Chapter 1 A Meeting of Principals

When the director of the Education Bureau summoned the principals of all the key schools to a meeting, most of them had a pretty good idea of what it was about. Some had even heard rumors beforehand.

But everyone's attitude toward the matter was quite subtle.

The Xia Hai City Education Bureau indeed had a mission: to compete with Ning City, another major educational city in the province, and therefore needed to perform well overall in the exams.

However, for the high schools within the city, it was different.

For example, No. 1 High and No. 4 High, although both had a chance to compete for the provincial top score, they were more interested in securing the city's top score as a safety net. They weren't looking so far ahead as to compare themselves with Hai High and the affiliated high school in Ning City.

Of course, apart from these two leading schools, the other high schools were relatively willing.

Especially those key schools that were neither among the top four in Hai Dong nor members of the Seven School Alliance; they were quite eager to have a city-wide unified exam as soon as possible to test their standards and then strengthen targeted training.

Why was a city-wide unified exam good?

Because the questions were set by the Education Department and famous teachers from prestigious schools. Their questions were more targeted and extremely similar to the national college entrance examination (gaokao). After the exam, the strengths and weaknesses of the students in each class could be seen, and the teachers could focus their lectures on the most common mistakes.

If there were no city-wide unified exam, and the questions were set by the school itself, or by a rubbish alliance composed of several middle and lower-tier schools, the papers would basically be created by teachers of average level, who modified previous questions by simply adjusting some data.

Although such questions were also targeted, being based on past gaokao questions, top students did a lot of after-school practice, so the probability of encountering classic questions was high. If they came across them during the exam, it was practically like giving away free points.

Science subjects were better, but the level of liberal arts subjects, such as Chinese, English, politics, history, and geography, in weaker schools was even worse, making the questions even more meaningless.

It could only be said that although it was not very obvious on the surface, the academic barriers were still very serious. As long as educational resources were slightly more open and fair, there would be a noticeable change.

And the change was that the teaching data of middle and lower-tier schools would be slightly better.

If the overall level of the city went up, the balance of power between it and competing cities would change.

But as the saying goes, for the leading schools that wanted to absolutely dominate the city and stabilize their educational status, it was really meaningless.

Logically speaking, there should be three unified exams: one at the end of the first semester of senior year, and one at the beginning and one in the middle of the second semester.

These were the so-called preliminary exam, first mock exam, and second mock exam.

That was, December, February, and April.

These three exams basically set the tone.

But now, they were starting at the end of the first semester of junior year...

"Isn't it too early?" So, at this point, Zhang Jianjun, the principal of No. 4 High and a famous iron-blooded man, raised his objection. "In the past, it only started in senior year. With a joint exam so early, have some schools not completed their learning progress yet?"

Although Zhang Jianjun wasn't directly confronting the director, it was still considered singing a different tune.

However, at his level and status, he didn't actually need to be too restrained.

His level was indeed half a grade lower than the director of the Education Bureau, but his future promotion to that position was determined by the city and his school performance.

If he really turned No. 4 High into the best in the province, to the point of 'overwhelming merit', and coupled with the fact that he was still in his prime, it would indeed be natural for him to reach that position.

The current director of the Education Bureau was the former principal of No. 1 High.

Therefore, the director felt that he could easily persuade No. 1 High.

Now, it was Zhang Jianjun of No. 4 High, who was particularly obsessed with becoming number one.

"Actually, it's alright," the director responded to Zhang Jianjun. "Basically, all the high schools in the city will be able to finish the courses by the end of this semester. At most, the review time will be a little shorter. But that's okay, we can just have them speed up the progress."

After he said that, Zhang Jianjun had no choice but to nod and say nothing more.

And He Hongtao, who was sitting to Zhang Jianjun's right, couldn't help but want to laugh.

This Jianjun is really stingy.

He always feels like he's losing out if he lets the brother schools get any advantage over him.

Can't we all make progress together?

"Because this is our Xia Hai's unified exam, the teachers setting the questions this time won't be from the Education Department," the director continued. "Everyone should submit the names of their school's famous teachers, core teachers, and distinguished teachers."

After saying this, the expressions of the two leading school principals became subtle again.

They sighed in their hearts at the same time.

Sigh, just say it clearly.

Isn't it just poverty alleviation?

