Chapter 57
Who would have thought that Director Ma, who is usually elusive, would sit obediently until the end of the workday? His presence has grown so long that he's become a thorn in their side; whether you look at him or not, he's always there.
"bite!"
Chi Xia had the last two classes. She picked up her textbooks and stood up, glancing subconsciously in Xin Ran's direction. Xin Ran was sitting in his seat looking at the ceiling with a lifeless expression. Chi Xia smiled slightly and left with the other teachers of this class.
Anna and Cheng Yang walked ahead, chatting happily. Chi Xia, whose seat was near the back door, walked at the very back of the line. Teacher Zhang glanced back and slowed down to wait.
"Xia, did you drink the coffee that Teacher Song gave you? How did you like it?"
Chi Xia subconsciously glanced at Teacher Zhang, who was unremarkable in appearance but had a lot of oily skin. She saw that he had a smile on his lips and seemed very satisfied with her friendly behavior of caring for her colleague.
When asked about the missing cup of coffee, Chi Xia immediately replied, "It was cold when I drank it, so I didn't really taste it."
She carefully observed Teacher Zhang's expression, which showed no fluctuations whatsoever. Teacher Zhang turned to look at her and lowered his voice, "Really? I think it's just so-so. Are you free today? I'd like to invite you to a very authentic handmade coffee shop."
Although it's highly likely that the disappearance of coffee has little to do with this Mr. Zhang, there's a feeling that his sudden closeness is somewhat unusual.
Chi Xia wasn't afraid of this unusual situation; in fact, she was very interested in knowing his purpose. If he was an informant who had just walked right into her trap, that would be perfect. But she was also curious about what was in the trunk of that car, since she had an appointment with Xin Ran today.
"Teacher Zhang, I have already changed the time for your home visit."
Teacher Zhang smiled, "Teacher Xia, you're such a kind person. I saw that. I invited you for coffee to thank you. Do you have time?"
Chi Xia: "It's just colleagues helping each other out with small favors, no need to be so polite."
The two reached the first floor and were about to cross the tree-lined path to the teaching building opposite when Teacher Zhang's smile froze slightly. "Teacher Xia, you don't seem to be this cold to other people, do you?"
It's certain that this Teacher Zhang was indeed observing himself.
Chi Xia: "I just felt that it was unnecessary to ask for thanks for such a small favor. Sometimes I help others make changes. It's just a matter of a word or a hand. It would be making a mountain out of a molehill to treat them to a meal to show camaraderie."
"That's not what I meant." Teacher Zhang fiddled with the pen stuck in the textbook a few times. "Well, there's actually something else I need your help with."
Stepping onto the stairs of another building, where Teacher Zhang's classroom was on the first floor, the two were about to part ways when Chi Xia, clutching her textbooks, paused, "What's wrong?"
Teacher Zhang glanced around and said, "It's not convenient to talk here. How about we sit down after school, have a cup of coffee, and talk slowly?"
Chi Xia: "Then let's do it tomorrow, I have something to do today."
Teacher Zhang smiled and said, "Okay, I'll reserve a table in advance."
Chi Xia nodded slightly and went upstairs.
"bite!"
The bell rang for the start of class. Just as Chi Xia stepped onto the last step of the stairs, she turned the corner and looked up, only to meet Ye Feng's indifferent gaze standing in the aisle. He snorted coldly at Chi Xia and looked away. Cheng Mo put his arm around her shoulder from behind and waved to Chi Xia with a smile. The two of them went into the classroom first.
Ye Feng was being held by Cheng Mo. Before entering the room, he turned back to look at Chi Xia with a strangely resentful look in his eyes, as if he were blaming her. Chi Xia found it inexplicable; the young master's mind was as unfathomable as a needle at the bottom of the sea.
But she didn't care about any of that. She walked in naturally, closed the door, stood on the podium, and said, "Let's begin class."
Li Yao: "Stand up!"
After exchanging greetings, Chi Xia looked at the neatly arranged students below and said, "In these two lessons, we'll discuss the physical fitness simulation test next week in detail. I'll explain each item in detail first, and then you can ask questions."
Chi Xia wrote each item and its corresponding score on the blackboard, and also listed the points that needed attention. This was the content that Lin Keli, as the homeroom teacher, had summarized for everyone at yesterday's meeting, which can be considered as reading from the script.
After writing and explaining, there was very little time left in the class.
Chi Xia: "Okay, let's have the Q&A session next class. In the remaining few minutes, I'll focus on the important choice you're all facing now: do you want to make a splash in the first mock exam, or do you want to accumulate knowledge and skills gradually?"
Everyone was stumped by Chi Xia's question. The students looked at each other in bewilderment. This was not something a homeroom teacher would say, because a homeroom teacher would definitely want the students to achieve outstanding results in every exam.
"Teacher, what do you mean? Does it mean we need to conserve our energy for the exam?"
