The first day was marked by a series of shocking events: a student bullied to the point of attempting suicide, and the film award-winning actor involved in two assassination attempts.
Yet on the second day, the school pressed on with the Sports Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala.
No matter how one looked at it, the school gave off an unsettling vibe of being utterly carefree.
The reason the school chose to continue the events was due to information control.
Because of strict regulation of who could enter and leave the campus, aside from some vague rumors that mysteriously surfaced, and the assassin who had infiltrated the school a day in advance, there were no outsiders mixing in.
When the explosion and bullying incidents occurred, the competitions on the playground attracted the vast majority of the students’ attention.
The few Student Union members who knew the full story were also silenced by strict instructions from the teachers and school leadership.
As a result, though the incidents were serious, there was almost no discussion within the school— just the quiet disappearance of three troublemaking students.
In fact, the only person in the entire school who probably felt uneasy was the Principal.
Though he maintained his usual calm expression of “everything is under control, leave it to me,” the weariness etched at the corners of his eyes and the increasingly thinning hair betrayed his inner anxiety.
Amid this faint tension, the school’s Sports Day finally reached its last event: the Teachers’ Obstacle Race.
Although this event seemed more like a fun gimmick, the results were officially counted towards the class total score.
For some homeroom teachers with a strong competitive streak, this event held particular importance.
For example, Rui Hang, homeroom teacher of Class 9, Grade 11.
Known for never being seen without his suit and dress shirt, the usually refined and scholarly Rui Hang had already changed early into a black-and-white tracksuit.
His matching headband contrasted with his thin bangs, and he looked less like the genteel gentleman he normally was, and more like a clean-cut and handsome college student— especially with his pallid complexion, a fragile look caused by long hours spent in the office without sunlight.
He looked quite good-looking. Even male high school students who had no interest in men couldn’t help but sneak admiring glances as he passed by.
But on the sports field, looks were the least useful asset. Compared to several of the physical education teachers, Rui Hang’s physique was rather pitiful.
“Go, Rui Teacher!”
“Rui Hang! King of the arena!”
“Rui Teacher, I love you—”
Amid the overwhelmingly one-sided cheers, Rui Hang waved to the students watching and stepped onto the track.
…
The 400-meter obstacle race was the final highlight of the school’s annual Sports Day. It was a simplified version of an international obstacle race, divided into six stages.
The first stage was the simplest— a 50-meter sprint. Then came the second stage: climbing a three-meter-high frame.
Third stage: crossing eight hurdles.
Fourth stage: crawling under a low mesh net.
Fifth stage: two one-meter-long and 15-centimeter-wide balance beams, where any fall required the contestant to return to the start and try again.
The last segment was a 100-meter sprint. The difficulty wasn’t high, but after exhausting themselves in the earlier stages, this final stretch was a true test of willpower for the teachers.
Two teachers from each grade competed in two groups, and the overall times determined the grade rankings.
The teacher with the best overall result among the six competitors in the grade earned their class an extra championship medal.
Rui Hang stood in the second position from the left on the starting line, eyes fixed intently on the track ahead, radiating a determination and persistence rarely seen during his lessons.
“On your marks—”
All six teachers took their starting stance, bodies taut with tension.
At the signal, Rui Hang, whose reflexes were lightning-fast, burst ahead, swinging his arms powerfully, his gaze fierce— like a cheetah sprinting across the African savannah.
If only cheetahs weren’t the only creatures living on the African plains. And if only the cheetah’s astonishing speed existed outside the imaginations of the Ninth Class students and Rui Hang himself.
Less than three seconds in, two PE teachers, like lions and tigers, easily overtook him from the side.
Dreams are rich, reality is harsh. Even with daily training, muscles built overnight simply couldn’t compete with the well-conditioned physiques of long-time athletes.
Fortunately, the obstacle race valued not just speed, but overall coordination.
Soon, the three front-runners reached the first challenge— the climbing frame.
A three-meter-high structure held a soft, loose ladder that swayed as soon as anyone stepped on it.
The only protection beneath was a sandpit. Though not that high, for untrained teachers it was a clumsy climb.
The lead PE teachers slowed down as they reached the ladder. The soft, unsteady rungs rendered their brute strength useless, giving Rui Hang a chance to overtake.
Seizing the moment as the two wobbled on the ladder, Rui Hang pushed off with his right foot.
Where this sudden burst of power came from was a mystery, but relying on his arm strength, he leapt directly onto the frame and effortlessly climbed over.
