Cutting-Edge Technology R&D Center

Chapter 39: The Classmates’ Shock

When Wang Hao stepped back into the classroom, all eyes turned to him, their gazes filled with a hint of admiration. Not all of them had seen the news reports, but some classmates had bought newspapers and brought them to class. Reading the black-and-white print in the paper, they were deeply shaken. Although Wang Hao hadn’t exactly spent every moment with them, they had been classmates for three years. They were already astonished that Wang Hao had become the top scorer, but now the newspaper was telling them that becoming the top scorer wasn’t even that impressive. To think he had actually mentored Lan Wei—last year’s miraculous top scorer—who had been the pride of Gan City No. 1 High School before Wang Hao’s arrival. This was something no one at Gan City No. 1 High School had anticipated, not even Liu Xiao, the school’s principal. When he first saw the news, his face betrayed disbelief. Could this really be a student from Gan City No. 1 High School—and none other than Wang Hao, today’s provincial top scorer? It felt like a windfall, though he wasn’t sure whether it was a blessing or a curse. This was the *People’s Daily*, after all, and CCTV was set to air a documentary that evening. This made Principal Liu Xiao feel a bit uneasy, fearing that the documentary might portray Gan City No. 1 High School in a negative light, turning the school into a national laughingstock. “No, I have to talk to Wang Hao to find out if he said anything negative about the school.” Liu Xiao’s gaze hardened. He had no way of knowing for sure, but he didn’t believe Wang Hao would be unaware of this. No sooner said than done, he immediately pulled out his phone and dialed Wang Hao—Liu Xiao had asked for his number when Wang Hao had visited the school earlier. Meanwhile, the internet was flooded with coverage of the People’s Daily article about Wang Hao. Although there were some skeptical voices, they were, after all, in the minority—because the source was the People’s Daily, a newspaper known for its integrity and never for publishing false reports. “The fact that an 18-year-old has already achieved this much really moved me. After discussing it with my girlfriend, I’ve decided to donate my first month’s salary—I’ll have to live on welfare for the next month.” “To the poster above: It’s just a donation—could you please stop showing off your romance? As a single person, I can’t take it. But I can only donate two-thirds because I don’t have a girlfriend to support me…” “Looking at Wang Hao, it’s like seeing myself at eighteen—yet I feel like I wasted my own eighteenth year.” This sparked a massive online discussion, and Wang Hao became a role model for countless parents teaching their children. “How have you all been these past few days...?” Zhou Xin’s face was beaming with a smile. The students in her class had all done well on the college entrance exams this time, and one of them had even topped the rankings. As she looked at Wang Hao, Zhou Xin’s gaze grew somewhat distant. She had, of course, read the news reports, and she was well aware of his family background—the catastrophic rainstorm four years ago had indeed left many families in ruins. This was also why she had always been so patient with Wang Hao, even though other teachers frequently told her that he daydreamed in class and took nonsensical notes. She had never once lost her temper over this; instead, she always patiently counseled Wang Hao. Ring, ring, ring—a cell phone ringtone interrupted Zhou Xin’s reflections and cut her off mid-sentence. “Whose call is that?” Teacher Zhou wasn’t upset; after all, the college entrance exam was essentially a rite of passage, and everyone in her class was already an adult. “Ms. Zhou, I’m sorry, but could I please take this call?” Wang Hao looked at the number on his phone with some confusion; it appeared to be Liu Xiao’s. He had given his number to Liu Xiao before, and after Liu Xiao had written it down, he had specifically called Wang Hao’s number once to confirm, so Wang Hao recognized it. “Go ahead,” Ms. Zhou said with a gentle nod. A moment later, Wang Hao returned after finishing the call. After exchanging a few words with Ms. Zhou, he headed toward the principal’s office. “Wang Hao is here.” Liu Xiao looked at Wang Hao standing in the doorway, a hint of delight flashing across his face, and immediately asked Wang Hao about the mysterious documentary. After listening to Liu Xiao for a while, Wang Hao found himself at a loss for words—he couldn’t quite decide whether to laugh or cry. The principal was actually worried that he might speak ill of Gan City No. 1 High School. However, seeing how nervous Liu Xiao was over this matter, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy. In this society, there might indeed be some negative phenomena—whether it be corruption or abuse of power. But these negative phenomena were, after all, only a small minority. The vast majority of people were quietly dedicating their youth to their posts—and Liu Xiao standing before him was precisely such a person, having become the principal of Gan City No. 1 High School in his thirties. At the time, Gan City No. 1 High School wasn’t among the best schools in the city, but under Principal Liu Xiao’s step-by-step reforms, it gradually became a school truly worthy of its name—Gan City No. 1 High School—and went on to become the high school with the highest college acceptance rate in Gancheng. “Liu Xiao, rest assured—I haven’t said a single bad word about Gan City No. 1 High School,” Wang Hao said, shaking his head slightly. It was true, just as he’d said; he hadn’t spoken ill of Gan City No. 1 High School at all—on the contrary, he’d had nothing but good things to say about it. After all, Gan City No. 1 High School was the school he had attended for four years. In particular, once the school learned he was a disaster victim, they immediately waived all his school fees—a gesture he had always kept close to his heart, and for which he remained deeply grateful to the school. Wang Hao had his own set of standards. When Gan City No. 1 High School, without any external pressure and upon learning of his situation, made an immediate decision to help him, he silently took that kindness to heart. The same was true of Fang Bing. Wang Hao’s personality was indeed somewhat withdrawn at the time, but Fang Bing was willing to talk with him—even when Wang Hao remained silent, Fang Bing would chat away endlessly. This was also why Fang Bing wanted to do a livestream and went out of his way to help him. “Repay a drop of kindness with a gushing spring”—this was Wang Hao’s philosophy in life, and the reason he has always been filled with gratitude. Whether it was being rescued by the disaster relief team, being cared for by Mr. and Mrs. Zhang as if he were their own son, or the later support he received from Gan City No. 1 High School, all of these experiences gradually transformed him. It inspired him to go to the mountain village and do his best to teach those children living under limited circumstances, and it also helped him gradually emerge from the shadow of the flash flood—this world isn’t all darkness; there is much more light. After hearing Wang Hao’s words, Liu Xiao visibly relaxed and chuckled softly. “Wang Hao, I have some good news—I think it’s something you’ll be interested in.” Wang Hao looked at Liu Xiao with some confusion, but what Liu Xiao said next filled him with joy. “The Gancheng Education Bureau has asked our school to select a group of teachers to form a special education team for impoverished mountainous areas. The municipal government has also allocated a special fund to address educational issues for children in impoverished mountain villages. The mayor has made it clear: if any further instances are discovered in Gancheng where children’s education remains problematic, all officials involved will be suspended pending an investigation.” A look of deep emotion crossed Liu Xiao’s face. Gancheng’s bold move stemmed from the fact that the mayor had seen this particular news report. According to a friend of his who worked in the municipal government, the mayor had flown into a rage over this, summoning all the officials in charge of education at the municipal and county levels to his office for a stern dressing-down. Wang Hao breathed a slight sigh of relief. He hadn’t expected Gancheng to show such decisiveness, but now he could travel to Yanjing with peace of mind. After all, over the past three years, he had formed deep bonds with those children. If their situation could be properly resolved after his departure, that would undoubtedly be the best news for him.