In order to solve this problem, and to facilitate the orderly and large-scale relocation of residents in the event of a real crisis, the government established unified school districts. Each school district can accommodate all eligible children in the surrounding area—basically, one for each large city, one for every three medium-sized cities, and one shared by fifteen small cities. There are more than 2,600 school districts across the thirty-one provinces of China. This not only improves the shortcomings of the education system, but also more effectively ensures the reduction of chaos and unnecessary casualties when war breaks out. By having the government take responsibility for evacuating minors, who are the most prone to panic, the entire national order can operate with maximum stability.

Moreover, a school district itself is equivalent to a complete society. Living independently within the school district greatly improves students’ self-reliance, and the quality of education is also guaranteed. However, at present, the school district system is only used for basic education; higher education is not suitable for this model.

As the place where humanity’s accumulated wisdom is most profound, higher education has gradually moved beyond the realm of education and begun to merge with research institutions and corporate entities, moving toward more practical applications. After all, without practice, learning is nothing but a meaningless waste of time.

Ten years of basic education are divided into knowledge-based and ability-based education. The goal of basic education is to complete all fundamental knowledge learning. The purpose of basic education is to ultimately apply what is learned, not to memorize piles of boring symbols. The old, tedious educational model has long been abandoned, ushering in a brand-new stage. Basic education is equivalent to compressing what used to be elementary, middle, and high school education into five years.

This includes language and literature courses from various countries, world cultural and historical education, theoretical and some practical natural sciences, social development laws, economics, politics, fine arts, music, and various sports activities—all within the scope of this stage. Compared to the educational content of thousands of years ago, it is more than a hundred times richer.

Even so, the widespread use of the cognitive core allows students to completely disregard rote memorization. This microprocessor, implanted in the body and connected to the brain, turns what used to be the most wasteful years of rote learning into a matter of seconds for information input. The most troublesome part of learning a foreign language—memorizing vocabulary—can be skipped entirely. After inputting all the words and grammar, only simple practice is needed to use the language. Even the slowest student can become proficient within a month. Learning efficiency is greatly improved.

And China’s 416th school district is just such a super-large district, gathering eligible boys and girls from three nearby cities. Covering more than fifteen square kilometers, it has twenty teaching buildings, fifteen large sports fields, countless educational facilities, and over 100,000 students—enough to rival a small city.

At this time today, although there were still quite a few students active on the vast Sixth Plaza of the 416th school district, it could by no means be called bustling.

In the quietest southeastern corner, on the steps by the sports field, four young people—three boys and one girl—were sitting together, discussing major life issues. The fact that these four, who should have been in a public classroom, were here instead, showed just how significant the event was!

Unable to bear it any longer, John Thompson stood up and asked angrily, ‘William Carter, that’s enough, isn’t it? You keep laughing! Laughing and laughing! What are you giggling about? You’re not losing your mind, are you?’

William Carter turned his head and said loudly and irritably, ‘Haven’t you ever heard the saying “caught between laughter and tears”? I can’t help but laugh, because if I don’t, I just want to—cry. The ancient books all say, a gentleman is not a tool, and a man… does not… cry.’

‘Cut it out.’

Having been together for so long, Brian Cooper and John Thompson naturally knew the always gentle and frail William Carter. Although William Carter was called a ‘goblin’ by John Thompson and often teased as ‘Lin Daiyu’ by everyone, his personality was not particularly sentimental—he was just exceptionally good-tempered, which made him the frequent target of jokes. Today’s unusually downcast mood was because he had just been firmly rejected by the girl he had secretly liked for a long time.

After ten years of compulsory education, in the year 4118, another group of students graduated from the ability education division of China’s 416th school district. Just before parting ways, ‘Lin Daiyu’ finally mustered up the courage—mainly under the encouragement of a group of mischievous friends—to confess his feelings to the girl he had long admired—Olivia Bennett.

In other words, he confessed!

Unsurprisingly, the fiercely independent Olivia Bennett had always disliked boys who lacked masculinity, and William Carter was the epitome of that, so she resolutely rejected William Carter’s confession. She even scoffed at William Carter’s suggestion to keep in touch.

Moreover, the straightforward Olivia Bennett immediately set the communication records in her cognitive core to mark anything related to William Carter as unwelcome and blocked all contact. She made her intentions very clear, giving him no hope at all.

John Thompson, Brian Cooper, and Lily Harris were William Carter’s closest classmates. Of course, they gathered around to comfort the dejected boy. After repeated use of the “shock therapy,” the effect had become completely counterproductive.

‘Don’t worry about me. Tomorrow I’ll just go find another girlfriend…’