Chapter 8: First Arrival at Mingqing

Looking at the magnificent gate before me that seemed to flaunt its wealth, I sighed in my heart: Private schools are indeed different; look how they built this gate, just like a palace...

The heavy luggage pulled me back to reality. I struggled to drag my big and small bags, grateful that besides playing games, I occasionally played basketball; otherwise, it would have been truly difficult to report on time. WENxueMI. cOM

Interns are assigned to schools based on grades; excellent students with good conduct and studies go to key middle schools, while marginal figures like me, who often skip classes yet pass every subject, get kicked out to a private middle school in the suburbs...

However, I heard the hardware conditions here are quite good, and the students are famously disobedient... Anyway, let's just unpack the luggage first.

The dormitory conditions were unexpectedly good: a single room with a bathroom and toilet, and even equipped with a personal computer. After putting away my toiletries and making up the bedding, I was just about to lie down and rest for a while when I suddenly remembered the teacher who gave me the room key during registration had instructed me to go to the Principal's Office after unpacking; I almost forgot.

I asked my way all the way straight to the Principal's Office, but on the road, I was attracted by a strange building. This building was only two stories high yet occupied an area as large as a football field; it might be a lecture hall or a theater or something. Truly, this is the private Mingqing Academy! However, looking at the two large abbreviated letters "M-Q" on top of the theater, for some reason, I felt a sense of familiarity, as if I had seen them somewhere before...

After much difficulty, I arrived at the door hanging a "Principal's Office" sign. Coincidentally, a young man was also about to enter. That person looked refined and fair-skinned, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, instantly making people feel good about him at first glance. I estimated he was also a newly arrived intern teacher, so politely gestured for him to enter first. Unexpectedly, he gestured for me to enter first. After some polite pushing and yielding, I walked in first. To my surprise, the Principal's Office was completely empty. Just as I was about to back out, the young man spoke: "You must be the new Teacher Li, right? I have no other business with you, just want to chat casually."

"You are the Principal?!" My mouth couldn't close.

"Yes." The young man pushed his glasses, "I just wanted to ask you, do you usually play computer games?"

My back immediately broke out in cold sweat. Remembering my resolution that night, I pretended to be relaxed and said, "I'm not very good at playing, just sometimes go online."

The young man looked disappointed: "Is that so..." Then he immediately returned to normal, "Children nowadays study too hard; my principle in running the school is to let children happily spend their middle school years..." He pointed to the building I thought was a theater, "This is our academy's computer hall, open to students every day after class, where they can go online or play games..." He didn't look at my mouth that had been hanging open, "As you know, we are a boarding school, so we must provide students with space for rest and entertainment..."

Several minutes later...

"... Do students really only need to study? A childhood without play is simply an incomplete life!" His eyes gradually filled with fanaticism, hands propped on the table: "Have you seen game competitions? Have you seen the fiery atmosphere of the WCG venue? That is passion burning youth, that is sweat accompanying struggle! That is the collision of ** and dreams, that is the crystallization of genius and effort! Ah~~ It's so beautiful..." At this moment, I finally understood Xu Ge's daily feelings, so I could only shrink into the corner, "Principal... Principal, please don't get excited..."

"Sorry, I lost my composure." The Principal took off his glasses and wiped them, then asked again: "Do you really not play games?" It seemed he still had some doubts.

"Really, I don't." At this point, what else could I say?

"The StarCraft champion of the last WCG was also named Li Lin. My younger brother seems to have held a grudge ever since losing to him in the competition; I thought..." The Principal looked somewhat dejected.

"... Ah... Is that so... You know, Li Lin is a very common name... So, it should have nothing to do with me..." I answered very naturally.

"In that case, I have nothing else. The computer in your dormitory is connected to the Internet via the school's local network; you can go online when you have free time..." Although the Principal seemed dangerous when excited, once calm, he was actually a quite nice person.

"Thank you, then I will take my leave..." I planned to slip away.

"You're welcome. My name is Ling Qing. I always feel we have a lot in common..." The Principal still seemed reluctant to part.

In common with your ghost! I thought secretly in my heart, someone who gets excited so easily, no matter how I think about it...

... no matter how I think about it, is just like me...

>>>>>>

As a new teacher, naturally I had to dress up. When I appeared on the podium the next day looking completely refreshed, the calmness gained from the competition had blown away my initial slight nervousness.

Self-introduction, roll call, reading the text, lecturing... The procedures continued smoothly one by one. I secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "The students here aren't as hard to teach as I imagined..." Just as class was about to end, a boy suddenly asked, "Teacher, after class, will you go play games with us?"

