Chapter 134: Dare to Wager?

Afterward, Lin Yu sat with the elderly headmaster in his office for a while, chatting about recent events. To his surprise, it was not long before the criminal police captain, Han Kezhen, arrived at the school with his team.

After some questioning, the captain learned the situation regarding those arrogant young men. Since no physical altercation had actually occurred, he led his team away in a flurry.

Before Lin Yu left the headmaster's office, Headmaster Xie Shi offered him some parting words: "If you bow to fate, it only proves that you are a failure. If you possess an unyielding will, even if you fail in the end, your life will still have been brilliant. Some people are often constrained by so-called factors, limiting their ultimate development. This is wrong. To live life, one must be like a bird: forget the horizon, and only without the shackles of chains can you fly higher."

"To rise in the face of opportunity is what a student should strive for." Before leaving, Lin Yu bowed for the third time to express his gratitude.

Because classes were in session, the corridors were quiet. Lin Yu did not intrude into the classroom but instead sat on the stairs to wait for the break.

When the bell rang and the substitute homeroom teacher, He Jing, announced the end of class and walked out, Lin Yu stood up to greet her. "Ms. He, Headmaster Xie asked to see me, which is why I missed class. Please feel free to punish me; I did skip class without asking for your leave, after all."

"You have been performing very well lately, so there is nothing to punish you for. However, I must remind you that because the school leadership has established a new 'Crossing the Narrow Bridge' sprint plan for the senior year, the final exams for the first semester have been moved forward from mid-January to mid-December. Work hard and strive to consolidate your studies before the finals," He Jing said casually.

These words made Lin Yu nervous. Although he had been working hard, his previous score of nearly 600 was the result of incredible luck. Achieving such a high score again would likely be very difficult.

Even though it was a break, the hallway remained very quiet. Since students usually took the opportunity to exercise during the second-period break, they were reluctant to waste precious study time walking around during the third.

Seeing the students' diligence, Lin Yu felt his own efforts were still lacking. He had not reached that state of constant, burning intensity.

"What are you thinking about? Is the pressure too much?" Seeing that Lin Yu had not spoken for a while, his homeroom teacher, He Jing, asked with concern.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just feel that compared to my classmates, my level of effort is not enough. But don't worry, Teacher; I will definitely make you proud in the final exams. I won't give you any reason to lose face, nor will I give other homeroom teachers a chance to gossip." Having regained his focus, Lin Yu made a firm promise.

Lin Yu knew that because of his recent speech, many homeroom teachers were watching him, waiting for his grades to drop in the next exam so they could have a good laugh. Of course, their primary goal was to see He Jing humiliated.

Hearing Lin Yu voice his concerns, He Jing smiled kindly and said openly, "A gentleman does not contend with petty people. We just need to do our best. In the Chinese workplace, nonsense is the most popular currency, so don't care what other teachers think. Stay firm in your beliefs and just do your own work."

"Hehe, I understand. Class is about to start, so I'll head in." Lin Yu gave a sweet smile, said goodbye, and returned to the classroom.

Back inside, he locked his gaze on Qi Xiaoyue, who was nodding off, and then glanced at Yang Zhilin, who was resting her chin on her hand, lost in thought while contemplating lyrics for a Chinese-style song.

Lin Yu and Qi Yue both knew that she used every break to write lyrics. Given her top-tier academic standing, neither of them was worried about her.

Dodging a male student who was erasing the blackboard, Lin Yu passed by Qi Yue and mischievously pinched her soft cheek with his index and middle fingers, causing her to jump up, ready to kick him.

Seeing the situation turn sour, Lin Yu quickly sped up and ran back to his seat. Qi Yue glared at him before collapsing back onto her desk to sleep.

Yang Zhilin, who was busy writing lyrics, gave a calm smile. Then, seemingly inspired, she began to write earnestly in her notebook.

"Seatmate, some people are saying you cheated on your last exam!" As soon as Lin Yu returned to his seat, the chubby boy Wang Libo said indignantly.

"Huh? What's going on?" Lin Yu, slightly confused, sat down and asked with a smile.

He understood that since ancient times, anyone who rose in any field would face all kinds of skepticism. Being watched and questioned about his grades only proved that he was being envied.

"It's him, of course." Wang Libo pointed angrily at Bao Qingshan, who had been gossiping about Lin Yu during the break.

Bao Qingshan had always been a student ranked between 30th and 40th in Class 7. He had performed well during the midterms, scoring about 40 points higher than usual and finishing 30th. However, he was very unhappy, as Lin Yu, who had long been dead last, had somehow surged ahead of him. He felt that if it weren't for Lin Yu, he would have been 29th in the class.

A ranking starting with a three versus one starting with a two made a world of difference in one's mood. Consequently, when Lin Yu was not in the room, he couldn't help but complain to others.

This had caused great dissatisfaction for Lin Yu's seatmate, Wang Libo, and the two had nearly gotten into an argument. It was only through the intervention of several other students that a physical fight was avoided.

Understanding the root of the matter, Lin Yu glanced at Bao Qingshan, who was badmouthing him, with a smile. He said nothing and did not take it to heart.

However, his look was misinterpreted by Bao Qingshan, who felt it was a smug smile—a provocation. Bao Qingshan was a coward who usually stepped aside whenever he saw Lin Yu in the hallway, but the issue of grades had suddenly given him the courage to challenge him.

Under the skeptical gazes of a group of girls nearby, Bao Qingshan took a deep breath, slammed the table, stood up, and shouted, "Lin Yu, I really admire your fighting skills. But when it comes to academics, I don't think you're as good as me! You finishing ahead of me this time makes me think you cheated."

Except for Lin Lie, whose whereabouts were unknown, the entire class focused their attention on Bao Qingshan and Lin Yu. To them, the air was thick with tension.

Hearing someone question Lin Yu, Qi Yue, who had been dozing on her desk, stood up instantly and was about to start scolding him. Seeing the situation deteriorating, the more mature Yang Zhilin immediately grabbed the girl and whispered words of persuasion.

Under her guidance, Qi Yue slowly calmed down, though the rise and fall of her chest proved she was still furious. After all, she knew better than anyone how hard Lin Yu had worked.

Glancing at the girl who had nearly snapped, Lin Yu gave her a look that said "it doesn't matter," then turned to Bao Qingshan and said in an unhurried tone, "Whether I cheated or not, the teachers know better than you."

"Since you think you didn't cheat, do you dare to make a bet with me on the final exam to see who gets the better grade?" Bao Qingshan, his emotions spiraling out of control and his face flushed red, clamored loudly.