Chapter 7: Unyielding as Mountains and Iron Resolve (Part One)

But how could that be possible?

This student was truly unlike any other he had ever encountered, leaving him somewhat baffled. Looking across the entirety of Fengming First High School—even though every student here was a prodigy from all over Southern Zhili—youths were still youths. No matter their character or brilliance, their thoughts were generally clear as day. Those who could elude his understanding were rare indeed over his long teaching career, and every one of those rare few had become a figure of renown.

As for the present day, among all the current students from the first to the third years, there was only one whom he could not see through—the young heir of the Governor’s family from North Su Province.

But what sort of person was that scion? He was truly a once-in-a-generation prodigy.

And now, unexpectedly, another had emerged—Shi Tiexin, whom he had never paid any attention to before.

"Could I be mistaken?"

Zheng Kaiming scratched his head as he walked to the eighth floor of the administration building, stopping before a perfectly ordinary office door.

Knock, knock, knock—Zheng Kaiming rapped gently, his manner somewhat formal.

"Come in," came a clear voice from within.

Zheng Kaiming pushed open the door. The office inside was unremarkable: plain furnishings, ordinary size, yet the man inside was anything but ordinary.

He appeared to be in his thirties, not yet forty, working behind the desk. His face was thin, his eyes slightly narrow and sharp, yet their gaze was warm and spirited—focused and calm—tempering that hint of severity. Even amid his many tasks, the man handled everything with composed efficiency, his back straight as a pine.

He seemed like a learned scholar from ancient times, full of cultured bearing, radiating authority without a trace of anger. Though not old, there was a dignified presence about him that inspired deference. Even though Zheng Kaiming was more than ten years his senior, he did not dare to act casually, greeting him respectfully: "Principal Liu."

This man was none other than the newly appointed principal of Fengming First High School.

"Director Zheng, do come in," Principal Liu rose, reaching for a kettle to pour a cup of water for Zheng Kaiming himself. Zheng hurried to intercept him, first filling the principal’s cup before pouring his own.

Principal Liu raised the teacup, blowing gently on the surface. "Director Zheng, I’ve long heard of the so-called 'garbage class.' It must have been quite an ordeal for you to go there in the dead of night. I suppose the environment there isn’t great."

"It’s truly awful," Zheng Kaiming shook his head. "Utterly rotten."

Principal Liu laughed it off. "Rotten is exactly what it should be. Parents go through so much just to send their children to Fengming First, not for them to just eat well, live comfortably, and enjoy themselves. Our funding is ample every year, but if we don’t create some separation, how can we motivate students to strive for progress?

If you ask me, there’s no need to renovate the garbage class’s dormitory. As long as it’s not condemned and still habitable, that’s enough. All the saved funds should be redirected to our elite students or distributed to the teachers as bonuses. At Fengming First, we don’t believe in equal shares for all."

Zheng Kaiming nodded vigorously, "You’re wise, Principal."

"It’s not my wisdom—it’s the tradition here, passed down through generations. I simply think it’s a good method, one we should carry forward." Principal Liu seemed to remember something. "By the way, how is that young Shi doing? Make sure he isn’t too discouraged and does anything foolish. If necessary, you can hint to him that we still intend to transfer him back to the advanced class."

Zheng wasn’t surprised; the two had discussed this before. In truth, though the disciplinary charge sounded severe, Shi Tiexin’s case could be considered serious or minor, depending on perspective. In the grand scheme, it could be talked up, but in reality, it was nothing much. Shouting out in class, perhaps not even as serious as the boy caught secretly smoking. For smoking, Zheng had only confiscated the cigarettes; yet Shi Tiexin had been demoted straight to the garbage class. To be honest, the punishment was excessive.

But in the end, Principal Liu had decided to send Shi Tiexin down anyway.

Firstly, as a new principal, Liu naturally needed to make some moves. Yet no matter what, the foundation of Fengming First must not be shaken. And what is that foundation? The graduation rate, of course. How do you ensure that? It’s complicated, but lax discipline and weak administration certainly won’t do. Principal Liu had long wanted to make an example of someone, and Shi Tiexin, at just the right moment, had put his head on the chopping block. It would be unjustifiable not to act.

Secondly, they’d looked into Shi Tiexin’s situation. Once a champion of the first district, now fallen from the elite class, reserved and self-contained—he must have felt deeply wronged. Not a good mental state, and left unchecked, it could lead to worse outcomes. Principal Liu decided to demote Shi Tiexin to the garbage class, to let him experience firsthand the meaning of "survival of the fittest" at Fengming First, then bring him back up after some time.

Nothing is sweeter than regaining what was lost. After this push and pull, he would likely stop brooding and settle down to his studies.

As for whether Shi Tiexin would be so crushed as to lose all motivation—if that were the case, he was not made for greatness anyway. If not now, he would inevitably fall behind in the future; he was not destined for anything remarkable.

Principal Liu’s only worry was that the boy might take the setback too hard, and in a rash moment, choose a tragic end—say, picking a fine day to leap from the school building. That would be disastrous.

Yet Zheng Kaiming’s answer surprised him greatly.

"This Shi Tiexin is quite unlike most students," Zheng Kaiming said, frowning, then recounted the events and his impressions in detail, concluding, "Such composure is not something you’d expect from someone of his age or circumstances."

"Oh? Is that so? It seems this Shi Tiexin truly has some destiny about him," Principal Liu was taken aback, then sipped his tea, considering for a moment before nodding. "Very well. I was going to bring him back in a few days, but it seems we won’t need to intervene. The midterm placement exam is not far off now—what treatment he earns will depend entirely on his own ability."

Zheng Kaiming had no objection, and after reporting a few more matters and his thoughts, he left the unusually austere principal’s office.

Principal Liu returned to his seat, picking up a volume from his desk. He was reading "On Marquis Liu."

"In ancient times, those called heroes always possessed qualities beyond the ordinary. There are things in human nature that cannot be endured: when a man is insulted, he may draw his sword in anger and fight—that is not true courage."

"True courage belongs to those who, when danger suddenly appears, remain unflustered; who, when wrong is done to them for no reason, feel no anger."

"Such people carry great burdens and have far-reaching ambitions."

Principal Liu traced these lines with his finger, then after a moment, glanced out at the night sky beyond his window.

To carry great burdens...

To have far-reaching ambitions...

Is it really so?

Ah, it is not enough to merely strike a pose; the true test is yet to come.

But the name "Shi Tiexin"—I shall remember it for now.