Ma Hongjun's Design! Shrek Academy's German-Style Uniforms!

Oscar scratched his head. "As long as there's somewhere to bathe... Right now, we have to boil our own water every time we wash up. It's such a hassle."

Ma Hongjun thought for a moment and said, "Build a dedicated training hall, an indoor one. That way, we can still train on rainy days instead of stopping whenever it rains."

Flender nodded and noted down each of those requests.

After calculating it all, the budget for the first phase came to roughly ten thousand Gold Soul Coins.

It included the academy walls, the main gate, paving the training grounds, renovating the classrooms, improving the dormitories, expanding the cafeteria, a warehouse, a medicinal bath room, a small library, and an infirmary.

Ten thousand Gold Soul Coins.

Three months ago, Flender would not even have dared to dream of that kind of money. But now, the academy had more than twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins in its accounts. Taking out this amount was more than manageable.

"We'll start with these for the first phase. We can earn more after we spend it. There's no need to do everything at once."

No one objected.

The main event that evening was the uniforms.

Flender called everyone into the office and said that the academy needed standardized uniforms and an emblem.

"What kind of academy doesn't even have a decent set of clothes? What would people think if word got out?" For once, Flender cared about appearances.

Zhao Wuji was the first to pull out his design.

He fished a crumpled piece of paper out of his clothes and unfolded it. It showed a loose robe with a round collar and wide sleeves, looking no different from the most ordinary cultivation outfit on the market.

Its only "highlight" was a crooked character for "Shrek" embroidered on the chest. The handwriting was so slanted that it looked as though it had been written with feet.

Li Yusong went second. His design was slightly better. At least he had added a belt to the robe and cinched the waist. But overall, it was still the sort of ordinary style that would disappear into a crowd.

Lu Qibin and Shao Xin also brought out their own designs.

Each was plainer than the last.

Each was more ordinary than the last.

Flender stared silently at those designs, his expression darkening. He had drawn one himself as well, but now it seemed that taking it out would only embarrass him.

"Hongjun, do you have any ideas?" Flender placed his last hope on Ma Hongjun.

Ma Hongjun took a deep breath and pulled a stack of papers from his clothes.

He had drawn them one by one during the bits of spare time between training.

In his previous life, he had been a military enthusiast and knew all kinds of military uniforms inside and out.

German military uniform designs—the crisp lines, fitted tailoring, refined details, and capable air—were an aesthetic that would never go out of style in any era.

He had combined those designs with the practical needs of the Douluo Continent and adapted them locally.

The first sheet was unfolded.

Everyone froze.

It showed a dark blue stand-collar jacket with double rows of brass buttons, epaulets, collar tabs, and cuff decorations. A belt drew in the waist, while the trouser creases were razor-sharp. Once worn, the lines from the shoulders to the waist would be smooth and clean, like a blade drawn from its sheath.

"This is the men's version," Ma Hongjun said.

The second sheet was unfolded.

The women's version. It had the same dark blue color and the same stand collar and double-breasted buttons, but the skirt design suited the movement needs of female Soul Masters better. The belt still cinched the waist, though the lines were softer.

The third sheet.

The academy flag. It had a dark blue background with a golden emblem in the center and silver decorative patterns at all four corners. Golden fringe lined the edges, giving the whole design a simple yet grand style.

The fourth sheet.

The academy emblem. Its centerpiece was a Four-Eyed Owl with wings spread wide—a tribute to Flender's Martial Soul. The owl's wings shielded a cluster of golden flames at the center. Within the fire, the outline of a Phoenix could faintly be seen, symbolizing Ma Hongjun's path as the Light Phoenix.

Below the emblem were two crossed swords, representing battle. Beneath the swords was an open book, representing knowledge.

The composition of the entire emblem was rigorous and layered, with clean lines and carefully chosen colors. Gold, silver, and dark blue came together in a combination that was steady without being dull, noble without being gaudy.

The air in the office froze.

Zhao Wuji stood there with his mouth open, unable to say a single word.

Li Yusong pushed up his glasses, unable to hide the shock behind the lenses.

Lu Qibin's teacup stopped in midair, and he forgot to set it down.

Shao Xin's lips moved as if he were saying something, but no sound came out.

Oscar stood up outright and leaned over the sheets, looking left and right, then up and down. His mouth never closed.

Flender remained silent for a long time.

He picked up the sheets and examined them carefully, turning them over and over. Nothing could be read from his expression, but Ma Hongjun noticed that his hands were trembling slightly.

"Hongjun." Flender finally spoke, his voice somewhat dry.

"Yes."

"Did you draw these?"

"Yes."

"What exactly is inside that head of yours?"

Ma Hongjun did not know how to answer, so he could only scratch his head.

Flender set down the designs and swept his gaze across the others.

"What about yours?"

Zhao Wuji silently stuffed his crumpled sheet of paper back into his clothes.

Li Yusong, Lu Qibin, and Shao Xin also put away their respective "masterpieces," their movements perfectly synchronized.

"Then we'll use Hongjun's set." Flender made the final decision.

It passed unanimously.

Ma Hongjun looked at those drawings, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

He knew that once those uniforms were worn outside, Shrek Academy's entire image would be completely different.

Military-style designs were an aesthetic that never went out of fashion in any era.

They conveyed more than good looks. They conveyed a spirit—discipline, rigor, excellence, and honor.

That was precisely the soul of an academy.

After the matter of the uniforms was settled, Flender carefully put away Ma Hongjun's design drafts. He handled them as cautiously as though they were priceless treasures.

Watching from the side, Zhao Wuji could not help muttering, "Mine wasn't that bad, was it..."

No one responded.

Zhao Wuji silently shut his mouth.

"Next is the third matter."

Flender sat back down in his chair and lightly tapped the tabletop with his fingers.

"Rebuilding the academy. I roughly noted down what everyone said earlier, but it isn't detailed enough. If we're doing this, we should do it properly. We can't finish construction only to discover that this won't work and that won't work, then waste even more money redoing it."

He pulled a fresh sheet of blank paper from the drawer and spread it across the table.

"One item at a time. The academy walls."

"Build them from stone, two meters high." Zhao Wuji was the first to speak. "Sturdy, good-looking, and they'll block the wind."

"Stone is expensive," Shao Xin said instinctively, then laughed at himself. "Forget it. We don't need to save that little bit of money now. Stone walls it is."

Flender wrote, "Academy walls: stone, two meters high," on the paper.

"The main gate."

"It needs to look imposing." Oscar rarely offered an opinion. "We can't have people see a broken gate the moment they arrive and want to leave."

Ma Hongjun added, "Carve words onto the lintel—Shrek Academy. The lettering needs to look grand. It would be best to find someone good at calligraphy to write it."

Flender nodded and wrote, "Main gate: imposing, engraved words."

"The training grounds. Pave them with stone slabs."

"Plant a row of trees around the field so there'll be some shade during summer training."

"We don't need too many classrooms, but every one of them should be spacious. The desks and chairs need to be sturdy, and we should buy good blackboards."

"Let's build ten dorm rooms first. That should be enough. We can add more later if we need them."

"The cafeteria needs a bigger kitchen. Teacher Shao Xin is right."

"The medicinal bath room needs its own separate building, and we should build a hot-water room beside it. Then we won't have to boil our own water anymore."

"The library doesn't need to be too large. Enough space for a few hundred books will do. We can expand it later if necessary."

"We absolutely need an infirmary. It'll be convenient for treating simple bruises and injuries, as well as preparing medicinal baths and decoctions."

Everyone chimed in one after another while Flender's pen flew across the paper, recording every point.