Chapter 38: Gaoji Academy (Part Three)

Chapter 38: Gaoji Academy (Part Three)

Class 2-9... no, forget about a single class, never before has any class in the entire Gaoji Academy witnessed such abysmal exam scores.

The average score of Class 1#... This can be recorded in the annals of the Prestigious Academy's history as a disgrace.

Director Wei's brow furrowed deeply, and he continued flipping through the pages, not yet done with his scrutiny.

Grade 2 Class 7... zero points.

Director Wei: "…"

Director Wei: "!!!"

He was utterly incensed!

Initially, upon seeing Class 9's results and thinking of Teacher Zhang, Director Wei was angry yet somewhat perplexed.

It didn't seem right! Teacher Zhang appeared to be proficient at teaching; how could his class have an average score of only 19 points?

However, upon turning to Class 7's results, nothing but anger remained within Director Wei.

Even if every student knew nothing and answered randomly, surely a class could guess at least a couple of multiple-choice questions correctly? An average score of zero was inconceivable!

Just looking at the Class 7 score sheet, it was apparent that Teacher Jie couldn't even be bothered to fill in the glaring "zero" for each student. Instead, he casually scribbled something near the class average score. Clearly, it was intentional!

Such a teacher must be disciplined! He is a black sheep among the teachers!

Director Wei's face turned ashen: "Go, bring Teacher Zhang and Teacher Jie to me immediately!"

Shortly, Teacher Zhang from the second-floor office arrived at the director's office first. Before Director Wei could speak, Teacher Zhang began, "Director Wei, it's perfect timing. I was just about to seek you out."

Zhang An frowned, his expression serious and bearing a sort of camaraderie that made it hard for one to lash out at him on the spot. His words implied a pressing matter from outside that required a thorough discussion with a fellow ally.

Director Wei had initially intended to reprimand Teacher Zhang upon his arrival. Yet, at this moment, he was somewhat subdued by this sense of camaraderie, stammering, "Seek me out? What is the matter?"

Teacher Zhang handed over a stack of papers he was holding.

Director Wei glanced down.

"This is..."

"These are the exam papers the students completed today." Teacher Zhang sighed, his expression reluctant and filled with a complex mixture of heartache, regret, and sorrow. "I have always held high expectations for the students at your esteemed academy. Before I joined, I had heard great things about it. Thirteen years ago, my younger brother graduated from this very academy. I perceived the teachers here to be extremely dedicated and the students to have a strong capability for independent learning. However, this exam has made me realize..."

At this point, he seemed to hold back, possibly out of consideration for Director Wei's feelings, and did not continue.

Director Wei had often mentioned the glorious history of the Prestigious Academy, displaying significant pride each time he talked about the academy's outstanding students.

Now, hearing such disappointment from a newly recruited teacher was like a slap in the face, making him feel flushed and ridiculous in the grand, proud declarations he had made earlier in the day.

"Ah, this, this…"

Hurriedly lowering his head, Director Wei began rapidly flipping through the papers, eager to identify the student who had disgraced their school.

But after flipping through just a couple of pages, Director Wei realized something was amiss.

“This... this isn’t the recent study materials, is it? Isn’t this the end-of-term paper?” Not only that, as Director Wei flipped through a few more pages, he found papers from the beginning of the sophomore year, “You are testing them on materials they haven’t learned and topics from over two months ago, how could they possibly score high?”

Teacher Zhang furrowed his brows, speaking with deep concern, “Director Wei, that's precisely the issue. Our students are obedient, yes, but they barely have any capacity for autonomous learning. They rely too much on what the teacher instructs them to study, focusing only on the current syllabus. What will happen when they reach their senior year?”

As he spoke, Teacher Zhang tapped on the desk in front of him with bent fingers, “In their senior year, they need to integrate knowledge from the entire high school curriculum. If they don't develop the habit of connecting and recalling past information now, and only focus on what the teachers emphasize, is that really the learning attitude a competent student should have?”

“When I arrived, I noticed students in the school's sunlit atrium were engrossed in their books. I thought that the students here were more diligent than any I had seen before. I designed these tests with the full belief that they would outperform students from my previous school. But to my surprise, not only have the students failed to take their studies seriously... sigh, even the teachers aren't guiding them properly, merely following the textbook and coasting along. In this scenario, how can the students from Gaoji Academy's sophomore class hope to advance to the senior year?”

