Chapter 113: The Prelude to a Faceslap, Dark Horse Sister Yue
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“Student Jiang?”
The first call, Jiang Fuyue didn’t respond.
Director Zhang called again, “Student Jiang Fuyue?”
This time, everyone heard it, and all eyes fell on him.
If it had been someone else, it might not have caused such a commotion. But this was Zhang Quan, who was he?
He was Yang Jinqiu’s superior, responsible for the selection of outstanding teachers across the entire city. He was highly regarded wherever he went. Yet, he was acting cautiously now.
And the person he was treating this way was… a student?
Jiang Fuyue looked at the almost balding middle-aged man before her. He was unfamiliar to her. “Did you call me?”
“Ah! It’s really you, Student Jiang!” Director Zhang looked excited.
The Jiang family was left baffled.
Yang Jinqiu was even more puzzled.
She had gone to great lengths to use the occasion of the Old Madam’s birthday to seek help from Zhang Quan, a prominent figure. She intended to secure the “Outstanding Teacher of the Year” position at the end of the year, regardless of the methods or costs involved.
But Zhang Quan was incredibly elusive. No matter how hard she tried to please him, flatter him, or even offer substantial rewards, he remained unyielding.
Even when Jiang Hua intervened and added a substantial check to the negotiations, it still had no effect.
The couple thought this man was impervious to persuasion and completely unyielding. Little did they know that he actually knew their older brother’s daughter and… even appeared to be so friendly?
On the other hand, Jiang Da and Han Yunru exchanged a glance, internally on guard.
The only one who seemed relatively calm at the scene was Jiang Fuyue, the person in question.
“Do we know each other?” she asked.
The young woman’s beautiful face remained composed, her gaze unwavering as she looked at the other person.
There was no hint of fear, nor any flattery.
Zhang Quan replied, “I was in the second row at the recent Physics Competition awards ceremony.”
The second row typically consisted of officials and leaders.
Jiang Fuyue nodded slightly. “Hello.”
Zhang Quan smiled, “Originally, on that day, they had arranged for a reporter to interview all three of you, and you had a special interview scheduled. Unfortunately…” He tapped his nose.
Jiang Fuyue’s expression remained unchanged. “There’s nothing worth interviewing about. We only made it to the summer camp, it’s not like we won an international gold medal.”
Zhang Quan not only didn’t mind her straightforwardness, but he also nodded approvingly. “Staying humble is a good thing. We all believe in your abilities!”
The top-scoring genius competitor, who had unsurprisingly taken the top spot with a perfect score, was undoubtedly the biggest dark horse in the field of academic competitions in Lianhuai City, and even the entire J Province!
Perhaps people outside might not feel it, but being on the inside, he knew just how high the expectations were for Jiang Fuyue, especially considering…
“I heard that you recently participated in this year’s NOI and achieved the top score. Congratulations.”
The day after the results were released, the Lianhuai City Education Bureau received the electronic score report and qualification letter for document verification from the capital.
The entire department was instantly abuzz.
The news quickly reached higher authorities, and they even held an emergency discussion meeting.
This was because the department received a call from Jiang Fuyue’s competition teacher, who mentioned that the summer camps for Physics and Informatics competitions had overlapping schedules. They asked if they could find a solution to make things work for both.
Of course, they had to find a solution!
And not just any solution, but one that was absolutely perfect.
Two competitions, both with perfect scores, ranking first in the nation; not to mention Lianhuai, such a precedent had never existed even in the entire country.
If she managed to win two gold medals at the international competition…
That would be a significant milestone for the educational level in Lianhuai!
So, it was no wonder Zhang Quan was so excited.
This was a living genius, a young girl bearing the hopes of the entire city, right before his eyes.
“Student Jiang, the city is fully aware of your situation. You can rest assured that we will handle the issue of the overlapping schedules properly, ensuring that you can smoothly join the camps and focus on your training.”
