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

Chapter 520: Betrayal and separation
Zhang Zhancheng, Chen Haiping, and Cui Anying were walking home from get off work, each carrying a bag.

At this time, the three of them would usually get together to chat about work and office gossip, laughing and talking all the way to the subway station.

But today, no one spoke; they remained silent the whole way.

Upon entering the subway station, it was rush hour, and there were quite a few people waiting for the train. The three of them found a spot to stand on the side.

Cui Anying finally couldn't hold back and looked to the side, saying, "Teacher Zhang, what do you think of Principal Zhou's behavior? We've been with Jiahua for so many years, and even if we haven't made any great contributions, we've certainly put in a lot of hard work. Now, we've been turned into dispensable marginal people."

These words were like a rip-through, making Zhang Zhancheng's face turn even uglier.

In the past, some colleagues had complained to him, and as the head of the performing arts department, he would usually side with the school and the principal to smooth things over.

But today, the principal actually said those things in front of them, completely ignoring the three of them's efforts over the years. Such behavior was too hurtful, and he had nothing to say.

When Chen Haiping saw that Teacher Zhang didn't speak, he immediately became agitated. "I've worked at Jiahua for fourteen years, and it turns out I'm not as good as those two newcomers who were just poached from Xingxiang. If I had known this would happen, I should have gone to Xingxiang."

Zhang Zhancheng gritted his teeth. He took out his cigarette case to smoke a cigarette, but then realized that he was in the subway and quickly put the cigarettes away.

Actually, he regrets it now.

When Principal Zhang of Xingxiang tried to recruit him, he offered a salary 20% higher than his current one. However, considering that Principal Zhou had treated him well after working at Jiahua for so many years, he politely declined.

Last night, Principal Zhang called him again, asking if he had any plans to return to his hometown to work. This time, in addition to promising a 20% raise, he also offered him the position of vice principal of the branch, giving him full authority over the branch's daily operations. He figured that Jia Hua was currently short-staffed and that he would definitely be valued by Principal Zhou, so he declined again. But then…

The result proved that I was a complete idiot!

What good are sixteen years at Jiahua? In the principal's eyes, he's still no match for two newcomers.

"Teacher Zhang, Teacher Chen, to tell you the truth, Xingxiang came to see me again last night."

Cui Anying said, "When Principal Zhang called me, he mentioned that Xingxiang was going to set up a branch in Shanghai. Knowing that I was from Shanghai, he wanted me to serve as the head of the performance teaching and research group. At that time, I felt a little embarrassed to leave Jiahua when it was in its most difficult time after following Principal Zhou for so many years. But what Principal Zhou just said was a slap in the face to me."

"Me too!" Chen Haiping said in a low voice after hearing this. "The three of us have worked at Jiahua for so many years, and we have taught at least dozens of students who have been admitted to Huaxi and Beijing Film Academy. But Principal Zhou just wiped out all our efforts over the years with a single sentence: 'It's all thanks to Teacher Han and Teacher Zhou.'"

"We gave up Xingxiang's high salary to uphold this friendship, but what we got in return was distrust. It's so disrespectful."

Cui Anying and Chen Haiping's back-and-forth banter fueled Zhang Zhancheng's anger, and his bloodshot eyes gradually hardened. "In my opinion, we can't stay at Jiahua anymore. Principal Zhou is only interested in those two new teachers and doesn't care about us at all. There's no point in us staying any longer."

Chen Haiping's eyes lit up, and he asked in a low voice, "Teacher Zhang, what do you mean...?"

Zhang Zhancheng glanced at the two teachers beside him, thought for a moment, and said, "I don't care what you think, I'm going to call Principal Zhang and ask if the promise I made still stands. Actually, going back to work in my hometown is pretty good, it's better than being mistreated here!"

He still had Zhang Wen's phone number saved in his phone. Although he had declined twice, he couldn't bear to delete it. He didn't expect it to come in handy so soon.

"Teacher Zhang, wouldn't it seem beneath us to take the initiative to contact you now? Will Principal Zhang use this as an opportunity to lower our salary?" Cui Anying asked worriedly.

Although the three were not from the same hometown, their thoughts and interests were aligned at this moment.

“At a time like this, you’re still worried about saving face? Didn’t Principal Zhou slap you in the face just now hurt enough?” Zhang Zhancheng said.

Now that he has chosen to change jobs, there is nothing to worry about. Even if there is no raise, as long as the salary is the same as now, he is willing to go back to his hometown.

“A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on! I asked my former colleagues, and they all said that Principal Zhang is a good person. As long as we have the ability, he will definitely welcome us. Besides, we all have more than ten years of teaching experience. Aren’t we better than those who left before? At worst… at worst, we can stay at Jiahua. Anyway, we didn’t resign. We have to try to know the result.” Chen Haiping said.

The three of them are now tied together, and none of them would be foolish enough to tell Zhou Maoquan about their conversation.

The announcement of the subway's arrival came over the platform's loudspeaker, and the train roared in, bringing a gust of wind with it.

Chen Haiping and Cui Anying both looked at Zhang Zhancheng, waiting for him to make the call first, since he was the head of the performing arts department.