I was stunned, tremblingly answered, "The teacher doesn't play games..." (Thinking in my heart: Damn it! Little brat, don't provoke me; I've already endured so much!)

Many boys immediately showed looks of contempt, and the girls weren't as cute as when they were randomly shouting "Teacher Li is so handsome"...

That boy was very enthusiastic: "It doesn't matter, we'll teach you~~"

"No, no, I have to go to the Dean's Office to submit a report in a while..." I continued to force a smile. (Continuing to curse in my heart: When I won the national game championship, you didn't even know where you were! Teach me?)

"This teacher is so useless..." Even the girls joined in the fun.

The veins on the back of my neck bulged again; I quickly chanted in my heart: Be a role model for teachers, be a role model for teachers...

Suddenly a quiet voice said: "Stop making noise, class is already over." The classroom immediately fell silent. Following the sound, I saw a boy with a cold expression standing up and preparing to leave. Only then did I realize the dismissal bell had already rung. When that boy passed in front of me, our eyes met for a moment; there was no contempt in his eyes, but rather a complete disregard...

"That guy seems to be called Ling Tian; his name seemed to be called during roll call... Who told me the Principal's younger brother is in my class?.. It seems it was the Principal, that bastard himself..." I walked towards the Dean's Office with a confused mind, "No good, if this continues, I'll definitely collapse... I must find a new life anchor as soon as possible..."

Long before reaching the Dean's Office, I heard the sound of prehistoric animals clashing coming from inside. Getting closer, I realized two people were arguing, and one of the voices was unmistakably the Principal's, and he had obviously entered a berserk state.

"I'm just going! How can I miss such a major competition!..."

"You can't go! I am your uncle! I have the final say!..." The voice clearly overpowered the Principal's; without guessing, one knew it was the famous "Thunder Cannon" of the Dean's Office—Director Lei. Just didn't know he was actually the Principal's uncle.

"I'm just going! I'll sneak off later!..." "You dare!..." I pushed open the door and, trembling, approached Director Lei, "Director, this is my teaching report." I handed over the report.

Director Lei was in his fifties, full of spirit, slightly thin, with a slightly bald forehead. A pair of stubborn eyes showed this guy was not easy to deal with. "Hehe, young man, not bad!" The Director was unexpectedly kind to me, "Unlike my nephew, whose head is full of nothing but games!"

Suddenly the Director seemed to remember something and became serious, "Young man, do you play games?"

"No, no, not at all!" I quickly waved my hands. Thinking: Except for games, I can't do anything else...

"That's good... Hey! Kid, don't run!" It turned out the Principal was trying to slip away on the opportunity.

"No... I wouldn't just sneak off to South Korea like that..." The Principal didn't seem very afraid of his own uncle.

"You!?..."

Just as the two dinosaurs were about to breathe fire at each other, a girl suddenly entered the doorway. I only glanced at her once, and felt the noise of the world suddenly move far away from me... The newcomer wore white clothes, had a slender figure, and a pair of bright big eyes set in a face like white jade. Her gaze, like autumn water, curiously swept over my face, and my soul went woo-woo and didn't know where it went again.

Truly a beauty... I was intoxicated.

"The Samsung Cup (Note 1) is indeed a very major competition; Dad, please let my cousin go; I'll help him finish the work he hasn't done." What, such a beautiful girl is actually Director Lei's daughter?! Even with a genetic mutation, the difference couldn't be this huge! I felt somewhat indignant.

The girl leaned close to the Director's ear and chattered for a long time; in the end, the Director actually agreed to let the Principal go watch the Samsung Cup.

"Xue'er, do you really promise not to sneak off to compete?" The Director still seemed somewhat suspicious.

"I won't lie to you! I just decided it myself," Xue'er looked impatient, "I suddenly realized I have other things to do." After speaking, she seemed to glance at me again.

"You can't be like your cousin; games are harmful! Just look at the students in our academy; they are all addicted to games, and many teachers even play with students..." Director Lei still wouldn't stop.

"Alright, that's it. Here is this month's statistics." Xue'er threw down the statistics book in her hand and immediately disappeared.

The Principal had slipped away at some point; Director Lei could only come over and pat my shoulder, "Young man, a promising child like you must not get involved with games; you must know..."

"Simply a Tang Monk..." I painfully lamented: Why didn't I slip away earlier...

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Note 1: Samsung Cup, a game competition sponsored by South Korea's Samsung Company, representing the highest level of games in the world, with a scale almost not inferior to the WCG.

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