Chapter 37: Gaoyi Academy (Part Two)

Chapter 37: Gaoyi Academy (Part Two)

Meanwhile, the players in the math group finally wrap up their first lesson.

Everyone followed Zhang An's suggestion, directly handing out quiz papers for the students to complete during the class period.

The students of Gaoyi Academy indeed maintain good discipline; once the papers are distributed, the players don't have to monitor constantly as the students focus on answering the questions in a room where silence prevails.

Those seated in the front rows clearly have good academic records, and after finishing their papers, they diligently review their answers without lifting their heads.

When everyone returns to the office, a young man named Qian Yujiang remarks with a sense of relief, "It seems that teaching isn't that difficult after all!"

With only seven completions, this young man has the lowest number of runs among the players, excluding the two who obviously shouldn't have been in a level two instance.

Hearing this, Tong Xinxin only gives him a smiling glance without saying a word.

However, it's Liu Huixin who shakes her head, kindly correcting, "It's not that simple."

Just by observing the NPC teachers in the office who rush back to immerse themselves in work after their classes, one can imagine the immense work pressure in this school.

Clearly, getting by with just administering tests isn't a viable option here.

At this moment, the player named Zhang An leisurely stands up, holding something in his hand as he approaches a teacher NPC.

"Is this what you need?"

In his hand, he held a petite stapler.

The teacher NPC paused for a moment, then eyed him warily, hastily covering the documents in their hand with a sheet of white paper.

Zhang An just smiled, placed the stapler next to the NPC, and then left his seat.

The NPC stared blankly for a moment.

This appeared to be a young teacher who had just graduated; after hesitating considerably, he finally decided to call out to him.

"Hey!"

Zhang An turned his head around.

The young teacher glanced around the room.

The others in the office continued to work intently, their heads bowed, not responding to the noise from this corner.

Only then did he seem to breathe a sigh of relief, gesturing towards Zhang An with a wave.

Zhang An approached him, and the other players perked up their ears to listen in.

"Did you give the students a test in the last class?" the young teacher inquired.

Clearly, even though these NPCs hadn't looked up, they were covertly observing what these newcomers were up to.

Zhang An nodded in affirmation.

The young teacher furrowed his brows, stating, "Try to avoid giving the students tests if possible."

"Why?"

"Didn't you read the manual that was distributed to you? There are penalties for a decrease in the students' average grades. Moreover, the students' grades must be posted on the bulletin board after each test."

The players exchanged uneasy glances; being experienced hands who had completed multiple runs, many instantly grasped the implication.

Liu Hui quickly whispered, "Having the grades posted on the bulletin board means all the teachers in the school can see our class's performance. And the teachers of the top three classes in terms of average score can swap out these high-performing students."

Having said this, the young teacher looked at them and added softly as a reminder, "Also... familiarize yourselves with the students in your class as soon as possible."

After sharing this, he lowered his head, clearly not intending to divulge any more information to these new teachers.

Everyone returned to their seats, with Qian Yujiang holding the papers in his hand, feeling as if he were holding a hot potato.

Just at this moment, Director Wei appeared at the office door.

He looked at the players.

"Oh, Teacher Zhang, I heard you administered a test during the last class? How did it go? Were the students' performances up to par?"

The group exchanged a knowing glance.

Zhang An smiled, saying, "The students were all very well-behaved."

"Oh, when will the results be available?" Director Wei rubbed his hands together, looking quite eager.

Tong Xinxin chimed in with a smile before anyone else could respond, "It was just a pop quiz, do we really need to release the results?"

"That won't do," Director Wei shook his head firmly. "According to the rules of our prestigious academy, if an examination is conducted, the results must be released. This is to cultivate a sense of urgency and tension in students towards exams, we can't just let it slide after conducting them."

After speaking, he glanced at the time, "I see that no one has a math class this afternoon, why not correct the papers then? During the evening study session, I will post the results. It serves as a form of motivation for all students! It's settled then. Everyone, carry on with your work."

Saying this, Director Wei exited the office.

A hushed silence fell upon the math office.

"Well, seems like we have no choice but to grade the papers now," Tong Xinxin remarked, resuming her seat with a cheerful smile.

