Eric Yu gave a cold, mocking smile, his eyes dark as he looked over at Evan Lin.
Before Lynn Chen could even speak, the homeroom teachers of each class were already organizing their teams. As the national anthem began to play, everyone instinctively fell silent and the field became completely quiet.
Soon, the cameraman nodded at Stella Huang, who then glanced toward the podium and flashed an "OK" sign to Wendy Wen, who was standing at the edge of the stage.
Wendy Wen took a deep breath, her face lighting up with a gentle smile as she gracefully stepped forward.
Her skirt fluttered in the breeze as Wendy Wen walked to the front with the microphone, her gentle voice like a breath of spring, drawing the attention of countless eyes.
"Respected leaders, dear teachers, and all students present, good morning."
"Today is the annual teacher-student mobilization rally at Capitalview First High School. I'm honored to be the host for this event. My name is Wendy Wen."
Wendy Wen smiled brightly, pausing for a moment as applause thundered from the crowd below.
"First of all, I want to thank Director Victor Zhao and the other Education Bureau leaders for coming to guide us today, thank our principal and vice principals for their tireless teaching, and thank all the students for their hard work day and night."
"I have always believed that only the sweat you shed can prove your success and help you step into a new stage of life."
Eric Yu straightened his chest, flashed a dashing smile at Lynn Chen, and had already stepped one foot out of the line.
People noticed Eric Yu's movement, and suddenly countless eyes focused on him.
Let's welcome the student representative...
Wendy Wen paused suddenly as she spoke.
Eric Yu already had half his body out of the line, stepping forward.
But at that very moment, he heard Wendy Wen say two words.
Evan Lin!
Wendy Wen handed the microphone to Principal Damon Deng, who took it and swept his gaze across the faces of all the students in front of him.
When his eyes landed on Evan Lin standing in the crowd, his gaze lingered for a moment.
I am Principal Damon Deng of Capitalview First High School.
Principal Damon Deng began slowly: "First of all, I'm honored to stand here, and I am proud of all of you."
"This year marks my tenth year as principal of Capitalview First High School, and my twenty-third year teaching here."
"Every year, I watch a new class of students graduate from here. Some go on to great success, some lead ordinary lives, but one thing is certain: all of them move forward on their own path, never once backing down."
"Capitalview First High School may be well-known in Jinnan, but if you look at the whole country, we honestly don't have much of a reputation."
"As principal, I don't expect you to hold lofty ideals like 'Today I am proud of my school, tomorrow my school will be proud of me.' After all, no matter how impressive Capitalview First High seems in Jinnan, it's just a high school—nothing compared to top universities like Clearwater or Beijing. To be blunt, when you graduate, it's your university that determines your future starting point, not your high school alma mater."
"Sometimes I feel regret. Regret that, after becoming principal, I rarely have enough time to truly teach, regret that I don't get to see my students as much, and regret that, more often than not, I can no longer keep the heart of a teacher, but have to handle things as a principal instead."
At this point, Principal Deng's tone grew wistful, and he glanced at Evan Lin with a look full of apology.
But he quickly straightened up and continued, "No matter what you think, or how you feel when you look back on everything that happened here after you leave this school, there is one thing that will never change."
"You once lived here. You once sweated here. You once fought hard here. Through blazing summers and freezing winters, you held your ground at your desk, buried in your books, writing with all your might."
"Here you have your classmates, your comrades, your memories—the innocence and confusion of youth, secret crushes and heartbreak, the joy of success and the tears of failure."
Principal Deng closed his eyes, as if letting out a sigh.
Wendy Wen took the microphone, unconsciously biting her lip, her heart pounding wildly.
She turned and walked straight to the front of the stage.
"Thank you to Principal Deng for that touching and thought-provoking speech."
"Next, the student representative will give a speech!"
Wendy Wen's voice, usually gentle, suddenly gained a few degrees of firmness.
"Who is the student representative?"
Some students, unable to hold back their curiosity, looked around eagerly, waiting for Wendy Wen's next words.
Principal Deng kept his eyes closed, a sense of humiliation welling up inside him.
Director Zhao wore a broad smile as he glanced over at Eric Yu in the Experimental Class lineup.
Eric Yu straightened his chest, shot Lynn Chen a confident smile, and had already stepped one foot out of the line.
People noticed Eric Yu's gesture, and in an instant, countless eyes locked onto him.
"Let's welcome the student representative..."
Right at that moment, Wendy Wen suddenly paused.
Eric Yu had already half stepped out of the lineup, taking a step forward.
But in that instant, he heard Wendy Wen utter two words.
"Evan Lin!"