Chapter 03: Each of the three brothers has a criminal record
The two individuals at the back followed slowly, and the class teacher, Ren Qun, quietly asked the class representative, "Hua Ting, was it the 222 dormitory that did it?"
Ah... these few students, they are about to graduate yet still cause so much trouble. It's one thing for Lei Dapeng, a mischievous preparatory student, but Si Muxian, who has always had good grades, also joins in their antics. And then there's Dan Yong, who seems to stir up trouble every semester; there's really no way to deal with him
It seems you even slept through that. On the bed, there were sounds of murmuring and tossing, as Lei Dapeng rolled over, causing the bed to creak loudly. With great difficulty, he opened his eyes a crack, mumbling complaints to Si Muxian not to disturb his rest. However, upon seeing the department head's face, he was startled and sprang up. This sudden movement was not without consequence; he exposed himself completely, revealing his bare back and bottom, which frightened Teacher Ren and Wang Huating, who were just at the door, causing them to retreat in shock. Director Shi was truly at a loss with this lazy fellow and, somewhat angrily, remarked: "It's broad daylight; why aren't you dressed?"
As for the content, it was not very clear. The meeting lasted for over an hour. A few members of the Chinese Department had just exited the restaurant when the department head, Wang Hengbin, arranged for several key members from each class to go to the dormitories to gather information as instructed by the school leaders. After briefly discussing a few points, he heard someone calling him from behind. When he turned around, it was Director Shi Chunhuai from the Student Affairs Office waving at him, followed by Ren Qun, the homeroom teacher of Class 2 of the senior year, and Wang Huating, the class's Youth League secretary.
As expected, Director Shi often mentioned: "We have been monitoring several active individuals in each class. In your department, the students from Class 2 of the fourth year, those who are registered, we will visit them one by one. That student named Lei Dapeng has been frequently posting notices in front of the girls' dormitory, causing a scene. When Officer Liu saw him, he was also inciting... And then there is that student who often writes articles in opposition, exposing our school in the provincial newspaper. Yes, his name is Si Muxian... This student is quite remarkable, and he is also a forum moderator, with records filed in the information security department of the Public Security Bureau.
Director Shi adjusted his old-fashioned black-rimmed glasses, holding a small notebook that showed signs of wear in several places. The notebook, as old as its owner, recorded the misdeeds of various students, with a particular emphasis on one: "The most important one is this student named Shan Yong, who even organized a sit-in protest. A notable figure indeed; it's the first time I've heard of a student being able to bring a teacher down from their position... We must not underestimate today's students. They neglect their studies, fail to learn anything useful, and bring all the negative influences from society into the school."
"I sleep naked; it's not like I'm running around naked. Even if I were, it's a form of performance art. What wrong have I done?" Lei Dapeng said, twisting his head, clearly displeased as he retorted to the director. Si Muxian, at least understanding the situation, directly handed him a piece of clothing. Director Wang urged Lei Dapeng to put on his clothes and then insisted he wash his face. Lei Dapeng, still unhappy, took a basin to the water room next door. At this moment, the class teacher Ren Qun and Wang Huating finally dared to enter the dormitory.
"In a literature theory class, it seems I haven't seen them," Wang Huating whispered, trying hard to recall, but indeed could not remember these few individuals. It was no wonder, as by the fourth grade, skipping classes had become increasingly common, and with several classes sharing the same large lecture, unless attendance was taken, it was impossible to know if a dozen or twenty people were absent.
At this moment, Director Shi impatiently urged: "Come on, there are only these three from your department in the fourth year, let's investigate each one... Xiao Wang, you are the class's Youth League secretary, right? Which dormitory are these individuals in? Just in time, your class teacher and department head are both here, let's go together."