Qian Yujiang frowned deeply, his expression unchanging, "I said it before, we should have just followed the textbook for the first lesson. But someone had to suggest this..."

Although the others didn't voice their thoughts, their expressions revealed a certain level of irritation.

In contrast, Liu Hui glanced at Zhang An and muttered, "Nobody said you had to follow suit."

Having said that, Liu Hui returned to his seat, flipping open the exam papers to check against the answers.

On the other hand, Tong Xinxin was smiling at Zhang An, her eyes twinkling.

Normally, anyone who made a decision that jeopardized the group would show signs of unease on their face.

But this individual seemed far from uneasy; he seemed exceptionally relaxed as he sat there. After briefly flipping through the papers in his hand, he set them aside and began reviewing the students' profiles.

Subsequently, he suddenly looked up, locking eyes with Tong Xinxin, and nodded politely at her.

Tong Xinxin paused, then mouthed to him, "You lose."

Inside the conference room, it was indeed Tong Xinxin who deliberately shifted everyone's focus onto the teaching quality.

Although she was a player from the Chaoyang Guild, her low number of completed runs made it difficult to establish a dominant position within the player community.

In this kind of horror game, peripheral characters have a higher mortality rate, but those close to the core naturally attract others who form a protective layer around them without needing much guidance.

Hence, Tong Xinxin decided to leverage her strengths in the math department.

Unexpectedly, this individual managed to shift the focus back onto individual prowess with just a few words, and what's more, did so with a mysterious air, now seemingly becoming the unspoken leader.

This time...

The player named Zhang An simply offered her a gentle smile, appearing to be completely oblivious to the implication hidden in her lip-reading message.

This guy!

Tong Xinxin felt her skin crawl from his laughter; finally, she steeled her expression and turned her attention to the exam papers before her.

Silence once again settled within the office.

The pop quiz didn't contain a lot of questions, and detailed answers were provided. It didn't take long for Qian Yujiang to be the first one to finish grading the papers, and he was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

"The students in my class performed quite well; their scores are mostly above 120."

Another player finished grading shortly after, his expression equally surprised, "Same here, the students in my class all scored above 120 as well."

Given that the full mark for the math test is 150, achieving a score of 120 certainly indicated commendable performance from the students.

By this estimation, if the scores for the three major subjects are all above 120, this would sum up to 360 points. Adding the potential full scores from the other three 100-point subsidiary subjects, achieving over 562 points seems to be a breeze.

At this moment, Tong Xinxin had also finished grading her class's papers.

Her expression turned blank.

"Ninety-four..."

The average score for the students in her class was just ninety-four.

Liu Hui finished grading as well.

"On my end... the scores are roughly around one hundred."

Guo Siming was a bit slower in grading, his face now betraying a hint of disconcertment.

"In my class, the scores probably average in the eighties."

Qian Yujiang and the other player exchanged a glance.

A surge of secret delight welled up in Qian Yujiang's heart. Given that the classes were assigned randomly, it seemed that luck was on his side with an initial haul of 120-point averages — a rather auspicious start.

Concealing his joyful expression, he cleared his throat and turned to ask the player named Zhang An.

"Hey, how did the students in your class perform?"

Zhang An continued to peruse the student information sheets in his hands, only offering a smile in response to the query.

"The scores are mediocre."

Qian Yujiang grumbled under his breath, "Showing off, are we?"

However, with a starting point of high scores like 120 and the other players in the office not faring as well, Qian Yujiang couldn't help but be in high spirits.

Liu Hui, observing him from the side, realized that this newcomer had yet to witness the intricacies of many scenarios.

Furthermore, the level one scenarios weren't too terrifying in nature. This newbie seemingly failed to understand the gravity that horror games held, prompting him to caution, "Be careful, once the scores are posted, all the teachers will be able to see them."

Qian Yujiang snapped back to reality, and his mood soured even more as he cast a glance at Zhang An next to him.

The bell signifying the end of the class rang as they finished grading the papers.

Everyone couldn't help but wonder: Did the players in the language group know about this situation?

Over at the language group's side.

Yue Haiyang also noticed the students' palpable fear. Facing those youthful faces, he understood that these were NPCs who would respawn in the next instance even if they perished in this one, but any person with a shred of humanity couldn't bear to be indifferent.

