“First, congratulations to all of you for passing the assessment and becoming students of the academy. This year’s candidates are quite impressive—the strongest among you lifted three hundred and twenty jin, and there are seven who managed over two hundred and fifty jin.”

As soon as the chief instructor said this, all the candidates, including Nathaniel Clark, turned their eyes to the young man and woman standing at the very front.

These two had achieved the best results in the assessment.

The man lifted three hundred and twenty jin, while the female student managed three hundred jin.

“Starting tomorrow, Instructor Brooks and Instructor Foster will be instructing you in martial arts. Today, you may return home. Just make sure to arrive at the academy before the hour of Chen tomorrow.”

The chief instructor then introduced the two instructors beside him. Nathaniel Clark suddenly understood—so the instructor with the goatee was actually Instructor Foster. No wonder he had given him a reminder earlier.

Should he take the opportunity, when everyone disperses, to give the note to Instructor Foster?

Nathaniel Clark didn’t dwell on it for long. When he saw the candidates leaving one by one and Instructor Foster heading off, he quickly followed.

“Student Nathaniel Clark thanks Instructor Foster for your reminder just now.” Nathaniel Clark respectfully bowed to Instructor Foster.

James Foster stopped in his tracks. “What is your true strength?”

Nathaniel Clark was taken aback. Was he really asking so directly?

But seeing that there was no one else around, he answered in a low voice, “My true strength is about one hundred and twenty jin.”

James Foster’s mouth twitched. Nathaniel Clark’s strength was about what he had guessed, which was why he had the servant bring out the one hundred and ten jin stone block.

What he said to the servant was a code—only people from the academy would understand it. It referred to the one hundred and ten jin stone block. If it were a different weight, there would be a different code.

“So you were pretending to struggle?”

“I thought it would look more convincing that way, so as not to attract the attention of anyone with ulterior motives.”

James Foster fell silent. So thoughtful at such a young age.

Seeing James Foster silent, Nathaniel Clark took out the note from his sleeve. “Instructor Foster, this is from Uncle Harris, he asked me to give it to you.”

After glancing at the note, James Foster put it away and said calmly, “Since Chief Harris asked me to look after you, if you have any questions about martial arts in the future, you can come to my courtyard and ask me anytime.”

With that, James Foster walked away, leaving Nathaniel Clark a bit stunned.

Chief Harris?

Wasn’t it Captain Harris?

So Captain Harris got promoted?

Did he go from station chief to bureau chief?

A few seconds later, Nathaniel Clark gave a wry smile. Instructor Foster was giving him a hint.

The lie he’d told about being close to the Chief Harris family had probably already been seen through by the academy instructors.

If they were really that close, how could he not even know that Chief Harris had been promoted?

Can’t blame old auntie—she’s just an elderly woman, how could she know about these things? It was already good enough that she remembered Chief Harris used to be colleagues with his late father.

……

……

The Harris Estate.

“Coming to express his gratitude right after passing the assessment?”

Edwin Harris listened to the butler’s report and smiled.

“Yes, that Nathaniel Clark said that you and his father were good friends in life, and that you are his elder, so naturally he wanted to inform you and make you happy. The Chu family lives in the south of the city, so by my calculation, Nathaniel Clark must have come straight here after leaving the academy.”

“This kid is quite clever—trying to make my ‘Uncle’ status stick.”

“Master, I think Nathaniel Clark knows your current position. He even mentioned that you’ve been promoted to chief constable.”

“Oh?”

Edwin Harris tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table. If Nathaniel Clark was smart, he would have mentioned him as Captain Harris before the assessment started. The instructors at the academy are all sharp—they could tell from his words that the relationship between himself and the Chu family wasn’t that close, so they wouldn’t tell Nathaniel Clark his current official position.

Because they couldn’t be sure why he was helping Nathaniel Clark in the first place.

There was only one possibility: Nathaniel Clark’s talent shown in the assessment was impressive enough to make James Foster want to nurture him, so he gave him a hint.

“Since old Liu wants to nurture talent, and Nathaniel Clark is so grateful…” Edwin Harris pondered for a moment. “My health isn’t good, so it’s not convenient for me to see him. Go to the storeroom and get some nourishing herbs to give to him, and tell him not to let ‘Uncle Harris’ down.”

The butler smiled at this. “Don’t worry, Master, I know what to do.”

A few minutes later, Nathaniel Clark walked out a hundred meters from the The Harris Family residence, carrying a large bundle of medicinal herbs, his expression turning a bit odd.

Everyone here is a shrewd one.

This was another reminder not to underestimate the people of this world just because he had a huge information advantage from the real world.

Chapter 5: Roommate William Parker

The next day, the weather was clear.

Nathaniel Clark, wearing clothes that were obviously a bit too large, shouldered his bundle and bid farewell to his old aunt before heading to the academy.

The clothes had belonged to his late father. Over the past few days, his old aunt had tailored them to be a bit smaller, but they were still a little loose on Nathaniel Clark.

It wasn’t that they couldn’t be made tighter, but he was still growing. If they were made too tight, he probably wouldn’t be able to wear them in a month or two.