"Teacher Zhou, please say less."
Du Weilun frowned and spoke bluntly.
The young man might not have known they were not hiring, but that was clearly no reason to disparage him.
This Zhou Yi was growing more and more insolent, relying on her husband's position as director of the Soul Tool Department and her extraordinary connections there.
"Director Du, what do you mean?"
"Shrek Academy should turn away this sort of thing. Our academy isn't some junkyard that takes in any old scrap..."
As the Outer Court teacher with the strongest connections, Zhou Yi was far prouder than the others. She normally thought nothing of even Du Weilun, and her voice was just as cold now.
Yet before she could finish, her eyes met his, and a cold, fierce aura instantly flooded her entire body, making her shudder involuntarily.
For a fleeting instant, she even felt a sense of endearment.
"Applying is my business. Whether I pass is between me and the academy's leadership... Do you have any say in this?"
"You seem to have quite a lot of objections."
Chu Ge spoke coldly.
Of course he knew how outrageous she was, given that she had been Huo Gua's homeroom teacher in the original story. But he had never expected her to be this outrageous. He had merely come to apply for a job, and Zhou Yi was already running her mouth?
What he hated most in life was people who pointed fingers for no reason. To put it bluntly...
What a thick-skinned woman.
"You..."
"How dare you speak to me like that..."
Faced with Chu Ge's icy words, Zhou Yi froze, then frowned, her face darkening.
In all her years at the Shrek Outer Court, this was the first time anyone had dared speak to her like this!
So what if he had some intimidating aura?
Yet in the next instant, while Chu Ge's expression remained indifferent, an invisible pressure abruptly swept over her, making her entire body tremble.
Pressure.
Unlike before, this was immense pressure.
For someone whose life had gone smoothly for years, with her husband handling every problem, this was a tremendous blow. For a moment, she could not speak at all.
"Hiss..."
Everyone beside them stared wide-eyed at the scene, from Huo Yudie, who stood rooted to the spot, to the incredulous Tang Ya and Bei Bei.
A Shrek teacher had been intimidated just like that?!
"This young man..."
"He's extraordinary!"
Du Weilun was also taken aback, his face full of astonishment. Earlier, he had merely thought the young man was young; he had never expected his strength to be equally stunning.
To intimidate a Soul Emperor, he had to be at least a Soul Saint, perhaps even a Soul Douluo... He really might qualify to teach.
His strength...
Perhaps it's no less than mine.
Du Weilun assessed the situation rationally. Intimidating someone with a single glance was already beyond what he could do.
"You..."
"You dare make trouble in front of me!"
After a long silence, Zhou Yi finally forced herself to stand firm. Her husband was Fan Yu-what did she have to fear?
"What am I doing in front of you?"
"Weren't you the one who picked a fight?"
Chu Ge advanced toward Zhou Yi one step at a time. With every step, she felt her heart leap into her throat.
When he stood before her, her body trembled uncontrollably. There was anger, but far more fear.
She was already a powerful Soul Emperor, with backers like her Soul Douluo husband Fan Yu and his Titled Douluo teacher. How could anyone still dare act against her?
And so, under that overwhelming terror and shock, the proud Zhou Yi simply rolled her eyes back and fainted.
Even Chu Ge had not anticipated this turn of events. He stared blankly at the woman sprawled on the ground, his expression thoughtful.
Seriously?
He hadn't even lifted a hand, and Zhou Yi had gone down just like that?
"Director Du Weilun."
"You saw it. I didn't touch her. This should count as staging an accident to make a claim. It has nothing to do with me."
Chu Ge looked at Du Weilun and spoke helplessly.
"Of course this has nothing to do with you..."
"I'm sorry you had to witness such a disgrace."
"Shrek Academy will certainly give you a satisfactory explanation for what happened today."
Du Weilun shook his head with a bitter smile. It was hard to imagine such an ugly incident happening even at Shrek.
"Mm-hmm."
"Then what about my application?"
Chu Ge nodded casually and asked in return.
"Come with me. Let's speak somewhere private."
Du Weilun smiled, then turned to the others beside them.
"Xiao Ya, Bei Bei, and Xiao Tao."
"Teacher Zhou has suffered heatstroke in broad daylight, right here in public. Take her back to rest first."