Zhang An shook his head, a profound disappointment clouding his refined and dignified face, piercing through the proudest corner of Director Wei's heart.

“So... what do you suggest we do?”

But by this point, all Teacher Zhang could do was shake his head.

“I am just a newcomer here, still trying to understand the rules of Gaoji Academy. It deeply saddens me to see students squandering such excellent educational resources and teachers settling for mediocrity, focusing only on the immediate tasks at hand without considering what is truly beneficial for the students. It truly pains me, Director Wei.”

Initially sunk deep into the sofa, Director Wei now sat upright, his posterior barely touching half of the seat. “Hmm, go on.”

“Here's what I think,” Teacher Zhang hesitated for a moment, “from what I observe, the teachers in our office seem to be preparing their lessons conscientiously, but if you walk around the office, sit in on their classes, you'd realize that their competence is... well...”

Teacher Zhang shook his head.

The more Director Wei pondered, the more he felt that the competence level of these teachers wasn't up to par. If they were genuinely skilled, they would be like Teacher Zhang, brimming with innovative ideas, determination, and the courage to genuinely educate the students.

Did the other teachers possess such confidence? Were they wholeheartedly considering the future of Gaoji Academy?

The others seemed to be merely clinging to their benefits, while only Teacher Zhang and he were genuinely vested in the school's honor.

“Teacher Zhang, do you have a plan to change the current situation?” Director Wei asked.

“There might be one,” Teacher Zhang smiled, “Since I joined this school, I have only interacted with the teachers other than the one who ranked first. I believe that the top-ranking teacher is at a significantly different level compared to others in the office. How about inviting this top teacher to share some lessons with us frequently? We could even observe their classes!”

Director Wei hesitated, “Well...”

Zhang An chuckled, “Of course, I understand that Gaoji Academy has its traditions and my proposal might infringe upon the interests of the top-ranking teacher. Teachers are vital components of the school and we shouldn't sacrifice their interests for the sake of students, right?”

Hearing this, Director Wei's hesitation vanished, “Why not? The school's primary objective is to foster student development. Every teacher should be willing to step aside for the students' academic performance. Though there hasn't been a precedent, it's not a big issue. I have enough authority to implement this! Starting tomorrow, all the mathematics group teachers should attend Teacher Yang’s classes. It happens that their class has the highest average score for the year, and we can adjust the timetable accordingly. I’ll ask the head teacher of the first class to rearrange the schedule right away!”

Only then did Teacher Zhang's stern and regretful expression give way to a slight hint of satisfaction.

However, at this point, Director Wei sighed, “But we cannot alter the rules of our school. Given the current scores in your class... well, there's no way around it, the scorecards have to be posted. A 19 is too low, and there might be a minor penalty. But rest assured, I'll be here to safeguard you from any serious repercussions.”

Teacher Zhang smiled, “It's alright, Director Wei. I wholeheartedly agree with the strict implementation of school regulations. Without rules, there's no standard to uphold. If we, as teachers, don't set an example in maintaining school order and discipline, how can we manage the students in the future?”

Director Wei nodded solemnly, increasingly viewing Teacher Zhang as a kindred spirit.

“Teacher Zhang, having you in Gaoji Academy is truly...”

Before he could finish, the office door was abruptly pushed open.

Without knocking, the person walked in brazenly, made themselves at home on the couch, and greeted Director Wei with a casual nod of the chin.

"Looking for me?"

Director Wei: "..."

Director Wei's initial emotional state, on the verge of tears due to Teacher Zhang's touching gesture, was now replaced with acute pain and rage.

"Teacher Jie! Why didn't you knock before entering?!"

Jie Fangcheng replied nonchalantly: "I did knock."

He knocked in a perfunctory manner, not really caring if anyone inside had heard, and proceeded to push the door open and walk in.

Director Wei, fuming with anger, glanced briefly at Teacher Zhang seated beside him.

"Teacher Zhang, perhaps you should attend to other matters first? I'd like to have a word with Teacher Jie."

Zhang An adjusted his glasses and smiled faintly, "Alright."

