Chapter 33: Logistics Department
After resting for a long time in the training hall and recovering from his fatigue, Xiao Lin returned to the dormitory and bet on his chances that he would still be allowed in. However, the two transparent doors were closed tightly. The computer managed everything automatically, leaving no chance to compromise. He looked up at the towering dormitory building, dropped the unrealistic idea of climbing up, and finally went back in despair.
The student regulations clearly stated that freshmen were not allowed to hang out for no reason at night. Although no one knew what that rule was for, anyone who violated the rule would have their redemption points deducted. More serious offenses would incur a direct deduction of credits. At that stage, credits and redemption points were extremely valuable; no one dared to violate that rule on a whim.
Xiao Lin hesitated a little. The academy must surely have people on night duty, and the best option for him as of then was to head back to the training hall following the route he came from. Although he did not know what season it was, he felt that it was probably 20 or so degrees. It would not be a problem to spend a night at the training hall.
However, Xiao Lin was very curious about that mysterious academy–a trait he shared in common with all freshman students. With such a good opportunity at hand, he felt that he should take the chance to have a look around in the academy.
The manifestation of that idea almost instantly shot down all of Xiao Lin’s other worries. At times, curiosity could overcome reason, and Xiao Lin was the typical example of it.
It did not seem to matter if he was caught and punished with a deduction of redemption points or credits. His Grade S achievement in the admission test meant that he still had plenty to spend.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHe was stubborn like that!
Xiao Lin made a resolute decision to head out. He passed through the front quarters of a grove, where the road diverged into two different paths. One passed through the public classrooms and went directly to the training halls, forming the path that everyone took on a daily basis. Another one led deeper into Dawn Academy, which also happened to be the path that Xiao Lin was taking.
Moving past the large fountain in front of the public classrooms, there were three magnificent academic buildings in front of him. The academic buildings were all classically-designed, with a steeple-shaped sloping roof and white walls covered not with tiles, but with an unknown material. It was very smooth, shining softly in a silver brilliance under the bright moonlight.
Mm? Hold up!
Xiao Lin suddenly realized something and raised his head, seeing a silver moon above his head high up in the sky. He knew that Dawn Academy was not on Earth, but still had a moon and a sun. However, the bright moon was ovular and looked slightly bigger too.
That was not the point, however. The main point was a smaller round moon not too far away from the oval moon. Two moons shone next to each other, and the brighter silver moon outshone any stars. Of course, Xiao Lin was also unsure if he could still see the familiar stars he used to see on Earth.
“I was told that this academy was designed to emulate Planet Norma. That includes the environment, time, and climate. Does this mean that the New World has two moons? How many suns does it have, then?”
Xiao Lin sighed a little after remembering that he was not on Earth. The three academic buildings were each divided into a specific area, and each area was separated by strange flowers and plants. All three were public academic buildings for the more senior students.
After going past the three academic buildings, he came to a wide, open space behind them, where a huge silver sculpture of a man stood in the middle. Xiao Lin approached it to look at it. At the base of the sculpture was a line of golden characters: Lei Jun, founder of Dawn Academy, pioneer of Planet Norma!
“Did this man establish the academy?” Xiao Lin looked at the sculpture carefully under the moonlight. From appearance alone, the man looked rather ordinary. He was dressed in an ancient robe that could only be seen in historical television series.
Xiao Lin silently made a mental note of the name, not for any specific reason, but purely because he thought that it might be useful in a history lesson or an exam. In any case, committing it to memory was not a bad thing at all.
There were four diverging roads around the open space and signs were erected at each intersection. On the left was the dormitory area for seniors, while up ahead was the library. The upper right was the lab area, and the lower right was the logistics department.
Upon seeing the last sign, Xiao Lin’s eyes suddenly glowed like a lightbulb. The logistics department was for none other than food and clothing, of course. He gulped hard, because after a whole afternoon of intense exercise, Xiao Lin barely had any water. He was so famished that he could gobble up an entire roast chicken. The word ‘logistics’ was practically the same as ‘roast chicken’ right then.
Just as he was getting some mischievous ideas, a sudden voice came from behind him. “You there! Hold it!”
Xiao Lin turned quickly and saw two blue-uniformed boys approaching him quickly. One stopped and asked, “Hello there, Senior. Please produce your universal card.”
Blue uniforms meant that the two guys were in their sophomore year. Their tone of voice was still very polite, as they probably mistook Xiao Lin for a senior. It was logical, given that freshmen were forbidden to hang out around campus at night, and Xiao Lin’s uniform had been left in the training hall.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“Oh, the universal card. Gimme a sec,” Xiao Lin pretended to lower his head to search his pockets. He casually made a remark, “There’s still inspections so late at night? Dawn Academy’s rules are so troublesome.”
One of the boys smiled. “Good one, Senior. We have no choice. The student union established this rule a long time ago. Students in all years are not allowed to enter Dawn Academy’s forbidden areas, but there are always people who take advantage of it during the night… Haha.”
The statement implied that Xiao Lin was one of those people. Xiao Lin’s curiosity was piqued and he raised his head to ask, without thinking, “What forbidden area? Where are the academy’s forbidden areas?”
Xiao Lin wanted to give himself two slaps after he said that. Sure enough, the other boy looked suspicious and began sizing Xiao Lin up. “Dawn Academy’s forbidden areas are no secret. Any teacher or student in this college should know about it!”
“Wait, this isn’t right. If he’s a freshman, there’s no way he’d know about the forbidden area.” The boy had a sudden realization.
Xiao Lin was drenched in cold sweat and could only curse his mouth’s quick response. Seeing the growing suspicion in their eyes, he suddenly raised his finger to the night sky and exclaimed, “Look! The dean’s flying dragon! ”
During the opening ceremony, the dean came in person riding a golden flying dragon. Such a cool and commanding appearance shocked all the freshmen, but little did they know that the second- and third-year students were just as shocked to see a real-life golden dragon.
That sentence prompted the two boys to turn their heads almost subconsciously. However, there was nothing in the night sky but the silver-white moonlight–not even any birds, let alone flying dragons.
They immediately realized that it was actually a very feeble attempt at deceiving them. When they turned their heads again, Xiao Lin was already bolting toward the logistics department like a madman.
Indeed, Xiao Lin made a run for the logistics department because filling his stomach remained his immediate priority…