Saying that everyone would contribute teachers, but for the sake of the quality and confidentiality of the questions, the number of teachers involved wouldn't be large, and their level couldn't be low. This led to an increase in the workload of the teachers setting the questions, and even more or less affected the teaching at their own schools.

"Can you tell us the proportion of teachers each school can contribute?" the principal of No. 1 High asked, concerned.

"Well," the director of the Education Bureau then smiled. "No. 1 High and No. 4 High are the leading schools in Xia Hai's high schools, and advanced units in Xia Hai's education, so please put in more effort. Approximately 30 percent for each of the two schools, and the remaining 40 percent for everyone else."

As expected.

The principals of No. 4 High and No. 1 High looked at each other and then stopped themselves from speaking.

We didn't even have to send so many teachers for the Four High Schools Joint Exam!

"Also, in order to reflect the most realistic situation and standardize the marking criteria, so that the samples are more meaningful, all the exam papers will be marked centrally at No. 2 High School," the director of the Education Bureau continued to assign tasks.

The principal of No. 2 High School nodded with a smile, indicating his understanding.

Then, after discussing the various matters concerning the unified exam and the contributions of each school, the meeting came to an end.

As soon as the meeting was over, He Hongtao pulled Zhang Jianjun aside to chat, "Principal Zhang, we can also do the No. 4 High secret papers this time. What an honor."

What? Are you mocking me right to my face?

Zhang Jianjun was so taken aback that he didn't know what to say.

Did you know that I have always had issues with you No. 11 High leeching off my No. 4 High and are you doing this on purpose?

"What No. 4 High secret papers? Everyone is contributing teachers," Zhang Jianjun replied, still relatively calmly.

"But our school only needs to contribute one."

"..."

Provocation, this is definitely provocation.

What's my beef with you, He Hongtao?

Everyone says that you are imitating Zhang Jianjun, and doing the No. 4 High model in No. 11 High. Shouldn't you respect me even more?

"This time, we can see Shi Yi achieve great results again. I'm looking forward to it."

The principal of another school, an older man named Fei Limin, also came over to talk to Zhang Jianjun.

Because the other party was a senior and older, Zhang Jianjun was still very gentle and responded, "Liu Yiyang from Principal Fei's school is also quite good."

Being name-dropped, Fei Limin immediately smiled, obviously happy, but at the same time said in a rather low-key manner, "Liu Yiyang is indeed good. He was also the runner-up in the math competition. If it were in other years, that would be really good. I might even think that our Outer School could produce a Xia Hai top scorer. But there's no way. This year's Shi Yi is too amazing. In all these years, I've never seen anyone who could write the words 'top scorer' on his face in junior high school."

That felt good.

As expected of a senior, his words are just so satisfying.

Although Zhang Jianjun was not in a good mood today, having to help out here, he was still very pleased by Fei Limin's praise.

That's right, Shi Yi is his pride.

He is his absolute secret weapon.

He had calculated that if he got a top scorer in this senior class, and if Shi Yi could also win the top score in the next class, No. 4 High would produce ten top scorers under his leadership.

Such a record basically made him the envy of all high school principals in the city.

Then, the next step would be to enter the City Bureau, become the director, and lead Xia Hai education forward.

Under his iron-fisted leadership, he would ruthlessly leave Ning City behind.

Then enter the Provincial Department...

He might be thinking a little too far ahead, but it was all basically reasonable.

After all, the principals of No. 1 High and Outer School were getting old.

The others were just too far behind.

"Shi Yi is indeed amazing. It's rare to see a student who gets 720 points in the first Four School Joint Exam. Such students are too rare. In most years, they would basically be the top scorer."

At this time, Ji Wenxing, the principal of No. 1 High, a somewhat refined middle-aged man with slightly white eyebrows, walked over and joined the other principals.

And after he came, Zhang Jianjun became even more dissatisfied with He Hongtao's interference...

Those here are either principals of top high schools or senior figures in the education world. Doesn't He Hongtao feel out of place here?

Hurry up and drive away.

After the four people came out of the Education Bureau building, they stood on the steps at the entrance.

It was getting late at this time, but such a gathering of school principals was rare, so everyone chatted.

"Speaking of which," Ji Wenxing looked at He Hongtao and said, "Hongtao, do you know what I'm going to say?"

