Chapter 9, Taking Advantage of the Chaos

Zhang Guofu does not believe that he has wronged his nephew. His elder brother and sister-in-law were involved in a car accident, and the new house still has a mortgage. Even though it has just been renovated and they have not yet moved in, it is still inauspicious. He bought it out of familial affection.

Is it finished?

Zhang Chi is an exceptional case; both of his parents have passed away, and most of his relatives are no longer present. The guardian listed is his uncle, Zhang Guofu, so he can only be invited. In fact, the school is very familiar with Zhang Chi's situation and has previously attempted to invite his guardian, but as the guardian, Zhang Guofu always has endless excuses and has never appeared on campus.

Zhang Guofu's original intention was not to embezzle his meager living expenses; the 260 yuan he saved each month was indeed for his future education. Given his current pitiful state, it is hardly hopeful for him to attend university, and it is uncertain whether he can even successfully obtain his high school diploma.

Original demolition and reconstruction, houses within the Third Ring Road are priced at 4,100 per square meter, which everyone knows is a fortunate opportunity that has fallen from the sky

Zhang Guofu came today to pick up his nephew, intending to have a serious talk with this rather foolish nephew. He wanted to see where he had placed the property certificate and the notarized documents, coaxing him to go and get another notarization done, preferably to transfer the small house into his own name, so that he would then qualify for purchasing a property

If it were not for Zhong Xiangnan's insistence, the director of education would not have called Zhang Guofu

Zhang Guofu was taken aback by the sudden retort. It has been three years, a full three years, and this foolish boy has not even called him "uncle," let alone said anything else. The only constant in their interactions is that on the 12th of every month at noon, this boy will be waiting precisely at the door of the district notary office to collect his living expenses, regardless of wind or rain, unwavering.

Zhang Chi hopes that one day he will also own a car of his own. The ideals are abundant, but the reality is stark; the one hundred and seventy yuan he has in his pocket is not even enough for a single maintenance service for a BMW. The young man wishes to take a strand of horsehair as a memento, but unfortunately, after circling around three times, he found nothing. The exhaust pipe? A bit too thick.

It is not uncommon for students in this cohort, who are approaching the college entrance examination, to confront their teachers, as each student experiences restlessness and confusion in their hearts before facing the critical juncture of life decisions

Zhang Guofu, at the age of 43, experienced premature balding. Due to his early hair loss, he had to adopt a clever strategy of local support for the central area, concentrating the hair at the back of his head to cover his bald forehead, and then using a large amount of hair gel to secure it in place

Throughout the entire denunciation process, Zhong Xiangnan consistently maintained that Zhang Chi's mind was perfectly sound, and even suggested that he was somewhat pretending to be foolish while deceiving others

Zhong Xiangnan comes from a well-off family, and the only BMW 530 at Beichen Middle School is his vehicle. Although the car cannot be considered a true luxury vehicle, it stands out remarkably among the teachers who lead a life of integrity and simplicity.

On this occasion, Zhang Guofu unexpectedly arrived. Coincidentally, when the director of education made the phone call, he was waiting at the school gate for Zhang Chi to finish classes. This was the first time for both him and Zhang Chi.

He admitted that he did not take enough care of this nephew, but helplessly, he had a fierce wife and could not ruin his relatively comfortable and happy family life for the sake of a foolish and dazed nephew

Zhang Guofu was scolded for more than half an hour by the director of the academic affairs office and the physical education teacher. His explanation throughout was just a few sentences: this child is an orphan, he suffered a brain injury in a car accident, and his mental state is not normal. In short, this child has a problem with his mind, so do not treat him as a normal person.

What brings you here

From a distance, it appears to have a somewhat lush growth of hair, but upon closer inspection, it resembles a peculiar hat, exuding an indescribable sense of absurdity

Although there was some financial advantage, it ultimately alleviated Zhang Chi's urgent predicament. The debts left by my elder brother were all resolved by myself; although I did not spend money, I certainly exerted considerable effort

Zhang Chi's indifferent gaze is interpreted by outsiders as vacant and lifeless. Zhang Guofu was clearly unaware of the transformative changes that had taken place in his nephew over the past two days. He sighed and said: "You, you just can't show a bit of spirit. You've brought shame to the entire Zhang family."

