Chapter 1
"I believe that for children of this age, learning professional skills is secondary. The main thing is to inspire them to awaken their talents, to know what they are capable of, to dare to ask where their path lies, and to clearly understand that the path is under their feet. I am confident that my arrival will definitely create a different kind of spring for these children!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
The boy's impassioned speech was met with no applause, only the three interviewers' blank silence.
The middle-aged man unscrewed the thermos in front of him, and the scalding steam instantly whitened his reading glasses. Distracted, he looked down and took a sip. "Ptooey! Damn it, how can it be so hot!"
The woman in the business suit on the left adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses and whispered, "Director Ma?"
The middle-aged man snapped out of his daze, glanced at the boy across from him who had stood up passionately through his gradually clearing glasses, and slowly put the lid of his thermos back on, pondering what he should say to end this absurd farce.
The young male teacher on the right pulled up the boy's file and handed it to him. Director Ma skipped over two lines and read, "Zhu Tianyu, graduated from the Talent Enlightenment major, full marks in the major, talent value 10%, physical fitness... 20%?"
Isn't this just a classic bookworm?
Director Ma coughed lightly, looked the boy up and down, and felt that he was even more frail than the newly transplanted imported cedar tree at the school gate. "How much do you weigh?"
The boy looked flustered. "Huh?"
The female teacher gave a professional, fake smile, saying, "The director is asking how you are feeling."
The boy frowned slightly, gently pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, and his bookish air became even more pronounced. Before he could speak, Director Ma waved his hand, and the male teacher stood up and politely asked him to leave.
As soon as the boy left, they both sighed deeply.
Female teacher: "It's been two weeks. The student parent committee has caused trouble twice. If we can't find a suitable person soon, those unruly kids will probably turn the whole school building upside down."
Male teacher: "How about we try the third one we interviewed today? Although he's unemployed, at least he meets the physical fitness requirements. 79% is the highest since we started recruiting, so his ability to take a beating is definitely there."
The sun had quietly crept over the western mountaintop; it was almost six o'clock. Director Ma tapped his transparent thermos, watching the bubbles rise from the tea leaves, seemingly about to agree.
A voice shouted from outside, "Director, someone has applied for the job!"
Female teacher: "Please come in quickly!"
Amid the expectant gazes of the three, a very tall girl walked in. Surprisingly, her demeanor did not match her height. She looked over 170cm, but she made herself appear as if she were only 150cm.
She wore two pigtails, large dark green-framed glasses that distorted her features, an orange turtleneck sweater layered over a red and green cardigan, dark brown flared pants, wide-toed black Velcro shoes, and a tacky old canvas bag slung across her waist.
The Christmas tree made a stunning appearance, dazzling the three educators.
She smiled shyly, looking like she was saying, "You can't criticize me if I refuse to admit it." She fidgeted with her backpack, and almost bumped into a chair when she bowed to greet everyone.
The three of them clung to life, maintaining the last vestiges of dignity befitting educators.
The female teacher smiled and said, "Please sit down and introduce yourself."
Aside from her brightly colored attire, the girl seemed somewhat socially awkward. She sat in her chair for a long time without daring to look at the person opposite her, nervously fiddling with her fingers under the table. After the female teacher finished speaking, she acted as if she hadn't heard the second half of the sentence, so the male teacher gently repeated it again.
She raised her head slightly and excitedly said the first half of her sentence, "My name is Chi Xia, and I am 23 years old."
The second half of her sentence was spoken so softly that the three of them had to lean close to hear her: "I dropped out of university because of family reasons, but I worked very hard, I..."
Seeing that she was stammering and couldn't explain clearly, Director Ma narrowed his eyes slightly.
Since it was the last one, I figured I might as well try anything. The female teacher asked, "Do you have a resume?"
"Oh, I brought it." The girl with braided pigtails named Chi Xia hurriedly rummaged through her bag.
The group watched her search for a long time, wondering if it was really worth it—it was just a few pieces of paper.
"Found it!"
Chi Xia smiled and took out a heart-shaped piece of colorful origami.
Female teacher: "..."
