Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Who Do You Think You Are to Talk About Miss Gu? Sent Flying With a Slap
"I think there’s a fundamental problem with the Federation’s school transfer system! Why should every student be allowed to submit an application? It’s completely unreasonable! There should at least be some kind of threshold, right?"
"And especially that Gu Yuexi! She’s totally abusing the rules! She’s making a fool out of us! Making us come all the way from Du Nan for nothing!"
"You can tell at a glance she’s not a student with any class! With that kind of attitude, no matter how talented she is, she’ll never amount to anything!"
As she spoke, she snuck glances at Wang Jingming out of the corner of her eye, hoping for her idol’s approval and praise.
’In her opinion, a major figure like Chairman Wang must also despise students like that—the ones who abuse the rules and have no self-awareness!’
’My words show my dedicated and responsible work ethic, point out the system’s flaws, and even reflect my political insight!’
’It’s absolutely perfect!’
However, what she received wasn’t praise, but a face that grew darker and darker.
Wang Jingming’s expression had become so dark it looked like it could drip ink.
SLAP—!
A crisp, loud slap suddenly echoed in the silent night!
The force of the blow sent Wang Li flying. She spun in the air before landing messily on the ground, half of her face instantly swelling up as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
She was completely stunned. Clutching her face, she stared at Wang Jingming in disbelief, her mind a total blank.
’Why...’
’My idol... why did he hit me?’
Beside her, Liu Feng was scared stiff, standing frozen in place, not daring to even breathe.
Wang Jingming looked down at Wang Li on the ground, his gaze as cold as a killer’s, his voice filled with uncontrollable fury:
"Who do you think you are, talking about Miss Gu behind her back?!"
"What do you think you are?! Do you have any idea what Miss Gu’s status is now?!"
"Forget you, even the principal of your Du Nan First Middle School would have to be respectful in Miss Gu’s presence! Even I have to..."
Halfway through his sentence, Wang Jingming suddenly realized he had almost said something he shouldn’t have. The Federation’s highest-level confidentiality agreements were no joke.
He forced himself to swallow the rest of his words, took a deep breath, and pointed at the two of them, warning coldly:
"Listen to me and listen well! Miss Gu doesn’t need any transfer assessment! Her enrollment procedures for Du Nan First Middle School have already been completed!"
"Her going to Du Nan is just a temporary transition, a mere formality! She doesn’t even have to take the joint entrance exam—she has a direct admission to Huaqing Jing University! And you think you have the right to criticize her?!"
"You two, right now, immediately! Get the hell back to Du Nan! If I ever hear you bad-mouthing her behind her back again, don’t blame me for being ruthless!"
With that, he didn’t spare them another glance and turned to walk back to the school.
Leaving Wang Li and Liu Feng behind, rooted to the spot in stunned silence, their minds reeling from the shock.
...
The atmosphere in the taxi on the way back was terribly oppressive.
Wang Li clutched her swollen face, her eyes vacant. She didn’t say a word, clearly still reeling from the shock.
After a long while, Liu Feng finally sighed cautiously and said, "See, I told you... When you’re away from home, it’s better to keep a low profile. Don’t act so high and mighty. You never know when you’ll run into someone you can’t afford to offend, and then you’re just out of luck."
Wang Li jolted and snapped her head up, her eyes filled with humiliation, resentment, and deep confusion.
"Why?! That Gu Yuexi... Who the hell is she?!"
’She couldn’t understand!’
’Why would Chairman Wang be so harsh with her over a student from Jiang City?’
’And what was that about... even the principal of Du Nan First Middle School having to be respectful to her? That even he himself had to...’
’This is too absurd!’
Liu Feng was silent for a moment. Putting together what Chairman Wang had said, he ventured a guess that even he found a bit ridiculous. "Could she... be the illegitimate daughter of some Top Notch, major family in the Federation? And maybe the family just recently found her and brought her back into the fold?"
It was the only plausible explanation they could think of.
Only that possibility could make a powerful figure like Chairman Wang so wary!
Hearing this guess, Wang Li’s eyes flickered wildly.
’A major family... an illegitimate daughter?’
’So, that Gu Yuexi used her connections... to just parachute into Du Nan First Middle School?’
In an instant, an intense feeling of injustice and jealousy coiled around her heart like a venomous snake.
On what grounds?!
Why are some people born in Rome, while others are destined to be nothing but beasts of burden their whole lives?!
She, Wang Li, came from an ordinary working-class family. Through ten times the effort of others, and after exhausting her family’s wealth, she had only managed to break through to the Third-Grade at the age of thirty, barely squeezing her way into Du Nan First Middle School as a regular teacher!
It was the proudest achievement of her life!
But now, some country girl who just got lucky with her birth could easily obtain what she had dreamed of her whole life? It wasn’t fair!
Du Nan First Middle School!
That was the Cultivation Holy Land in the eyes of every student in Sui Ming Province! A place she once could only dream of, far beyond her reach!
On what grounds could she get in so easily?!
Wang Li gritted her teeth and roared with immense resentment, "I see it all clearly now! In the end, this world is all about your background and your birth! There’s no fairness to speak of!"
"People like us, who claw our way up step-by-step through our own efforts, are nothing but farts in the wind compared to those rich kids born with a silver spoon in their mouths!"
Liu Feng: "..."
’Equality for all above me, strict hierarchy for all below me???’
The more Wang Li thought about it, the angrier she got. Her eyes were nearly red as she said through gritted teeth, "So what if she has a background? She grew up in a dump like Jiang City. What kind of strength could she possibly have?"
"Her file says she’s only at the First-Grade Middle Stage. At that level, she’ll be at the very bottom of our Du Nan First Middle School! Just you wait! The joint entrance exam is in three days. She’s in for a world of humiliation!"
She could already picture it: that country girl, Gu Yuexi, being mercilessly crushed by all the geniuses at Du Nan First Middle School and becoming a laughingstock.
The thought made her feel a little better.
Liu Feng looked at her, his expression blank. "Did you not hear what Chairman Wang said?"
"She... has a direct admission to Huaqing Jing University."
Wang Li: "..."
Her expression froze instantly.
It was as if the entire world had fallen silent in that moment.
Direct admission...
Huaqing... and Jing University?
Those are the two most Top Notch universities in the entire Great Xia Federation! Holy grails that countless prodigies would kill to get into!
And she... just got a direct admission like that?
"AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH—!"
Wang Li could no longer control her emotions and let out a furious, hysterical scream in the cramped taxi.
"ON WHAT GROUNDS?! ON WHAT FUCKING GROUNDS?! Which major family is she from?! This is so unfair! It’s outrageous!!"
Her composure had completely shattered.
"What the hell are you yelling for?! Fuck!"
The taxi driver’s face darkened, and he finally snapped, "Are you crazy? You haven’t been quiet since you got in! Get out! Get the hell out! Both of you, get the fuck out of my car!"
Liu Feng: "..."