Chapter 16 - Mysterious Code

“…I heard that Huo PingChuan suggested to the principal that they should do a teacher satisfaction survey so students could grade each teacher anonymously, like some evaluation thing. It was rejected by the principal though.” Zheng PingQing whispered as he leaned towards Lin Qian while looking through some exercises. With Gou XinDou successfully going undercover, he occasionally got some news about the upper echelons.

“Huo PingChuan suggested it now?” Lin Qian frowned.

Huo PingChuan had also been the one to put forward the idea of a teacher evaluation survey in their previous life, but he did it after he came into power. How come he suddenly proposed it ahead of schedule this time?

Lin Qian felt that some things were changing.

Zheng PingQing agreed with his thoughts: “I guess some things didn’t develop the way he wanted them to, so he did this ahead of time.”

The two men’s fingertips touched. Zheng PingQing lightly held Lin Qian’s finger and gently caressed the bone using his index finger. “I don’t know what he thinks he’ll accomplish with this.”

Lin Qian silently looked at Zheng PingQing’s small movements and said: “I don’t know what Huo PingChuan is planning, but you’re pretty darn obvious to me right now.”

Zheng PingQing was generous as he replied: “You can move.”

Lin Qian firmly pulled at Zheng PingQing’s hair in retaliation.

“Lin Qian is bullying the Boss again!” Dong MingEn angrily slapped his thigh.

The daily remedial lessons they had agreed to were scheduled after school. The principal personally assigned Ke CaiZhu’s office to them, so this room had changed from the torture room for every student to the exclusive torture room of Dong MingEn and friends.

Although Dong MingEn had made up his mind to participate in the remedial lessons earnestly, he obviously couldn’t adapt and study right away. As if facing great punishment, he and his friend’s faces were pale and white for the past two weeks. Zhou Daota had already taken several sick leaves.

Fortunately, Xu Yao didn’t really take their lessons seriously either, so they were all fishing in troubled waters together. Everybody was getting by peacefully.

The only people taking the remedial lessons seriously were Lin Qian and Zheng PingQing. After all, they had to set an example for their younger brothers, or they all would have run away a long time ago.

However, while the remedial lessons weren’t getting anywhere, the relationship between the two groups had eased a lot. They used to shout at each other whenever they met in the corridors, but nowadays, they all were too embarrassed to accost one another.

It certainly wasn’t possible to confront each other; after all, they all had to study together after school. But of course, giving each other friendly greetings was even more unlikely. As two well-known adversaries in their school, how could they just casually greet each other? They had to preserve their dignity after all.

So now, whenever the two groups met in school, they would always try their best to avoid any eye contact. But even while doing this, both groups still tried their best to report any suspicious activities to their friends. The result was very awkward tutoring sessions.

Lin Qian and Zheng PingQing didn’t seem to have such awkwardness, despite Lin Qian becoming Zheng PingQing’s exclusive tutor. At first, friends and relatives on either side had vehemently opposed this arrangement. They all felt that this was some plot devised by the enemy. But the two just did whatever they wanted, laughing off the objections of their younger brothers.

Over time, everyone simply became numb to it.

Even now, as they watched the two whisper at each other, everyone remained emotionally stable.

But it was only because Lin Qian and Zheng PingQing had their backs to them. No one could see the little movements they were doing with their hands. Instead, they only saw Lin Qian pulling Zheng PingQing’s hair, making Dong MingEn’s heart sad.

He strongly suspected that Lin Qian wanted to make the young and handsome Zheng PingQing bald. Such a sinister and vicious person!

Luo XingGuang, on the other hand, had long turned indifferent to such things and wasn’t as excited as Dong MingEn. While he pretended to look through the exercises like one handles an imperial edict, he thought about the message delivered by Gou XinDou. His tone was grim as he said: “That Principal, it’s such a good idea how can he disagree.”

Dong MingEn blinked. “You want to do that teacher satisfaction survey?”

Lou XingGuang nodded. “Think a bit, actually letting students evaluate the teachers. This isn’t something people would pay much attention to at first, but….”

Luo XingGuang lowered his voice as he told Dong MingEn about the benefits of a teacher survey.

“What are you talking about?” Xu Yao suddenly popped out and asked, startling Luo XingGuang.

Usually, apart from a few lectures on some of the studying materials, the two groups seldom communicated, even during the tutor sessions. But this time, Dong MingEn constantly mentioning school-related topics made Xu Yao’s gossipy heart burn, so much so that he finally couldn’t help but open his mouth (though his tone was still somewhat stiff).

Luo XingGuang wasn’t accustomed to this and hadn’t had conversations with Xu Yao outside of their remedial classes. But ignoring him outright would make him ruthless, so after hesitating for a moment, he awkwardly shared the news.

Jiang TingJun and Fu YiFei also approached.

The power of gossip was really too great. After many sessions of remedial classes, they still haven’t been able to close the distance between the two groups, but one sniff of gossip and everyone relaxed without even noticing.

