Dismissed, Yet Unstoppable

At the front of Classroom 16, on the podium, stood a girl with a soft voice.

"Does everyone understand?" she asked gently.

It was rare to see Classroom 16 so quiet and cooperative. Almost no one was dozing off—not even Lu Xing, who usually paid the least attention in class. Today, he sat up straight, pen in hand, staring intently at the podium.

Below, more than forty pairs of eyes were fixed on Zhou Sixue, but not a single person dared to say they understood.

Zhou Sixue stood on the podium, her cheeks flushed. "Then… then I'll explain it again. Listen carefully, okay? If you don't get it, raise your hand, and I'll go over it."

"Wow, Teacher Zhou is amazing! Let's give her a round of applause!" Wu Hao shouted dramatically, leading the class in enthusiastic clapping.

Zhou Sixue stood there, her face as red as a ripe apple, feeling completely overwhelmed. This was the first time so many people had focused their attention on her, and she felt awkward and unsure.

Someone kicked Wu Hao from behind. "Shut up and be quiet! Are we having class or what?"

Wu Hao grinned sheepishly. "Quiet, quiet!"

The classroom fell silent instantly. Wu Hao then declared, "Teacher Zhou's English is way better than that old hag Hua Xinli's. I declare that from now on, Teacher Zhou will be our English teacher for Class 16!"

"Yes!"

"Teacher Zhou!"

The entire class erupted in agreement.

Ji Chuxing, sitting at the back of the room, ignored the commotion. She was engrossed in watching a live stream—a new discovery from yesterday that had piqued her interest, mainly because it could make her some serious money.

With a lazy glance upward, she caught Zhou Sixue's nervous gaze. Meeting Ji's calm eyes, Zhou suddenly felt less anxious and confidently picked up the textbook to continue explaining the key points.

This whole situation traced back to two days ago when Hua Xinli had been driven away. Ji Chuxing had already told the principal to find a replacement English teacher, but someone must have interfered, as no new teacher had been assigned yet.

It was a crucial time for senior year students preparing for the college entrance exam. A prolonged break would leave them behind. Wu Hao and Lu Xing had even considered taking drastic measures to resolve the issue. But then, Zhou Sixue, who had been helping her desk mate with exercises and drawing a crowd, was pushed onto the podium.

Surprisingly, her English was excellent—her spoken English fluent and standard, and the books on her desk were all English originals. Ji Chuxing had conversed with her effortlessly in English, after which Zhao Feifei had pushed her to the front.

No one dared to push Ji Chuxing onto the podium; she never paid attention in class anyway. Although Zhao Feifei's grades weren't great, her mother had always demanded high language proficiency. Lazily listening from below, she couldn't help but praise, "Little Sixue's level is god-tier."

Ji Chuxing nodded absently, her eyes still glued to the live stream.

Though Hua Xinli no longer taught Class 16, she kept tabs on their activities. This was an English class, and she had deliberately passed by to see how they'd manage without her, especially with the city-wide exams approaching.

She hadn't expected what she saw.

A student from the class was summarizing the lesson on the podium!

These kids weren't frowning or worrying at all—it was like a slap in the face.

Hua Xinli couldn't take it anymore. Pointing at Zhou Sixue, she snapped, "This English class is for self-study! Your class is a mess. You—get down from the podium immediately!"

Before she could finish, a book came flying toward her. If she hadn't dodged quickly, she might have been hit.

Lu Xing, his arm still in a sling, smirked. "Oh, if it isn't talentless Old Lady Hua. We're having a good class here. What's it to you? Don't you know disrupting class can get you in trouble?"

"Lu Xing! Who do you think you are?" Hua Xinli, unable to contain her anger, pointed at the students of Class 16, her expression vicious. "You're all just a bunch of underachievers! Don't think having a student teach will change anything. I tell you, you'll never amount to anything!"

"Teacher Hua!"

Before the students of Class 16 could react, a stern voice rang out from behind.

Hua Xinli froze, slowly turning around.

To her shock, the principal and a gray-haired man stood a few steps away.

Her face turned pale. "P-Principal…"

When she recognized the man beside him, her legs nearly gave out. Leaning against the doorway for support, she stammered, "D-Director Xie…"

The man with the principal was none other than the former director of the Nan City Education Bureau.

No one had expected the director to visit Nan City First High School today, let alone quietly observe classes with the principal.

The principal was livid.

He had never imagined Hua Xinli would say such hurtful things in front of the students. Last time, Ji Chuxing mentioned Hua Xinli had issues with Class 16, but he hadn't realized the extent until now. This wasn't just an issue—it was destroying the students.

Director Xie gave Hua Xinli a cold, piercing look.

The principal took a deep breath and said icily, "Teacher Hua, you are dismissed. Apologize to the students of Class 16 immediately!"

"What?!" Hua Xinli couldn't believe it. She was a teacher! How could she apologize to students?

Most importantly, she was being fired?

Was the principal mad? She was the English teacher for the Qihang class. If she left, the class would fall into chaos. How would they prepare for the college entrance exam?

If she was fired from Nan City Middle School, which school would hire her?

Especially in front of Director Xie—her career in education was over.

But she had no choice. The principal's stern expression left her no room to argue.

"No need!" A chorus of voices suddenly rang out from Class 16.

"If apologies were enough, why would we need the police? Principal, we request that Hua Xinli's actions be made public to the entire school."

Hua Xinli's face was ashen. She clung to the last shred of hope, looking at the principal. At this moment, Director Xie spoke up.

"This matter is indeed serious and should serve as a warning to others."

Hua Xinli's career was completely ruined on that day.

With ten minutes left before the end of class, Hua Xinli left in a daze, while Director Xie stayed to listen to Zhou Sixue teaching the students of Class 16.

Zhou Sixue was initially quite nervous, but thinking about the praise from Ji Chuxing, she felt a surge of confidence.

When the bell rang, she breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear Director Xie ask the principal, "Is this student on the list for this year's International English Competition?"

The principal paused and looked at Zhou Sixue. "Did you sign up?"

Zhou Sixue bit her lip. "I could have, but Teacher Hua said our Class 16 wasn't qualified."

Director Xie's face darkened, and he was clearly furious. "If she isn't qualified, then who is? When did Hua Xinli have the authority to decide on the International Competition?"

He had been present during the preliminary rounds of the entire school, and no one's spoken English had impressed him as much as Zhou Sixue's.

The principal's heart sank, and he immediately understood. "I will add Zhou's name to the list."

Director Xie nodded in satisfaction. "Nan City hasn't had anyone reach the top three in the national competition for a long time. There's a good chance this year."

After saying that, he looked kindly at Zhou Sixue. "Young student, do your best in the competition. I have high hopes for you."

Zhou Sixue suddenly felt the weight of expectation, but she was thrilled! She had wanted to participate in the competition three years ago, but Class 16's names had always been suppressed.

Finally, she was taken away—not by the principal, but by the former director himself.

Before the students of Class 16 could process what had happened, the entire class erupted in cheers.

"Little Sixue is incredible!"