Jiang Fuyue raised an eyebrow. “Then, thank you for the troubles.”
“Please don’t say that. It’s something we should do.” Zhang Quan waved his hand repeatedly. “In addition, the Bureau will provide funding specifically for your competition expenses, so you don’t need to worry about the financial aspect.”
Zhang Quan chattered away like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, ignoring the people who were already stunned, and then he firmly grasped Jiang Da’s hand.
“You must be Student Jiang’s father, right?”
“…..Ah?” Jiang Da was a little dazed.
Han Yunru nudged him under the table.
Jiang Da realized and quickly stood up. “Yes, that’s me. Um… thank you for your concern.”
“You’re being too polite. These are things we should do,” Zhang Quan shook Jiang Da’s hand with his other hand and spoke solemnly, “If we’re talking about thanks, it should be us thanking you. Thank you for raising Jiang Fuyue into such an outstanding student. Achieving full marks in academic competitions, ranking first in two categories, this is unprecedented!”
Jiang Da was struggling to cope with the situation and felt embarrassed.
At this moment, Han Yunru stood up and took over the conversation with a smile. “A child’s growth is inseparable from the hard work of educators. It is your credit.”
Zhang Quan asked, “Are you… Student Jiang’s mother?”
Han Yunru nodded.
Another round of pleasantries followed, and the others could only watch with bewildered and vacant expressions.
Full marks in competitions… ranked first in the country… and two categories…
What did that mean?
Why couldn’t they understand?
Wasn’t Jiang Fuyue involved in sports, like running and high jump? How did she achieve full marks?
However, Zhang Quan’s reaction was unmistakable. Considering how he treated Jiang Da and his wife, and the difference from his recent conversation with Yang Jinqiu, it was evident that the meaning wasn’t lost on him.
At this moment, even the bystanders began to understand the situation. This group included colleagues of Yang Jinqiu—
“It seems Teacher Yang’s attempt to connect with the right people didn’t work. She had someone close who could’ve had a direct line to Director Zhang, yet she chose a roundabout way, using the celebration as an excuse.”
“You might not know this, but Teacher Yang and her husband haven’t had any contact with his brother for over ten years. How could she bring herself to ask?”
“Yeah, that makes sense. You don’t usually pay your respects at the last moment when you haven’t done so before. No wonder she didn’t receive any attention from Director Zhang!”
“Talking about how amazing her husband is and boasting about her daughter’s accomplishments in music, she couldn’t compare to the eldest brother’s family with just one finger! Look at how much face they’ve earned in front of Director Zhang.”
“Her daughter is so much more outstanding than her own family’s, my goodness! Achieving full marks in academic competitions – what kind of intelligence level is that?”
“In the face of absolute achievements, no musical instrument can compare.”
“…”
Yang Jinqiu usually acted in a high-profile manner and considered herself superior due to her husband’s ability to make money.
Now that an opportunity had presented itself, people naturally wanted to take their chance.
There’s a saying that goes, “no contrast, no harm,” moreover when the person you’ve looked down on for so long surpasses you.
Furthermore, with the mocking discussions from those around her echoing in her ears, Yang Jinqiu was so enraged that she spoke without thinking.
“Director Zhang, are you perhaps mistaken? My eldest brother makes a living selling pancakes. How could he afford to send his child to compete, let alone in two categories?”
“That’s right!” Jiang Qin quickly chimed in, unable to restrain herself. “Yueyue is a sports specialist; her academic performance can’t be that good. The competition questions are so difficult; she probably wouldn’t even understand them.”
While saying this, she pulled Liu Wei over to stand with them, showing a certain amount of smugness. “My son is the one preparing for academic competitions. He’s going to the math Olympiad in October! It hasn’t even started yet, how could Jiang Fuyue possibly win a prize? And to be the nation’s first place, it’s impossible to be so casual…”
Her demeanor made it seem as if Jiang Fuyue had stolen her son’s limelight ahead of time.
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