As he stood up to leave, he turned his head seemingly casually at the door, asking, "Oh, by the way, Teacher Jie, did you lock the computer room door?"

"What?!" Director Wei widened his eyes, turning to Jie Fangcheng, "Who allowed you to enter the computer room?!"

"I locked it, probably?" Jie Fangcheng didn't even look at him, his gaze fixed on Zhang An, although, he didn't sound entirely sure when answering.

Director Wei's attention swiftly reverted back to Zhang An's face.

This person! He had only entrusted him with the keys, how could he allow another teacher to enter the computer room??

But as Director Wei turned to look at him, Teacher Zhang also seemed somewhat perplexed. He first glanced at Teacher Jie, then at Director Wei. Meeting Director Wei's somewhat irate and questioning gaze, there was a moment of bewilderment on Teacher Zhang's face, as if he couldn't comprehend why Director Wei was looking at him that way.

Immediately, an explanation dawned upon Director Wei as to why not only Teacher Zhang had the keys but Jie Fangcheng had accessed the computer room too.

There was no doubt, Teacher Jie must have deceived the innocent Teacher Zhang with lies!

Absolutely despicable!

Director Wei's anger climbed another notch.

Meanwhile, Zhang An finally exited the principal's office.

As if nothing had transpired, he leisurely returned to the math office.

Inside the office, a few individuals were gathered, discussing how to spend their first night in the instance. Seeing him return, Guo Siming greeted him proactively.

"Zhang An, come here quickly." Guo Siming cautiously surveyed the surroundings first. The teacher NPCs were still busily bustling about, paying no attention to them.

Only then did Guo Siming hurriedly and quietly brief him on their plans for the evening.

"The handbook we received from the academy states clearly that mentoring students beyond midnight is prohibited, isn't it? We suspect that some changes might occur in the school after twelve. Tong Xinxin has a personal skill that allows her to create a puppet that can stay back in the office at night. What do you think?"

"Sounds good."

Tong Xinxin chimed in from aside: "My puppet is created using my own blood as a sacrifice, it wouldn't be fair for me to be the only one making sacrifices at night, right?"

Then, Tong Xinxin smiled mischievously at Zhang An: "Teacher Zhang, do you have any personal skills that can come in handy at this time? Although you've only cleared the instance four times, being noticed by the Lone Wolf Guild means your skills must be quite formidable, right?"

Zhang An smiled gently: "I do have one, but I've been using it since I entered the school."

"What?"

Zhang An responded with a composed expression: "I can gain the trust of a specified NPC; I chose Director Wei."

Gaining the favor of NPCs within the game instance is indeed vital, but Tong Xinxin remained somewhat skeptical: "So Director Wei trusts you implicitly now?"

"Yes, but the efficacy of this skill diminishes over time. Here's a thought," Zhang An glanced at the surrounding teacher NPCs before continuing, "None of you have met the top teacher in terms of teaching performance, right? I can talk to Director Wei and arrange a meeting for us tomorrow. How does that sound?"

Everyone exchanged uncertain glances.

It was just a meeting, seemingly not too challenging, but interacting with a key NPC like Director Wei could indeed be a tough nut to crack.

Especially since earlier today Director Wei appeared to be quite affable towards Zhang An. But this evening, when the results from class nine were released, it wasn't just the players who were shocked; even the NPC who came to summon Zhang An to the director's office had a look of gleeful anticipation.

Without a potent personal skill, reversing his image in Director Wei's eyes would be nearly impossible.

Tong Xinxin looked at him and nodded: "Alright."

Zhang An returned to his seat, calmly beginning to organize the papers and student profiles in front of him.

No one noticed him casually placing the score sheet at the top of the student profiles, as if it was of no particular concern.

"Perfect timing, I'll ask Director Wei if he can share any more information with me."

With that, Zhang An picked up the stack of profiles and stepped out.

However, instead of heading to the director's office on the first floor, he went up to the third floor and stood silently at the end of the corridor.

After a short while, footsteps echoed from the staircase.

The person producing the footsteps seemed exceedingly relaxed, humming a tune and leisurely ascending to the third floor.

Upon seeing the figure in the corridor, he paused momentarily: "Why are you here?"