Much like Xie Fangcheng, he hastily reassured them, "It's okay, this is just a pop quiz, not an official examination. It won't be counted towards your grades."

Similarly, a student in the class raised their hand to inform him that the headmaster had mandated that every test must be graded.

But Xie Fangcheng had grown accustomed to disregarding the NPCs' rules, while the average player was innately conditioned to abide by them.

He felt helpless.

As he collected the papers, some students had pallid faces. Despite his reluctance to be indifferent, Yue Haiyang could only remain unmoved.

But upon stepping outside, he saw Xie Fangcheng leisurely carrying his thermos, the papers that were previously tucked under his arm nowhere to be seen.

Yue Haiyang: "…"

Yue Haiyang, with a shocked expression, asked, "Where are the papers from your class?"

"Oh, I couldn't be bothered to carry them, left them in the drawer."

Yue Haiyang: "You... you..."

The two conversed as they joined up with the other players.

Tan Chen was conversing with Xu Xiuxiu, his expression one of astonishment.

"You didn't have them take a test??"

"Yes." Xu Xiuxiu pursed her lips, her voice barely above a whisper, "There was a girl in the back row of my class who started crying when she heard there would be a test this period, so I changed my mind."

She then comforted the furrow-browed Tan Chen, "I have a younger brother at home who struggles with his studies. I used to help him with his homework all the time. Don't worry, it will be fine."

At that moment, someone chimed in disdainfully, "They're just a bunch of NPCs, why the sympathy?"

"You!"

Seeing that an argument was about to ensue, Xu Xiuxiu quickly intervened, "Alright, alright, he has a point. This scenario only has a 15% success rate, we should focus on strategizing on how to clear it instead."

The group continued their conversation as they headed towards the office.

At that point, a second player noticed the unique circumstance of Xie Fangcheng not having any papers with him. Once they inquired about it, everyone else expressed their astonishment in quick succession.

"Bro, did you come here for a vacation or something?" one person said with a mix of laughter and tears. "You know, with this attitude, you're likely to be the first one to die, right?"

As if to corroborate his words, the figure of Director Wei appeared at the end of the corridor.

He quickly approached the group, his facial expression remaining amiable as ever.

"Dear teachers, I heard you conducted a pop quiz during the last class. How did our students fare?" he asked.

Everyone chimed in with their responses.

"Very well, all the students have performed excellently in terms of academic achievement."

"The classroom discipline was also outstanding; it was quite peaceful even without the teachers having to enforce it."

"Just by observing, one can tell that they are all excellent students. Gaoji Academy truly has a remarkable way of nurturing talents."

After listening, Director Wei appeared very proud, nodding in satisfaction: "That's wonderful to hear. In that case, I noticed everyone has a language class this afternoon... How about this, could everyone please finish grading the tests during the evening study session?"

Yue Haiyang inquired, "Is there such a rush?"

"Ah, here at Gaoji Academy, we take every examination very seriously! It is customary to post the students' scores publicly after each test, as it can serve to motivate the underachievers and commend the high achievers! This has been the school's long-standing practice... I presume everyone is fine with this?"

— Everyone is expected to publicly post the students' scores.

Some individuals quickly caught on, their faces instantaneously turning extremely grim.

Even those who hadn't realized the implications at first, noticing the solemn expressions gradually overtaking the faces around them and the silence settling in, understood that this move was highly inappropriate.

But no one seemed to have an alternative solution.

Despite the apparently benign demeanor of the NPC before them, those players equipped with skills akin to "Qi Chanyang's Mudman Self-Cultivation" could sense the pervasive threats within the school, with this affable Director Wei being one of them.

The rules set by the NPCs were untouchable, as violating them could potentially activate fatal consequences.

Was there no choice but to begrudgingly comply?

Just as diverse expressions filled the faces of the group, a voice emanated from the back row of the players: "I have an objection."

Everyone turned their heads.

This player named Xie Fangcheng was truly eye-catching. Not only was he carrying a thermos cup, but his languid pace also wholly embodied the essence of "slacking off."

He was in charge of Class 7. Initially, his classroom was situated in the middle of the corridor, but as everyone moved out, he gradually lagged behind, eventually finding himself at the very back.

At this moment, when he spoke up, Director Wei had to crane his neck to spot him: "Oh, Teacher Xie, do you have any concerns?"

