Apologize

"Never mind. Regardless of what Mr. Wen thinks, tonight is the school's selection process. Tang Qiao will undoubtedly be eliminated," someone remarked.

"What elimination?" Wen Guanjie entered the office carrying a cloth bag and a ferule tucked under his arm.

The office abruptly fell silent. The other teachers lowered their heads and pretended to sip their water, concealing their thoughts as they avoided making eye contact with Wen Guanjie.

Yan Ping, however, was undeterred and spoke frankly, "Mr. Wen, we were discussing Tang Qiao."

"What happened to Tang Qiao?" Wen Guanjie inquired while organizing some lesson plans.

Yan Ping recounted the library incident and frowned, "Mr. Wen, you really shouldn't have recommended Tang Qiao." Tang Qiao dresses extravagantly and seems overly ambitious. She is not a dedicated student.

With Yan Ping leading the way, the other teachers chimed in, "Exactly. Our school has no shortage of top-tier math students. Why recommend Tang Qiao? Mr. Wen, this isn't the way to motivate your students."

Wen Guanjie understood their point. "You think I shouldn't have recommended Tang Qiao for the school's Mathematical Olympiad trials?"

The teachers all nodded together.

"You think I selected Tang Qiao to encourage her to study harder?"

Again, they nodded.

Wen Guanjie smiled as he placed the textbooks and lesson plans under his arm. "Then you're mistaken. Tang Qiao is actually doing well in math." With decades of teaching experience, he had a keen eye for his students' abilities.

The other teachers wore perplexed expressions.

Without further debate, Wen Guanjie simply stated, "You'll see." He then picked up his ferule, grabbed the lesson plan, and departed.

The teachers left behind exchanged incredulous looks. "Mr. Wen must be joking, right?"

"It has to be a joke," one of them replied.

Tang Qiao is excelling in math. That is the most absurd joke I have ever heard.

...

At Sophomore Class 9.

The bell rang, and Lu Heng entered the classroom holding a chemistry textbook. "Class!"

His sudden increase in volume startled the students in Class 9.

Lu Ren leaned on the podium, his gaze icy as he surveyed the students below. Suddenly, he sneered and slammed the book onto the podium before striding down with a look of anger on his round face. He approached Tang Qiao in three brisk steps and cast a sweeping glance over her desk, taking in the towering stack of books, with a university-level chemistry book perched on top.

Despite his irritation, Lu Ren's expression was fierce as he suppressed his anger.

The other students cringed and wore puzzled expressions. What is happening with Mr. Lu?

Suddenly, with a loud bang, Lu Heng swept all the neatly arranged books on Tang Qiao's desk onto the floor, creating a chaotic mess.

The entire class fell into a stunned silence, not daring to even breathe loudly.

"Tang Qiao!" Lu Heng angrily shouted her name.

Tang Qiao looked up, her confusion meeting Lu Heng's furious gaze.

Lu Heng pointed an accusing finger at Tang Qiao's nose and unleashed a tirade of insults, his voice filled with anger. "I've never seen a shameless student like you! Don't you realize how poor your chemistry grades are? Do you have any idea how much you're dragging down our class?! I think your parents made a mistake by giving birth to you! What do you have to offer other than your appearance? If your grades remain at the bottom of the school, you'll be a burden to society in the future! Worthless scum!"

As Lu Heng continued his rant, his anger only grew. The humiliation in the office had him seething with rage. He rolled up a book into a tube and hurled it at Tang Qiao's back.

Tang Qiao dodged the book and snatched it from Lu Heng's grasp. Her voice turned icy as she spoke, "You need to apologize."

The students in Class 9 gasped collectively.

Lu Heng was notorious for his temper and foul language, often resorting to physical punishment on students. Some had even argued with him, leading to emotional breakdowns and dropouts.

The confrontation between Tang Qiao and Lu Heng left the entire class on edge.

Lu Heng was equally astonished. He hadn't expected Tang Qiao to resist him, which he perceived as a direct challenge to his authority.

A surge of anger swelled within him, and he pointed an accusing finger at Tang Qiao. "Say that again?"

"You need to apologize!" Tang Qiao enunciated each word.

Lu Heng clenched his fists, his chubby face quivering with rage. "Very well, very well!" he exclaimed. In the next moment, he raised his hand and aimed a slap at Tang Qiao's face.

Tang Qiao swiftly leaned back, evading the slap.

Lu Heng's hand missed its target, and his expression soured even further.

Tang Qiao's demeanor remained resolute. "Mr. Lu, our country's laws explicitly state that educators must respect students and uphold the dignity of underage students. Physical abuse or punishment is strictly prohibited. Do you understand that what you did was unlawful?"