After saying all this, Director Yan glanced at Guo Ran again, saw her shiny earrings, wanted to say something, then saw Jiang Ning next to her, and thought of how Xue Yuantong often came to play games, so the school had arranged a high-end computer.

Director Yan nodded, turned around, and left.

Guo Ran noticed, but didn’t really care. She was a teacher selected through the official national recruitment exams; even if Director Yan targeted her, there wasn’t much he could actually do.

Still, it was best not to get criticized, not to offend him. After all, he was the director of academic affairs; if the relationship soured, it would definitely affect professional titles, all kinds of bonuses—those were all money.

After Director Yan left, Teacher Xiao Tao’s tears flowed even harder, and Mrs. Zhou kept handing her tissues.

The chivalrous Gao Heshuai encouraged her: "Xiao Tao, you’re too weak! Look at me, would Director Yan dare criticize me?"

He was a graduate of Nanshi University, and his teaching ability was formidable. He’d even been personally hired by the principal, so he wasn’t afraid of Director Yan at all.

"We have to get strong, stronger!" Gao Heshuai bulged his cow-like eyes and gave her a pep talk.

Xiao Tao cried even louder.

Mrs. Zhou was helpless and gently said, "Xiao Gao, say a little less, will you!"

No wonder Xiao Gao couldn’t find a partner; he was really something else.

Guo Ran looked at Xiao Tao, then nudged Jiang Ning in private and subtly pursed her lips toward her.

"Not something you see every day, huh?"

Jiang Ning: "First time for me."

He’d always had a bit of a filter when it came to the teaching profession. In his mind, teachers more or less carried some authority.

He never imagined they’d be scolded this miserably.

Guo Ran whispered, "I’ve seen it several times. Some of my classmates didn’t get into the official system and went to private schools, they get chewed out all the time."

Jiang Ning: "It’s really no different from any other workplace."

Guo Ran: "Wherever there are people, there’s Jianghu."

After Mrs. Zhou comforted her for a while, a student from Class 10 ran to the door, hurriedly saying, "Mr. Zhou, there’s someone fighting in your class, you’d better go see!"

Mrs. Zhou couldn’t keep comforting Xiao Tao. She quickly got up and rushed to Class 11, the class she was in charge of. This was serious—if something happened in a fight, as homeroom teacher she couldn’t escape responsibility.

Gao Heshuai gave a mocking laugh. "These students are completely out of control."

Xiao Tao was still crying.

Seeing that no one was comforting her, Gao Heshuai walked over and continued his grand lecture: "A school is essentially a world where the weak are meat and the strong eat. I suggest you learn from Teacher Chen Haiyang. He’s the most senior teacher at our school. Second Middle School has invited him over multiple times and he turned them all down."

"If he were the one getting criticized today, he could spray spit all over Director Yan’s face while scolding him!"

Gao Heshuai: "Xiao Tao, you’ve got to work hard and get strong!"

Guo Ran was so embarrassed she bit her lip: "..."

Ten minutes later, Mrs. Zhou came back beaming, with bits of confetti stuck in her hair and a piece of cake in her hand.

Gao Heshuai was dumbfounded. "Didn’t you say someone was fighting in your class?"

How did it turn into cake?

Mrs. Zhou grinned from ear to ear, her tone sugary sweet: "They tricked me for fun. When I walked into the classroom, I found out they’d prepared a surprise for me. It’s my birthday today!"

While shocked, Gao Heshuai was also a bit envious.

He’d been a homeroom teacher a few times, but his students hated his guts. Forget giving him cake—he’d be grateful if they didn’t curse him behind his back!

Sigh!

Mrs. Zhou was in an excellent mood and very socially adept: "But let’s be clear, I only took one piece of cake. Xiao Tao, big sis is giving this piece to you."

"Huh? Xiao Tao, why are you still crying?" Mrs. Zhou was baffled.

Just then, Wang Longlong ran to the office door. "Mr. Gao, this is bad, there’s someone fighting in your class!"

Mrs. Zhou, ever emotionally intelligent, said, "Well now, Xiao Gao, looks like it’s your lucky day."

Gao Heshuai was secretly delighted and hurried out with Wang Longlong.

He thought to himself, "I’ve worked so diligently all these years, I’m finally getting my payoff. What kind of surprise will it be?"

"If it’s cake, I’ll give half to my colleague Qian Baoqiang to make him jealous, and the other half to my mother, and tell her, ’Your son is a teacher beloved by his students!’"

Gao Heshuai quickened his pace, faster and faster. Right before entering the classroom, this dark-skinned big man actually started to get nervous.

Finally, Gao Heshuai stepped over the threshold of Class 9.

He saw Shen Xinli and Lu Zhenxin grappling with each other in a brawl, several desks knocked over around them, and the other students standing on the side watching and cheering them on.

It was like a bucket of cold water over his head: "So they really are fighting!"