"Didn't you know? The passing score for our actuary program is 50 points?"
Seeing Xiao Qicai's astonished expression, Teacher Wen couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry.
"No wonder you looked so dejected after the exam—I thought you were disappointed with your score. Actually, it's quite impressive! Over the past decade, only about 10 students across all 46 elite academies have passed this exam. Scoring 9 points above the threshold is remarkable, so don't underestimate yourself!"
50 points! Just 50 points!
Xiao Qicai was stunned.
She blamed herself for not researching the program's admission criteria beforehand, only knowing that each department determined enrollment based on ranking. She had assumed the cutoff for the 46 elite academies would be at least 70 or 80 points.
After all, when she was admitted to the law program previously, she had scored above 90 in both practical and theoretical components.
Who would have thought the most challenging program—actuarial science—only required 50 points for admission!
Relief washed over her, and a smile broke across her face.
"Thank you, teacher. I truly didn't know. I used to live on a remote planet with my parents and only recently moved to Planet 4628, so I'm unfamiliar with the system here."
"That explains it," Teacher Wen said with a kind expression. "No wonder you wanted to join—it is tuition-free. But to achieve such results after just a few months back? With proper guidance, I believe you'll pass the actuary certification exam in no time! The electronic admission letter will be sent to your personal terminal shortly, and you can report to me tomorrow."
"Understood. Thank you, teacher."
Xiao Qicai was genuinely grateful. It seemed there weren't many faculty in this department, and Teacher Wen appeared approachable—perhaps her school life wouldn't be so difficult after all.
Sure enough, shortly after leaving the academy, she received the digital admission letter. She instinctively opened it. The golden interface was strikingly beautiful, completely different from the law department's, as if unfurling a grand path before her.
She sighed in relief. No matter what, academy life would provide more opportunities to understand this society—and greater safety.
Most importantly, it guaranteed her food, shelter, and financial security for the next few years.
But she never expected that even though she had opened the electronic letter in a secluded corner, its golden glow still dazzled nearby onlookers. Amidst the commotion, a crowd quickly gathered, some even raising their terminals to record.
"Oh my god! That's an actuary program admission letter! Someone on Planet 4628 actually passed the entrance exam this year!"
"Look at her—she doesn't seem like someone from a wealthy family. She must be a genius!"
"Did you see? She's an F-class citizen! An F-class! Can geniuses really come from F-class backgrounds?"
As the murmurs swirled around her, Xiao Qicai hastily closed the letter.
She never imagined a simple notification would draw such attention. Not wanting to make a scene, she quickly pushed through the crowd:
"Sorry, I need to go pack. Please don't record my face."
According to the Citizen Privacy Act, even if the terminal's camera was activated, without consent, the other party still couldn't transmit her facial image.
However, news of a new student passing the actuary exam on Planet 4628 this year was still reported, even taking up a significant portion of today's headlines.
Of course, without a clear face, no one could guess who it was. But Xiyuan Ce and Xuan Chen had already recognized Xiao Qicai just from her silhouette—after all, she was the only one who had taken the exam that day.
Xuan Chen's eyes widened.
Suddenly swelling with pride, he exclaimed, "I never thought our Dark Star would produce an actuary!"
"She's not one of us yet," Xiyuan Ce reminded him. "Also, you lost the bet. Pay up—transfer me the 10 million star credits."
"Wait, boss..." Xuan Chen was on the verge of tears.
Only then did he remember the bet. He had originally planned to trick his boss, but ended up trapping himself instead.
Half-laughing, half-pleading, he begged, "I don’t have a sugar mommy paying me 10 million a month to be her bodyguard! If I fork over 10 million, I’d have to work for Dark Star for years without pay! Boss, let’s just let this one slide. How about we go celebrate with her instead? She’s a living—no, a rising actuary! No matter what, we should definitely get on her good side..."
"Fair point. Consider the bet void. So, just give that 10 million to her instead—as a congratulatory gift," Xiyuan Ce said.
Xuan Chen: "?"
You two ruthless lovebirds! I knew it—your second spring has arrived!
Of course, the truth was that Xiyuan Ce’s generosity was purely an investment in his time machine. The more exceptional Xiao Qicai proved to be, the more credible her claims about the time machine became.
But to Xuan Chen, it just looked like Xiyuan Ce treated Xiao Qicai differently.
——
Xiao Qicai, of course, had almost nothing to pack. She had already sold off whatever she could. All she carried was a small bundle—toiletries, a towel, two sets of clothes, and a blanket.
Before the exam, she had left her belongings at the storage facility of the 46th Advanced Academy. After retrieving them, she left immediately.
Though advanced academies were open campuses with no restrictions on coming and going, for safety reasons—or to save on travel costs—she would likely spend most of her time on campus. Many matters could be handled directly on the virtual network.
So now, her other top priority was making money.
In just over half a month, she would have to pay Xiyuan Ce another 10 million star credits for her bodyguard services.
