What's wrong with me, a school principal, listening to students' suggestions?

Su Qingyan stared at Lin Yucai for a full half minute.

She thought she was mentally prepared for the principal's outrageous actions.

The cafeteria hired a five-star chef... and I accepted.

I paid over a million yuan out of my own pocket to install air conditioning... and I accepted it.

But should we cancel morning and evening self-study sessions?

Why should students at the bottom-ranked high school in the city start school at 9 a.m.?

This isn't just outrageous, it's insane.

"Lin Yucai, do you know what you're saying?"

Su Qingyan stood up, the chair scraping against the floor with a harsh screech.

"Of course I know."

"You don't know!" Su Qingyan took off her glasses and rubbed her nose vigorously.

She was really anxious.

"Other schools are adding extra classes like crazy, and you're not only not following suit, you're doing the opposite?"

"Students at No. 1 Middle School study until 10:30 PM, but you expect students at No. 13 Middle School to be dismissed at 4:30 PM?"

"The gap isn't narrowing, it's widening at the speed of light!"

"Who do you think you are? What kind of educational reform do you think you're undertaking?"

"You're pushing these children into a fire pit!"

Her voice grew increasingly shrill, until it was almost a scream.

Lin Yucai leaned back in his chair, not interrupting her.

He only spoke after Su Qingyan had finished venting.

"Are you done talking?"

Su Qingyan took several deep breaths and put her glasses back on.

Give me a reason, a reason that can convince me.

Lin Yucai stood up, walked around the table, and went to Su Qingyan.

"Vice Principal Su, you've been at No. 13 Middle School for three years. What was your attendance rate for morning and evening self-study sessions during those three years?"

Su Qingyan was silent for a moment.

"Less than 60% of students attended morning self-study sessions, and less than 50% attended evening self-study sessions."

"Of the students who attended, how many were actually learning?"

Su Qingyan's lips moved, but she did not answer.

She knew what was going on.

During morning self-study, 70% of the students are catching up on sleep.

During evening self-study, half of the students are playing on their phones, while the other half are daydreaming.

No more than ten people are actually learning.

"Since morning and evening self-study sessions are practically non-existent, what's the loss in canceling them?"

Lin Yucai shrugged and began to explain.

"It would be better to give the time back to the students and let them arrange it themselves."

"What can they arrange? To go to an internet cafe?" Su Qingyan retorted.

"That's why it's becoming voluntary." Lin Yucai held up one finger. "It's not mandatory, but the classrooms will remain open as usual."

"Those who want to learn can come and learn, and those who want to rest can go and rest."

"Only when you give them the choice will they start to think about what they really want."

"Your theory sounds great, but the reality is..."

Su Qingyan closed her eyes, and the veins on her forehead were faintly visible.

"If you give these sixteen or seventeen-year-old kids a choice, all they'll choose is to play."

"Then let them play first."

"Lin Yucai!" Su Qingyan slammed her hand on the table, causing the water in her teacup to slosh.

The office fell silent.

The two looked at each other for a moment.

Su Qingyan's eyes held anger, anxiety, and a complex mix of emotions that were hard to define.

She wasn't angry for herself; she was genuinely worried about the students.

Lin Yucai could tell.

"Vice Principal Su, let's take a gamble." His tone suddenly turned serious.

"What are we betting on?"

"Midterm exams." Lin Yucai stretched out his hand, his five fingers spread wide.

"If the overall performance of No. 13 Middle School declines compared to the end of last semester in next month's midterm exams..."

"Even if it's just a slight setback, I'll resign immediately."

"I'm quitting as principal. I'm packing my bags and leaving."

"Can you...can you stop gambling with your future?" Su Qingyan's angry expression froze on her face.

"I've already spent three million, what's a school principal's position compared to that?"

Lin Yucai extended his hand in front of her, his gaze open and honest.

"What if your grades don't drop?" Su Qingyan lowered her voice.

"If you don't back down, you'll treat me to hot pot."

Su Qingyan stared at him blankly.

This man is either a genius or a complete madman.

But whichever it is, he at least has the courage to gamble everything.

She hesitated for a long time.

Finally, I reached out and shook his hand.

"I'll choose the half-and-half hot pot base; the spicy half is yours."

"make a deal."

The news was announced during the flag-raising ceremony on Monday morning.

Standing on the flag-raising platform, Lin Yucai announced the new schedule to the five hundred students.

Each time a statement was made, the reaction on the playground was like throwing a stone into a calm lake.

"The first class starts at nine in the morning."

hum!

School ends at 4:30 PM.

Buzz!

"Participation in morning and evening self-study sessions will be voluntary, not mandatory, and attendance will not be taken."

They were completely stunned on the playground.

There was silence for a full half minute.

Then, cheers erupted like a tidal wave.

"Long live the principal!"

"Starting today, I can sleep until 8:30!"

"I'll never be woken up by the radio at 6 a.m. again!"

"No. 13 Middle School is awesome! The principal is awesome!"

Zhang Yang stood in the crowd, his mouth stretched from ear to ear.

He tried his best to hold back, but couldn't help himself and let out a cry.

The sound was drowned out by the crowd, and no one noticed.

But the skinny guy behind him glanced back at him, silently took out his phone, and recorded a short video.

"Our principal announced the cancellation of morning and evening self-study sessions. Does he even deserve to be compared to other principals?"

The video went viral among students in Tomato City that very night.

In the comments section, cries of despair from students at various schools rose and fell.

"I study at No. 1 Middle School until 10:30 PM, while you guys get out of school at 4:30 PM? What a world of difference!"

"Who is this principal of No. 13 Middle School? Doesn't the leadership care about him?"

"At No. 7 Middle School, our homeroom teacher confiscated our phones after seeing this video."

"Does No. 13 Middle School still accept transfer students? I am 280 months old."

When the news reached Qian Wenhua's ears, he was drinking tea in the principal's office at No. 1 Middle School.

Chen Zhigang handed over the phone, and after the video finished playing, Qian Wenhua's lips tightened into a straight line.

"What exactly is Lin Yucai up to?"

He slowly placed the teacup on the table and stared out the window for half a minute without saying a word.

"Cancel morning and evening self-study sessions? He's putting a noose around his own neck."

Chen Zhigang pushed up his glasses, his tone clearly gloating.

"Don't rush." ​​Qian Wenhua raised his hand, stopping him from continuing.

"Let him struggle; the more he struggles, the harder he'll fall."

"Once the midterm exam results come out, No. 13 Middle School will have dug its own grave."

"By then, the Education Bureau won't even have to wait until the end of August."

He picked up his teacup and took another sip.

"Please contact Liu Jianguo for me and arrange a time to talk tomorrow."