"Shouldn't you try smoothing things over with Liam Liu and Ryan Luo? If they stir up trouble at school, you could really get expelled." Jason Liu hustled after Evan Lin, his voice full of worry.
Jason had just been floored by Evan's fighting skills, but after thinking it through, he realized Evan was not only nearly a month late transferring in—he'd also beaten up Ryan Luo and Liam Liu on his first day. To top it off, Wendy Wen had caught the whole thing on DV.
If this mess gets out, Evan Lin is basically guaranteed to get expelled.
But after he finished, Jason saw that Evan didn't care at all. He could only sigh and let it go.
Meanwhile, Director Ben Lu from Academic Affairs handed the finalized Olympiad-style math test to the print room, ready to hit the students with a surprise exam during tonight's self-study.
"This time, our students are really in for it," Ben Lu said with a grin in the math office.
"No kidding, this test is brutal. I just hope some students haven't already seen these problems—otherwise, it's not a fair fight," one math teacher said, glancing at the paper.
"That won't happen. These are Provincial Math Olympiad problems from Seacrest. Most kids wouldn't bother with these. And the ones who do Olympiad stuff already have a solid foundation, so if they ace it, that's only fair," another teacher chimed in.
Ben Lu nodded, "Exactly. I'm planning to announce the scores at the next school-wide assembly—live for everyone."
"This assembly's theme is all about discipline—calling out the troublemakers, then holding up the top scorers as examples. It'll show the whole school what a good student looks like, and what a bad one does."
Ben Lu felt pretty pleased with himself as he explained his plan.
A live, school-wide assembly means you can criticize students in real time and set up clear examples of good and bad behavior. It’s perfect for tightening up school discipline.
After he finished, Ben Lu glanced at Byron Yang, who was sitting in the corner, frowning at the test paper. He smiled and asked, "Mr. Yang, what do you think of my decision?"
Hearing Ben Lu’s question, several math teachers looked over at Byron Yang.
Byron Yang was about the same age as Ben Lu, but while Ben was already Director, Byron was still just a math teacher. Even worse, his class—Senior Year Class 32—was the absolute bottom of the school.
Their class average? Straight-up tragic.
At Capitalview First High, where grades are king, Byron and his class were basically invisible.
"Uh, no, I have no objections," Byron replied quickly.
Byron was startled, shook his head, then hesitated: "I'm just worried this test might be a little too tough."
He was nervous, worried Class 32 would get totally wiped out. If that happened, the hit to their confidence would be brutal.
"This test is tough for everyone, Mr. Yang, so I think you're worrying too much. I actually recommended this paper to the Director because it emphasizes problem-solving over obscure content. College entrance exams are getting more flexible every year, so students need to practice these kinds of questions."
The smiling, suited guy next to him was Walter Wang, homeroom teacher of Experimental Class 2 and head of the math group.
With Walter Wang saying that, Byron Yang could only nod along, though he was still fuming inside.
Not long ago, two transfer students arrived from Brightsea City. One was Lynn Chen, a top student—smart, hardworking, the kind teachers love to brag about.
Byron Yang had hoped to snag a good student for his class when she transferred, thinking it might boost his class average. But in the end, Walter Wang swooped in and got her for Experimental Class 2.
Class 32 and Experimental Class 2 aren't even in the same league—grades, reputation, you name it. Even though Byron asked the Director for her first, Walter Wang just had to say the word and Lynn Chen was slotted into Experimental Class 2.
What really got under Byron’s skin was that he didn’t get anything out of it—Director Ben Lu gave him Evan Lin, all in the name of fairness.
Evan Lin’s grades at his old school were a disaster. He even skipped the last placement exam completely. Byron had no clue how a student like that got approved to transfer.
He wanted to refuse, but after Director Ben Lu kept pushing, he had no choice but to accept reality.
"Mr. Wang, your Lynn Chen is from Seacrest, right? We're all waiting to see how she does on this test."
"That's right. You look years younger lately—Lynn Chen must've really given your class a boost!"
The math teachers' compliments made Walter Wang grin even wider. "She's pretty good. Her scores aren't perfect, but after a month here, she's improved a ton."
Walter Wang glanced at Byron Yang. "By the way, Mr. Yang, your transfer student from Brightsea City just arrived, right? I heard his old math teacher raved about him. Maybe he'll blow us away on this test."
Walter Wang's comment made the others snicker.
Byron Yang looked awkward, but all he could say was, "Let's hope so."
"All right, get ready. The test starts tonight. The print room's already working on the papers. You'll get them at seven, and the exam kicks off at seven-thirty. Two hours—done by nine-thirty, just right."