Gao Wu: I'll enjoy the benefits, but you'll bear the side effects.

Standing in the principal's office, Gao Jie felt as if something was stuck in his throat, and for a moment he really didn't know how to say it.

His heart was in turmoil, and he pondered to himself:

After all, Davira's temper was notoriously fiery. It was said that when he got angry, he was like an enraged bull, ready to charge at anyone. If he were to offend the principal, he would be in deep trouble, and might even be killed! Thinking about this, fine beads of sweat unconsciously appeared on his forehead.

Meanwhile, Davidra was completely absorbed in the document in his hand, his eyes glued to the words, his mind racing through all the details related to the event.

Gao Jie's hesitant and evasive manner was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattering the focus.

Davidra frowned slightly, deep wrinkles forming between his brows, his face filled with an increasingly thick fog of doubt.

He reluctantly and slowly put down the document in his hand, his movements showing a hint of impatience at being abruptly interrupted. His fingers unconsciously flicked the edge of the document, making a soft "tap" sound.

Immediately afterwards, he leaned forward, his entire upper body sticking out. His gaze was like two sharp arrows, carrying a scrutinizing meaning, piercing straight through the air and fixing itself firmly on Gao Jie.

After a brief pause, he then asked:

"If you have something to say, just say it already. Don't dawdle here. You seem so strange. I haven't had a moment's rest since I got back last night. I've been carefully considering some issues related to the competition. You haven't come up with any new plans, have you?"

As he spoke, his tone unconsciously rose a few decibels, each word sounding as if it had been wound up tightly, conveying a sense of urgency that echoed nervously in the quiet office.

Gao Jie's heart skipped a beat, as if an invisible hand had gripped his heart tightly, and he was instantly panicked and at a loss.

He instinctively raised his hand and frantically scratched his head, his fingers like a wild animal, haphazardly rummaging through his hair. His once neat hair was instantly turned into a mess, as he tried to ease the tense atmosphere that was about to freeze.

At the same time, he forced a dry laugh that looked more like a grimace and stammered:

"Actually, it's not that I don't have any plans, it's just a little thing that I want to tell you about."

As he spoke, he swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing violently like a restless piston, making a clear "gurgling" sound.

His eyes began to dart around, occasionally stealing glances at the principal's increasingly gloomy face, his gaze timid, like that of a frightened fawn.

After much deliberation, he carefully and deliberately poured out all the gossip about Huang Xu, like spilling beans.

Upon hearing this, Davidra's eyes widened in fury. His already deep eyes now resembled two blazing fire pots, as if they were about to spew out real flames that could instantly incinerate everything in front of him.

He slammed both hands on the table with a loud "bang," causing the documents on the table to jump up and scatter in a mess.

He jumped up from his seat with a "whoosh," almost lifting his butt off the chair.

His face flushed crimson, as red as a ripe tomato about to burst open, the intense color rushing to his forehead. His cheeks bulged, his jaw muscles taut, and he roared through gritted teeth:

"That little brat dares to spread rumors behind my back! I'm going to settle the score with him right now, I'll skin him alive!"

Shouting, he strode aggressively toward the door, his steps quick and heavy, each step like a drumbeat, creating a gust of wind that rustled the scattered papers on the table.

Upon seeing this, Gao Jie was terrified, his heart clenched so tightly it almost jumped out of his throat.

Without hesitation, driven by instinct, he lunged forward, covering several steps in an instant, then spread his arms like an unbreakable wall, blocking the principal's path. He shouted urgently, his voice trembling slightly with extreme anxiety, almost choked with sobs:

"Principal, let's talk this out! If we act impulsively now, killing him won't do any good. If we really do something to him, and word gets out, people will only be more convinced that we're up to something, and then we'll be in deep trouble!"

Devil was so angry at being stopped like this that he trembled all over, his body shaking uncontrollably.

He extended his right index finger, the knuckles white from excessive force, resembling a sharp bone spur, and angrily pointed it at Gao Jie's nose, the tip almost poking Gao Jie's face, as he viciously cursed:

"So you're just going to let him go now? Pretend nothing happened? He ruined my reputation! Where am I supposed to put my face now?! I have to make him pay! He absolutely can't be let off easily!"

After saying that, he struggled to the side, his shoulders shaking violently, trying to shake off Gao Jie, and continued to stride towards the door, as if no one could stop his steps toward revenge.

Davidra charged forward angrily, and Gao Jie tried his best to stop her. In the midst of their shoving, the principal accidentally crashed straight into Gao Jie.

The collision caused both of them to sway violently and stagger.

Before they could even regain their footing, a soft creak was heard, like a sudden clap of thunder, as the discipline master pushed open the door and entered.

