Chapter 62: Gaoyi Academy (Part Twenty-Seven)

Chapter 62: Gaoyi Academy (Part Twenty-Seven)

Whether the players led the lives of ordinary people or not, Director Wei didn't care.

Early the next morning, he emerged from the staff dormitory to see, to his astonishment, a group of teachers walking out from the villa district in droves, with Yue Haiyang, chatting amicably with Guo Siming, leading the way.

Director Wei focused his gaze and firstly made sure that dreadful figure wasn't present in the group, before furiously demanding, "Who allowed you to come to the villa area on your own accord?!"

Yue Haiyang blinked innocently and turned his head back: "Brother Jie..."

Director Wei instinctively retreated two steps.

But soon after, he realized that the youngster seemed to be scaring him on purpose, as that figure did not appear behind them.

Director Wei's face darkened, his eyes narrowing ominously as he stared at him, "You dare to deceive me..."

Before he could finish speaking, a segment of a stick protruded from the villa behind them.

Early in the morning, Jie Fangcheng was already carrying his stick on his shoulder, casually strolling out while yawning and standing in a languid posture. He couldn't even bother to properly wear the Gaoyi Academy uniform; his tie was loose, and the jacket was casually thrown over his shoulder, epitomizing sloppiness.

Seeing Director Wei at this moment, he waved a hand, "Yo."

Director Wei endured, but finally couldn't bear it anymore, "Teacher Jie! Can't you wear your uniform properly?!"

Jie Fangcheng expressed surprise, "You are quite bold today, aren't you?"

Saying this, the stick was again lifted in his hand.

Without another word, Director Wei turned and fled, swiftly disappearing from everyone's sight.

— In reality, there were no NPCs in everyone's view at the moment, the teacher NPCs upon seeing them... mainly upon seeing Jie Fangcheng, immediately took a detour and fled. The group of good students didn't run that fast, mostly because their abilities wouldn't allow for it.

Yue Haiyang was refreshed and invigorated, "This feeling of riding on someone's coattails is just too delightful!"

His choice of words was too apt, causing everyone to cast sidelong glances.

After everyone had lunch at the school cafeteria and returned to the teaching building, the remaining four players who had initially insisted on their own approach to clearing the instance and were quite unhappy with Jie Fangcheng's "ban on using teacher NPCs to treat students" exchanged glances with each other.

Dou Siqi had previously maintained good relations with these players, giving truthful answers to those who approached him with questions.

Soon, two players, after careful consideration, decided to abandon their original ideas — whether they had genuinely understood or were forced by the circumstances, sticking to their own ideas would truly be a dead-end.

Not to mention the remaining fourteen players, ten players were gathered around Jie Fangcheng at this time, leaving the four of them somewhat isolated.

Mainly, Dou Siqi's experience had served as a stern warning for them.

Jie Fangcheng was under no obligation to help them, and if they attempted to use the teacher's method to clear the instance, facing the student NPCs alone would indeed make it hard to escape alive.

Asking for help while opposing the helper, criticizing their methods, and still hoping to be rescued in times of danger, how shameless must one be?

Beyond being shameless, this method just wouldn't work.

This time, Jie Fangcheng rushed to rescue Dou Siqi just in time, and the players weren't fools; they clearly understood that it was a warning.

— This time we rescued Dou Siqi, but next time, we might not rescue you.

After two players "came around", the last two players quickly "defected" as well.

At this time, Tong Xinxin turned around to think carefully and realized that her feeling was indeed correct.

The pace of this instance was utterly different from the ones she had cleared before.

Following the normal pace of an instance, players generally have a period of cooperation when they enter, which is also the time when everyone gets along the best, even if it is only superficial harmony.

By the middle and later stages, everyone would have gathered enough clues. In a competition-based instance, this is usually the point where players begin to vie against each other.

The carnage perpetuates unceasingly until the end of the instance - both the NPC's slaughter of players and the bloodshed amongst players themselves.

However, the pace of this instance is extraordinarily swift.

The period of collaboration amongst players is brief. Guided subtly by Zhang An, everyone quickly discerned the "path to victory", also realizing the competitive element present in this instance.

This was swiftly followed by mutual distrust and antagonism amongst players, all while having to fend off the murderous intentions of NPCs.

During this phase, due to the presence of Jie Fangcheng, the NPCs' onslaught on players has been null, and the internecine conflict amongst players hasn't manifested yet, given that the instance has not reached its final moments.

Except for Yu Hanfei, whose death was less the doing of an NPC, but rather the result of Zhang An’s “elimination” strategy.

Zhang An eliminated the morally deficient Yu Hanfei, who was unfit to be part of the team. Following this, with Jie Fangcheng as a cornerstone, he gradually incorporated players into the team.

Initially saving Tong Xinxin and others in the student dormitory, followed by accommodating the wavered-willed Guo Siming, then Dou Siqi, and finally the remaining four individuals.

In reality, he hasn't done much, only continuously emphasized Jie Fangcheng's importance and the escalating danger of the instance in his absence.

Now, the fourteen players have essentially built a structure revolving around the core that is Jie Fangcheng.

Be it players like Tong Xinxin who owe him their lives, or those who merely fear his and the NPCs' prowess, not daring to offend him, surprisingly, within this terrifying competition-centric instance, all the players have formed a unified front.

This was beyond anyone’s imagination.