However, after a stern reprimand, Zhong Xiangnan calmed down. He realized that everyone, including the head teacher, regarded Zhang Chi as a person with impaired intellect and diminished intelligence. If he insisted on pursuing the matter further, it would only lead to ridicule. The final resolution of this incident was for Zhang Chi to conduct a thorough self-reflection, publicly read it at the class meeting, and apologize to Zhong Xiangnan

A dull cough sounded behind him, and Zhang Chi raised his head to see his uncle Zhang Guofu approaching with a sullen expression. Zhang Chi looked at this so-called uncle, a relative whose intelligence and emotional quotient could only be considered average, his expression and gaze equally indifferent

Zhang Guofu is under the strict control of his wife. Ever since the small house where Zhang Chi lived was included in the demolition zone, his home has been filled with unrest. His wife scolds him for being short-sighted, likening him to a foolish person sitting on a stone, losing much for the sake of a small gain. To give up half of his inheritance rights for the sake of a mere 90,000 yuan seemed like an unwise decision in hindsight. Yet, this extravagant woman forgets that it was she who encouraged him to act that way in the first place

Zhang Chi turned around and left

Zhang Guofu has worked at the district notary office for twenty years, yet he remains an ordinary notary. Throughout his life, he has performed countless notarizations, and at one point, he believed that his most successful notarization was offsetting his half inheritance rights to an old, dilapidated house left by his father against a transaction amount of 100,000. It is worth noting that at that time, the market price of that small, shabby house was only 20,000, and half of the inheritance rights were worth merely 10,000

Zhang Guofu agreed to everything, believing that the school was making a big deal out of a small issue. It was well known that Zhang Chi had some problems with his mental faculties, so why should they be so relentless with a student who had issues with his intelligence? In fact, many shared this sentiment, including the academic affairs director, but he did not want to offend Zhong Xiangnan, not only because Zhong was a role model among young teachers, but also due to his family background

Zhang Chi immediately stopped in his tracks, thinking that if there was an opportunity to gain something for nothing, he should seize it. His meager living expenses were indeed tight, and the visitor did not seem friendly; those who come with good intentions do not arrive uninvited. This uncle must have ulterior motives, and if he seeks something from me, I naturally intend to take advantage of the situation.

"Do you think I wanted to come here? If the school hadn't called me, would I have come? At my age, being lectured by others for almost half an hour, Xiao Chi, you should also consider your uncle's feelings. I am a person of social standing, don't I deserve some dignity?" Zhang Guofu earnestly advised.

In such situations, the usual practice of the school is to invite the parents to come in for a discussion and to resolve the matter through mutual negotiation

Zhang Guofu hurriedly caught up: "Hey, don't rush to leave, Xiao Chi, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Uncle invites you to dinner"

Zhang Chi stood in front of this BMW. Although the heavenly realm is high above, it adopts a policy of isolation regarding information about the mortal world. As a lowly celestial being, he has no opportunity to learn much about the affairs of the human realm. Zhang Chi is very curious about cars, and soon his curiosity turns into affection. The allure of beautiful cars and women is an irresistible temptation for most men

Zhang Guofu was also taken aback by Zhang Chi's public confrontation with the teacher. Ever since the car accident, this nephew has become a taciturn person, unable to utter a sound even with three sticks. He is submissive to everyone he encounters, essentially a coward at heart. If it were said that he was not performing well academically, he would believe it, but to confront a teacher? Even if he had a hundred times the courage, he would not dare to do so

It is said that Zhong Xiangnan's father is a well-known building materials merchant in the local area, with a wide social network, and is an old friend of the principal of Beichen Middle School. Zhong Xiangnan, a self-funded student from the local Normal University Physical Education Department, was able to enter Beichen No. 1 Middle School and receive special training, which is not unrelated to his background

Zhang Guofu originally wanted to continue speaking, but upon hearing him say this, he suddenly remembered that this kid had suffered brain issues after the car accident. There was no need for him to waste his breath, so he simply nodded.

Zhang Chi looked at Zhang Guofu, and in his diary, he had gained a preliminary understanding of Zhang Guofu's character. Through conversations with Zhou Liangmin, along with the information he discovered in the room, he had initially characterized this uncle as a despicable scoundrel who takes advantage of others' misfortunes.