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Chapter 594: Chapter 377: I Choose C_2
Bai Yuxia: "Afraid that an accident might happen, right? If students conflict with each other, emotions run high, and they might resort to knives."
Jiang Ning: "Once a knife gets involved, big problems can easily happen. It used to be quite common."
Bai Yuxia was quite understanding: "It’s good, the school is being considerate of our safety."
Chen Siyu inquired: "Jiang Ning, did you ever encounter someone with a knife when you were in school?"
Jiang Ning reflected for a moment: "I didn’t see it myself back then, it happened a few years earlier."
He had started junior high in 2011, and although the town’s middle school was quite tumultuous, with many students fighting, they mostly used chair legs, bricks, iron rods. Knives were still a rare sight.
Jiang Ning said: "I’m not sure why Fourth Middle School is checking for knives, but my junior high did it once, and I know the reason."
Chen Siyu was interested: "Why?"
Bai Yuxia also turned her attention, curious about the reason.
Jiang Ning recounted: "Previously at our school there was a student, he was rather bad, liked to bully others."
"He sat in the front row, and the guy behind him was often bullied by him."
"Then one day, during evening self-study, the bullied boy played with a utility knife behind him, pretending to cut."
As he said this, Jiang Ning picked up a carving knife, demonstrating a throat-slitting gesture.
The practiced motion startled Bai Yuxia; for some reason, she felt that the knife in Jiang Ning’s hand was eerily fitting.
"At first, he was just pretending, and when the other students around saw, they all laughed, causing the bullied boy in front to turn his head suddenly, and his neck just so happened to get cut."
He tersely mentioned the blood spray, the failed attempts to save the victim, and the subsequent death.
Hearing this, the faces of the three girls changed, feeling a bit scared.
Chen Siyu, picturing the scene, felt her legs go weak, her strength ebbing away.
Jiang Ning naturally put away the carving knife: "I guess that’s one of the considerations behind the school’s confiscation of knives."
Bai Yuxia turned back around, Jiang Ning’s recent demonstration reemerging in her mind.
She noticed a detail, throughout Jiang Ning’s narration, whether he was mimicking the use of a knife or inadvertently cutting a throat and blood spraying, his expression remained calm, unchanged from start to finish.
’Too indifferent a reaction, isn’t it?’ Bai Yuxia was puzzled; anyone else telling this story would surely show some emotional change.
Jiang Ning gave her the impression that he was used to such scenes, that they couldn’t ruffle him.
’Too practiced...’
...
During the long break in the evening self-study.
It was too hot, so Dan Kaiquan went to the back to clear his mind, abandoning his habit of exercising during the break.
Ever since his confession failed, his spirits had deflated, the motivation for effort had relaxed considerably; he could only just manage to keep his current state from slipping.
Zhang Chi ran to the back: "Brother Nan, where did you buy those mint-flavored Oreos?"
Guo Kunnan had a headache, damn, Oreos with toothpaste, and he thought they were tasty!
"Go to the Yucai Supermarket at the entrance, 13 yuan for a big pack." Dan Kaiquan answered for him.
Hearing the hefty price of 13 yuan, Zhang Chi fell silent.
That was his daily living expense.
"Brother Nan, are you buying any tonight? Next time I’ll bring you some plum candies?" Zhang Chi asked.
Dan Kaiquan was bemused, a single plum candy wasn’t even worth a dime; how could he have the cheek to offer that.
Guo Kunnan: "I’ll see next time."
Zhang Chi got talkative, discussing business experiences with a few others, appearing very experienced in his speech.
The boys in the back listened to his nonsense.
Lately, Zhang Chi had been chatting daily with a powerful woman he met on QQ, discussing business experiences. As long as he could apply those insights, attaining Oreo independence in the future was definitely within reach.
Zhang Chi said with full confidence: "The way I see it, after I graduate, I definitely won’t work for others, I’ll start my own business directly."
Wang Longlong glanced at him and said: "Doing business isn’t easy these days, look at how many stores have closed down in front of the school?"
Zhang Chi looked disdainful and spoke in a condescending tone:
"That’s because they lacked ability and couldn’t adapt. What era is it now, and they’re still using traditional methods to run a store?"
