"Yeah, I have class today, so I came," Jake replied with a smile.
"Why haven't you been here these past few days?" David asked as he sat back at his desk. "Taking so many days off right after you arrived, is that appropriate?"
"It's fine," Jake said.
David felt that it wasn't suitable for Jake to take several days off right after joining the university. The school leaders might not be happy about it, but Jake wasn't worried. After all, it was Vice-Chancellor Carter who had promised him this privilege.
"Just keep it in mind," David said, understanding that it was Jake's business. He didn't want to say more, just offering a reminder. Soon after, the other teachers started arriving in the office, and they seemed surprised to see Jake at work.
"Jake, why didn't you come these past two days?" Verna asked.
"I had some things to take care of," Jake replied.
""You're so poor, yet you always have so many problems," Bill said dismissively while lifting dumbbells.
During their last gathering, Jake had said he had something to do in the evenings, but then he hadn't shown up for work for two days. Now, Jake was saying he had things to deal with again.
"Whether I have something to do or not is none of your business," Jake retorted. "And, by the way, you owe me money. Should pay it back now??"
"Just a small amount money. Only someone like you, a pauper, would keep it on your mind," Bill said.
Although he was unhappy, Bill transferred the money he owed, along with Don's money, to Jake. He didn't want Jake to tarnish his reputation over such a trivial amount. Receiving twenty thousand yuan at once, Jake felt much better.
"Professor Jake, you've just started working here, and taking continuous leave might not look good. If there's nothing important, it's better to come to work every day," Verna advised.
"I won't have any problems if I don't come," Jake casually remarked.
"You're boasting too much. Do you think Princeton University is your family's place?" Bill said again, feeling displeased. He felt uncomfortable seeing Verna and Jake talking to each other.
"Whether it's my family's place or not, it certainly isn't yours," Jake countered. "Also, when others are not talking to you, please don't butt in. It's impolite and shows a lack of manners."
"Jake, do you want to die? How dare you speak to me like this?" Bill said angrily. No one had ever dared to reprimand him like that before, not even his parents.
"The one who speaks first is the most petty," Jake said calmly.
"You..."
"Bill, I'm talking to Professor Jake, so please don't interrupt," Verna said.
"Alright, alright, I won't say anything!" Bill said angrily. Although he stopped talking, his eyes were fixed on Jake, as if he wanted to tear him apart.
"Professor Jake, Princeton University is a well-known institution in the country, and discipline is quite strict. If you keep taking leave, you might face consequences," Verna said, still concerned.
"Thank you for your concern, Professor Verna. I have permission from someone, so there won't be any issues," Jake said.
Jake didn't want to mention Carter's name, as it would be like using his connection to bypass the rules, which wouldn't be respectable. He didn't want his actions to negatively affect Carter. If that happened, he might lose the privilege of not coming to work whenever he wanted. Jake's words left the people in the office puzzled and guessing.
Clearly, Jake dared to openly do what he did because he must have some kind of backing. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare to casually skip work.
However, what kind of protection did Jake receive? Even Verna and Bill, who come from wealthy families, cannot come and go as they please; they must abide by the school's regulations if they want to continue teaching here. Princeton University is not a local school, and despite Verna and Bill having some influence in J City, they don't have much privilege when it comes to dealing with Princeton University.
Yet, Jake managed to do what even Verna and Bill couldn't. Could it be that Jake's background is even more powerful than theirs? But no matter how you look at it, Jake doesn't seem like someone with a strong background.
"Hmph, he's just making things mysterious!" Bill couldn't figure it out and could only snort in disdain. As for Verna, she knew Jake wouldn't have any problems if he didn't come, so she stopped saying anything. However, she was equally curious about Jake's background.
"Oh, Dirk asked you to contact him when you have time." Suddenly, Verna remembered Dirk's request.
"Who's Dirk?" Jake couldn't recall the person Verna was talking about.
"Dirk." Verna rolled her eyes at Jake. "He seems to have something to discuss with you, but he doesn't have your contact information, so he asked me to pass on the message."
"Him? What does he want with me?" Jake was puzzled. He only had a brief encounter with Dirk, and they didn't have any further interaction. Why would Dirk be looking for him?
"I don't know, he didn't tell me." Verna shrugged. "You can find out if you call him."
"Okay." Jake agreed.
Although he wasn't eager to have much interaction with these wealthy second-generation individuals, Dirk took the initiative to find him, so Jake felt it necessary to inquire and see what it was about.
At around 10 o'clock, it was time for the third class of the morning, which was Jake's physical education class. At this time, many classes had physical education, so all six teachers in their office had classes.
"Oh, by the way, Jake, what are you teaching?" David asked Jake before leaving.
David had asked this question during their first meeting, but back then, Jake didn't know, as the school hadn't made any arrangements yet. Today, however, Jake was about to teach his first class, so it must have been decided.
"I teach basketball..." Jake replied absentmindedly while looking at his phone. However, before he could finish his sentence, he froze and stared at the message on his phone in disbelief. The message from the school included information about his teaching content, along with his class schedule.
Last night, Jake had only looked at the schedule and didn't pay much attention to the teaching content. He thought he would be teaching basketball, especially since he believed he was noticed by Carter due to his basketball skills. But what the message revealed was different. It said he would be teaching swimming, and it was a girls' swimming class. Jake felt like his whole world was falling apart.