It is important to acknowledge that in the past, the federal social structure was constructed by five distinct groups of people who possessed exceptional wisdom and foresight. Their efforts resulted in the creation of a highly advanced and well-organized society, a true testament to their civilization's brilliance and ongoing progress. The Capital Star Circle, located in the northern latitudes, boasts excellent surroundings and distinct seasons, which serve as a testament to the dedication and hard work of the federal ancestors. In this region, the harshness and challenges of nature are experienced for approximately 70 days each year, allowing the federation to understand the harsh realities of survival in a densely populated and prosperous environment.
The university city, despite its name, is not a conventional city but rather a collection of university campuses scattered across a plain on both sides of the Rose River. Most administrative planets of the capital have established their universities here. As the federal society has grown increasingly sophisticated and educational standards have improved, the size of each university has expanded. During the 34th constitutional period, these universities gradually merged to form a large-scale community. This expansive region is commonly referred to as the university city by the people of the federation. Unfortunately, over time, the federation seems to have forgotten the original purpose of establishing academies in this place. The continuous supply of warm air and the controlled atmosphere system ensure that the air remains fresh, leading scholars within the buildings to rarely venture outside during the onset of winter. They spend their days in front of crystal screens, disconnected from the severity of the so-called "nature."
In the southeast region of the university city, there is a renowned institution called Pear Flower University. Behind the university campus dormitories, rows of common gray one-story houses somewhat disrupt the picturesque snow-covered garden, resembling frozen pear flowers.
In a small one-story house located far away from the main building of the campus, the household heating still kept the indoors warm as spring. The glass windows were covered in frost fluid, giving a misty and joyful appearance. Xu Le wiped away the wet fog on the glass with his palm and looked out at the snow-covered pear tree in the garden. He smiled happily, thinking that this was truly a wonderful place. Despite the severe cold winter, it remained beautiful. He had never seen such a view in Eastwood. His hometown seemed dim in comparison, making him appreciate the pear blossoms and snowflakes even more.
It had been more than ten days since he arrived at Pear Flower University. Boss Feng Yu had suggested this place as a hiding spot before the final showdown. Xu Le, posing as a fugitive trying to conceal a chip within his body, didn't want to pursue an actual job related to the chip. Instead, he came to this place and easily obtained a job offer. He found it strange that finding work was so effortless, but later realized that this job only required him to guard the back entrance of Pear Flower University and clean the road within a ten-meter radius. It was euphemistically called a member of the rear services headquarters, but in reality, it was just a gatekeeping role, the lowest level in society. The wage was pitifully low, but fortunately, Xu Le had plenty of money in his Zhang Sanlin United Commercial Bank account. He didn't come to Highwood for the money; he had no strong desires and happily accepted this job, along with his own modest one-story house.
Unlike the typical federal citizen, who would find the snowscape of Pear Flower University, like He Meili, monotonous after more than ten days, Xu Le was different. He had never seen snow in his life, so he relished these few days of admiring the pure white snow. During the winter vacation, there were very few students left in Pear Flower University, so his work hadn't officially started yet. Apart from clearing snow, he had nothing else to do, which left him with a lot of idle time.
In the illuminant shield computer at the gatekeeper's station, Xu Le would access the internet during his idle time. He earnestly read materials about Pear Flower University, discovering that this seemingly ordinary school was actually one of the leading universities for mobile armored suits and battleship installations, under the Ministry of Defense. Of course, the three major military academies and Westwood military academy were not located in the university city, and Xu Le couldn't easily access those places. Thus, for his own interests, the common Pear Flower University turned out to be the best choice. He realized that boss Feng Yu had considered his aspirations, and this thought warmed his heart like the indoor air.
When Xu Le first arrived in the university city, he had tried to apply for an auditor's document. After all, he had a lot of money in his current account and should have been able to provide enough financial support. Unfortunately, the principals and directors of the school administration office responsible for verifying new student matters had all gone on leave to the major cities of the capital star. However, what disappointed Xu Le was that the Pear Flower University library had been closed for the past few days due to system updates and vacations, preventing him from accessing knowledge about M-series machine armor structure and repair, which he was most interested in. He couldn't search for information about the mysterious shivering power hidden within him in the ancient books.
