After a few seconds of stunned silence, Nie Chang sprang to his feet. The chair screeched across the floor as it slid backward, but he barely noticed.
His eyes widened as he stared at the figure in the doorway. "Principal...? Wh-what are you doing here?"
Seeing his former subordinate so flustered, Lin Yi smiled faintly.
He gently shut the door behind him, blocking out the noise from outside.
"I came back for a look. Old Nie, sit down."
Nie Chang took several deep breaths before he could calm the turmoil in his heart enough to slowly sit back down. His gaze remained fixed on Lin Yi, as though afraid he might disappear if he blinked.
"You came back for a look? When did you get back? Why haven't I heard a thing? Does the higher-up know?"
He fired off a string of questions, clearly still reeling from this sudden "surprise attack."
"I got here not long ago. I'm just taking a look around in private, so keep it quiet for now."
Lin Yi walked over and sat in the chair opposite the desk. His eyes swept over the stacks of paperwork and the electronic pen lying on the floor. "Looks like the academy has even more on its plate than before."
Only then did Nie Chang remember how he had reacted. He hurriedly picked up the pen and cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ah, yes. The third batch of reserve corps members is about to ship out. There's a mountain of work to get through."
He paused and looked at Lin Yi with a complicated expression. "Did you come back for something important?"
"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to see things for myself."
Lin Yi smiled, then changed the subject. "Old Nie, if I remember right, you have a habit