Chapter 25: Dormitory Inspection

They returned to the living quarters, listening to Wang Laicai’s incessant grumbling the entire way. After a brief farewell, the three of them parted ways, each hurrying back to their respective dormitories.

Outside Jiang Tang’s dormitory, two men in white uniforms were impatiently ringing the doorbell.

"Student, if you don't open the door, we will be forced to take measures!"

A black shadow suddenly flickered behind them. The taller man in white turned around sharply, but saw nothing but fallen leaves swirling in the wind.

"Did you hear something?" he asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"No. Are you that tired that you’re hallucinating?" his shorter companion yawned. "Why isn't this student coming out? Forget it, bring out the gear!"

"I don't think that’s a good idea. Martial combat is prohibited within the academy..."

"We aren't students of Nebula Academy," the companion replied dismissively, activating his card. "Let's just finish this quickly and go get some rest."

A silver flash cut through the air, a dinner knife grazing the man's cheek and leaving a thin line of blood.

"Late at night, and you're already resorting to home invasion?" Jiang Tang leaned calmly against the door frame, speaking to the two men in white standing outside.

The shorter man covered his cheek and barked, "Openly attacking a Disciplinary Committee member? You have some nerve!"

Jiang Tang shrugged. "Then call the police."

"You—!"

The taller committee member stopped his companion, his gaze sweeping over the red-lit surveillance camera above. "Apologies, student. We'll be leaving now."

He pulled his reckless companion away and whispered, "Enough. Do you want to be caught on camera abusing your authority against a student?"

He was speechless at this colleague who had gotten his position through connections. He was like a pig—completely oblivious to when to advance or retreat. No wonder the internet always said the Disciplinary Committee was just a place for the wealthy elite to gild their resumes.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

After watching them disappear, Jiang Tang turned and went back inside. She opened her brain-link and found that Wang Laicai had created a group chat.

*AAA Anti-Discipline King: [Are you all safe?]*

Jiang Tang replied with a "1."

*Mom Bless Me: [1]*

*Red and Blue Plumber: [1]*

*AAA Anti-Discipline King: [OK. Coffee beans are in short supply lately, so let's skip the coffee for now. We'll find another time to meet.]*

It was a coded message, meaning the inspections were too tight, and no one dared to host underground matches, so they would be suspended for the time being.

Jiang Tang sighed. With one channel for earning credits gone, fulfilling her graduation requirements seemed like a distant dream.

She searched for information on the Disciplinary Committee on the StarNet, and the first result was a recruitment link.

"Ages 20 to 80, C-rank card master or higher registered with the Federation, good health, decent appearance. Veterans preferred..."

The requirements seemed simple, but a quick browse through the relevant job forums revealed endless posts from people crying about being stuck at the resume screening stage.

*Graduated from one of the Big Four, B-rank card master, resume rejected...*
*99th time applying, the Disciplinary Committee blocked me.*
*What exactly are you even looking for, Disciplinary Committee?*

Jiang Tang sat on the sofa and clicked on the forum's pinned post: *[Secrets Revealed! How to Become a Disciplinary Committee Member!]*

"Haha, us commoners shouldn't even dream of the positions reserved for the young masters and misses!"
"Agreed. Those without backing are just cannon fodder to take the fall for the elite."
"Even Meng Changning would get rejected for dropping out of high school!"
"Stop being bitter, guys. I was born on a small planet, I'm a B-rank card master, and I'm currently on the committee."

After reading through the thread, Jiang Tang pieced together quite a bit of information.

Simply put, the Disciplinary Committee was under the direct jurisdiction of the Federal Parliament and was specifically responsible for managing card masters currently in school. Most of those who managed to join were the elite offspring of prominent families.

Among the various academies, Nebula Academy held the deepest hatred for the Disciplinary Committee. While Nebula ranked last in strength among the four major academies, its financial power far exceeded the others. Most of its funding came from the wealthy, who paid to secure degrees for their children whose talents were otherwise questionable.

