Don't Embarrass Me

"Xiaodong, you're back. Come on, hurry inside."

Li Qin set the fruit platter on the coffee table, then turned and beckoned to Li Dong.

Li Dong changed into slippers and walked in, completely baffled.

"Mom, Mr. Yang."

Li Dong obediently greeted them, then looked at the balding man and hesitated.

"And this... hello, Director."

He vaguely remembered that this man was a director from No. 6 High School, but he had not paid much attention when Zheng Hua had muttered his name before.

Seeing Li Dong's slightly bewildered expression, Old Yang waved him over.

"Li Dong, come sit."

Li Dong obediently walked over and sat on a small round stool beside the sofa.

Old Yang was the first to break the silence.

"Do you know that you took first place in the province in the physics competition?"

"I know." Li Dong nodded, thinking, Didn't we refresh the webpage together in the office?

Old Yang immediately asked another question.

"Then do you know about Jiangcheng No. 2 High School's publicity stunt?"

"No. 2 High School's publicity? Oh, I know a little."

Li Dong had heard his mother mention it once before.

But his mind had been full of Chinese and English these past two days, and he had not had time to follow up on it.

Now that Old Yang had brought it up, did that mean the school had stood up for him?

But just then, Director Liu, who was sitting nearby, spoke with a genial smile.

"Hello, Li Dong. We've met before, but we haven't properly introduced ourselves."

"I'm the dean of academic affairs at Jiangcheng No. 6 High School. My surname is Liu."

Liu Limin paused and put away his smile.

"Since you know about it, that's good. Don't worry, No. 6 High School has already spoken up for you. Now everyone knows that you're the real first-place winner!"

He then went into detail about how righteous No. 6 High School was and how intolerable it found such dirty behavior.

Seeing Liu Limin ramble on endlessly, Old Yang hurriedly interrupted him.

"All right, Li Dong, hurry and thank Director Liu."

Li Dong was dumbfounded. This Director Liu really could talk.

Still, they really had helped him, so he immediately turned and thanked Liu Limin.

"Thank you, Director Liu!"

Liu Limin quickly waved his hand.

"Oh, no need to be so polite, Li Dong."

After thanking him, though, something suddenly occurred to Li Dong.

Wait.

Something about this did not seem right.

No. 2 High School had stolen my first place, and No. 6 High School had helped clear things up?

Then... what about our No. 7 High School?

The smile gradually disappeared from Li Dong's face as he turned to Old Yang in confusion.

Old Yang said nothing. He merely shook his head subtly in silence.

A family's shame should not be aired in public.

Old Yang could not criticize his own school's publicity department for being useless in front of No. 6 High School's dean of academic affairs, nor could he explain how No. 7 High School had lost its credibility after ranking at the bottom year after year.

Li Dong looked into Old Yang's bitter eyes.

He immediately understood, and his expression turned ugly.

Anyone in his position would have felt as sick as if they had swallowed a fly.

He had fought on the front lines and won first place, yet his own base did not even have the confidence to put out a congratulatory announcement and claim him.

But he gritted his teeth. Since his mother was there, he did not say anything unpleasant.

Liu Limin was an old fox, and one look at Li Dong's expression told him the timing was right.

"Li Dong." His tone was full of sincerity.

"I came here today specifically because I wanted to discuss something with you and your mother."

Liu Limin looked at Li Dong seriously.

"I've already had a preliminary discussion with your mother."

"Our No. 6 High School greatly admires the talent you've displayed in physics."

"So I wanted to ask whether you'd be interested in transferring to Jiangcheng No. 6 High School."

Afraid that Li Dong might let his emotions sway him, Liu Limin quickly turned to Li Qin beside him.

"Mrs. Li, the facilities and teaching staff at our No. 6 High School rank among the best in the province."

"Of course, the teachers at No. 7 High School are also highly dedicated. Excellent teachers like Mr. Yang would shine anywhere."

Liu Limin's words were exceptionally polished. He praised Old Yang first, then shifted the conversation.

"But cultivating top innovative talent is a systematic undertaking."

"It requires cutting-edge laboratories, brilliant students of the same caliber to exchange ideas with, and a mature path to higher education that connects directly with the best universities at home and abroad."

The speech was tactful and appropriate. It did not openly put down No. 7 High School, yet every word displayed No. 6 High School's unassailable superiority.

Li Qin would have been lying if she said she was not tempted by his words.

What parent did not want their child to attend the best school and receive the best education?

But although Li Qin was a mother who had struggled at the bottom of society and could be somewhat nagging at times,

when it came to raising her child, whatever else could be said, she respected Li Dong's own opinion.

Li Qin looked at Liu Limin and said,

"Director Liu, as his mother, I'm truly happy to hear what you've said."

"But he's grown up now and has opinions of his own."

"Something as important as transferring schools should still be his decision."

Upon hearing that, Liu Limin silently gave the mother a thumbs-up in his heart.

Then he turned his gaze back to Li Dong.

But Li Dong remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

Liu Limin became a little uncertain. He turned and cast a pleading glance at Old Yang beside him.

Old Yang gave a slight nod, indicating that he understood.

