Outside the Mission Center, Jing Shaoyu stood by the road waiting for Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan.
The two girls didn't keep him waiting for too long and soon walked out one after the other. They had different expressions: Gu Yue's face was as cold as usual, while Xu Xiaoyan looked beaming, as though she had just encountered some good news.
"Did you both take any tasks?" Jing Shaoyu asked.
"Mm!" Gu Yue nodded. "I took a task to perfect a Level 4 soul guide blueprint. The reward is a thousand contribution points."
"Hehe, Little Yu, I took a task worth five thousand contribution points!" Xu Xiaoyan said, her voice full of pride, as though she was showing off.
"Five thousand contribution points?!" Jing Shaoyu was somewhat surprised. After all, the task he accepted, which involved repairing a Level 5 soul guide core formation, only offered three thousand contribution points. "What task did you take to earn five thousand contribution points?"
"Hehe, it's a task to recruit control-type soul masters," Xu Xiaoyan explained with a grin. "The task was posted by a teacher from the academy named Ruolin. She wants to recruit a few soul masters with control abilities to assist with her teaching. The task on the Mission Center is just a preliminary selection. I still need to meet with the teacher for a second round of selection. I heard the task is really simple, so I hope I'll get chosen! Hehe."
"Ah!" Both Jing Shaoyu and Gu Yue were shocked. After a brief pause, Xu Xiaoyan added, "You're really lucky, huh?"
"Of course!" Xu Xiaoyan laughed proudly.
After leaving the Mission Center, the trio headed toward the Mecha Association of Shrek Academy.
The Mecha Association at Shrek Academy was on par with the Mecha Association of Shrek City. Located on the fourth floor of the main teaching building, half of the floor was dedicated to the Mecha Association.
After arriving at the main teaching building, the trio went straight up to the fourth floor and immediately spotted the Mecha Association's entrance. Right next to it was the Forging Association. Just as they were about to enter the Mecha Association, Jing Shaoyu noticed a familiar figure walking out of the Forging Association.
"It's him," Jing Shaoyu murmured.
"Who?" Xu Xiaoyan leaned her head forward, following Jing Shaoyu's gaze. "Isn't that your roommate, Little Yu? What's his name again?"
"Mo Hentian." Jing Shaoyu withdrew his gaze. "I didn't expect him to be a forger. Truly, you can't judge a book by its cover."
"Mo Hentian? His name sounds so full of resentment!" Xu Xiaoyan teased.
"Are you coming in or not?" Gu Yue's cold voice interrupted.
"We're coming!" Jing Shaoyu quickly grabbed Xu Xiaoyan's hand and caught up to Gu Yue. The three entered the Mecha Association together.
Inside the association, a huge screen blocked the view, and a bar counter stood in front of it. Behind the counter was a young woman with excellent looks and an elegant demeanor, likely a student in her fourth or fifth year.
"Please come this way," the young woman smiled as she addressed the trio. "You're the new students from this year, right? Are you here to join the Mecha Association?"
"Yes," Jing Shaoyu nodded. Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan remained silent.
"Good, please show me your level badges," the woman said.
The three complied and took out their badges. As soon as the woman saw them, her expression changed dramatically. Her calm smile was replaced with astonishment as she stared at their badges—one Level 5 badge and two Level 4 badges. Was it really possible that these were new students?
The woman swallowed hard and gazed at the trio with burning eyes. She didn't doubt the authenticity of their badges; after all, who would dare fake badges in Shrek Academy? That would be a death wish.
She smiled warmly, saying, "Please hold onto your badges. I'll take you through the joining procedures."
The woman stepped away from the counter and led Jing Shaoyu, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan around the screen into the association. Behind the screen was a vast exhibition hall filled with various soul guides. In the center was a mecha whose quality couldn't immediately be determined. On both sides of the hall were several rooms with closed doors, their contents unclear.
"This is the designer association office," the woman said as she led them to the first room on the left. She opened the door and stepped inside.
