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Academy and Uniforms
"Is it Mr. Gaius?"
"Yes, I am."
"Then please follow me."
The day after registering and paying the fees, Karl followed the instructions he received and arrived at the gate of Arasaka Academy at 8 a.m. After verification by the staff, he was guided by a faculty member in uniform. Under the identity of Gaius, Karl entered Arasaka Academy for the first time.
Arasaka Academy's courses are primarily conducted through virtual reality, with AI-generated teaching plans tailored for students at different performance levels. While AI serves as the primary instructor, some staff members are still responsible for necessary student management.
The young woman, who appeared to be in her twenties, leading Karl around the academy, was a receptionist for new students.
As Karl listened to the receptionist's introduction to the vast Arasaka Academy, located in the city center, he silently recalled information about studying there.
Many people in 2075 questioned the need for traditional schooling when technology could be mastered by plugging in a chip. However, anyone familiar with corporate operations understood that those chips didn't contain the principles behind the technology. To genuinely understand and master the technology, one still needed to attend school.
A simple analogy would be a person inserting a chef chip to make scrambled eggs with tomatoes. With the chip's influence, they could produce perfectly identical dishes. However, once the chip was removed, they would lose all related memories. Without even knowing how to hold a spatula before, they couldn't stir-fry properly after the chip was gone.
Understanding the fundamental principles was essential. Companies weren't generous enough to provide this knowledge freely. Plugging in a chip to operate as gears in the machine was one thing, but mastering the underlying principles was valuable knowledge, not given away lightly.
Entering Arasaka Academy and learning the knowledge that allowed Arasaka to use students as tools was just the first step. To truly integrate into the academy, students needed to understand more than just the basics of chips; they had to grasp the relevant applications.
For example, someone inserting a boxer chip would become proficient in boxing but needed to know the rules, such as not hitting the referee. Machines could be rigid, but humans had to be adaptable.
Arasaka Academy didn't want rigid machines but real people who understood rules, hierarchy, and subordination.
For street kids like Gaius, learning the rules was essential. The receptionist focused on guiding Karl through areas where rules and regulations needed strict adherence, repeating the necessary regulations.
Karl memorized the important ones, which boiled down to one core rule: Arasaka Academy had the absolute right of interpretation.
Simple enough.
"That's the building you'll attend tomorrow. Your student ID and classroom details have been sent to your personal terminal. Now, let's pick up your uniform. Please note that any damage or stains during the trial period are prohibited. Wearing the uniform during school hours is mandatory; otherwise, it violates Article 1 of the College Rules and Regulations..."
Karl tuned out the repeated phrases, nodding to show he was listening.
Arasaka Academy's rules were a simplified version of Arasaka Corporation's regulations. Karl didn't want to imagine the complexity of the corporation's rules.
No wonder the corporate workers were called "dogs." With such strict and cumbersome rules, humans could only become obedient under such constraints.
Karl knew these rules applied only to the lower-level employees. The true corporate controllers wouldn't bother with these regulations. He doubted they even knew about the rules imposed on the workers below them.
But now, Karl had to play the role of a street thug aspiring to climb the corporate ladder.
Listening to all these rules was part of the act. Who would have thought that even in 2075, he'd still have to go to school and learn the rules? It was frustrating.
Under the receptionist's guidance, Karl received his school uniform. Arasaka Academy didn't skimp on making money. He registered yesterday, and today they already had a uniform in his size, brand new in appearance and materials.
Karl knew Arasaka's game but had to play along. The uniform was indeed new.
He now understood the concept of money buying the best services.
From the outside, Arasaka Academy uniforms resembled those of the corporation: red and black, evoking a sense of rust and blood. For women, the lower part was a skirt instead of pants, but Gaius, being male, didn't receive that treatment.
Holding the bag with the suit, Karl exited the academy, guided by the receptionist. Standing at the entrance under the watchful eyes of Arasaka security, he looked back at the place he'd be attending tomorrow.
He sighed deeply.
"I have to get up at seven in the morning and rush to school. I'm not a high school student... Wait, considering my age, I am a high school student. Damn it."
A bad day at school awaited him.