"Ah, I came to apologize," a flicker of embarrassment and guilt crossed Zhang An's face. "Earlier in the director's office, I realized I forgot to ask you whether you had locked the computer room since it's also on the first floor. I'm sorry, I hope Director Wei didn't scold you for it?"

"No, not at all," Jie Fangcheng stretched a little, his expression somewhat regretful. "Though Director Wei might be unreasonable at times, he sticks to the rules too rigidly during situations like this."

Just moments ago, right after Zhang An left the director's office, Director Wei could no longer contain his rage.

"Teacher Jie! Can you please act more responsibly?! Look at yourself! Not grading student papers, not evaluating their performance, and deceiving your colleagues! What kind of attitude is this??!"

Jie Fangcheng spoke sincerely, "If you can't stand it, how about we have a fight?"

As he spoke, he loosened up his muscles a bit.

Director Wei's eyes widened like copper bells, "No fighting is allowed within the school! This is a school rule!"

"Ah," Jie Fangcheng sighed reluctantly, his enthusiasm waning, "Do you have any other matters then?"

He was a reasonable man, never one to initiate a physical altercation.

Since Director Wei refused to fight, Jie Fangcheng lost interest in pursuing it any further.

Director Wei, visibly irritated, forcefully handed the grade sheet to Jie Fangcheng.

"Redo! Properly! Seriously! Tabulate your class's scores! This needs to be posted on the notice board tomorrow! How would your students feel seeing zeros all around? Don't you have any professional ethics?"

A realization dawned upon Jie Fangcheng.

Although everyone in the class scored zero, public humiliation like this could indeed be considered a bit cruel, especially from the perspective of the student NPCs.

Jie Fangcheng finally accepted the grade sheet back.

Director Wei let out a sigh of relief, thinking perhaps this teacher was not entirely beyond redemption. After all, he seemed receptive when spoken to reasonably.

With this thought, Director Wei watched as Jie Fangcheng produced a pen seemingly out of nowhere, placed the grade sheet on his left hand, and briskly marked it with the pen in his right hand, before returning the sheet.

"All set now."

Jie Fangcheng gestured towards him, "The students shouldn't be upset this time."

Director Wei looked down.

Average score: 150.

"You..." Director Wei, bursting into an ironic smile, stared deeply at him, "Are you sure it's 150 points?"

"Yes."

Utterly clueless!

But perhaps it's for the best; in a couple of days, there would be a major examination. Submitting an average score of 150 points now would provide a perfect example to set a precedent after the examination results were out.

Had this been earlier, Director Wei might have offered some words of caution.

After all, it was not advisable to change teachers too frequently; these teachers were like batteries, best utilized to their fullest extent before being replaced.

But now, Director Wei looked at him and let out a cold chuckle.

"Fine, I will record it as 150 then."

Jie Fangcheng glanced at him, releasing another regretful sigh.

"Not even considering a round?"

Director Wei maintained his disdainful smirk.

Fine then.

The reasonable manager Jie had no choice but to leave. Just as he was about to push the door open, he suddenly turned back.

"Oh, by the way, the computers in your computer lab are really outdated; even playing solitaire is somewhat laggy. Could you perhaps replace them with slightly newer ones? I don't ask for much, just that solitaire runs smoothly."

Director Wei's veins popped in frustration: "No! Way!"

Jie Fangcheng remarked with a sense of lament, "Quite stingy, aren't we?"

Having said that, he departed, leaving Director Wei disheveled in his office, grappling with the winds of turmoil.

At this moment, meeting Zhang An, an oblivious Jie Fangcheng who had yet to realize that he had been played, scratched his head after a brief moment of confusion.

"It doesn't seem to be much of an issue, anyway he doesn't dare to lay a hand on me."

Zhang An shook his head, "You might think it's not a big deal, but I still feel quite guilty. Here, take a look at these files from my class, it might help you get a grasp of the current situation."

Seeing the hefty stack of documents, Jie Fangcheng frantically waved his hands, "No, no, no, no."

"You'll need them," Zhang An said with a gentle yet firm smile, "Let me help you carry these to your office."

Before Jie Fangcheng could refuse again, the man took the lead.

Jie Fangcheng uttered a soft "hey" from behind, but the other party seemed to have ignored it completely, swiftly walking to the doorway of the language department office, knocking before entering.