The moment the discipline master stepped into the office, he saw this chaotic and somewhat ambiguous scene and froze on the spot, as if he had been subjected to a powerful spell to freeze him in place.

His expression froze instantly, his mouth gaped open so wide it could fit an egg, and he couldn't close it for a long time. His eyes were wide open, almost bulging out. He really didn't expect to encounter such an unexpected scene.

As soon as Davidra saw the discipline master, he instantly recalled the frustrating experience of being tortured until his legs went numb the night before. Those infuriating scenes flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern, and all the old and new grudges surged into his heart. The fire suddenly flared up even higher and brighter, as if a bucket of gasoline had been poured on it.

He whirled around and strode toward the discipline master, each step making a loud thud on the floor as if he wanted to punch a hole in it. As he walked, he raised his arm high, drawing a sharp arc in the air, and pointed his finger sharply at the man's nose, launching into a barrage of accusations:

"Look at you, what have you been doing all day! Last night you were all lovey-dovey and making a ruckus, and now you're here to cause trouble again!" The voice echoed in the office, hitting the walls and bouncing back, making everyone's ears ring. The entire office was filled with this anger.

The discipline director was completely bewildered and aggrieved, having no idea what had happened. He was utterly confused. He figured he must have done something wrong to anger the principal. Since the principal liked to yell at him, he could only lower his head and remain silent, letting the principal's rage pour over him like a raging flood.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Gao Jie seized the opportunity and decided it was not a good place to stay. Without saying a word, he crouched down and tiptoed away.

He walked very lightly, as if afraid of making the slightest sound. The soles of his shoes gently rubbed the ground. He moved as fast as the wind and disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving only a faint trace of the wind.

At this moment, Huang Muran, Xu Rourou, and Huang Xu were standing downstairs.

Huang Xu was extremely anxious, like an ant on a hot pan, his face full of worry, unable to calm down for a moment.

Every now and then he would stand on tiptoe, stretch his neck out to look to the left, as if he wanted to see through the air to the left, his eyes full of eager searching.

A moment later, he anxiously craned his neck to look to the right, his hands fidgeting nervously, his fingers turning red and his knuckles white, as if he were waiting for some life-or-death judgment, or as if he was filled with fear of the unknown situation to come. That feeling was indescribable. A strong sense of anxiety permeated his whole being, which could be felt by others from a distance, as if he were shrouded in a dark cloud.

Seeing his demeanor, Huang Muran couldn't help but smile mischievously, teasing him:

"Look at you, all flustered! As the saying goes, things will work themselves out in the end. I feel like I've already overcome countless obstacles. You're exaggerating! If I were you, I wouldn't be flustered at all. I'd just want to see what he can do to me!"

There was a hint of leisurely contentment in his tone.

Huang Xu rolled his eyes in annoyance and yelled at Huang Muran:

"Hey girl, can you stop making sarcastic remarks? Things have gotten to this point, this is definitely going to be serious! What if the principal doesn't let me off the hook? Do you think I'll have to transfer schools?"

At this point, his eyes widened in terror, and he instinctively covered his mouth with his hands.

"If I transfer schools, my dad will definitely beat me to death with a belt. Oh my god, am I really going to be killed by my dad?"

Her voice was trembling with tears.

Seeing him like this, Xu Rourou gently patted Huang Xu's shoulder, her hand carrying a touch of tender warmth, and softly comforted him:

"Alright, alright, seeing how flustered you are, I don't think you need to be so nervous. Even if you're making a scene, how far can it go? You should sincerely apologize when you need to, and learn from this experience. Don't cause trouble that you shouldn't cause in the future. If you remember this, then nothing will happen, right?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Xu sighed heavily, his head drooping like a deflated balloon.

"What you said is as good as saying nothing. I really don't know what to do now." The voice was full of frustration.

Just then, Gao Jie appeared at the corner and strode towards them.

Huang Xu's eyes lit up instantly, as if he had seen the dawn in the darkness. He quickly ran over and grabbed Gao Jie's arm tightly with both hands like vises, so strong that he almost made Gao Jie stumble. He then began to question Gao Jie carefully:

"How's it going? Has the problem been resolved? Is the principal still not letting me off the hook? If so, what am I going to do?"

He spoke as fast as a machine gun.

Seeing Huang Xu's flustered state, Gao Jie couldn't help but smile slightly. He gently patted Huang Xu's hand, the gesture soothing, and said in a light and indulgent tone:

"Don't rush, let me explain slowly."

He paused, his smile fading slightly, and his expression turned serious.

"Alright, they didn't say anything too extreme, but you caused this trouble, so you have to apologize. Otherwise, I can't guarantee your safety. You know the principal's temper; if he gets really angry, he might fight you to the death."