The third stage was the hurdles. Thanks to his height and long legs, the homeroom teacher didn’t even need to jump high— one light step over each hurdle was enough.
But hurdling required more than just long legs and speed.
When Rui Hang reached the fourth stage and was still puzzling over how to cross the low mesh net gracefully, he suddenly caught a flash out of the corner of his eye— something shooting up from behind, less than three meters away.
What elegance? Without hesitation, he lunged forward, ignoring his pristine white T-shirt becoming stained with sand, moving his hands and feet in alternation like a Nile Monitor.
Ninth Class students: “……”
Their homeroom teacher sure had a fierce competitive spirit.
After all, he was the Demon King himself; he should at least have some image to uphold!
“What now? Should we still shout the slogans we prepared?”
Bai Luo turned to exchange a panicked glance with Lin Yuan and the others.
Slogans like ‘Rui Hang’s single drop of sweat shines like a star in the sky.’
Call-and-response cheers like ‘Rui Teacher boldly moves forward, don’t look back.’
And ancient, offbeat slogans like ‘Rui Teacher, I love you like a mouse loves rice.’
Cheering was secondary— it was all about having fun.
“What if Rui Teacher doesn’t win because of us? Do you think he’ll take it out on us?” Bai Luo admitted.
Ninth Class students
Others in the class: “…….”
Their expressions shifted from fear to horror.
How to say this… it felt like something Rui Hang would totally do!
The camp where Ninth Class belonged suddenly fell silent for several seconds.
Then, their gazes hardened as they vigorously waved their cheering sticks and small flags, tossing all slogans aside to shout the simplest and most powerful cheer:
“Go, Rui Teacher!”
Amid the enthusiastic cheers, Rui Hang smoothly cleared the fourth obstacle and reached the balance beams.
The Nile Monitor transformed seamlessly back into a cheetah, crossing both beams without a hint of hesitation or wobble.
He didn’t rush to sprint immediately but stopped to glance sideways at the teachers still struggling with the beams.
As the PE teacher and homeroom teacher of Class 11, Grade 2, Li Yong was fighting to maintain his balance, he suddenly felt a sharp gaze pierce through the air toward him.
He froze and looked toward the source, unexpectedly locking eyes with a pair of beautiful eyes full of slyness and confidence.
Li Yong: “……”
Was Rui Teacher smiling at him?
Before Li Yong could ponder the meaning behind that smile, Rui Hang turned back and plunged into the race once more.
Though no one else was competing in the final stretch, Rui Hang didn’t hesitate to pour all his remaining strength into the final sprint.
With an exhilarating whistle, Rui Hang completed the race with a total time of two minutes, undisputedly winning first place.
“Congratulations to Rui Teacher for winning the championship in the obstacle race!” The host from the school broadcasting station handed Rui Hang the microphone with a bright smile. “Rui Teacher, do you have anything to say?”
Under the spotlight, Rui Hang took the microphone, a faint smile tugging at his lips, speaking with calm ease, “Ehh… piece of cake!”
Ninth Class students: “……”
Teacher, maybe take a breath before speaking next time!
Well, it was clear he liked to show off a bit!
But Rui Hang’s pride wouldn’t allow him to end such an important interview with just one sentence.
He tightened his grip on the microphone, slowly scanning the crowd, his gentle smile deepening with an almost imperceptible hint of pride.
“If my calculations are correct, with this championship, our class is now first in the grade’s total score.”
Rui Hang smiled warmly. The Ninth Class students were sweating profusely as they listened. “Remember before when people said our arts class was all brains and no stamina? Well, looks like that was wrong. Heh heh heh.”
Teachers who had once made fun of Rui Hang: “……”
Ninth Class students: “……”
No doubt, Rui Teacher held grudges!
Grudges or not, jokes or not, though their initial goal was just to please their homeroom teacher (the Taishanghuang), when they received the trophy symbolizing “Champion Class,” even the battle-hardened Ninth Class students couldn’t help but straighten their backs, their eyes bright with excitement.
They had already reached the pinnacle of personal achievements back in Parnaki; no amount of fame or fortune could move their hearts. But a collective achievement like this was the first they had ever earned.
And it surely wouldn’t be the last.
The vibrant campus lit up the sky as the sun set. This tumultuous Autumn Sports Meet finally drew to a close, but the school’s celebrations were far from over.
As the bonfire was lit on the playground, melodious tunes echoed through every corner of the campus.
—The much-anticipated Mid-Autumn Festival Gala officially began.