Chapter 212: Don't Drop the Ball
"Can I not come?" Li Hengzhong chuckled, then said, "This is quite the event you've stirred up. I'm here to give you a reminder."
"What's been stirred up so much that Principal Li himself needs to come and remind me?" Xiao Han asked with confusion.
"Hehe..." A slight smile appeared on Li Hengzhong's lips as he said, "Let me tell you, for tomorrow's lecture, Central Government has sent someone down here. The Central Education Ministry has sent a vice-minister in person to our school to listen to your lecture.
Moreover, Central Government has issued a direct letter asking core members and key personnel from every province and city to come to our school to learn and absorb experience. So, for tomorrow's event, you must not drop the ball; otherwise, we're done for."
"So it's about that," Xiao Han paused, then said, "I thought it was something else. Don't worry, I definitely won't drop the ball."
"That's good." Li Hengzhong smiled slightly and said, "But with such a big event tomorrow, aren't you even a little nervous?"
"What do I have to be nervous about?" Xiao Han laughed and said, "I'll just treat it like teaching a big class. After all, it's not the first day I've taught others. Just consider it a regular class tomorrow. Nothing worth being nervous over."
"But, there will be many national officials on site," Li Hengzhong said with a smile.
"To you, they're national officials; to me, they're just students attending a lesson," Xiao Han continued eating watermelon with big bites.
"You cheeky kid, look how smug you are," Li Hengzhong laughed heartily.
Seeing Xiao Han so composed and carefree, Li Hengzhong felt much more at ease. At least Xiao Han wasn't nervous. If this guy got nervous, eight or nine times out of ten, he would mess up. But looking at the current situation, Xiao Han seemed to have everything under control.
Li Hengzhong left feeling quite satisfied, as there was still so much for him to do. The bigwig from the Central Education Ministry had already come down, the leaders from the Provincial Committee were accompanying him, and the Municipal Committee leaders were following closely behind. Everything was for the sake of Xiao Han's lecture tomorrow.
Li Hengzhong tried to imagine if he were in that position, he might be nervous, not able to be as composed or at ease as Xiao Han.
Yet, Xiao Han didn't seem panicked at all, nor the slightest bit nervous. Li Hengzhong couldn't help shaking his head; it truly was a young person's world now.
Li Hengzhong had just left when Li Dapang drove over.
"Big Fatty, why are you here?" Xiao Han asked curiously.
"Hehe, I've picked out a car for you," Li Dapang said excitedly.
"What car?" Xiao Han was surprised and said, "Can I trust the car you picked?"
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!" Li Dapang looked at Xiao Han with annoyance, then said, "Let me be frank with you, our tastes are the same. BMW is too flashy, but an ordinary car doesn't fit your status. So, I helped you look at Volvo's XC90. It's a great model. A luxury car at the million-yuan level. Hehe, it's July now, isn't it?
The slowest season for car sales in a year, and the dealership also offered a pretty good discount. If you want it, let's place the order right away."
"How much?" Xiao Han asked curiously.
"The top model, eight hundred thousand." Li Dapang raised several fingers and said with a beaming smile, "After all the fees, it'll be just over nine hundred thousand. What do you think..."
"That expensive?" Xiao Han was surprised.
"Oh boy, this car looks cool," Li Dapang quickly sat down in front of Xiao Han, then said, "It's absolutely stylish to drive out. Plus, it's not ostentatious, very low-profile. What do you think?"
"It's too pricey," Xiao Han shook his head, "I'll think about it."
"What's there to think about?" Li Dapang said hastily, "For a low-key multimillionaire like you. In my opinion, even a car like this doesn't quite match your status. Of course, if you prefer to keep it low-key, then this is the car for you. What do you think?"
"I'll think about it!" Xiao Han still felt it was too expensive.
"Then... how about considering a BMW X5?" Li Dapang said hastily, "After the discount, it's only over seven hundred thousand, cheaper than that Volvo. It's cool enough, flashy enough. How about that? If you think it's an option, we could consider a BMW."
"BMW?" Xiao Han was stunned and then said, "Too flashy; that's not good either."
"What's not good about it?" Li Dapang looked exasperated, saying, "I think BMWs are great, prestigious, branded, and very much in line with your status. Besides, BMW's discounts are much bigger than Volvo's. If you want one, you might get an even bigger discount."
"Then I could consider that," Xiao Han's interest was piqued at the mention of a possible discount.
"So... does that mean we can buy a BMW?" As soon as Li Dapang heard this, he immediately became happy, "Actually, BMW is really not bad. It's a German brand with excellent craftsmanship. And it also has a relatively high safety factor. At the end of the day, it's a pretty good car. If you need, I can help you negotiate!"
