"We still have ten minutes before class starts, don't we?" Xiao Han frowned.
"I've already found the venue," Li Dapang said excitedly. "The rent is three thousand five hundred a month, no deposit and no transfer fee required. What do you think?"
"How big is it?" Xiao Han asked urgently.
"The venue is quite large," Li Dapang grinned. "Over three hundred square meters. But it's on the second floor."
"The second floor is fine," Xiao Han shook his head. "We don't need a street-front shop, just a good location with enough space."
"Are you sure you want it?" Li Dapang asked.
"Of course!" Xiao Han nodded.
"Then okay, I'll go and rent it for you right now," Li Dapang said solemnly. "I fear it might be snatched up if we wait too long."
With that, Li Dapang hurriedly pedaled his old bicycle and sped toward the city center.
"Class is starting, class is about to start!" Xiao Han hurriedly yelled after Li Dapang's retreating figure.
"I'm not going, old man, I'm skipping class!" Li Dapang shouted back without turning his head.
Having found something meaningful to do, Li Dapang naturally wanted to exert all his energy. After all, class was just for sleeping, so why waste the time? Watching Li Dapang's retreating figure, Xiao Han felt a sense of helplessness.
In the classroom.
Jiang Xiaoliang was very annoyed as this guy was teaming up with many others to slander Xiao Han behind his back.
"If that kid dares to come today, I'll break his damn legs!" Jiang Xiaoliang boasted proudly.
"Hehe, of course," the classmates nearby laughed. "Xiao Han the 'academic dreg' can't compare to you, the 'academic master'."
"He's just trash!" Jiang Xiaoliang said bluntly.
"Xiaoliang, when are you planning to move back next to Chen Zihan?" the boys beside him laughed and asked.
"Sooner or later," Jiang Xiaoliang snorted.
Chen Zihan was anxious, as Xiao Han hadn't yet reached the classroom, and it was almost eight o'clock. If he didn't arrive soon, he would be marked late. As the last minute to eight o'clock ticked by, Xiao Han walked into the classroom with a steady pace. When Chen Zihan saw him, she immediately relaxed and a joyful smile appeared on her face.
"Xiao Han, good morning!" Chen Zihan greeted cheerfully.
"Morning!" Xiao Han nodded slightly and then stuffed his backpack into the desk.
"What's wrong with you? You look so lackluster," Chen Zihan asked curiously. "Did you not sleep well last night?"
Last night, Xiao Han had worked on problems alone until after two in the morning, finishing off a thick workbook of problems. Though he was quite tired, he was still very excited.
"Yeah!" Xiao Han nodded. "I took your words to heart, so I spent all last night studying seriously."
"What?" Chen Zihan's face immediately flushed upon hearing this. She hadn't expected her words to motivate Xiao Han the day before, and she was quite pleased inside. Blushing, she shyly said, "Is that… is that true?"
"Of course it's true!" Xiao Han nodded. "I will definitely work hard."
"That's good to hear," Chen Zihan's face turned even redder.
Just then, Liu Jinmei entered the classroom holding her teaching materials, her face stern and impassive. But within this stocky woman surged a torrent of anger. She first glanced at Xiao Han, displaying no emotion, then quickly noticed that Li Dapang was not in the classroom.
"Where is Li Dapang?" Liu Jinmei asked sternly.
"Teacher Liu, Big Fatty wasn't feeling well today. He specifically asked me to call in sick for him," Xiao Han stood up calmly.
"Calling in sick?" Liu Jinmei's lips twitched slightly. How dare he skip her class?
Bang!
Liu Jinmei slammed her hand onto the desk, angrily shouting, "There are only a little over two hundred days left till the college entrance exam, and this bastard dares to skip class. I must deal with him."
"Teacher Liu, it's normal to ask for leave when sick," Xiao Han looked at Liu Jinmei. "Everyone gets sick now and then. We can make up for lost study time, but we can't restore lost health, can we?"
"How easy do you think it is to make up for three years of high school coursework!" Liu Jinmei scoffed coldly.
"Why not?" Xiao Han smiled dismissively.
"Xiao Han, can you?" Liu Jinmei looked at Xiao Han coldly, her eyes conveying mockery and disdain. Xiao Han's history of poor academic performance placed him among the weakest in the class— it would be a miracle if he made a comeback, akin to pigs flying.
"Of course I can!" Xiao Han nodded without hesitation.
"Oh?" Liu Jinmei smiled and said, "The mock exam in October is coming up soon. I wonder if you, Xiao Han, could rank second this time—second to last, that is!"
Hahaha...
In the previously silent classroom, suddenly a roar of laughter broke out!
Xiao Han's face turned bright red instantly. This was mockery, this was satire, it was a teacher's abandonment and humiliation of a student. It was also a problem with the education system of this society.