"I don't feel like grading the papers. I plan to have the students grade them in turns this afternoon."

Everyone: ???

Seriously!?!?

This guy can't seriously believe he's an actual teacher at this school, and that Director Wei is his supervisor, can he???

Can't he find some excuse??? Can't he be a bit more tactful???

The players standing in front of Xie Fangcheng quickly cleared a path, fearing that if Director Wei turned hostile, they might end up splattered with the new guy's blood.

Not just the players, even Director Wei was stunned.

He blankly uttered an "Ah?" and after a few seconds, his eyes widened in disbelief, "What did you say?"

"I said," Xie Fangcheng patiently repeated, "I don't want to grade the papers, I plan to let the students grade them alternately. Will these grades be accepted?"

"This..."

Seeing Director Wei stunned, everyone seemed a bit lost.

Could it really be done this way?

But as expected, it couldn't.

Director Wei immediately shook his head: "No, no, letting the students grade their own papers, what would they know?"

Xie Fangcheng appeared surprised: "They did the papers themselves, how could they not know? What are you talking about??"

The players distanced themselves another two steps from him.

"???" Director Wei's expression became even more baffled, he stammered for a moment, "This is against the rules; our school has never allowed students to grade their own papers!"

"Well, you're seeing it now."

"..." Director Wei shook his head, "No, no, Gaoji Academy has no precedent for this. The teachers must be the ones to grade the papers and then post the scores."

Having said that, Director Wei's expression had significantly soured.

"Teacher Xie," he said, his tone laden with sternness and growing impatience, "I would advise against challenging the rules of our school. It's not permitted!"

The deeper implication of this statement was already quite clear.

Breaking the school's rules was akin to triggering a lethal response.

But to everyone's surprise, facing Director Wei, Xie Fangcheng's expression and tone were even more aggravated and impatient: "Who's the teacher here, you or me? Who's teaching this class, you or me?? Why don't I resign and you take over the teaching?"

As he spoke, Xie Fangcheng rolled up his sleeves.

Director Wei's face turned ashen.

But the new teacher had just joined and hadn't experienced any major examinations yet.

He could only give a meaningful look to the man before him, who seemed to disregard him entirely, "Teacher Xie, our institution isn't like regular schools, I'd advise against being so arrogant."

To everyone's astonishment, Xie Fangcheng took a step forward, "So you disagree?"

Yue Haiyang was dumbstruck, hastily grabbing him, "Okay, okay, okay..."

The players standing by found the unfolding scene of mediation eerily peculiar no matter how they looked at it.

Director Wei was so angered that he felt an itch in his teeth. He huffed and turned away, leaving the scene.

After he left, the players remained silent for quite a while.

Eventually, Yue Haiyang broke the silence.

He exclaimed "Damn" in disbelief and anger, glaring at Xie Fangcheng: "What are you doing? Why did you deliberately provoke him for no reason?"

Xie Fangcheng was slightly taken aback: "I didn't."

"?? You're saying you didn't provoke him??"

Xie Fangcheng: "Uh... I mean, it wasn't intentional."

Everyone: "..."

The player who had earlier mocked Xu Xiuxiu snorted coldly, glanced at him disdainfully, and then walked away.

Clearly, these NPCs wouldn't let this go easily; this player was doomed.

So foolish! Did he think he was in a simple level-one dungeon or something??

Yue Haiyang wore a face of helplessness: "Brother, at least consider the circumstances! Do you even realize you're in a horror game instance right now?"

Xie Fangcheng couldn't help but smile wryly: "Well, the way you put it... I did try to reason with him first, but he was the one being unreasonable!"

This was the first time someone had complained to Yue Haiyang about an NPC being unreasonable.

Honestly, the NPCs in this game were never known for being reasonable, but in a horror game instance, was everyone really expecting the NPCs to embody virtues and grace?

He didn't feel like discussing it any further with this newcomer.

"Alright, let's head back to the office."

After everyone returned to the office, some attempted to strike up conversations with the teacher NPCs in the office, but these NPCs just guarded the materials in their hands vigilantly, seemingly worried about others peeking.

Tan Chen had a unique skill called "Lost Hawk Eye", which allowed her to see objects as small as grains of rice from a great distance.

