Chapter Sixty-Nine: No Chance of Recovery (Part Two)

When Zhang Wenhao requested to see the principal, the grade director immediately refused, blurting out, "Matters within the grade should be settled within the grade. If you have something to say on behalf of your classmates, you can tell me."

Zhang Wenhao glanced at Ma Qianyang standing nearby and said, "If that's the case, then I have nothing more to say. Teachers, Director, I'll return to my class for self-study."

With that, he turned to leave.

This infuriated the grade director almost to the point of spitting blood. As the director, his authority within the senior year was absolute. Normally, students with the slightest guilt would avoid him altogether, but Zhang Wenhao showed him no respect at all, disregarding him so openly in front of so many teachers. Even expelling such a student would not suffice to ease his anger.

However, expelling Zhang Wenhao was out of the question—not only did he not have the authority, but even the principal wouldn't dare. Setting aside Zhang Wenhao's background, which had left even Chen Ru helpless, his academic performance alone placed him above the school itself.

The director stared at Zhang Wenhao, his face ashen, and coldly asked, "If you meet with the principal, will you return to Class Three and attend lessons as you should?"

Zhang Wenhao smiled slightly and replied, "That I can't guarantee. But if I can't meet the principal, I certainly won't return to Class Three."

The director's expression darkened further. He was on the verge of lashing out but could do nothing, so he could only suppress his anger for the time being. Wanting to resolve the issue quickly, he stood and said with barely concealed annoyance, "I'll call the principal right now. Whatever you have to say, say it to him directly."

This was exactly what Zhang Wenhao wanted. Without the principal's presence, how could he ensure that Ma Qianyang, that despicable man, would be utterly disgraced?

The principal, upon receiving the director's call, hurried over from the administrative building in just ten minutes. He had expected the senior year's affairs to be resolved smoothly that day, but to his surprise, an entire class of students was refusing to comply with the school's arrangements. Upon learning that Zhang Wenhao was the instigator, he rushed to the senior year office to address the matter personally.

The principal was far from pleased. News of parents causing a commotion at the school had already reached the city education bureau. Fortunately, the bureau chief was his former superior and had instructed him to resolve the issue before it escalated into a public controversy. If the situation blew over quickly, his own prospects would remain unaffected. At such a critical moment, how could he allow Zhang Wenhao to ruin everything?

As soon as he entered, the principal saw Zhang Wenhao—the very student who had once humiliated him in front of the entire school—and approached with a stern face. "Zhang Wenhao," he said, "you've already broken school rules by refusing to comply with the school's arrangements. Now you want to make a bigger scene. Aren't you afraid the school will discipline you?"

Zhang Wenhao, seeing the principal's haughty and reprimanding demeanor, let out a cold laugh. "Thank you for your warning, Principal. To be honest, I'm really not afraid of the school's discipline. After all, the school already punished me together with the police once. I've been in and out of the detention center—frankly, I don't fear leaving the gates of No. 1 High School for good."

"You—!" The principal was so furious he trembled, pointing at Zhang Wenhao but momentarily lost for words.

Zhang Wenhao continued, "Principal, you are indeed a remarkable man. Not only do you manage such a large school well, but you also find time to curry favor by framing your own students and issuing shameless expulsion orders. I have no wish to argue with you anymore. The reason I wanted to see you today is to resolve this matter once and for all. If you don't want that, you may continue talking down to me in that condescending tone."

Sarcasm—if anything, this was more than just sarcasm! It was as if he had spat in the principal's face.

Zhang Wenhao, oh Zhang Wenhao! The nerve you have!

The principal was so incensed he could barely breathe. The director hurried over to pat him on the back and murmured, "Principal, don't stoop to his level. Our priority now is to resolve the class reassignment issue."

Gnashing his teeth, the principal nodded. He knew he couldn't do anything to Zhang Wenhao, and this sense of powerlessness only deepened his resentment. Just half a month ago, he still had complete control over No. 1 High and every student's fate—framing Zhang Wenhao had been a perfect example. But now, Zhang Wenhao was beyond his grasp, leaving him deeply unsettled.

Still, the main issue was to solve the problem at hand. Suppressing his fury, the principal said, "You're the one who insisted on seeing me. Here I am. Tell me, what will it take for you to return to Class Three?"

