The next day, the Star Alliance Military Academy's entrance ceremony took place as scheduled.
The high command of the newly established Universe Army, as well as representatives from the Iridium Star United Empire and Country C, attended the event. Bai Zhongqi, as the Imperial Chancellor, naturally did not miss it. However, he did not prepare a lengthy speech, and seemed more like a backdrop, playing a supporting role.
Xu Lanzhou was the unmistakable protagonist of the event, serving as the Commander of the Universe Army, with all the graduates of the academy destined to come under her command in the future.
The dean of the academy was also very impressive, a man named Song Chunxi, a proper Iridium Star national, and the only silver-haired Iridium Star elder Bai Zhongqi had ever seen.
Song Chunxi was over two hundred years old, a retired major general from the former Iridium Star Universe Army, and even a veteran of the Spiral Mosquito Star War, effectively making him a fossil figure within the Iridium Star military.
It was indeed appropriate that such an experienced and long-serving veteran of the Universe Army took on the role of dean. Having originally joined the R19 Fleet as a civilian with plans to move to another planet and travel to the Second Universe, taking on the position of dean allowed him to contribute his remaining energies.
Song Chunxi looked quite the scholar, not at all like a military man exuding a soldier's air. Standing before all the cadets, he represented the academy in welcoming their arrival.
Bai Zhongqi sat behind the podium, looking down at the thousands of cadets seated below, among them some familiar faces. These individuals were all officers of the future Universe Army, with other entities being responsible for training crew members and personnel.
A thousand officers could at least fundamentally structure a Universe Army, enabling it to operate at least over twenty warships of various models.
Bai Zhongqi was envisioning the future of the Universe Army, while his beautiful commanding neighbor appeared to have the kind of distracting thoughts that come to a young woman. It was Xu Lanzhou's first time sitting so close to the Chancellor, so near that she could feel his warmth.
The persona of her "bestie" emerged beside her, tempting her, "Lean closer, you could brush against the Chancellor."
Xu Lanzhou's complexion turned slightly red, but she did not dare scold her imaginary comrade in front of everyone. Nor did she realize that this "bestie" was not a real person, only feeling that she had to maintain her own image.
She reached out to touch a small collar pin on her neckline, a shield-shaped insignia devoid of decoration, unassuming in appearance. But when she touched this little shield, Xu Lanzhou felt herself clearheaded once more.
"I have my own duties, to guard the Chancellor's side; beyond that, I should not entertain other thoughts," she reminded herself internally.
Bai Zhongqi was oblivious to Xu Lanzhou's inner turmoil, instead listening attentively to Song Chunxi's speech.
"...Fellow cadets, your academic tasks are immense. The Universe Army hopes you will quickly excel to shoulder the important responsibility of defending the Star Alliance and Earth. We don't have years to train you, but the academy will strive to devote its full effort and commitment to each of you.
You'll mainly use the Deep Sleep Learning System for extensive general knowledge education, which is non-role specific. Whether you aspire to become a Captain, Navigator, Chief Engineer, or Pilot, this knowledge about the Universe and the Universe Army is universal."
Bai Zhongqi himself was also learning these materials, dedicating at least two hours each day, which translated to sixteen hours in a deep sleep environment. For Earthlings who had never ventured into the Universe, this knowledge was undoubtedly precious.
It encompassed the Iridium Star's thousands of years of experience in Universe travel and warfare, from astronomical observations, basics of interstellar travel, elementary space combat tactics, to the sociology of interstellar civilizations, advanced physics, and interstellar biology among other more generalized knowledge.
The sheer volume of this knowledge was such that even if one learned for eight hours each day (equivalent to sixty-four hours) in deep sleep, it would take twenty years to fully grasp it all.
Focusing on the practical knowledge, compressing the foundational material, coupled with the vast databases and support of artificial intelligence, the Iridium Star people could ensure that this "crash course" group would master the basics of Universe navigation and combat within three months of foundational learning.
"In addition to the common curriculum, you will also receive education in your chosen subjects. This is also content that each cadet must excel at. Every officer of the Universe Army must be highly skilled. There is no room for errors in Universe navigation and combat. You're responsible not just for your comrades aboard your ship, but also for the fate of the Star Alliance and Earth.
Therefore, no sloppiness can be tolerated. Only those who strive for excellence can graduate from this academy. Anyone who falls short will have their graduation application denied by me as the dean."
The elegant dean's expression and tone gained a sharp edge as he spoke these words, but Bai Zhongqi understood that this was the tradition of the Universe Army. Although the prefix had changed from Iridium Star to Star Alliance, Song Chunxi still adhered to the teachings and style of the Iridium Star Universe Army.
The Universe Army might not appear as stringent and formalistic as the military of Country C, but its unwavering grasp on every detail was not about being nitpicky, but lessons learned from countless lives and bloodshed.
The new cadets, upon hearing him, felt a chill in their hearts. In many countries, officer retraining programs were mere formalities, but the Universe Army was clearly different. Being sent to study here was an honor with promising future prospects. However, if they failed the assessments, being denied graduation would be quite humiliating.
Whether their previous units would take them back was a question mark.
Yet the stricter the system, the more those with lofty ambitions were excited.
Taschwe said to Huang Quan next to him, "Just watch, I was a top ace in the United States Marine Corps Aviation. In the Star Alliance Universe Army, I'll be the best pilot!"
Huang Quan looked at his peer, whose fervor seemingly swelled from within, and felt a pang of envy. To have a determined pursuit one must achieve was indeed a fine thing.
Jun Jiushao, seated not too far from them, had her usual expressionless face, but her eyes gazed at the pristine Xu Lanzhou with a bit of longing. She had heard about this female Commander of the Universe Army, who at such a young age, commanded the vast armed forces, roaming space, and defending their home.
Although Jun Jiushao wasn't entirely sure what her own life should be like, the idea of becoming someone like Xu Lanzhou seemed quite appealing.