Live Stream: Overly Pampered Education Creates Three Superstars in One Family

The other side of the city.

Zhao Shuilan sat under the fill light, her face ashen. Her fingers moved the mouse stiffly as she pressed the "End Live Stream" button heavily. The screen went dark instantly, reflecting her exquisitely made-up face, slightly distorted by jealousy.

Just a minute ago, her live stream, which touted itself as "high-end parenting" and "elite education," had a dismal number of viewers, only a few hundred.

Of these hundreds of people, a large portion were just there to send sarcastic comments mocking her and telling her to go to Chen Chu's live stream next door to "learn how to be a parent."

Zhao Shuilan bit her red lips and took a deep breath, but she couldn't suppress the acid churning in her chest.

She clicked on another webpage and quietly sneaked into Chen Chu's live stream.

As soon as she entered, the overwhelming barrage of bullet comments and the gift effects flying all over the screen almost blinded her.

The number of online users in the upper right corner has exceeded one million, and its popularity is even more exaggerated than that of some A-list celebrities.

On the screen, Chen Chu was wearing an old T-shirt that had faded a bit, leaning back on the sofa without any regard for his image, casually drinking water while making sarcastic remarks about his so-called "educational philosophy" in extremely down-to-earth language.

What struck her as even more jarring was that the barrage of comments was filled with fervent praise for Chen Chu, with countless people even earnestly begging him to "publish a book and write his biography."

"Why should I?"

Zhao Shuilan slammed her laptop shut with a loud thud. Her chest heaved violently, and her sharp nails dug deep into her palms.

"I've studied so much educational psychology from abroad, I enrolled my child in the most expensive private school, and I painstakingly impart the elite education philosophy in front of the camera every day... Why doesn't anyone listen to me?!" Zhao Shuilan paced back and forth in the empty room, her eyes filled with resentment and confusion.

In her mind, Chen Chu was nothing more than a single father from the bottom of society, an outsider who didn't even know what "Piaget's theory of cognitive development" was, and a scoundrel who only knew how to play games with his son and spout nonsense!

"Why do millions of people willingly listen to an ordinary person who doesn't understand any educational philosophy spout nonsense? What's wrong with this world?!"

Zhao Shuilan slumped down on the expensive leather sofa, her eyes filled with bitterness and jealousy.

After a moment's thought, she concluded that this was nothing more than a distorted frenzy in the era of internet penetration into lower-tier cities...

……

The storm on the internet not only shocked parents, but its astonishing popularity also quickly attracted high attention from within the system.

The next morning, in the office of the director of the municipal education bureau.

The bureau chief was holding a thermos cup, looking at a briefing on the recent online public opinion that his secretary had prepared on the table. The headline on the front page of the briefing was boldly printed with the words: "From the countdown to 615 points! A miracle of happy education: Chen Chu's 'free-range' philosophy as a single father."

The bureau chief pushed up his glasses, a shrewd glint in his eyes.

"This is interesting..." The director tapped the table lightly, lost in thought.

In the past six months, the higher authorities have repeatedly emphasized the need to "reduce the burden of education" and break away from the sole focus on grades.

However, this initiative has been extremely difficult to implement, as parents are not buying it at all, fearing that reducing the burden on their children would be tantamount to ruining their future.

The education bureau is caught in the middle between policy and parents, suffering from both sides, and the director's performance evaluation is also under considerable pressure.

Now, the sudden emergence of Chen Chu and Chen Ziran is simply a perfect breakthrough point delivered to our door by God!

A parent who didn't tutor, pressure, or even let their child play video games actually helped a struggling student achieve a high score of 615 in just a few months!

What does this prove? Isn't this the strongest proof that "reducing the burden on students can still guarantee the quality of teaching"?!

This is real-life material for political achievements!

Having figured this out, the director did not hesitate at all. He immediately picked up the landline on the table and dialed the phone number of the principal of Chen Ziran's school.

"Old Li, this is Old Wang from the Education Bureau." The director's tone was familiar, yet it carried an undeniable authority. "That parent Chen Chu who's been making headlines online lately, his son is from your school, right? Yes, the one named Chen Ziran."

Principal Li on the other end of the phone felt a pang of anxiety, thinking the online controversy had caused trouble for the school. He quickly explained, "Yes, yes, Director Wang, this child is indeed from our school. But recently, this child's grades have indeed improved by leaps and bounds..."

