In the afternoon, the three-story Fenglu Restaurant bustled with activity. Olive walls adorned with bright, bud-shapedmps and floors of light green hues gave the whole restaurant an upbeat decor.


    As a recently opened establishment, it had released numerous advertisements throughout Payin City, and its feature of special private rooms for gatherings attracted many fresh graduates.


    In the hallway, numerous young faces passed by, asionally gathering in groups to chat about recent events.


    "We''ve graduated, and honestly, it still feels a bit surreal," Jones leaned against a second-floor window, surrounded by a few familiar male ssmates.


    "Where should we go after we''re done here? We can''t just say goodbye after the meal, right?"


    "Let''s decideter. We don''t even know what the girls have nned. It''ll be troublesome if we make up our minds now and they end up not liking it," Jones said, feeling the breeze from the window and half-closing his eyes.


    Ever since he received the eptance list, his parents eased up on the restrictions, and he was at the peak of his good fortune. Even doing nothing more than standing by the window and enjoying the breeze felt exhrating.


    "Look at him, he''s so content he might as well beughing in his dreams," Xize, not far off, couldn''t help but snark at the sight of Jones.


    "Ahahaha, I''m in such a good mood right now, I won''t even take issue with you guys," Jones waved his hand, signaling not to disturb his moment of peace and pleasure.


    The group chuckled and began discussing the future paths of their ssmates after graduation.


    "Our ss may have had average to below-average grades, but a few still got into good schools."


    "Jones doesn''t even need to be mentioned; he got lucky with his athletic ability and got into Sword Academy, ranked among the top 9 in the Northern Seventh District."


    "Another noteworthy one is Hus, who applied to Duke Academy in the Northern Second District. It''s a school that specializes in training mechanical engineers, tuition-free, but graduates are required to work at Duke Corporation for five years. It''s certainly an established and reputable school in the Northern Second District."


    "Tn wanted to apply to a military school but unfortunately got cut during the second round of tests."


    "Suren, I heard, went to some obscure academy in the Southern Fifth District, apparently specializing in underwater operations."


    "As for everyone else, there''s not much to mention. Most ended up in ordinary high schools in the Northern Seventh District. They''d be thankful even for a Sequence 3 by graduation." The group shook their heads; many among them were only Sequence 1, hoping they might reach Sequence 2 with various preparations and efforts during high school.


    "What about the girls? We''ve been talking about the boys mostly."


    "Among the girls, Hexia, Fon, and Polin have the best academic achievements, I guess."


    "Fon went to an academy for waitstaff, supposedly specialized in training high-end hotel staff. They have pretty high standards for appearance and physique, and I''ve heard the pay is decent after graduation."


    "Polin, I don''t know much about her. She transferred in ninth grade, and her parents are technical staff relocated topanies in Payin City. She''ll probably follow their career path, which would save her a lot of detours."


    "As for Hexia, one of the few in our ss who advanced to Sequence 2 early. It seems she didn''t do well this time; her name wasn''t on the Irene Academy eptance list. It''s quite a pity."


    "Is Hexia really that good at studying, though? I''ve heard the girls say she''s just pretending most of the time."


    "I don''t know about pretending, but managing to advance to Sequence 2 is impressive in itself," said the boy leaning against the wall nonchntly.


    "That''s true. If I had a Sequence 2 level before graduating, I would''ve gotten quite a few bonus points during applications."


    "Studying is such a pain. It''s not a big deal not to have Sequence 2. I can aim for it in high school. My dad said the same; he climbed up that way, and he thinks Transcendent Sequences aren''t all that useful. Money is what really matters. He told me to follow him and learn businesster."


    "Well, that''s your family. We''re not all in the same boat. If my dad were rich, I''d be lying around at home every day too,"


    Everyone discussed their future ns. For children from ordinary federal families, aspirations often don''t soar too high. Securing a stable, decent job is the pursuit of many for a lifetime.


    As they spoke about where their ssmates were heading, the sounds of conversation came from outside the private room they''d booked, and soon, several girls walked in.


    "Wow, you guys are all here," Dudu, still dressed in her somewhat extravagant attire that belied her age, entering with a mature air.


    Following her were a few familiar faces: Mili, Lina, and several other close friends.


    Their ss had a total of 46 students, 21 girls and 25 boys. The most active among the girls were Lina and Dudu, with most of the others also associating with their circle, save for a few who were independent.


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    "Is everyone here?" With the room nearly full, someone asked aloud.


    "Let''s count," came the sound of people tallying up.


    "We''re 5 short, let me see, ra, Tn, Hexia..."


    Meanwhile, in another private room of the Fenglu Restaurant, a group of students also gathered, though this area was a bit quieter, withughter only asionally breaking the calm.


    "ra, are you leaving early?" asked a curious girl with chestnut-gold short hair, looking at the girl in the short jacket and shorts who was unusually quiet and seemed keen on leaving early.


    "Yeah, I''ve seen most of the ssmates already. I''m nning to leave soon, mainly because there''s also a gathering for junior high today, and I need to check that out," she replied.