"Knock knock knock," Wu Youwei knocked on the door, watching Principal Xiao, who was making tea with his back to him. Principal Xiao had always had this habit of making a cup of strong tea in his large enamel pot as soon as he got to work, and then drinking it slowly from his cup.
"Xiao Wu is here! Come in, come in, come in and sit down." Principal Xiao smiled rarely when he saw Wu Youwei.
"Hello, Principal Xiao!" Wu Youwei nodded and bowed to greet him before walking into the principal's office.
In the previous week, Principal Xiao's face was gloomy every time he saw Wu Youwei. Today, he rarely smiled, which made Wu Youwei a little "flattered".
Principal Xiao held his large enamel cup, walked back to his desk with a wide step, and then pointed to the sofa by the wall, indicating that Wu Youwei should sit on the sofa and talk.
"No, no, I'll just stand." Wu Youwei obediently stood in front of the desk. This was his "special" seat. Every time he came to the principal's office to listen to Principal Xiao's work arrangements, Wu Youwei stood in this position.
"Xiao Wu~! Come sit down, let's not talk about business today, let's just chat." Principal Xiao picked up the big enamel cup, took a sip of strong tea, and said with a smile.
No business talk? Is there something so good about this?
A strange feeling welled up in Wu Youwei's heart. After all his years as the Dean of Students at Chaoyang Middle School, Wu Youwei had never actually spoken to Principal Xiao. They were completely different people, with nothing in common, not even the slightest bit of interest or hobbies.
The principal's office had a set of leather sofas, used to entertain guests who came to see Principal Xiao, such as Wen Yulun, the former director of the Chaoyang District Education Bureau. The sofas in the principal's office were only used by well-known figures, and Wu Youwei had only sat on them a few times.
"Xiao Wu! Please sit down and don't be polite." Principal Xiao pointed to the sofa and motioned Wu Youwei to sit over there again.
Seeing that Principal Xiao insisted, Wu Youwei thought for a few seconds, then had to tiptoe to the sofa and sit down.
Wu Youwei sat halfway on the sofa, not daring to sit fully. In front of his superiors, Wu Youwei always kept a low profile. Otherwise, Wen Yulong wouldn't have asked Wu Youwei to do things for him so often in the past month.
But today, Wu Youwei's "affected" remarks weren't just artificial. Principal Xiao, for some reason, gave Wu Youwei a "smiling tiger" vibe. Wu Youwei estimated that what Principal Xiao said next might affect him for the rest of his life.
"Xiao Wu! You have been the Dean of Studies under me for six years, right?" Principal Xiao spoke with concern.
Wu Youwei's heart skipped a beat. Generally speaking, when a boss asks about years of experience, it's either a hint of a potential promotion or an impending demotion. Three years ago, Wu Youwei had considered replacing Xiao Bin as the principal of Chaoyang Middle School. Now, he no longer had any such thoughts. The reason was simple: the longer Wu Youwei worked with Xiao Bin, the more he felt his tactics were powerful.
"Thank you for your concern, Principal. It's not even six years yet! It's five years and nine months." Wu Youwei raised his buttocks and bowed, answering carefully.
"After six years, Xiao Wu should have gained enough experience." Principal Xiao seemed not to hear Wu Youwei's words. He smiled and said, "Xiao Wu! You are a capable person in my hands. I was reluctant to let you go, but the higher-ups specifically asked you to be the principal of Lanyuan Middle School. No matter how reluctant I am, I can't block your future, right?..."
Lan...Yuan...Middle...School?
Wu Youwei felt like he was struck by a bolt from the blue.
Lanyuan Middle School is less than 15 kilometers away from Chaoyang Middle School. It also belongs to Chaoyang District and is a famous middle school in Kyoto City.
However, unlike Chaoyang Middle School, Lanyuan Middle School's reputation wasn't good, but rather bad. It was said that the students at Lanyuan Middle School were particularly difficult to manage, with those involved in premature romance, skipping classes, hanging out with hooligans, and fighting with teachers. There was a wide variety of students.
When Kyoto middle school teachers talk about Lanyuan Middle School, they all shake their heads. Many teachers would rather teach in suburban middle schools than Lanyuan Middle School.
Wu Youwei had a college classmate who was promoted to vice principal at Lanyuan Middle School two years ago. At first, Wu Youwei envied him; after all, the hurdle of moving from dean of studies to vice principal was not easy.
But reality taught Wu Youwei a profound lesson: sometimes, superficial glory isn't what it seems. Just two weeks into his new job, Wu Youwei's classmate, the vice principal, was misled by a mischievous student from Lanyuan Middle School. Not only did he break half his arm, but he also lost two front teeth, and even now, he still has a lisp when he speaks.
"Principal Xiao, I, I, I... I didn't apply for a job transfer! I'm doing pretty well here. If you don't mind, I'd like to stay in Chaoyang Middle School and be your subordinate for the rest of my life." Wu Youwei thought of the fate of his classmate who was the vice-principal, and sweat poured down his face. He quickly expressed his dependence on Principal Xiao.
Wu Youwei hadn't expected Principal Xiao to pull this trick. To be honest, Xiao Bin was a relatively tolerant principal. Previously, Wu Youwei had challenged Xiao Bin by relying on his brother-in-law's influence, but Xiao Bin hadn't done anything to Wu Youwei.
This time, Wu Youwei followed Wen Yulong's footsteps closely, jumping up and down, and thought that Principal Xiao would be angry with him for a few days at most, and it would eventually pass.
After all, Wen Yulong was nominally Wu Youwei's immediate superior, and Wu Youwei hadn't violated workplace rules by following Wen Yulong's instructions. Even if Wen Yulong hadn't cleared Principal Xiao before issuing his orders, and even if Wen Yulong's orders weren't entirely reliable, a superior was still a superior, wasn't he?
Wu Youwei envisioned that Principal Xiao and Wen Yulong would use him as a tool to play off each other. As the Dean of Studies, he simply needed to please both sides. If Principal Xiao wanted him to side with him, he should give him more power.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Bin didn't use any tricks these days, but secretly sent Wu Youwei to Lanyuan Middle School.
Secretary Wen is such a troublemaker! With these two "big guys" sparring with each other, this little Dean of Studies is in big trouble! Wu Youwei deeply regretted his greed.
"Xiao Wu! People must be motivated. The position of principal is higher than that of dean of studies! This is recognition of you by the higher-ups, and it is also your opportunity. As long as you make some achievements in Lanyuan Middle School, promotion is just around the corner. I know that you are talented, Xiao Wu. Haven't you thought about promotion in the past few years?" Principal Xiao was not moved by Wu Youwei's "confession". He spoke in an official tone that shocked Wu Youwei.
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