Chapter 41: A Heart Pounding Madly

The young man did not expect to be asked such a question. He blinked, a look of confusion crossing his face. After a moment of earnest reflection, he shook his head. "I don't think so. Everything seems pretty normal to me."

"Oh? That’s good to hear," Vice Mayor Wang replied, not pressing further.

To be thorough, the student added, "At least, I haven't encountered anything yet."

"Alright, thank you, student. You may go about your business," Vice Mayor Wang said with a nod, signaling that the student was free to leave.

As the student walked away, Principal Li and his colleagues felt their tense nerves relax slightly. "You see, Vice Mayor Wang, our students truly appreciate the school's efforts in maintaining orderly management."

They approached another student, but again, they came up empty-handed. Vice Mayor Wang kept a smile on his face, but his suspicions only deepened. It stood to reason that his source had no reason to lie; if a report had been filed, something must have happened. Yet, after questioning two students, he had found nothing.

Either the report was inaccurate—in which case, it was merely a wasted trip—or the issues had become so commonplace that the students no longer noticed them. If the latter were true, the situation was serious.

He decided to try one more time. If this attempt yielded nothing, he would have to drop it for now and return later to conduct a formal investigation after getting more information. This time, he didn't pick just anyone. After observing the crowd, he chose a student with a youthful face who looked like a freshman.

"Excuse me, student, could you spare a moment?"

Having gone through this twice already, Principal Li and his team were less nervous and smiled at the student. The young man stopped in his tracks, looking at the group with mild curiosity.

"What's up?" The student had his hands in his pockets, his voice clear and casual. Although the men before him clearly held positions of authority, he hadn't done anything wrong and felt no need to be overly guarded.

"You look like a freshman. How does it feel to be at the school? Are you getting used to life, studies, and the school’s management and services? Have you encountered anything you find inconvenient or unreasonable?"

"Oh, yeah, actually," the student replied after a moment of thought.

Principal Li’s smile froze instantly. The vice-principal beside him cleared his throat reflexively, his heart rate picking up. This wasn't right. The group’s minds raced, but they couldn't immediately identify what could be wrong.

"Well, the school is fine otherwise, but there are just too many opening ceremonies. A school-wide one is understandable, but why do we need another one for the department? And even after the department ceremony, we have to attend several class meetings, all about trivial things. It’s such a waste of time.

"Also, the campus is quite large, so the school introduced a shuttle bus. That’s a good thing, but the fare is a bit steep. Two yuan for a single ride? I’d rather ride a shared bike. Unless it’s pouring rain, nobody uses it; the buses usually run empty. I’m not sure what the point of them is."

Vice Mayor Wang’s smile faded slightly, though he wasn't overly angry. Such minor issues were common in most universities—it was simply a case of excessive bureaucracy. Principal Li and the others breathed a sigh of relief. These weren't major issues; they were manageable.

He nodded slightly. "Aside from those, is there anything else you find problematic?"

The others standing nearby prayed silently that the student would say nothing more.

The boy tilted his head, thinking, when his eyes suddenly lit up. "Actually, now that you mention it, there is something, and it’s quite recent."

Principal Li and his team felt their breath catch in their throats. A sense of foreboding washed over them, and their hearts hammered against their ribs.

"I just enrolled, and someone in the dorm came by to say we had to pay an air conditioning fee. The cost is quite high—over two thousand yuan for the whole room. It’s ridiculously expensive. For that price, I could just buy my own unit.

"But the person who came to collect it didn't look like school staff; I suspect it’s a service provider partnering with the school. I’m not entirely sure of the details, but the fee itself is just outrageous."

The student rolled his eyes as he complained, clearly frustrated by the situation.

Vice Mayor Wang maintained a neutral expression. "Alright, thank you, student. Go on your way."

It seemed this air conditioning fee was the issue. He had finally found it, and from the sound of it, there was definitely something fishy going on.

"Got it! Thanks for your hard work, leaders!" the student said cheerfully. He waved at the group and walked away with a brisk, light step.

***

Vice Mayor Wang watched the student walk away, his smile completely gone. Principal Li and his subordinates were drenched in sweat.

To be honest, they were completely in the dark about this. This was the first time they had even heard about air conditioning fees; such matters were typically handled by specialized staff in the lower departments.

"Principal Li, it seems there are indeed issues within the school. This last one, in particular, does not sound like a 'minor issue.' Two thousand yuan for an AC fee—even to me, that sounds unreasonable."

Principal Li’s voice was dry. "Vice Mayor Wang, this is a failure in my management! I will immediately form a special task force to investigate this thoroughly. I will provide you with a satisfactory answer!"

Vice Mayor Wang shook his head. "You aren't answering to me; you are answering to the students. Their money doesn't fall from the sky."

"Yes, of course. Please rest assured, we will investigate this strictly and provide the students with a satisfactory resolution!"

"Very well. That will be all for today. If your school cannot resolve this internally, the next person to come here won't be just me. I hope you realize the gravity of this situation."

With that, he left with his secretary.

After Vice Mayor Wang departed, Li Mingyuan’s chest heaved, his face a frightening shade of ash. He took a moment to calm himself and suppress the rage boiling inside him.

"Now, notify all school leaders who are currently in Hangzhou. I want everyone at a meeting by two o'clock this afternoon! Especially the logistics department—I want every single person there!"

"Yes, I will see to it immediately," the office director, who had been trailing behind, replied quickly.

The other vice-principals broke into a cold sweat. "Principal, shouldn't we investigate further? After all, this is just one student's account."

Li Mingyuan turned to glare at the speaker. "Still don't get it? Vice Mayor Wang’s 'inspection of the opening work' was just a pretext. He already knew about this business. He came here specifically for this. Besides, what reason would these freshmen have to lie to us?"