Chapter 57: Never Lost to Anyone
When Zhao Yuanyuan heard Chen Mo say that, she thought the insulated mug was too expensive and immediately came up with a cheaper alternative.
"Then how about a pencil case? This one I’m using barely closes anymore," Zhao Yuanyuan said, picking up her old, well-worn pencil case.
High school students rarely used dedicated pencil cases for their stationery. Most either got a pouch or just tossed everything into their desk drawers.
But Zhao Yuanyuan still held onto her habit from elementary school, keeping her stationery neatly organized inside her pencil case.
Chen Mo glanced at her pencil case and smiled. "Pencil cases are a hassle. They’re easy to drop, and the lid can pop right off. I’ll get you a nice stationery pouch instead. You can hang it on your backpack, which makes it easy to carry, and it has a zipper. That way, if you drop it, your things won’t scatter everywhere."
"Okay," Zhao Yuanyuan said. She glanced at the pouches other students had nearby and thought they looked pretty good too.
"Then just wait for Saturday. I’ll definitely get you a good one," Chen Mo said with a smile, patting Zhao Yuanyuan on the head.
He truly doted on Zhao Yuanyuan as if she were his own little sister. Chen Mo had noticed her shabby pencil case a long time ago.
But Zhao Yuanyuan was the type of girl who looked gentle, delicate, and adorable on the outside, but was actually incredibly strong-willed.
She would never accept a gift from him without a good reason.
But since it was for her birthday, it was much easier for her to accept.
As the four of them chatted, students began trickling out of the classroom for their next period: P.E.
"Time for P.E. Let’s go." As Chen Mo stood up with a smile, he saw Huang Mao on his phone, browsing an app called "LaoBao" for an insulated mug with good heat retention.
He just smiled and didn’t say anything.
Just as everyone arrived at the athletic field, the bell rang.
A well-built P.E. teacher with her hair in a ponytail blew her whistle, and everyone immediately gathered on the field and fell into formation.
Even though their P.E. teacher was a woman, her authority was just as absolute.
This P.E. teacher’s name was Tian Jing. Despite her gentle-sounding name, she was packed with muscle and explosive power.
Just from the way she walked over in her shorts, everyone could see the powerful muscles of her thighs.
Her leg and arm muscles were clearly those of a seasoned martial artist.
Even if a high school boy were to face her, one punch would likely leave him knocked out cold.
Rumor had it that Tian Jing held a 7th dan in kickboxing, making her a true powerhouse with formidable real-world combat skills.
There was once a troublemaking school bully who refused to listen and wanted to test Tian Jing’s strength.
As a result, Tian Jing took him down with a casual axe kick, pinning the boy to the ground so he couldn’t get up. He was forced to immediately beg for mercy.
And that was a minor incident. According to another story, she once ran into some punks robbing a student at knifepoint on her way home from work. She supposedly used the nunchucks she carried with her to disarm them, then proceeded to beat all five punks so badly they were crying for their mothers before personally delivering them to the police station.
After that, her fearsome reputation spread like wildfire throughout the school.
The stories grew more and more exaggerated with each telling. The version Chen Mo had heard involved her single-handedly facing dozens of thugs armed with machetes, not only disarming them with her bare hands but also beating them into complete disorientation. It was an absurdly over-the-top tale.
But Chen Mo later became a criminal investigator and had the chance to get reacquainted with Teacher Tian, learning the true story of her run-in with those thugs.
According to Teacher Tian herself, disarming a knife-wielding opponent with your bare hands was far too dangerous. Even if it was just a punk with a small knife, it was always best to have something in your own hands to counter the blade and ensure your safety.
Regardless, the fact that she had single-handedly dealt with knife-wielding thugs was true. As for the exaggerated rumors about her prowess, she just let them be.
If anything, the legends only enhanced her intimidating presence, making students afraid to slack off in her class. That was why Tian Jing never bothered to correct them.
For example, right now, all the students had only heard the increasingly outlandish legends about Tian Jing. They all believed she was absurdly powerful, so naturally, no one dared to act out of line in her presence. They were all perfectly obedient.
As everyone came to a halt, the sun beat down on the synthetic track, causing the distinctive smell of hot rubber to waft up into their nostrils.
"At ease! Attention! Eyes left! ... Eyes right! ... Eyes front! ... Alright, rows, count off!"
As Tian Jing’s powerful voice rang out, the students immediately began to count off from their positions in the line.
"Good, everyone’s present. Now, let me tell you what we’ll be doing in class today." Tian Jing stood before the students, her voice as resonant as ever. "The college entrance exams are just around the corner. For those of you planning to apply to sports academies or who have goals of becoming athletes, next week’s standardized physical fitness exam will affect your applications and can earn you bonus points."
Upon hearing this, many of the students who had no such ambitions, who had been standing ramrod straight, couldn’t help but relax their posture.
Tian Jing shot them a sharp glance and continued, "And for those of you without such goals, don’t think this is irrelevant. Your physical and mental states are linked. A healthy, strong body leads to a sharper spirit. Your mind will be more agile and clear when you’re tackling your academic subjects. You must never underestimate the importance of physical education!"
Hearing this, the students who had just slouched took a deep breath and immediately straightened up again.
Only then did Tian Jing continue, satisfied. "In all my years as a P.E. teacher, I have never once given up one of my periods for an academic class. That’s because I know exactly how important physical health is!
"To prepare for next week’s assessment, we’ve spent the last few weeks repeatedly going over the training methods for each event. This week, my main goal is to test your progress."
"Class sports representative, step forward!"
At Tian Jing’s command, a sturdily built boy immediately stepped out of the ranks.
The boy’s name was Zhang Ji. Though tall and burly in appearance, he was actually quite gentle and spoke in a soft, quiet voice, a stark contrast to his physique.
Thanks to this personality, combined with his decent, honest-looking features, a couple of the girls in class had taken a liking to him.
"You’ll record the girls’ results for the standing long jump and the 5-meter three-way shuttle run." Tian Jing handed Zhang Ji a pen and a clipboard with the class roster.
"Boys, with me. You’re up first for the 1000-meter endurance run." Tian Jing said nonchalantly, leading the male students over to the track.
When it came to fitness tests, Chen Mo had never lost to anyone.
He had exercised daily throughout high school, never letting his fitness slide. And that was before even considering his time as a criminal investigator, when desperately chasing suspects for several city blocks was a regular occurrence.
’An endurance run is child’s play for me,’ Chen Mo thought. ’But I’ve never actually had my performance formally tested.’