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

He didn't say it loudly.

But the area in front of the school was already empty, so Qian Wenhua still heard it.

He paused, his face immediately darkening.

Chen Zhigang, who was standing nearby, also heard this and felt bitter inside.

Lately, the atmosphere within the school has become increasingly tense.

Previously, the sense of superiority of No. 1 High School mainly came from its academic performance and reputation.

But these two things are too abstract for students.

What they experience most directly is the oppressive schedule, environment, cafeteria, activities, and school uniform.

Ironically, in these places, each of the 13 schools is more adept at organizing than the last.

In comparison, the "prestige of a key high school" of No. 1 High School is starting to look a bit weak.

"Look! Look what's being said outside!"

The first thing Qian Wenhua did after entering the office was to throw his phone on the table.

Chen Zhigang looked down and saw that the screen was full of videos of No. 13 Middle School uniforms and screenshots of trending topics.

One of them is the most eye-catching.

"The most beautiful graduation photo of No. 13 Middle School".

The video below has already garnered over a million views.

"These students have been brainwashed."

Qian Wenhua's tone was cold, and his eyes flashed with a chilling light.

"A lousy school, issuing two sets of clothes, and acting like they've done something earth-shattering."

Chen Zhigang did not respond to that.

Because he knew that the other party had actually done something.

Of course, you can't say these things to someone's face.

"What did they say over there?"

Qian Wenhua gritted his teeth.

"Director Liu hasn't given a clear answer yet."

"What is he waiting for?" Qian Wenhua's face darkened even more. "If he keeps waiting, No. 13 Middle School will become the model for all high schools in the city."

……

Meanwhile, at the Education Bureau, Liu Jianguo wasn't in a much better mood either.

He originally wanted to get the school uniform verification card from the 13th Middle School.

But now public opinion has already taken hold. The TV station had just done a relatively positive feature on No. 13 Middle School, and then the senior high school graduation photos went viral on the local hot search.

At this point, who would dare to stand up and say, "The school uniforms haven't been approved yet, so they can't be issued"?

That's just asking for trouble.

What are these people most afraid of?

They were afraid the parents would get upset.

The 13th Middle School used to be terrible, and nobody spoke up for it, so it was easy to suppress it no matter what.

Things are different now.

Cafeterias, air conditioning, e-sports arenas, school uniforms—one after another.

This has already earned No. 13 Middle School a high level of goodwill among parents and students.

Forcing things at this point will quickly backfire.

"Director, is the school uniform proposal for No. 13 Middle School still pending?"

In the office, Zhao Hongliang tentatively asked.

Liu Jianguo remained silent for a long time, his face grim.

Card?

It's not easy to get a card now.

But he was unwilling to just let it go.

Because he understood better than anyone what this wave of attention surrounding No. 13 Middle School meant.

The middle school entrance exam is not far from over.

The most crucial step next is student recruitment.

Previously, No. 13 Middle School had difficulty recruiting students because it lacked reputation, academic achievements, and a conducive learning environment.

Of these three shortcomings, at least the latter two have been significantly corrected in the public's perception.

If we let the short videos and positive word-of-mouth from parents spread for a while longer, not only will the school not be fully enrolled, but people will probably be scrambling to apply.

If it really comes to that, the reasons for merging No. 13 Middle School will be even less tenable.

He tapped the table, his eyes gradually darkening.

"Don't proactively block the approval process."

Zhao Hongliang was stunned.

"Then let it go?"

"I said we shouldn't take the initiative to block it first." Liu Jianguo's tone was cold. "The public outcry hasn't died down yet, and whoever steps forward now will get criticized."

"But that doesn't mean there's no other way."

You mean...

"Recruitment."

Liu Jianguo leaned back in his chair, his voice low.

"School uniforms, cafeterias, e-sports arenas are all just flashy decorations in the end."

"What truly determines the life or death of a school is the number of new students."

"As long as the enrollment channels are controlled, No. 13 Middle School still won't be able to get in."

"But it's so popular right now, what about the parents...?"

"Popularity is popularity, and policy is policy." Liu Jianguo narrowed his eyes. "The final decision on the interpretation of the city's enrollment plan and application process rests with us."

"With a little skill, you can make it suffer without even making a direct attack."

Zhao Hongliang felt a chill run down his spine.

He knew that Liu Jianguo was preparing to strike at the most critical point.

We need to work on the process, the wording, and the rules for diverting traffic.

This makes it more covert and harder to find fault with.

……

Meanwhile, a lighthearted atmosphere prevailed on the campus of No. 13 Middle School.

After the senior students finished taking their graduation photos, many students walked carefully in the corridor wearing their new school uniforms.

The first and second-year high school students also received their own clothes one after another.

During the ten-minute break between classes, there's always someone in front of the mirror.

The girls helped each other adjust their bow ties and shirt hems, while the boys mostly pretended not to care, but in reality, they all looked in the mirror quite often.

Zhang Yang is the most typical example.

After returning to the dormitory at noon, Skinny Monkey saw him stand in front of the mirror for a full half minute, and even tugged at the collar of his coat.

"Yang-ge, what are you doing?"

"Check if it's crooked."

"Didn't you used to hate school uniforms the most?"

"The past is the past, the present is the present."

"So you admit the new school uniform looks cool?"

Zhang Yang paused, his pride finally giving way.

"It's alright."

"You're really stubborn." Skinny Monkey rolled his eyes.

On the girls' side, Lin Xiaoya had almost become a campus celebrity.

Because she posted the video first.

Even a freshman in high school came to ask her about filters and shooting angles.

As she taught, she herself felt a little dazed.

Two months ago, she never imagined that she would be envied by so many people online because of her school graduation photo.

At noon, Lin Yucai and Su Qingyan passed by the teaching building.

Along the way, the students greeted each other much more frequently.

"Hello, Principal!"

"Hello, Vice Principal Su!"

"Principal, the new school uniform is awesome!"

"Vice Principal Su, the girls' version is really pretty!"

Lin Yucai nodded the whole way, unable to suppress the smile on his face.

Su Qingyan, unusually, didn't have a cold expression. Although she still said, "Don't block the road, hurry back to the classroom," her tone was noticeably more relaxed.

As they reached the edge of the playground, Su Qingyan said in a low voice, "Have you noticed that the way the students look at you has changed lately?"

"Why is it different?"

"It's more like seeing..." She paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully, "...more like seeing one of our own."

"That's good." Lin Yucai smiled.

"You certainly know how to be self-satisfied."

"Vice Principal Su, this is not self-satisfaction, it is a solid foundation among the masses."

"Don't say things like that, Shenhe will really put you in the dark room."

Su Qingyan glanced at him and almost laughed.

As the two were talking, a young man suddenly ran up from the front.

Xiao Chen from the Academic Affairs Office.

"Principal Lin, Vice Principal Su, a few parents have arrived."

"They said they wanted to inquire about transferring schools and student recruitment, so Director Ma asked you to come over."

"So fast?" Su Qingyan paused.

Lin Yucai, however, seemed to have expected this, and raised his chin slightly.

"Let's go."

"Where to?"

"Look how many students this trending topic will bring to our school."