When I got close to the school, I noticed that the atmosphere was a little different. Villagers from all around had spontaneously come to join in the fun, and even the town's grain processing plant sent me 50 barrels of sunflower oil as a congratulatory gift, which was personally delivered by the factory manager's brother-in-law.
When I arrived at the school gate, I saw Sun Sixin dressed smartly and already busy at work. Then I was drawn to the flag on the tallest and thickest flagpole: it was a United Nations flag! On the smaller flagpole next to it, the flags of the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, OPEC, the Red Cross, the United Nations Environment Programme, and so on, were flying in order... a total of eight flags.
I hurriedly asked Sun Sixin what was going on. Sun Sixin said that she didn't know there were so many flagpoles at the gate, and it wasn't appropriate to hang the national flag at the school gate, so she had to buy some in a hurry to make it look more formal.
I'm speechless. I didn't even notice these poles when I came here the night before last. Later I found out they were Li Yun's handiwork. He was used to working in Liangshan; wherever he went, he had to first erect the poles for the 108 heroes to hang their flags. The tallest and thickest one was for hanging the "Acting on Behalf of Heaven" flag. He only remembered this was a school after erecting eight, so he didn't bother with the rest, and that's how it ended up like this.
I asked him again why he was at the door and who was in charge inside. He said, "There's a Miss Bai busy inside. I thought she was quite efficient, so I came out to greet customers."
When I entered the school, I saw that it was indeed the White Lotus Cult leader who was hosting. Today, the White Lotus Cult leader was dressed in a beige suit and skirt, looking radiant and smiling. She had arranged everything in an orderly manner: VIPs went first to the lounge—a classroom that had been temporarily converted; attendees went to the auditorium to take their seats and wait; and for the villagers who came to join in the fun, children were given candy, men were given cigarettes, and women were authorized to pick up the scraps of paper piled up in the corner after the renovation.
When she saw me arrive, she took a moment to hand me the key and said, "We at Qingshui Jiayuan heard that Mr. Xiao is opening his business today, so we specially sent me to offer our congratulations. We even worked overnight to make some slogans for the school. Please accept them."
Only after she mentioned it did I realize that the sign in the auditorium read "Strengthen Quality Education," the dormitory building read "For all students, for everything of the students, everything for the students," and the teaching building read "Today I am proud of Yucai, tomorrow Yucai will be proud of me." Even the sign at the school gate, "Welcome leaders and guests from all walks of life," was a gift from Qingshui Jiayuan. Sun Sixin had also prepared something, but since it wasn't grand enough, she posted it on the wall.
There were quite a few people who came to offer their congratulations today. Grandpa Gu didn't come in person, but he sent two giant vases that couldn't even fit through the door, which he placed at the entrance of the auditorium; Chen Kejiao sent 80 flower baskets, which were placed all the way from the school gate to the front of the buildings; Tiger brought more than 50 people, who arrived early in a line of black cars, and are now searching all over the place for Dong Ping.
The heroes' tents have all been dismantled, leaving only the 300-strong barracks standing alone. Fearing they might cause trouble upon seeing so many people, I had Sun Sixin arrange for them to sit in the auditorium early this morning. I can't command the heroes directly; I'll have to call them back for the meeting, and see how many come.
Among all the congratulatory plaques, one that read "A Century of Cultivating Talent" caught my eye. It was very ordinary, inconspicuous among the exquisite plaques presented by the leaders, and the inscription below didn't include any specific name: Jinting Film and Television Entertainment Co., Ltd.
How did Jin Shaoyan know that the school was completed today? If he has become the arrogant Jin Yi again, what does it mean that he gave me this plaque? Is it a reminder that he hasn't forgotten the grudge over the brick, or is it a gesture of reconciliation?
I didn't have time to think much. Thanks to Lao Zhang's call, quite a few distinguished guests arrived, including the director of the Education Bureau, the director of the Publicity Department of the Culture Bureau, the deputy director of the Mass Culture Center, representatives from the State Taxation Bureau, the Local Taxation Bureau, the Public Security Bureau and its subordinate police stations, the Writers Association, the Film Association, the Painting Association, the Women's Federation, the Family Planning Office, the local Drug Rehabilitation Office...
Holy crap, even the Beggars' Sect showed up in the end!
Chapter Seventy-Seven: Yu Ji
I now realize how many talents a teacher can cultivate in a lifetime. Of course, since it was a school opening ceremony, only a small portion of Old Zhang's students were present. If you gathered all the students he had ever taught and sent them to Mars, they could create another human civilization in less than six months. From shrewd politicians and scientists researching uranium-235, to mayors, bureau chiefs, and engineers, down to carpenters, tailors, and thugs—everyone needed to maintain a balanced and developing human world would be there.
I found Old Zhang, dressed in a neat Zhongshan suit, surrounded by a group of people of various ranks. When he saw me, he beckoned me over, introduced me to them one by one, and then whispered in my ear when they weren't looking, "You need to keep a good eye on these people."
Old Zhang and his students have transcended the normal teacher-student relationship. Old Zhang is a top-level teacher with 4300 yuan in savings. For him, each student he teaches is like gaining a son or daughter. Over the years, he's spent countless amounts of money on his students; some were too poor to afford such things, while others were simply born out of affection. Among his students, the most successful became the secretary of a provincial party secretary, while the least successful became a street thug, just like any other teacher.
But the greatest miracle Old Zhang created was that not a single one of his students spoke ill of him. To give you an example, even Baozi didn't speak ill of him…
There were many VIPs in other classrooms, but all the important figures had already gathered in this room. Many of the people in this room were not Old Zhang's students; Old Zhang had his students drag them over by force. This time, he was really going all out to help me.
