Childhood Sweethearts

Snake Island was actually a massive mountain surrounded by water, with an extremely unusual landscape.

Ma Wei had mentioned last night that there had recently been several attacks by snake-like monsters in the city. The trouble might have started on Snake Island.

He hadn't expected the Public Security Bureau to act so quickly today. They were certainly taking their work seriously.

Gao Teng followed his classmates to the sports field and saw that all the senior classes had already lined up.

There were ten classes, each with around forty or fifty students. Their class was the only one that looked so deserted, with just twelve students—easy to count at a glance.

They lined up quickly and waited for about six or seven minutes before the principal, Liang Guofu, stepped onto the flag-raising platform.

He glanced down at the classes. When his eyes landed on Class Five, his brows furrowed.

He knew what Class Five was like, but he didn't think there were so few students.

Liang Guofu paused briefly. Instead of immediately asking Teacher Chen about it, he cleared his throat and began going over the precautions for the field training.

Then he directed a class of students to carry several baskets of training uniforms and bundles of standard-issue long sabers out of the school storeroom.

The uniforms were badly worn, and the sabers were covered in signs of wear. The school often organized field training, and this equipment had been used over and over for a long time.

After the equipment was handed out, the classes took turns going to the restrooms to change into their uniforms.

Once everyone was ready, they boarded the buses parked on campus in orderly fashion.

After confirming that all her students were seated, Teacher Chen was about to leave with them.

But just as she was about to board, Liang Guofu stopped her.

"Teacher Chen."

Liang Guofu walked over to the bus door and coughed lightly. "What's going on with your class? Are some of the students missing? I remember your class having more students than this."

Teacher Chen turned and explained, "Principal, a few students in my class aren't feeling well, so I told them to stay behind and rest in the classroom."

Liang Guofu's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. That was obviously an excuse.

Students who trained in martial arts every day were as strong as oxen. How could they be feeling unwell?

He spoke earnestly. "Teacher Chen, you can't turn your students into hothouse flowers. They need to face some danger to develop courage."

"I understand, Principal," Teacher Chen said. "But they really aren't feeling well. I'm worried something might happen if I force them to take part in the training."

Liang Guofu hummed in acknowledgment. He wasn't angered by her excuse; instead, he replied politely, "I know you're thinking of your students. But if you do this, the other students might have complaints.

"So you need to consider things from all angles. You can't just look after certain students."

Teacher Chen nodded in agreement.

"All right."

Liang Guofu smiled. "I just wanted to give you a few reminders so you can be more thorough in your teaching.

"You're a good teacher, and I've always admired your dedication. As principal, I feel very fortunate to have a teacher like you at our school."

"Principal, you're too kind."

"I'm not just flattering you. I mean every word."

Liang Guofu offered a few more words of encouragement, then watched as Teacher Chen boarded the bus and it slowly drove out of the school.

Gao Teng was surprised by what he'd witnessed.

Liang Guofu had been a little too polite, almost ingratiating. Could Teacher Chen have an unusual background?

He rubbed his chin. This would be hard to ask about, so he'd better focus on the upcoming field training.

Once he racked up a big haul of merit points, his classmate Zhou Xing would be in for another treat!

"Heh."

Thinking of Zhou Xing's devastated expression made Gao Teng feel a rush of delight.

He folded his arms, leaned back in his seat, and began to rest with his eyes closed.

He didn't know how long it had been when the bus jolted a few times and finally reached its destination.

Outside the window, lush greenery stretched in every direction. Rushing water encircled the mountain, making for a beautiful scene.

Gao Teng got off the bus with his classmates. Several Public Security Bureau vehicles were parked by the roadside, and uniformed officers stood around chatting.

"Yan, you're here."

As soon as they got off, a lean, muscular middle-aged man came over, his face full of delight.

"Ma Wei, what are you doing here?"

Teacher Chen was cold toward him, not bothering to hide her displeasure.

Ma Wei didn't seem embarrassed. He kept smiling. "I'm the deputy chief. Of course I have to be out here working.

"The bureau sent powerful officers for this field training. I guarantee none of the students from your school will get hurt."

Teacher Chen looked at him with distaste. "But with you leading the team, I can't feel at ease."

Ma Wei clicked his tongue and shook his head repeatedly. "Everyone at the bureau says I'm practically perfect in the way I handle things and treat people.

"Only you keep reminding me that I'm not good enough and can still improve. You've really gone to a lot of trouble for me."

"Disgusting!"

Teacher Chen shot him a glare and walked away.

Then she added, "Don't follow me!"

Ma Wei stopped where he was, looking somewhat helpless.

He glanced over the students in Class Five. When he spotted Gao Teng, he was taken aback.

"Well, look at that!"

He raised a hand in greeting. "What are you doing here? Fancy running into you! How was last night? Did you have a good time?"

Gao Teng's face scrunched up. Just as he was about to reply, Teacher Chen cut in. "Ma Wei, stop chatting with my students. Don't corrupt them!"

Ma Wei spread his hands. "I haven't even said anything."

Teacher Chen didn't spare him a bit of courtesy. "I know exactly what kind of crap is going to come out of your mouth!"

"Yan, you're being too harsh with me."

"Don't call me that. We're not that close!"

Ma Wei looked wounded. "We went to the same class from elementary school through middle school, high school, and university. We went through so much together. We're more like family than anything else, and all I get from you is that we're not close?"

"Give me a break!"

Teacher Chen walked farther away and chatted with the other teachers, clearly wanting nothing to do with Ma Wei.

Gao Teng's gaze moved back and forth between the two of them. Ma Wei looked like a seasoned lady-killer, but he was actually a simp.

"What are you looking at?"

Ma Wei was in a foul mood. He asked Gao Teng with a stern face.

"Nothing."

Gao Teng shook his head quickly.

Ma Wei walked over, put an arm around Gao Teng's shoulders, and said with a quiet sigh, "You're the lucky one. You're so young, and you've already got a girl who feels the same way about you.

"If I'd been a little braver back then, I could've gone after the person I liked as boldly as you do."

"?"

Gao Teng instinctively turned to look at Teacher Chen.

The homeroom teacher was dressed simply in a plain white T-shirt and tight jeans that accentuated her shapely rear. Even just from behind, she looked alluring.

"Is she pretty?"

Ma Wei grabbed Gao Teng's chin and turned his head back around.

"Is that something you should be looking at? I'll gouge your eyes out!"