Chapter 48: The Rise and Fall of Branching Disciplines (05)

  Class 211 is located on the fourth floor of the teaching building, near the west side. Unfortunately, Class 214 is at the far east end of the third floor. As a result, the distance to move desks and chairs is quite far.

  Chen Haonan was almost the last one to arrive at Class 214. The only empty seat left in the classroom was the last row by the corridor window, so Li Donglin and two other classmates had no choice but to put Chen Haonan's desk, chair, and books there. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Chen Haonan, they left. Watching Li Donglin and the others walk away, Chen Haonan suddenly felt a sense of homelessness... Afraid that he would cry if he thought about it anymore, he quickly calmed himself down, took a deep breath, and walked into the classroom.

  This is Chen Haonan's first step into Class 214, from now on he will be a member of the liberal arts class 3 - what kind of wind and rain experience will he face? He doesn't know, maybe no one can predict.

  The moment Chen Haonan stepped into the classroom, almost all the girls let out a collective "ah" of shriek. Honestly, Chen Haonan's 1.8-meter-tall stature, long messy hair, black-framed glasses, sky-blue windbreaker over a white T-shirt, paired with black straight-leg jeans and black sports shoes, gave off an aura that could be summed up in one word - cool! It was no wonder that it caused some commotion.

  In the midst of everyone's cheers, Chen Haonan somewhat awkwardly sat down in his own seat. However, just as he had settled in, the conversation between two girls in front of him reached his ears:

  "Look, look," the girl sitting on the left turned her head to glance at Chen Haonan, then excitedly pulled the girl beside her and said, "That's the cool guy from class 211!"

  "What's so 'cool' about him?" The girl sitting on the right turned her head and also took a glance at Chen Haonan, then said, "He's just a melancholic boy, that's all!"

  ……

  "How did I get seen through as soon as I changed classes?" Chen Haonan's heart skipped a beat, and he didn't have the mind to listen to their nonsense anymore. He didn't think that after carefully putting on a pair of black-framed glasses and growing his hair long to cover half of his eyes, all in order to hide the sadness and sorrow deep within his eyes, but as soon as he arrived at class 214, he was seen right through, feeling uncomfortable in his heart. Unconsciously, he began to size up the "expert" girl in front of him. From the side, the girl had a head of thick black hair, her face was also very delicate...

  After a while, Chen Haonan also didn't mind it anymore, because he thought that no matter what, it was just the girl's words, maybe she just said it casually.

  Not long after, a man of medium build and slender figure walked into the classroom. He had a small parting in his hair, a scruffy beard, and beady eyes that made people feel uncomfortable at first glance. Chen Haonan's heart was racing like the newcomer's. As soon as he stepped onto the podium, he looked around the room with an air of confidence, his fingers tapping lightly on the lectern. After a while, he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it with a lighter, took a deep drag, exhaled smoke, and began to speak: "There are some classmates who have just arrived, perhaps you don't know me yet, so let me introduce myself: My name is Wang Ze, 'Wang' as in the king, 'Ze' as in Mao Zedong. I teach politics and am also the head teacher of this class. Now, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to all the new students who have just joined our class..."

  Wang Ze said, and he himself started clapping, gesturing to the students below to clap along. To be honest, Wang Ze's speech was very ordinary, not even reaching half of Old Li's level, yet he deliberately spoke slowly, sometimes gazing up at the ceiling, sometimes lightly flicking his cigarette ash, looking just like an old bureaucrat from the Nationalist Party. The classmates reluctantly followed suit, and a sparse, scattered applause arose...

  Suddenly, Wang Ze raised his hand and made a downward stroke. The applause of the students stopped instantly, and his expression changed greatly. He almost shouted again, saying: "However, you new students must remember that just because you're in my class doesn't mean you can slack off. If any of you dare to 'spoil the whole pot of soup with one grain of rat shit', then get out of here as soon as possible! This class isn't a dumping ground for trash. If anyone causes trouble, don't blame me for being ruthless!" With his eyes bulging, veins bursting, and beard bristling, Wang Ze finished speaking and strode out of the classroom with a swagger.

  As Wang Ze walked away, the classmates (mostly new ones) immediately started buzzing and discussing. Originally, there was nothing much to talk about, but since Wang Ze had warned him sternly, Chen Haonan's heart became a bit tense: he didn't dare say a word, not even daring to greet his new deskmate loudly, fearing that he might be caught off guard...