Zhang Zhancheng understood what the two meant. He glanced at the train that had arrived, turned around and went to a quiet corner, took out his phone, found Zhang Wen's number, took a deep breath, and finally dialed it.

Chen Haiping and Cui Anying stood nervously to the side, their hearts pounding in their throats, worried that Principal Zhang would reject them.

If even the most experienced teacher, Teacher Zhang, is rejected by Xingxiang, then the two of them will definitely be rejected as well. All their previous discussions will have been in vain, and they will have to return to Jiahua as marginal figures, only to be humiliated by Zhou Maoquan.

The phone was answered after only two rings, and that familiar and gentle voice came through the receiver.

"Hello?"

Zhang Zhancheng gripped his phone tightly, his palms sweating, and said in a trembling voice, "Hello Principal Zhang, this is Zhang Zhancheng from Jia Hua Art Examination Center. We spoke on the phone last night."

“I know, is there something you need, Teacher Zhang?” Zhang Wen asked.

"Ahem, Principal Zhang, it's like this, I wanted to ask if Xingxiang's branch in Wucheng is still recruiting acting teachers?" Zhang Zhancheng asked tentatively.

Zhang Wen was stunned for a few seconds after hearing this. He had been rejected when he called last night, so why was the other party asking about it again today?

"Teacher Zhang, why are you asking this? Have you changed your mind?" Zhang Wen asked.

“Yes, I’ve thought about it all day and discussed it with my family. We all think it’s a good idea to work in my hometown. If Xingxiang’s branch in Wucheng is short-staffed, I can go there.” Zhang Zhancheng found a good reason.

He didn't want to talk about being ignored by Zhou Maoquan; it was too embarrassing, and people who didn't know better would think he was really incompetent.

Chen Haiping and Cui Anying listened intently to the voice on the microphone, their breathing slowing down as they dared not exhale, afraid of missing anything.

The waiting time was agonizing; a few seconds of silence came through the microphone, but to the three of them it felt like an eternity.

Finally, Zhang Wen's voice came through the microphone.

"Welcome to Xingxiang, Teacher Zhang. The salary and benefits agreed upon before remain unchanged. If you have time, you can come to Xingxiang tomorrow to sign the employment contract."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhancheng breathed a heavy sigh of relief, his tense body finally relaxing. He repeatedly said, "Thank you, Principal Zhang, thank you for your high regard. I will go to Xingxiang tomorrow at noon."

"It's nothing. Teacher Zhang has over ten years of teaching experience. With your joining us, I believe the future of Xingxiang Wucheng branch will be bright," Zhang Wen said with a smile.

"..."

Zhang Zhancheng was so moved that he didn't know what to say for a moment.

Listen to these words, they're so heartwarming.

He was ignored by the principal at Jiahua, but valued by the principal at Xingxiang. Anyone with a brain would know who to choose.

While the strength of a training institution is important, whether it is valued is equally important.

The strength of the institution determines whether it can satisfy him materially, while the principal's attitude determines whether it can satisfy him spiritually.

I worked hard at Jiahua for more than ten years, but I never expected to find a sense of belonging at Xingxiang. All those years have been a waste.

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Zhancheng looked at Chen Haiping and Cui Anying beside him and urged, "You two should call too. You heard what Principal Zhang said earlier. Now is the time when Xingxiang needs people, and they certainly won't refuse you."

Chen Haiping nodded, and without saying a word, picked up his phone and dialed a number.

Soon, the call was connected.

"Hello."

"Hello Principal Zhang, I'm Chen Haiping. We spoke on the phone last night..." Chen Haiping carefully introduced himself, mimicking Principal Zhang's tone, before stating his purpose. Zhang Wen was stunned. If he remembered correctly, besides the newly arrived Han Wanling and Zhou Min, he had poached only three teachers from Jia Hua's acting program.

Zhang Zhancheng was one, and now Chen Haiping has come. His intuition told him that Cui Anying would call after this call ended.

If that's the case, then things will get interesting.

Jia Hua poached two acting teachers from him, while he poached all of Jia Hua's acting teachers.

Zhou Maoquan, Zhou Maoquan, why did you provoke me for no reason?
“Teacher Chen, welcome to Xingxiang…” Zhang Wen said.

After ending the call, he didn't put his phone away. Instead, he stared intently at the screen, silently counting: one, two, three...

"Ring ring ring!"

The phone started playing music again.

He stared at the name on the screen, a smile spreading across his face.

Cui Anying!
He guessed correctly.

Zhang Wen was very curious as to why the three teachers who had served at Jiahua the longest suddenly chose to switch jobs, since they had tried to recruit them twice before but failed.

Did something happen to Jiahua? Otherwise, why would the three remaining veterans jump ship together?
interesting!
Tomorrow is the start of the summer program, and Jia Hua's performing arts program only has two teachers left. We don't know if we can manage to schedule the classes.

Zhou Maoquan, did you desecrate someone's ancestral grave?

Cui Anying put down her phone, a happy smile on her face. "Teacher Zhang, Teacher Chen, Principal Zhang has agreed."