"Then you can go and negotiate." Xiao Han said, "If the price can be lowered, let's buy it."
As for the brand, Xiao Han wasn't too particular; he initially just felt that BMWs were too ostentatious, which is why he was somewhat averse to them. Moreover, the safety factor of Volvos was definitely undeniable, and the Volvo brand was more low-key than BMW.
"Alright!" Li Dapang immediately nodded in agreement.
Li Dapang snatched the watermelon from Xiao Han's hands, not even caring that Xiao Han had eaten from it, and started to chomp on it, taking several big bites. While eating, he asked, "Xiao Han, don't you have a speech event tomorrow? Are you prepared?"
"Almost." Xiao Han smiled and then said, "It's just a speech event. It's nothing else."
"But, your identity is special, you know." Li Dapang looked up at Xiao Han, his mouth dripping with watermelon juice. He quickly said, "If your dual identity gets exposed, it's going to shock quite a few people, right? The media will go absolutely crazy.
I've even thought of a headline for them 'Shocking: The top scholar of the college entrance exam and the mysterious lecturer are actually the same person!'"
"Get lost!" Xiao Han chuckled.
Li Dapang's mouth curved into a sly smile, and he said grinning, "If your third identity gets exposed too, haha, I think it would shock both China and abroad. Think about how many young girls would go crazy for you. A wealthy youth, plus being a top scholar, and then adding a mysterious lecturer to the mix. Tsk tsk, it sounds like a legendary story just thinking about it, incredibly exciting."
"Get lost!" Xiao Han snorted and then said, "I would never want to reveal my identity unless I absolutely had to."
"Yes, yes, you're low-profile!" Li Dapang laughed and said, "It's just a pity that Chen Zihan can't see you today. If she'd seen what you've become today, maybe she wouldn't have left this place and gone to the United States."
"That has nothing to do with her." Xiao Han shook his head and said, "It's all because of the pressure from her family."
"It all comes down to money in the end." Li Dapang said with a disdainful smile, "For money, what won't people do? They're just shy of selling off their daughters."
"Even if they sell off their daughters, that's someone else's family business." Xiao Han smiled and said, "It has nothing to do with you."
"That's true too." Li Dapang sighed and said, "In this world, there are just too many women like Chen Zihan's mother. Without such women, this world naturally wouldn't have the tragically beautiful stories like that of The Butterfly Lovers."
"Stop putting on a show here." Xiao Han teased, "How's it going with Yang Xiaoyan?"
"What can be going on? It's just as you expect." Li Dapang said with a bitter smile, "I told her not to go to college, but she insisted on going. And to a place so far away at that. I couldn't stop her. Really, I don't understand, what's so great about college? In the end, isn't it just about getting a job?
I asked her to come work at Hanmen, but she wouldn't."
"To each their own." Xiao Han replied, "Besides, going to college is a necessary path in life. It offers better self-cultivation, why not do it?"
"Alright then." Li Dapang nodded and said, "Maybe you're right."
......
The next day.
First Middle School in LJ City was decorated with colorful flags fluttering at the entrance, the school gate filled with various flags. A pair of inflatable balloons swayed in the air at the gate. The entrance was bustling as Li Hengzhong, sharp in his suit, along with a group of school leaders and teachers, welcomed officials from the Central Government and leaders at the entrance.
Students from various schools had already started arriving at the First Middle School. These were students who were about to enter their senior year of high school. Thousands of students gathered in the school's sports field. Each school took its place according to the areas planned by the organizing committee. Everyone took their seats in an orderly fashion.
The media was also in full readiness; it was said that over a hundred media outlets rushed to the scene. From Central Television to local TV stations, LJ City Television Station, Lincheng TV Station, and even online live streaming media arrived on site. This time, Li Hengzhong did not refuse any media; anyone who came was allowed in. At the gate, two rows of riot police stood neatly aligned.
Not only that, but dozens of riot police were also maintaining order on the sports field, and inside the school, more than ten security guards were also keeping order on the campus.
"Principal, the old leaders are almost here." An assistant rushed to say.
"Good!" Li Hengzhong glanced at the time, thankfully it was just a few minutes past nine in the morning. The old leaders were quite punctual. Li Hengzhong immediately perked up. This time, the old leaders were accompanied by bigwigs from the Central Education Ministry. So, this was a matter that should not be taken lightly.
The slightest misstep could cause the old leaders to lose face, making things difficult for oneself. Officialdom was no child's play; one careless move, and someone might snatch your hat away.
Sure enough, before long.
The number one car plate of the Provincial Committee arrived, a black Audi, led by a police car clearing the way. Several black Audis followed behind. The motorcade slowly drove over. Li Hengzhong hurried forward, taking the initiative to open the car door.