Zhang Wenhao looked at Ma Qianyang, noting the trace of worry on his face. His lips curled into a cold smile. "Mr. Ma, if I say I won't go back to Class Three, that must make you unhappy, right?"

Ma Qianyang was taken aback but feigned sincerity. "Zhang Wenhao, I have no personal feelings about this. As long as you're willing to return to Class Three, I promise to treat you and all students equally." He then adopted a tone of heartfelt concern. "You must understand the pressure the school is under. Don't let your personal dissatisfaction damage the school's reputation."

Zhang Wenhao smiled, then turned to the principal. "Principal, Mr. Ma is so dedicated to the school. Shouldn't he be rewarded? Perhaps an Outstanding Teacher award, with a bonus? That shouldn't be an issue, should it?"

Everyone in the office was stunned into silence. Zhang Wenhao had suddenly shifted the topic back to Ma Qianyang. The change was so abrupt!

The principal, unaware of any hidden agenda, was only eager to resolve the issue quickly. He nodded along, "Mr. Ma is diligent and responsible, always putting the school's and students' interests first. Of course, the school will reward such an outstanding teacher."

Ma Qianyang was delighted. The principal had praised him in front of so many colleagues and even promised a reward. Was he about to gain on two fronts today?

Thinking that humoring Zhang Wenhao might make him relent, the principal was caught off guard when Zhang Wenhao suddenly raised his voice and said coldly, "You must be blind! This so-called diligent and responsible, student-centered model teacher is the one who orchestrated everything behind the scenes! He used an unregistered SIM card to call the parents of students in the remedial class one by one, telling them about the class reassignment and exaggerating that the school was discriminating against their children, inciting them to protest collectively!"

Ma Qianyang's face turned ashen. Terrified and bewildered, he couldn't fathom how Zhang Wenhao had found out he was the mastermind. He blurted out, "Principal, don't listen to him! He's obviously retaliating because I kicked him out of Class Three!"

The principal, director, and other teachers were all dumbfounded. One moment, Zhang Wenhao was praising Ma Qianyang; the next, he had reversed course and directly accused Ma Qianyang of orchestrating the whole affair. The sudden turn left them all reeling.

Zhang Wenhao sneered, "Mr. Ma, do you need me to provide more concrete evidence? I've already had someone investigate. All the calls to parents that day came from the same number, registered to an unregistered SIM card that you yourself purchased." As he spoke, Zhang Wenhao pulled out his phone, opened a photo he'd received earlier, and held it up for Ma Qianyang to see. "This is surveillance footage of you buying the SIM card. If you'd like to see the entire video, I can provide that too."

Ma Qianyang looked at the image of himself on Zhang Wenhao's phone, stunned into silence as if plunged into an icy abyss. The photo was clearly taken the day he bought the SIM card—both the setting and his clothing matched perfectly. There was no way it had been doctored. But how had Zhang Wenhao managed to obtain such damning evidence? He had been so careful!

The principal shot to his feet, snatched the phone from Zhang Wenhao, and demanded, "Let me see that!"

After a few seconds, the principal glared at Ma Qianyang, his fury boiling over. "Ma Qianyang, you two-faced scoundrel! As a teacher, are you only happy when the school's reputation is in ruins?"

Ma Qianyang, flustered beyond measure, waved his hands and pleaded, "Principal, I didn't mean to harm the school!"

"Didn't mean to harm the school?" the principal snorted. "Do you think I still believe you?"

"Principal, please let me explain. I truly didn't mean to harm the school. I just—" Ma Qianyang faltered, unable to find a way to explain himself. Surrounded by angry glares, he gritted his teeth and blurted out, "I just thought Zhang Wenhao had a good chance of becoming the top scorer in the college entrance exam, so I wanted him back in my class—"

At last, everyone understood: Ma Qianyang's motives revolved entirely around Zhang Wenhao. The honor, the title, the bonus that would come with producing the top scorer—those were his true incentives.

Zhang Wenhao spoke up, "With a despicable homeroom teacher like him around, I will never return to Class Three. As for the other students in Class Twenty-One, they also wish to stay where they are. The parents' concerns will be handled by the students themselves—no need for the school to worry. The school should focus on solving its own problems."

With that, Zhang Wenhao paid no more attention to the others in the office or their anger toward Ma Qianyang. He turned and left.