The Chairman's Favor 5.8 (Added 1,000 words)
When Lin Xue returned to her rented apartment, Old Jack, who always kept his eyes half-closed, stared at her like she was a magical creature. In the distance, a group of elderly people chatting pretended to wave their fans, whispering amongst themselves, their eyes scanning her furtively.
He entered the room as usual.
Not long after, just as announced on the Saintia website, there was a knock on the door: "Is this Mr. Lin?"
"Your acceptance letter to St. Leeds has arrived."
Lin Xue opened the door, took her package, and wrote a string of vigorous, regular script in the signature column. Looking up, she saw the messenger's eyes sparkling:
"Can we sign it again?"
"?"
“My niece, who's in her final year of junior high, really wants to get into St. Leah's; she's a huge fan.” The messenger quickly realized the flaw in his statement and added, “I suppose no one isn't a fan of St. Leah’s, right?”
Lin Xue paused for a moment, pressed the paper down, lowered her head, and quickly signed her name for the messenger.
The messenger asked somewhat sheepishly, "Could you add a bald one too?"
"Bald?" Lin Xue didn't understand and asked the messenger again to confirm.
The messenger realized his English pronunciation was not standard and awkwardly touched his nose: "It's a 'bald signature,' a signature for someone, plus my little niece's name."
"Can."
"My little niece's name is Fuye. Fu means to 'rise and' and Ye means to 'sway and flutter'."
Lin Xue quickly finished writing, her handwriting neat, and added the phrase, "May you pass the imperial examination with flying colors and your dreams come true."
This is a special autograph now. "Thank you, thank you!" The messenger clutched the autograph in his hand like it was gold paper, waved goodbye to Lin Xue with a sweet smile, and said, "I'm really happy to see a compatriot in a foreign land!"
"Being admitted to St. Leicester is a source of pride for us Easterners!"
"Keep up the good work and beat them all!" The messenger instinctively wanted to pat Lin Xue's shoulder, but then suddenly withdrew his hand as if he had thought of something.
Unexpectedly, the back of her hand was patted reassuringly by the boy in front of her, who looked no more than 18 years old.
The messenger looked at the other side in surprise, a faint smile appearing on his face, his gaze as gentle as a clear, flowing spring.
"I will."
As the messenger left, the scene of the young man surnamed Lin bowing his head to sign his autograph still lingered in his mind:
From his angle, he could see the other person's black hair whorls, resembling ammonite shells, and the fine, milky-white down on their cheeks, which looked like a warm, fluffy little animal under the bright June sun.
The drooping eyelashes were coated with a layer of gold.
There was also a section peeking out from the sleeve, showing the bulging knuckles of the fingers and the strong, powerful wrist as the hand wrote.
It's so thin you can see the bluish-purple capillaries under the skin.
He must be a peach kissed by God.
The messenger blushed slightly as he went downstairs.
The other messenger winked and made faces, his eyes practically blinking: "You've fallen in love with the homeowner at first sight while delivering a message?"
"Get lost! The landlord is a man! I'm straight!"
He looked at himself in the rearview mirror of his electric bicycle: "Wow, why am I blushing?"
The messenger thought of his little niece, who was incredibly arrogant and only wanted to get into St. Les ...
Actually, when he opened the door and saw Lin Xue's appearance, he was thinking of introducing her to his little niece as a boyfriend. With a handsome and good-looking boyfriend from St. Lia Academy, she could practically walk around the school with her head held high.
However, the other party probably wouldn't be willing. Considering that St. Leah's students would all become top-notch social elites in the future, or at the very least, state legislators, the messenger gave up the idea of recommending his niece.
Although his little niece was tall and beautiful, the girls at St. Ria Academy were no less attractive than her, and many of them were noble ladies. Why would anyone choose his little niece? However, the messenger did not know that the girl he had his eye on had no intention of dating at a noble academy.
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Lin Xue carried the delivery box into the house and cut it open with a utility knife.
The St. Leah's acceptance letter was delivered in a large, eco-friendly, biodegradable cardboard box, with a recycling symbol marked on the lower side.
Inside the delivery box was a gold treasure chest with European-style patterns, gleaming in the intense midday sun of summer. It looked somewhat like a treasure chest used by pirates during the Age of Exploration to hide pearls, gems, and necklaces.
A bright pigeon-blood ruby is inlaid in the very center of the chest lid. A golden key is also included with the chest.
It is said that the golden treasure chest included with the admission letter from St. Ria Academy symbolizes that learning is the key to unlocking the treasure chest and obtaining money and power.