After surreptitiously observing, she informed the players: "That teacher isn't reviewing questions or looking at lesson plans. Most of the materials on his desk are detailed information related to the students."

Everyone paused, then hurriedly began flipping through the personal files given to them about the students.

Tan Chen also opened her file, then subtly shook her head at Xu Xiuxiu, indicating that the information she had was different from what the teacher NPCs possessed.

The information they held pertained only to students in their respective classes, including only basic details such as photos and names.

But Tan Chen had vaguely seen that the information possessed by that teacher was densely filled with details about what the students like to eat, drink, and who they get along well with... Furthermore, the names and photos of the students on this document were blurred.

These teacher NPCs aren't preparing lessons, so why are they investigating the students in such detail? This far surpasses the scope of information a teacher should know about their students.

It seems that to clear this instance, merely teaching the content from the textbooks will not be enough; this information about the students might actually be the more crucial data.

While she was contemplating this, she heard Yue Haiyang's voice beside her, filled with exasperation yet again: "... What are you up to now?"

Over there, the player named Xie Fangcheng stood up, not taking his thermos with him, clearly not heading to the pantry to slack off.

Sure enough, Xie Fangcheng invited Yue Haiyang who was beside him: "I see there are basketballs on the court; want to go play?"

Yue Haiyang: "..."

Is this guy insane?!

Yue Haiyang turned his face back emotionlessly.

Seeing that he didn't want to go, Xie Fangcheng stood up on his own, exiting the teaching building cheerfully.

He wasn't really going to play basketball. Although there were basketballs beside the court, playing alone seemed somewhat boring.

After leaving the office, Xie Fangcheng stretched his arms.

He had seen earlier that there was a room on the first floor labeled "Microcomputer Room."

Wow, computers! Games!

Isn't this more addicting than sports??

Xie Fangcheng went down to the first floor with high spirits, and paused when he opened the door to the microcomputer room: "Eh? You're here too?"

In the dark microcomputer room, only one computer was on. In front of the computer, a man dressed in a suit and wearing glasses smiled gently at him, nodding courteously.

"Hello."

Zhang An.

He had seen Director Wei storming down from the third floor while in the hallway, so he came out of the office to "coincidentally" bump into Director Wei.

Director Wei's expression significantly brightened upon seeing this new teacher who exuded an aura of affluence and excellence at first glance.

"Teacher Zhang."

Zhang An feigned surprise: "Director Wei, you seem a bit upset?"

Director Wei immediately began to vent: "I always believed that our Gaoyi Academy housed teachers who were as noble and elegant as Teacher Zhang. I never expected that our school had harbored a... a vulgar and despicable teacher!"

"Oh? What happened?"

Zhang An's seemingly gentle and gentlemanly face easily put people at ease. With his attentive gaze fixed on him, Director Wei couldn't help but spill all the details of the incident that took place on the third floor earlier.

"You tell me, you tell me! Our school has had these rules for many years! After the exams, we should promptly segregate the students according to their performance levels! This not only motivates the high-achievers to perform better in the next exam but also encourages the less successful students to learn from those with good scores! This new teacher, without having the slightest understanding of our students, is just messing things up recklessly. If it wasn't for the fact that he hasn't experienced a major exam season yet, I would..."

At this point, Director Wei suddenly snapped back to reality.

He wasn't sure what came over him. Normally, he wouldn't get this angry even upon encountering such a teacher, and even if he did get angry, he wouldn't discuss these matters with other teachers.

But this Teacher Zhang indeed had an air of trustworthiness...

Thinking this, Director Wei lifted his eyes to look at him, his expression slightly awkward, "I... I must have lost my head for a moment there. I don't actually have any grievances against any teacher."

Zhang An smiled, "I understand. That teacher is still young, after all. Director Wei doesn't wish to be too harsh on him."

Just listen, listen to what others have to say!

Therefore, when Zhang An asked if he could use the computer to create some teaching materials and print out some notes, Director Wei hesitated only for a moment before handing over the keys.

"You may use it, but the computers in our microcomputer room are somewhat outdated and not connected to the internet. However, we do have a printer. If you need it, please make sure to lock the door before leaving school and return the keys to me."

"Understood."

