Top Ten Communist Youth League Members

"You must have had too much to drink!" Su Ke whispered into Li Daxing's ear, his lips curled into a cold, mocking smile.

Li Daxing visibly shuddered, swallowing hard. His breathing grew rapid, and his eyes darted around nervously.

Su Ke raised his arm as if to pat Li Daxing on the shoulder, but before he could make the move, the six-foot-tall young man suddenly blurted out, "Principal Liu, the truth is, I was the one who drank at noon!" His voice was thick with a sob.

"Oh? What is going on?" Principal Liu's face darkened, his gaze flicking toward Li Xueliang, who was still seated on the sofa.

"You brat, what nonsense are you spouting!" Li Xueliang was well aware that his son had been drinking, but this was hardly the time for the truth. He lunged forward, kicked Li Daxing aside, and pointed at the office door, roaring, "Get out of here, now!"

Having chased his son out in a fit of shame and anger, Li Xueliang walked straight up to Principal Liu and pointed back at Su Ke. "Principal Liu, you must expel Su Ke!" He spoke with absolute resolve, his tone carrying a faint hint of coercion.

Su Ke fought to suppress the fire in his heart. He was deeply puzzled by Li Xueliang's attitude; he couldn't fathom what kind of backing the man had to dare speak to the principal in such a manner.

Just then, the phone on Principal Liu's desk began to ring. He gestured for Li Xueliang to wait and answered it. "Hello, Director Li!"

"Long time no see, long time no see. It's just that your business keeps you so busy!"

"Oh, you mean Feifei? Her grades have always been quite good!"

"You're too kind. Besides, Feifei has to call me Uncle, doesn't she?"

"Oh? You're talking about what happened at noon? I've already heard about it. Yes, yes, don't you worry. It's just a matter between children; it's nothing so serious!"

"Alright, let's get together when we have the chance!"

Principal Liu hung up the phone. He gave Su Ke a meaningful look, then glanced at Li Xueliang, remaining silent for a long moment. The principal's office suddenly fell into a dead silence.

"Principal Liu, what exactly are we going to do?" Li Xueliang had calmed down significantly; his tone was no longer as aggressive, though his face remained taut.

"They're just children; there's no need to expel anyone, is there?" Principal Liu didn't seem annoyed by Li Xueliang's disrespectful attitude; instead, he offered a smile.

To Su Ke, however, this sentence clearly represented the principal's stance. It seemed he was in the clear. Could it be because of that phone call just now?

As he speculated, listening to the principal mention "Director Li" and "Feifei," he wondered if it was Li Feifei who had helped him out.

"Principal Liu, handling it this way isn't right. If Director Zhang finds out, our school might lose its eligibility for the advanced school award!" After saying this, Li Xueliang sat back down on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and stared at Principal Liu.

Hearing this, Principal Liu did indeed hesitate. Li Xueliang had a relative who was a director at the Municipal Education Bureau's Supervision Office; it was precisely because of this connection that he had secured his position as Dean of Students.

At this point, Su Ke decided to leave his fate to the heavens. He stood to the side in silence and entered the Flower Picking System's interface, having just received a new mission notification.

"Mission: Obtain Li Yuhua's phone number; Reward: 500 RMB."

What the hell? Who is Li Yuhua? Su Ke was instantly bewildered. The name was completely unfamiliar; he had never even heard of this person. If he didn't know the person at all, how was he supposed to get their phone number? Was he dreaming?

Just then, Principal Liu, who had been deep in thought, was interrupted by his phone ringing again. The call from Director Li had been to plead for Su Ke, and he had agreed, but now Li Xueliang was using Director Zhang from the Municipal Education Bureau to pressure him—wasn't that just assuming he had no backing?

Feeling annoyed but unable to vent, Principal Liu was already agitated. When the phone rang again, he frowned, but the next second, his expression shifted entirely. He answered the call quickly, his voice turning soft.

"Hello, Director Wu!"

"Yes, I'm at the school right now! What? You're coming over in a bit?"

"Su Ke? Yes, he is a student at our school!"

Principal Liu suddenly blurted out Su Ke's name, causing Li Xueliang to prick up his ears, trying to hear clearly.

"Alright, we'll be in the office. Yes, I will call Su Ke over!"

Li Xueliang didn't know what was happening, but he felt a sense of foreboding. Seeing Principal Liu hang up, his tone softened considerably. "Principal Liu, was that a call from Deputy Director Wu of the Education Bureau?"

To his surprise, Principal Liu didn't answer him. Instead, he turned to Su Ke, his voice warm and pleasant. "Su Ke, didn't you help catch a thief a few days ago?"

Su Ke was still pondering who this Li Yuhua character was. Hearing the principal's question, he nodded naturally.

"Excellent! A heroic act indeed! Get yourself ready. Leaders from the Municipal Education Bureau and the Municipal Youth League Committee are coming to see you in a moment. Don't be nervous!" As he spoke, Principal Liu walked from behind his desk to Su Ke's side, looking satisfied as he patted Su Ke on the shoulder. "Good lad! You've brought honor to our school!"

Only then did Su Ke snap back to reality. He looked up at Principal Liu, but before he could speak, the principal pulled him over to the sofa and cordially invited him to sit. Such a sudden change left Su Ke feeling quite disoriented.

"Principal Liu, are we expelling him or not?" Although Li Xueliang sensed something was wrong, he insisted on seeing Su Ke kicked out. However, Principal Liu's next reaction caught him off guard.

"Li Xueliang, go back and discipline your son properly. Whether or not he is expelled is not for you alone to decide. Deputy Director Wu and Secretary Li of the Youth League Committee will be here shortly. Stop embarrassing yourself here! Su Ke has been nominated for the Langfang City Top Ten Youth League Members. You'd better consider the consequences!"

Principal Liu pointed at Li Xueliang and gave him a dressing-down, pouring out all the frustration he had been holding back. Finally, he pointed at the office door. "Go out there and keep watch. The moment the leaders arrive at the school gate, report it to me immediately!"

"Uh? Langfang City Top Ten Youth League Member?" Li Xueliang's brain seemed unable to process this; he looked confused, but he knew deep down that Su Ke wouldn't be getting expelled this time. He turned and walked out, muttering to himself.

Watching Li Xueliang leave with a look of utter dejection, Principal Liu laughed, abandoning all pretense of decorum. It seemed he hadn't been this happy in a long time. He sat on the sofa next to Su Ke.

He said in a very amiable tone, "Su Ke! In a while, Deputy Director Wu Chengjie from the Education Bureau and Deputy Secretary Li Yuhua from the Municipal Youth League Committee are coming to see you! When they do, be sure to talk more about our school's moral education initiatives. This is a great opportunity to bring glory to our school!"

"Oh!" Su Ke nodded mechanically. He hadn't expected Li Yuhua to appear so soon. A Deputy Secretary of the Youth League Committee—based on Su Ke's assumptions, such leaders were usually older people. How on earth was he supposed to get this person's phone number?