

Even more extreme, some radical school leaders proposed building a fully enclosed, self-circulating air system on campus, adding trace amounts of stimulants and energy supplements to the air. In this way, students could completely say goodbye to sleep and devote every minute to "fulfilling and joyful" learning.

Unfortunately, this "brilliant idea" was vetoed by the Luo Family.

Tsk, what a pity!

Fang Shu rubbed her sleepy eyes as she climbed out of her dormitory bed. She groggily finished her personal hygiene routine, wiped herself after urinating, splashed some cold water on her face, tied her hair into a loose ponytail, grabbed an energy bar, and chewed it noisily.

Then, with light steps, I hurried to the playground to participate in morning exercises.

As for that embarrassing incident from yesterday? She had long forgotten about it. But as she walked, Fang Shu's pace gradually slowed down, and her head involuntarily drooped.

Something's not right.

Why were the students on the roadside pointing and whispering at me? Their chatter was like mosquitoes buzzing into my ears.

"Look, it's her! How shameless!"

"That's right! He's only a teenager and he's already trying to curry favor with the powerful Luo Family. He has no shame!"

"She's a disgrace to our Jiangnan High School! Why hasn't the school expelled her yet?"

The harsh words entered his ears without missing a single one.

After finally finishing morning exercises, she was exhausted and drenched in sweat. She rushed back to the dormitory's communal bathhouse to shower, but unexpectedly, she encountered another unpleasant situation.

Several female classmates passed by her cubicle, deliberately puffing out their chests as they glanced over, their tone dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, isn't this the one trying to climb the social ladder? Tsk tsk, tiny A-cup, no hair, no hair at all, how laughable!"

Waaaaah! This is so unfair!

So what if it's small? So what if it's small! Being small saves the earth fabric! So what if it doesn't have fur? It doesn't get wet or smelly!

At seven o'clock in the morning, Fang Shu returned to the classroom with a belly full of grievances and frustration. She felt that all the gazes cast from all directions were strange and scrutinizing, making her feel uncomfortable all over.

She rushed back to her seat, grabbed the "Cosmic Common Knowledge" textbook from the table, buried her head in it, and only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

According to the Luo Family's strict rules, the three courses, "Moral Standards," "Cosmic Common Knowledge," and "Alien Socialization," are compulsory subjects for each academic year. Failing any one of them will force the student to start the graduation process.

Once they graduate from school, ordinary students only have two paths: either leave the Solar System to explore the universe, and if they are lucky, they can get a job in a company under the Luo Family; if they are really unlucky, they can only wander and drift among the stars.

Alternatively, let your parents leave Earth while you stay. After all, Earth's population has already exceeded 100 billion, and it is already overburdened.

The Luo Family has a clear rule: ordinary Earth residents must have at least 25 square meters of independent housing in order to stay on Earth for a long time. If there are children in the family, the housing area will be divided equally.

Even those extraterrestrial races that spend huge sums of money to give birth on Earth have to pay astronomical overstay fees if they want to stay a little longer.

Fang Shu didn't want to graduate so early. She wanted to at least reach adulthood and break through to the Planetary Rank of cultivation before venturing out into the world and becoming a Universe Citizen with basic human rights.

"Hey, Fang Shu! Why are you still buried in your book? Something's happened!" Her deskmate Liu Yiyi, nudged her arm anxiously. "The video of you confessing your feelings to the dessert shop manager yesterday has been uploaded online by some scoundrel! Now the whole internet is mocking you for being so young and already trying to climb the social ladder! You need to go and clarify things!"

"Oh, I understand," Fang Shu replied softly.

How could she not feel wronged? The girls she went to the dessert shop with yesterday were all her close friends, and she never expected to be stabbed in the back.

But she knew in her heart that arguing or clarifying at this time would be useless and would only make things worse. It was better to ignore it and wait for the storm to pass, when a new big event would eventually overshadow this matter.

"You! You're driving me crazy!" Liu Yiyi said, exasperated. "Do you even know that the person yesterday was a top figure in the Luo Family? Someone of that caliber can decide your fate with a single word. Even if he didn't say anything, plenty of people are trying to curry favor with him, and he could fire you with a snap of his fingers!"