After all, that initial 100 million had essentially bought her life. Even if she could find a way to terminate the contract, she had decided to continue the monthly payments—it was a matter of principle, a commitment she intended to honor.
Xiao Qicai hadn’t been to many places: the 27th District public housing, a few nearby streets, the Citizen Information Office, the 46th Advanced Academy, and the shelter she had stayed at a few days prior.
All relatively safe zones.
But the factory Xuan Chen had picked for her was in the much rougher East Strip District.
There were no affordable housing units near Dongtiao District, nor any government institutions, making it a hotbed for various factions and extremely unsafe. However, Dongtiao District now fell within Darkstar's territory, so it had become slightly more peaceful than before.
Still, upon hearing Xiao Qicai was coming, Xuan Chen hastily sent some men to escort her, fearing something might happen to her.
Navigating through the derelict steel streets, the surroundings were chaotic yet maintained a strange order. People of all skin tones and appearances passed by, most exuding an air of "don’t mess with me."
It gave Xiao Qicai the surreal feeling of having stepped into a cyberpunk world.
But no matter who they were, the sight of a pretty, neatly dressed girl with bright eyes—clearly the epitome of a well-behaved young lady—made everyone instinctively glance her way. She stood out far too much on these streets.
Fortunately, the men Xuan Chen had sent arrived just in time. Otherwise, someone might have been tempted to make a move.
A large group of burly men made quite the spectacle—bare-chested and muscular, they greeted her before positioning themselves protectively behind her. For a moment, she felt like some mafia princess or the revered wife of a crime boss from a novel.
No, it wasn’t just her imagination—002 was screaming excitedly in her mind.
"Ahhh, this is the vibe! Doesn’t it feel cool, Master? The wife of an underground boss! So cool, so pampered! Look, with these bodyguards around, no one dares to stare at you anymore! See how many envious looks you’re getting!"
Xiao Qicai: "..."
Thanks, but if I saw dozens of tough guys escorting a young girl, I’d also give her a curious once-over.
Of course, I wouldn’t dare look too long—who wants to risk getting beaten up?
With that thought, she silently put on a face mask.
The group of men led her straight to an abandoned factory in Dongtiao District.
Xuan Chen was already waiting there.
Now that his acne had cleared up, he looked even more like a pretty boy, though his commanding presence remained unchanged. His towering subordinates still treated him with utmost respect.
After all, pretty boy or not, his ruthlessness hadn’t diminished in the slightest.
"Congratulations, Miss Xiao!" Xuan Chen’s smile was genuine when he saw her. "I never expected you to pass the actuary entrance exam. Planet 4628 might just get a new actuary!"
"Thank you." Xiao Qicai was surprised by how quickly Xuan Chen had gotten the news. Did he have people stationed at the school or nearby?
"No, the two men assigned to protect you know nothing about this," Xuan Chen explained, sensing her confusion.
"You’re famous now!"
With that, he pulled up Planet 4628’s news feed. The latest update on the front page featured a story about the prestigious 46th Advanced Academy’s actuary program welcoming its first student in years.
The photo showed a slender, plainly dressed girl, but the focus was on the dazzling golden admission letter—though, for privacy, her student ID and personal details had been blurred.
The article’s author had lavished praise on the first actuary student in three years, waxing poetic about Planet 4628’s bright future.
It was all very exaggerated.
Seeing that there were no full-face photos or personal details revealed, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"I never expected it to blow up like this. Had I known, I wouldn't have opened the admission letter there," Xiao Qicai shook her head, clearly not wanting such attention, especially since she'd just assumed a new identity.
"What's there to worry about? If I'd passed the actuary entrance exam without reporting it, I'd have bought a newspaper page to announce it!" Xuan Chen said carelessly.
"This calls for celebration. Before we check the factory, we've prepared a congratulatory gift for you."
With that, he tapped his terminal against Xiao Qicai's. Immediately, she received a notification for a face-to-face transfer of 10 million credits.
Xiao Qicai was stunned. Xuan Chen was someone who never acted without benefit—yet he'd just transferred her a full 10 million simply to congratulate her on passing the actuary exam!
She was desperately short on funds—this was like receiving a pillow when drowsy!
"Ahem, this is actually from the boss. Just take it as congratulations for your admission. Of course, don't forget about our business arrangement."
"I haven't forgotten. That's why I came today to make arrangements," Xiao Qicai nodded.
"Then let's go see the factory now. Wait—before that, are you satisfied with the workers I arranged for you?"
"What workers? They're already arranged?" Xiao Qicai asked, puzzled.
"Didn't you say you needed at least fifty workers? These men who came to pick you up—you didn't realize they're workers? I specially picked the most honest and manageable ones for you!"
A trace of shock finally appeared on Xiao Qicai's face.
She turned to look at the fifty garishly dressed, muscular men behind her—their tattoos visible, faces fierce, clearly not to be trifled with—and her lips twitched.
Great. Just great.
They looked so "honest"!
She felt that if she dared to scold them or assign any tasks, any one of them could probably punch her to death.
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