The next day at noon.
Yu Xiaxing was sitting in the school board director’s office, talking to Chen Yuru on the phone.
“Board Director Yu, thank you so much. My daughter’s withdrawal application has been canceled, and she’s already gone back to school. I’m sorry for causing Shengde so much trouble this time…”
Yu Xiaxing slumped in her chair, expressionless and silent.
Chen Yuru continued, “Let me also update you on my family situation. Her father and I had an amicable divorce this morning.”
“Lanlan still has feelings for her father, but she respects my decision. Her father and I haven’t had any feelings for each other for a long time, so we got divorced.”
“He’s not a terrible person, either. He only took the amount we agreed on—enough to support him back in his small hometown. He didn’t actually demand half of my assets. I suppose he wanted to leave Lanlan with a relatively decent impression of him.”
“I was a little surprised myself, so I asked him whether he was really not going to sue for a share of the property.”
“He said with great dignity that he had just signed with Tomato Novels yesterday and become a respected novelist. In the future, he would be attending book signings everywhere, so he didn’t want any scandal attached to him once he became famous. He considered it beneath him to make things too ugly.”
Yu Xiaxing: “…”
What? Tomato Novels authors were respected now?
Yu Xiaxing said, “Well, congratulations to your family. The three of you have all found your own paths.”
Chen Yuru replied, “If the school ever needs help in the future, just let me know. I’ve built up quite a few connections over the years, and I can solve plenty of problems for you. I don’t want to remain a parent who does nothing but cause trouble for the school.”
Yu Xiaxing said, “No, no, no. I appreciate the thought, but please don’t do anything else.”
You’ve got to be kidding.
If a super career woman like Chen Yuru got involved, wouldn’t this school take off immediately?
Chen Yuru sounded grateful. “Director Yu, I’ve met plenty of people who use education as a cover for doing business, but I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re truly kind and warm. You’ve gone to so much trouble for me without asking for anything in return…”
Yu Xiaxing cut her off. “Hey, hey, I’m busy right now. I have to go.”
With that, she hung up without hesitation.
Lu Yanzhao, standing nearby, promptly said, “Congratulations, Director Yu. With Jiang back at school and Ms. Chen clearly stating that she’ll continue cooperating with the school’s future arrangements, the renewal mission for the high-contribution parent has been successfully completed.”
Yu Xiaxing remained expressionless. “Oh.”
Actually, when Chen Yuru had run out crying the previous night, Yu Xiaxing had already known that the parent was going to stab her in the back. There was no way she would follow Yu Xiaxing’s suggestion and withdraw her daughter for a week.
So when she heard the news today, she could only say that her feelings were rather ordinary. It wasn’t as hard to accept as it might have been.
Another reason she wasn’t too upset was that she had gone out yesterday to work on another mission: renewing the contract with the Qizhi Laboratory.
That mission had been a complete dead end!
She had a new troublemaker to deal with now, so she didn’t care quite as much about what happened to Chen Yuru and her daughter.
Lu Yanzhao added, “Director Yu, we should move forward with the Qizhi Laboratory renewal as soon as possible. As for the Fifth Young Master, the Hengan Community Life Services Company has already renewed its contract because of Shengde’s involvement.”
“The other equipment maintenance partner he was responsible for has also signed a new three-year agreement.”
“The time factor will be included in the mission score. We’ve only completed one mission so far, so we’re already behind schedule. Unless we perform exceptionally well from here on out, we won’t be able to take first place…”
Yu Xiaxing had been listless all day, but upon hearing that her Fifth Brother had already completed his mission, she finally regained some energy.
She slapped the desk and sat up straight. “My brother is so amazing! I knew he could do it!”
Seeing how happy she was, Lu Yanzhao couldn’t help reminding her, “Director Yu, although I know you siblings have a very good relationship, he is still your competitor…”
At that, Yu Xiaxing looked up and glanced at Lu Yanzhao, suspicion showing faintly in her eyes.
No, Little Lu, aren’t you my Fifth Brother’s spy?
What are you doing now…? Are you on the good side or the bad side?
Why are you stabbing your real boss in the back?
I hired you to stab me in the back!
Seeing the wary look in her eyes, Lu Yanzhao’s heart gave a jolt, and he began reflecting on himself. “What’s wrong? Is there something I failed to consider?”
Yu Xiaxing kept her face neutral for the moment and shook her head without saying anything.
Lu Yanzhao continued, “Then how do you plan to proceed with the Qizhi Laboratory?”
Yu Xiaxing had gone to communicate with them yesterday, but she had only spoken with an intermediary.
Qizhi Future Education Laboratory was a student cognitive-development training center located in a neighboring city. It was one of Shengde’s most important off-campus partner organizations.
It had independent physics laboratories, chemical analysis rooms, biological cultivation rooms, computer clusters, and all kinds of other equipment—facilities that surpassed the standards of undergraduate teaching and research.
For high school students, it could truly broaden their horizons and foster an interest in science.
Qizhi had previously wanted to terminate the contract, claiming that Shengde didn’t value them and was wasting the opportunity by failing to send students there.
They would rather find a new school to work with than let their advanced equipment and mentor resources go to waste.
But after Yu Xiaxing personally went to ask what was going on, she learned that this was merely an excuse.
Shengde had previously selected some students to send there, but Qizhi had refused to approve them because it considered their overall grades too poor.
The laboratory only wanted top students.
That way, once those students were admitted to prestigious universities, they could be used as promotional material for the organization.
Although Shengde’s student body was average overall, it could certainly pick out a few outstanding students, such as Xu Tian.
But Xu Tian had no interest in going to the laboratory to improve herself.
She only wanted to study properly and take the regular college entrance examination route. After school, she could still go home and help her parents with some of the housework. She had no desire to waste her time at an out-of-town laboratory.
As for the students who were willing to go, their grades were generally mediocre.
Qizhi wouldn’t accept them.
After hearing all this yesterday, Yu Xiaxing had angrily threatened them, “How dare you look down on our students? Just you wait!”
She had assumed that Qizhi wouldn’t be able to bear the humiliation and would angrily come to terminate the contract today.
Unexpectedly, they still hadn’t contacted her.
Were they giving her the cold shoulder?
That wouldn’t do. If her grandfather found out, wouldn’t he accuse her of slacking off?
Yu Xiaxing rested her chin in her hand and pondered for a long while before coming up with another devious idea.
Qizhi looked down on students with poor grades, didn’t it? Then she would specifically take a group of students there to make trouble for them!
She raised her head and said to Lu Yanzhao, “Qizhi still has one unused expansion opportunity, right?”
Lu Yanzhao nodded. “Yes. They urged us to use it as soon as possible before. Once we’ve used it, our contract with them will be terminated.”
Yu Xiaxing said, “Have each class organize its own sign-up list. Then, from among the interested students, prioritize those with poor grades. Pick twenty students and send them there for three days—from Friday through Sunday—to use up the opportunity.”
“If Qizhi still refuses, sue them! We paid for this. Why shouldn’t our school be allowed to decide which students we send there?”
Lu Yanzhao was a little worried. “Students with poor grades?”