If the players were not in competition, forming a team within the instance would have been a possibility.

Ironically, in this competitive instance, the remaining players have managed to forge a team. It’s unclear whether to attribute this to Jie Fangcheng's formidable strength or to acknowledge Zhang An's remarkable intellect.

This is the first time Tong Xinxin has witnessed a cycle of "surface cordiality - underlying schemes - mutual competition - face-off" in the early stages of an instance, only to eventually revert to "player cooperation".

What comes next?

Once again, the players gather together. This time, no one contests Jie Fangcheng’s words or voices discontent, resulting in a surprisingly congenial atmosphere.

Yue Haiyang initiated the conversation, "What are we doing next? Are we going to attack those teacher NPCs?"

The death toll of second-year department teacher NPCs is escalating. Currently, each player has taken charge of two classes, enabling the transfer of good students to their own class, while relocating the underperformers to the substitute class.

Everyone turned their eyes towards Jie Fangcheng, who then looked at Zhang An.

Zhang An shook his head, "No rush."

"Huh? The third major exam is upon us and we're not hurrying?" someone murmured.

Zhang An smiled, a smile that seemed to send a chill down the spines of those who witnessed it.

"It won't suffice if only the second-year department undergoes changes," he said with a grin, "A shift in the school's ethos should be reflected across every grade, every class."

.

Senior Year Class 4 (Grade 12, Section 4).

Compared to the sophomores, the students who have endured one more year of strict admonishments at the high-achieving academy appeared more subdued if they were underachievers, and more confident and active if they were diligent.

This is a Chinese literature class.

The teacher, following the lecture notes at the podium, dominates the room, while the students in the back rows dare not breathe too loudly, fearing being called upon by this teacher.

But fear is futile, for the inevitable has arrived.

“Number thirty-seven, stand up and answer the question I just asked!”

Student number thirty-seven trembles to his feet, his head bowed low, his eyes fixated on his desk, and his voice was barely audible, reminiscent of a mosquito’s hum.

The Chinese teacher at the podium was about to berate him when suddenly, the door was kicked open with a force.

Yue Haiyang stormed in, wielding his weapons—two daggers resembling short swords, and in two strides reached the podium, giving the teacher NPC a severe beating.

“Scolding students, huh? Scolding students! Do you even have any professional ethics as a teacher, huh? Do you feel any remorse?!”

The teacher NPC was no match for him. After the beating, Yue Haiyang stood up and pointed at the classroom's sound system.

“Stay tuned for the broadcast.”

With that, he left, leaving behind a room full of bewildered faces.

The school’s PA system, which previously only served to signal the beginning and end of classes, found a second purpose at eleven o'clock today.

“Hello? Hello? Can anyone hear me?”

There was a sound of someone tapping the microphone in the broadcast, accompanied by a not-so-serious tone and, seemingly, the distant screams of someone in the background.

At this moment, a gentle voice responded from afar, “We can hear you.”

“Ah, good.” The person on the broadcast cleared their throat, “Hello everyone, since the principal has been hiding and avoiding me, I guess we can skip the formalities. Nothing major, just wanted to announce that I’ve decided to officially take up the position of school principal today... Oh, seems I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Jie Fangcheng.”

Originally, this responsibility should have been passed to Zhang Dao'an, but Zhang was quite sincere in his argument.

“I am not strong enough, if I become the principal, it’s easy for me to get targeted and killed by those NPCs. Manager Jie, you are the only one among the players who is not afraid of those NPCs, I have to entrust this to you. Of course, you would only be a figurehead principal, I will handle the affairs,” he had said.

What Jie Fangcheng heard was essentially, “*&￥# You don’t need to do anything”, and he nodded in agreement.

On the first day of his tenure, Zhang Dao'an handed him a speech script.

“I thought I didn’t have to do anything?” Jie Fangcheng was puzzled.

Zhang Dao'an looked up from a hefty stack of documents, his face embodying innocence, “Well, some ceremonial duties are necessary on the first day of appointment, aren't they?”

“...”

Xie Fangcheng felt he was being played, but glancing at the mound of paperwork in front of Zhong Daoan, he scratched his head reluctantly before accepting the speech manuscript.

Now, he was looking at the speech manuscript.

Zhong Daoan really was a master of diplomacy; the speech was written in a way that suited Xie Fangcheng perfectly.

To put it simply, it was brief.

“I have several announcements to make. First, the grading ranking system will be abolished. Students will only compare their current grades with their previous ones, and there will be no class or school-wide rankings. Moreover, the grades will not be posted publicly; second, the policy of determining teachers' salaries based on student grades will be discontinued, and all teachers will have a unified salary standard; third, the existing school rules and disciplines are abolished, and new ones have been posted on the notice board, please refer to them at your convenience; fourth, a complaint box will be installed with a direct line to the principal's office to report any instances of teachers insulting students or violating the new school rules and disciplines, the principal will deal with these accordingly. The same applies to students who break the rules; fifth…”

Xie Fangcheng paused for a moment, then discarded the speech manuscript.

It seems Zhong Daoan still doesn't understand him completely.

The fifth point on the speech manuscript read: Please come to the office to discuss in detail.

"Fifth, the previous principal, remember to come find me," Xie Fangcheng rolled up his sleeves, "I've already given the entire faculty a thrashing, only you're left."