Then her gaze snapped toward Su Chen and Wang Dong like a precision rifle locking onto its target. Her icy tone was practically shedding frost:
"Su Chen! Wang Dong! Do you really think I don't know you two got into a fight outside the freshman dormitory?! Do I have to 'invite' you to stand up myself?!"
At being called out by name, the whole class's attention instantly focused on them.
Su Chen's expression remained perfectly calm. Taking his time, he rose from his seat with unhurried composure, standing tall and straight as a pine.
Wang Dong felt a little uneasy, but seeing how calm Su Chen was somehow gave her more confidence.
She followed his example. Though her movements were a little stiff, she stood up too, lifting her chin slightly and doing her best to look proud.
"Heh." Zhou Yi gave a cold laugh. Her gaze lingered especially long on Su Chen, as if she were looking at a defiant troublemaker. "Looks like we've got someone who refuses to follow the rules."
She didn't address Su Chen and Wang Dong right away. Instead, she turned to the class and announced in a cold, unquestionable tone:
"Everyone except those two, get out! Now! Immediately! Run one hundred laps around Shrek Plaza! Anyone who doesn't finish will be expelled!"
"What?!"
"One hundred laps?!"
"Shrek Plaza is enormous! How are we supposed to finish that?!"
"It's only the first day of school! We haven't even had class yet!"
"What for?! We didn't fight!"
Zhou Yi's words were like a ladle of cold water flung into a pan of hot oil. The whole class erupted! Shock, confusion, anger, and disbelief were written all over the freshmen's faces.
It was the first day of school, and they hadn't even had a minute of class. Now they were being punished for the absurd reason that they "hadn't fought"? They had to run a hundred laps, or they'd be expelled? Was there any justice in that?!
A tall male student with a bad temper written all over his face suddenly shot to his feet. His face flushed red as he protested loudly, "Teacher! I refuse to accept this! Why are we being punished with a hundred laps for not fighting?! This isn't fair!"
"That's right! We refuse!" several students immediately echoed.
"And why don't those two have to run when they're the ones who fought?!" someone shouted indignantly, pointing at Su Chen and Wang Dong.
Faced with the students' outrage, Zhou Yi's expression didn't change in the slightest. She remained as cold and stern as ever.
She glanced at the student who had stood up. Her tone was calm, yet carried an overbearing force that brooked no resistance:
"Because I said so. In this class, my rules are the rules!"
She raised her chin slightly, looking down at them:
"Don't like it? Then get lost. As the homeroom teacher, I have the right to expel any student I deem unsuitable. I'm giving you one minute."
Her voice suddenly sharpened, like a northern wind in the depths of winter:
"If, within one minute, I still don't see every one of you running laps around Shrek Plaza—"
She paused, then delivered her ultimatum, each word clear and distinct:
"You're all expelled!"
The icy words "you're all expelled" struck the hearts of many freshmen like a heavy hammer. They had worked so hard to get into Shrek. Were they really going to be driven out on the very first day for some ridiculous reason?
Most of the freshmen looked humiliated and furious, yet helpless. Some began moving reluctantly toward the classroom door.
The boy who had stood up wavered, his expression shifting back and forth. In the end, he shot Zhou Yi a furious glare and followed the others out, gritting his teeth.
The classroom soon emptied out. Only Su Chen, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and a few others remained—some hesitating, others too stunned to move.
Only then did Zhou Yi turn her icy gaze back to Su Chen and Wang Dong. The sneer on her lips carried undisguised malice.
"As for you two..."
She deliberately drew out the words.
"Fighting and brawling, violating the freshmen's rules. Worse, you don't even dare own up to it. You thought you could fool me, and you don't even have the courage to stand up!"
Her voice rose sharply, brimming with the force of a sentence being passed:
"Trash like you, with no sense of responsibility, no courage, and nothing but petty tricks, don't deserve to stay in my class, let alone at Shrek!"
"I hereby expel you both! Now, immediately, pack your things and get out of Shrek Academy!"
"Those who don't dare cause trouble are trash, and those who dare cause trouble but won't own up to it are the worst trash of all! I, Zhou Yi, won't teach garbage that doesn't even have the courage to admit when they're wrong!"
The cold verdict rang through the now mostly empty classroom.
Wang Dong's face turned deathly pale. Her pinkish-blue eyes were filled with shock, anger, and a hint of bewilderment.
Expelled? Just because she hadn't volunteered to admit she'd fought? This... this was absurd! She instinctively looked at Su Chen beside her.
But Su Chen showed none of the panic, anger, or protest she had expected.
"Heh... haha."
A soft laugh broke the dead silence.
It wasn't loud, and even had a lazy lilt to it, yet it carried clearly through the quiet classroom.
Everyone, Zhou Yi included, abruptly turned toward the source of the sound—Su Chen.
Far from looking shocked or angry at being expelled, Su Chen wore a faint, almost amused smile.
He had both hands in his pockets and stood at ease, as if none of this had anything to do with him—or as if it simply wasn't worth mentioning.
"Teacher Zhou," Su Chen began. His voice was calm, even polite, but his words were shocking. "You're expelling us just because we didn't follow your instructions and stand up to admit we'd fought?"
He tilted his head slightly, as if earnestly asking an interesting question. But deep in his calm golden eyes, a cold light flickered.
"Forgive me for being blunt," Su Chen said, his tone still even, yet carrying an undeniable certainty and a faint note of mockery. "You don't have that right."
"What did you say?!" Zhou Yi's face darkened instantly. In all her years of teaching, no freshman had ever dared to defy her so openly or question her authority!
A stronger wave of Soul Power pressure burst from her, crashing down on Su Chen like a tangible force.
"Are you challenging the authority of Shrek Academy, Su Chen?!" Zhou Yi's voice rose slightly with anger, carrying a bone-chilling coldness.
Faced with this pressure, enough to make an ordinary Soul Grandmaster tremble, Su Chen didn't even furrow his brow.
He even stepped slightly forward into Zhou Yi's cold, furious gaze, his straight back as unbending as an evergreen pine.
He lifted his head and looked Zhou Yi in the eye. His words rang out clearly and firmly through the classroom, now so quiet it was almost frightening:
"You don't represent Shrek."
"You have even less right to represent Shrek's authority."
Before you continue