Male teacher: "..."
Director Ma sighed.
The group watched as she happily unfolded the paper, pressed it haphazardly with her palms a few times, and finally handed the badly creased piece of paper to the person opposite her with both hands.
The female teacher politely accepted the document and glanced at it briefly. Amidst a pile of useless chatter, she noticed a statistic that caught her eye. Whether the statistic was true or false, it immediately reduced her earlier disappointment.
She placed the paper in the middle, holding down the corner with one hand and pointing with the other, "Director, look."
Director Ma couldn't make out the girl's face from her strange attire. Instead, he looked at the paper on the table. The dense creases on it hurt his eyes. He took off his glasses and looked closer before he could see the data the female teacher was pointing at. He then looked across at the other side to ask her questions.
His tone was full of disbelief, "Your physical fitness score is 85%?"
"Yes."
"Why are the talent values blank?"
Chi Xia raised her hand to push up her glasses, then squeezed her backpack. Her thin lips were first pressed tightly together, then slightly relaxed, as if she was finally about to speak.
Director Ma noticed her predicament and raised his hand to stop her, saying, "Your data is incomplete. How can I trust the authenticity of the existing data?"
Chi Xia: "I will get tested."
The three looked at each other and made a decision in an instant.
Male teacher: "Can you make tables?"
Chi Xia: "Yes."
Female teacher: "Can you accept students who are rude and arrogant?"
Chi Xia: "Yes."
Director Ma: "If you get injured, the school will cover all medical expenses, plus a consolation payment sufficient for your retirement. Is that clear enough?"
Chi Xia nodded hurriedly. Director Ma glanced at her again, but was still disappointed by her unrecognizable face. Finally, he resignedly announced, "Come report at eight o'clock tomorrow morning."
"OK, thanks."
The female teacher called out to her as she rushed towards the door, glancing awkwardly at her attire. "Well, Chi Xia, I'll take you to get your uniform beforehand."
*
When he came out, his bulging canvas bag contained his newly issued work uniform.
Excitedly stepping out of the gates of the Magic Fishery Academy, Chi Xia maintained her momentum and walked for three blocks before merging completely into the main road of another area. Only then did she let out a long sigh, straighten her back, and stride confidently towards the subway station, her long legs carrying her the weight of others running two steps in one.
On the way, she changed into large-framed glasses and sunglasses, and entered the underground passage. As the light and shadow shifted, her wig was already stuffed into a cloth bag. She shook her neat short hair, and felt a little lighter.
As she went through security, she took out a black mask from her cardigan pocket, put it on, and entered the subway without looking to the side. She walked to a corner, leaned against the carriage, lowered her head, and didn't move.
"Liangkou Station has arrived. Passengers who wish to disembark, please prepare to get off the train in an orderly manner."
Chi Xia exited the subway and walked towards the north exit. The last rays of the setting sun shone on the steps above. As she climbed, the sunlight made her outfit look like a peacock spreading its tail feathers. However, her height and presence did not attract excessive attention or discussion.
On the contrary, she walked with a confident stride, her extreme low-key and aloof demeanor making her highly saturated clothing appear lifeless, as if one had simply imagined it.
After crossing an intersection, turn left and you'll see the sign for Liangkou Street. Walk forward for 100 meters, then turn into a crowded alley. A massive steel-framed building blocks the last rays of sunlight, casting colorful neon lights.
The road surface, which is damp all year round, is dirty and sticky like an overturned paint palette, but Chi Xia simply walks over it.
However, the bright red and green cardigan was too jarring to look at, so Chi Xia took it off and tossed it into a trash can at the bottom of the building. She walked into another fork in the road; it was even narrower inside, and if she had gained five pounds, she'd probably have to squeeze through sideways.
Chi Xia bent down and walked into an underground entrance. At this moment, a black iron door blocked her way. She stopped, took out a key from the hidden compartment of her canvas bag, and opened the door.
"Smack!"
The lights came on, revealing a chaotic basement, a mix of various colors—her home.
Perhaps it shouldn't be called a home; it was a place she shared with another woman, but now she lives alone.
