Chapter 73: The Decision

Chapter 73: The Decision

After Zhou Chubin finished presenting all the conditions, Li Qian pretended to ponder, then spoke calmly, "I'd like to know about the dimensional rift under the jurisdiction of Jiangnan Beastmaster University."

Zhou Chubin was slightly startled, clearly not expecting Li Qian to ask such a question. After a moment, a wry smile of helplessness appeared on his face, and he replied, "I'm sorry, but I cannot disclose any information about this matter."

"It's not that I don't want to..." His tone was calm as he looked at Li Qian and said, "but I can't. The Dongxia Federal Ministry of Education has clear regulations stating that we cannot reveal any information about the dimensional rift to high school students who have not yet entered Beastmaster University."

Perhaps fearing that Li Qian would think he was deliberately making things difficult and leave a bad impression, he continued without pause, "No matter if you ask me or inquire with Xue Huaiyu and Ai Xiaolian, the answer will be the same."

After a brief pause, he continued, "Of course, you can also ask some adventurers in Lingwater City. I believe it won't be difficult for you, but from their mouths, you will only get some surface-level information about the dimensional rift."

"I'm not trying to belittle their abilities, but the fact is, they don't have access to deeper information."

Li Qian nodded slightly, not doubting the truth of these words. In this matter, Zhou Chubin had no reason to deceive him, and such deception would be easily exposed.

By asking a few adventurers or graduates from the Eight Universities, one could easily find out the truth, so even if Zhou Chubin, Xue Huaiyu, and Ai Xiaolian colluded, it wouldn't make much difference.

As for Chu Xiran's previous suggestion, Li Qian could understand. After all, she had never done admissions work before, and it was normal for her to know about many things but not understand the reasons behind them. Moreover, she had also given a heads-up, so Li Qian was prepared for such a situation.

"Moreover, in my personal opinion, you don't really need to consider the dimensional rift." Seeing Li Qian's interest in the topic, he elaborated, "Without delving deep into the dimensional rift, it doesn't really matter which rift you choose."

Hearing this, Li Qian nodded slightly. He could understand this point; after so many years of exploration and excavation, even the shortest-lived Shazhou dimensional rift should have a well-developed surface layer.

From this perspective, if one didn't venture deep into the rift to explore its deeper secrets, it didn't make much difference which rift one chose.

As for the deeper layers of the dimensional rift, Li Qian was also aware of his limitations; he didn't have the ability to deal with such matters.

Of course, this "no difference" referred to settling in a specific dimensional rift. If one were to cross between rifts, there would also be "no difference," but this "no difference" meant "no difference in constraints."

"Moreover, as far as I know, the Federal Ministry of Education is pushing for reforms, and in a few years, the dimensional rifts will be open to the Eight Universities. There will be no distinction between them."

After hearing this news, Li Qian's expression didn't change, and he smiled ambiguously without confirming or denying it.

Some things, even if Zhou Chubin chose to deliberately ignore or downplay, were clear to Li Qian. In a dimensional rift filled with classmates and teachers, the difference between superficial equality and actual fairness was often vast. Her eyes, once filled with curiosity, now held a hint of disappointment. She had hoped to learn more about the dimensional rifts, but it seemed that her wish would not be fulfilled.

This world's situation was quite similar to her previous life on Earth, where relationships and connections played a significant role.

After a moment of thought, Li Qian nodded slightly, understanding the Federal Ministry of Education's intentions behind this move.

If most students chose more suitable Beastmaster Universities for their own benefit, it might lead to an imbalance in student enrollment among schools, ultimately hindering the control and management of the dimensional rifts.

From a long-term perspective, this was inappropriate, so the introduction of this regulation was understandable.

However, the effectiveness of this regulation or whether it only applied to students like Li Qian with no background was another matter.

In reality, if one were to deliberately inquire or even exchange some benefits for information, they could certainly learn about the dimensional rifts behind the Eight Universities.

Li Qian believed that while his situation was rare, there were likely more exceptions, such as the children of Beastmasters or wealthy families, who undoubtedly had a deeper understanding of the dimensional rifts than ordinary Beastmasters.

The Ministry of Education's regulations prohibited disclosing dimensional rift information to high school students, but these regulations couldn't constrain large corporations or powerful entities. While their understanding might not match that of Beastmaster Universities, it was undoubtedly more profound than that of ordinary Beastmasters.