"That's great, rapid progress!" The director interrupted him with a smile. "Old Li, our bureau is currently pushing hard to reduce student workload and urgently needs to establish a positive role model. Your school is about to hold a rally, right? Think of a way to get this parent to come to the school and talk to all the teachers, students, and parents about their story and educational philosophy!"

Having worked in the education sector for so many years, Principal Li instantly understood the director's unspoken meaning. He wanted to establish Chen Chu as a "model" of policy compliance!

"Don't worry, Director Wang, I know what to do! I promise to invite this parent to the scene and give a good presentation on our school's achievements in holistic education!" Principal Li assured him repeatedly.

After hanging up the phone, Principal Li wiped the sweat from his brow and immediately got up and left his office. This was a political task personally assigned by the bureau chief, and he had to handle it personally.

The crisp sound of the bell rang throughout the campus as the second period ended in the morning.

Holding the report card with "615 points" printed on it, Chen Ziran walked with a much lighter pace than usual, and couldn't help but smile.

He was about to go to the convenience store to buy himself an ice-cold Coke when, just as he reached the corner on the first floor of the teaching building, a dignified figure suddenly blocked his way.

When Chen Ziran looked up, he was so frightened he almost jumped out of his skin.

Standing before him was none other than Principal Li, the "Cold-Faced Yama" who was usually rarely seen!

Chen Ziran's smile froze on his face, and his brain began to work at breakneck speed.

Holy crap! What's going on? Why is the principal personally blocking my way?

Did I get caught secretly reading a novel during self-study yesterday? No, I hid that book very well.

Could it be that my gang-related activities at school have been exposed? But that doesn't make sense, I've been playing fewer games lately and focusing solely on my studies!

Could it be that... the school thinks I cheated on my 615 score?!

That doesn't make sense either...

My father came to the school to reason with them last time, and the principal personally supervised the process, so there's no room for doubt.

The thought of not knowing where he had made a mistake made Chen Ziran's heart skip a beat, and his palms instantly became sweaty.

But then he thought to himself, "I'm upright and have nothing to fear, so what's there to panic about?"

"Hello... Principal." Chen Ziran took a deep breath and greeted him calmly.

To Chen Ziran's surprise, Principal Li did not have his usual stern face. Instead, he seemed to have seen a rare treasure. His originally serious face was instantly filled with a kind and friendly smile, and even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes exuded a warm spring breeze.

"Oh, it's Ziran!" Principal Li patted Chen Ziran's shoulder affectionately, his tone so gentle it gave one goosebumps. "Going to the convenience store?"

Startled by the principal's appearance, Chen Ziran took a half step back and swallowed hard. "Ah...yes, yes."

"Ziran, you've been doing well in your studies lately, haven't you?" Principal Li looked at him with a smile. "I saw your report card, 615 points! That's incredibly fast progress! The teachers are all praising you, and the school is very satisfied with your performance!"

Chen Ziran blinked in bewilderment. That's it? Just to praise me, the principal personally waited for me in the corridor?

"Um... Principal, is there something you need?" Chen Ziran asked cautiously.

Principal Li cleared his throat and got to the point: "It's like this, Ziran. Does your father... Mr. Chen Chu, have some free time lately? Could you please ask him to come to the school when he has some free time?"

"Call the parents?!" Chen Ziran blurted out, his heart, which had just settled down, instantly leaping into his throat again.

"No, no, no, you've misunderstood!" Principal Li quickly waved his hand, afraid of scaring away this "precious darling." He patiently explained, "It's like this. Our school is holding a senior high school pep rally next week, and we're also recognizing a group of outstanding students. Your progress this time can be described as a miracle that the whole school can see! The school leadership has decided that we'd like you to speak on stage as the 'representative of the most improved student'."

At this point, Principal Li paused deliberately, his tone becoming more sincere: "Of course, your father must have put in a lot of effort in educating and guiding you to achieve such great progress. Therefore, the school hopes to invite your father, Mr. Chen Chu, to attend as well. You two can share your valuable experience of success with all the parents and students in the school! What do you think?"

After hearing these words, Chen Ziran breathed a long sigh of relief.

