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

After the meeting, Zhao Yuanming carried the materials back to his office, feeling increasingly uneasy.

He wasn't unfamiliar with this kind of tactic.

But this time the target is No. 13 Middle School, which happens to be in the spotlight recently.

If not handled properly, it can easily backfire.

Moreover, he was well aware that Liu Jianguo's targeting of No. 13 Middle School was not solely due to so-called "management regulations".

……

In the evening, Ma Desheng, through an old acquaintance in the Education Bureau, got some more information.

He entered the principal's office with a somber expression.

"You guessed right, Principal."

"Recruitment channels?"

"Yes." Old Ma closed the door and lowered his voice, "Liu Jianguo held a small meeting today, and the people from the admissions department were there too."

"The specific details cannot be confirmed with 100% certainty, but the meaning is clear: we need to focus on volunteer guidance and policy messaging."

Su Qingyan happened to be there as well, and upon hearing this, her brows furrowed immediately.

"Is he insane?"

"He's not crazy, he's just panicked."

Lin Yucai leaned back in his chair, his tone unsurprised.

"Previously, the cafeteria, air conditioning, e-sports arena, and school uniforms were all reforms within the school."

"No matter how much trouble we cause, it will only make things a little more comfortable for No. 13 Middle School."

"But enrollment is different; enrollment can truly revive a school."

Old Ma gritted his teeth. "I knew it. This old bastard wouldn't let this go."

"What should we do?" Su Qingyan looked at Lin Yucai.

Lin Yucai tapped his fingers on the table and remained silent for a few seconds.

"Don't panic."

"They're already struggling with enrollment, aren't you panicking?"

Su Qingyan's tone was clearly angry.

"No matter how much parents and students like the school, they can't stop the Education Bureau from manipulating the reporting criteria."

"Many parents are already afraid of making a wrong move, and with just a few hints, they can persuade most of them to leave."

"I know."

"Then why do you say you're not worried?"

Lin Yucai looked at her and suddenly smiled.

"Because things haven't reached the worst point yet."

"What do you mean?"

"It means that they can only tighten screws in the dark right now, and dare not do it openly."

"As long as they don't dare to act openly, there's always a chance to fight."

Old Ma frowned. "You have an idea?"

"There isn't a complete version yet." Lin Yucai stood up and walked to the window. "But there's one thing I'm very sure of."

"What?"

He turned around, looked at the two of them, and spoke in a very calm tone.

"When it comes to student recruitment, we can't just wait for others to give us an answer."

Su Qingyan was taken aback. "You want to take the initiative?"

"What our school lacks now is not stories."

Lin Yucai gazed at the somewhat old bulletin board by the playground outside the window, his eyes slowly darkening.

"What's missing is an opportunity to truly present these stories to parents."

He had barely finished speaking when his phone suddenly vibrated.

This is a system notification.

【Ding! 】

[A sustained increase in external attention to the school has been detected.]

The hidden element, "Short Video Spread," has met the initial activation requirements.

[Please continue to expand the social influence of No. 13 Middle School.]

Lin Yucai's eyes lit up slightly as he looked at the words.

Then, he looked up and smiled at Su Qingyan and Old Ma.

"I think I know what to do next."

"How do we do it?" Old Ma asked hurriedly.

Lin Yucai put his phone away, turned around, and picked up his coat.

"Let's go to the cafeteria for lunch first."

"..."

Su Qingyan closed her eyes, almost laughing out of anger at him.

"Lin Yucai!"

"Um?"

"You'd better not be keeping us in suspense."

Lin Yucai walked to the door, turned back and gestured with his chin at her.

"A lack of enthusiasm for eating indicates a problem with one's mindset!"

"When you're full, your brain works faster."

After saying that, he opened the door and walked out.

Su Qingyan watched his retreating figure, stamped her foot, and then picked up the documents and followed him.

"Slow down and explain yourself!"

Lin Yucai waved his hand without turning his head.

"If you go too late, you won't be able to get any sweet and sour pork."

……

"Am I still too late?"

When Lin Yucai carried his tray into the cafeteria, there was only one small bowl of sweet and sour pork left.

Zhou Dahai stood behind the window, holding a long spoon in his hand.

Upon seeing Lin Yucai approach, he immediately moved the basin half an inch to the side.

"Principal Lin, you're late. This potted plant was reserved for the senior students."

"Chef Zhou, you've changed." Lin Yucai stopped at the window, looking hurt.

"I'm just following the rules. The seniors have a mock exam tomorrow, so I need to have something sweet to eat."

Zhou Dahai hung the spoon on the edge of the soup pot and spoke cheerfully.

"Principal Lin, you can get full from the other dishes too."

Su Qingyan came from behind carrying a rice tray. Upon hearing this, the corner of her mouth twitched.

Looking at the vegetables, tofu, and half a bowl of soup on his plate, Lin Yucai suddenly felt that the principal's dignity was being severely tested in front of the cafeteria window.

However, he only made a joke before turning around and finding a seat by the window.

Ma Desheng sat down opposite him, still holding the brown paper bag that had just been delivered from the TV station.

"This was just sent by reporter Xu; it's a feedback report from the esports arena special broadcast a few days ago."

Lin Yucai immediately perked up, put down his chopsticks, rubbed his hands together, and tore open the paper bag.

Seeing his actions, Su Qingyan knew that he was already plotting something again.

The report wasn't very thick; it contained viewership data, summaries of parent interviews, a compilation of online comments, and several pages of internal public opinion analysis from the TV station.

"Local discussion volume increased by 340%, and the posts were forwarded more than 2,000 times in parent groups. Negative comments accounted for less than 7%."

Lin Yucai's eyes lit up when he turned to the second page.

"Isn't this a good thing?"

Old Ma's mouth practically stretched to his ears when he heard this.

"Of course it's a good thing."

Lin Yucai continued flipping through the pages, and when he reached the third page, the smile on his lips faded slightly.

That page listed the public opinion surrounding the Education Bureau's admissions information session.

Liu Jianguo did not directly name No. 13 Middle School at the meeting, but he specifically mentioned it when explaining this year's high school enrollment policy.

"When choosing a school, parents should not only look at the cafeteria, uniforms, and recreational facilities, but also the school's core teaching focus. They should be wary of some schools using fancy packaging to cover up their weak teaching foundation."

These words sound grand on the surface, but in reality, they're practically just short of writing the name of No. 13 Middle School on a banner.

Below are a few more screenshots of parent groups.

"Is Director Liu referring to No. 13 Middle School?"

"I originally wanted my child to consider No. 13 Middle School, but now I'm a little scared."

"No matter how good the school environment is, what if they don't really focus on academics?"

"I heard that No. 13 Middle School has canceled morning and evening self-study sessions. Isn't that too lax?"

After reading it, Su Qingyan pressed her finger on the edge of the report, her tone becoming somber.

"He's planting a seed of enmity for parents."

Old Ma's face also fell.

"That's so underhanded. He doesn't directly say bad things about you, but he uses this kind of tone to lead your parents to suspect us."

Lin Yucai put the report back on the table and picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks.

"Of course he'll do it."

Su Qingyan looked at him: "Can you still eat?"

"I can eat it. Liu Jianguo can't crawl out of the report and snatch my chopsticks."