With Apprentice Rank cultivation level, what can one do outside the Solar System?

Fang Shu knew, of course.

The Luo Family once released a batch of shocking videos: many alien forces coveted the soul talents of Earthling, specifically targeting young girls who could not obtain the protection of the Luo Family, and using sweet words to lure them to other planets.

In the end, they either undergo autopsies and scans to study the mysteries of body and soul and extract Bloodline Potion, or they are used as breeding tools, trapped in cages for life as "dairy cows."

The images in those videos terrified countless girls, keeping them awake all night.

Just as Fang Shu was in turmoil.

The class monitor stood on the podium and announced loudly, "Everyone, log in to the school's personal information platform immediately! The list of students selected for the Directed Cultivation Management Student announced by the Luo Family has now been released! Check if you've been selected. Those who have been selected, gather in the square downstairs immediately!"

"Tch, what kind of targeted training is this? It sounds nice." Liu Yiyi curled her lip, looking disdainful. "It's just that the Milky Way Galaxy is developing too fast, and the Luo Family is short-handed! They say they'll invest a lot of resources, hire famous mentors to train us, and arrange high-paying jobs directly after graduation."

But how could such a windfall possibly fall into the hands of powerless nobodys like us?

Despite her complaints, she quickly reached out and tapped the Smart Bracelet on her wrist to log in to the designated website.

As expected.

Two glaring red characters popped up on the screen: [Failure!]

They couldn't even be bothered to offer a word of comfort.

Just then, a joyful cheer suddenly came from the side.

"Hey! I won! I won!"

Liu Yiyi turned her head sharply and saw a line of bright green text displayed on her deskmate Fang Shu's virtual screen, followed by congratulatory words:

[Fang Shu, in view of your excellent personal qualities and academic performance, congratulations on being selected as a trainee in the 5830th Term Directed Management Trainee. Please report to the plaza downstairs before the end of class today. We wish you a pleasant learning experience.]

- Earth Luo Family Education Office]

"Holy crap! Wow!" Liu Yiyi grabbed Fang Shu's arm, so excited she was almost incoherent. "Sister Shu! My dear Sister Shu! You've struck it rich! You have to take me under your wing from now on!"

Fang Shu's mouth stretched into a wide grin, all her previous grievances and frustration vanished. She straightened her back, raised her head high, and patted her chest loudly, declaring with boundless confidence, "No problem! Leave it to me!"

The surrounding classmates immediately gathered around, offering their congratulations in a flurry of voices, their eyes filled with envy.

Amidst the lively chatter, a sarcastic voice rang out from a corner. "Hmph, why her? Every class representative and monitor has better grades and a stronger family background than her. Why was she chosen?"

I bet he climbed up the social ladder and sucked up to them to get that spot! How shameless!

The speaker was Liu Ruyan, who had always been at odds with Fang Shu in the class.

Fang Shu's smile vanished, she stood up, and quickly walked to Liu Ruyan.

Liu Ruyan retorted, "What? Did I say something wrong? I just told the truth, and you want to hit me? Come on! Hit me if you dare!"

Fang Shu revealed a faint smile, slowly took out a Little Notebook, and wrote softly on the paper as she wrote, "Liu Ruyan, right? I've written it down."

She looked up, her gaze calm as she looked at Liu Ruyan, whose face had turned pale, and said, word by word, "Twenty years from now, when I graduate and come back, I'll settle this score with you properly."

Liu Ruyan's face turned as white as paper in an instant.

How could she not know? The Directed Cultivation Management Student from previous years were all outstanding individuals. Even the worst among them could reach the ninth level of the Star Rank after graduation. Within the Luo Family's system, they could even stand alone and manage a territory as large as Jiangnan Province!

If someone like that is determined to target her—wouldn't her life be over?

As Liu Ruyan watched Fang Shu walk away with his head held high, a crazy idea suddenly popped into her head:

No way, she's going to confess her feelings at that dessert shop too! Maybe she'll be the next one chosen!