With similar family backgrounds but a vast chasm in talent, the "second-generation" elites and the genuine geniuses were naturally at odds.

Just last semester, a committee member accidentally killed a student during an inspection. The previous principal, a woman of formidable temper, immediately retaliated by storming the Disciplinary Committee's branch at Nebula. She first demanded a life for a life, then fought the then-Commissioner for three days and three nights. The result was that both were suspended.

It was hard to tell how much of this was true, but one thing was certain: tonight’s incident was far from over.

Jiang Tang rubbed her temples, lamenting that the complexity of school life in this world rivaled the presidential elections of her previous life.

...

Meanwhile, at the Nebula branch of the Disciplinary Committee.

A short-haired woman sat behind a desk, her fingernails tapping rhythmically on the surface. "Are they all in their dorms?"

A nameplate sat on the top right corner of her desk: *Commissioner Fu Qing.*

"Commissioner Fu, yes. Those who weren't in their dorms have already reported their whereabouts. No one is under suspicion."

Fu Qing’s lips curled into a cold smile. "Hmph, they ran fast. What about the files on those three? Any leads?"

The assistant pulled up two profiles. "Preliminary suspicion: 'Super Mario' is Tanaka Mari of the Yamato pantheon; another is Wang Laicai of the Nordic pantheon. The last one... identity unknown..."

Fu Qing recalled the laurel leaves fluttering through the air. "Laurel... could it be the Greek pantheon?"

The goddess who had descended that night had only appeared for a fleeting moment, but her graceful demeanor was enough to captivate anyone. She bore a striking resemblance to Daphne, the goddess of the laurel tree in Greek mythology, known for her peerless beauty.

"Perhaps there is a resonance of the Laurel Goddess in the academy?" Fu Qing mused.

The assistant asked, "Should we question Principal Chen?"

Fu Qing waved her hand. "No, it’s useless. That Chen woman is a slippery character—even harder to deal with than the firecracker she replaced."

Furthermore, there was no hard evidence to prove their true identities; Tanaka Mari and Wang Laicai would certainly deny everything to the end.

The incident where a committee member killed a student was still fresh, and the entire committee was lying low. It wouldn't do to blow this out of proportion.

"Our new principal is famous on the battlefield for being cunning." Fu Qing smiled, though the warmth didn't reach her eyes.

What she didn't say was that there was someone under Chen's command who made her wary. Xia Qiu...

Fu Qing silently chewed on the name, her eyes darkening. It seemed she would have to approach this from the inside.

"Xiao Sheng, what was the name of the heir to your main family?"

"Sheng Huaian," the assistant replied respectfully.

"What is his rank?"

"He is preparing to attempt the S-rank breakthrough this year."

"Ask him if he has any interest in joining the Disciplinary Committee after graduation."

The assistant opened Sheng Huaian's file and hesitated. How did this young master fail his latest exam? He stared at the bright red "59.5" in silence.

With such an awkward score, could it be that he hit his rebellious phase and specifically scored that way to spite the head of his family? He had heard that Sheng Huaian’s relationship with his family wasn't great.

"59.5?" Fu Qing frowned upon seeing the grade, regretting her words.

"This exam seems to have been unusual; only one person passed."

The assistant quickly pulled up the scores of a few others. Jiang Tang's four-digit score stood out conspicuously.

"Jiang Tang?"

The assistant's eyes flashed as he thought he understood. He adjusted his glasses. "Jiang Tang is Sheng Huaian's fiancée. Perhaps Sheng Huaian let her have the opportunity to land the final blow on the boss."

That young master might be arrogant, but what if he had finally had a change of heart? What if he had fallen for Jiang Tang over time? It wasn't possible that Jiang Tang had defeated the boss all by herself, was it? Who would believe that?

Thinking this way, the assistant felt his own romantic imagination running wild.

Fu Qing pondered for a moment. "Send me the video of the exam. Also, inform Jiang Tang that the Disciplinary Committee will offer her a clerical position, provided she can convince Sheng Huaian to join us."