In the end, Jiang Cai’Er chose Tsinghua University.
This was the result of a discussion she had with Li Xiang.
Technology would still be crucial during the Apocalypse. The emergence of Extraordinary Particles ultimately only benefited a small fraction of the population, leaving the other 99% of ordinary people to rely on technology for their survival.
Tsinghua’s strong foundation in engineering and the engineering physics focus of its Qian Xuesen Mechanics Class were a better fit for the urgent need for technological breakthroughs in the Apocalypse.
Take its core major, for example: Engineering Physics, with a focus on Nuclear Science and Technology.
During the energy crisis of the Apocalypse, developing nuclear fusion technology and miniature reactors would be central to powering the Underground Cities. Li Xiang had already acquired one of the United States’ most advanced, not-yet-commissioned aircraft carriers. Its A1B nuclear reactor was arguably the most advanced in the world. However, Jiang Cai’Er’s Quantum Computer Superpower could optimize the reactor’s control algorithms, boost its energy efficiency, and even help develop more advanced, compact nuclear reactors or Nuclear Fuel Cells.
Furthermore, during her discussions with the admissions office, the university agreed to let her pursue multiple fields of study simultaneously. Jiang Cai’Er selected a few, and the school welcomed her choices without the slightest objection.
For instance, Materials Science and Engineering.
Li Xiang’s Crystal Vein Armor required support from materials science. If Jiang Cai’Er could provide a more optimized formula, perhaps his success rate and the Tier of the Extraordinary Items he created would both see a significant increase.
The Underground Cities also needed more advanced alloys resistant to corrosion from Exotic Beasts, as well as construction materials that could withstand extreme climates.
Li Xiang’s "Crystal Vein Armor" was exclusively high-quality and supplied only to his own team. But what about all the other Underground Cities? If Jiang Cai’Er’s studies were successful and she developed new, higher-grade materials, those could be shared. It would be a boon to all of human civilization.
Of course, sharing wouldn’t necessarily be free.
Then there was Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, Strategic and Security Studies, and Civil Engineering.
Biomedical Engineering could lead to the development of genetic elixirs and rapid healing technologies to combat radiation sickness and genetic mutations. Based on Li Xiang’s experience from his past life, this field was extremely important.
Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, needless to say, was Jiang Cai’Er’s home turf. However, she lacked systematic study and formal research. Her knowledge was all self-taught, acquired from the internet and various major libraries. But some information, experience, and scholarship couldn’t necessarily be found circulating online.
In other words, she had been an amateur up to this point; now she was going to study systematically. Jiang Cai’Er believed that studying this major at Tsinghua University would allow her to reach the next level.
As for Strategic and Security Studies, that related to the future role and expectations Li Xiang had for Jiang Cai’Er.
He hoped that Jiang Cai’Er would one day be able to coordinate resource allocation for all Shelters worldwide. This included building a global Shelter network monitoring system, establishing survival protocols, and enhancing her high-level strategic decision-making abilities.
The Underground Cities might be scattered, but connecting them to a network wouldn’t be a problem. Li Xiang’s Earth Escape Superpower could lay fiber-optic cables across the entire globe.
And while civil engineering might have become a declining field, it would definitely be needed for the expansion and design of new types of Underground Cities. In the future, it would also be essential for building outposts—or even new homes—in the Otherworld and outer space.
Of course, if Jiang Cai’Er had the capacity, she could also take on other majors as she saw fit.
Li Xiang also hoped she would assemble her own research team at Tsinghua Garden, recruiting top-tier talent from the technology and defense sectors. When the Apocalypse descended, Jiang Cai’Er’s research institute would surely relocate. ’How could she possibly do it all alone? She’d work herself to death! She’ll naturally need a team.’
Tsinghua University was highly efficient; the acceptance letter arrived quickly.
Li Family Village was a scene of jubilation. Colorful flags fluttered, gongs and drums sounded, and firecrackers crackled through the air. Jiang Cai’Er’s house was packed inside and out with villagers who had come to join the celebration, as well as all sorts of relatives—many of whom were so distant that Jiang Cai’Er didn’t even recognize them and had never met them before.
In addition to the three-bedroom apartment provided by Tsinghua University, she also received generous rewards from the province, the city, the county, and her high school. The total came to nearly two million. In the words of the villagers, by becoming the national champion, she had struck it rich overnight.
It was more than enough money for her education, of course.
However, given Li Xiang and Jiang Cai’Er’s current net worth, these cash prizes were merely icing on the cake. They were more of an honor than anything else.
Some companies also approached Jiang Cai’Er about signing advertising endorsements, with offers starting in the tens of millions. After all, she had been on the national news and in various interviews, so her fame even surpassed Li Xiang’s. Plus, her looks were top-notch, easily rivaling Luo Feifei’s. But Jiang Cai’Er politely refused them all.
The main reason was that she wasn’t short on money, and she didn’t want to get sidetracked by such trivial matters.
This decision earned her praise from many people, and her reputation grew even stronger. The administrators and professors at Tsinghua University were especially pleased. They felt this was how a promising research talent should act. ’To be obsessed with money all day, accepting endorsements and taking on side projects—that’s just going astray and ruining your own future.’
This time, both the benefits offered by Tsinghua University and Jiang Cai’Er’s online popularity exceeded everyone’s imagination.
For example, when had a previous national champion ever been offered a three-bedroom apartment? At most, they were given a private dorm room. And this apartment was located right on the Tsinghua University campus.
But what people didn’t know was that the president of Tsinghua University had acted on a piece of top-secret, shocking information: Jiang Cai’Er was suspected of being a High Tier Transcendent, one with a research-type Attribute. Someone had predicted that she had the potential to become a great scientist whose name would be recorded in the annals of history.