The next day, when Thora went to the Command Institute to sign in as a freshman, William stopped her. "Thora, can you tell me why you're so set on transferring?" William tried to talk her into staying, his voice sincere. Thora replied seriously, "Because I want to be in the Command Institute." Then she stepped past him and walked straight to registration, leaving William frozen in place, full of frustration and helplessness. To stop more top students from leaving, William teamed up with several other deans and submitted a joint request. Using Thora's transfer as the trigger, they asked to cancel the rule that allowed the top 20 students to transfer freely. After careful consideration, Davis turned the request down. Instead, after discussing inter-institute competition with Valen and other senior leaders, he announced a new policy. High-ranking students could now apply for a dual-major system, choosing a main institute and a secondary one. It gave top students more paths forward and completely eased the tension between institutes. With that, the deans finally stopped pushing the issue. The very first test case of the new policy was Thora. She took a major in the Command Institute and a minor in the Combat Institute. To her, it was just a paper title. She didn't really care. "Thora, Mr. Ewing wants to see you," a teacher came over to inform her. Thora stepped off the training field, took the towel Tristan handed her, wiped her face, and then casually handed it back. "Keep training." "Yes, Boss," Tristan replied out of habit. Even though they were classmates now, he still treated Thora like his commander and followed her orders without question. Watching her leave, Tristan couldn't help smiling. Ryan, who knew the most about relationships, immediately noticed Tristan's feelings for Thora. A hint of worry crept into his heart. If Darius ever found out how Tristan felt, he might not allow Tristan to stay by Thora's side. The Blackwoods' influence reached everywhere. Removing someone from the military wouldn't be hard at all. It would only depend on whether Darius wanted to do it. Ryan was uneasy because he'd once heard elders talk about how ruthless Preston had been. If Darius inherited that same extreme possessiveness in love, the outcome would be terrifying. Just then, the roar of an aircraft echoed overhead. Tristan glanced up briefly, then went back to training. Aircraft flying around the academy was nothing unusual. They were often used for drills and jet practice. But the moment Ryan saw that aircraft, he froze.That plane looked familiar. "Ryan? What are you staring at?" Tristan asked, puzzled. Ryan snapped out of it, pushed down his doubts, and shook his head. "Nothing." But inside, he wondered if that man was really coming. ... Thora stopped outside Davis's office, snapped to attention, and saluted. "Reporting. First-year Command Institute student Thora, here as ordered." Davis had been facing the wall, studying a painting. He slowly turned his chair. When he saw Thora, his sternness eased slightly. "Come in." Thora crossed the room in a few steps. "You asked to see me, sir?" He looked her over, then nodded. "Thora, your performance in the comprehensive test was excellent." She knew he hadn't called her in just to praise her. Even though she hadn't dealt with him much, anyone who could firmly sit as the principal of Blue Star Military Academy and command full respect wasn't simple. Seeing her calm, steady gaze, Davis smiled. "Thora, do you come from a military family?" Thora frowned slightly. "You should already know everything in my file." His eyes flickered almost invisibly, his tone still mild. "I just wanted to be sure." Dropping the small talk, he went straight to the point. "After this assessment, the research division became very interested in your data. They'd like to collect samples and invite you to act as a tester for newly developed technology. The research division has long worked with Blue Star's largest AI corporation—Skybound Group. Their people are here today. As a cadet, you should meet them. It'll also make future cooperation easier if you take on the tester role." His voice carried authority, firm but not unpleasant.The issue was that she hadn't agreed to be a tester yet. The uneasy feeling in her chest grew stronger.