"Yes."
Tang Ya and the others immediately answered.
"Yudie, have Sister Xiao Ya take you to the dormitory later. I'll go talk with this teacher first."
Chu Ge nodded, patted Huo Yudie's little head, and spoke to her.
"Okay, Master."
Huo Yudie obediently agreed.
After that, Chu Ge and Du Weilun disappeared from her sight.
"Teacher Zhou has always had a bad reputation at our academy. I never thought she'd even pick a fight with Brother Chu. Honestly..."
"I'm speechless!"
Tang Ya's face was full of indignation. Zhou Yi had once been her homeroom teacher, so she knew better than anyone what that crazy woman was like. She was truly hard to describe.
Outrageous. Absolutely outrageous.
"Xiao Ya..."
Bei Bei watched Tang Ya leave, then looked in the direction Chu Ge had gone, a vague sense of unease stirring in his heart.
"Please, have a seat."
Meanwhile, Du Weilun led Chu Ge into an office. It was a very tranquil room, elegant and comfortable.
Beside them sat a white-haired elderly man, who calmly looked him over.
"Director Du, I'm here to apply for a teaching position."
Chu Ge glanced discreetly at the elderly man, then turned to Du Weilun and spoke evenly.
"There's no rush about the application..."
"Besides, you really shouldn't have acted against that woman earlier. Teacher Zhou's conduct was certainly discourteous, but her husband is the director of the Soul Tool Department, as well as the leading candidate for its vice dean."
Du Weilun sighed and looked at Chu Ge, his expression troubled.
There were few reasonable teachers at Shrek Academy, and he was one of them. Of course he knew Chu Ge had done nothing wrong. The problem was that the woman had powerful connections within the academy.
The Soul Tool Department had only a handful of Level 8 Soul Engineers, and her husband was one of them. His standing was quite high.
"Director Du, do you think..."
"I'll be targeted if I teach at the academy?"
At these words, Chu Ge merely smiled and looked at him quietly.
"Yes. The Soul Tool Department carries considerable weight."
Du Weilun nodded in agreement. A Soul Douluo alone might not amount to much, but Fan Yu's master and his master's wife were far more than Soul Douluos!
Especially Dean Xian Lin'er, who was also Mu En's disciple.
"Then..."
"Does Dean Yan Shaozhe think so too?"
Chu Ge looked at the elderly man beside them and asked with a smile.
"Hm?"
Du Weilun froze at this.
Beside him, Yan Shaozhe, who knew nothing of what had happened, was also taken aback.
"I didn't expect you to recognize me, young friend..."
"If things are as Little Du just described, there would indeed be a problem."
Yan Shaozhe did not deny it.
Given the earlier incident, the man before him might well become a target of the Soul Tool Department if he joined the academy.
He had already indirectly offended two Titled Douluos.
Perhaps those two top-tier Titled Douluos would not interfere, but Fan Yu would certainly show no mercy to someone who had "bullied" his wife.
"What you're worried about is probably the Soul Tool Department's two Douluos, rather than Fan Yu..."
"But do you really think I'd be afraid?"
Before Chu Ge finished speaking, several Soul Rings bearing terrifying pressure abruptly appeared, circling closely around him.
Black, black, black, black, black, black, red, red, red!
Thanks to the Soul Ring age rewards he had previously received from the system, all his Soul Rings before the Seventh Soul Ring had risen a grade, breaking through to the ten-thousand-year level.
But the most eye-catching of all were the last three blood-red Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings.
"Big Bug, just what level is my master at?"
Meanwhile, Huo Yudie had finished putting her dormitory in order. Her face full of curiosity, she could not help asking the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.
"Hehehe, about that, I won't tell you just yet. Boss Chu must have his own reasons for not telling you."
Tian Meng laughed. Since Chu Ge did not wish to tell her, he would not reveal the answer ahead of time.
Of course, he was also very curious about how astonished this little girl would be when she learned the truth.
After all, that was a Titled Douluo!
"All right, then."
Huo Yudie could only agree.
"Wait..."
"Did you call me Big Bug again?"
"No, no, you misheard, Brother Sky Dream!"
"Oh~ So I misheard... Do you think I'm stupid?"
(End of chapter)
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