Fake Slackers

Chapter 18: Give up and go to the next question

A new day.

A yell pierced the vestiges of morning mist and shook everyone to crisp alertness.

"Stand up straight! All of you get over here and stand properly."

"Don't stare at the damn floor. Do you think it's going to grow flowers? Don't be shy. No need to be shy. You've already thrown away all your dignity anyway."

"Back straight! Heads up! Look forward. Look into my eyes."

A dozen or so people stood proudly by the bronze statue in the entryway of Liyang Erzhong. They stood in two rows, their heads hanging and the backpacks they carried drooping heavily.

Those not fully awake had been yelled at so loudly their sleeping bugs¹ had all flown away. They flinched on the spot, trembling.

One of the male students couldn't stop himself. He looked up and glanced at the Dean of Students, then lowered his head again and whispered, "...Mad Dog."

'Mad Dog' Dean Jiang's ears faintly caught something. He pointed to the students and raised his voice. "Who's talking!"

The man's chest heaved wildly. On his nose was perched a pair of gold-framed spectacles, but it didn't give him any air of scholarly elegance. In his hand he held a name chart which recorded the names of tardy students. Those who were late more than three times would be recorded on the last page of the chart—the blacklist.

The nickname 'Mad Dog' had been around a long time, coined by students a few years back and passed down. Everyone said that you must never provoke this Dean Jiang. The legendary Mad Dog was more terrifying than even a tigress.

Dean Jiang's eyes narrowed. He walked from the head of the line to the end with a sneer on his face. "—Late. Not even a few days into the new term and you're already playing the late game."

He walked down the line again, then suddenly stopped. The other students held their breaths and Dean Jiang's voice rose again. "He Zhao? What's the situation?!"

He Zhao stepped forward. "I was late."

"You're living in the dorms this semester and I still catch you at the school gates." Dean Jiang indicated for the other students to go back to class, keeping just He Zhao. "All right. Your ability to break the school rules is really something else."

He Zhao said that he had gone for a morning run and forgotten the time.

Dean Jiang looked at He Zhao, who was impossibly neat and clean. He would even be able to smell the detergent from his clothes if he were to get closer.

Morning run, my ass. More like an old man stroll.

Dean Jiang didn't bother quibbling further. He looked at the time: it was ten minutes past the start of class. He said, "The usual."

"Reflection essay, I know." He Zhao walked forward as he said, "I'll deliver it to your office by lunch. See you, Dean Jiang."

Seeing He Zhao about to disappear, Dean Jiang said, "Wait, come back."

He Zhao stopped.

Dean Jiang said, "What's up with that petition from your class?"

After the series of dramatic events, Xu Xia didn't receive any punishment, but her transfer to the Experimental High School was a lost cause. Her superior saw that she sincerely admitted her mistake and he didn't pursue the matter further on account of her having taught for more than a decade.

What made the school officer's head hurt was that the students of class 3 wanted to change their form teacher.

When He Zhao mentioned this, he had initially thought no one in class would agree. Class 3 was usually very silent and the students usually kept quiet, but now everyone's dislike for Xu Xia suddenly burst forth.