Inside was a boy wearing glasses. When he saw the woman, he asked, "Senior Han, what's the matter?"
"A few new students are here to join," the woman, called Senior Han, replied. She waved at Gu Yue. "This junior is a Level 4 designer."
"A Level 4 designer!" The boy's eyes grew wide behind his glasses. "Please, please, sit over here!"
The boy warmly invited Gu Yue to sit. Gu Yue sat down expressionlessly and looked at the boy. He smiled brightly and asked, "Junior, I hope you don't mind. May I see your level badge?"
"Four-eyes, are you doubting my judgment?" Senior Han frowned, clearly irritated.
"Hehe, of course not. I just want to double-check, as this is the first time I've met such a young Level 4 mecha designer," the boy chuckled.
Gu Yue handed over her level badge. The boy took it and examined it closely for a full minute before taking out a matching Level 4 designer badge from his pocket, meticulously comparing the two.
"Four-eyes is as old-fashioned as ever!" Senior Han couldn't help but mock. "Alright, you two juniors, I'll take you to the manufacturer and repairer associations. This Four-eyes will take too much time."
Her words were clearly directed at Jing Shaoyu and Xu Xiaoyan.
Jing Shaoyu glanced at Gu Yue, who nodded at him. He then turned to Senior Han, saying, "Alright, we'll leave it to you."
"Hehe, not a problem, not a problem!" Senior Han looked at Jing Shaoyu with a grin. Her eyes were filled with enthusiasm, and she clearly had a strong interest in him, as if she had an obvious ulterior motive.
"Hmph!" Xu Xiaoyan, sensing the woman's look, immediately tightened her grip on Jing Shaoyu's arm. She glared at Senior Han, letting out a cold huff.
Senior Han glanced at Xu Xiaoyan, whose face was still rather plain, and smirked. She turned and led the two toward the adjacent office of the Manufacturer Association.
The staff member in the Manufacturer Association office was a knowledgeable woman about the same age as Senior Han, sitting at a desk and reading. She didn't look much like a mecha manufacturer, more like a literature teacher.
"Alen, I'm bringing the new members to you," Senior Han announced as she entered the office.
"Good," the woman, called Alen, smiled warmly as her gaze fell on Jing Shaoyu and Xu Xiaoyan. She asked, "Are these the two?"
"No, this little sister is the one. This little handsome guy is from the Repairer Association!" Senior Han instinctively shielded Jing Shaoyu behind her, pushing Xu Xiaoyan forward. "This little sister should stay here."
Alen's face showed a hint of helplessness. "Alright, you can go now. Leave this little sister here."
"I'm not a little sister! My name is Xu Xiaoyan!" Xu Xiaoyan retorted angrily, her face puffed with indignation. Being called a "little sister" made her feel insulted. "Is it so impressive to be older? I'm only thirteen! Wait until I'm as old as you, then I'll definitely be taller than you!"
"Okay, Xu Xiaoyan, little sister," Alen smiled.
Finally, Senior Han took Jing Shaoyu to the third room on the left, the Repairer Association office. The staff there was a female teacher—Jing Shaoyu immediately recognized her. She was the same teacher from the fifth task during the entrance exam.
"It's you, Jing Shaoyu!" The teacher's face lit up with joy when she saw him and stood up.
"Teacher Xue, you know this junior?" Senior Han asked, surprised.
"Of course!" Teacher Xue said with delight. "Don't you remember I was one of the examiners for the vocational tests? Jing Shaoyu, you're here to join the Repairer Association? That's great! I knew you'd come today, so I've already prepared all the paperwork for you. You just need to sign it."
Seeing that everything was ready, Senior Han couldn't help but say, "Teacher Xue, you're being a bit too extravagant!"
"Hmph! If you become a Level 5 Repairer at thirteen, I'll be just as extravagant!" Teacher Xue lightly snorted.
Jing Shaoyu calmly scanned the membership agreement and then signed his name, all while pondering whether he should join all three major associations at once.
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