Jie Fangcheng watched his retreating figure, pondering why this man seemed to embody both good and bad traits.

While lost in thought, he too reached the office.

Inside the office, Zhang An had already struck up a conversation with the members of the language group swiftly.

Although both parties had discussed the information they currently had during the meal, it seemed now that all they could do was wait until after the major exam to gauge the harshness of the school's testing system and formulate plans accordingly.

At this moment, Zhang An arrived bearing good news.

"Tomorrow, everyone will have the opportunity to attend a class taught by the top-performing teacher."

Oddly enough, when he spoke these words, he did not lower his voice.

Consequently, the NPCs in the office gradually looked up, their expressions varied but soon they all lowered their heads, resuming their respective tasks.

Only the ninth-grade language teacher NPC, sitting near the players, was intently gazing at the documents Zhang An had casually placed beside him.

At the top of the pile of documents was the sheet detailing the math exam scores of their class.

This NPC, in the same class as Zhang An, should have displayed anger and fear upon seeing this distressing report card. However, his face bore an expression of astonishment, exhilaration, and joy.

The NPC's eyes darted up and down, scrutinizing the woeful report card with such intensity that it seemed he wished to snatch it and preserve it as a cherished possession.

All the players were attentively listening to the information provided by Zhang An, except for a player named Wang Xi. After hearing the news with apparent disinterest, his wandering gaze settled on the face of the class nine language teacher NPC. Initially stunned, he then appeared to have an epiphany, as if understanding something significant.

Unbeknownst to Wang Xi, as he was observing the NPC, a pair of eyes were intently watching him.

Zhang An's news consisted only of the opportunity to attend the class tomorrow. When Jie Fangcheng approached, Zhang An handed him the documents he held.

Jie Fangcheng immediately started waving his hands frantically: "Don't give them to me, I really don't want them!"

Zhang An paused briefly, then smiled, this time not insisting and promptly retracting the documents.

The moment he did, a clear sigh of relief could be seen from Jie Fangcheng.

"I should head back to the math office now."

With those words, Zhang An turned around.

Just as he was about to leave the language office, he suddenly turned his head back: "Wang Xi."

Wang Xi looked at him.

Zhang An smiled: "You were sitting in the front row, weren't you?"

Wang Xi's expression changed dramatically.

However, after saying this, Zhang An turned and left.

Inside the language office, everyone exchanged bewildered glances.

One of Wang Xi's closer acquaintances couldn't help but inquire: "What did he mean by that?"

Wang Xi forced a smile: "I'm not sure, maybe... he was just making casual conversation?"

All of them, having cleared many levels before, could tell from Wang Xi's demeanor that he was undoubtedly concealing something.

But they all entered the game together, becoming novice teachers at the same time, and Wang Xi's activities were always conducted with the majority. What secret could he possibly have?

Time flew swiftly.

At ten o'clock, the school's dismissal bell rang, with students exiting the classrooms in an orderly and quiet manner.

Xu Xiuxiu couldn't help but rub her arms.

"No matter how many times I see it, the sight of so many students, without a single one engaging in conversation with another, feels incredibly eerie."

As she finished her statement, Jie Fangcheng's voice could be heard echoing from a distance.

"Oh, school's over, huh? Make sure to rest well at home and avoid staying up late."

Many of the students from class seven turned to look at him, their faces registering a type of astonishment commonly seen on most players who have teamed up with Jie Fangcheng before.

But it was merely astonishment. The students remained silent, offering no response to his words and continued on their path towards the dormitories.

Receiving no acknowledgment, the expression on Jie Fangcheng's face remained unchanged.

In fact... there were results.

In the afternoon, Jie Fangcheng indeed had the students exchange their test papers with each other, without specifying any particular method for the exchange. They could swap with their closest friends or with the person sitting next to them, as long as they weren't grading their own papers.

However, once the test papers were collected, Jie Fangcheng fell silent.

Every student, without exception, was meticulously deducting points from the paper they were grading.

Illegible handwriting, points deducted.

A one-word deviation from the standard answer, points deducted.

Improper punctuation, points deducted.

Upon collecting the papers, Jie Fangcheng briefly scanned through a couple of them, finding nearly every one marked with vibrant red crosses.