So it turns out they weren't looking for trouble, they just wanted to invite Dad to give a speech!

An indescribable sense of pride instantly rose from the bottom of Chen Ziran's heart.

In the past, let alone giving a speech on stage, he would never have dreamed that he would be personally spoken to by the principal because of his good grades.

Now, not only is he going to take the stage, but even his usually carefree father is being invited to the school as an education expert!

However, although Chen Ziran was overjoyed inside, he still pretended to be calm on the surface, scratched his head, and said in a drawn-out tone, "Oh, Principal, well... I really can't guarantee anything. You know, my dad is a big internet celebrity now, with millions of people watching his live streams every day, and his schedule is extremely tight. I'm not sure if he'll be free that day; I'll have to go back and ask him properly."

Chen Ziran's words inadvertently boosted Chen Chu's prestige.

Principal Li wasn't angry at all; on the contrary, he felt it was only natural, since the person in question was now a favorite personally endorsed by the director of the Education Bureau.

A live stream on the internet can attract millions of viewers; the power of that is astonishing...

I vaguely remember that not long ago, Chen Chu was chatting with him in the office...

He was filled with emotion.

"I understand, I understand, you're a very busy man!" Principal Li's smile widened, even taking on a hint of ingratiation. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Ziran. Please make sure you have a good talk with your father when you get back, and tell him that the school sincerely looks forward to his arrival. Thank you!"

"Okay, Principal, don't worry, I'll definitely deliver the message!" Chen Ziran patted his chest and assured him.

As Principal Li walked away with a satisfied expression, Chen Ziran hadn't even had time to savor the vanity when a suppressed gasp suddenly came from behind him.

"I'm so rough! I'm so rough! I'm so rough!"

Yang Xunran, along with several of his usual buddies, rushed up from the corner of the stairs and surrounded Chen Ziran. Each of them had an expression of incredible shock on their face.

They were hiding behind the principal and saw his kind, even somewhat humble, face clearly!

"Ziran, you're amazing now! You're incredibly awesome!" Yang Xunran excitedly hugged Chen Ziran's neck and shook him vigorously. "That's 'Cold-Faced Yama' Old Li! He usually yells and curses at us, but today he's smiling at you like a chrysanthemum! He even personally invited you and your dad to the pep rally? With that kind of influence, who else in the whole school has it besides you?!"

"That's right, Ran-ge! He's so impressive!" The other boys chimed in, their eyes full of envy.

Surrounded by his buddies like stars around the moon, Chen Ziran stood tall and proud, arrogantly adjusting his school uniform collar and glancing at them sideways: "Absolutely! Don't you know who I am? I'm a man with a score of 615! It's not too much for me to walk around the school like a tyrant, is it?"

"Not at all! Absolutely not at all!" Yang Xunran nodded repeatedly, then changed the subject, his eyes gleaming with a strange light, and leaned close to Chen Ziran's ear excitedly, asking, "Speaking of which, Brother Chen... ah, I mean, Uncle, can he really come to school?"

Ever since Yang Xunran started calling Chen Ge, these guys have changed their address for Chen Chu from "Uncle" to the respectful "Brother Chen".

"I haven't seen Brother Chen in ages!" Yang Xunran rubbed his hands together like a fervent fan. "If Brother Chen could really come and speak at our rally, the scene would be absolutely amazing! I absolutely have to get his autograph!"

Chen Ziran rolled her eyes speechlessly and shoved Yang Xunran's large face away: "Are you sick? What do you mean 'haven't seen you in a long time'? Last night at 11:30, who was it that shamelessly dragged my dad into duo queue...?"

"How can that be the same!" Yang Xunran waved his hand righteously and retorted loudly, "Last night was online interaction in cyberspace! That's called voice chat! I'm talking about witnessing Brother Chen's majestic figure, pointing out the world and vehemently criticizing it, in the real world! Can that physical meeting be compared to playing games?!"

Looking at Yang Xunran's fanatical appearance, Chen Ziran felt a chill and shook his head in disgust: "You're hopeless."

However, despite saying that, Chen Ziran secretly began to look forward to it.

If Dad really stood in front of the entire school, on that stage...

Explain your trading philosophy...

Chen Ziran made up his mind that even if Chen Chu didn't come, he would still persuade Chen Chu to come.