Well, nothing good comes of it
In an instant, the atmosphere in the 222 dormitory, known for producing eccentric individuals, became inexplicably tense
Wang Hengbin, who went up first, was quite familiar with the route. He turned onto the stairs of the He-Tu-Shu building, walked past the water room, and knocked on the door of the adjacent dormitory 222. After a brief pause, when the creaky door opened, Si Muxian peeked out and said in surprise, "Oh? Director Wang, what brings you here"
"What classes do we have this morning? Have you seen a few of them?" the homeroom teacher asked
It is evidently a case of sophistry, as the issue has been attributed to these few individuals in Class Two without any investigation. Department Head Wang Hengbin curled his lip; Director Shi's stubborn and difficult personality is related to his past experiences, which are almost like the aftereffects of being criticized by students during a special period. Consequently, his treatment of mischievous students is even more severe than class hatred. When faced with such students, even the department head and class teacher cannot escape being caught in the crossfire.
In this line, the four individuals each harbor their own thoughts. The department head walks the fastest, followed closely by the tall and thin Director Shi, who has a hunched back. Both of them wear grim expressions. As they enter the dormitory, the students they pass all recognize this Director Shi, who seems to have crossed over from the last century, and they hurriedly step aside in silence. There is no way to avoid it; this Director Shi has little regard for students' attire beyond school uniforms, and hairstyles other than crew cuts hardly catch his eye. If you dare to wear eccentric clothing or sport a trendy hairstyle, be prepared for a reprimand. Fortunately, today he is preoccupied with his own concerns and does not focus on the students he finds displeasing, heading straight for the second-floor dormitory.
It is fortunate that our own student, Teacher Ren Qun, maintained a statement: "Director Shi, hasn't this matter already been addressed by our school? Moreover, regarding the incident with Teacher Qin, it is indeed true that the quality of our teaching staff is uneven."
Ms. Ren Qun, a gentle middle-aged teacher, has always had a good reputation among her students, but her efforts to maintain this reputation have been rather weak and misdirected. Director Shi countered from another perspective: "The teacher is indeed at fault, but this also reflects that these students fundamentally lack the most basic respect for their teacher. Ms. Ren, can you count how many troublemakers are in your class? There are certainly not few. You cannot always protect the students; those mischievous troublemakers must be dealt with seriously to serve as a warning to others. This has already gone too far; next, are we going to cancel classes? Do you want to drag the teacher out for a public denunciation?"
Director Shi did not expect to be caught in the same situation, and after a brief pause, he followed Director Wang's steps toward the dormitory
What is going on? Wang Hengbin saw the dejected expression on the face of the class teacher and the Youth League secretary of Class Two, and his heart skipped a beat, filled with a vague sense of foreboding. Class Two of the senior year was a class plagued by misfortune; over the past four years, one student had been expelled, another had committed suicide by jumping off a building, and there were two cases of attempted suicide. As for love affairs, jealousy, and fights that left people bloodied, there were even more incidents. This class had experienced more events than Wang Hengbin had in his decades of teaching. After arranging for a few male and female students from the lower grades to leave separately, he approached with a hint of confusion and greeted, "Is there still an arrangement, Director Shi?"
Teacher Ren shook his head, as if speaking to himself, stating that students who could give Director Shi a headache were generally not ordinary students. Now that these extraordinary few had gathered in his class, Ren Qun felt that not only he, but even if that educational expert were invited, it would be an exhausting task.
Upon hearing this question, both the class teacher and the league branch secretary furrowed their brows, seemingly experiencing a particular emotion. This emotion was immediately confirmed by the department head's words, who helplessly waved his hand and said: "There is no need to make it so complicated; they all live in the same dormitory"
"This... I also don't know." Wang Huating pressed her lips together, her expression indicating great difficulty.
In order to prevent the situation from escalating, the university party committee instructed the student affairs office to participate in the aftermath work... There are several key classes that our student affairs office will visit one by one in coordination with the department leaders. Director Shi, whose name is indeed fitting, had a serious and unsmiling expression that was darker than the bark of an old locust tree, and his stern demeanor had persisted for so long that it made his face appear elongated. Director Wang felt a sudden jolt in his heart and glanced at the class teacher, Ren Qun. Ren Qun consciously avoided the gaze of the department head, feeling guilty for the class he was in charge of, as it had not contributed positively to the department, which was truly disappointing to the leadership.