Zero marks... truly zero marks.

Some students even managed to reduce their classmates' scores into negative territory.

There is something wrong with the education system at this school.

Jie Fangcheng is not adept at teaching. He has spent years dealing with entities that can be annihilated instantly, but when faced with these students, who still retain an air of innocence, even Manager Jie couldn't bring himself to ruthlessly fail them all without a second thought.

No matter, Manager Jie might not comprehend educational theory, but he knows how to seek external help.

Isn't that Zhang An person a former tutor at a cram school? A bit more observation might be necessary; although the individual doesn't seem malevolent, he always gives Jie Fangcheng an ominously eerie vibe.

Jie Fangcheng stretched languidly.

But for today, it's enough, considering the late hour.

No white-collar worker enjoys working overtime... well, actually, they dislike working at any time, a common sentiment among all office workers.

"Let's go," he said, and after recognizing him, he also called out to his roommate, "Wang Xi, let's head back and rest!"

Wang Xi managed a forced smile and nodded.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, and immediately upon returning to the dormitory with Jie Fangcheng, headed straight into the bathroom.

"I'm experiencing some stomach pain, I'll use the restroom first."

With that, Wang Xi closed the bathroom door and swiftly pulled out a booklet from his pocket, feverishly flipping through its pages.

If Guo Siming were here, he would notice that this booklet bears a striking resemblance to the fragment of a teacher recruitment advertisement he had found.

That's because the fragment indeed originated from this very booklet.

The cover of the booklet displayed the words “High Achievement Academy Student Handbook”, and opening it revealed a bold line on the first page.

"Pride in high grades, shame in low scores!"

Following this were the student regulations, including "No loud noises within the school premises, violators will incur a 1-point deduction" and "No forming of cliques, violators will incur a 1-point deduction", and so forth.

At first, Wang Xi pondered about the meaning behind the repeated emphasis on a "total 1-point" deduction. Wasn't one point just one point? What did "total" signify?

It was only when he observed the expression on that NPC's face did he finally grasp the concept.

The instance hint was: Every student has their strengths and weaknesses.

This could mean that every student excels in certain subjects while performing poorly in others.

It's highly likely that these students have a fixed total score.

If the Chinese language score decreases, then the scores for other subjects would correspondingly increase.

Hence, the teachers didn't focus on preparing lessons but rather devoted time to studying detailed information on each student.

This implies... possibly, the students could manipulate their scores across different subjects.

The results from today's exam seemed to corroborate this hypothesis.

The scores of the students in his class remained at a remarkably steady range, hovering around 110 points, none surpassing 120, yet not dipping below 100.

Such a stable range hardly occurs naturally; evidently, it was a result of the students' deliberate choices.

Within this school, students strived to augment their total scores without failing miserably in any single subject to avoid penalties. Meanwhile, the teachers needed to understand the students well enough to persuade them to allocate most of their score points to themselves, fervently attempting to recruit students with higher overall points into their respective classes.

Although it might appear that there is no competition among the players, don't forget, students who rank within the top ten in academic performance reserve the right to request a change of teacher.

Perhaps in the later stages, some players might be assigned to the same class.

And there exists an even more plausible scenario...

Wang Xi turned to the next page, his eyes landing on a statement on the handbook, "Last year's school-wide class score ranking, fifth place: 562 points."

It didn't reveal the top score or the average, only the "fifth place in the school-wide class score ranking".

Could this imply... only classes ranked within the top five could surpass 562 points?

Even if battling for a top-five ranking wasn't obligatory, they should still vie for students with higher total scores.

Every teacher emerged as a competitor in this scenario.

While other players are leisurely organizing a social gathering, discussing amongst themselves like friends about how to proceed.

What to do?

Wang Xi sneered, blissfully turning over to the next page.

Several subsequent pages detailed the students who demonstrated exceptional performance when transitioning from the first to the second year of high school.

Although unsure about how the students' total scores could be augmented, or whether these excellent students might have experienced a decline in their scores, given that the second year has only just started two months ago, it was unlikely that their total scores had deteriorated significantly.

In Wang Xi's class, there was a student who seemed inconspicuous but held a fairly high rank on the outstanding students' list.