He stood and walked over to Li Dong, gently patting him on the shoulder.

"Li Dong, come into the room with me. Let's talk alone."

Li Dong stood and followed Old Yang into his bedroom.

Once the bedroom door closed, Old Yang crossed his arms and leaned against the wardrobe. Looking at Li Dong sitting on the edge of the bed, he smiled.

"What's this? Sitting here with your head down, trying to look deep? Got feelings for No. 7 High School and can't bear to leave?"

Li Dong raised his head, his face filled with extreme conflict.

"Mr. Yang... that's not it. Mainly, if I transfer to No. 6 High School, can I still get the 20,000-yuan prize money for the Huaxuan Cup semifinals...?"

Old Yang nearly choked on those words.

He had thought the kid was feeling sentimental about his alma mater. In the end, all he could think about was those 20,000 yuan!

"You little brat!" Old Yang laughed in exasperation and ruffled Li Dong's hair.

"Why are you so money-minded? With the brains you've shown, it's entirely possible for you to win national awards and university scholarships after going to No. 6 High School. Are you really going to worry about a measly 20,000 yuan in the future?"

Yet in the face of Old Yang's laughing scolding, Li Dong did not joke around as he usually did.

He looked up at Old Yang very seriously.

"Mr. Yang, money in the future is money in the future."

"But my family really needs these 20,000 yuan right now."

Old Yang froze.

He looked around the bedroom, where even the wall paint had yellowed, and sighed.

"You brat... fine. Since you've put it that way, I'll be straight with you too."

"As for transferring schools, just follow your heart."

"If you want to go, then go."

"As for the 20,000 yuan, I'll go talk to Zheng Hua and Principal Wang for you."

"But there's a condition." Old Yang raised one finger.

"Even if you leave, you have to finish this competition as a student of Jiangcheng No. 7 High School. That's the principle."

"However..."

"The additional 10,000-yuan scholarship the school promised you for winning first prize? Don't count on getting that."

Li Dong nodded without hesitation.

"Fine! Twenty thousand it is. As long as this money doesn't fall through, that's enough!"

With the most pressing financial issue settled, Li Dong finally relaxed.

In truth, deep down, Li Dong very much wanted to go to No. 6 High School.

He was an ordinary senior-year student, not some saint who was above worldly concerns.

Who would not want to attend a top school with better teaching and a stronger academic atmosphere? Who would not want to compete on the same stage as the most talented students in the province?

Did he have feelings for Jiangcheng No. 7 High School?

He did.

But what he could not bear to leave had never been No. 7 High School itself.

What he could not bear to leave were the people at No. 7 High School.

Liu Liang, Chen Yue, Old Yang...

He would even miss Jiang Yizhou.

After going to No. 6 High School, he probably would not get to see such an annoying yet entertaining creature again, right?

The moment Old Yang saw Li Dong's relaxed expression, he knew the kid had already made up his mind.

But as a teacher, he felt there were still things he had to explain before Li Dong left.

"Li Dong, to be honest, bringing Director Liu from No. 6 High School here today went a little against professional ethics, but it doesn't matter. A little more mud thrown on me won't make a difference."

"But you need to understand that a school isn't merely a place that teaches you knowledge."

"With your current learning ability, to be honest, high school knowledge is no longer an obstacle for you."

"Even if you stayed at No. 7 High School or went home to study on your own, you could still score full marks in math, physics, and chemistry. The school you attend would not make much difference to your test scores."

Old Yang paused.

"But the issue is the resources and perspective a good school can offer you."

Li Dong blinked, somewhat confused.

In his mind, a good school just meant teachers explained things more thoroughly and the mock exams were harder.

As for anything else, he had only been an ordinary senior-year student before. He had never had such a concept.

Old Yang patiently explained.

"If you stay at No. 7 High School, your grades will still be outstanding, but you'll have far fewer opportunities than you would at No. 6 High School."

"At provincial key schools like No. 6 High School, competitions like the Olympiads, Physics Bowl, and Yau High School Science Award... competitions that can directly connect students with top universities in China and abroad, they have mature teams managing them every year."

"From the moment their students enter as freshmen, they know how to plan their next three years and which path to take."

At that point, Old Yang gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"And what about our No. 7 High School? Don't laugh, but when we sent you to the Huaxuan Cup this time, even Director Zheng himself hadn't figured out how to log into the preliminary round's computer system."

"That's the information gap!"

Old Yang's words were crystal clear, and they also changed Li Dong's mindset somewhat.

If he truly wanted to stand on the shoulders of giants, he first had to obtain a ticket to that platform.

Li Dong took a deep breath, stood, and gave Old Yang a deep bow.

"Mr. Yang, I understand. I'll go to No. 6 High School."

Old Yang was startled by the boy's sudden bow, then pretended to be impatient.

"Just don't embarrass me after you get to No. 6 High School!"

"Come on, let's go give Director Liu a definite answer. Don't keep him waiting out there."

Old Yang stood and headed for the bedroom door first.

Li Dong followed behind. Just as they reached the door, his phone suddenly began vibrating.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz."

Li Dong took out his phone and saw "Director Zheng (Massage)" displayed on the screen.