After entering the main gate, Chen Chuan saw a long row of covered bicycle racks to his left. He went over to park his bike. When he came back out, he saw students around his age trickling through the school gates.
Most of them wore looks of nervous excitement. They were probably students like him, here to apply to Wuyi University Hall.
He could easily understand this feeling. The Dashun Republic Government had been established for over ninety years, and the social classes had become starkly stratified. There were very few paths left for commoners to advance.
And both domestically and abroad—indeed, throughout the whole world—those skilled in Fighting Skills often possessed higher social status. This was one of the few paths, aside from academics, for the lower class to achieve social mobility. Although it was an extremely difficult path, countless people still scrambled to get in every year.
Wuyi University Hall was an institution dedicated to formally cultivating such talent. In the last decade, the academy had expanded its enrollment. As long as you were a citizen under eighteen, had a basic primary and middle school education, and had no criminal record, you could apply. This attracted even more young people who couldn't afford to attend traditional universities.
But even so, the academy's entrance requirements were truly high, and only a select few managed to enroll successfully each year.
Chen Chuan walked over and naturally blended into the crowd of his peers. He noticed that the applying students were all incredibly fit, one more so than the next. Their steps were light, and whether male or female, you could faintly see the outline of muscles beneath their clothes.
Because to apply to a Wuyi academy, you first needed to have the required physical fitness, and preferably some foundational fighting skills. It was clear that nearly everyone around him had some sort of foundation.
Although he was in better shape than most and was relatively tall, he had never undergone any specialized training in Fighting Skills. Compared to the other students, he was a complete blank slate. In the past, the thought of applying to a Wuyi academy would never have even crossed his mind. But now...
As the Sun rose higher, more and more prospective students entered the school. He was swept along by the current of people, and after four or five minutes, he arrived in front of the main auditorium. The square on both sides was already packed with private cars. With his limited knowledge of vehicles, he could only recognize the famous domestic "Hibiscus" and the foreign "Katy" luxury cars. The rest, he could tell just from their appearance, were of a similar high class.
Young men and women emerged from the cars. It was clear many of them had come in groups. Some of the younger ones were accompanied by adults. They all shared common traits: their clothes were made of expensive fabric, well-tailored and fitting, and they brimmed with energy and confidence. They strode with their heads held high, a stark contrast to the other applicants.
Chen Chuan noticed a middle-aged couple walk up to the steps. They took out a silver, invitation-like object and showed it to a guide. The guide immediately bowed. A moment later, someone who looked like a high-level school official came out to greet them warmly.
He glanced at the object a few times, lost in thought.
"What's that?" a student asked curiously.
"First time applying?" an older applicant said as he walked. "That's a recommendation credential." An envious look appeared on his face. "You know about recommendations? With one of those, you can get in directly without taking the exam."
There were two ways to enter Wuyi Academy: by examination or by recommendation. But the latter was not a path available to commoners, as the recommenders were typically socialites and powerful dignitaries.
In fact, most students from commoner backgrounds had never even heard of recommendation credentials before today.
Chen Chuan and the other applicants stood on the side path, watching the high-spirited young men and women chat and laugh as they walked up the wide front steps. He didn't know who it was, but someone whispered, "As long as we pass the exam, we can be just like them."
A fire ignited in everyone's hearts. Yes, if they could just get into Wuyi Academy, they could change their lives and become just like their peers on those steps.
As if influenced by this thought, every pair of feet heading toward the registration point involuntarily quickened its pace.
After walking another two hundred meters or so and making several turns, they arrived in front of an old, four-story building. In the open space before it was a row of desks that had been temporarily moved outside. Behind them sat senior students. Seeing the crowd approach, one of the students stood up and called out, "Applicants, bring your documents over here to register."
All the applicants immediately fanned out and swarmed toward the desks. Seeing this, the student barked, "Slow down, slow down! What's the rush? One by one! The application period starts today and lasts for fifteen days. Everyone will get a turn. Anyone who doesn't follow the rules or causes trouble will have their eligibility for the entrance exam revoked immediately!"
Hearing this, the applicants immediately settled down and formed orderly lines.
Chen Chuan was near the front, so it wasn't long before he reached a desk. Behind it sat a very approachable female senior student with short hair and straight-cut bangs. She wore light makeup and had a sweet smile. Her eyes lit up when she saw him sit down. She pushed a form toward him and said with a smile, "Classmate, just fill this out according to the instructions. Be careful not to make any corrections in these sections..."
She extended a slender, pale finger and thoughtfully pointed out each section. Chen Chuan noticed that her finger moved with force as she pointed, and the muscles that tensed inadvertently proved she wasn't as delicate as she appeared.
After Chen Chuan finished filling out his basic information and had his identification documents confirmed, he had to pay the one-hundred-yuan application fee.