Chapter 43: Can You Give Him a Chance to Stay at the School?

"Traditional characters? *I Desire to Become an Immortal*?"

After frowning and reading the book title, Wu Shengping looked up at Lu Xiangwei, "What did you just say? This is another book written by that student of yours? The student you mentioned has written more than one novel? This is the second one he's written?"

Lu Xiangwei nodded repeatedly, "Yes! Director, you are absolutely right. Please take a closer look at this sample copy, look inside the book!"

Wu Shengping scrutinized Lu Xiangwei's expression for a moment before looking down at the *I Desire to Become an Immortal* in his hands again. Just as he was about to flip open the cover, his hand paused, his gaze caught by the pen name beneath the title.

"A Speck of Dust in the Central Plains? Is this your student's pen name?"

Wu Shengping did not look up at Lu Xiangwei when he asked this.

Lu Xiangwei smiled and nodded, "Yes! How about it? It's a good pen name, isn't it?"

Wu Shengping was noncommittal.

After opening the cover, he squinted and read for a long while, not turning the page for a long time.

Lu Xiangwei waited for a while, and seeing that Wu Shengping was still reading the text on the first page, he couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Eh? Director, this book is all in traditional characters; can you understand it?"

Wu Shengping smiled faintly and said casually, "What's there not to understand? When I was in school, I learned traditional characters. It's actually the simplified characters of today that I occasionally write incorrectly."

Having said this, he closed the sample copy and looked up at Lu Xiangwei, "Little Lu! How about this: leave this book with me for now. I'll find some time in the next few days to read it and see how well your student wrote this book, and whether he is truly as talented as you say."

Lu Xiangwei was taken aback.

The Director making such a request was completely beyond his expectations.

But he nodded immediately, "Sure! Since you can read traditional characters, then please take your time reading it. Just return it to me whenever you're finished. By the way, Director, the matter I mentioned to you last time... what do you think? Hehe."

As he said this, he wore an embarrassed smile and rubbed his hands together like a child.

Wu Shengping frowned, "What are you referring to?"

Lu Xiangwei was surprised, as if he hadn't expected the Director to have forgotten.

He quickly reminded him, "Director! It's about whether my student can stay at the school after graduation, have you forgotten? Look, he's only a freshman and has already written two novels, one of which is about to be published. The one in your hand was even published over in Baodao. Such a talented student, do you think you could give him a chance to stay at the school after graduation?"

Wu Shengping's brows furrowed tightly, and he was slow to respond.

Seeing this, Lu Xiangwei quickly added, "Director! Just consider it a favor to me. My student only has this bit of talent for writing. Other than that, he has no background at all; his parents are both farmers, and his education is only a junior college degree. If this were a few years ago, before the state canceled the job assignment system, he would have been able to find a decent job after graduating with his degree. But now that job assignments have been canceled, I'm afraid it will be very difficult for someone like him to find a good job after graduation. I am his counselor, and it's rare for a talent like this to emerge in my class. I really want to help him. Could you please be kind, Director? Can you?"

The more he spoke, the more sincere Lu Xiangwei's expression became.

By the end, he even pressed his palms together in supplication.

Wu Shengping looked at him with a frown.

He asked in a deep voice, "Since you think he is so talented at writing, why are you worried that he won't find a good job after graduation? How can you be so certain? Also, have you thought about whether he himself is even willing to stay at the school? Lu Xiangwei! You are putting me in a difficult position! You also said he only has a junior college degree. We have so many undergraduate graduates every year who don't get to stay at the school; you want me to give a job opportunity to a junior college student?"

Lu Xiangwei gave a bitter smile, but he was unwilling to give up, "Director! You're right, our school does have many undergraduate graduates every year. However, when something is abundant, it's no longer rare. We have many undergraduate graduates every year, but my student is the only one who has published two novels as a freshman, right? No! I should say he is the only one since the founding of our school. Do you agree with this point?"

Wu Shengping was silent.

His expression seemed somewhat moved.

After a moment, he sighed, "What you say makes some sense. This student is indeed a talent, but he can already publish two novels now, so his income should be quite good. Young people of this age, achieving fame at a young age, usually develop an inflated ego, and their ambitions often rise to a level far beyond the average person."

He paused, revealed a slight smile, and added, "So, Little Lu! I think he might not appreciate your good intentions. After all, with his educational background, even if he were allowed to stay at the school after graduation, the job offered to him wouldn't be very good. And you know our school's salary and benefits; they aren't high. I don't think he would be willing to stay."

Lu Xiangwei opened his mouth, but had no words to argue.

In his heart, he knew the Director made sense.

After a moment of silence, Lu Xiangwei sighed, "You're right. However, Director, you also liked writing articles in the past and published them in newspapers more than once. I know all of this, so you must know that it is very difficult to rely entirely on writing articles to make a living. My student is only a freshman now. I think if he can't write any more works that can be published and earn money in the next two years, he should be able to calm down gradually, and by then, he might be willing to stay at the school."

This time, without waiting for Wu Shengping to reply, he continued, "Director! How about this? If he is willing to stay at the school when he graduates, please be kind and give him an opportunity to work here. If he isn't willing, then just pretend that I passed gas in your office today and that this never happened. What do you think?"

Wu Shengping looked at Lu Xiangwei with a frown for a good while before giving a mocking smile and sighing, "Little Lu! It's been several years since a teacher came to me to fight for a job for their student. You're so young, how can you bring yourself to lower your face and come here to say these things for your student? This doesn't benefit you at all, does it?"

Lu Xiangwei chuckled twice.

He scratched his head and said, "Director, I'm a person who doesn't have much face to begin with, so what is there to be unable to let go of? You know that when I was able to stay at the school to work, it was all because my family pulled strings for me. I don't have any real ability myself, and I know many people in the school look down on me, but I don't care."

"But now that a talent has emerged in the class I lead, as his counselor, I feel I have a responsibility to consider his future. Otherwise, even if I am a teacher for my whole life, how many students will respect me from the bottom of their hearts? I won't have any great achievements in this life, so I just want to help my students more and try to cultivate a few students who can make me look good. That's my only pursuit, hehe."

Wu Shengping squinted and stared at Lu Xiangwei's face for a while, then slowly nodded, "Not bad! I am very happy that you have this kind of awareness."

He paused and added, "You've spoken to this extent for this student; logically, I should give you this face, but..."

Having said this, he raised the *I Desire to Become an Immortal* in his hand and smiled, "The premise is that this book of his is truly well-written and allows me to see that he really has the talent you speak of. If the book is just mediocre, then no matter how much you beg me, I won't agree. This is a matter of principle."

Lu Xiangwei gave a bitter smile, but could only nod in agreement.

A moment later, Lu Xiangwei exited the Director's office.

Wu Shengping's gaze fell back onto the cover of *I Desire to Become an Immortal*. After frowning and hesitating for a few seconds, he opened the book's cover again and squinted at the text.

This sample copy was not the second volume sample that Cao Sheng had received yesterday.

It was the first volume sample that Lu Xiangwei had specifically asked Cao Sheng for.

When Lu Xiangwei insisted on the first volume sample yesterday, Cao Sheng was quite helpless and secretly complained in his heart: You're even being picky?

The next morning, just past 10 o'clock.

Lu Xiangwei shamelessly knocked on the Department Director's office door again. Arriving before Wu Shengping's office, Lu Xiangwei asked with an expectant expression, "Director, have you read a bit of my student's sample copy last night? How do you feel about it?"