Xu Yao listened to the gossip and also couldn’t help but regret that the survey didn’t happen. “If they let the student’s score the teachers, I’d be the first to give Teacher Ke a negative score.”

Other’s started to +1, and the conversation devolved into complaining about the past misdeeds of Ke CaiZhu. With everyone attacking the same enemy, the tangle between the two groups seemed to have unraveled greatly.

Looking at them as they discussed the possibility of a democratic campus, Lin Qian and Zheng PingQing gave each other a tacit smile, agreeing not to express their own opinions.

They both remembered when they were at this age. Teenagers were filled with simple fantasies about such things, and tended to idealize all their problems. It was only when they grew up and experienced the many hurdles of life that they’d understand that things usually weren’t as simple as they seemed.

Like this teacher evaluation survey proposed by Huo PingChuan. After he came into power in their last life, he vigorously promoted No. 12 High School, but his systems didn’t actually improve the school’s teachings and management. Instead, it became a means for Huo PingChuan to eliminate his enemies and any dissidents.

The root of it lay in the seemingly democratic ‘anonymous evaluations.’ Almost every teacher that had conflicting opinions with Huo PingChuan would get a ‘bad review’ from unknown students. Lin YaZhi, a teacher who worked in No. 12 for many years, was always at the bottom of the evaluation rankings and never received the bonuses that should have been his. On the contrary, Ke CaiZhu, who had a terrible reputation among students, would often have been on top. Every year her evaluation was high, and this popular teacher would get all kinds of bonuses- so much so that her hands would go limp with exhaustion.

But how could these students see such truths?

“In any case, the Principal already vetoed it.” Zheng PingQing hands approached Lin Qian’s again, lightly pinching his fingers.

Lin Qian flipped Zheng PingQing’s hand over and drew a pig head on his palm with a ballpoint pen, “I have a hunch Huo PingChuan won’t back down so easily.”

The pen tickled Zheng PingQing’s palm, but he didn’t struggle as Lin Qian continued to draw. “Anyway, by the time he comes into power, we’d have already graduated.”

Lin Qian sighed and said: “That cancerous tumor.”

He put down his pen but saw Zheng PingQing looking at him with a raised brow. “Where’s the other one?”

Lin Qian: “…”

In the end, Lin Qian had to draw a pig head in his own palm. After he finished, Zheng PingQing pressed his palm against Lin Qian’s. “I’m confirming the drawings, making sure they’re a pair.”

As he spoke, the office door suddenly opened, a girl timidly leaning half her body in. “Excuse me.”

It was Zhang FanFan of Class 8.

Zhang FanFan looked around the room with an awkward smiled. She then said: “You’re really here to do remedial lessons, ah. I thought XinDou was just teasing me…”

The circle of people in the office looked at each other confused, so Dong MingEn asked her: “What’s the matter?”

Zhang FanFan shrunk inwards, then took out a notebook from her bag. Embarrassed, she replied: “There’s a problem I can’t do, and nobody in the classroom could understand it either. I wanted to ask…to please ask…”

Zhang FanFan obviously used all of her courage to come, but it still hadn’t been enough to help her finish asking her request.

Lin Qian smiled. “Are you looking for someone to help you with some questions?”

Zhang FanFan didn’t expect the entire top student clique to be here. After freezing for a while, her spirit returned into her body, and she hurriedly nodded.

Lin Qian stood up and said: “Let me see.”

The question Zhang FanFan was having trouble with wasn’t too hard. After Lin Qian gave her a quick crash course, she managed to solve the question.

Zhang FanFan repeatedly said her thanks, but Lin Qian waved a hand. “Don’t mention it.”

Zhang FanFan saw the pig head drawn on his palm and was stunned. She wondered why there was a pig head drawn on this master.

Zheng PingQing also walked and stood next to Lin Qian, smiling at her. “We’re all here after school, so you can come over anytime if there’s another problem you need help with.”

Lin Qian returned her notebook and agreed: “That’s right.”

Zhang FanFan was very grateful, but beyond that, her heart became confused when she looked at this harmonious scene in front of her.

The combination that was Lin Qian and Zheng PingQing…

Although everybody had their own speculations about Zheng PingQing praising Lin Qian during the assembly, nobody thought that the two men could bury their hatchets and actually get along.

Whenever she sees these two relaxed while being together, Zheng FanFan couldn’t help but think she was imagining things.

Zheng PingQing waved to her.

And Zhang FanFan saw a pig head again.

Zhang FanFan was even more confused. Was this some super-secret code for this tutoring organization?

After Zhang FanFan left, Zheng PingQing turned towards Dong MingEn and the others. His expression was faint, but it still caused Dong MingEn to shrink a bit.

Zheng PingQing didn’t say anything, but Lin Qian laughed and said: “That female classmate reminded me of a saying.”

Xu Yao asked, “What?”

Lin Qian glanced at Dong MingEn and said: “The well-fed will never understand the sufferings of the starving.”

Dong MingEn and others: “…”

The author has something to say:

The well-fed Dong MingEn: …….

The starving Zhang FanFan: …….

There was so much casual fluff in here I squealed a little.