During these cold snowy days, while Xu Le was idle, he would browse various channels at night and search for machine repair knowledge online, in addition to spending most of his time bundled up in his warm bedding. He would close his eyes and focus on the subtle changes in the shivering power within him. He tried to recall the shivering sensation from the ancient bell, which made him feel slightly dizzy. Despite the strong winds and heavy snow outside, he worried that others might see him practicing the set of ten movements that he hadn't practiced in several days. However, the shivering in his muscles would gradually subside during his daily rest. With each passing day, he seemed to be a bit more adept, as if he were on the verge of a breakthrough.
That night, as his body and joints deep within grew familiar with the soreness, Xu Le fell into a deep sleep accompanied by the howling of the wind and snow. In his sleep, he dreamt of a lovely female student with flowing hair marrying him and becoming his wife. In the dream, he was the chief machine repair master in a large capital company, working on all sorts of interesting projects. But on the television, he faintly heard someone important announcing a conspiracy behind a major explosion. Despite the pleasant dreams, Xu Le's lips curled into a sweet smile, causing his body to shiver. The shivering didn't stop; it intensified, causing his muscles to twitch slightly. Each twitch made him feel stronger.
...
...
Spring arrived with its beautiful sunshine, and the wind and snow on the capital star's Highwood S1 administrative area quickly dissipated. The snow on the banks of the Rose River had completely melted, leaving behind a vast green landscape and vibrant spring trees. Today was the first day of school, and countless students returned to the city by various means of transportation, filling the once quiet campus with life. Cars frequently arrived at peaceful Pear Flower University, accompanied by students in love, creating an atmosphere of youthful excitement that rippled through the campus. Due to the large number of students heading to the federal quarters for shopping, even the usually deserted back entrance of the university became lively. Laughter and conversation filled the air, drowning out the voices of those who still supported the Pleiades critique government.
Suddenly, a discussion broke out at the campus entrance, buzzing with excitement, only to abruptly stop. The students' attention was drawn to something, causing them to instinctively pause and cast complex gazes toward the entrance. Several boys, who had been influenced by Karin's principles and were usually found near the fountain, ceased their passionate activities and walked in that direction, their eyes fixed on something with a peculiar expression.
A female student with long, shawl-like hair and black-framed glasses was walking calmly and coldly through the back entrance of Pear Flower University. She carried a pack of books and drew numerous gazes, filled with emotions such as tenderness, sympathy, dislike, contempt, envy, and jealousy.
The students of Pear Flower University easily recognized this female student. She had been the center of attention among the freshmen a year ago, Zhang Xiaomeng, the son of a rebellious family. After entering the freshman class, she had embraced Karin's principles, surprising everyone. This young girl had given up a comfortable life and her studies to join the influential New Zezhou group in the S2 administrative area, where she advocated for the lower class and participated in multiple demonstrations.
Since Zhang Xiaomeng left Pear Flower University, her schoolmates didn't know what she had been up to. However, they knew the rumors were true. This once-shocking female student had apparently grown weary of her so-called idealistic pursuits and abandoned them to return to the federation's embrace. The back entrance of Pear Flower University fell into an awkward silence as no one approached Zhang Xiaomeng, wearing her black-framed glasses, to greet her or welcome her back. Instead, they stared at her with a mix of hostility and complex emotions. Yes, when she left this place a year ago, she should have known that coming back wouldn't be easy.
If her previous ideals were deemed naive and based on romantic notions of an easy life, then why did she give up on those ideals and return? Wasn't it nonsense? These were the thoughts running through the minds of most students, who felt the pressure of the situation as they looked at Zhang Xiaomeng in silence. However, Zhang Xiaomeng remained unperturbed. She raised her head slightly, maintaining a tranquil and proud demeanor, as she walked toward her dormitory building.
At that moment, the several boys who had been promoting Karin's principles at the fountain blocked her path and angrily exclaimed, "You've betrayed your ideals!"
"My ideal is to live a good life," Zhang Xiaomeng replied calmly, pushing up her black-framed glasses. She paid no attention to these individuals and walked past them. The surrounding students looked at Zhang Xiaomeng's retreating figure with strange expressions, ranging from mockery to sympathy. After a brief pause, the boy who had spoken spat out a contemptuous and rejecting saliva behind her.
"Excuse me, please clean up the stains," a young man wearing a red armband approached the male student and handed him a cleaning rag. He said earnestly, "According to the regulations, I will suggest deducting three points from your academic record."
The male student angrily asked, "Who are you?"
The young man pointed to his red armband and replied, "I'm a gatekeeper."