How can you ascend to heaven when you are a star?

Chapter 508 Escape in embarrassment
From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., seven reporters and internet celebrities, disguised as parents, entered Jia Hua in hopes of getting firsthand information about whether or not to agree to the bet.

However, the acting teacher did see them, but did not get an answer to the question about the bet. It was as if the teachers had agreed in advance that whenever they were asked about the bet, they would simply answer "no" to the question.

I don't know, I'm not sure, I don't understand.

As a result, everyone who came with high hopes left disappointed.

Liu Chang, a reporter from the local news outlet, walked out of the gate of Jia Hua Art Examination Center dejectedly. She hadn't gone far when she saw Jiang Xin, who had also changed her clothes. A surge of anger welled up inside her instantly.

"Jiang Xin, what a coincidence! So many teachers at Jia Hua, yet not a single one of them watched that video last night. Don't they watch short videos or read local news?"

"Heh, how could such a coincidence happen?" Jiang Xin sneered, then lowered her voice and said, "Let me tell you something. I just sneaked into the principal's office when no one was looking. Although I couldn't get in, I'm sure there were people talking inside."

After saying that, he gave Liu Chang a knowing look.

Liu Chang's eyes immediately lit up, and he said excitedly, "Really? Are you sure the person in the principal's office is Zhou Maoquan?"

“Although I didn’t see Zhou Maoquan in person, if he really went to another city for an academic conference, who would dare to enter his office without permission?” Jiang Xin said, offering her analysis.

Liu Chang thought for a while and finally nodded, feeling that Jiang Xin's analysis made a lot of sense.

That's the principal's office, not a public restroom. Do you think just anyone can walk in there?

In their company, who would go to the editor-in-chief's office knowing that the editor-in-chief is away on a business trip?

"It seems that not only the receptionist is lying, but the acting teachers are also lying. They must have all seen that video, but Zhou Maoquan didn't dare to accept the bet, so he could only use the excuse of 'going to another city to attend an academic conference' to avoid the interview." As Liu Chang spoke, his gaze turned to the Jia Hua Art Examination Training Center not far away.

“That’s right.” Jiang Xin nodded.

As they were talking, another reporter came out of Jiahua, and he didn't look too good either.

"Did you find out anything? Did Jia Hua accept the bet or not?" Lin Hao walked over to Jiang Xin and Liu Chang, seemingly having wasted his time interviewing them.

"Those teachers either didn't answer clearly or made excuses to pee, and we didn't get any information out of them." Liu Chang curled his lip, his tone full of disdain. "And this is supposed to be one of the top five art exam training institutions in Beijing? It's all talk and no action. If my relative's child wanted to take the art exam, they definitely wouldn't register at Jia Hua."

“Agreed!” Jiang Xin echoed, “Principal Zhang of Xingxiang is more reliable. He never avoids problems. That’s what a true educator is.”

"Yes," Liu Chang sighed.

As the old saying goes: comparing people will only lead to misery, comparing goods will only lead to waste.

Compared to Principal Zhang, Principal Zhou of Jiahua is really just pretending to be dead.

"Let me tell you something," Lin Hao suddenly said mysteriously. "After I finished interviewing those teachers, I wanted to sneak upstairs to take a look, but guess what? I was stopped by security guards as soon as I got to the fifth floor. Why do you think there are security guards upstairs?"

“I’ve already been there. The principal’s office door was locked from the inside, and someone was inside,” Jiang Xin said.

Lin Hao was slightly taken aback, then became excited like a dog smelling shit. "So, Principal Zhou is in his office? Great! I'll wait here today. I don't believe he won't come out."

“Yes, let’s wait here.” Liu Chang agreed with Lin Hao’s idea.

Since we've come all this way, we can't just leave empty-handed, can we? That would be a tremendous disgrace for a reporter.

Those who know her might think Zhou Maoquan is cunning, but those who don't might think she's bad at interviewing.

Jiang Xin naturally didn't leave either. While chatting with her colleagues, she kept an eye on the gate of Jia Hua Art Examination Center, waiting for Zhou Maoquan to appear.

Her task today was to incite reporters to surround Zhou Maoquan and embarrass the principal, so as to highlight the strength of Xingxiang Art Examination School.

Not long after, several more colleagues came out of Jiahua, none of them seeming to have gotten the answers they wanted. However, after learning about Jiang Xin and the others' ideas, these people immediately joined in.

As a journalist, one must not give up easily, even when faced with difficulties.

They found a shady spot to wait, and Jiangxin went to a nearby convenience store to buy some bread to share with the other workers.

Since that guy surnamed Zhou dared to send someone to disrupt the boss's trial class, then she would show him what it means to "lift a rock only to drop it on your own foot"!