"What's the difference between making a name for yourself overnight and accumulating knowledge and experience before unleashing your potential? Teacher, are there any differences in the specifics of the process?"
Seeing that most people were already confused by the question, Chi Xia picked up her pen and drew a circle on the blackboard. "Do you see the team competition? There are ten assessment items, and this newly added assessment item accounts for 20% of the total score, which means that this year's physical fitness assessment has become more difficult. Teams are organized by class, and the opponents are randomized."
A small group of people realized what was happening, and Cheng Mo spoke first, "In order to prevent any shady dealings, the entire assessment will be broadcast live, and our strength will be revealed. Right now, it's just within the school, but in the high school graduation selection exam, we'll be facing the entire new city. If we expose our combat power too early, it means that others can study our tactics and use that 20% to severely damage us."
Chi Xia gave Cheng Mo an approving look, and the young man smiled smugly.
Ye Feng: "The best approach is to give your all on individual projects and conserve your strength on team projects."
Chi Xia: "That's right, that's what I mean. However, this will affect your overall performance this time, so you'll have to make the decision yourselves."
Chi Xia's gaze inadvertently fell on Tong Yue. Tong Yue seemed surprised that the teacher would suddenly look at him. He rested his head on his hands on the table, paused for a moment, and then smiled cutely with his head tilted to one side.
Chi Xia smiled faintly, thinking to herself, with Tong Yue around, his heaven-defying talent serving as tactical guidance, how could they possibly lose?
Li Yao: "We trust our teachers. We focus on practicing individual projects, and for team projects, we use every real-world exercise to refine our skills."
Chi Xia nodded, very satisfied with the children's intellectual level, "You are the best class I have ever taught."
"Pfft!" Several people who knew Chi Xia well couldn't help but burst out laughing.
He Ying scratched her head, "It's like you've taught so many classes."
"Hahaha." Everyone laughed. It was Chi Xia's first time being a teacher, so she had no experience leading a class and just started talking.
"bite!"
"Let's end get out of class." Chi Xia, carrying her textbooks, didn't plan to go back halfway. She sat down at the teacher's desk, intending to casually flip through the textbooks and take a short break.
Ye Feng walked up with his hands in his pockets. "Teacher, I have a question to ask you privately."
Chi Xia glanced at him, stood up, and the two of them left the classroom one after the other, heading towards the elevator.
Some classmates saw it and started chirping crickets—
"Brother Feng took the teacher away for private tutoring again."
"I saw the love in Feng Ge's eyes for his teacher."
"Get lost, get lost, stop spreading rumors, or I'll report you."
After exiting the underground parking garage, Chi Xia instinctively walked towards the car with an unidentified object in its trunk, but Ye Feng grabbed her arm. "Where are you going?"
Chi Xia instinctively shook her head, "Just taking a walk."
Ye Feng tried to tighten his grip, but then gently released it and withdrew his hand. "That Teacher Zhang is no good. Stay away from him."
It turns out that earlier in the corridor, when she saw me walking with Teacher Zhang, she gave me a sour look and a cold snort because she didn't want me to get too close to Teacher Zhang.
"Why? What's wrong with Teacher Zhang?"
Ye Feng glanced at her and said, "He has harassed female students."
Chi Xia frowned. "Why wasn't someone like that fired?"
Ye Feng: "There is no conclusive evidence."
Chi Xia: "Then how did you find out?"
Ye Feng lowered his voice, "Teacher Fang Jin was his schoolmate or roommate. During his time at school, Teacher Fang discovered that his roommate was following the school beauty and repeatedly creating chance encounters. In the end, he even transferred schools because he couldn't catch up with Huang Yao's baby-making rhymes."
Chi Xia: "Then isn't Teacher Fang also at fault? Why didn't he report it when he discovered it?"
Ye Feng was a little irritated and reached out to scratch his hair. "It's that school beauty. She denied that Teacher Zhang harassed her. Teacher Fang had been keeping this to himself for a long time. He only told me about it recently when we decided to cooperate, as it was for Teacher Zhang's records."
Chi Xia was completely confused, but her expression remained calm. "I made an appointment with him for coffee tomorrow."
Ye Feng grew impatient and stepped forward, "Are you trying to drive me crazy?"
Chi Xia smiled faintly and took a step back. "Do you think I can't beat him?"
Ye Feng's eyebrows slowly smoothed out, he put his hands back in his pockets, and glanced away uncomfortably. "No, I just don't like people like that getting too close to you."
Chi Xia found the boy's awkward concern amusing. "Let's go back to class. I know how to handle this."
The two walked towards the elevator together. After passing several rows of parking spaces, Chi Xia's gaze drifted over and saw the car still parked in the parking space.
In this last class, students asked questions, and Chi Xia answered them, occasionally chatting with them about topics they were curious about. Time flew by.
After class, Chi Xia walked down the stairs, where Teacher Zhang was waiting at the bottom of the stone steps.
