The wood had already been made into a boat.
The newly appointed class monitor, Zhang Zhaomu, felt utterly drained.
Damn this [Refined] persona. Why did I have to be so proper? Couldn't I see that not a single person in the whole class wanted this job?
Acting class monitor, my ass. I'll probably never be able to dump this mess.
"Now then, Xiang Qing, you don't mind serving as study representative, do you?" Chen Yongchao had already turned his gaze toward the girl sitting beside Zhang Zhaomu. "Although you only transferred to Xinxi No. 1 High School this semester, I looked through your previous records. Your grades at No. 3 High School were quite good."
Zhang Zhaomu turned to look at Xiang Qing.
She showed little expression, but Zhang Zhaomu noticed that the corners of her mouth dipped slightly, tracing a barely perceptible hint of hesitation. In the end, she nodded.
"All right, Mr. Chen."
Her voice was soft and quiet. Zhang Zhaomu doubted it could even reach Chen Yongchao's ears up on the platform.
But her nod had given him an answer, after all. Chen Yongchao applauded again. "Then Xiang Qing will be our class's study representative."
Everyone obligingly joined in the applause once more. Xiang Qing lowered her head slightly, avoiding the gazes turning back toward her.
"Now, let's continue electing the remaining class officers."
There were candidates for pretty much all the other positions, so naturally, Chen Yongchao no longer needed to appoint anyone. Positions such as welfare representative, sanitation representative, and discipline representative were quickly filled. The election for sports representative did provide a bit of entertainment: several sports students were practically itching to head straight to the track and field grounds to settle things. In the end, Chen Yongchao forcibly intervened and chose the one who looked relatively calmest.
The main event was the arts representative election. The twittering girls practically turned the platform into a stage, each displaying her own special talents, one taking the stage as another finished singing.
In the end, Xue Jingshu successfully won the arts representative election as an art student, relying on her pledge: "I'll handle all of Class Nine's blackboard displays from now on, all by myself."
The first class meeting of the semester lasted over an hour. Chen Yongchao concluded, "With the class officers elected, our class's basic framework is more or less settled. I hope that over the next two years, you'll all get along and grow together."
"All right, I won't waste any more words. There are no classes this morning. Lessons officially begin at one this afternoon, so you're free to do as you like until then. But remember, our class meeting ended relatively early. Don't disturb the students in the other classes. If their homeroom teachers come looking for trouble with me, don't blame me for making you mop their corridors."
After those brief remarks, Chen Yongchao looked toward the back rows. "Zhang Zhaomu, organize the boys in our class and take them to collect our textbooks. They're in the multipurpose building. You'll see them once you go through the main entrance. Remember to count them carefully. Try not to take too few or too many. Sorting out extra collections afterward will be a real hassle."
"If you have any problems, you can come find me in my office. It's on this floor too, the room by the stairs."
With that, he scooped up the insulated mug on the lectern with one hand and ambled out of the classroom.
This guy really doesn't stand on ceremony! He's already assigning me work.
Zhang Zhaomu gritted his teeth.
What kind of homeroom teacher acts like this? He's a completely hands-off boss! I've got to find a chance to resign from this position!
With no teacher keeping order, the classroom began to grow rowdy. Several sports students had even pulled open the back door.
Although Zhang Zhaomu wanted to be the first to slip away more than anyone, he had agreed to serve as acting class monitor, after all. His persona wouldn't allow him to shirk his responsibilities. He sighed, stood up, and walked to the platform.
"I'll have to ask the boys in our class to help me collect the textbooks from the multipurpose building. The other classes haven't finished their meetings yet, so we won't have to queue. It shouldn't take long."
"I really need the bathroom." One of the sports students by the back door grinned. "Monitor, you guys go ahead. I'll be there in a bit."
Zhang Zhaomu had some impression of him. He had stood right behind him when they were choosing seats. His name seemed to be Kang Hao.
Although he claimed to need the bathroom, Zhang Zhaomu keenly noticed the mischievous amusement in his expression. As he spoke, he was also exchanging winks and meaningful looks with the other sports students.
Soon, the other sports students chimed in. "Monitor, I need the bathroom too!"
"That class meeting went on forever!"
"Enough talk, I can't hold it anymore. I'm off!"
The back door was already open. Once one person took the lead and slipped out, the others immediately followed. Before long, all those sports students had vanished.
Zhang Zhaomu frowned slightly.
Bringing back an entire class's textbooks wouldn't be easy. Besides, there were few boys in humanities Class Nine to begin with, and those sports students were its main muscle. Without them, they would probably have to make two trips.
And judging by their expressions, Zhang Zhaomu felt that needing the bathroom was merely an excuse. Their claim that they would be back in a bit wasn't particularly credible.
This doesn't seem like they're trying to slack off. It's more like... they're targeting me, hoping to have a laugh at my expense?
When this suspicion surfaced, Zhang Zhaomu's feelings were complicated. He had never encountered anything like this before. As an invisible nobody in class, no one had ever deliberately targeted him. This inexplicable malice made him a little angry, but on second thought, he realized he could actually more or less grasp what they were thinking.
They had entered a new class, happily discovered that beautiful girls gathered there like clouds, and were fantasizing about the vivid, sensual days awaiting them over the next two years. Then, all of a sudden, some show-off popped up, looking like a goddamn Qidian reader, and drew the attention of most of the girls in class. Spurred by male instinct, they could hardly avoid wanting to knock him down a peg and make him embarrass himself.
If one person thought that way, it might remain just a thought. But when a whole group gathered together, especially a group of sports students, a few exchanged glances were all it took for a devious idea to emerge.
At that thought, Zhang Zhaomu even felt a little sympathetic. He couldn't deny that back when he had been an invisible nobody, he had once happened to play basketball with one of the school's prominent figures and secretly wanted to block the guy's shot hard.
Unfortunately, his interests lay in gaming, and he really wasn't good at basketball. Even giving it everything he had, he couldn't do it. He could only watch the other boy dunk with effortless style, then wipe his sweat and grin boldly amid the fangirls' screams.
Who would've thought the hero who once slew dragons would become an evil dragon in the end?
As he sighed over this, the anger in Zhang Zhaomu's heart gave way to secret delight.
His thoughts wandered without bounds, but standing on the platform, Zhang Zhaomu still had a practical problem to face.
On his very first task after becoming class monitor, he had already found himself riding a tiger he couldn't easily dismount.
Waiting around like an idiot certainly wouldn't work. After all, this was free time now. Under the pressure of Chen Yongchao's instructions, the other boys were still willing to collect the textbooks, but if they waited too long, they would naturally disperse. When that happened, he probably wouldn't be able to bring all the books back alone even if he worked himself to death.
Forcing the remaining boys to go with him wouldn't work either. Nobody wanted to do double the work, and Zhang Zhaomu didn't want to himself.
As for going to complain to Chen Yongchao?
That option had never even entered Zhang Zhaomu's mind.