  He sat through the remaining half session of early morning self-study with trepidation, and as soon as the bell rang, Chen Haonan suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of relief.

  As soon as he walked out of the classroom, Li Donglin rushed over hastily. Before he could even stand still, he asked: "Haonan, do you think it's okay? If not, you should go back to our original class, I'll find someone to help you carry your things - I think no matter how much Old Li gives others a hard time, he won't give you a hard time!"

  "Alright, alright," Chen Haonan said with a smile, his fists clenched in his hands. "I'm a 'good horse' who doesn't eat the same grass twice! - Not to mention, if I go back now, wouldn't that make Old Li lose face?"

  "Really not changed his mind, then - " Li Donglin was saying seriously, several classmates from the original 211 class swarmed around him, and he busied himself laughing and greeting them, patting each other on the shoulder and chest to ask how they were doing.

  "Li Donglin, I think you're going to have to prepare coffins for us brothers!" Zhao Zhiqing shouted with a smile, his short hair messy.

  Li Donglin didn't understand the reason, but he also didn't think much about it. He just smiled and replied: "What's going on? You're asking for a coffin out of nowhere! If you really need one, I'll sell my pots and pans to get you a good one, okay?" As he spoke, he patted Zhao Zhiqing's shoulder with a laugh.

  "I think the head teacher of Class 214 is being sarcastic, saying those ridiculous things just to show disdain for us outsiders!" said Luo Ping, his voice filled with indignation.

  Like Chen Haonan, Shen Xiaohu, who was equally tall, squeezed forward and hastily added: "What's the point of saying 'the king's king, Mao Zedong's Ze'? I think he's just a turtle egg's 'king', a thieving rat's 'thief'! ——Look at his whiskers, all tangled and messy, just like a little thief who hasn't gotten his hands on anything for many days and is dizzy with hunger!" His words were exactly what everyone wanted to hear, and they all burst out laughing together.

  At this time, a small girl named Hu Wenjing also squeezed forward and whispered: "I heard that Wang Ze was originally a little rascal in Linfeng Town, shouting and killing every day. Later, his father severely disciplined him, and only then did he take the right path..."

  "Yes, yes, I've also heard about this." Zhang Tingting, a girl as tall as Hu Wenjing, chimed in, her mouth curling up and down.

  ……

  The classmates chattered and laughed for half a day, but Chen Haonan couldn't get in a word. However, when they stopped talking, Chen Haonan's words came out like a heavy punch: "Let's not mention Wang Ze for now, whether he was a small hoodlum or a robber in the past! Now that he can stand on the podium and teach, it means he still has something special about him. Besides, how many historical figures weren't also from humble beginnings? As they say, 'heroes don't ask about origins.' You say he looks down on us newbies, but that's just because he doesn't know our true strength yet. Are all the students in his original class 'experts'? Don't they have any country bumpkins? He looks down on us with disdain, but we can't belittle ourselves. 'Trees compete for a piece of bark, people compete for a breath of air.' We can't lose face for our 'hometown'!"

  Not to mention Chen Haonan, who had been silent all along, but this heavy punch of his was enough to stir up the atmosphere of the crowd. One by one, they were excited, gritting their teeth and rubbing their fists, as if they were determined to have a "duel" with Wang Ze!

  "Ah! Who cares? As long as we do our own thing well, what can Wang Ze do to us?" The speaker was Pan Wei, a small-sized boy who didn't like to talk much.

  "Never mind, it's annoying to talk about it, let's go have breakfast!" Zhao Zhiqing shouted loudly, and everyone dispersed towards the cafeteria. In the end, only Li Donglin and Chen Haonan were left, and even the entire third-floor corridor was empty: the two of them smiled at each other, not knowing what to say.

  After a while, Chen Haonan finally couldn't help but open his mouth and said with a smile: "Donglin, hurry back to have breakfast, or Aunt Qiao will worry about you again!"

  "So you've really thought it through and want to stay in this class?" Li Donglin asked with a bitter smile.

  "Yes," Chen Haonan smiled and gave Li Donglin a punch, "You little guy is now so soft and weak, completely losing the masculine vigor of a man!"

  "Alright, I won't persuade you anymore, you can do as you please! But I, Li Donglin, am absolutely a manly and robust guy!" Li Donglin said with a smile, intentionally puffing out his belly to show off his sturdiness.

  "Alright, with that little fat of yours, who can you scare?" Chen Haonan said with a loud laugh, and Li Donglin also followed suit...