Everyone who had been clamoring just a moment ago fell silent. What else could they say?
The fact that the East Sea Base Military Department had guaranteed admission spots wasnât a secret. Generally, they were used to send some of the militaryâs promising talents directly to the academy for advanced training.
Of course, for the Military Department, sending promising talents to the academy for advanced training was certainly an important matter. But no matter how important it was, it couldnât possibly be worth 1,000 mecha.
The value of 1,000 mecha was definitely far greater than a single admission spot.
Some of the smarter people even quickly figured out that Ye Xinâs family had likely been so extravagant not just to buy the admission spot, but also to curry favor with the Military Department.
Of course, besides being rich, this revealed another issue.
Such a large quantity of mecha couldnât be bought even if you had the money. In other words, not only was the other party rich, but their background was also absolutely terrifying.
Instantly, the way everyone looked at the Little Fatty changed. The vast majority of them had expressions of envy.
The Little Fatty swept his gaze across the crowd quite proudly. But along with his pride, his small, beady eyes continuously scanned the top-tier geniuses present.
To his disappointment, however, these geniuses all seemed to look down their noses at him. The gazes they sent his way were either disdainful or contemptuous, and some didnât even bother looking at him at all.
This left the Little Fatty a bit bewildered.
âDidnât Dad say that when youâre out and about, money paves the way and everything will fall into place naturally?â
âSo how come I put 10 million Huaxia Coins on the table, and these people are still acting like this?â
âIn an instant, he felt like his plan had already half-failed.â
"Alright, rules are rules. These Huaxia Coins are not allowed in the examination hall. Otherwise, you wonât be going in. Of course, you have a guaranteed admission spot, so itâs not a big deal if you donât take the exam," the instructor, Yuan Yong, said flatly before turning and walking away.
The Little Fatty instantly deflated like a punctured ball. Not daring to argue with the instructor, he handed over the Huaxia Coins and meekly stood to the side.
Seeing this, Lin Xinghai was a little surprised and also a bit confused.
Just then, Jin Tong returned. Recalling that Jin Tong seemed to have done quite a bit of homework on the exam, Lin Xinghai casually asked, "Do you know why that Little Fatty is so insistent on taking the exam when he already has a guaranteed admission spot?"
"Because if he doesnât take the exam, even with a guaranteed spot, heâll only be a Third Class Student, the lowest rank," Jin Tong, who had indeed done his homework, immediately replied.
"Third Class Student?"
Seeing that Lin Xinghai seemed completely clueless, Jin Tong continued to explain, "Based on this exam, all students will be divided into First Class, Second Class, and Third Class. The resources and faculty support the academy provides are different for each class."
"Of course, this ranking isnât set in stone. Itâs reassessed in the exam at the end of every semester. However, with a whole semesterâs gap, itâs actually very difficult for students in the lower classes to catch up."
"So the strong just keep getting stronger," Lin Xinghai couldnât help but sigh.
Jin Tong secretly glanced at him, then hesitated for a moment before saying, "Actually, above First Class Student, thereâs also a Special Class Student rank. But the spots are extremely limited. Only those who rank in the top 10 in the exam can receive that kind of treatment."
"If youâre really that strong, you should aim for it. Even if you donât succeed, if other instructors see your potential, you might be taken on as a personal disciple and taught directly."
After hearing this, Lin Xinghai clapped him on the shoulder and said encouragingly, "Since there are 10 spots, you should do your best. Iâll get you a spot as a Special Class Student. That should be enough to repay Old Jin."
Jin Tong rolled his eyes and said nothing. His doubts about Lin Xinghaiâs actual abilities were growing stronger and stronger.
"Ah Xing! Iâm done registering. Itâs your turn," Liu Miaomiao said as she walked back over.
Lin Xinghai nodded, walked to the registration desk, and first verified his identity. Then, he started taking things out of his bag, one by one.
A miniature Mjolnir, a Carbon Nanomaterial Combat Suit, a suit of Battle Armor, and nearly 4.98 million Huaxia Coins.
As the staff member watched Lin Xinghai pull one item after another from his combat backpack, a strange expression appeared on his face.
He had seen with perfect clarity what had just happened with his colleague, so he couldnât help but say, "Iâll have to confiscate these Huaxia Coins as well."
"Yes, I know," Lin Xinghai nodded.
Seeing how agreeable Lin Xinghai was, the staff member breathed a secret sigh of relief.
But as Lin Xinghai was taking out his things, Ye Xin, who was standing not far away looking dejected and unsure of what to do next, happened to glance over. His eyes instantly went wide.
He wasnât paying much attention to the Huaxia Coins; instead, his gaze was fixed firmly on the suit of Battle Armor.
He knew, of course, that this stuff wasnât something you could get just because you wanted to. Even his old man had to go to great lengths to get him a single suit.
Ye Xin looked up, staring at Lin Xinghaiâs face. He racked his brain for a long time but couldnât remember who this person was.
He opened his wrist-mounted computer and pulled up the files he had collected on all the top-tier geniuses, comparing them one by one. But he found that there was truly no information on the person in front of him.
After struggling with it for a moment, he recalled the scene from just now. As a powerhouse who had broken Three Genetic Locks, his memory was enhanced, and he could remember recent events with considerable clarity.
Ye Xin was certain that when Lin Xinghai had looked at him, his gaze held none of the scorn or disdain shown by the other geniusesâonly a bit of curiosity.
âHeâs the one,â Ye Xin decided on the spot.
âRather than kissing up to those geniuses who just give me the cold shoulder, Iâm better off finding a partner who seems more agreeable.â
âEven if this partner isnât as strong.â
When Lin Xinghai finished his registration and turned around, he was met with a chubby face right in front of his.
"Shit! What are you doing?" Startled by the sudden appearance, Lin Xinghai shoved him away.
Ye Xin, who had been pushed away, didnât seem to mind. He smiled and said, "Uh... Hey, man. Can I join your team?"
Hearing this, Lin Xinghai raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to join my team?"
Ye Xinâs small eyes darted around as he tried to build a connection. "Because youâre a rich kid, just like me!"
Lin Xinghai: "Iâm not."
Ye Xin: "The son of a government official, then?"
Lin Xinghai: "No."
Ye Xin: "Son of a powerful warrior?"
Lin Xinghai: "..."
"Iâm just an ordinary student. I donât have any of those weird backgrounds youâre talking about," Lin Xinghai said, annoyed.
"Donât think I didnât see your Battle Armor! And you havenât even taken the exam yet, but youâre already calling yourself a student. Does that mean youâre completely confident youâll pass?" Ye Xin said quickly.
"Fine! Iâll tell you the truth. Iâm a first-generation powerhouse. And my team isnât looking for anyone, so please leave," Lin Xinghai said, trying to get rid of him.
However, when Ye Xin heard Lin Xinghai say this, his eyes shone even brighter. He was almost certain now that the person before him was by no means weak.
"Ahem! Donât be so heartless, my friend!"
Seeing Lin Xinghai turn to leave with his companions, Ye Xin quickly chased after him and tried a different approach. "How about this, then? Letâs not talk about friendship. Letâs talk business. What do you say?"