mchenry-crisis.org Chapter 54 Volunteer
Chapter 54 Volunteer
Song Chen put down her phone and lay on the bed staring at the ceiling.
The sky outside the window was dark, and psionic particles flowed slowly through the night sky like a silent river.
There is still a lot to be done and a long road ahead.
But tonight, all he wants is to get a good night's sleep.
The next morning, Song Chen stood in front of the mirror and spent quite a while getting herself ready.
After a day of rest, the injury has mostly healed.
He changed into a clean white shirt and put on a dark blue jacket, which Lin Qingxue had picked out for him that day.
The person in the mirror no longer looked like a wounded soldier who had just crawled down from the battlefield.
As he was leaving, he heard his mother calling after him, "Come back early after you've filled out your college application!"
Song Chen's trip was to fill out college applications. In the martial arts era, humanity was in crisis, and everything moved very quickly.
……
When the hovercar stopped in front of the Third Martial Arts High School, Song Chen was stunned for a moment.
A huge red banner hung at the school gate, with several large golden characters written on it.
"Warmly congratulate our student Song Chen on winning the top score in the martial arts college entrance examination in Nanjiang Province."
Inside the guardhouse, the security guard peeked out, glanced at him, his eyes lit up, and he quickly walked out.
"Song Chen, are you Song Chen?"
Song Chen nodded.
The security guard's face was all wrinkled from smiling. He rubbed his hand on his shirt, reached out to shake hands but then withdrew it. In the end, he just rubbed his hands together and pulled a small notebook out of his pocket.
"My son is taking the college entrance exam next year, and he says you're his idol. Could you... sign your autograph?"
Song Chen took the notebook and signed his name.
The security guard held the notebook and looked at it again and again, grinning from ear to ear.
As you walk into the campus, there are even more banners.
Banners with red backgrounds and gold lettering are hung on every building, including the teaching building, the laboratory building, and the canteen.
The bulletin board by the playground has been replaced with his photo. It was taken on the day of the academic exam. His expression is a bit serious, but his eyes are very bright.
The caption below the photo reads: "Song Chen, the top scorer in Nanjiang Province, the pride of No. 3 Middle School!"
A group of students were gathered in front of the bulletin board, but they fell silent the moment they saw him approaching. Then, they erupted into a frenzy.
"Song Chen!"
"The top scorer has arrived!"
"He's so handsome, even more handsome than in the photos!"
A brave girl rushed over, holding up her phone, her voice trembling.
"Senior Song Chen, can I take a picture with you?"
Before Song Chen could answer, seven or eight more people surged up beside her.
The phone was held up in front of him, the flash went off rapidly, and questions rained down on him.
"Senior, how did you manage to reach the level of a grandmaster swordsman?"
"Senior, just how strong are third-tier alien beasts?"
"Senior, how did you awaken your lightning ability?"
Song Chen was surrounded and seemed a little at a loss.
"Alright, alright!" A dignified voice came from outside the crowd.
Li Guohua squeezed in, sweating profusely, and waved people away.
"Everyone, disperse! Song Chen is here to fill out college applications, not to hold a fan meeting!"
The students reluctantly dispersed, but their eyes remained fixed on him.
One of the girls whispered, "He's so handsome."
She was immediately glared at by Li Guohua, and ran away with her tongue sticking out.
Li Guohua turned around and looked at Song Chen, his expression complicated.
He has taught for twenty years and taught thousands of students, but none of them have ever made him as proud as the one in front of him.
A month ago, he even called Song Chen's parents to persuade them not to let their child go to the city for practical training.
The child standing in front of him now is the top scorer in Nanjiang Province.
He patted Song Chen on the shoulder: "Let's go, everyone's waiting for you."
The conference room was already full of people.
The principal, vice principal, and director of teaching affairs of No. 3 Middle School, all the senior teachers, and several parent representatives.
When Song Chen walked in, everyone stood up and applauded at the same time.
The principal was a fat old man in his fifties who usually dozed off during meetings, but today he was as energetic as a different person.
He held Song Chen's hand, his voice trembling, "Song Chen, you are the first provincial champion since the founding of No. 3 Middle School. On behalf of all the teachers and students, I thank you."
Song Chen was seated in the middle of the first row, next to Li Guohua.
Opposite him was a row of cameras—from the city's TV station, the education bureau's official media, and several martial arts magazines—all pointed at him with their long lenses and microphones.
The principal delivered a passionate speech, recounting the history of the Third Middle School, Song Chen's growth, the significance of martial arts education, and the glory of Nanjiang Province.
Song Chen sat there, listening to those words, feeling somewhat dazed.
Not long ago, he was a marginal figure in the school with a blood energy value of 0.6. Now he is the top scorer in the province, sitting in the middle, being watched by everyone.
He was also a little embarrassed, as this was completely different from what he had imagined when filling out college applications.
"Now, let's hear from Song Chen about his college application choices." The principal's voice brought him back to reality.
The meeting room fell silent.
The camera was pointed at him, and everyone was waiting for him to speak.
Song Chen paused for a moment, then said, "Actually, I haven't decided yet."
The teachers exchanged glances.
The principal cleared his throat: "Let us explain the situation to you first."
He waved his hand, and the large screen on the wall lit up, displaying the national university rankings.
The principal's voice carried a hint of solemnity: "Currently, the top-ranked university in Great Xia is Shangjing University, located in the capital of Great Xia and also the center of Great Xia's martial arts world."
"Shangjing University boasts the strongest faculty in the country, its library houses the largest collection of martial arts techniques and cultivation methods, its training facilities are top-notch, and most importantly..."
The principal paused for a moment, then said, "Graduates from Peking University have the best career prospects."
"The garrison commander's office, high-ranking military officials, and the headquarters of major martial arts schools all give priority to selecting people from Beijing University. At last year's National Martial Arts Tournament, three of the top five were from Beijing University."
A promotional video for Kyoto University began playing on the screen.
The magnificent school gate, the ancient buildings, the spacious training ground, and the students in uniform, full of vigor and spirit.
The narrator, in a deep baritone voice, reads: "Shangjing University, the cradle of martial arts masters."
Looking at those scenes, Song Chen realized they were indeed beautiful places, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why he felt anything but excitement.
At this point, the principal switched to the next set of images.
"Xuanwu University ranks second."
"Located in Liangzhou, a major city in the northwest, graduates of Xuanwu University are highly sought after in the city's defense forces, with an employment rate second only to that of Shangjing University."
"Tianhai University ranks third."
The scene shifts to a coastal city, where the campus is nestled against the mountains and overlooks the sea, with white buildings scattered along the coastline in a pleasing arrangement.
The training ground was built on a cliff by the sea, with the vast ocean in the distance.
"Tianhai University is located in Tianhai City, on the east coast of Daxia, at the junction of land and sea."
At this point, the principal's tone became calmer: "In terms of faculty strength, Tianhai University is only slightly inferior to Beijing University, but Tianhai University has a disadvantage: it is not safe here."
Although it was a disadvantage, Song Chen's eyes lit up when he heard this.
The principal continued explaining.
"Tianhai City is the most important base city on the eastern coast, without exception."
"The variety of alien beasts in the ocean is much richer than that in the inland areas, and their ranks are also higher. Tianhai University has the most stringent assessment standards of all universities, requiring students to complete at least one combat mission outside the city every week. Every year, students are seriously injured or even killed in combat."
"Tianhai City has the highest probability of beast tide outbreaks in the country due to its unique geographical location, almost every year."