Following this, he took the keys and headed to the microcomputer room.

But even he hadn't expected to encounter here the player who had just infuriated Director Wei to the point of smoke coming out of his seven orifices.

The door to the microcomputer room was closed, and a regular player wouldn't even think to directly push the door open. Like the players from his group studying mathematics, who were currently engrossed in analyzing student grades and textbooks, they would only come to explore the microcomputer room if they discovered something.

This Xie Fangcheng...

Upon entering, Xie Fangcheng casually chose a computer, then greeted warmly, "You're here to play games too?"

Not slacking off during work is akin to not working at all.

This theory has been adhered to by Manager Xie for over a thousand years, especially in this environment, where slacking off is inevitable.

Zhang An still smiled, "Just looking up some information."

"Oh, go ahead, go ahead."

In the silent microcomputer room, only the sounds of mouse clicks and keyboard taps remained.

Data flashed swiftly across Zhang An's computer screen, the changing lights flickering rapidly before his eyes as he worked tirelessly, quickly finding what he was looking for.

The computers in the microcomputer room were meant for student classes, but evidently, they had not been used much.

Moreover, looking at the student's timetable, it's clear that aside from a few subjects relevant to the college and high school entrance exams, courses like physical education and art are non-existent, and the same goes for computer classes.

The computer was clean and tidy. Zhang An opened the system log and browsed through the folders, quickly confirming something.

He shut down the computer, looking at Xie Fangcheng, "Are you going to continue playing here?"

Xie Fangcheng was engrossed in a game of solitaire, mumbling an acknowledgment.

Zhang An chuckled, "Alright."

Then, as if oblivious to everything, he walked past him.

Just as he was about to step out of the door, Xie Fangcheng's voice echoed from behind.

"Hey!"

Zhang An turned around.

Xie Fangcheng was still focusing on the computer screen, his left hand extending towards him.

"Your keys, they fell near my chair a moment ago."

Zhang An's expression froze for a second, patting his pocket in surprise.

"How could this... indeed."

Saying so, he approached Xie Fangcheng and reclaimed the keys from his hand.

Suddenly, Xie Fangcheng seized his wrist, yanking him forward abruptly.

"Zhang An?" he queried.

For some reason, when articulating the character "Zhang", it seemed to carry a slight accent, morphing the first tone into the third.

Zhang An maintained his gentle and gentlemanly demeanor, nodding, "Yes."

Xie Fangcheng released his grip, his attention reverting back to the computer screen, muttering, "This name seems somewhat familiar."

Zhang An remained silent.

As he stepped out of the microcomputer room, he looked at the keys quietly resting in his hand, and after a long pause, he smiled with an enigmatic expression.

.

After enduring the morning, it was time for lunch.

The student cafeteria and the staff cafeteria were located in the same building, but the student cafeteria spanned from the 2nd to the 6th floor, while the staff cafeteria was on the first floor.

Even though it was lunchtime, the players could feel a strange atmosphere en route from the teaching building to the cafeteria.

Tan Chen spoke softly, "Every student we see is holding a small notebook, engrossed in their studies, and look at them, none are moving in groups, each going their own way."

"Right. Did you notice that during breaks, apart from visiting the restroom, they spend all their time studying at their desks, scarcely interacting with each other?"

"The teachers are the same, look at them, each going their own way... well, not all, those two over there, one belongs to our office's language group, and the other?"

Someone recognized, "The other one is a math teacher."

"Do they teach the same class?"

Everyone discerned attentively, quickly recognizing, "It seems... they are both from Class 2. But... how should I put it?"

Xu Xiuxiu, with her keen eye, instantly spotted the issue: "They are both teachers, so why does the math teacher appear somewhat subservient?"

The group immediately felt a sense of unease.

The cafeteria at Gaoji Academy seemed to harmonize with the entire academy's ethos, housing twenty to thirty food counters on the first floor, with an extensive menu that spanned almost every culinary style.

Three of the counters were adorned with gleaming gold signs, inscribed with “Reserved for the top three teachers from the last major examination. You're welcome to dine at this counter”.

Among the two teachers from Class 2 identified earlier, the language teacher confidently went to the golden counter to get his meal, while his colleague, the math teacher, had to settle for the regular counter nearby.

