The principal's office was stark, with a neat pile of documents on a white wooden desk and a silver ornament beside them, featuring a majestic lion standing on a cliff, the emblem of Luhe High School. The tea cup on the desk was still slightly steaming.
Many pennants hung on the wall behind, along with some photographs.
The people in the photos all looked extraordinary, seemingly elites from various professions. Beifei recognized a few who were shaking hands with the principal, but he couldn't recall who they were at the moment.
Everything in the office was well organized and comforting to look at.
It was Xiang Beifei's first visit to the principal's office. He didn't have much of an impression of Principal Li Nanxing; he just discreetly observed the principal's system, checking past system tasks the principal had undertaken.
"Please sit, don't be tense," Li Nanxing said with a smile.
Xiang Biefei sat down, feeling puzzled.
He had thought Principal Li Nanxing summoned him for some system task that would start with him.
But there was nothing on the principal's system task list that involved him.
So, what did he want from him?
"Are you doing alright?"
Li Nanxing asked from his chair, looking at him gently.
"I'm fine," Beifei replied.
Li Nanxing smiled, saying, "I called you here today for nothing serious. Don't be nervous, just to offer you a System School Selection Consultation."
"System consultation?"
Xiang Beifei was confused.
S-ranked Liu Qianrou and Qi Bin hadn't been directly approached by the principal, so why single him out?
Li Nanxing looked at Xiang Beifei and said, "I happen to have some time to give you some guidance. Do you have any questions about your awakened system?"
Xiang Beifei pondered for a moment, sizing up Li Nanxing's system again to confirm there were no tasks concerning him, then said, "Principal, I want to know if there are any restrictions for entering one of the nine elite universities? Is it just scoring well enough, or does one need to awaken a certain level of system?"
"Nine elite universities?"
Li Nanxing was slightly startled.
He hadn't expected Beifei to ask about the entry requirements for elite universities instead of something about the system.
He had already reviewed Beifei's academic scores, which were dismal. It was doubtful he could even make it to university, let alone his status as an N-level System Awakener, where talent itself is a threshold.
Li Nanxing thought for a moment and asked, "Your first system task isn't requiring you to get into an elite university, is it?"
An N-level system can be troublesome; sometimes setting up tasks that don't follow any conventional logic, giving the host a task to get admitted into an elite university isn't unheard of.
Xiang Beifei was surprised that the principal would ask this, but it was a convenient excuse.
He went with the flow and said, "Yes, my system task is troublesome indeed, so I really want to know how to get into an elite university."
"This..."
Li Nanxing felt overwhelmed.
It was just a casual question he hadn't expected Beifei's initial system task to be so difficult!
He hesitated for a moment and slowly said, "Getting into an elite university isn't easy! Most elite universities set a threshold for talent, with a minimum requirement being R-level Awakeners. S-level is quite common, N-level System Awakeners... hardly any..."
"Even if the academic scores are sufficient?" Beifei asked.
Li Nanxing looked troubled and said with a bitter smile, "Each university has its own admissions policy. Training students, well, elite university courses are rather difficult, R-level Awakeners already find it tough, let alone N-level."
"So, there's no hope at all? Not even a slight possibility?" Xiang Beifei asked.
"That's not necessarily true."
Li Nanxing slowly said, "Elite universities all have talent thresholds, that's true, but there is one elite university that does not, and that is Liangzhou University."
"Does Liangzhou University allow N-level Awakeners to enroll?"
"Yes, you should have heard of our governor of Liangzhou, Shang Tianxiong?"
Li Nanxing spoke of Shang Tianxiong with quite some emotion, "He is an N-level System Awakener and a legend of his generation because he graduated from Liangzhou Martial Arts College with sheer perseverance. Liangzhou University does not set a talent threshold; as long as your scores are sufficient, N-level students can also enroll, but N-level students need to pass their entrance test."
"How many N-level students have enrolled at Liangzhou University over the years?" Xiang Beifei asked.
"Not many."
Li Nanxing slightly shook his head, "We can say—it is even rarer than SR System Awakeners."
System Awakeners from the SR system are one in tens of thousands!
This year, their school had no SR System Awakeners at all.
Yet in this world, N-levels are everywhere.
However, in reality, within elite universities, the number of N-level Awakeners is even lower than SR Awakeners!
This clearly shows that even for a university like Liangzhou University, which does not limit entry thresholds, it is nearly impossible for the lowest N-level Awakeners to get into an elite university, as challenging as reaching the heavens!
In places filled with elites, if your talent is not up to par, you don't even qualify to be counted.
Xiang Beifei, however, isn't concerned about these matters; since Liangzhou University is the only elite university without a talent threshold, he needs to set his sights on Liangzhou University.
"Principal, after getting into Liangzhou University, are there any scholarships or loans available? I heard the tuition is very expensive, if possible, I need to find a part-time job at school," Xiang Beifei said.
Li Nanxing was taken aback again upon hearing Xiang Beifei's words.
From the tone of this child, it seemed he had already assumed he would be accepted into Liangzhou University?
He even planned how to make a living after entering the school?
Was this child not understanding his point, or was he too arrogant?
Suddenly, Li Nanxing realized that Xiang Beifei might not be as hopeless as he seemed yesterday when he awakened, nor was he about to give up on life.
On the contrary, this child was filled with confidence for the future!
Could it be because of the system?
But that's impossible!
As an educator, he knew all too well how bad the N-level system was—it's not that everyone can have great perseverance and become a legend like Shang Tianxiong.
Xiang Beifei's grades had always been at the bottom, and now with only two months left, to reverse his fortunes to the scoreline required by elite universities in such a short time was a mere fantasy!
Even with the help of the system—if an N-level system could so easily help someone become elite within two months, it wouldn't be called an N-level system!
"You seem very confident about getting into Liangzhou University?"
Li Nanxing's perception of Xiang Beifei gradually changed.
"Isn't it what you said? No one should give up hope, with efforts, even an N-level system can break through the heavens. Having dropped from UR-level to N-level, I've already experienced a disaster, what more do I have to lose? If I don't take my chances now, when should I wait?"
Xiang Beifei began to ramble, but he was serious.
Li Nanxing's eyes lit up!
"What a resolve to take a chance!"
Xiang Beifei's words seemed to reignite the long-dormant passion in his heart; there was a time when he too was full of ambition, striving to become a Confucian Sage.
Although he has only become a high school principal now, he has never slacked off and continues to strive for improvement.
In Xiang Beifei, Li Nanxing seemed to see his own past.