In essence, this regulation is as good as a piece of paper to those with wealth and power, provided they truly possess such influence and aren't just wealthy heirs like Lu Kuihuan or Sun Shouhe.

Although he had the ability, Li Qian had no such intentions. As Zhou Chubin had said, at his current stage, choosing any dimensional rift would make little difference. And as Chu Xiran had pointed out, his future direction would likely be determined by the city he chose.

After listening to Zhou Chubin's explanation, Li Qian understood the situation and nodded slightly. He was no longer entangled in this issue and didn't give a direct response. "I see... I understand the situation and will consider it carefully. I'll give you an answer within two days."

Now that he understood the reason, there was no point in dragging things out, which might also leave a bad impression. So Li Qian decided to wait until all three Beastmaster Universities had announced their conditions before making a comparison and choosing the best option.

"Then I'll wait for your good news," Zhou Chubin said with a smile, standing up and shaking hands with Li Qian. Confidence filled his face.

Although Li Qian didn't express his thoughts, Zhou Chubin was very confident in the offer from Jiangnan Beastmaster University.

Whether it was Shazhou Beastmaster University or Mizhou Beastmaster University, in his opinion, they could offer at most similar conditions.

Given the similar conditions, Zhou Chubin believed Li Qian would prioritize Jiangnan Beastmaster University.

After all, Li Qian was from Jiangnan Province, and Jiangnan Beastmaster University was the closest to his home in Lingwater City.

This distance advantage was an inherent advantage that the other two Beastmaster Universities couldn't match.

After the conversation with Zhou Chubin ended, Li Qian didn't waste time and immediately met with Xue Huaiyu. The order was the same as their first meeting.

As this wasn't their first meeting, they didn't exchange pleasantries after sitting down and went straight to the point. Xue Huaiyu immediately started to raise the stakes, "In addition to the previous commitments made to you, as long as you enroll in our Shazhou Beastmaster University, our school will also provide you with an independent cultivation laboratory, which will be available to you from the very first year."

Xue Huaiyu had her suspicions. The conditions offered by Shazhou Beastmaster University during their first communication should have been among the best. This was evident from Li Qian's attitude towards her.

However, after Jiangnan Beastmaster University and Mizhou Beastmaster University raised their offers, it was no longer certain. Therefore, Shazhou Beastmaster University also had to increase their offer, and it had to be more than the other two schools.

She continued without pause, "Additionally, the school will also grant you free access to all cultivation data with independent intellectual property rights owned by our Shazhou Beastmaster University. You can browse it at any time."

After a brief pause, she added, "Regarding data with intellectual property rights owned by other teachers, we will actively communicate and coordinate to try and obtain it for you."

Li Qian's heart stirred slightly upon hearing these words. Even with his bold expectations, he found Xue Huaiyu's offer a bit unbelievable.

With such conditions, not only was it enough to attract a high school graduate like Li Qian, but it would also be more than sufficient to attract a well-known cultivation master.

What Li Qian didn't know was that Shazhou Beastmaster University was offering him conditions befitting a top-tier cultivation master.

In their eyes, although Li Qian was just a high school student, his consecutive research breakthroughs in the evolution from koi to green-scaled dragon and from koi to frostfire salamander marked him as a cultivation master.

Even now, offering such an attractive package might seem a bit excessive, but considering Li Qian's age and terrifying potential, it didn't seem so far-fetched.

Looking at Xue Huaiyu, who was full of expectation after giving the conditions, Li Qian couldn't help but sigh in admiration, "Shazhou Beastmaster University, you really have great courage!"

Xue Huaiyu's face lit up with joy upon hearing these words, and she said, "Student Li Qian, you are a one-in-a-million cultivation genius, and you fully deserve this treatment. In my opinion, not offering this treatment would be a sign of insincerity.

Smiling uncertainly, Li Qian didn't respond to Xue Huaiyu's implied jabs at the other two Beastmaster Universities and directly asked, "Indeed, I have felt the sincerity of Shazhou Beastmaster University, and I will consider it carefully. By the way, there's something I'd like to ask you, Teacher Xue."

Although Li Qian didn't give a direct response, his inclination was quite evident, especially with his final question.

