Chapter 540 - Chapter 540: 217 heard that you are Bai Lian's father, I specially came to visit_2

Chapter 540: 217 heard that you are Bai Lian’s father, I specially came to visit_2

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Fireworks burst in the clear sky in an instant, and today’s Xiangcheng Middle School was as lively as the New Year.

The principal turned around and looked at several banners behind him—

[Congratulations to our student Bai Lian for achieving the first place in the national college entrance examination in science!]

[Congratulations to our student Ning Xiao for achieving the sixth place in the national college entrance examination in science!]

[Congratulations to our students Yang Lin and Tang Ming…]

[…]

The noise was deafening.

Smoke billowed everywhere.

The principal gazed at the first banner as if in a dream. The top national score in the science college entrance exam had been claimed. Since yesterday’s score release, his office and the admissions department’s phones had been ringing off the hook.

Every major university was looking for Bai Lian’s information.

“Have we become a provincial key school this year?” Director Pan asked with a smile, covering his ears, as he spoke into the principal’s ear—he had received notice to prepare for a promotion the previous night.

More than a provincial key school, the principal glanced to the side and whispered into Director Pan’s ear, “You don’t know, the admission office’s phones have been exploded.”

Once Xiangcheng Middle School produced a national top scorer, it couldn’t have been kept a secret even if they didn’t publicize it.

Some media had already been riding the wave of popularity, but fortunately, they did not expose the photos of a few students, otherwise the education department would have stepped in to rectify such trends.

Media outlets had already started promoting the names Bai Lian and Ning Xiao, and students who had left Xiangcheng to study elsewhere were planning to transfer back this year.

Besides that, more students from this year’s middle school exams would be choosing to attend Xiangcheng Middle School.

The source of a school’s student body is also very important; otherwise, why would those few universities compete for top college entrance examination scorers every year?

Today, Xiangcheng Middle School rejoiced with everyone.

The official reporter from Xiangcheng Channel got the news firsthand yesterday and conveyed the educational philosophy of Xiangcheng Middle School.

She asked the principal a few official questions.

The principal straightened his clothes and answered cautiously, “Our school’s students performed well, but the key lies in the study methods shared by students Bai Lian and Ning Xiao…”

The study methods of the top national scorer?!

The reporter’s eyes lit up, “May I ask if we could chat with these students on the line? I believe all students are curious about these high-scoring students!”

The principal hesitated for a moment.

He imagined what the responses would be when the reporter interviewed those students.

Bai Lian—[“Because the programs I like are not included in the Wen Chong plan.”]

Ning Xiao—Never mind his aloofness, he might just answer with a [“Oh.”]

Yang Lin—No idea where she’s working; she can’t be found.

Tang Ming—[“How did I only score 691?”]

Thinking about it, it seemed a bit arrogant. To save the reporter from a potential heart attack, the principal politely declined on behalf of the students, “The students are all too busy to chat.”

In the crowd.

Mom Zhang and Dad Zhang both rushed to grab two portions of celebration candies.

Mom Zhang stared at the names on the banner, names she was all too familiar with, and said dreamily, “Aze was supposed to graduate with them.”

“He’s going to come out too,” Dad Zhang patted her shoulder, “It’s not entirely a bad thing for him either.”

**

The evening of the 27th.

Due to the overwhelming attention, Bai Lian had to leave ahead of time.

Before leaving, the group gathered again at the Zhang household.

Mom Zhang, to celebrate their successful graduation and college entrance examination victory, had bought a bunch of groceries while Chi Yundai was also invited over from the cake shop.

He lived close to the school and was among the first to learn that Bai Lian had become the national top scorer.

With a cigarette between his fingers, he involuntarily looked at Bai Lian upon arrival at the Zhang household.

Not bothering to cook himself, he only asked Pu Xiaohan who was beside him while Bai Lian was trimming the flowers, “Is Miss Bai really the national top scorer?”

“`

“Right, what’s the matter? Chi Lu, you’ve asked several times already,” Pu Xiaohan looked at Chi Yundai with confusion.

In Pu Xiaohan’s eyes, Chi Yundai was an even more formidable lawyer than Zhao Jingzhou, and she felt that Chi Yundai shouldn’t be so shocked just because Bai Lian scored the top mark on the national exam.

Chi Yundai’s fingertips pressed down on the lighter, and the pale blue flame curled towards the cigarette, “It’s nothing.”

