Zhao Jiadi drank tea quickly. It only took him about seven minutes to finish a cup of boiling - hot Tieguanyin. For Biluochun or Longjing tea, he was even faster. He would brew a cup of Tieguanyin five times, neither more nor less, and then change the tea leaves. Generally, the work at hand could be completed after two to three times of changing the tea. Today, Zhao Jiadi only changed the tea once because he had the habit of watching the News Broadcast. Finally, he specifically searched for relevant videos. This, like his never - missing - an - issue reading of the Economic Observer, was a habit forced on him by Zhao Sanjin. As time passed, it became second nature. When it was almost over, he received a call from Li Feng. "Zhao Jiadi, you're really bold. You dared not to come to the first meeting. The counselor just asked the temporary class cadres to take roll call. You're probably going to be invited to the office for a talk. My condolences."
Zhao Jiadi frowned and said nothing. After hanging up the phone, he rode his bicycle to the playground and ran for exactly ten laps. His speed wasn't fast, but after running, he wasn't out of breath and his face wasn't flushed. It was almost 9 o'clock at that time, and there weren't many people on the playground. Most of them were couples taking a stroll, being all lovey - dovey. After running, Zhao Jiadi received another call from Li Feng. This time, Li Feng was as nervous as if facing a formidable enemy and reported the situation tensely, "I don't know what's going on. An uncle from the academic affairs office of the college wants to set a negative example and has singled you out. Our counselor originally wanted to protect you, but failed. Now that wretched uncle is sending his minions to summon you to the office in the teaching building. Buddy, may you have a safe journey."
After writing down the office address that Li Feng reported to him, Zhao Jiadi got on his bicycle again and went to face the music bravely.
The leader was sitting upright on a chair in the spacious office, holding a tea cup. The young counselor, who had had lunch together at noon, was standing, seemingly speaking well of Zhao Jiadi. After Zhao Jiadi entered, he was too lazy to explain and just waited for the verdict. He had always disliked those guys who thought too highly of themselves and put on airs. Obviously, this college leader in front of him fell into this category. Of course, Zhao Jiadi wasn't so reckless as to slap him. If a teacher did something within his authority that didn't quite match the selfless dedication of "a candle burns itself out to give light to others", Zhao Jiadi could still accept it. For example, if a "loving" teacher suddenly saw a beautiful girl being affectionate and coquettish with a boy and felt unhappy, then took it out on the unlucky guy who happened to be in the way. If he himself were that poor wretch, Zhao Jiadi wouldn't mind being used as a punching bag. It was just like when he was playing basketball and got blocked by the star on the court. When he saw the pride of the basketball hunk and the screams of the fangirls outside the court, he would deliberately get blocked a few more times. At that time, Zhao Jiadi was happy when he saw those people having a great time, and he was also happy himself.
Zhao Jiadi had never been afraid to judge others with the utmost malice, because he was an optimistic pessimist. Only in this way could he avoid disappointment to the greatest extent.
Therefore, Zhao Jiadi humbly accepted all the criticism and education from the college leader in front of him and nodded frequently. However, he didn't guarantee that similar situations wouldn't happen again in the future. Classmate Zhao Jiadi was an extremely easy - going guy when it came to things above the bottom line, but that didn't mean at all that he was a good - natured softy that anyone could push around. After all, which good boy would hide a machete under the bed, and a whole sack of them at that, as Sparrow said?
"Zhao Jiadi, that's a good name. Don't waste it." The middle - aged college leader said slowly, leaning back in his chair. After lecturing for a long time, he was thirsty. Suddenly, something occurred to him and he muttered to himself, "Zhao Jiadi. Why does it sound a bit familiar?"
There was a knock on the door, and then an old man with thinning hair walked in slowly. He was all smiles, looking very much like an unsuccessful charlatan. However, the middle - aged head of the admissions office, who also had a great air in front of Zhao Jiadi's counselor, suddenly stood up, put his tea cup aside. He was as flustered as a usurping monkey seeing the real king of the mountain. He quickly vacated his seat and tried to smile naturally, but the flattery in his bones was hard to hide as he said, "Principal, what brings you here?"
"Looking for someone." The old man, whose eyes had been fixed on Zhao Jiadi all the time, still had a smiling expression as if he was ready to deceive an innocent little girl or take advantage of a decent woman at any time.
"Are you looking for Xiao Huang? He's an outstanding member of our school's young talent echelon, a doctoral student at Zhejiang University, and very promising." The middle - aged man was clearly much less sophisticated than the old man, who looked like a gatekeeper of the school. He quickly changed his tune and immediately grandly introduced Zhao Jiadi's counselor, Huang Zhiqiang, a young man who had just entered the school.
Huang Zhiqiang, who had no back - stage support or background, was also in a fog, not understanding why the old principal, who was rarely seen, came to the office.
"No, I'm looking for this young man." The old man put his hands behind his back and nodded at Zhao Jiadi, who was even more bewildered.
Huang Zhiqiang had a headache. Had this seemingly obedient but somewhat naive Zhao Jiadi caused a huge disaster, so much so that it had alerted the most powerful figure in this school? In fact, Yangpu District had never been able to build a real university town, and there were many hidden details that couldn't be told to outsiders. However, those in the know were aware of what it meant for an ordinary undergraduate college that ranked only after the 20th in Shanghai to have a principal who was exceptionally granted vice - ministerial - level treatment.