Dan Kaiquan mockingly said: "Do enlighten us, Brother Chi?"
Zhang Chi: "We can’t follow the model of the small cities. Those are outdated, obsolete things, like how smartphones have replaced button phones. When doing business, we should learn from the big cities."
"Take, for example, the trends in big cities. Once we’ve thoroughly understood them and grasped their operation methods, we can replicate their successful approaches in smaller places. Do you get what I’m saying?"
He spoke volubly, as if he were a smooth-talking project manager, with a decidedly pedagogical tone.
Wang Longlong looked at him with particular distaste and made up an excuse on purpose:
"That’s not right. My uncle opened a milk tea shop in the village and lost so much money that even his parents couldn’t recognize him."
Dan Kaiquan racked his brains and blathered:
"Last year my cousin set up a haunted house in the village, and it scared three old men to death. I attended the funerals for days."
Hu Jun followed up, "My uncle opened a vending machine in the village, and the next day the vending machine was gone."
...
Thursday, the third class of the morning.
Gao Heshuai was like a torrent of words, spitting saliva all over.
The students in the first row suffered greatly, but those in the last row were having the time of their lives.
Wu Xiaoqi had a bottle of iced Coke on his desk, covered with little beads of water that occasionally slid down.
Beside his right hand was a pile of oddly flavored broad beans. His left hand held a copy of "Slam Dunk," which he read with aspiration, particularly moved by the line, "Coach, I want to play basketball." The excited Wu Xiaoqi almost wanted to perform a dribbling display there and then.
Gao Heshuai had noticed Wu Xiaoqi for a while. While lecturing, his sinister gaze would shoot over now and then.
The classmates sensed trouble brewing.
The next moment, Gao Heshuai threw down his chalk and walked step by step toward the back row.
Wu Xiaoqi was completely unaware until a dark shadow blocked his vision.
Gao Heshuai snatched the comic book with such force that he scattered Wu Xiaoqi’s flavored broad beans.
Gao Heshuai scolded loudly, "I’m taking this book. Come to find me after the holiday if you want it back!"
Wu Xiaoqi waved his hand nonchalantly, "No need, I’ll just buy another one after school."
Hearing this, Gao Heshuai was furious and shouted, "Go stand at the back now!"
After punishing Wu Xiaoqi, Gao Heshuai continued to teach.
He didn’t resemble a teacher but rather an experienced detective, and he quickly spotted another student being sneaky.
"Duan Shigang, answer this question," he demanded.
Duan Shigang was startled. He’d been daydreaming and hadn’t paid attention to the lesson; how could he know the answer?
He was about to say he didn’t know when he observed that the classmates who answered incorrectly would, if unlucky, have to stand for an entire class. If lucky, they might only stand for a few minutes.
Just as Duan Shigang was about to admit ignorance, he suddenly noticed his deskmate, Pang Jiao, offering help. Her massive, embarrassed face squeezed out a pitiful smile, and her short, stubby, hairy finger wrote down a ’C.’
Amidst Duan Shigang’s astonishment, he felt a surge of warmth. He had thought after the fight, Pang Jiao would certainly hold a grudge against him, but who could have expected her to lend a hand in his moment of need.
’She’s actually quite nice,’ thought Duan Shigang, moved.
He looked up confidently and declared, "I choose C."
Gao Heshuai: "Go stand at the back now!"
Duan Shigang, confused: "?"
Gao Heshuai’s eyes bulged in anger, "You pick C for a fill-in-the-blank question?"
Duan Shigang joined Wu Xiaoqi at the back.
Gao Heshuai stopped teaching and stood at the podium, sneering, "Some students, they don’t come to school to study. They come to play." 𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝘤𝑜𝘮
"What’s the point of being in school for these people, it’s a waste of money!"
His words were harsh, and Duan Shigang’s face darkened, but he couldn’t refute and had to let Gao Heshuai mock him.
Wu Xiaoqi was used to it. He closed his eyes to sleep, ignoring worldly troubles.
Gao Heshuai scoffed, "If you don’t come to school to study, then tell me, what are you here for?"
At that moment, Cui Yu below shouted, "Some people just don’t like studying, even if they have good grades, they still don’t like it!"
Gao Heshuai: "Are your grades good?"
Cui Yu: "No."
