Chapter 26: A Pre-Exam Class Activity

The teacher monitoring the students, Mr. Xin Liangcai, a physical education instructor, sternly reprimanded Chu Bai for his odd behavior during the exam.

"Mr. Xin, I apologize. I just had a muscle spasm on my face, so I was stretching it out," Chu Bai immediately explained, putting on a contrite expression.

Since all the exams in this room would be proctored by Mr. Xin, Chu Bai knew it would be unwise to make an enemy of him, especially since his plan to cheat required him to glance around frequently.

"Focus on the listening section!" Mr. Xin barked, before turning his attention back to the class.

"Yes, sir!" Chu Bai responded obediently, though internally, he was seething. *Just a P.E. teacher, huh? All brawn and no brains!*

After a while, the English listening practice ended, and the students began to file out of the exam room. As Mr. Xin was about to leave, he noticed Song Zhenyu, another teacher, and quickly avoided her, as if she were the plague.

On his way out, Mr. Xin encountered Wang Haoran, who greeted him.

"Mr. Xin... Is there something I can help you with?" Mr. Xin stammered nervously, clearly uneasy about the encounter.

"Just wanted to have a quick chat, Mr. Xin," Wang Haoran said with a smile, leading him toward the track field.

Once they were alone, Mr. Xin, fearing for his job, hurriedly tried to explain, "I haven't bothered Ms. Song since last time. I didn't even greet her when we passed by earlier. Please, don't do anything."

Wang Haoran found his fear amusing. "Don't worry, Mr. Xin, I'm not here to talk about that," he reassured him, then swiftly changed the subject. "You're one of the proctors, right? There's a student named Chu Bai in your exam room. Do you know him?"

"Yes, yes! He was the one I just scolded for not paying attention during the listening practice," Mr. Xin replied, nodding vigorously.

"Keep a close eye on him during the exams. If he tries to look around, stop him immediately. Don't let him have even one chance to cheat," Wang Haoran instructed, his tone firm.

"Of course, I'll keep a tight watch on him," Mr. Xin agreed quickly, grateful that this task seemed straightforward.

Wang Haoran then transferred $50,000 to Mr. Xin via palpay. "This is just half. You'll get the other half if you do your job well. But if you fail, there will be consequences."

The money and the veiled threat were more than enough to ensure Mr. Xin's compliance. "Rest assured, I'll do exactly as you've asked, Wang Shao," he promised, practically salivating at the sight of the money.

---

As the evening study session began, the school had adjusted the bell schedule due to the upcoming mock exams. Though it was technically study time, there was no bell, and many classes were engaging in free activities.

Unfortunately, Wang Haoran's class was one of the few still under strict supervision, with Ms. Song Zhenyu at the helm, trying to maintain order despite the noise from other classrooms.

Finally, Ms. Song sighed and relented, "Alright, alright. Tomorrow's a big day. You all need to relax too. You can have some free time, just don't make too much noise or leave the room."

The class erupted in cheers, grateful for the unexpected reprieve.

"You could do something creative, like the other classes," Ms. Song suggested, trying to guide their activities. "Maybe some singing?"

The idea caught on quickly, and soon the students were suggesting that Ms. Song herself start off with a song. She quickly declined, embarrassed. "No, no, I'm not singing. You all can do it. I'll just clap along."

As she refused, the attention turned to the class monitor, Xu Muyan, who also shyly declined. "I'm not the arts rep, I'm the study monitor. Singing isn't my thing."

All eyes then shifted to Wang Haoran, the actual arts representative for the class. Far from being nervous, Wang Haoran was eager for the spotlight.

Chants of "Wang Haoran! Wang Haoran!" filled the room as his admirers, especially the girls, cheered him on. Their excitement was palpable, and Wang Haoran couldn't help but smile at the attention.

Meanwhile, Chu Bai, sitting nearby, was fuming. "Just because he's handsome doesn't mean he can sing. You're all so shallow!" he muttered under his breath, clearly irritated by the situation.