Xu Tian lowered her head and said, “At first, Zhou Chen and I went out to eat and watch movies, which cost a few hundred yuan. Zhou Chen spent the rest of the money on a game console and said it was all gone.”
Principal Wang’s expression darkened. “That does not count as a shared expense. The school regulations are crystal clear: the money is to be used for healthy social activities that help the two people understand each other better. A game console was clearly purchased to satisfy his personal needs!”
The more he spoke, the angrier he became.
On the one hand, he genuinely felt that Zhou Chen had gone too far.
On the other hand, he also wanted to prove, however subtly: See? I told you that youth experience grant scheme was full of loopholes. And now something has gone wrong, hasn’t it?
Principal Wang picked up the intercom. “Director Li, contact Zhou Chen from Class Three and his homeroom teacher immediately. The personal item he purchased with the scholarship does not fall within the approved uses. Tell him to either return the item and pay back the equivalent amount in cash, or find the money elsewhere and return it to Xu Tian.”
After hanging up, he looked at Xu Tian and his tone softened again. “You’re the one who came first in the exams. This money was meant to be your reward in the first place, and the school will help you recover it. Since you’ve already broken up, you can use it to help support your family or buy study materials. Either is fine.”
Xu Tian’s tears finally burst forth.
The school had been so good to her.
Board Director Yu had been willing to bear the criticism herself and had gone to such lengths to come up with that deliberately controversial scholarship, all to help her see the truth.
Xu Tian had been furious and afraid to say anything when Zhou Chen spent all the money she had given him, yet the principal had immediately stood up for her and demanded that he return it.
And then there was the health teacher, who had earnestly instructed her yesterday, teaching her how to protect herself as though she were her own daughter...
Choking back sobs, she said, “Thank you, Principal. The school has been so good to me. I... I will definitely get into the best university someday. I’ll become the school’s shining example!”
Looking at the determined light in the girl’s eyes, Principal Wang felt a warm current of satisfaction rise within him.
He nodded. “Good. That’s the spirit. Go now. Class is about to start.”
Xu Tian bowed once more and turned to leave.
Principal Wang watched the bright sunlight outside the window, his feelings complicated.
He had to admit that Xu Tian was in better shape than she had been before.
She was even better than when she had first arrived, working hard under the weight of repression and low self-esteem.
It was as though she had suddenly grown tremendously after going through all this.
Could Board Director Yu really have some talent after all?
Principal Wang shook his head.
Nonsense!
She was just a twenty-year-old girl. It had to be a lucky accident!
Xu Tian had improved because she herself was a sensible child. That was all!
-
By noon that day, Xu Tian received the money Zhou Chen had returned.
He had been forced to return the game console he had bought only a day earlier. He also had to put in his living expenses for next month, along with the money he had secretly taken from home, before he could scrape together the full amount.
After having dinner with the former class belle the night before, Zhou Chen still hadn’t had the chance to complain about Xu Tian’s plain appearance.
And now she had actually taken the initiative to break up with him?
Zhou Chen was furious. He blocked her path as she was heading to the cafeteria.
Xu Tian shrank back fearfully. “What... what do you want?”
Zhou Chen let out a cold snort. “You even demanded the money back... Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Don’t look down on a young man just because his grades are bad! I’ll show you what I’m capable of later! Don’t come crying to me then!”
Xu Tian: “...”
There were only two months left until the gaokao. Was there even time for his “potential” to emerge?
The students passing by laughed and commented excitedly, “Wow, he sounds just like the male lead in one of those ‘the exiled heir returns’ stories. The wealthy young lady doesn’t want to marry the poor boy, so the male lead swears revenge and cuts off all feelings...”
Anyway, Xu Tian had been completely awakened to reality. She wolfed down her lunch in the cafeteria in ten minutes and hurried back to continue solving problems.
She absolutely could not let down the expectations of the board director, the principal, and her teachers!
-
Board Director’s Office.