Three months ago, her sister went out and never came back. Before that, her sister transferred a small portion of her assets to her, as if she knew she was never going to return.
They rented a place together, never asking about each other's jobs, and always worked in reverse 24-hour shifts. It wasn't until her sister disappeared, and no one reported it to the police or inquired about it, that she suddenly realized something—
Her sisters may have the same profession as her: professional assassins living in anonymity, their identities completely erased by the organization, their social identities blank.
Moreover, the sisters' meager "inheritance" is enough to illustrate this point.
Logically speaking, an assassin who risks their life to take on a mission should receive a high bounty. But a qualified assassin is usually so poor that they only have a pittance left.
Firstly, high-level assassins will spend most of their money upgrading their equipment. Having a suitable weapon ensures that they can complete their missions successfully, while also greatly reducing their risk of being killed.
For example, if the opponent's weapon is slightly more advanced than yours, and your gun speed is a few seconds slower, then the opponent's bullet will pass through your chest first.
Secondly, this is a dangerous job where you risk your life. There's no tomorrow, and when there's no work, they spend a lot of money on pleasure. It seems that only in that moment of release can they prove that they are alive and human.
Chi Xia picked up the whiskey on the table, took a sip, and frowned so deeply it could trap a fly.
Having grown accustomed to drinking expensive liquor costing hundreds of thousands of yuan, suddenly being forced to accept cheap, mixed liquor costing only a few dozen yuan from a small shop next to the security office would be as agonizing as asking her to lay down her butcher's knife and live a peaceful life.
Chi Xia swallowed the nauseating wine, leaned back wearily on the leather sofa, and let out a deep breath.
She shouldn't be in such a sorry state. She stopped taking jobs with bounties under a million three years ago. But damn it, a month ago, her boss, who was also the leader of the assassin organization, was killed and left with two unpaid bounties.
This double blow is truly a devastating blow.
Who would have thought that a top-ranked assassin would one day be reduced to living off his sister's meager inheritance?
Fortunately, while browsing job postings last night, I stumbled upon one in the corner that didn't list a bunch of majors she couldn't handle, but simply highlighted the words "tough" in red and bold.
She checked and found that the Demon Fisher Academy was the worst academy in the entire New Territories.
The class consistently ranks last among the ten middle schools, with students mainly consisting of delinquents and spoiled brats who have failed to reform. The academic atmosphere is chaotic and disorderly. This class, which is currently recruiting homeroom teachers and is known as the second worst class in Magic Fishing Academy, has already seen ten homeroom teachers leave in just two months since the start of the semester.
Those ten people, without exception, went in upright and were carried out horizontally.
Unfortunately, Moyu had powerful backers who could afford any amount of compensation. The money soothed the wounded bodies and minds of the teachers, and not a single one complained or cried out about the injustice of the world. Under the heavy pressure of money and power, all was calm.
They're all spoiled brats who rely on their fathers' connections, and Chi Xia knows this all too well; she's had quite a few interactions with these kinds of people.
She once stabbed someone; that guy imprisoned a very beautiful girl, raped her, and then raped her again. In short, by the time the girl's family found her, they couldn't even piece together her body.
The girl's family was furious. They sold all their possessions and put a bounty on the black market for the guy's head. Meanwhile, at a poolside matchmaking event, Chi Xia, with dozens of top-tier thugs on her feet, shoved a thumb bomb into the mouth of that spoiled brat.
"boom!"
That纨绔 (playboy) was shattered to pieces, and even a mechanical dog couldn't piece him back together.
Blood stained the entire swimming pool red, and screams ripped through the night sky of Xinshi. That was the most satisfying killing she had ever done.
Chi Xia calmed down for a while, then sat up, turned around, and squatted down. She pulled out a black wooden box from under the sofa, which her sister had left for her before she left.
The password unlocks the door, revealing the latest nano-silenced pistol with a range of 1,000 meters, and ten bullets—a brand new gun.
There was also a note next to it that only had the words "Magic Fishing Academy" written on it.
Thinking about reporting there tomorrow, Chi Xia smiled faintly, "Phew, at least I won't starve to death."
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