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

"For the good of the school?"

Lin Yucai tilted his head, his expression showing a strange curiosity.

"You turned the student union into a disciplinary committee, treated the school like a prison, and you call that rectifying the school's atmosphere?"

Deputy Director Liu's back slammed into the filing cabinet behind him, the metal panel making a dull thud.

"Tomorrow morning, there will be a school-wide assembly."

Lin Yucai picked up the eight-page proposal from the table and threw it at Deputy Director Liu.

"Read your proposal aloud to me in front of the entire school, word for word, from beginning to end."

Deputy Director Liu froze, all color draining from his face.

"Read it in public?"

"Why do you think I'm joking around with you?" Lin Yucai's tone was light and casual. "Tomorrow, let the students hear it and see how many people support you."

The academic affairs office was quiet again.

Deputy Director Liu's hand was trembling as he gripped the proposal; the eight pages were crumpled in the crumpled paper.

His lips moved several times, but not a single word came out.

Lin Yucai stopped looking at him and turned to Zhao Mengyao at the door.

"This is not your fault. I will explain it clearly at the meeting tomorrow. Go back and get some rest."

Zhao Mengyao nodded vigorously, sniffed, and turned to leave quickly.

In the corridor, Zhang Yang was still leaning against the wall, the toothpick having been moved from the left corner of his mouth to the right.

He watched Zhao Mengyao walk away, then peeked into the Academic Affairs Office, a slight smile playing on his lips, and gave Lin Yucai a thumbs up.

Lin Yucai came out of the Academic Affairs Office and saw Zhang Yang, so he paused for a moment.

"Zhang Yang, do me a favor."

"Please speak."

"After you get back tonight, have the students write down their opinions on the student council's actions over the past two days and put them in the suggestion box."

"I'll select some to refer to before tomorrow's morning meeting."

"Alright." Zhang Yang rolled his eyes, bit down on a toothpick, and nodded.

He patted Skinny Monkey on the shoulder, and the two turned and walked towards the stairwell.

Skinny Monkey glanced back at the closed door of the academic affairs office and lowered his voice, "Brother Yang, about that big meeting tomorrow..."

"This is going to be good. I've disliked this bald Liu for a long time. He always pretends to be a good guy, but his eyes are always sinister."

Zhang Yang flicked the toothpick into the trash can, a hint of schadenfreude playing on his lips.

"Please inform the entire school about tomorrow's meeting, including all teachers and administrative staff."

Lin Yucai watched the two of them go downstairs, then turned to look at Su Qingyan.

Su Qingyan pushed up her glasses: "Not a single one missing?"

"Not a single one is allowed to be absent."

Lin Yucai took out his thermos, unscrewed the lid, poured in some water, and then screwed it back on.

"I really need to teach them a lesson."

Su Qingyan nodded, took out her phone, and began editing the notification.

At the end of the corridor, the lights in the academic affairs office were still on.

Through the crack in the door, one could vaguely see Deputy Director Liu sitting in a chair, his whole body hunched over, staring blankly at the crumpled eight-page plan in his hand.

Ten minutes later.

Three notifications popped up almost simultaneously in the school's teachers' group, students' group, and parents' group.

"Tomorrow at 8:00 AM, all teachers and students will assemble on the playground. The principal has something to say: no one may be absent unless there are special circumstances."

The student group chat exploded.

"The principal is going to call a general meeting???"

"Let me tell you, that bald Liu has been searching phones like crazy these past few days, we definitely need to teach him a lesson!"

"He deserves it! Principal Silverwing!"

"We demand the principal publicly execute him!!!"

"I've already put six slips of paper in the suggestion box, and each one lists Liu the Bald's crimes!"

"Brothers, line up to submit your suggestions, don't push, one at a time!"

The messages were scrolling so fast that Lin Yucai couldn't keep up. He glanced at them twice and then put his phone back in his pocket.

The night breeze blew in through the corridor windows, carrying the coolness of September.

Tomorrow will be busy.

……

7:30 a.m., Principal's office.

More than a hundred slips of paper of varying sizes and with messy handwriting were spread out in front of Lin Yucai.

"Get out of No. 13 Middle School, you bald guy!"

"This guy looks all respectable, but he does nothing but despicable things!"

"It is recommended that Deputy Director Liu be dismissed. Reason: I don't like him."

"Principal, shouldn't this kind of person be sent away immediately? Why keep him around for the New Year?"

Lin Yucai flipped through the pages one by one, his lips twitching every now and then.

He understood the students' emotions, but most of his suggestions were merely venting.

A deputy director, according to normal procedures, would at most receive criticism and education and be suspended from duty.

Want to fire him outright? You need to have a serious injury to warrant it.

He picked up the last few slips of paper.

When he turned to the third to last page, Lin Yucai stopped.

The handwriting on the note was very small and crooked, clearly indicating that the writer had hesitated for a long time before putting pen to paper.

"Principal, Director Liu called me to his office during his evening self-study inspection earlier."

He said he needed to check me separately to see if I was carrying any prohibited items.

"He made me take off my coat and touched my pockets and waist."

"I was terrified, so I ran away..."

Signed: Li Xiang, Class 4, Grade 11.

Lin Yucai stared at the note for a long time.

He carefully folded the note and put it in his shirt pocket.

Then he stood up and turned to go to the monitoring room.

……

Eight o'clock in the morning, on the playground.

More than 800 students, along with all the faculty and staff, filled half of the playground.

The morning breeze in September was cool, but no one felt cold.

The atmosphere was similar to that of an execution ground, with students whispering amongst themselves.

"How will the principal handle this? Will he fire him outright?"

"I feel it's too much trouble; I'll most likely be suspended from my duties."

"Suspension is hardly a punishment; it's just paid leave."

Zhang Yang stood in the crowd, a toothpick dangling from his mouth, surrounded by a group of people.

"I'll bet five dollars on whether Baldy Liu can hold out for three minutes without crying today."

The skinny monkey raised his hand: "I bet two minutes."

"Liu Meng?"

"One and a half minutes. I have confidence in the principal, and I also have confidence in that coward Liu the Bald."

Zhang Yang chuckled, wrapped the toothpick in toilet paper, and stuffed it into his pocket.

Side view of the flagpole.

Deputy Director Liu stood there, clutching the eight-page proposal in his hand; the edges of the pages were soaked with sweat.

He was facing forward, outwardly maintaining a calm demeanor, but his feet were unconsciously moving backward.

Su Qingyan stood just one step behind him, coldly blocking his escape route.

Lin Yucai climbed the flag-raising platform.

He didn't bring any notes; he just placed his thermos on the podium.

He glanced at the densely packed crowd below the stage and began to speak.

"Starting today, the student council's practice of searching cell phones is cancelled."

The first sentence is the conclusion.

"From now on, anyone who uses discipline as an excuse to search students' bags or pockets, whether you are a teacher or a director, will have to write your resignation."

The murmurs on the playground subsided.

Then cheers erupted from all directions, and applause rang out.

Some people stomped their feet, some whistled, and Zhang Yang's whistle was especially loud, drowning out half of the playground.

Deputy Director Liu's face turned pale instantly.

His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something.

Lin Yucai didn't even look at him.

"Next, I'll talk about two things."