With this thought, Wang Xi’s attention shifted back to the top student on the list.

Cao Hanrui.

He wondered which class this student was currently in, perhaps already selected by the teacher ranked first.

But it mattered little. Possessing this handbook, he had already surpassed the progress of all the other players at present.

As he pondered, a "thud, thud, thud" echoed - the door was being knocked upon.

"Wang Xi, are you done? Someone's looking for you."

"I'm done."

Wang Xi flushed the toilet and stealthily slid the handbook into his sleeve.

His sleeve was a concealed storage tool named "Tattered Universe Sleeve". It wasn't of a high level, only capable of holding an object the size of a dictionary, but it was more than sufficient to conceal the handbook.

Having secured the book, Wang Xi then proceeded to open the restroom door.

Upon opening, he halted abruptly, feeling a sudden jolt in his heart.

"Zhang An..."

The very person who had just announced his front-row seating in the presence of Chinese group players.

Zhang An nodded courteously at him, saying, "I won't be able to stay in the dormitory tonight, but my roommate hasn't returned yet. Could you please inform him later?"

Zhang An’s roommate had recently gone to the school supermarket to buy some late-night snacks, a reason that seemed entirely plausible.

However, when Wang Xi met his gaze, he felt as if he had been completely seen through.

"What's the matter?" Wang Xi couldn't help but ask.

Zhang An merely smiled, "I've never been fond of vital clues being safeguarded by individuals who are somewhat lacking in acumen."

Having said this, Zhang An looked at him, his expression tinged with regret.

"But it seems now, you won't admit to it."

Wang Xi was stunned momentarily.

Since entering the instance, this player named Zhang An had maintained a gentlemanly demeanor.

Graceful and dignified, he spoke with a calm and polite mannerism. His suit fit him perfectly, accentuating his upright posture, exuding a demeanor of scholarly depth and refined grace.

After being ridiculed, Wang Xi was momentarily at a loss, his face turning beet red as Zhang An was about to close the door and leave.

Overwhelmed with anger, he grasped the collar of Zhang An fiercely.

Xie Fangcheng, who was peeling an apple, watched this unfold and held the apple in his mouth.

Wang Xi roared furiously, "Don't you dare try to stop me! I'm going to beat him to death today! Who the hell do you think you are pretending to be?!”

The disdain in the man's expression, the infuriatingly condescending posture, all immensely irritated Wang Xi.

Zhang An merely raised his hand, allowing himself to be pushed out of the dormitory and into the corridor by Wang Xi.

In the corridor, the passing staff NPCs were stunned at the scene unfolding before them.

At this moment, Director Wei saw the commotion from afar and hurried over immediately.

"Teacher Wang! What are you doing?! Don't you know that fighting is prohibited within the school grounds?!”

Wang Xi, burning with rage, retorted, "Prohibited from fighting? Isn't that rule for restricting the students mentioned in the student handbook?? I am a teacher...”

"Being a teacher, do you consider yourself more privileged than the students? If the students need to adhere to this rule, don't you think you should too?" Director Wei asked coldly.

Under the scrutiny of the surrounding crowd, Wang Xi gradually released his grip, followed by a cold snort from Director Wei before he walked away.

With a face filled with resentment, Wang Xi was about to turn back to his room when Zhang An behind him placed a hand on his shoulder.

Zhang An chuckled softly, "Oh, so what you've hidden is the student handbook, huh?"

Wang Xi's body stiffened.

But the hand on his shoulder had swiftly retreated.

Just who exactly is this individual named "Zhang An"?

Up till now, although he hadn't seen him use any personal skills, judging from his behavior thus far, why did it send chills down one's spine?

Wang Xi gritted his teeth, managing to calm his emotions, intending to negotiate terms quietly with Zhang An.

At that moment, from behind them, a voice loud enough for all the surrounding players to hear rang out.

"Hmm? Wang Xi, you hid the student handbook?"

Snap—

The sound of Xie Fangcheng munching an apple was so clear, so piercing, that to Wang Xi, the crisp snap of the apple seemed more like the sound of his own rationality breaking down.

Xie Fangcheng hadn't finished speaking.

"What does the student handbook look like? Bring it out and let's see, shall we?"

Wang Xi: "…"