It was precisely because of this that Xue Huaiyu, upon hearing these words, immediately asked with anticipation, "What's going on?"

Li Qian didn't hesitate and directly stated his request, which he had been contemplating for a while. This request wasn't too excessive, just a bit odd. "If I choose to join Shazhou Beastmaster University, I wonder if your esteemed school can send someone to protect my personal safety during this time before enrollment."

"Huh?" Xue Huaiyu was momentarily stunned after hearing Li Qian's additional request. It was clear that she hadn't anticipated such a demand. Once she recovered, she immediately responded, "This... I may not fully understand... But I can give you a direct answer right now, and there's absolutely no problem."

Li Qian shook his head and continued, adding, "I think, Teacher Xue, you might not have fully grasped my intention. The person I need must possess considerable strength and be able to handle some unexpected situations."

"In that case, I might need to consult with some of the school's leaders." Xue Huaiyu couldn't help but slightly furrow her brows upon hearing this. After a moment of contemplation, she responded once more.

"No need to leave. Give me two minutes." She waved her hand, indicating that Li Qian should wait for a moment, while her phone was already dialing a number.

Li Qian didn't know who she was calling, but he could be certain that the other party's identity wasn't ordinary. Soon, Li Qian learned the identity of the person on the other end, as Xue Huaiyu didn't avoid him while making the call; she did it right in front of him.

From Xue Huaiyu's address to the other party, it was evident that the person was likely the Principal or Vice Principal of Shazhou Beastmaster University.

After communicating for about three minutes, Xue Huaiyu hung up the phone and turned to Li Qian, nodding. She spoke with certainty, "It's settled. If you choose to join Shazhou Beastmaster University, our school will immediately dispatch a Beastmaster of the Sovereign Rank to protect your safety until enrollment."

Hearing Xue Huaiyu's affirmative response, Li Qian also showed a clear inclination, and he smiled, "I believe this will be a very attractive condition."

At this point in the conversation, they had essentially covered most of the necessary topics. After a few more exchanges, the two concluded their meeting.

"Then, I await your good news, Li Qian." Xue Huaiyu left the reception room, waving her hand inside as she spoke with confidence.

Zhou Chubin, who was observing from a distance, couldn't help but frown at this scene, and his heart involuntarily tightened.

Next, it was Ai Xiaolian from Mizhou Beastmaster University. During their communication, Li Qian also learned about the conditions offered by Mizhou Beastmaster University. Overall, after the additional offer, it was quite similar to Jiangnan Beastmaster University, but still fell short compared to Shazhou Beastmaster University.

"I wonder what you think of the conditions offered by Mizhou Beastmaster University?" Ai Xiaolian asked with an expectant expression after the conversation concluded.

Li Qian turned to Ai Xiaolian and smiled professionally, "It's very good. Mizhou Beastmaster University has planned my future path as a cultivation instructor in great detail, and the supporting resources sound quite tempting. I'll give it careful thought."

This seemingly standard smile, devoid of sincerity, made Ai Xiaolian's heart twitch slightly.

Li Qian's response gave her the impression that he already had someone in mind. Indeed, it was quite challenging for these out-of-province schools to compete with Jiangnan Beastmaster University.

Yes, at this moment, her intuition told her that Li Qian's heart was already set, and his target was most likely Jiangnan Beastmaster University.

After concluding his communication with the three admissions teachers, Li Qian made a decision that evening after some brief contemplation. In reality, with his inclination, this choice wasn't difficult to make.

He picked up his phone and dialed a number he had saved not long ago. "Teacher Xue, I hope that in a little over three months, I can see you again."

On the other end of the phone, Xue Huaiyu's voice sounded excited. "Li Qian, may I interpret this as you choosing Shazhou Beastmaster University?"

Although she was quite confident in the conditions offered by their school, and even she herself was initially surprised by them, her heart remained in suspense until she received Li Qian's definite response.

Now, upon hearing Li Qian's words, her heart finally settled. Li Qian didn't beat around the bush, and he added through the phone, "I believe my expression is very clear and unambiguous."

Xue Huaiyu couldn't contain the smile on her lips. She spoke with determination, "Trust me, Li Qian, you won't regret your choice today."

Li Qian chuckled and echoed, "I hope so too."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end