Chapter 65: Isn’t Our No. 8 Middle School Going to Be Disbanded?
Chapter 65: Isn't Our No. 8 Middle School Going to Be Disbanded?
Xu Yan's three consecutive denials left Director Yang momentarily stunned, and he couldn't help but find the situation amusing.
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"Xu Yan, I never even accused you of anything."
"And the collapse of the joint training system isn't something that can be caused by human interference."
"Since you didn't notice anything unusual, just wait with the other teams for further updates."
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Afterward, Director Yang turned to address the entire hall:
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"The restoration of the joint training system may take some time."
"Everyone should return to their schools for now. The final rankings and results will not be announced until the system is fully restored and the investigation is completed."
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Back at the Schools
Although the joint training camp had ended, there were no final results yet.
Now that everyone had returned to their respective schools,
No. 8 Middle School and No. 16 Middle School had undoubtedly become the center of attention across the entire city.
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After all, not just any school could allegedly cheat their way through a joint training camp
and somehow cause the entire training system to crash.
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Even though the Education Bureau had officially stated that the system crash had nothing to do with No. 8 and No. 16 Middle Schools,
most people didn't believe it.
They refused to accept that such a massive coincidence could occur.
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As a result, rumors about No. 8 and No. 16 Middle Schools collaborating to cheat
spread like wildfire throughout the city.
And of course, those rumors eventually made their way back to No. 8 Middle School.
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The Gossip Begins...
For a time, all the teachers and students at No. 8 Middle School whispered among themselves:
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"Did you hear? Apparently, our No. 8 Middle School and No. 16 Middle School openly cheated in the joint training camp—just to secure a high ranking!"
"Yeah! And their actions were so severe that they caused the entire training system to collapse!"
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"Oh my god… If that's true, does that mean No. 8 Middle School is going to be disbanded?"
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"That's highly possible! This kind of serious misconduct wouldn't be tolerated by the Education Bureau.
Disbandment or a forced merger are both very real possibilities!"
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"Wait… it's THAT serious?"
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"Of course! Don't you remember No. 37 Middle School?"
"They got caught cheating in joint training a few years ago, and their school was completely shut down.
The principal, teachers, and students were all reassigned to different schools!"
"And that was just regular cheating! Their fraud didn't even cause a system crash!"
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"If No. 8 Middle School actually caused the system to collapse, then Principal Huang might face even WORSE punishment than No. 37 Middle School's principal did!"
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Speculation and Fear
Hearing these rumors, some students started making plans for the worst-case scenario.
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"Honestly, I thought the lineup we sent to joint training this time was weird from the start.
Why did we include THREE life-class professionals?"
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"Maybe Principal Huang deliberately arranged it that way."
"If something went wrong, he could make those three take the blame."
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"If that's true, then Principal Huang is actually a good guy.
He risked his own position and sacrificed three students who had no future prospects… all in a gamble to boost No. 8 Middle School's reputation."
"Unfortunately, we lost the bet."
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"But the biggest pity in all this is Wang Ke."
"She's a super-genius, and now she might suffer alongside Principal Huang."
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Zhang Hao's Perspective
Zhang Hao, a second-year student, also heard the rumors.
Originally, he had resented No. 8 Middle School for not selecting him to participate in the joint training camp.
He thought the school had lost its mind for not choosing someone as strong as him.
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"This school doesn't recognize my talent."
"Just staying here feels like an insult to me."
"I should transfer to another high school."
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But now…
Zhang Hao felt extremely lucky.
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"Thank god I wasn't chosen for joint training!"
"If I had been there, my future would be ruined!"
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A cheating scandal in joint training would leave a permanent stain on a student's academic record,
something that could never be erased.
This realization made Zhang Hao more determined than ever to transfer schools.
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"Not only do I have to transfer, but I have to do it AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!"
"If No. 8 Middle School gets disbanded, thousands of students will have to transfer.
The competition will be insane!"
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Thinking quickly, Zhang Hao called his father.
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Phone Call with His Father
"Dad, did you find anything about my transfer request?"
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"Ah Hao! I was just about to call you!"
"Guess which high school I contacted for you!"
"You'll NEVER guess—it's a huge surprise!"
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"Third Middle School?"
"Nope! Guess again!"
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"Second Middle School?"
"Come on, think bigger!"
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"…No. 1 Middle School!?"
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"Hahaha! That's right! It's No. 1 Middle School!"
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"WHAT!? Dad, you're incredible! But… are you sure it's a done deal?"
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"Of course! Principal Li from No. 1 Middle School personally approved it!"
"He said he recognizes your strength and sees great potential in you.
The transfer process shouldn't be a problem!"
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"Dad, this is amazing! I need to finalize the transfer as soon as possible!"
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"Good thinking! No. 8 and No. 16 Middle Schools might be finished soon.
If we don't act now, all the students will rush to transfer, and competition will be brutal!"
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"Alright, I'll handle it right away!"
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Meanwhile, at No. 8 Middle School...
Rumors of mass transfers spread throughout the school.
Principal Huang was aware of this.
But he did nothing to stop it.
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He knew Xu Yan and his team hadn't cheated.
He also knew that No. 8 Middle School would NOT be disbanded.
In fact…
They had achieved first place in the city!
This meant they had full control over educational resources for the next three years.
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But instead of explaining himself, Principal Huang remained silent.
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Principal Huang's Message
To Xu Yan, Gao Yang, Bai Ding, and Wang Ke, he simply sent a short message:
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"Three words. No explanation."
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Seeing this, Xu Yan and the others felt relieved.
With Principal Huang's assurance, they ignored the rumors and went on with their normal lives.
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Shopping for Gear
Later that day, they cashed in their training scholarships at the World Trade Center Equipment Purchasing Center.
Xu Yan received 1.5 million credits
Wang Ke, Bai Ding, and Gao Yang received 500,000 each
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Xu Yan spent all his money on new armor:
[Earth Defense Set]
Quality: Excellent
All Attributes: +280
Set Bonus:
+20% HP & Defense
1% HP regeneration per second
2% HP regeneration when injured
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Though it wasn't rare-tier armor, it was still a huge boost in survivability.
Satisfied, Xu Yan thought to himself,
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"If I keep saving and grinding, I'll be able to afford rare-tier armor soon!"
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End of Chapter.