Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 352 [Handling Closed Groups]
Faced with Teacher Zhao's question.

Chonghui paused for a moment.

To be honest, at the beginning, he didn't consider Teacher Zhao as one of his own.

I was just hoping to have a teacher from my own school as a "friend" so that I could avoid a lot of trouble when I started my work.

Of course, it might be because of Nan Zhuren that this "friend" came relatively quickly and was quite sincere.

As for now——

After thinking for a moment, Chonghui said, "I'll call Zhu Ren now, put it on speakerphone, and let him tell you the details."

……

A secluded corner by the playground.

Chang Ming was still staring at Nan Zhuren.

After the exchange just now, Chang Ming seemed to have realized that Nan Zhuren disagreed and would not join his actions today.

“I’m now looking for opportunities to find the students inside, get the recordings, and even use ‘case studies’ to get them to report their coaches. I want to cut through the Gordian knot and resolve this matter as quickly and thoroughly as possible.”

Chang Ming explained his second consideration: "You may think this is too radical, but it's the most straightforward approach. Most importantly, the college entrance exam is just around the corner, and the sooner it ends, the more time the students will have to adjust."

Not without reason.

Nan Zhuren sighed, about to say something.

Suddenly, my cell phone rang in my pocket.

Jingle Bell--

Nan Zhuren glanced at the caller ID, and without avoiding Chang Ming, answered it directly:
"Hello, senior brother?"

"Yes, I'm with Director Chang right now. There's been a small problem, and we're discussing—what?"

Chonghui's voice shifted away from the other end of the phone, and Teacher Zhao's voice came through.

Nan Zhuren remained silent for a while, then quickly sorted out the current situation.

He looked up at Chang Ming, who was still peering towards the indoor gymnasium, waiting for the teachers inside to come out.

Nan Zhuren explained softly to Teacher Zhao, "This is roughly the situation..."

Nan Zhuren briefly explained the situation of Li Mingchen, Xu Pengcheng, Wang Rui, and others.

As the teacher of Li Mingchen and Lin Junkai's classes—although she could be considered the teacher of almost every class in the school—Ms. Zhao's expression gradually became serious on the other end of the phone.

"【Closed group】...wait, that sounds a bit strange." Teacher Zhao's focus was a little off.

"It seems like it's not just the sports team; other classes in the school, and even the whole school, are pretty much the same..."

Nan Zhuren shook his head: "Let's not go into details for now. There are many types of 'groups' and 'crowds,' which have many commonalities as well as their own unique characteristics. Closed groups are one of the most special ones."

Teacher Zhao pondered Nan Zhuren's words and suddenly said, "Teacher Nan, actually... Director Chang's statement is not without reason, and his plan is not without feasibility."

"Solve it cleanly and efficiently, without interfering with the college entrance examination..."

"Of course, it wouldn't be good to have Director Chang do that."

Teacher Zhao's voice was hesitant yet firm: "Why don't I talk to the students myself? I have the school's backing and status, which makes it easier for me to talk. Besides, I have a permanent position within the school, so in a sense, what I'm doing is still part of my job, unlike what Director Chang did and didn't face any trouble afterwards..."

The two started arguing.

Nan Zhuren rubbed his temples.

But that's not the point. He took a deep breath and said, "A swift and decisive approach is definitely the best way to 'deal with Wang Rui'."

"But our goal isn't to 'solve Wang Rui's problem,' but to 'help the students,' isn't it?"

Nan Zhuren sighed and met Chang Ming's gaze.

"In our current plan, we chose to 'solve Wang Rui' because, at present, this is the most direct and effective way to 'help the students'."

"But this does not mean that 'solving Wang Rui's problem equals helping the student.' At least, 'solving Wang Rui's problem in any way' is not equivalent to 'helping the student.'"

After listening to Nan Zhuren's words.

Chang Ming frowned and questioned, "Are you suggesting that continuing Wang Rui's current training regimen is still beneficial for the students?"

“In a sense, yes,” Nan Zhuren said.

This sentence surprised both Chang Ming and Teacher Zhao on the other end of the phone.

Nan Zhuren shook his head.

Just like how, in a realistic Batman storyline, no matter how many gang leaders and supervillains he throws into Arkham, the outcome can never change Gotham.

The reason is——

“No matter which direction the polarization within a closed group goes, at the very least—at the very least!” Nan Zhuren emphasized, “they are currently a ‘stable’ group.”

"And the leader in the group plays a crucial role in maintaining this stability."

“A team that has become polarized needs to be handled with caution. That’s why we plan to first bring in an external authority figure, and then bombard the team members—the students—with cognitive information. This is so that after the team members lose their original leader, the new leadership core can intervene in time to stabilize their turbulent thoughts.”

"If this important step is skipped, and the team leader, the stabilizing center, is removed without supporting the team members' understanding of the situation."

Nan Zhuren said in a deep voice, "It could very well lead to [loss of control]."

"Even without the 'disappearance of the leader'; even if the group leader is still in the group, as long as the group leader fails to exercise direct and strict control over the group due to negligence, the group may still 'go out of control'!"

Nan Zhuren had a headache: "That's why I asked Director Chang to bring your leader over... As an external authority, he can play a much greater role in 'stabilizing the students' than in 'resolving Wang Rui'."

After saying these words.

For a moment, there was no other sound around Nan Zhuren.

After a long pause, Ms. Zhao, the teacher on the other end of the phone, finally asked in a daze, "How could it [get out of control]?"

Chang Ming stared blankly in the direction of the gymnasium. He blinked and said, "Vice Principal Ma has already spoken with... Teacher Zhao, right? Then why haven't the students been dismissed yet? Even Wang Rui hasn't been called over..."

Teacher Zhao exclaimed, "I just ran into Teacher Wang when I left the office! She didn't go to the gym this morning at all!"

"Huh?" Chang Ming's eyes widened in surprise.

Just then, a student-looking person slowly strolled out from the direction of the gymnasium.

Nan Zhuren knew him.

……

Not long ago, at the indoor training gymnasium.

"We're dismissed early today. No more practice. Everyone go back to study or rest."

The teacher, whose temples were graying, conveyed to Lin Junkai and the others the instructions that Wang Rui had just given them over the phone.

The students from the sports team looked at each other in bewilderment.

(End of this chapter)