I quietly asked him, "Why are you helping me so much?"
Old Zhang didn't say anything, but he squeezed my hand hard, the meaning of which was very clear: You better do a good job, or I won't let you off the hook!
Today's main activities consist of three things: ribbon-cutting, a meeting, and watching a performance.
Old Zhang was naturally the first choice for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. To lay a good foundation for the school's future, Old Zhang insisted on putting the other leaders at the front. Finally, someone suggested that Old Zhang and the other leaders each take a pair of scissors and shred the ribbon to pieces before they were satisfied.
Then came the meeting. Old Zhang, after much back and forth, reluctantly sat in the middle. To his left was the director of the Education Bureau, to his right the deputy director of the Culture Bureau, and so on, with representatives from various departments, associations, and organizations taking their seats in turn. The 15-meter-long stage was overflowing, so they had to ask the philatelic association representative to sit on the left side of the stage and the pigeon association representative to sit on the right side. This arrangement was also arranged by Bai Lianhua.
Below, 300 students attended the meeting. They had been sitting in the auditorium since early morning, each one as upright as a javelin, drawing praise from the guests. But it was tough on Yan Jingsheng. To set an example, he sat with them. Half an hour later, he was drenched in sweat; 40 minutes later, his eyebrows trembled; two hours later, he was completely numb. If an old farmer were to flick some ash from his cigarette on his back now, the sound would probably be a loud "bang, bang."
Seated below the stage were Tiger's 50 apprentices. Calling them apprentices was a stretch; they were practically twins of Tiger, all of them burly and robust. Among them were the 12 who had fought us last time. They held Li Jingshui and Wei Tiezhu in high regard, pointing and introducing the two men sitting in the group to their companions.
Then there were people who came with various motives, most of whom wanted to do business with me. This school is so big; there's no expense on food, clothing, lodging, or transportation in the future. If I could get this as a regular client, it would be a huge deal. What surprised me was that Liu Bang also came, arm in arm with a woman. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was the Black Widow I'd met dancing that night.
Liu Bang pointed at me and denounced me, saying, "You didn't even tell me about such a big thing. I wouldn't have known if you hadn't come with Fengfeng."
Black Widow Fengfeng asked in surprise, "You two know each other?"
Liu Bang told her, "Xiao Qiang is my brother."
Fengfeng exclaimed excitedly, "Wow, that's family! Here's my business card..."
When I took it, I saw that it read "Guo Tianfeng, Chairman of Tianfeng Garment Co., Ltd."
You know what, Guo Tianfeng is quite well-known locally: more than half of the clothes on Futai Road, whether counterfeit or genuine, come from her. Who would have thought Liu Bang would have a wealthy young woman with such a large figure as his mistress?
Guo Tianfeng's second sentence to me was: "Oh my, your students' clothes are so ugly! Brother, are you getting a new batch?"
I quickly said, "Just call me Xiaoqiang." I looked at the 300 people; they were still wearing the labor camp uniforms I bought for 50 yuan a set, and their hair had been trimmed in batches by the old barber in Yaocun—very cool bowl cuts. These 300 people were sitting there neatly, and with those clothes on, it's no wonder that many people who entered the auditorium thought it was a reformation activity organized by some detention center.
I asked Guo Tianfeng, "Do you have any cheap ones?"
"Are you genuinely good to these students or just looking for a cheaper option?" Guo Tianfeng countered.
I immediately said, "I'm really good to them—but I want the cheapest option."
Liu Bang interjected, "Fengfeng, didn't you just get a new batch of goods?"
Black Widow glanced at him and said, "Mine is Li Ning!"
I quickly replied, "I can't afford Li-Ning."
Liu Bang said, "Where is Li Ning written? I don't see it."
Black Widow said, "Of course it's not Li-Ning if it doesn't say so, but if it does, then it's fine..." Seeing that Liu Bang was embarrassed in front of me, she said to me, "Oh well, forget it, I won't write it, I'll just sell it to you as a regular sportswear."
I was quite amused, and after a while, I quietly nudged her and whispered, "Sister-in-law, can you write something on it and sell it to me at the regular price?"
The Black Widow was pleased to hear him call her "sister-in-law" and readily agreed.
At this point, the conference began under the guidance of the Lotus Master. First, the Director gave a speech. The Director was indeed skilled; he began by recounting the 1998 flood relief efforts, transitioning to the recent earthquake, then reviewing the major events of the past decade, the Eight Honors and Eight Shames, and the concept of a harmonious society. Finally, he made a poignant point: difficulties are temporary, development is eternal; given the harmonious social environment, education is of paramount importance; the completion of the school is a cause for great joy…
Before the bureau chief could finish speaking, a group of people strolled in casually from the auditorium entrance. Seeing that it was full, they started shouting and jumping from the last row to the middle, occasionally interspersed with cries of "Brother Junyi, sit here!" and "Dr. An, come sit here—hey, move over there a bit!" Who else could it be but the heroes of Liangshan?
Everyone on the platform frowned. I forcefully urged the heroes down, and those who jumped to the seats squeezed in and sat down. Some who couldn't jump in stood at the back chatting idly. I saw Tiger closely following Dong Ping, but Dong Ping was chatting and laughing with Dai Zong, completely ignoring him.
The meeting finally quieted down, and the bureau chief lost interest. After saying a few words, he handed the microphone to Principal Zhang. Principal Zhang looked around, and seeing that no one wanted to speak, he cleared his throat and said, "Next, please welcome Director Xiao Qiang, the legal representative of Yucai Martial Arts School, to say a few words."