Jana, heiress of the Carter family, opens by recalling a lifelong rivalry with her childhood friend Zed, the youngest son of the Grove family. They've wagered on everything, trading one-upmanship through school and a stock tip, and now place a decisive bet on the college entrance exam: whoever gets into Imperial University proves who's better. Both act confident and treat the exam as the final test. The twist: instead of settling it at Imperial, they both enroll at Jadeburg University, leaving the wager unresolved and the competition relocated to a new campus.