Chapter 13: Transaction

Tang Chen followed behind the head teacher. Teacher Zhao’s face looked terrible. How could it be good? He had been quietly doing his job as the head teacher, but then he got a call from the Principal, saying that someone in his class had beaten up the son of a school shareholder. At that moment, he was scared out of his wits.

Damn it, who did this? Did they not want to live? After cursing a few times in his heart, Teacher Zhao heard from the Principal that it was Tang Chen who did it. At that moment, he felt like killing Tang Chen. You poor idiot, why couldn’t you just focus on your studies? Why did you have to hit someone? And even if you hit someone, why did it have to be the son of a school shareholder? Aren’t you just dragging me down with you?

Right now, Teacher Zhao hated Tang Chen to the core.

“Teacher Zhao, what did you want to see me about? Is it to give me extra tutoring?” Tang Chen looked completely innocent, as if he really didn’t know what was going on.

“Tang Chen!” Teacher Zhao almost growled the words in a low voice. Then he turned to look at Tang Chen and said coldly, “Don’t pretend you don’t know anything. You know exactly what you did. Just wait until you see the Principal—you’re going to suffer!”

“Huh?” Tang Chen looked panicked and said, “The Principal wants to see me? Did he find out that I saw his wife rolling in the sheets with someone, so he wants to silence me?”

Thump!

Teacher Zhao fell straight to the ground. He scrambled up awkwardly and glared angrily at Tang Chen, saying, “Shut up!” Damn it, how did he end up with a student like this!

Tang Chen chuckled lightly and didn’t take Teacher Zhao’s threat seriously at all. In his eyes, the head teacher and others like him were just piles of crap!

They soon arrived at the Principal’s office. Teacher Zhao knocked on the door and walked in. Tang Chen saw two middle-aged men sitting there talking. One was the Principal, and the other must be Xie Tingfeng’s father!

“Principal, I’ve brought Tang Chen!” Teacher Zhao said, then stood to the side.

Hearing this, Xie’s father immediately stood up, pointed at Tang Chen’s nose, and yelled, “So you’re the bastard who beat up my son and sent him to the hospital? I’m going to make you pay! Get out of this school!”

Tang Chen wasn’t angry. Instead, he looked at the Principal with a smile and said curiously, “Principal, where did this idiot come from? Didn’t you ask to talk to me? I don’t talk to mad dogs.”

“What? You said I’m a…”

“That’s right, you’re an idiot.” Tang Chen nodded and hummed in agreement, then casually sat down on the sofa and said, “I didn’t expect you, this fool, to have some self-awareness and actually know what you are.”

Teacher Zhao felt like he was vomiting blood. He really wanted to die right then. It’s over, it’s over. Not only will this kid be expelled, but even I will probably get kicked out.

“Screw you!” Xie’s father was trembling with rage. He said to the Principal, “Principal, look, this is the student at your school. Not only did he beat up my son, but he’s also so arrogant. Today, I demand that you give me an explanation!”

Although the Principal was somewhat displeased with Xie’s father’s cursing, he held back out of politeness. He said to Tang Chen, “Tang Chen, could you please explain? Why did you hit Xie Tingfeng?”

Tang Chen said, “Well, Principal, this guy’s son, that idiot named Xie Tingfeng, was driving and tried to run me over while I was walking normally on the road. If I hadn’t dodged quickly, I’d probably be in heaven by now. As for why I hit him, it was because not only did he not apologize, but he also cursed at me. I got angry and hit him. I know hitting him was wrong, but his son was the one who started it.”

“You’re talking nonsense!” Xie’s father shouted, “Damn it, my son is such a well-mannered person. How could he possibly try to run you over and curse at you? You’re making excuses! Principal, expel him! Make him get out!”

“You’re the one talking nonsense!” Tang Chen stood up and retorted, “Like father, like son. No wonder your idiot son is so despicable—it’s because you taught him well!”

“Screw you! I’m going to kill you!” Xie’s father lost all restraint, showing no sign of being a shareholder. He cursed directly, raised his fist, and charged at Tang Chen.

“Director Xie! Stop!”

Slap!

A crisp slapping sound rang out. Tang Chen’s slap sent Xie’s father flying into the wall. A painting of ten thousand horses galloping fell and hit him on the head. It was just like the saying: ten thousand curse words galloped through Xie’s father’s heart!

