It was said that he might be competing for the next term as Speaker.
"Hello, Secretary-General Pan," Cai Yue'er greeted him evenly. Shrek Academy had never been particularly close to the Federation.
Pan Wen smiled:
"Cai Lao, here's the situation. To facilitate communication between both sides, your academy has been arranged on the Xingluo-class ocean liner on Xingluo Continent. Boarding with you will be students from the Royal Academy of Xingluo Empire. They are visiting for exchange and hope to interact with your students during the long voyage."
"Oh… that's the academy that tried to visit us this time, but we rejected them!"
Her words caused the surrounding air to fall silent.
Pan Wen, as a politician, quickly recovered. He laughed:
"Exactly! Your academy's schedule didn't match, so we didn't arrange it then. Now, on the ship, you can still exchange ideas, right?"
"Mm," Cai Yue'er simply nodded, saying nothing more.
"Then, Cai Lao, please follow me. I will take you and the top students of Shrek Academy aboard."
The Federation Secretary-General personally leading them was a huge show of respect—he had already given face.
Honestly, Pan Wen felt helpless inside. He fully understood Shrek Academy's position on the continent. For the Federation, it had always been a thorny issue. Throughout successive administrations, the most desired accomplishments were to control Shrek Academy and the Spirit Transmission Tower. But these were mere dreams.
Both locations held immense power on the continent, concentrated with the strongest forces. The Spirit Transmission Tower could cooperate under certain incentives, but Shrek Academy was like the hardest reef in the ocean—undaunted by storms.
Moreover, Shrek Academy possessed the continent's top-tier experts, leaving the Federation no choice but to turn a blind eye. Fortunately, the academy had no ambition to expand. The students were like flowing soldiers in a fortified camp, without intent to accumulate power. This was why the Federation reluctantly tolerated their semi-autonomous status.
Under Pan Wen's guidance, the Shrek Academy delegation boarded the ship in an orderly line.
The boarding ramp, powered by soul-guided technology, was smooth but somewhat long.
"Those must be the Royal Academy students?" Xie Xie whispered.
A group dressed neatly in white uniforms was boarding ahead. They were about 17 or 18 years old. Seeing the green-uniformed Shrek Academy students, they whispered and pointed, apparently commenting on them.
Le Zhengyu toyed with his long fingers:
"Who cares where they're from? If they dare provoke us, deal with them."
Xie Xie glanced at him:
"I don't believe it. If you're so capable, go handle it yourself. I don't think you can take them on."
"Picking a fight, huh?" Yuan Enyehui shot Xie Xie a look.
Le Zhengyu smirked:
"See? Even our class monitor supports me. Don't blame her if she doesn't go easy on you!"
Yuan Enyehui glanced at him:
"He's not wrong. You clearly aren't a good person."
"Uh…"
Boarding the ocean liner and looking back at the shore made everything seem so small.
Staff had already approached to guide them. These weren't Douluo Continent personnel but from Xingluo Continent. Naturally, they were next assigned living quarters. The ship could accommodate everyone comfortably, though they were split into two sides for extra space.
Soon, each person had their own cabin key. Thanks to the ship's size, everyone had a single room. Cai Yue'er's quarters, naturally, were different—on the very top deck, personally escorted by Pan Wen.
"The Shrek Academy uniforms are really ugly. How can you wear these?" a sarcastic voice rang out.
The Shrek students turned to see twelve students in white uniforms approaching—eight boys and four girls from the Royal Academy.
A short boy, stocky and solid, spoke first.
Le Zhengyu tilted his head, seemingly searching for someone, murmuring:
"Who's talking? Who's talking?"
The boy was clearly visible, so Le Zhengyu's remark angered them immediately.
"Kid, what did you say?" The short boy stepped forward and charged at Le Zhengyu, chest first.
Le Zhengyu didn't dodge.
Bang— Their chests collided. The short boy had jumped to strike, but Le Zhengyu stood firm. The boy bounced back two steps, as if hitting iron.
The difference in strength was obvious.
"Is this how you Xingluo people show affection? Strange… do your girls do this too?" Xie Xie glanced at the four female students, curious.
The four girls' faces immediately darkened.
"Alright, alright, enough. Do me a favor." Gu You stepped forward, wanting to settle the dispute quickly. Later, when the ship reached the deep sea, he could catch some sea spirit beasts.
"Your favor… how much is it worth?" the short boy replied, still hostile.
Gu You's pupils turned vertical, and a primal pressure descended, forcing the boy to kneel.
"This is my favor," Gu You said, stepping away.
The Xingluo-assigned cabins were spacious—around 40 square meters each, with private bathrooms and balconies facing the sea. Comfortable and luxurious.
At noon, three horn blasts signaled the start of departure. The ocean liners slowly left the dock, steadily accelerating into the deep sea.
The ships, like monsters of the ocean, cut through waves with stability.
Standing on the balcony, one barely felt any movement. The sea breeze brushed past, the sunlight warm and bright—utterly pleasant.
The vast ocean stretched endlessly. Soon, the shore shrank into a thin black line, leaving nothing but rolling waves around them.
(End of Chapter)