After getting his meal, the language teacher chose not to sit with the other teachers, instead opting for a seat by the window at a golden booth.

The players craned their necks to observe this clearly hierarchical scene when Zhang An waved at Director Wei on the side.

"Director Wei."

Director Wei walked over with a smile, clearly very pleased with Teacher Zhang.

"Ah, Teacher Zhang!"

"Shall we sit together? I can return your keys then."

As Zhang An spoke, the players exchanged knowing glances.

When did this Zhang An become so close with Director Wei?

How is it that he possesses such a refined demeanor, yet his actions betray a hint of indefinable roguishness?

Director Wei readily agreed, quickly getting his meal before sitting opposite Zhang An.

They chatted while they ate, not bothering to lower their voices, allowing the surrounding players to eavesdrop with pricked ears.

"I noticed the golden counters mention being 'Reserved for the top three teachers from the last major exam,' but why is it only Teacher Qin who comes to the cafeteria to get food?"

The crowd exchanged another set of knowing glances.

When exactly did he find out the teacher's surname was Qin?

What information has he gathered, exactly?

"Oh, our school's teachers are exceptionally hardworking," Director Wei said as if it was common knowledge, "The other teachers are probably preparing their lessons now. We are truly fortunate to have such dedicated teachers in our school!"

Zhang An nodded in agreement, before casually inquiring, "I've noticed that our school has many classrooms, but there seems to be a sparse crowd in the cafeteria at noon. Is it because the students are also immersed in their studies, avoiding meals in the cafeteria?"

"Not exactly, we have another cafeteria on the basement level." Mentioning this, Director Wei’s expression became oddly excited, "Some students, no matter how well you treat them, remain ungrateful, oblivious to the school's efforts. With their abysmal exam scores, they shouldn't enjoy the same privileges as the regular students at Gaoji Academy!"

The players noticed that, although his expression seemed to be a mixture of anger and regret, his eyes were clearly brimming with excitement, causing a chill to run down their spines.

Zhang An simply nodded, his voice neutral, "Indeed, the educational philosophy of your esteemed school is quite progressive, a refreshing change to witness."

Director Wei was momentarily stunned, feeling that even though this person before him spoke in his usual tone and seemed to express agreement, there was something off about his demeanor, as if he was speaking with a sarcastic undertone.

Yet, Zhang An's next question brought back that pleasant and warming sensation.

"I noticed that there seems to be a sparse crowd in the staff cafeteria as well?"

Director Wei snapped back to reality, "Oh, there's another teachers' cafeteria in the basement. But it's temporarily unnecessary."

"Why so?"

Director Wei chuckled, "The teachers involved in the recent car accident were amongst the less outstanding ones in our school."

The players exchanged a "I knew it" glance.

Everyone had a vague premonition that losing so many teachers didn't seem to concern Director Wei at all. It was apparent that the performance of these teachers at the school might not have been up to par.

When this situation was applied to their player group, it implied that... if their teaching results were unsatisfactory, their fate might align with those teachers who met with the sudden accident.

Moreover, the casualties were seven students and fifteen teachers, indicating that in this school, students were evidently more valuable than the teachers.

At that moment, Zhang An chuckled, "I wonder... what constitutes a 'less outstanding' teacher?"

"It refers to those whose class' average score falls below the school's average. Clearly, such teachers are holding back the progress of Gaoji Academy. But fret not, I believe all of you are exceedingly proficient teachers, and will surely have the privilege to dine at the golden counter in the future!"

"Especially the very refined and dignified Teacher Zhang here, he is the one whom trust and regard the most amongst the new batch of teachers. He even took the initiative to ask me for the keys to the computer room, aiming to prepare a distinct set of teaching materials for the students."

I wonder what the students' score sheet submitted by Teacher Zhang tonight will look like.

That evening, Director Wei opened the students' score sheets submitted by the new teachers today.

He first sought out the results of class 9, overseen by Zhang An, eagerly anticipating an improvement in the scores of the students taught by the promising Teacher Zhang.

However, when he turned to that page, Director Wei stood up abruptly, staring in disbelief at the grade sheet of Class 9 in the second year.

Han Tongxin, 12 points.

Wang Yang, 21 points.

Sun Nannan, 22 points.

...

Class average score: 19 points.