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Zhang Tiancheng stared at the exchange student agreement, his fists clenched.
He understood now; he'd been used as a pawn by Shen Congwu!
No wonder he hadn't shown the agreement initially, and hadn't said a word—he was using him to divert attention before presenting himself as the good guy.
Damn it, what a scoundrel!
He really wanted to beat him up.
But it had to be said, Shen Congwu's gamble was unwise— high-cost and low-return.
Even if Ling Qingxue did get into one of the top three martial arts universities, the return would likely be less than the cost Shen Congwu had incurred.
Unless Ling Qingxue could directly make it into the top thirty in the martial arts exam, in which case, the reward would be amazing.
But reaching the top ten? No way, that's a pipe dream…
"Old Shen, you are crazy to think Lingtian Middle School can surpass Nanhua Middle School!" Zhang Tiancheng gritted his teeth.
Shen Congwu smiled slightly.
"High school rankings are meaningless; geniuses are what truly matter. Geniuses are the main force against magical beasts. I, Shen Congwu, am more than happy to contribute to cultivating a super genius!"
"In front of Director Lin, I hereby promise that Lingtian Middle School will provide Ling Qingxue with the highest level of training, treating her equally without discrimination, respecting her personal will, not forcibly interfering with her cultivation, and personally escorting her back to Linjiang Middle School before the national martial arts exam!"
Hearing this, Lin Zhennan was somewhat incredulous.
This was practically free labor!
Ling Qingxue wasn't even a student of Lingtian Middle School. Unless her martial arts exam score approached the best ever in Nanchuan Province and ranked among the top thirty nationally, it was a waste of effort.
Lin Zhennan looked at him seriously. "Principal Shen, are you sure? This is no joke!"
Shen Congwu nodded with a smile. "Of course I'm sure!"
"Then what do you think, Principal Liu?" he asked again.
Liu Qingshan frowned, somewhat undecided. "I'll have to wait two days until Qingxue returns to discuss it with her. If Principal Shen can stay at our school for a couple of days, I'll have someone arrange accommodations."
"Of course! I'd love to see this genius in person," Shen Congwu replied with a smile.
Then, Liu Qingshan called out toward the entrance of the meeting room.
"Old Li, quickly have someone prepare two clean rooms for Director Lin and Principal Shen to rest. They've had a long journey and need a good rest."
"Yes, Principal!"
Liu Qingshan smiled at Lin Zhennan and Shen Congwu.
"Please forgive us, gentlemen, but conditions at Linjiang Middle School are rather rough. If you need anything, please let me know, and I will try my best to accommodate you."
Lin Zhennan waved his hand. "It's nothing. We came uninvited. We're all martial artists, and we're used to hardships."
"This way, please. You can rest first, or you can take a walk around our school. I'll have someone call you as soon as Qingxue returns."
"Sure, Principal Liu, please continue with your work. We'll just take a walk ourselves."
Liu Qingshan saw the two off, then looked coldly at Zhang Tiancheng.
"Linjiang Middle School is too small to accommodate a big shot like Principal Zhang, so goodbye!"
Zhang Tiancheng was furious. "This countryside is full of troublemakers!"
He walked away cursing.
"Old Li, put up a sign at the entrance of my Linjiang Middle School that says 'Zhang Tian and dogs are not allowed' in bold!
Hearing this, Zhang Tiancheng almost stumbled.
You might as well just write my full name!
"What a troublemaker, utterly unreasonable!"
Li Hui looked at his old principal with a wry smile.
"Principal, aren't you completely offending Zhang Tiancheng by doing this?"
Liu Qingshan sneered. "So what if I offend him? He has no leverage over Linjiang Middle School. That old bastard has a foul mouth. He should just get out of here!"
Li Hui pulled up a chair and sat down next to Liu Qingshan.
"Principal Shen's exchange student proposal seems like a complete loss, so why does he seem so happy about it?" Li Hui asked, puzzled.
"Because he's gambling!" Liu Qingshan narrowed his eyes.
Li Hui scratched his head, confused. "Gambling on what? Is he betting that Qingxue can break the best record in Nanchuan Province?"
Liu Qingshan smiled, and he actually nodded.
"You guessed right. Shen Congwu appears calm on the surface, but he's just as anxious inside. He's still going to gamble, though. I suspect he's figured out some details about Qingxue's magical beast, which is why he dares to take such a huge risk!"
Ling Qingxue's current strength was at most at the threshold of the top ten martial arts universities; aiming higher was extremely difficult.
Firstly, there were the resources, and secondly, there was the limited time.
With only three and a half months left, even with careful time management, there were only about a hundred days at her disposal.
Trying to break through and achieve a comeback was like winning the lottery.
Shen Congwu wouldn't gamble so heavily without a certain level of confidence.
After all, even a wealthy school like Lingtian Middle School had limited resources.
They needed to prioritize their own students while also taking care of Ling Qingxue, so they were likely stretched thin.
Furthermore, Ling Qingxue's arrival at Lingtian Middle School would definitely cause dissatisfaction and resistance from the entire student body. Who would want to share their resources with an outsider?
The martial arts exam only happened once. Everyone would give it their all.
"Will you really agree to let Qingxue go to Lingtian Middle School?" Li Hui asked.
Liu Qingshan smiled again. "Why not? I was just worried about not having enough resources to give Qingxue another push. Shen Congwu's arrival is perfect!
Lingtian Middle School's educational resources far surpass those of Linjiang Middle School. It has eight secret places, two of which are intermediate-level. Qingxue especially loves secret places; it's her best opportunity for improvement. Of course I won't stop her."
"But aren't you afraid that Shen Congwu will interfere and use underhanded methods to get her transferred to Lingtian Middle School?" Li Hui asked.
Human hearts were unpredictable, and it was especially difficult to maintain one's integrity when faced with money.
Ling Qingxue was just an eighteen-year-old girl; could she resist temptation?
Li Hui had no confidence whatsoever.
Even he couldn't resist the temptation of extra money.
Liu Qingshan radiated confidence. "I've always had a good eye for people. If Shen Congwu really manages to trick her away, then I'll just accept my bad luck. Anyway, Linjiang Middle School has already hit rock bottom; how much lower can it go?"
"Principal, you really have a good attitude..."
Liu Qingshan shrugged. "What else can I do? Die if I can't produce good students? The school has no resources. The students are practically starving. I have to be flexible."
If Linjiang Middle School truly couldn't support Ling Qingxue's growth, Liu Qingshan might even entertain the painful thought of sending her to another high school.
He couldn't just cut off her path in martial arts.
There were only so many geniuses. If they weren't discovered, so be it. But since they were, they should naturally be nurtured with everything available, creating top-tier martial artists for the country.
Teaching and nurturing students was the duty of educators.
Students were not material for schools and teachers to fight over...
They were the bright future of the Blue Star World!