Requesting Leave

Qiao Sang looked at Dai Shushu for two seconds, then smiled. "Yes. Is there anything else?"

Dai Shushu lowered her gaze slightly and shook her head. "No."

Qiao Sang turned and returned to the classroom.

The moment she sat down, Fang Sisi leaned over. "What did Dai Shushu say to you? You look awful."

"Do I really look that bad?" Qiao Sang asked.

"Yeah. You had such a sour face, you scared me to death," Fang Sisi teased.

If there had been a mirror, Qiao Sang would have wanted to take a look.

Fang Sisi immediately followed up, "What exactly did Dai Shushu want from you?"

"Nothing." Qiao Sang picked up her book and resumed reading.

Fang Sisi wanted to ask more, but seeing that Qiao Sang clearly did not want to say anything, she kept quiet.

After the morning classes ended, Qiao Sang packed up her things and went to the Junior Three Department office.

"Teacher, I want to request leave." Qiao Sang stared at Old Class Teacher's thick hair.

Old Class Teacher abruptly stood up.

There was another female teacher in the office, and her gaze immediately fixed on Qiao Sang.

Old Class Teacher restrained himself. "Do you know what you're saying? There are only a few days left before the High School Entrance Exam, and you want to request leave? I still haven't made you write a self-criticism for skipping class last time."

Qiao Sang said seriously, "Teacher, if you don't approve my leave, I can only skip class. I'll make up the self-criticism."

Veins bulged at Old Class Teacher's temples. "Does your family know about this leave request?"

Qiao Sang did not answer.

Old Class Teacher took a deep breath and sat back down. He said earnestly, "If you don't want your mother to come to school again, then go back to class properly. The teacher wronged you over what happened last time, but even if you awakened on your own, you can't neglect your studies. There are only a few days left before the High School Entrance Exam."

Qiao Sang smiled. "You were at school when my mom came last Friday too, Teacher."

Old Class Teacher froze for a moment before answering, "I was the one who asked your mother to come to school and explain your skipping class."

Tilting her head slightly, Qiao Sang asked, "Why did you throw my mom out?"

Old Class Teacher was stunned, his expression complicated. He assumed Qiao Sang's mother had told her, and for a moment, he did not know how to answer.

He shared an office with Class Nine's Class Teacher.

That day, Dai Shushu from Class Nine and her mother had come to school at the same time as Qiao Sang's mother.

Dai Shushu had just received guaranteed admission to Saint Water High School, and the dean of studies had come over to congratulate her as well.

The office's attention had naturally been focused on Class Nine.

Then Qiao Sang's mother explained that her daughter had awakened on her own and had gone to contract a pet beast. She had been so happy that she forgot to request leave.

Children might lie, but adults would not behave so foolishly alongside them. Naturally, he believed her.

It should have been a happy occasion, but everyone in the office turned their attention over. After a few questions and answers, all of Qiao Sang's background had been laid bare.

Dai Shushu's mother had made a few sarcastic remarks, and Qiao Sang's mother had started arguing with her.

Dai Shushu cried beside them.

As the school's precious darling, they naturally could not let her feel wronged. The dean of studies then told Qiao Sang's mother to leave.

Old Class Teacher considered himself a qualified teacher.

He did not know how to handle social connections. He worked diligently and conscientiously, and only became a Class Teacher after more than twenty years of grinding away.

Over those years, all his youthful spirit had worn away. Even when the parents of students in his class were treated differently, he did not dare stand up and say anything.

Yet he also felt that he had done nothing wrong. He had merely been a bystander. There was no need to explain the whole process to a child.

Old Class Teacher paused before saying, "It wasn't throwing her out. It was asking her to leave, just so your mother could calm down."

Qiao Sang smiled. "I understand. But that request made my mom sick. Teacher, you know my family's situation. I'm the only one who can take care of my mom."

Hearing that, Old Class Teacher's momentum deflated. "How long do you want to take off?"

Qiao Sang answered, "Until my mom gets better."

Old Class Teacher hesitated before saying, "You need to come back early. There are only a few days left before the High School Entrance Exam."

Qiao Sang nodded and turned to leave.

Watching Qiao Sang's retreating figure, Old Class Teacher was still worried and added, "You need to study properly at home too. There isn't much time left before the High School Entrance Exam. Once your mother is a little better, come back quickly."

Qiao Sang turned around, looked at Old Class Teacher, and smiled. "Teacher, your wig is crooked."

Old Class Teacher: "..."

Female Teacher: "..."

Hanggang Xiangzhen Pet Beast Battle Club.

"How much does your club charge for a beginner sparring partner for a day?"

"Hello, our sparring partners are charged by the hour. A beginner sparring partner costs 1,000 Alliance Coin per hour. If you book for the whole day, we can give you a 2% discount," the receptionist said with a smile.

Pet beast battle clubs could provide different sparring partners according to a client's requirements. As a popular industry in modern society, they had spread across streets and neighborhoods of every size.

At some publicly listed pet beast battle clubs, as long as one could afford it, they could even find an S-rank Pet Tamer to spar with them. However, there were not many pet beast battle clubs like that.

Xiangzhen Pet Beast Battle Club was already the fifth club Qiao Sang had visited.

There was only one reason she had looked through so many pet beast battle clubs.

She did not have enough money...

Qiao Sang touched all her savings in her pocket, hugged Fire Fang Dog, and silently walked out.

Qiao Sang felt somewhat lost, not knowing where to go for the moment.

Originally, she had taken a go-with-the-flow attitude toward Saint Water High School. It would naturally be good if she passed the Special Enrollment Exam, but if she did not, Sixth Pet Tamer Middle School was there as a fallback. It was not a big deal.

But now, she wanted to attend this school.

The Special Enrollment Exam for Saint Water High School was in ten days. At her current level, she was not even sure whether she could pass the minimum score line for the High School Entrance Exam.

Those ranked second through fifth needed to score fifty points above the minimum score line to be admitted. Qiao Sang was not confident.

Since that was the case, she could only secure the preferential treatment of the High School Entrance Exam's minimum score line by taking first place in the Special Enrollment Exam.

Having made that decision, Fire Fang Dog's training had to be moved up.

Although Fire Fang Dog was a fire-type pet beast with strong attack power, it was still a young beast with little battle experience. Its previous victory had been so easy entirely because it was a two-on-one and its opponent had reacted too slowly.

If she really went into the Special Enrollment Exam like this, first place was probably out of the question.

With only ten days left, staying at school would be too much of a waste of time. She could study on her own while training Fire Fang Dog.

She had the Golden Finger. Through battles, she could completely raise Fire Fang Dog's combat power in a short time.

Qiao Sang had planned it out well, but the moment she came outside, she was stumped.

There were many pet beast battles, both large and small, and plenty of venues for them, but they also came with many requirements. Some competitions required a certain Pet Tamer rank.

Pet beast competitions also needed to earn viewership and ticket money. Rookie Pet Tamers generally only had one beginner pet beast, and they only went back and forth with the same few moves. How could that possibly be exciting to watch?

If audiences did not want to watch, naturally no organizer would be willing to lose money hosting such events.

Qiao Sang checked and found that the nearest competition in Hanggang City open to F-rank Pet Tamers would be held on June 30.

The organizers had timed it well. By then, Junior Three students would have finished their High School Entrance Exams, and those who were supposed to contract pet beasts would have done so.

There would definitely be no shortage of newly minted Pet Tamers signing up.

With their parents, school teachers, and all kinds of relatives and friends forming a viewer base, the ratings would not be low.