Yu Xiaxing paced back and forth across the spacious office.
She was getting so anxious waiting.
Hadn’t the parents agreed to come make a scene together last night?
She had been waiting for ages. Why hadn’t they come yet?
She had checked her phone countless times.
There were no messages from any of the parents.
Could it be...?
Yu Xiaxing used Dian Dian’s Mom’s account to test the waters.
Dian Dian’s Mom: “Weren’t we all supposed to come to the school and make a scene today? Is everyone too busy at work? Should we come after work this afternoon? Or during our lunch break?”
A few parents jumped in to say that it had been canceled or that they weren’t coming, but none of them explained why.
The Parent Committee Chair also spoke up:
“@Everyone, I’ve just discussed this with several vice chairs. The board director’s series of measures may appear outrageous, but they are actually the result of careful consideration.”
“From education about emotional setbacks during adolescence to the aesthetic improvements in the school’s facilities, these measures are creating a more well-rounded and healthier environment for students to grow.”
“I work in corporate management. From a business perspective, the board director’s strategy has been extremely precise. Break down the old structure before building a new one. First, use controversial topics to challenge outdated perceptions, then establish a new brand image through high-quality services.”
“This isn’t recklessness. It’s an advanced brand-restructuring strategy. As parents, we need to keep up with the times and learn to view educational innovation with a more open mind.”
“It’s clear that the new Board Director Yu wants to turn Shengde into a premium school, a prestigious academy!”
“Our Parent Committee has decided to give the board director our full support!”
Yu Xiaxing stared at the words “our full support” and felt her vision go black.
As expected of the Parent Committee Chair. How did you manage to put such a lofty spin on everything?
If you’re that good at making things sound grand, why don’t you go take the civil service exam?
Who said anything about turning the school into a premium academy? Who asked for that?!
I wanted you to criticize me, file complaints, expose me online, and force me to step down!
Yu Xiaxing collapsed onto the sofa and stared at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling, overcome by a profound sense of helplessness.
She felt utterly drained, as though she had no bones left in her body, and slowly slid down the sofa.
Suddenly, her phone lit up again.
She glanced at it.
It was the Yu family competition group.
Yu Xiaxing’s heart skipped a beat. She opened it.
Grandpa: “(Link)”
Yu Xiaxing clicked on the link. It led to two articles from the education section of a well-known financial media outlet:
“The Yu Group’s Third-Generation Heir Displays Revolutionary Business Thinking”
“Can This Infamous Failing School Make a Comeback Through Such Operations?”
Yu Xiaxing: “...”
What the hell? Who said anything about business thinking?!
Grandpa: “The group’s public-opinion monitoring system picked it up. Shengde Academy’s online exposure has increased by 1,200 percent in three days. The proportion of positive reviews has risen from 15 percent to 30 percent. The top-ranked keyword is ‘envious.’”
Grandpa: “The eldest brother’s supermarket operation is doing well too. It’s currently the fastest-growing project in terms of revenue. The Fourth Brother’s film company hadn’t launched a new project in the year before he took over and had been living off its past successes. He’s been in charge for less than a week and has already gotten one project off the ground. Worth praising. Everyone else has performed ordinarily, so I won’t mention them.”
When Yu Xiaxing reached this point, she began to feel nervous.
So only the eldest brother and Fourth Sister were doing well?
Next week, the assessment committee would issue the operating funds for the first task and award them to the contestant with the highest score.
In her previous life, she had ranked among the top three for three consecutive months during the twelve-month competition, gaining a huge advantage from the very beginning.
This time, she didn’t want to receive a single cent!
Otherwise, she would have to find some way to lose it!
She hoped the eldest brother and Fourth Sister would perform even better and take the money away as soon as possible!
Grandpa: “But Fifth Brother—Yu Zheng—I have to call you out by name!”
Yu Xiaxing sat up straight, waiting for Grandpa to continue.
What did Fifth Brother do?