His gaze swept toward Bai Lian who was standing by the window, head slightly bowed, methodically pruning the flower in her hands, her apricot eyes tranquil; to her, it seemed getting the top score on the national exam wasn’t as important as the flower she was holding.

Pu Xiaohan wasn’t a Jiangjing local, she didn’t understand what coming first in the national exam meant, but Chi Yundai knew—

If Bai Lian didn’t stray off the path, her achievements would definitely not be lower than He Wen’s; she was headed for Jiangjing, and that school would be bustling, too.

The small courtyard of the Zhang Family was very cool, and Tang Ming couldn’t help but ask Weng Qi while picking vegetables, “Dude, how did you guys do in the Chinese exam anyway?”

Next to him, Pu Xiaohan set down the camera, bowing her head and giving him a glance.

“Just took it like that.”

Pu Xiaohan’s essay for the college entrance exam “Graduation Photo” excerpt—

[A very ordinary Grade 12 year, and Lu’s mom also had one less worry; after that, no one was ever late on Monday mornings again.

The sports field was still the same sports field, nothing had changed, only Beibei and the others never went to play football again.

This year’s graduation photos have already been taken, our Grade 12 is drawing to a close, and his Grade 12 will start anew; why cling to that graduation photo with one missing spot?]

**

In Beicheng, the Bai Family was also very lively.

Guo Yueqing stood beside Bai Qiming, greeting the Clan leader of the Bai Family, making her first formal appearance at the Bai Family.

There was a banquet for guests at Jiahao Hotel tomorrow, but Bai Qiming specially arranged to receive people from the Bai Clan today.

The Clan leader discussed the matter of the ancestral shrine, “After dinner tomorrow, we’ll go straight back to the Clan; everyone is waiting to add her to the genealogy. When can Shaoke come back for a visit? I heard he entered the lab.”

Bai Shaoke was about to start his second year of college, and since he was entering the lab now, direct admission to a doctoral program after recommendation was within easy reach.

This was a major happy event for the Bai Family.

Bai Qiming smiled, “His advisor has recently left the lab; there seems to have been some emergency, so he’s very busy and can’t come back for now.”

The Clan uncle patted the shoulder of the boy next to him, “Bai Han, you have Shaoqi as your older cousin sister and Shaoke as your older cousin brother who both got into Jiangjing University; Shaoke even got the provincial top score and will be a doctor in the future. You should learn from them; understand?”

The boy glanced at Bai Shaoqi and curled his lip, his gaze sweeping around, “I don’t want her, I want cousin sister Bai Lian.”

At the mention of Bai Lian, the atmosphere tightened for a moment.

The Clan leader remembered who Bai Lian was and smiled faintly, not saying anything.

The Clan uncle also glared fiercely at the boy, complaining that he had misspoken.

Bai Qiming’s brow furrowed.

Guo Yueqing, dressed in a cheongsam, stood in front of Bai Qiming, and seeing everyone else’s reaction, she subdued her emotions.

Just then, a servant from outside came in, “Sir, the principal is here.”

It was the principal of Beicheng High School.

Bai Qiming smiled, “He must have come to congratulate Shaoqi; butler, go and ask Shaoqi to come down, and stop practicing the piano.”

This was the principal of Beicheng High School, so the Clan leader and the rest of the Bai Family got up to greet the visitor.

At the gate, the principal was accompanied by a middle-aged man wearing a striped shirt, who had glasses on and was carrying a jacket on his arm, looking refined and imposing.

With an extraordinary presence, the Bai Family members were all inwardly surprised, wondering who he was, when they heard the principal of Beicheng High School introduce him, “Mr. Bai, this is our city’s Education Bureau Chief, Director Li.”

The Education Bureau Chief?

The Bai Family members were all exceptionally amazed.

The Clan leader looked at Bai Qiming in surprise, the expression quite clear: How do you know the bureau chief?

Bai Qiming, a businessman, didn’t have very strong connections. Their family was just known as one of the wealthy families in the city, and last year when Bai Shaoke was the provincial top scorer, the education bureau had just sent a notice.

How could he have invited the bureau chief?

Bai Qiming’s mind was in disarray, and he shook his head in a hurry at the Clan leader, striking up a conversation with Director Li.

But before Bai Qiming could speak, Director Li was already smiling and lifting his right hand.

He shook hands with Bai Qiming, lowering his eyes slightly, and introduced himself, “Mr. Bai, hello. I’ve heard from the principal that you are Bai Lian’s father, so I specifically came to visit you. I hope this won’t seem presumptuous.”