After inviting the family lawyer to finalize the agreement, Huang Xuan and Yu Liying spent half a day exchanging the main contracts. The Huang Family Foundation would become the legal entity holding the company's shares, but the ownership of the shares would remain under Huang Xuan's name. This marked the typical first step for a Huang family member entering society.
Both Huang Xuan and Yu Liying were very pleased with the inclusion of the Huang family element. The aging Yu Liying believed this was a prudent move, and Huang Xuan, aside from feeling a bit nostalgic about his now "lighter" bank card, was optimistic about Xinye Company's profit potential—after all, this was a company that Lorin had heard of.
After a relaxed weekend, Huang Xuan's parents once again headed to the old family estate. By now, Huang Xuan had become somewhat accustomed to this routine. After tidying himself up, he happily went to school.
In retrospect, this might have been the most exciting vacation he had ever had. Who else could take a trip to the early 20th century and come back? Time travel, as they say, is usually a one-way ticket.
Riding in a car driven by Li Qing, Huang Xuan hummed a tune as he headed straight to Shicheng Middle School. Ever since the generator sets were dismantled from the construction site, his bank card had been steadily shrinking. The electrolytic aluminum plant, it was said, needed renovation, but these were matters for the plant managers to handle. Huang Xuan had little interest in how the budget was spent. However, the plant's electricity consumption had been steadily rising, with the exact amount entirely managed by Lorin.
Although the daily consumption of 300,000 to 500,000 kilowatts was much less than before, Lorin seemed satisfied, and Huang Xuan felt even more at ease. The current electricity price was just over 0.5 yuan per kilowatt-hour, which felt like the difference between congee with century eggs and plain broth compared to the previous prices.
By 7:00 a.m., Huang Xuan arrived at school. After thanking Li Qing, he leisurely walked toward his classroom.
Shicheng Middle School is a private institution, with lush green trees providing ample shade, making it more beautiful than many newly built university campuses. However, the quality of education left something to be desired. Given Huang Xuan's academic performance, this was the best kind of school for him.
However, since the arrival of a new principal last year, life for Huang Xuan and others had become less comfortable.
Previously, as long as one followed basic school rules, no one paid much attention to grades or homework. If there were a party or a sudden change in guild activities in a game, all it took was a text message to the teacher. But last year, the principal, a foreign returnee, seemed to have been influenced by some strange wind and suddenly wanted to turn the school into the best private middle school in southern China. As a result, Huang Xuan and his peers suffered.
Principal Banana, as they called him, ignored Chinese norms entirely. His biggest tactic was public shaming. In the first half of last year, Principal Yang Shantao held a grand evening event, inviting parents and guests from various sectors. Then, at the peak of the festivities, he announced the top 100 and bottom 50 students' grades.
The crowd was in an uproar.
It's easy to imagine how embarrassed these impeccably dressed parents and guests were when their prestigious names were paired with their children's dismal grades.
Fortunately, Huang Xuan ranked around 80th from the bottom in his grade at that time, so he was not included.
But ever since, Principal Yang's evening events had become almost regular occurrences. Not only did he announce grades, but he also revealed other punishments, such as for those who didn't complete their homework or for hot-headed youths involved in fights or teasing girls. In Chinese society, once someone's name was publicly announced like this, very few would drop out instead of enduring the shame.
Additionally, it was said—or rumored—that Principal Yang Shantao had an impressive resume and strong backing, making his position as principal secure. At least for now, he remained the only candidate for the principalship at Shicheng Middle School, leaving Huang Xuan and his peers with no choice but to endure.
This was truly a miserable experience. Just thinking about the principal ruined Huang Xuan's good mood, and the lively expression on his face faded.
"Huang Xuan!" Just as he approached the classroom, Huang Xuan heard a familiar loud voice. Liu Penggang, a classmate known for fully utilizing his trachea, esophagus, and large mouth, was one of the few who could produce such a sound. His voice was said to be louder than entry-level speakers, leaving a lasting impression.
Reaching out to give Liu Penggang a high-five in the air, Liu Penggang shouted, "Where were you last week? You didn't even log into World of Warcraft? We independently downed Illidan (the final boss in the game), and you just disappeared on us!"
What could Huang Xuan say? Last week, when the guild activities were at their peak, he was busy dealing with Lorin. Although the mobile network claimed to be everywhere, it certainly didn't extend to other dimensions. Shaking his head and dismissing this ridiculous thought, Huang Xuan playfully punched Liu Penggang and said, "I had some family matters, couldn't help it."
