The principal's office was silent. This well-soundproofed office was like a quiet room, shutting out most of the noise. Principal Liu quietly read his book, carrying himself with the air of a man who held wisdom in the palm of his hand. This Mathematics exam was the first step of his new reform policy, and it also counted as a show of force for the entire school.
Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked and entered—it was the director of academic affairs. Though the Academic Guidance Office and the Academic Affairs Office differed by only one word, their duties were worlds apart. For this exam, Director Zhang of the Academic Affairs Office was Principal Liu's capable right-hand man.
"Principal, the exam is about to begin. The proctors and roaming inspectors are all in position." Director Zhang looked at Principal Liu, somewhat hesitant. "Principal, the teachers still feel that this little test is somewhat... not solemn enough. There are no separate exam rooms and no restrictions on going to the restroom. The risk of cheating is quite high."
Principal Liu did not get angry at this. Instead, he rose and gently poured Director Zhang a cup of tea. "Director Zhang, I am not worried about cheating in this exam at all. Whether they copy or compare answers, it will not affect the overall situation."
"Oh?" Director Zhang was rather surprised as well. "Does the principal's test have some hidden mystery to it?"
In truth, Director Zhang had been curious too. Principal Liu had personally set the exam paper and questions this time. Whether he had outsourced them remained unknown, but from top to bottom, no one in the school knew anything about the paper's contents besides the fact that it tested the Four Basic Arithmetic Operations. The paper's packaging was also highly advanced.