This was intolerable!
Chen Zihan couldn't bear to listen anymore, just as she was about to speak up in defense of Xiao Han. However, Xiao Han raised his right hand high, his face earnest, and said word by word, "In the mock exam in October, if I, Xiao Han, do not achieve the second rank in the class, I, Xiao Han, will withdraw from school immediately!"
Ssss...
Everyone on the scene suddenly gasped in shock. A look of disbelief shone in everyone's eyes, even Liu Jinmei frowned. Had it not been for Xiao Han's performance yesterday, Liu Jinmei might have expelled him on the spot. However, even with an outstanding performance yesterday, it was impossible for him to soar to the second rank from the last in the upcoming October mock exam.
In Chen Zihan's eyes, a flame of hope was flickering. She looked at Xiao Han in disbelief, as if seeing the excellent, ambitious young man from three years ago. All of a sudden, Chen Zihan felt that the Xiao Han before her was so familiar yet so strange. Yet, her heart was filled with fearless admiration for the Xiao Han she saw now. He seemed like an enigma.
"Xiao Han, I admire your courage," Teacher Liu put down her clenched fist and said, "But courage alone is not enough for a person."
"I have not only courage but also confidence!" Xiao Han said coldly, "One month later at the mock exam, it's a deal."
"No!" Liu Jinmei's lips slightly curled up in a wicked way, "If you don't get the second rank, I don't need you to withdraw from school. You just need to clean the toilets for a month."
"Okay." Xiao Han nodded.
At that moment, Jiang Xiaoliang seemed to have seized an opportunity as he quickly stood up and said, "Teacher Liu, if Xiao Han doesn't achieve the second rank this time, then he should move back to the last row. Give my spot back to me."
"Okay!" Xiao Han agreed briskly, "But if I do achieve the second rank, what will you do then?"
"How could you!" Jiang Xiaoliang said disdainfully, "The second rank in the class is always mine, how could a laggard like you snatch it from me."
"Everything is possible," Xiao Han said lightly.
"If you snatch the second rank from me, I... I just..." Jiang Xiaoliang was about to say he would move to the last row, but he quickly realized he was already at the last row.
"Then you move to the front, alongside the podium. Let the entire class gaze at you every day, watching you with disdainful eyes, how about that?" Xiao Han said very calmly, a calmness and indifference that were not typical for his age.
"Fine, I agree!" Jiang Xiaoliang was already furious and agreed without hesitation.
Teacher Liu's lips slightly curled up, she liked this kind of educational atmosphere, as long as it could improve academic performance and stimulate students' motivation to learn. No matter how much they quarreled, she was willing.
"Alright, now let's proceed with the lesson as usual," Teacher Liu said indifferently.
Although the study content in the senior year of high school had significantly slackened, each student was like an arrow strung on a bow, always ready to be launched. Teacher Liu, a distinguished teacher at Linjiang No.1 Middle School, had been awarded the honor of a top ten provincial teacher. Her teaching method in mathematics was quite unique, so her students generally performed very well. Although a bit hot-tempered, her teaching ability was indeed strong.
A morning's worth of lessons had taught Xiao Han quite a lot.
Throughout the morning classes, Teacher Liu particularly paid attention to Xiao Han and noticed that unlike before, he wasn't listless but was listening very attentively and seriously. This pleased Teacher Liu as she felt Xiao Han was making progress. With effort, everything was hopeful.
At the end of the morning school session.
"Xiao Han," Teacher Liu suddenly called out.
"Teacher Liu!" Xiao Han faced Teacher Liu's sternness with a smile.
"You..." Liu Jinmei glanced at him, then said, "Come to my office!"
Finishing her words, Teacher Liu turned and left.
"Ouch, someone's in trouble!"
"This is bad, I guess someone's going to be criticized."
Inside the classroom, a group of students immediately began to jeer.
Xiao Han didn't feel at all like he was about to face calamity; he strode confidently toward the office.
In the office, the other teachers had gone for lunch, leaving only Liu Jinmei. Seeing Xiao Han enter, she immediately put down her textbook.
"Teacher Liu, what did you want to see me for?" Xiao Han asked.
"You were very attentive in class today, so I wanted to praise you," Liu Jinmei said with a smile.
"Thank you, Teacher," Xiao Han responded, neither humbly nor arrogantly.
"Keep working hard, your learning will definitely improve," Liu Jinmei sighed, "Don't ever give up on yourself like before. Teacher knows you were once the middle school entrance exam champion in Wangjiang District, you are a child with a talent for learning. And about your father's death... don't think too much about it!"
"Teacher, if there is nothing else, I will leave first," Xiao Han said, then turned and walked away.