It seems that the instigator is indeed the primary target of Director Shi Chunhuai's focus. He also recounted several misdeeds of this student named Shan Yong, whose influence is evidently greater than that of Lei Dapeng and Si Muxian combined. Not only Director Shi, but even the department head Wang Hengbin and Ren Qun were somewhat unsettled upon hearing this name
Apart from attending classes, it is rare to even see the teacher in person. The department head visiting the students' dormitory is an uncommon occurrence. Wang Hengbin was about to push the door open when he was inexplicably stopped by Si Muxian. Behind him, Shi Chunhuai reached out and unceremoniously pushed the door open. Before Si Muxian could intervene, he hurriedly stepped forward and gently called to Lei Dapeng, who was covered by a blanket on the lower bunk to his left: "Get up quickly, the department head is here."
The university dormitory has a uniform layout, featuring bunk beds and single desks, both simple and shabby. The four unexpected guests at the entrance all looked at Si Muxian without saying a word. Si Muxian, who is thin and short, appears to be a compliant character, and would not stand out even among the high school students of the affiliated school. In this regard, even Director Shi could not associate him with the image of a leader rallying others to action, but rather had some doubts about the rather villainous-looking Lei Dapeng. Ren Qun and Department Head Wang Hengbin breathed a sigh of relief, as the most troublesome and likely to incite trouble, Dan Yong, was not present. With only Si Muxian and Lei Dapeng, there was unlikely to be any issues.
Ren Qun, the class teacher, and Wang Hengbin exchanged glances. This refers to an incident that occurred a year ago, which began when a certain public course teacher promoted books to students, with the author being the teacher themselves. Such occurrences have become an understood unspoken rule in universities; teachers earn money for personal use, while students gain credits to avoid failing the course, making it a win-win business. However, there was one individual who refused to comply and insisted on exposing the matter outside the department, bringing it to the school, the education bureau, and spreading it widely online. The school had no choice but to address the issue, merely putting on a show by giving a symbolic warning to the substitute teacher and transferring them from their original position. Thus, the first incident of a student overturning a teacher was born.
Teacher Ren sighed and remained silent. Wang Huating walked mechanically, glancing at the homeroom teacher. This teacher, who taught ancient literature, had a good reputation among the students; he was both humble and compassionate, treating students kindly. Particularly, his strong scholarly demeanor attracted the girls in the class, some of whom even imitated his hairstyle. Generally, there were not many issues in the class, and when there were, the class leaders could handle them. However, matters concerning Dormitory 222 were an exception. Whenever something happened in that dormitory, one could always see Teacher Ren's furrowed brow. The three unique individuals in the class were well-known not only in the department but also throughout the school. Even if Wang Huating wanted to help alleviate the situation, she felt somewhat powerless.
A "serious incident" of student protests occurred at Luzhou University.
The students gathered around the restaurant did not disperse. This unofficial "serious" news spread online in the morning, especially with the several large posters featuring flamboyant calligraphy that were photographed and circulated on the campus network and in the Luozhou forum. It is rumored that reporters from the city television station and city newspaper also came to conduct interviews, creating quite a stir. The school administration urgently organized the office, student affairs, security department, and various departmental offices, from the party committee of each department to the class teachers, along with the school's logistical support department. Some were tasked with blocking the interviewing reporters, while others were all summoned to the large dining hall for an on-site meeting.
Can the truth be found here? What exactly is the truth? Several individuals have their own thoughts, yet none have taken the initiative to speak up. Si Muxian is momentarily at a loss, feeling a bit suspicious that Lei Dapeng might be entangled in some issue with the department or the student affairs office.