“Don’t think just because the Principal is here I won’t hit you. I’m warning you—if you come out to show off, you’d better be prepared to get beaten!” Tang Chen waved his hand, completely ignoring Teacher Zhao, who was scared stiff.

Surprisingly, the Principal didn’t get angry. Instead, he said to Teacher Zhao, “Teacher Zhao, please take Director Xie to the medical room first. Remember, don’t talk about what happened today!”

“Principal, what about him…”

“Get out!” The Principal’s face turned cold as he spoke.

Teacher Zhao nodded meekly, then dragged Xie’s father out.

The Principal sighed and said to Tang Chen, “Tang Chen, have a seat.”

Tang Chen’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. This wasn’t following the script. He had hit a major school shareholder, so why was the Principal being so nice to him? Shouldn’t he be scolding him or calling the Security Guards? Why did it seem like he wasn’t angry at all?

“System, could it be that the Principal is also influenced by my charm?” Tang Chen thought this was the only explanation.

System; “Respected Host, that is not the case. However, it has been detected that this Principal holds no malice toward you at all. You can rest assured.”

With the System’s reassurance, Tang Chen felt much bolder. He sat confidently in front of the Principal, waiting for him to speak.

The Principal thought for a moment, then smiled and said, “Are you surprised that I’m not punishing you?”

Tang Chen didn’t hide it and replied, “Yes, I am very surprised. Principal, did you get the wrong script?”

The Principal chuckled and said, “First of all, I didn’t get the wrong script. The reason I’m not angry is that I actually admire what you did. In other words, I was very pleased to see Xie Ming get beaten up.”

Tang Chen was baffled and said, “Principal, what do you mean? Isn’t he a shareholder? Isn’t he on your side?”

The Principal’s expression turned somewhat cold as he said, “You’re wrong, Tang Chen. No one is on my side. Since you asked, I’ll tell you. Actually, I won’t be sitting in this Principal’s seat for much longer. You can see that Xie Ming doesn’t respect me as the Principal at all. Not only him, but the other seventeen shareholders are the same. I’ve received news that Xie Ming and the other seventeen shareholders have decided to jointly vote me out at the next shareholders’ meeting and then install a new person in my place.”

Tang Chen asked, “Why? Haven’t you been doing a good job?”

The Principal sighed and said, “You don’t understand. They’re trying to set up their own puppet. Over the past two years, they’ve used their status as shareholders to pressure me, forcing me to promote textbooks and health products they brought in. They take kickbacks from it. Although I protested, my shares aren’t as many as theirs, so I couldn’t compete. Eventually, I started to turn a blind eye.”

Tang Chen said, “Oh, I see. No wonder we had so many extra books this semester, and last month they even came to our class to sell razors. So it was their doing. Then, Principal, forgive me for being direct, but why don’t they just appoint someone as Principal instead of installing a puppet?”

A determined look appeared in the Principal’s eyes as he said, “That’s because, besides them, I still hold fifteen percent of the shares. If I don’t vote in agreement, they can’t become Principal themselves. Although they’ve tried to buy my shares, I’ve always believed that as an educator, my first priority should be how to cultivate better talents for the country, not thinking every day about how to make extra money!”

Tang Chen looked at the Principal with newfound respect and said, “Principal, well said. I support you. That’s exactly how it should be.”

The Principal shook his head with a bitter smile. “Unfortunately, even if I want to hold on, it’s no use. The shareholders’ meeting is at the end of the month, and I’ll definitely be removed by then. That’s why I didn’t blame you today. On the contrary, I even felt a bit petty and thought it was satisfying to see that father and son get beaten up.”

Tang Chen felt that this Principal was quite to his liking. He tentatively said, “Does that mean if your shares are greater than theirs, you can keep your position as the top leader?”

The Principal hummed in agreement and said, “Theoretically, yes. But accomplishing that is too difficult. Those eighteen people are united, and I’m isolated and weak. Oh, and Tang Chen, please don’t tell anyone about this.”

Tang Chen thought for a moment, then said seriously, “Principal, let’s make a deal. I’ll help you get the share authorizations from the other seventeen people. In return, you just have to promise me that for the next three years, even if I don’t attend school for a single day, I’ll still get top grades in every subject.”

The Principal was stunned, then quickly said, “Tang Chen, although I admire you, are you sure you’re not joking?”

He knew how stubborn those guys were. For Tang Chen to get their share authorizations would be harder than climbing to the sky. What’s more, his request was to get top grades in every subject for three years without attending classes. How much must someone hate studying to come up with such a condition?