Chapter 81: It's Time for Me to Reflect

Under the watchful eyes of nearly a thousand students, Wen Xiaodao shrugged his shoulders and appeared in the open as if nobody else existed, sighing helplessly, “Satisfied now?”

Xiaocheng couldn’t help but break into a knowing smile. “Damn right, that was satisfying!”

“You know the Education Bureau officials are here, and yet you couldn’t leave the principal any face at all. Do you really plan to keep going to this school?”

“Who cares? With my Olympiad math champion title, I could skip a grade and go straight to the County No. 1 High School—they wouldn’t refuse me. If Qiu Zeyang tries to meddle, I could even go to school in the city, no problem. Honestly, even if I didn’t go to school, spending a few days in the library would be more useful than three years here. All they do is teach me how to solve problems!”

Wen Xiaodao curled his lip, making a face that said, “If you could fly, you’d be something.”

The principal, teachers, whoever—when I was bullied and came to you for help, what did you do? So why should I care about your dignity now? Of course, Xiaocheng hadn’t pushed things to the limit; if Feiniu had any brains, this scene could still be salvaged—and that was the outcome Xiaocheng actually wanted to see.

Upstairs, Feiniu’s anxious face was gradually calming down. Just now, Director Chen’s comment—“You sang quite well”—had set the tone. In the eyes of the authorities, a town-level school simply wasn’t as important as this outspoken math prodigy. The choice was obvious—go with the flow.

“Director Chen, please rest for a moment. Ah, this boy—looks like I’ll have to clean up his mess,” Niu Dalong sighed, adopting the air of a family elder faced with a mischievous child.

Director Chen nodded slightly, eyes narrowed in contemplation as he gazed at Wen Xiaocheng below. This boy was not someone easily manipulated.

Principal Niu lumbered forward, his heavy frame jiggling as he jogged. Only when he came into the crowd’s view at the entrance of the teaching building did he slow his pace. Weighing over two hundred pounds, he climbed the steps to the flag-raising platform, his stride ponderous, and looked at Wen Xiaocheng with a stern expression.

“Are you finished?” he asked coldly.

Wen Xiaocheng smiled faintly, shrugged, and handed over the microphone.

There always had to be an end to this, but whether Old Niu had the wit and broad-mindedness to handle it was his own affair. However things turned out, Xiaocheng didn’t really care.

Old Niu shot him a sideways glance, took the microphone, and spoke slowly, “Just now, Wen Xiaocheng made a self-criticism. Clearly, he’s not very convinced, but either way, his attitude is clear. Now, as the principal, it’s my turn to reflect.”

A stir swept through the crowd—the principal, making a public self-criticism? That probably hadn’t happened nationwide in thirty years.

“The fight three days ago between Wen Xiaocheng and Qiu Hui and the others was just the eruption of long-standing, unresolved conflict. The main responsibility for the fight lies with Xiaocheng. But as principal, it was my failure to notice and effectively prevent the conflict from building up. That is where I must reflect. Failing to teach you to reject violence is also a shortcoming in my work. My duty as principal is to provide you with an excellent learning environment, a campus atmosphere of mutual help and love. In this, I have failed, and I owe everyone an apology!”

With those words, Principal Niu bowed to all the students.

“Xiaocheng was right about one thing: the purpose of criticism is not to shame anyone, but to reflect on the problem itself, and to share with everyone so we can avoid repeating it. Since the fight, I have also been reflecting. No one wants to make mistakes, and no one is born a criminal! With very few exceptions, when students make mistakes, the school must bear a major part of the responsibility as an educational institution. As principal, I cannot shirk this duty. Today, the one who most deserves to be criticized is me!”

In his heart, Xiaocheng secretly laughed. This old fox really had chosen the “best solution,” but that was exactly what he’d wanted. Hearing the principal apologize finally cleared away all the resentment in his heart.

If only one day, someone could step forward and reflect on the incident when his father took a life...

No one is born a murderer, especially someone as gentle and refined as his father. Driven to desperation, his father was a victim too. To place all the blame on him was really a failure of the entire judicial system.

Xiaocheng’s mind drifted back five years, but Principal Niu’s reflection continued, his words measured and clear: “A school is not a prison. Strict discipline is just one aspect; more important is humanistic care. Students must grow in an environment of concern. Perhaps we have overemphasized discipline and cared too little for our students, and that is why such things happen. Education is not just about getting you into a good school or imparting knowledge—it’s about ensuring that every one of you becomes a healthy, optimistic individual.”

A thunderous applause erupted from the students below. Only Wen Xiaocheng rolled his eyes: “Damn it, so now you’re saying I’m not healthy and well-adjusted?”

“This reflection is truly enlightening! Since I became principal, I’ve constantly wondered what kind of school we should build here at Dongfeng Town No. 2 Middle School. Is it about how many students get into the County No. 1 High School? Or how we perform in various competitions? Today, Wen Xiaocheng’s self-criticism has given me a new answer! Building a harmonious campus is more important than chasing scores. Ensuring that every student feels the care of the school, that every child feels part of our big family—this is more important than producing top scorers or perfect marks.”

Xiaocheng squinted. So the principal planned to use him as a springboard.

Principal Niu caught Xiaocheng’s eye and curled his lip: “You didn’t give me any face just now either.”

“By the way, just a quick announcement: Wen Xiaocheng from Class Eight, Grade Two, achieved a perfect score in the preliminary round of the International Mathematical Olympiad regional selection.” Old Niu rattled it off faster than a sponsor’s ad on a variety show, and the students, busy applauding, mostly missed who he was talking about.

Xiaocheng stood at the side, feeling as if he’d been upstaged.

The break was already over, and even the third class of the morning had been affected. Under the gym teacher’s instructions, students filed back into the teaching building. The chubby principal wiped sweat from his brow and hurried back to his office to consult with the officials.

“Director Chen, you saw Wen Xiaocheng yourself—would you like him to come up?”

Director Chen narrowed his eyes and smiled. “No need. That reflection was quite remarkable.” He didn’t say whether he meant Wen Xiaocheng’s or Principal Niu’s. “That child has personality, and your school deserves credit. He’s a gifted student—make sure you look after him. Don’t let him become just another face in the crowd. I won’t see him this time, but next time there’s a test, fax me his results. He’s a very interesting kid. Very interesting!”

Because of the official’s brief remark, the monthly exam originally scheduled for over a week later was brought forward. Before the students could recover from the excitement of the self-criticism, the school abruptly announced that the exam would be held on Friday.

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What is the purpose of self-criticism? In most cases, it is to force people to deny themselves. If a mistake is made, punishment is acceptable, so that one learns a lesson. But all those confessions and repentance letters—I think they amount to nothing more than psychological torment.