Around 2 p.m., under the blazing sun, a figure suddenly strode out of Jiahua's gate.

It's normal for someone to come out of Jiahua, but their attire was really suspicious.

The person was wearing a baseball cap with the brim pulled low, wide-rimmed sunglasses perched on the bridge of their nose, and a mask that completely covered their mouth and chin. This heavily armed outfit was extremely conspicuous in this season; even celebrities wouldn't dress like this when going out. It was obvious they were trying to hide something.

"Look, could that be Zhou Maoquan?" Jiang Xin said, pointing at the man.

Those around them looked over. Although they couldn't see the man's face, his attire was too deliberate. They couldn't think of anyone else but Zhou Maoquan.

"It must be him!" Liu Chang rushed forward first, followed immediately by Jiang Xin, Lin Hao, and the others.

"Principal Zhou, please wait a moment!" Jiang Xin shouted loudly on purpose.

The man paused noticeably, and although he didn't turn around, he quickened his pace, almost jogging towards a black sedan parked on the side of the road.

Upon seeing this, the reporters felt even more confident and chased after him like hounds that had spotted a rabbit... If they were ordinary employees or parents, they would never have run away after hearing the name "Principal Zhou".

He looks guilty, obviously guilty!
As soon as the man took out his car keys to unlock the car door, Jiang Xin rushed forward and stood firmly in front of the car door. Liu Chang and Lin Hao immediately flanked him from the left and right, while the rest of the men blocked the man's escape route.

“Principal Zhou, don’t rush off. We just want to ask you a few questions,” Jiang Xin said, holding up her phone with the camera pointed at the man’s face.

"What do you want!" the man finally spoke, his voice deliberately lowered but unable to hide his panic. "I am not Zhou Maoquan, you have mistaken me for someone else."

"You mistook me for someone else?" Jiang Xin suddenly raised her hand and took off the other person's baseball cap and sunglasses. Then she opened the official website of Jia Hua Art Examination Training Center on her phone and took a screenshot.

The above is a formal photo of Zhou Maoquan attending an academic conference. Although he is not wearing a mask, the outline of his eyebrows and eyes and his figure are exactly the same as the person in front of us.

The man quickly covered his eyes and head with his hands, wishing he could bury his head in the sand like an ostrich, and said, "Give me back my hat and glasses!"

Jiang Xin returned the hat and sunglasses to the other person, while also showing them her phone screen. "Principal Zhou, look at this photo. Apart from the hairstyle and outfit, what's different? Besides, if you were just an ordinary employee, why were you running away just now?"

Zhou Maoquan stiffened, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes. He had observed from upstairs for a long time, and seeing that there was no one in front of the door, he left the training center. He hadn't expected to be spotted by these reporters. "I didn't run away. I'm catching a flight to an academic conference. If you stop me again, I'll call the police," Zhou Maoquan said, forcing a smile, as he put his hat and sunglasses back on.

“Principal Zhou, you’ve finally admitted it,” Liu Chang said. “You can call the police, but first, please answer this question: Principal Zhang of Xingxiang proposed a 100 million yuan bet. Are you going to accept it?”

Other reporters also raised their own questions.

"Is it true that you poached Xingxiang's teacher by threatening him, as some online sources claim?"

"Is the person asking the question in the video an employee of your Jiahua?"

"Did your Jia Hua teachers genuinely not know about this video online, or did you teach them to say it that way? Does this mean you're feeling guilty and don't want to accept Principal Zhang's bet?"

"..."

A barrage of questions rained down on him like cannonballs, and Zhou Maoquan's face turned a deep purplish-red behind his mask.

He tried to drive, but the door was blocked. He tried to back up, but was surrounded by reporters. He suddenly felt helpless and desperate. In the end, he could only vaguely say, "I don't know anything about the video, and I'm not interested in Xingxiang's affairs."

"Then take a look now." Jiang Xin shoved her phone right in front of the other person's face.

"I don't have time, I have to catch a flight!" Zhou Maoquan used this excuse again, and then said, "Our Jiahua is a big company that attracts a lot of attention. Many people and organizations want to provoke us and create hype. In this situation, silence is the best response."

"If it's just hype, why don't you dare to respond directly?" Jiang Xin pressed. "Why did you hide in the office all morning, and now you're disguised and running away? Are you feeling guilty? In your heart, do you admit that Jia Hua is inferior to Xing Xiang?"

These words struck a nerve with Zhou Maoquan, and with so many reporters around, if this got out, Jia Hua's reputation would be completely ruined.

"Don't talk nonsense. Jia Hua has been established for over 20 years, and its achievements are obvious to all. I'm just too lazy to deal with some small organizations that try to extort money from others," Zhou Maoquan said through gritted teeth.