"Teacher Zhang, shall we resign together tomorrow?" Chen Haiping looked at Zhang Zhancheng. He was worried that if he went alone, Principal Zhou would not let him go, and he would not be able to sign a labor contract at Xingxiang.

“Okay, let’s go together.” Zhang Zhancheng nodded.

Despite his dissatisfaction, he was still a little apprehensive if he had to face Zhou Maoquan alone.

There's no way around it; I've worked at Jiahua for so long that it's become a habit.

……

The next day, the sun was so bright it was almost blinding.

In the morning, as soon as the doors of Jia Hua Art Examination Training Center opened, students carrying drawing boards and instrument cases walked in.

Although the number of applicants for the three core majors of performance, dance, and music was far less than in previous years, the number of applicants for other majors such as fine arts and broadcasting remained at the same level, which finally brought a bit of life to the long-quiet office building.

Zhou Maoquan stood in the lobby on the first floor, his hands behind his back. His gaze swept over the young faces, and his tense old face finally relaxed a little, and a sense of relief rose in his heart.

A dead skinny camel is bigger than a horse.

Jia Hua, you can still hold on.

As long as we get through this year, and the performance major entrance exams are over next year, Jia Hua will definitely be able to return to its peak.

No, it's better than before.

Just as he was envisioning the future, he saw three other teachers from the performing arts department walk in from outside.

Zhang Zhancheng, Chen Haiping, and Cui Anying were a little nervous to see Zhou Maoquan as soon as they entered the door. They exchanged glances and then walked over.

“Principal, we want to talk to you about something,” Zhang Zhancheng said.

Zhou Maoquan's heart sank, and the smile that had been on his mind froze on his face. He frowned and asked, "What is it?"

The three looked around, then took out three neatly folded sheets of paper from their pockets and handed them to Zhou Maoquan. "Principal, we want to resign. These are our resignation letters."

Zhou Maoquan's expression changed, and his tone became more serious: "Resign? You're all long-time employees of Jia Hua, why would you resign? Weren't you all fine yesterday? Did Xingxiang's people contact you again?"

"Sigh!" Zhang Zhancheng sighed softly, a melancholy expression on his face. "It's not Xingxiang's fault, it's just that we've figured it out ourselves. Yesterday, seeing those colleagues resign and go back to their hometowns, some posting pictures of their train tickets and the scenery, we were quite moved. We want to go home and spend time with our parents."

“Principal, my husband is being transferred back to Shanghai next week. I can’t possibly live apart from him, can I?” Cui Anying said with a bitter face.

“Principal, I am an only child. My parents are getting old, and I want to go back to take care of them,” Zhang Zhancheng said.

"..."

Zhou Maoquan's face was gloomy. These reasons had already been used by the teachers who resigned yesterday, so he was now resistant to them. He felt no understanding, only anger.

"Teacher Zhang, Teacher Chen, Teacher Cui, you resigned on the very first day of the training course. Isn't that incredibly irresponsible? What about the courses that have already been arranged? How am I supposed to explain this to the students and their parents?" Zhou Maoquan said angrily.

Even if he resigned yesterday, he could adjust the course schedule. But today, the classes have already started, and the teacher wants to resign. What can he do?
"You can ask Teacher Han and Teacher Zhou to substitute for you!" Cui Anying said softly.

"Teacher Han and Teacher Zhou have their own classes, how can they have time to substitute for you!" Zhou Maoquan said irritably. "I don't agree with your resignation. If you really want to leave, you should at least wait until the summer classes are over."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhancheng and the others immediately became anxious. There was still a month and a half left before the end of the summer program, and they had already arranged with Principal Zhang to go to Xingxiang to sign the contract at noon today.

"Principal, we're in Cao Ying now but our hearts are with Liu Bei, so please don't make things difficult for us," Chen Haiping said with a wry smile.

Zhou Maoquan clenched his fists tightly and said in a vicious voice, "Are you threatening me?"

"Without the principal, how could I dare to threaten you? I'm just telling the truth," Chen Haiping quickly said, afraid that the other party wouldn't sign, since the five social insurances were still with Jiahua.

Zhou Maoquan looked at the parents and students around him, thought for a moment, and said, "Stay, and I'll give you a 20% raise."

“Principal, this isn’t about money.” Zhang Zhancheng shook his head.

"30%!"

“Principal, I have told my parents that I am going back to my hometown to work, and they were very happy to hear that,” Zhang Zhancheng said.

The implication is: I've made up my mind, I won't hold onto any stock, no matter how much it rises.

The relationship is so strained now that even if he stays, it will sow the seeds of future problems between them. Who knows, when a new teacher is hired, he might be fired immediately.

"Fine!" Zhou Maoquan said through gritted teeth, "The earth can keep turning no matter who leaves, and Jiahua will be just as good without you. You will definitely regret it."

Zhang Zhancheng and the other two remained silent.

I don't know if I'll regret it, but I'll definitely be very unhappy if I continue to work here.

Zhou Maoquan turned his head away and said impatiently, "Go, go, go, hurry up and hand over your work. Don't let me see you again."

Zhang Zhancheng and the others hurriedly went to complete the formalities, thinking: We don't want to see you again either.

……

(End of this chapter)