Ryan Lincoln couldn't help but punch the air in excitement—this was exactly what he wanted.

Ryan Lincoln immediately replied to the message: "Thank you, Assistant Grant, and thank you, Chairman as well."

His eyes showed a hint of confusion. Chairman still had a surprise for him? What could it be?

Meanwhile, in a luxury car driving out from the education center, the assistant to the chairman of Sky Blue Biotech Group, Brian Grant, turned to look at his boss, Colin Faulkner: "Chairman, everything regarding Ryan Lincoln has been arranged. The things you instructed, I've already had someone deliver them to him."

"Mm." Colin Faulkner responded indifferently, wiping his face with a wet wipe at the same time. "Good thing it was that kid, otherwise today I would have been drowned in spit by that guy surnamed Li. Keep an eye on him for me in the future. By the way, isn't Renee out there recruiting, trying to get experts to join her martial arts club? If she still can't find the right person in the next couple of days, you can recommend Ryan Lincoln to her. He's a promising talent, someone who could be the main player and backbone in the university league."

Brian Grant let out a laugh and immediately sent Ryan Lincoln a message: No need to thank me, this is what you deserve. If you run into any trouble at school in the future, you can always come to me.

As he sent the message, he said with a hint of regret, "It really was an unexpected stroke of luck. That Director Thompson is extremely domineering—his word is law. If it weren't for Ryan Lincoln, Mingde University's budget for next year would definitely have been slashed."

"The only pity is, Ryan Lincoln's ranking could have been even higher. Someone must have manipulated the algorithm to prevent him from facing those so-called 'Top Ten,' lowering his battle score."

Colin Faulkner couldn't help but let out a cold snort.

He had long realized that someone was tampering with the system algorithm for the Variant Combat Assessment.

'Variant Walkers' hold an exalted status in the Earth Federation; only those with the most outstanding martial talent can obtain a Variant License.

So, the top ten among the Variant students could be said to be the strongest Armored Martial Artists of their age group in the Ninth Base City, enjoying celebrity-like status among the city's youth.

Every one of their battle videos racks up millions of views online, bringing in huge profits.

Behind these Top Ten stand powerful talent agencies, with many people's interests at stake. There are even underground betting rings gambling on the rankings of this Variant Assessment.

After watching the battle video between Ryan Lincoln and Wade, how could they dare let the Top Ten face Ryan Lincoln again?

Colin Faulkner hadn't anticipated this in advance and made no preparations; otherwise, he would never have let these people succeed.

But actually, this was a good thing for Ryan Lincoln—he was a poor student with no backing, so there was no need for him to stand out so much.

"You didn't see it, but that guy surnamed Li's face turned black as coal. Education reform? If he really wants educational fairness, he should start by cleaning out those rats in the Education Bureau."

After a derisive laugh, Colin Faulkner's eyes turned cold as he tossed the wet wipe into the trash: "Contact Chairman Thompson later and buy up all his Mingde University shares, just as he said, at a 50% premium. I've really had enough!"

Although Sky Blue Biotech Group had taken over Mingde University, they hadn't achieved absolute control, leaving Colin Faulkner hamstrung by the many shareholders on the board.

This was precisely why, after more than half a year of acquisition, the school's educational standards had yet to improve.

Colin Faulkner had originally planned to wait, but today's events forced him to take the initiative and make a change.

That's all for today—just this chapter, and it's a big one, 4K.

Chapter 9: Divine Thunder and Heavenly Flame

Ryan Lincoln was very much looking forward to the "little surprise" Brian Grant mentioned, but when he arrived at the school's service center to claim his reward, he was left puzzled.

There was no surprise at all. Everything Ryan Lincoln received was what he was supposed to get: a 30,000 Federation Credit scholarship, plus a refund of 27,000 Federation Credits for this year's two semesters of tuition and fees, all directly deposited into his account.

Next was a set of top-quality artificial meridians and three gene enhancement serums, all sealed in a very high-end portable mini fridge and handed over to him.

Just as Ryan Lincoln was feeling a bit disappointed, the service center manager, beaming with smiles, told him that Assistant Grant had given special instructions: Sky Blue Biotech had already arranged a surgery for him at the school's affiliated hospital.

Not only had the company invited a top surgical professor to perform the operation, but they had also paid the surgical fees in advance, asking him to go as soon as possible.

Upon hearing this, Ryan Lincoln was slightly delighted, thinking this could barely count as a "surprise."

Implanting artificial meridians requires full-body surgery, which demands a doctor's experience and skill. The results of the implantation also vary depending on the doctor's level.

Those with high skill and rich experience charge especially high fees.

Although Mingde University was weak in Variant and Armored Martial Arts, its medical school was second to none among the many universities in the Ninth Base.

The surgical professors at their affiliated hospital were also the very best in the entire Ninth Base, and a meridian implantation surgery could easily cost upwards of 20,000.

Ryan Lincoln immediately carried the mini fridge and hurried to the affiliated hospital, where he found the professor with the compound surname Miles Smith.

This surgical professor was about thirty years old, with delicate features and a gentle, scholarly demeanor.