"Make way!"
"Inspection Bureau on duty!"
"Move aside! Move aside!"
"..."
Li Fei stood amidst the crowd, watching a team dressed in black uniforms, swords at their waists, roughly dispersing the crowd and cordoning off the cri scene.
Outside a noodle shop, a man lay motionless in a pool of blood, hot noodles scattered on the ground along with shattered porcelain bowls and a broken wooden table.
A complete ss.
"They've beaten soone to death."
"The victim is the noodle shop owner... had an argunt..."
"Looks like a Martial Artist from Tiger Saber Gang."
"Always Tiger Saber Gang, don't the Inspection Bureau care?"
"How dare the Inspection Bureau intervene..."
"They've taken money from Tiger Saber Gang, I heard."
"Shh, keep it down."
"..."
Li Fei listened expressionlessly to the surrounding conversations. When he saw Inspection Bureau officials take away the victim's body without waiting for a forensic examination, he unconsciously clenched his fists, recalling so unpleasant mories.
"This world..."
He pushed his bicycle out of the crowd and quickly started pedaling on the road.
Many young people on the street admired Li Fei's bicycle.
It wasn't an easy feat to own a bicycle these days.
The Da Lan Dynasty's Judicial Pavilion had recently introduced the "Road Safety Law," mandating that each bicycle have its own license plate. Bicycles without a license plate were not allowed on the road; otherwise, they would face a fine. Additionally, while riding, one had to carry a driving license, or face a fine of 1 yuan.
Moreover, personal bicycles could not be rented out, or a fine of 3-5 yuan would be imposed. Any transfer in bicycle ownership required the local Internal Affairs Office's transfer procedures; failure to comply would result in a 1-2 yuan fine. If a bicycle owner moved, they had to report the change, or face a 1-2 yuan fine.
Lastly, bicycle owners had to pay a 1 yuan road maintenance fee every month.
A brand-new Yonglan brand bicycle cost 180 yuan, the salary of most laborers for five or six months. Including the monthly 1 yuan road fee, bicycles had almost beco a luxury for the wealthy.
So Li Fei, trundling along in the sunshine, his hair flying, was indeed the epito of tall, rich, and handso.
Under envious gazes, Li Fei rode into a gray compound.
This was the family compound for mid-level and above officials of the Xing City Inspection Bureau.
Li Fei parked his bicycle in the shed, next to rows of shiny black cars.
These cars were provided to platoon leaders or higher officials by the Inspection Bureau.
Recognizing a familiar plate among the parked cars, Li Fei thoughtfully walked into a building.
He climbed up to the twelfth floor in one go, his face not the least bit flushed and without gasping for air, and used his key to open an iron door, stepping inside.
"Yesterday, the Xing City Inspection Bureau destroyed a Cult hideout. This Cult, known as the Calming Sect, seduced people with its 'Talisman Water,' secretly plotting for wealth and causing deaths. To date, hundreds have died at the hands of this Cult..."
As he entered, the voices from the radio greeted Li Fei.
"Xiao Fei back?"
On the sofa, still in his black uniform, sipping tea while listening to the radio, Li Lei looked up and spoke.
"Uncle Li."
Li Fei greeted him, taking a seat on the opposite sofa, taking off his gray canvas shoulder bag and placing it neatly on his lap, sitting upright.
His uncle had co ho early today, likely due to the matter Li Fei had requested being resolved.
"Xiao Fei's back."
A fair-skinned, elegantly built woman with fashionable curly hair brought a fruit platter from the kitchen.
"Aunt Zhang."
Li Fei greeted her, a smile spreading across his face.
"Xiao Fei, have so fruit first; Aunt Zhang bought you your favorite strawberries."
Zhang Yuqing placed the plate of strawberries in front of Li Fei, smiling kindly as she spoke.
"Thank you, Aunt Zhang."
Li Fei picked up a bright red strawberry and put it in his mouth.
Li Lei turned off the radio and looked at Li Fei:
"Xiao Fei, do you really want to go to the Martial Arts Hall after you graduate?"
Li Fei slowly swallowed the strawberry, then smiled at Li Lei: "Uncle Li, Tian Yu wants to apply for the Zhi Ge Departnt in the university. With her qualifications, there's a high chance she'll get in. I don't have such qualifications, so I won't join the crowd there."