"Since you don't take Xingxiang seriously, why don't you agree to the bet and donate the winnings to charity? Do you lack confidence, or do you simply not want to do charity?" Jiang Xin continued to press.

"Where did you come from, reporter? You're interfering with my life! I'm going to complain to your workplace!" Zhou Maoquan said angrily, shoving him hard.

Jiang Xin staggered and fell to the ground. The surrounding reporters immediately pointed their cameras at her and snapped photos incessantly.

Even passersby gathered around to watch the spectacle, pointing fingers at Zhou Maoquan and accusing him of hitting a woman.

"Principal Zhou, are you getting angry out of embarrassment? It seems you really don't dare to accept the bet, you lack confidence," Liu Chang said with a sneer.

Seeing the growing crowd, Zhou Maoquan quickly opened the car door and got in. However, just as he started the car to leave, he discovered that the female reporter he had just pushed was sitting in front of the car, and a large number of passersby had gathered behind the car, making it impossible for the car to move.

He pounded on the horn on the steering wheel, trying to disperse the surrounding crowd, but the people in front of and behind the car didn't budge, and the car, worth hundreds of thousands, was now at a standstill.

Zhou Maoquan looked out the car window at the people outside, cold sweat beading on his forehead. If he stayed here, the number of people around him would only increase.

He thought for a moment, gritted his teeth, pushed open the car door, and rushed back to Jiahua. After entering, he shouted at the security guard next to him, "Close the door! Close the door now! Don't let anyone in!"

When the security guard saw the group of people following the boss, he was so frightened that he immediately closed the gate. When he saw someone pulling hard on the gate, he had no choice but to lock it from the inside.

The reporters, seeing the tightly closed gate, had no choice but to give up. However, they did not leave but continued to stand guard at the entrance of Jiahua.

Moreover, compared to before, they now have a lot more interview material. Although Zhou Maoquan did not answer whether he would accept the bet, it did not affect their ability to publish news, because their evasive attitude said it all.

So, while waiting, everyone edited the video and finally posted it online.

Soon, news articles about Zhou Maoquan appeared online.

"Exclusive report: Jia Hua Principal Zhou Maoquan disguised himself to avoid reporters, pushed someone, and fled back to his office in a disheveled state."

"Jiahua's reputation, built over twenty years, has suffered a major setback, and Zhou Maoquan's avoidance of discussing the bet has triggered a crisis of trust."

"Principal Xingxiang dared to gamble 100 million on charity, while Principal Jiahua pushed someone and fled. Who is playing with the future of art students?"

"From disrupting the situation to avoiding the battle, how many shortcomings in Jia Hua's teaching are hidden by Principal Jia Hua's retreat?"

"..."

The first to react were the parents' groups for art exam candidates.

A user named "Xiao Jiang's mother, an art exam candidate" directly forwarded Zhou Maoquan's interview video in the group, and wrote: "I just paid more than 90,000 yuan in tuition for Jia Hua's Worry-Free Class yesterday morning, and today I saw the principal like this. When I consulted him before, he said he had 'recruited famous art exam teachers from Xingxiang,' but now he doesn't even dare to accept the bet. Can the teaching of such an art exam institution be guaranteed?"

Soon, the parents in the group started replying.

"I saw it too. I want to go to Jiahua to get a refund, but I don't know if I'll make it in time."

“Let’s go together. If they don’t give us a refund, we’ll sue them for false advertising.”

“I also went to Jia Hua yesterday. Luckily, my child said he wanted to take a trial class before making a decision. We almost paid the tuition. Thank goodness.”

"..."

Compared to the collective refund requests in parent groups, netizens on social media platforms were much more critical.

"A tall tree catches the wind, but that's no excuse for being a scoundrel. Principal Zhang of Xingxiang dared to gamble 100 million on his performance and then donate to charity. Zhou Maoquan, on the other hand, just burys his head in the sand. His vision is far inferior."

"The principal's attitude is the foundation of the institution's confidence. How can we guarantee the quality of teaching if Principal Jia Hua doesn't even have the courage to respond directly?"

"Support Xingxiang! Jiahua has been swindling and deceiving people in the art exam industry for so many years, and now its true colors have finally been exposed!"

"..."

Seeing the comments from netizens, other art exam training institutions in Beijing secretly rejoiced that they hadn't disrupted Xingxiang's trial class, otherwise they would have been the ones in trouble.

In contrast, Zhao Shulian, the principal of Huanya Art Examination Center, looked very uneasy and anxious. She had just poached a performance teacher from Xingxiang last week and didn't know if he would become Principal Zhang's next target.

……

(End of this chapter)