He Hongtao smiled and shook his head: "You say, Principal Ji."

"You're still pretending here," Ji Wenxing jokingly pointed his finger in the air. "How did you manage to lure our school's students to your New Year's Eve party?"

"..." Hearing this, Zhang Jianjun was stunned all of a sudden and looked over in concern.

What is it?

Who else did you lure away?

Besides Shi Yi, who else?

"Two good students from our school who scored 700 points were willing to skip class to go to your school. And then, you caught them and took a group photo, right?" Ji Wenxing asked, accusing him.

So, it was this!

Zhang Jianjun then realized that it was that group photo that day.

He only paid attention to Shi Yi at the time, but he didn't expect there to be two from No. 1 High.

Wait a minute.

Two students who scored 700 points?

Although 700 points is very ordinary compared to Shi Yi, it is still within the top fifteen, or even top ten, in the city in an ordinary year.

What were they doing at No. 11 High?

"Injustice! How could it be me who lured them? When I saw them, Shi Yi, I thought it was interesting, so I took a photo with them."

As He Hongtao spoke, he took out his phone, pulled up the photo, and said, "Look, it's because this student has a good relationship with Shi Yi, Liu Chengxi, and Shen Yating, so they came to find him."

"Is it Chen Yuan?" Ji Wenxing said.

"Hey, Principal Ji, you know?" He Hongtao asked with a curious look.

"I didn't know originally, but when those two kids skipped class, I definitely had to ask about the situation," Ji Wenxing said amusingly. "Then, they said that Chen Yuan had a performance at the New Year's Eve party, so they made an appointment to go have fun together."

"Which Chen Yuan?" Fei Limin asked curiously.

"I'll show you." Ji Wenxing also took out his phone and pulled up a Douyin video.

After playing it, Fei Limin suddenly realized and said with a smile, "I understand, I understand, the two little phoenixes from No. 11 High, right? This video is so popular, I've even seen it."

"..." Hearing the words "two little phoenixes," Zhang Jianjun's face darkened a little. He planned to find an excuse to slip away first.

If they really talked about that girl and said something like "The comments say that this seems to be a student from No. 4 High," then he would really lose face.

The best student from No. 4 High went to another school to watch the party, and the female student in No. 4 High's enrollment video went to another school to participate in a performance...

Talking about this in the chat, isn't that disgusting people!

"Pure friendship, pure friendship."

He Hongtao didn't want Xia Xinyu to cause any trouble at No. 4 High, so he quickly interrupted the topic.

"So, these good students are going to Chen Yuan to play. Is this kid very powerful?" Fei Limin asked curiously.

Hearing this, He Hongtao couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth.

Finally, there's a topic that I can interject on, right?

But just as he was about to say something, an even more satisfying bragging scene appeared. Ji Wenxing said, "I heard Liu Chengxi say that this kid is amazing. He went from 500 points to 660 in four months, and every exam is a rapid improvement, especially exaggerated."

"Wow! What a genius! Is that true?" Fei Limin was particularly surprised because Outer School has never had this kind of student.

Of course, the reason why there are no such students is also because 500 points basically doesn't exist at Outer School.

Well, art students can get that score.

"Yes, you'll know this time. It is estimated that he will improve further. Just wait for the scores to come out to know the specific level," Ji Wenxing nodded and said, "Also, Chen Yuan is very famous. He has been on the news before for saving people and catching thieves."

"So famous..."

After Fei Limin sighed, he looked at Zhang Jianjun and asked, "No. 11 High and No. 4 High are very close. Does Principal Zhang know about this?"

After speaking, the three people looked at Zhang Jianjun together.

Looking at me...

What are you doing?

I'm a principal. Do I need to know a high school student from another school?

Although, I do know.

"Oh... who are you talking about?" Zhang Jianjun asked, pretending not to understand.

Then, He Hongtao showed him the group photo of himself with Shi Yi and the others.

Who wants to see it!

But...

At this time, saying that he didn't know would make him seem very slow-witted, as if he didn't even know about Shi Yi going to another school to participate in a party.

But, do I need to know a student from another school?

Ah?

"Chen Yuan..."

Under everyone's curious gaze, Zhang Jianjun made a thoughtful look, and after struggling in his heart, he reluctantly said, "Yes, I have some impression, I think."

(End of chapter)