No matter how poor you were before entering St. Ria Academy, from the moment you enroll, you've become a candidate for wealth—a treasure chest awaits you after graduation.
Lin Xue used the key to open the treasure chest, inside which was a pile of items neatly stacked:
Admission notice, enrollment guide and instructions, bank card, and enlistment leaflet.
The acceptance letter was placed in a gold-embossed envelope, sealed with a preserved flower. Inside was a long letter describing what St. Ria Academy was like and expressing the hope that the specially admitted students would develop comprehensively and live up to the honor.
The chairman's signature was at the bottom left corner of the letter. The Greek calligraphy was messy and illegible, with the strokes flowing like a tangled mess.
Next to the signature was a cute, simple drawing completely different from the font style. The lines were smooth, and with just a few strokes, a chibi-style figure was drawn, making a peace sign and playfully licking the side with its tongue. One can imagine the artist's pride and vanity while drawing.
Lin Xue examined the brushstrokes carefully. They weren't stamped on, but rather hand-drawn with a delicate brush tip adorned with gold powder. One could imagine the artist confidently doodling on the letter, admiring their work in solitude.
...A chairman who's always so idle.
Is his job simply to draw little figures on each student's admission notice in the office?
The enrollment guide provides a comprehensive, step-by-step guide on "how to get to St. Les ...
The admission notice listed the tasks that must be completed before the official registration.
1. Go to Alves' private tailor shop to take your measurements for custom-made school uniforms.
Go to the St. Vincent Auditorium, where the school will take photos of all new students for use on their campus cards and student IDs.
Below is a note: Students on the forum will rate and rank the entrance photos.
2. Participate in a two-month military summer camp and complete basic military training.
The summer camp is divided into two phases.
The first stage involves experiencing the physical demands of heavy-duty marches and wartime simulations.
The second phase is a camping trip to assess wilderness survival skills, serving as a rest period after training.
The activities include: group camping and picnicking, and orienteering treasure hunt.
The treasure hunt spoils belong to the students; it's considered a gift from the school to them upon their enrollment.
The third stage is the most exciting part, and also the part that best helps senior students get to know the new students.
The most beloved tradition of the Shilan Federation, a nation built on military strength, is Saint Ria's "entrance exam": the wilderness survival elimination tournament.
Each new student is assigned a fake weapon painted with paint as a "score" marker. They are randomly dropped by planes into different areas of the deserted island. They are forced to move forward while being driven by daily updated danger zones, interacting with new students in other areas, and scrambling to steal food and water dropped by the planes as their only supplies. They also defeat others to calculate their score.
The points will be displayed on a leaderboard that will be updated in real time.
The summer camp will conclude with an awards ceremony. The top scorer in the entrance exam will receive the "Heart of the Emperor" medal. Other outstanding students will also receive medals of varying designs based on their ranking.
Throughout the summer camp, returning students from St. Leicester will watch the live stream. While watching, they can also place bets using points earned from the live stream.
The summer camp before enrollment is one of the largest events in the college. It is a showcase before the "freshman talent show", the first appearance of freshmen, and an essential warm-up program before the welcome party. It is also known as the "freshman debut" by the upperclassmen.
Through summer camp, returning students can gain an understanding of the new students, identify those they admire, and prepare to nurture.
Every year, summer camps attract a host of star students who are highly sought after by various families. Many of them become prominent figures at school: they stand out before the start of the semester, and after officially enrolling, they rise rapidly, even threatening the status of the big-name students among the seniors, ultimately becoming the talk of the town.
Countless returning students, even before the new students receive their admission notices, have already learned about the upcoming freshmen through the school's intranet and eagerly anticipate whether they will witness a new miracle.
Many returning students will also be present. Following the awards ceremony, a banquet will be held—a traditional event for both new and returning students to socialize. New students can take the opportunity to toast returning students, expressing their willingness to "join" the student body and paving the way for their future careers. Returning students can also get to know new students they admire, building relationships for future recruitment.
The bank's cartoon-style logo is golden yellow, radiating a dazzling luster, and is printed with the school emblem: a roaring heraldic lion, symbolizing the inviolable power of the nobility.
This is a "living allowance card" used by specially admitted students to receive their monthly stipend from the school. It can only be used after activation at a bank using the student's fingerprint. Once activated, a living allowance corresponding to the specially admitted student's academic rating will be deposited into the card on the first of each month.
Upon admission, the council will assess each specially admitted student's initial grade based on their overall strengths, including their test scores during the independent admission process, talents and special skills, extracurricular activities, previous school positions, charitable volunteer experience, and future potential.
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