Chapter 216: Applause Like Thunder
But when such words emanate from a person brimming with charismatic personality, they seem to carry a natural strength, a forceful and powerful voice.
Xiao Han, holding the microphone, earnestly looked at the audience and continued, "Philosopher Osho once said, 'Every mistake is an opportunity to learn.' Just don't keep making the same mistake, as that is foolishness. Make as many mistakes as possible, don't be afraid, because that is Nature's only way of teaching you.
In the face of setback and failure, there are at least three types of people: the first kind, who, after suffering the blow of failure, never recover, becoming cowards demolished by a single setback—these are the ones who possess neither courage nor wisdom; the second kind, who after failure, do not reflect nor learn from experience, but charge ahead with passion, often achieving little for much effort, and even if successful, their triumph is as fleeting as a morning glory—these are the ones who have courage but lack wisdom; the third kind, who after failing, can quickly assess the situation, adjust themselves, and with the right timing and Strength at hand, strike again, making a comeback.
These people are truly considered brave and wise, and success often graces them. In the face of setbacks, adjust your mindset, 'Tomorrow is a brand new day,' and there will be another chance for success, gathering valuable experience from adversity is also a form of success."
Whirring...
Applause burst forth once again, cheers and screams from the crowd.
Xiao Han waved his hand, and the room instantly fell silent. He earnestly looked at the audience and in a warning tone said, "Fellow students, have you forgotten the dreams you once had? Have the failures in examinations and the pain of studying eroded your fighting spirit? Thus, you retreat step by step, decline bit by bit. You no longer have the drive, no longer possess the spirit to never give up.
Do you still remember the oaths you swore when you first entered high school? And now, you just muddle along, making the same mistakes over and over, getting lost on the bumpy road of setbacks..."
The silence persisted, as Xiao Han's words caused the students to bow their heads in deep thought. Indeed, when they first entered high school, everyone set a goal for themselves, aspiring to get into a top university, striving to climb to a higher position, attempting to have a better life and opportunities.
But failure after failure, mistake after mistake, setback after setback, they were defeated. And so they retreated. Even some of the top students fell to mediocrity, not even willing to mention the most painful places in their hearts.
Now, Xiao Han's words struck deep in their hearts, causing them to feel a pain, an incomparable sorrow.
"My fellow students..." Xiao Han's words were profound, his tone deep, "What you lack is the spirit of Hanmen, a tenacity, the spirit of never giving up. You know? Finally, I want to leave each and every one of you with a saying, one that I have also said before: 'Don't forget your original intention, keep moving forward!'"
Whirring...
Applause became fervent; everyone clapped excitedly. The enthusiasm in their clapping showed their sheer excitement.
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"That's great," shouted a student loudly.
The applause was like thunder, never ceasing.
Deputy Minister Liu, from the front row, stood up; clapping, he said, "Good, this child did well, he spoke vividly and got to the bottom of what the kids are feeling. It is evident that he spoke from the heart. I also believe that every child here has gained some insight, more or less."
Standing on the stage, Xiao Han bowed deeply before handing the microphone back to the host.
As he stepped down from the stage, more than a hundred media reporters swarmed towards him.
"Xiao Han, when did you become a teacher at the Hanmen Training Class?"
"Xiao Han, did you establish the Hanmen Training Class?"
...
A crowd of reporters crowded in, surrounding Xiao Han to the point of impasse. Questions emerged from the crowd. Xiao Han broke into a sweat as he answered the reporters' questions while trying to move through the throng. But the reporters, having found such a good opportunity, weren't about to let Xiao Han escape. Whichever way Xiao Han went, they followed, like a swarm of inescapable flies.
Xiao Han turned his head, searching for reinforcements. If this continued, he estimated that even if he answered until dark, he wouldn't be able to finish with all the reporters' questions. Moreover, with today's news going out, he feared he would have no peace in the future.
At that moment, Li Dapang stealthily climbed up from his seat, then quickly charged towards Xiao Han.
"Make way, make way!" Li Dapang hurriedly charged over and then escorted Xiao Han out of the crowd.
Shielded by Li Dapang, Xiao Han quickly disappeared into the classroom building. With its complex and multiple floors, the reporters were too late when they pursued him as Xiao Han's trace was already lost.
"Where is he?"
"Gone, don't know where he went."