"It's Zhao Jiadi, right? I heard that you got a zero in English but still managed to score 570. You've got guts. Do you feel aggrieved to come to our school?" The old man was like a slimmer Maitreya Buddha. His perpetual smile seemed harmless, but his shrewdness was actually terrifying.
"No." Zhao Jiadi said warily.
Huang Zhiqiang and the middle - aged man, who seemed to have shrunk a lot, had violent twitches in the muscles of their faces, unable to believe it. Especially the latter, who was in charge of part of the enrollment work, had heard about this bigwig coming to the school a long time ago. Even the entire admissions office initially suspected that there was a problem with the score record. Otherwise, how could a college entrance examination whiz, who got a full score in mathematics and 296 in science comprehensive, make such a fatal mistake as getting zero in English? Even if a primary school student randomly chose C for all the multiple - choice questions, he would still get twenty or thirty points.
"Easily scored 150 in mathematics. I heard that when you were bored, you used university calculus to analyze two exam questions in the blank space, leaving the marking teachers speechless. You got 296 in the science comprehensive, a few points higher than your provincial top scorer in the college entrance examination. 124 in Chinese, which seems to be four or five points lower than your average score. As for English, as always, you got zero. To be honest, coming to a lousy school like mine, I even feel indignant for you." The old man didn't sit down. He just walked to the window, looking at the brightly lit campus, and beckoned Zhao Jiadi to his side. "However, although this school is lousy, there are still one or two pillars and prodigies emerging every year. So in this way, it's not wrong for you to loaf around here for four years. Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. You are just like me when I was young."
The old principal waved his hand at the middle - level leader and the young counselor of the school, signaling them to leave the office. The middle - aged man, who had been talking about the outlook on life and values in front of Zhao Jiadi just a few minutes ago, immediately left the office and stood at the door, for fear that latecomers would disturb the old principal's grand and inspiring speech.
After the two left the office, the old man immediately restrained the noble air that occasionally burst out and resumed the aura of a "dirty old man". He smiled and said in a low voice, "Actually, your father is an acquaintance of one of my students and he has also greeted me, asking me to take care of you. To be honest with you, your father donated enough to build half of a library for our school. So I'm definitely going to keep an eye on you. In the future, if you still don't want to attend English classes, just don't go. I'll help you make an accommodation with the teacher in charge of the course."
"Principal, you are... too outspoken." After thinking for a long time, Zhao Jiadi finally came up with the word "outspoken".
"Outspokenness is, in many cases, a disguised form of tact. It has a low cost but not a low return. It's a trick that only smart people know." The old man smiled amiably. Without much dignity, he pointed at the teaching building with his finger. "Saying that this place is the cradle of financiers to the outside world is all false. I myself blush when I say that. But the greatest advantage of being old is that I have a thick skin, and no one can tell if I'm blushing."
"Very philosophical." Zhao Jiadi managed to come up with this evaluation after holding it in for a long time. Mainly, since he hadn't grasped the character of the old man beside him, he didn't want to make unfounded remarks. He wasn't so powerful as to be able to hit it off with an old fox he had just met for a few minutes. The capital that might make him outstanding among his peers might just be a tiny splash in the long river in the eyes of an old man who had seen all the vicissitudes of life. Zhao Jiadi had this self - awareness. Every year, there were top scorers in the college entrance examinations in various cities and counties across the country, plus a large number of recommended students who bypassed the single - plank bridge of the college entrance examination. Every year there were outstanding people emerging one after another.
Maybe Zhao Sanjin didn't teach Zhao Jiadi anything extra, but at the very least, he gave him a height and starting point that others couldn't reach, giving him an especially broad vision. He turned from a frog at the bottom of a well to a toad squatting on the wellhead, making him firmly believe in the iron law that those who are blindly high - profile will die out sooner or later.
"Of course, I'm not just making things easy for you because of that half - library donation. Actually, I also hope that you can pick up the English course one day. After all, when dealing with mainstream international finance, a large amount of professional English is required. I have high hopes for you and hope that you can make the school proud of you." The old man said earnestly.
"I still know some English words." Zhao Jiadi said with an embarrassed look, but he was clearly a bit guilty.
"You're not in a hurry, so of course an old man like me is even less so." The old principal smiled. Then the old man remained silent, as if lost in memories of the past. Zhao Jiadi then took his leave sensibly. The old principal also came to his senses in time and didn't forget to see Zhao Jiadi off at the office door. This immediately made the two "door gods" standing outside the door look at Zhao Jiadi with even more admiration. Especially the young counselor, who had just changed from a student to a teacher, already had a good impression of Zhao Jiadi in his class. He was probably figuring out to what extent he should turn a blind eye in the future.
Everyone is making a living and advancing in the business world or workplace. They are all painstakingly building their own social networks and investing in potential stocks. It's human nature, and has nothing to do with being noble or vulgar.
The old principal walked out of the office slowly, gave a few instructions to his two subordinates, and then hunched over. With his usual smiling and silent demeanor, when occasionally greeted with enthusiasm and awe, he just nodded slightly, never stopping his slow but firm steps.
What an old man he is! Seemingly submissive, yet actually unfathomable.
Zhao Jiadi walked out of the office building, thinking that it would be better to avoid disturbing this Maitreya - like old man as much as possible in the future. However, from the first day when he chose this university, he had no intention of doing anything shocking. At most, under the premise of ensuring that several well - planned serious matters were not interrupted, he could talk about life and ideals with the beautiful elder - sister - like teacher. Zhao Jiadi was not crazy enough to have several girlfriends at the same time or manage multiple relationships. Otherwise, Zhao Baling would be shy and coy.