Cutting-Edge Technology R&D Center

Chapter 26: Fly with Confidence

Teacher Zhou was chatting with the students in his class. Before he knew it, he grew increasingly emotional as the conversation progressed. An uncontrollable sense of sorrow at parting was etched on every student’s face. This was senior year—senior year after the college entrance exams—and they were destined to go their separate ways. “Report.” Just as Teacher Zhou was tearfully bidding farewell to some of the more emotional female students, a voice rang out from outside the classroom. When they recognized the student’s face, gasps of surprise immediately filled the room. “Wang Hao… It’s Wang Hao who’s back.” “The top scorer with a perfect score… Wang Hao’s ability to play it cool while being so talented is incredible—we had no idea he was this amazing for three whole years.” At that moment, every student in the class turned to look at Wang Hao, and a wave of emotion welled up within them. Reflecting on everything that had happened before, they realized for the first time that the subtle air of composure Wang Hao had always exuded—which they had mistaken for aloofness—was actually something else entirely. “Since Wang Hao is here, let’s have him say a few words,” said Teacher Zhou, looking at Wang Hao and immediately beckoning him over. “Teacher, let’s skip that,” Wang Hao said, a hint of hesitation crossing his face. This was a first for him, and he still felt a bit nervous. “Come on, we’re about to part ways—say a few words to us,” Ma Ling said, noticing the hint of hesitation on Wang Hao’s usually expressionless face. A smile spread across her pretty face as she led the cheering. “Yeah… say a few words.” “Say a few words.” The other students chimed in, urging him on. Wang Hao glanced at Fang Bing—even that guy was egging him on to go up and speak—and with a wry smile, he walked up to the podium. “Actually, there isn’t much to say. I’m not very eloquent. Life is a long journey—treasure every step along the way. Thank you.” Standing at the podium, Wang Hao spoke slowly. Indeed, he didn’t have much to say; for these students who had just taken the college entrance exam, motivational words were simply unnecessary. When the others heard this, those nine words struck the minds of everyone in the classroom like a thunderclap: “Life is a long journey; cherish every step along the way.” Ma Ling watched Wang Hao as he prepared to step down from the podium. A thought flashed through her mind, and she immediately called out, “Wang Hao, that was way too short! Don’t you think it feels a bit half-hearted? You should perform a talent for us.” Ma Ling was clearly relishing the spectacle and, once again, took the lead in egging him on. Seeing the usually composed Wang Hao flash a wry smile, she felt a surge of satisfaction. “Right… show us a talent…” “That’s a great idea.” The other students joined Class President Ma Ling in the commotion; even Teacher Zhou was watching Wang Hao with a hint of a smile, his expression clearly encouraging him to put on a good show. Wang Hao looked at the expression on Teacher Zhou’s face and sighed inwardly. These people really were unreliable—every single one of them had sold him out. Looking at the class cheering him on once again, he thought for a moment and then gave in. Since today was their farewell, many were ready to act on a youthful impulse—to confess their feelings to the girl they’d secretly admired for so long, making sure that “no regrets in youth” wasn’t just an empty phrase. That’s why quite a few students had brought guitars, hoping to perform in front of the girl they loved. Wang Hao borrowed a guitar, strummed it gently, and a crisp sound rang out. After tuning it, he began to play softly. His voice filled the classroom; along with the beautiful notes from the guitar, his slightly deep voice carried through the room, and instantly, not a single student spoke another word. Everyone listened quietly, absorbing the melancholy in the song… and the blessings for a farewell. The song Wang Hao sang was one many had heard before—especially Ms. Zhou, for whom it had been one of her favorite songs in her youth: Little Tigers’ “Fly with Confidence.” Finally, the day has come We must head off to our own worlds No one can replace you in my memories or those youthful days All along, we walked hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder We wrote “forever” with sweat and tears We traded laughter and glory for a single vow As Wang Hao’s voice rang out, it carried beyond the classroom, silencing several nearby classes. As the noise faded, Wang Hao’s singing carried even farther. The senior high students gradually stopped talking, slowly walked out of their classrooms, and followed the sound of the song. They immediately spotted Wang Hao singing. None of them spoke up to disturb him; instead, they listened quietly, absorbing the beautiful melody… that voice filled with stories of life’s trials and tribulations. Tears welled up in everyone’s eyes; they all recognized in the song a blessing for parting—a wish to fly freely and pursue their dreams. “What’s wrong with you all?” Wang Hao slowly stopped singing and looked puzzled at his classmates, who were shedding tears, while a dense crowd had gathered outside the classroom. “Great!” a middle-aged voice called out, clapping his hands. This instantly snapped the others out of their trance, and applause instantly echoed throughout the entire classroom building. A beautiful woman accompanied by two men carrying camera equipment overheard the conversation nearby and paused in surprise; immediately, a look of delight spread across her face. “That’s Wang Hao—he really is multi-talented.” “You’re absolutely right. Teacher Zhou is so lucky to have produced a top-scoring student. I hope our class can produce one too.” The two teachers were chatting. With top scorers coming from Gan City No. 1 High School for two consecutive years, all the teachers at the school felt a sense of inexplicable confidence. “Come on, let’s hurry up and go upstairs.” After overhearing the two teachers’ conversation, the beautiful woman’s eyes lit up, and she immediately said to her two companions. Instantly, she clacked her high heels as she hurried up the stairs. “One more song, one more song…” It was unclear which student had called out, but as soon as the first voice rang out, it immediately drew applause from teachers and students alike, and their calls for an encore merged into a single chorus. “Um…” Wang Hao glanced at Teacher Zhou, when suddenly a middle-aged voice spoke up again. “Wang Hao, just play one more song… and you all, please be careful.” Wang Hao stared in surprise at the speaker—it was none other than the principal of Gan City No. 1 High School, whom he had parted ways with just a short while ago. Upon hearing the voice, many of the others recognized him as well. “It’s Liu Xiao!” The others were taken aback one after another, recognizing him as the principal of Gan City No. 1 High School. “Sing one more song.” Liu Xiao hadn’t come here for no reason; shortly after Wang Hao left, some media outlets had approached him. After briefly introducing the history of Gan City No. 1 High School—and realizing he wasn’t the person the media wanted to interview—he saw the expressions on their faces and had no choice but to bring the media crew over to Wang Hao. “Alright, let’s sing another one,” said Teacher Zhou. Seeing that even the principal of Gan City No. 1 High School had spoken up, he naturally couldn’t refuse, and turned to Wang Hao. Wang Hao nodded, and the guitar began to play once more. His soft, harmonious voice filled the air again, and the beautiful melody created by the crisp sound of the guitar gradually restored a sense of calm to the students and teachers, who sat quietly, savoring the moment. Meanwhile, the camera faithfully captured the entire scene.