The reporters seemed very disappointed, but, what reassured them was that they'd ultimately exposed Xiao Han's identity. They not only interviewed Xiao Han, but also interviewed a teacher from the Hanmen Training Class. Most importantly, these two identities turned out to be the same person. This was the major news of the day. Many seemed to predict that tonight's news would be dominated by Xiao Han.
And tomorrow's papers would likely have several pages about Xiao Han.
Panting, Xiao Han escaped into the bathroom, then closed the stall door behind him, standing alone inside, taking deep breaths.
"That was close," Xiao Han exhaled a turbid breath.
After staying in the bathroom for some time and seeing no more commotion outside, he slipped out. The hallway was deserted, and he crouched down low, quickly making his way out. The hood of his windbreaker was worn over his head. Xiao Han decided to climb over the school's wall to escape, at this time, probably the reporters were already guarding each entrance for him.
So, using normal means to escape was virtually impossible.
Having finally escaped from the school, Xiao Han instantly felt much more relaxed. As he passed by the school's main gate, Xiao Han purposely peeked out from the bushes to observe, and sure enough, there were quite a few journalists squatting there, probably waiting for him to come out.
"Hehe…" A smile lifted the corners of Xiao Han's mouth, and he turned and walked into the woods beside him.
Xiao Han had left, but inside the school, there was chaos.
The students had been moved by Xiao Han's Hanmen spirit. They had always considered themselves excellent — even if their exam results weren't the best, even if life was tough. They would attribute all the misfortunes, all the adversities to fate, believing they were unlucky, that they were the ones abandoned by destiny.
"Xiao Han, Xiao Han, Xiao Han!"
Before anyone knew it, over a thousand students had formed waves of chanting, and the sound kept building, wave upon wave. It was immensely impressive, especially under the futile attempts of teachers and security guards to control them; the students could only use their voices to express the excitement and thrill in their hearts.
The students from Class Three of the senior class were stunned.
Actually, they had been speechless since the moment Xiao Han appeared. They were profoundly shocked and taken aback by surprise and disbelief. They had never imagined that a person's life could undergo such staggering changes, that the gap in one person's life could be so vast. It was truly astonishing.
"Is it really Xiao Han?" Yang Xiaoyan asked in disbelief.
"Could it be fake?" Li Dapang retorted with irritation.
"But I've always been afraid to believe it," Yang Xiaoyan said in confusion.
"Hehe, this world is full of things you'd find hard to believe," Li Dapang chuckled and then said, "Once you step into society, you'll discover that some things are far beyond your expectations."
"It's really so surprising," Yang Xiaoyan said earnestly.
"Yeah," Li Dapang nodded and said, "Actually, I didn't believe it at first either."
"Dead Fatty, you knew all along, why didn't you tell me?" Yang Xiaoyan glared at Li Dapang, angry.
"I…" Li Dapang looked embarrassed and said, "How could I say it? Xiao Han begged me repeatedly to keep quiet. If I told, wouldn't that make me a disloyal brother?"
"Then how can you be fair to me?" Yang Xiaoyan snorted coldly and said, "For you men, are brothers as close as hands and feet, and women like clothing?"
"No, no, no!" Li Dapang shook his head hurriedly.
"Hmpf!" Yang Xiaoyan huffed softly.
"Xiaoyan, don't be angry," Li Dapang pleaded earnestly.
"Angry, I have to be angry," Yang Xiaoyan said through gritted teeth.
"Then… how about I buy you that diamond necklace tonight?" Li Dapang quickly suggested. "You've always liked it, right? I'll buy it for you tonight."
"Really?" Yang Xiaoyan asked, curious.
"Of course!" Li Dapang immediately nodded and said, "When have I ever lied to you?"
"Hehe." Yang Xiaoyan giggled and then said, "I love you the most."
Upon hearing this, Li Dapang felt his bones go soft, and he quickly grabbed Yang Xiaoyan's hand, saying, "Then… How about you don't go to that far-away university and stay nearby for college? How about that?"
"No way," Yang Xiaoyan shook her head and said, "I can't get into Shuimu University with my grades, and there are no better schools in the province, so I can only go somewhere else. I've already applied to Shijiazhuang Normal University."
"That's too far," Li Dapang shook his head.
"It's alright, it's only two hours by plane," Yang Xiaoyan laughed.
"Sigh…" Li Dapang sighed and then said, "Two hours of distance is very far. Besides, I'm worried about you being bullied somewhere far away. What would I do then?"