Liu Penggang naturally knew about the Huang family's anniversary celebrations. He threw his left arm around Huang Xuan's shoulders and, in a voice he thought was quiet, said, "I heard you beat up your sixth brother pretty badly? Sent him to the hospital?"
The "quiet voice" was immediately heard by several others nearby, and a couple of familiar faces quickly gathered around. One of the well-informed ones said, "I know. Both his sixth and eleventh brothers were hospitalized. I heard it was pretty gruesome, almost needed surgery, right?"
Huang Xuan immediately punched the talkative Hou Minyue, saying, "Monkey, which eye of yours saw it being so gruesome?" Seeing the others grinning and about to make a fuss, he had no choice but to raise his hand and say, "Alright, I surrender. Lunch is on me today, okay?"
"Now we're talking." Having achieved their goal, the group dispersed, leaving only Liu Penggang, who still had his arm tightly around Huang Xuan, saying, "Huang Xuan, do you know how much it cost me to down Illidan? I specifically bought a blade server, set up a private server to test Illidan's stats, and even organized guild raids to simulate the fight. Five thousand dollars, and you just vanished? What do you say to that?"
Huang Xuan did feel a bit guilty. He and a few friends had been obsessed with World of Warcraft recently, pouring countless hours and energy into it. He had volunteered to be a warrior—a crucial role in group activities. But then, he had gone completely off the grid without so much as a phone call, leaving him unsure of what to say.
Seeing Huang Xuan in this state, Liu Penggang felt a surge of satisfaction. Generously, he patted Huang Xuan on the shoulder and said, "I've covered for you in the guild. You owe me one for this."
"Got it." Huang Xuan had no choice but to accept the heavy pat. Standing about 20 centimeters shorter than Liu Penggang and weighing significantly less, Huang Xuan struggled to remove his arm from his shoulders. After catching his breath, he said, "But I've been really busy lately, so I won't be able to play WoW."
"No worries." Liu Penggang gave another heavy pat and laughed, "We've already killed Illidan, so there's not much left to do. Even Monkey hasn't logged in for days. I'm thinking of finding a new game to play."
Huang Xuan was left speechless. This was clearly a joke at his expense. Just as he was about to retaliate, the class monitor walked over with a stern face and said, "Looking for a new game? Do you know what I just heard?"
The class monitor, though part of Huang Xuan's group, wasn't as obsessed with gaming. His grades were mediocre, and with his well-off family background, he had good relationships with other students, making him a key player in helping Huang Xuan and others avoid homework punishments. Seeing him with a dark expression, someone immediately asked, "Don't tell me it's bad news."
"Spare me the bad news," Monkey, who always ranked at the bottom, said, his face darkening further.
Wei Mujian, the class monitor, gave a sympathetic look to Monkey and, in a grave tone, said, "I'm afraid I can't help you this time. I just heard the homeroom teacher calling the headmaster. Apparently, they're getting the test papers ready. We have a placement test today."
"A placement test?" Monkey jumped up. "Who gives a test on the first day of school?" Then, with a hopeful look, he asked Wei Mujian, "They're not going to tell our parents about the results, are they?"
Huang Xuan could hardly bear to look. A placement test clearly aimed to set an example; how could they not inform the parents? Unfortunately, it seemed Monkey might be the scapegoat this time.
Wei Mujian could only helplessly shrug. Just then, the homeroom teacher walked in from the door, raising one hand as if he had just won a boxing match, and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, according to instructions from above, you are to clean the classroom immediately. At ten o'clock, we will have a placement test. First is Chinese, followed by math and English in the afternoon. Each test is 90 minutes long. The final results will be sent to your parents. If you fail any subject, your name will be posted on the bulletin board. The bottom five will be on stage."
The bulletin board was on the tree-lined path at the school entrance, a path everyone had to pass. The stage was, of course, Principal Yang Shantao's innovation. Hearing this, Monkey nearly fainted. Several other students also looked unsteady, and Huang Xuan himself felt like he was on the verge of collapse. His Chinese was passable, but his English was atrocious, and his math was even worse. He had been hoping that Monkey and others would cushion his fall, but now that he knew a single failing grade would land him on the bulletin board, he felt utterly defeated.
On the bulletin board! The mere thought of his mother seeing his name there made Huang Xuan feel as if the sky were falling.