Li Lei sighed:
"After seventeen years of reforms in the Da Lan Dynasty, there are still only twelve universities; the competition is too fierce. The difficulty of getting into the Zhi Ge Departnt is even greater, and even Tian Yu might not get in. Even if she does, the annual tuition fee is enough to give a headache."
The educational system of the Da Lan Dynasty, post-reform, was divided into four levels: Primary, Upper Primary, Vocational School, and University.
Primary lasted four years and was free for everyone, requiring only a small fee for textbooks.
Upper Primary lasted two years and required an entrance exam and tuition fees.
Vocational School, officially known as 'Secondary Specialized Vocational School,' consisted of eight disciplines: Arts, Science, Law, Agriculture, Engineering, Comrce, Teaching, and Zhi Ge, specifically aid at training professionals.
Then followed the university, the highest level of educational institution with only twelve in the whole country; they were notoriously hard to get into and had high tuition fees, not affordable by ordinary families.
Li Lei was the platoon leader at the Xing City Inspection Bureau, earning a salary of 100 yuan per month, plus various other incos, which allowed him to save so money over the years.
However, the sester tuition fee for the university was at least 500 yuan at the lowest, and the Zhi Ge Departnt, focusing on Martial Arts, had even higher costs.
Li Lei's daughter, Tian Yu, wanted to apply for the Zhi Ge Departnt, and he could barely afford her education, but adding Li Fei would be very difficult.
This was the reason why Li Fei voluntarily opted not to go to university, instead choosing to go to the Martial Arts Hall.
He didn't want to make it difficult for others.
Li Lei looked at Li Fei:
"The Martial Arts Hall is a mixed bag, you would be better off in the Inspection Bureau, and I could look after you. With your Vocational School Zhi Ge Departnt diploma, work hard, and I promise you could take my place!"
The Inspection Bureau was responsible for the security of the area; it held significant authority and offered excellent benefits, undoubtedly a coveted position for most people.
However, Li Fei shook his head:
"Although the Inspection Bureau is good, it can't train Martial Artists like the Martial Arts Hall, so I still want to give it a try there."
In the Da Lan Dynasty, where Martial Arts ford the foundation of the nation and was deeply revered.
Not only did the Vocational Schools and Universities set up a Zhi Ge Departnt, intended to teach martial skills and strengthen the physique to establish peace through strength,
but Martial Arts Halls were also established in different places; anyone who passed the physical examination and paid could go there to learn Martial Arts.
Because the threshold was low, the hall was filled with a chaotic mix, including family mbers from noble households who failed to enter universities and mbers of various gangs who chose to 'advance further' at the Martial Arts Hall.
Moreover, for Li Fei, the importance lay not just in the fact the Martial Arts Hall could nurture Martial Artists; each year, there were a few spots from Martial Arts Hall that directly recomnded attendees to enter the Zhi Ge Departnt of the twelve universities, with all the tuition fees borne by the Martial Arts Hall.
The Li Family couldn't afford to send two people to university at the sa ti, so Li Fei had to rely on himself.
Li Lei looked into his eyes: "Have you thought it through?"
Recalling the body of the noodle shop owner he had seen today, Li Fei nodded firmly:
"Yes, I have thought it through!"
This world, though not in chaos, still didn't place much value on the lives of ordinary people.
The noodle shop owner had worked diligently and lived honestly all his life, never doing anything wrong, yet he lost his life rely over an altercation. The result might very well end unresolved, as the person who killed him was a Martial Artist from the Tiger Saber Gang.
One capricious act from a Martial Artist could kill soone, and a disturbance from a Cult could cost hundreds of lives; ordinary people in this world were simply too vulnerable. Only by becoming a Martial Artist could one have a chance to control their own fate!
Half of the superior martial knowledge lay in the Jianghu and the other half in the twelve universities. The Jianghu was bloody and brutal, and Li Fei's family background made him particularly wary of the Jianghu people, so to go further on the path of Martial Arts, entering the university's Zhi Ge Departnt was the optimal choice.
Of course, securing a spot for the Zhi Ge Departnt of a university from the Martial Arts Hall was no easy task.
Had it been before, he surely would not have been confident, but now...
Li Fei subconsciously touched his chest.
"If that's the case, I'll take you to register at the Martial Arts Hall tomorrow."
Li Lei said to Li Fei.
...
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