Era of Mist

But how was that possible?

This student was truly different from any other he had ever met. He was a bit of an enigma.

Looking across all of Fengming First Middle School, even though it was filled with geniuses from all over Nanzhili, teenagers were still teenagers. No matter how talented or full of personality they were, their thoughts were generally easy to read. In his long teaching career, those he couldn’t see through were few and far between. And every single one of those rare few had gone on to become major figures.

And among the current student body, from the first to the third years at Fengming First Middle School, the only one he couldn’t figure out was the son of the Beisu Province Governor.

But what kind of person was the governor’s son? He was a true, peerless prodigy of his generation.

Now, a Shi Tiexin—someone he had never paid any mind to before—had suddenly appeared.

’Could I have misjudged him?’

Zheng Kaoming scratched his head and walked to the eighth floor of the administration building, stopping before a very ordinary-looking office door.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. Zheng Kaoming knocked, his posture slightly formal.

"Come in."

A clear voice called from within.

Zheng Kaoming pushed the door open and entered. It was a very ordinary office—ordinary decor, ordinary furniture, ordinary size. But inside was a man who seemed anything but ordinary.

He was a man who looked to be in his late thirties, sitting behind his desk handling paperwork. The man had a lean face and slightly narrow eyes that gave him a sharp look. But the gaze in those eyes was warm and spirited, focused and calm, neutralizing that sharpness. Though he was busy, he handled his tasks without a hint of chaos, his back as straight as a pine tree.

The man was like a scholar-official from ancient times, brimming with a scholarly aura, yet naturally imposing without being angry. He wasn’t old, but he possessed a bearing that inspired admiration at first sight. Even though Zheng Kaoming was more than ten years his senior, he didn’t dare act his age and took the initiative to greet him. "Principal Liu."

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

"Ah, Director Zheng, please, come in." Principal Liu stood up and was about to grab a kettle to pour Zheng Kaoming a cup of water himself. Zheng Kaoming quickly took it from him, first refilling Principal Liu’s cup before pouring one for himself.

Principal Liu picked up his teacup and blew on it. "Director Zheng, I’ve long heard about the ’trash class.’ Making you go all the way there so late at night... I imagine the environment isn’t very good."

"It’s not good at all," Zheng Kaoming said, shaking his head. "It’s completely rotten."

"Haha!" Principal Liu didn’t seem to mind. "Rotten is good. It needs to be rotten. Parents go through great trouble to send their children to our Fengming First Middle School, but it’s not for them to live comfortably and enjoy life. Fengming First Middle School has ample funding every year, but if we don’t create a clear hierarchy, how can we motivate them to strive for excellence?"

"I say we don’t even need to repair the ’trash class’ dormitory. As long as it’s not a condemned building, it’s good enough to live in. We’ll reallocate the saved funds to the elite students or give it to the teachers as subsidies. Here at Fengming First Middle School, we absolutely do not practice egalitarianism."

Zheng Kaoming nodded vigorously. "A brilliant decision, Principal."

"It’s not my brilliance; our school has done this for generations. I believe it’s an excellent method that we must continue to promote." Principal Liu then remembered something. "By the way, how is that student, Shi? We can’t let the blow be too great, lest he do something foolish. If it really comes to it, it’s fine to let him know we still intend to move him back to the honors class."

Zheng Kaoming wasn’t surprised. The two had already discussed this matter. Truth be told, while the official charge sounded severe, Shi Tiexin’s situation could be blown up or played down. It could be framed as a major infraction, but on the other hand, it wasn’t really a big deal. Shouting in class was probably less serious than the kid who was caught secretly smoking. For the smoker, Zheng Kaoming had merely confiscated the cigarettes. To banish Shi Tiexin to the trash class was, frankly, an excessive punishment.

In the end, however, Principal Liu decided to go through with it.

Firstly, as a new principal, Liu naturally had to make some moves. But no matter what moves he made or what reforms he wanted, he could not shake the foundation of Fengming First Middle School. And what was that foundation? The university acceptance rate, of course. How does one guarantee that rate? It’s a complicated question, but it certainly can’t be guaranteed if school discipline is lax and morale is low.

Principal Liu had long wanted to make an example of someone. Shi Tiexin was simply the chicken that stuck its neck out at the perfect time. It would be a waste not to slaughter him.

Secondly, the two had also studied Shi Tiexin’s case. A former First Guard Champion Scholar who had fallen from the elite class and was known for being withdrawn and aloof—he was likely filled with righteous indignation. This was not a good state of mind to be in, and it would be detrimental in the long run. Principal Liu decided to first demote Shi Tiexin to the trash class to make him understand what Fengming First Middle School’s "survival of the fittest" truly meant, and then bring him back after a while.

The joy of regaining what was lost is the greatest joy of all. After this push-and-pull, he would probably stop overthinking things and be able to focus on his studies.

As for whether Shi Tiexin would be too crushed by the blow to recover... if that were the case, he wasn’t worth cultivating anyway. Even if he wasn’t sent there this time, he would eventually fall behind sooner or later. He wouldn’t amount to much.

Principal Liu’s only worry was that a teenager might not be able to handle the blow. If he impulsively decided to end his life, picking an auspicious day to take a leap of faith from the school building, that would be a major problem.

But Zheng Kaoming’s response was completely unexpected.

"This Shi Tiexin is not like most students." Zheng Kaoming frowned, recounting the events and his observations in detail, before finally shaking his head. "That composure... it’s not something a person of his age and status should have."

"Oh? Is that so? It seems this Shi Tiexin has some substance to him." Principal Liu was surprised for a moment. He then took a sip from his cup, considered it, and nodded. "In that case, let’s do this. I was originally planning to bring him back in a few days, but it seems he doesn’t need our help. The final placement exams aren’t that far off. What kind of treatment he receives will depend entirely on his own ability and fortune."

Zheng Kaoming had no objections. After reporting on a few other work matters, he left the exceptionally modest principal’s office.

Principal Liu sat back down in his chair. He picked up a scroll from his desk and happened to be reading "On the Marquis of Liu."

"Those who were called heroes in ancient times surely possessed a self-control beyond that of ordinary men. When faced with something intolerable, a common man, upon being insulted, will draw his sword and rise to fight. This cannot be called true courage."

"The truly courageous in this world remain unfazed when faced with sudden crisis and do not grow angry when wronged without cause."

"This is because they hold something great within, and their ambitions are far-reaching."

Principal Liu’s finger traced over these lines. A moment later, he lifted his eyes to the night sky outside his window.

’They hold something great within...’

’And their ambitions are far-reaching...’

’Is it really true?’

’Heh. The proof is in the pudding. Just putting on an act isn’t enough.’

’Still, this name, "Shi Tiexin"... I’ll make a note of it for now.’