Upon hearing this, Huang Xu nodded vigorously, his face full of sincerity.

"I understand, I will definitely apologize, don't worry!" There was a resolute look in his eyes.

After Gao Jie finished speaking, he slowly stretched and yawned, his bones making a series of soft "crackling" sounds, as if the ordeal had exhausted him.

He looked around and then noticed a group of people gathered together. Curious, he casually asked:

"Why are you all gathered here? Is there something important you want to discuss?"

Xu Rongrong gently shook her head, her ponytails swaying on either side of her head. She pouted and said:

"What do we have to discuss? Didn't this guy call us here?"

As she spoke, she pointed at Huang Xu with a hint of helplessness in her eyes.

"There aren't any major problems. We've already come this far, so instead of worrying, let's just share our thoughts. As for other irrelevant issues, let's not think about them too much for now; thinking too much will only give us a headache."

"Gao Jie, I want to know how you dealt with the principal's matter?" Huang Muran tilted his head, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Upon hearing this, Gao Jie frowned slightly, thought about it carefully, and a serious expression appeared on his face.

He knew very well that the current situation was extremely difficult to handle; it was like a tangled mess that he couldn't untangle no matter how hard he tried.

"The main reason is that other schools have already done all the preparations perfectly, but we haven't taken any substantial steps yet. If we just keep dragging this out, we might really encounter a lot of thorny problems later."

He sighed and waved his hand.

"Forget it, let's talk about this later. What's the point of us being so anxious here? It won't solve anything."

At this point, Gao Jie seemed to suddenly remember something, his eyes lit up, and he raised his voice.

"Don't just stand there, let's go eat! The principal said the school is improving our meals these past few days, so if we go too late, we might not get anything good, and all the good dishes might be gone!"

Upon hearing this, the stomachs of the group rumbled simultaneously, as if they had made a pact. They exchanged smiles and then headed to the cafeteria together.

Just as Gao Jie was walking and chatting with everyone near the cafeteria, he suddenly stopped as if frozen in place. His gaze fixed on something not far ahead, and the smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by surprise.

"Huang Xu, look." He gently tugged at Huang Xu's sleeve and whispered.

Huang Xu was chatting enthusiastically with Xu Rourou and Huang Muran when he suddenly heard this and was stunned for a moment. He looked up in the direction of Gao Jie's gaze and saw Guo Lan'er standing gracefully not far away.

Unexpectedly, upon seeing them arrive, Guo Lan'er walked over gracefully and confidently, a faint smile on her face. She first sized them up, her eyes scrutinizing them, before slowly speaking:

"Look at this 18-year-old, so vibrant and full of life, it's really great."

She gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and continued speaking.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm a judge for the upcoming important competition. I'm here today to talk to you about the progress of the competition. Who's the team captain? Let's talk about that separately."

No sooner had Guo Lan'er finished speaking than Huang Xu, without even thinking, pointed his finger directly at Gao Jie and shouted:

"This is our captain, Gao Jie."

As she spoke, she nudged Gao Jie from behind, saying, "Go and have a good talk with the judges."

Gao Jie was a little stunned by this sudden situation. Before he could react, Guo Lan'er had already gracefully walked over.

Faced with this situation, Gao Jie was at a loss for words and stood there somewhat bewildered. Guo Lan'er, on the other hand, remained calm, smiled gently, and said softly, "Let's go, let's talk over here." With that, she walked towards a bench nearby.

Gao Jie was puzzled. He scratched his head and could only follow.

The two sat on a bench, and Guo Lan'er didn't beat around the bush, stating her meaning directly.

She took a card from her elegant handbag and handed it to Gao Jie, her eyes revealing an unwavering certainty that brooked no refusal.

"I know your family situations aren't very good, and I don't mean anything by it. There's about 50 in this card. If you can get your team members to cooperate with me during the match, the money is yours."

She narrowed her eyes slightly and emphasized, "Of course, you absolutely can't mess this up, or it'll cause a lot of trouble later."

Gao Jie never expected that Guo Lan'er had come to see him specifically to bribe him.

His surprise instantly turned into seriousness, and without hesitation, he pushed the card back, his eyes revealing a resolute look.

"I'm sorry, I don't have any plans in that regard at the moment, and we're not short of money right now. The principal has already taken care of all the problems that needed to be solved for us."

He straightened his chest and continued, neither humble nor arrogant.

"As for how my classmates perform, that's their skill, it has nothing to do with me. They will play freely, and I will do my best in the competition."

At this point, Gao Jie slightly raised his chin.

"Besides, our principal gives even higher rewards than this. Your approach won't work on me."

He looked at Guo Lan'er, his eyes filled with pleading. "Please, have some respect for us. You shouldn't treat us like this, don't you think?"