Chapter 97: The Start of the School Term

A pleasant state of mind is born from imagining a beautiful future, enjoying the warm sun, taking in the scenery, and catching a cool breeze along the way.

"Did you do your summer homework?" Often, a single ordinary sentence is all it takes to shatter such a beautiful mood.

When Zhao Haidong asked Zhang Ye this, Zhang Ye was stunned. Nani? Summer homework? What was that?

"Did you do it? Let me copy!" Zhang Ye stammered, his response instinctive. He didn't even need to think; he certainly hadn't done it. Before his rebirth, he was a somewhat lazy teenager who would never consider such things until they were forced upon him. Since his rebirth, schoolwork had been the furthest thing from his mind, and he certainly hadn't thought about doing any assignments.

"I was just about to ask you if I could borrow yours to copy," Zhao Haidong said, his voice dripping with despair.

Thus, the two began a frantic session of making phone calls. They harassed everyone whose number they had, whether they were close friends or mere acquaintances. They soon discovered that they weren't the only lazy ones; those they were close enough to have home numbers for were hardly top-tier students. Perhaps some of the girls had finished their work, but they didn't have their numbers, and even if they did, there was no guarantee they would share.

After running around in circles, they were still empty-handed.

Just then, his phone rang. Zhang Ye quickly pressed the answer button and immediately heard a pleasant voice on the other end. His eyes lit up.

***

For the vast majority of people, school is always the most unforgettable time of their lives. And for the vast majority of people in Lihua County, the most coveted destination is Lihua No. 1 High School.

It is not because of its infrastructure or teaching standards, but because of the learning atmosphere cultivated through the guidance of its teachers. Every school has underachieving students, but at Lihua No. 1, those underachievers have the potential to become top-tier students.

Within this highly sought-after school, the most attractive feature isn't the rows of tree-lined paths that seem designed for couples. It isn't the spacious parking garage that rivals a basketball court, the sprawling, lush green playground with four basketball courts and a soccer field, nor is it the multi-story teaching buildings with their smooth, freshly painted green walls. It is the unique and beautiful administrative building, which catches one’s eye the moment they step through the school gates.

This is the core administrative building of Lihua No. 1, rumored to have cost millions and been built from blueprints by a specialized designer; it stands as a landmark for all of Lihua County.

At this moment, in a conference hall within that administrative building overlooking the entire campus, the school's leadership, the heads of major classes, and the directors of the academic and political education departments were gathered. Principal Wang Dapeng surveyed the room with eyes as sharp as a hawk’s.

"As always, the average total scores of our school remain in the top three in the city, and first in Lihua County." As soon as Wang Dapeng spoke, the tense expressions of those present eased.

Ranking in the top three for average total scores across the entire city was undeniably an excellent achievement. Lihua County is just a county-level city; the entire Guangyang City comprises thirteen counties, each with at least two or three high schools. Added to the schools in the various districts of Guangyang, there are thirty-six high schools in total. To rank in the top three among so many institutions proves that Lihua No. 1 is indeed one of the most desirable schools for students and parents in the region.

"However," Wang Dapeng continued, and the room grew heavy again, "neither the top three in the high school entrance exams nor the college entrance exams came from our school."

Historically, Lihua No. 1’s performance had been consistent. Even if they didn't produce the city’s top scorers, they usually had one or two students in the top three. It had been their greatest source of pride. But now, the situation looked grim.

"Not only that, there is no one from our school in the top ten for the college entrance exams or the top five for the high school entrance exams," Wang Dapeng said, his voice rising to a near-roar that echoed through the hall.

This result signaled a true crisis. No matter how high the average score was, or even if they ranked first in the city for averages, it didn't carry the same prestige as producing the top scorers for the entrance exams.

To put it bluntly, the world only recognizes the best. It isn't about having the highest average, but the highest total score. If you produce the top scorer, the entire county can coordinate its promotion, and you gain both face and fame.

"This year, the top scorers for both the college and high school entrance exams were snatched up by Huihuang High School in the Xiayang District of Guangyang City. It is said they are already in contact with the city television station to run recruitment ads, using the double-champion status to build their reputation."

Everyone present realized the gravity of the situation. If one were to rank the prominent schools in Guangyang City, it would be Guangyang No. 1, Guangyang No. 2, and their own Lihua No. 1. The rise of Huihuang High School was nothing short of a miracle.

Founded thirteen years ago, Huihuang High School had remained obscure until they began hearing whispers of its name last year. But this year, their sudden rise to the top, showing such sharp ambition, caught everyone off guard.

It is a private school, and this performance was a testament to the new principal’s bold reforms. However, everyone in the room knew that the new principal of Huihuang High School was a former vice-principal of Lihua No. 1, and he and the current principal, Wang Dapeng, were far from on good terms.

Given the results, it was no wonder Wang Dapeng was so furious.

Wang Dapeng lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. Lihua No. 1 had always been a top-three school in Guangyang, but its position was precarious; if they were pushed out, they would quickly fade into obscurity.

People’s eyes are always fixed on the top three. Fourth place? Sorry, no one cares. Once they were pushed down, especially by a rival like Huihuang, neither the school nor the Lihua County Education Bureau would permit it.

A school with a long-standing academic tradition wouldn't be toppled easily, but the rise of Huihuang could certainly shake their standing.

"We must come up with a solution immediately." Wang Dapeng tossed his half-smoked cigarette aside, turned around, and fixed his hawkish, piercing gaze on the staff.

Wang Dapeng quickly issued his directives: "From now on, we will reorganize the existing classes and put all our efforts into nurturing key classes. Based on these final exam results, any student who ranks in the top one hundred in their respective subjects will be admitted into the newly established key classes—two for arts and two for sciences. These will be led by the school’s most qualified and distinguished teachers as homeroom teachers. The performance of all other homeroom teachers will be evaluated based on the ratio of their students who make it into these key classes. The school will allocate a special fund of 300,000 annually to support this project, and the better a class performs, the higher the bonus will be."