Teacher Zhang: "What a coincidence, I also have my last two classes. Where does Teacher Xia live? How about I give you a ride?"
Chi Xia: "Thank you, but I have something to do tonight, I have appointments with someone."
Teacher Zhang: "Oh dear, well, what a pity."
Not far away, Anna and Cheng Yang walked over from the other side. Anna called out to Chi Xia from a distance. Chi Xia stopped and waited. Looking at Anna and Cheng Yang who came over together, Teacher Zhang said, "See you tomorrow," and left first.
The atmosphere became relaxed as the three walked together. Anna hooked her arm around Chi Xia and made her walk in the middle. "Director Ma really went all out this time. Each of our grade groups got a fingerprint cup that costs more than 30,000 yuan. I scanned the code and it turns out to be genuine."
Cheng Yang smiled and said, "It's really good. A water cup as secure as a safe will make any malicious poisoner run into a brick wall. I think Director Ma is starting to pay attention to our security issues."
Cheng Yang knew about Bai Yu being poisoned with insects, so it was understandable that he would think this way first. But his words, like a dragonfly skimming the surface of a lake, created ripples in Chi Xia's heart.
Director Ma loves drinking tea so much, and he usually only uses a transparent tempered glass cup, which he carries around everywhere. How come he suddenly changed his ways and gave such expensive water cups to everyone in the office? Does he also know about Bai Yu's matter?
He didn't attend Old Madam Cheng's birthday banquet. Bai Yu's affairs are currently being kept completely under wraps. How did he find out?
Chi Xia was completely baffled and realized she would have to consult Xin Ran, the know-it-all.
The three of them slowly returned to the office. Most of the teachers had already left. Chi Xia glanced around and saw that Director Ma had also left. She dawdled as she packed her things, and only after Anna and Cheng Yang said goodbye to her and Xin Ran and left first did Chi Xia get up and glance at Xin Ran, who was sitting in the back row like her.
Xin Ran seemed to sense something, looked up at her and smiled brightly. Chi Xia saw that there were only two people left in the office, "Wait a moment."
She quickly went over and closed the door, then turned back and told Xinran about how Teacher Zhang had made her a cup of coffee that day, and then the coffee went missing.
Xin Ran opened her big, bright eyes wide. "There's such a thing?"
Chi Xia nodded, "Why don't we look for it and see if it's still in this office?"
Xin Ran smiled and said, "No need for that."
"What's the meaning?"
Xin Ran pointed to her computer, "I was bored just now, and by accident, I cracked the password for the office surveillance camera."
A bright smile, unlike anything she had ever seen before, bloomed on Chi Xia's face. "I was only just realizing your authority."
"Thanks for the compliment."
The two huddled together at Xin Ran's computer desk, checking the surveillance footage. Xin Ran quickly pulled up today's video. "According to you, the time period is from the break between the second and third periods in the morning, which is around 9:30 to 10:30."
As he spoke, he operated the machine and quickly captured the time period for analysis.
The two saw a large group of people chatting on the screen. When the bell rang, they left. Teacher Zhang glanced over, got up to make coffee, put one cup on his desk, and brought another cup to Chi Xia. They chatted for a few minutes, then Teacher Zhang left. Chi Xia brought the coffee over, placed it on the windowsill, and then fell asleep. During this time, Teacher Zhang went out once and only stayed at his seat and near the water dispenser when he returned. Another male teacher went to the restroom and came back to his seat, busy preparing presentation slides.
The scene kept jumping between different times until the bell rang and a large group of people returned. No one went towards Chi Xia; everyone was chatting and laughing. The two of them had been watching her intently. Suddenly—
Chi Xia pointed to the windowsill, "Look, the coffee is gone."
Xin Ran was also stunned. She reviewed this short segment. No one came over, but the coffee suddenly disappeared. "The window wasn't open, so it couldn't have fallen. There's only one possibility: someone tampered with it before us. I'll copy it down and take it back to see if we can restore it."
Chi Xia nodded, watching Xin Ran save the original video into her Magic Cube camera. "Do you think there might be something wrong with the coffee?"
After Xin Ran finished operating the system, she turned off the computer. "I can't rule out that possibility, otherwise we wouldn't have gone to such lengths."
The two went down into the underground parking garage. By then, most of the teachers had left for the day. They observed the elevator entrance for a while, and when no one was around, they walked toward the car.
Walking to the trunk of the car, the two looked around again to make sure no one was there. This time, Xin Ran quickly opened the trunk lid, and the two held their breath, waiting for the astonishing scene that would unfold inside—
"..."
"..."
A large plastic rubber duck, like the kind children play with while swimming.
The two looked at each other in disbelief. They had been excited ever since they learned there was something inside, but it turned out to be just a giant rubber duck?
Chi Xia closed the lid and patted it. A "whoosh" sound came out, sounding similar to before, but the two of them changed their expressions at the same time.
Xin Ran: "That's not the voice."
Chi Xia: "They're one step ahead of us again."
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