Chapter 39: Choosing a School [Extra-Long Chapter Celebrating Yan Bao's Arrival]

The next morning, the principal of the Tenth Middle School paid a personal visit.

He was a charming, balding man—his scalp so shiny it was almost blinding—tall and robust. He had his arm around the short, stout Liu Dashan, and he spoke with an air of immense authority.

"Student Fang, our Tenth Middle School offers 150,000 in cash!"

Not only was the price the highest offered so far, but their other terms were equally generous.

"I know you have many commitments, and you may continue to compete in tournaments or pursue other ventures in the future. Tenth Middle School will not only refrain from hindering you, but we are also willing to provide every convenience! As for your studies, our top-tier faculty will serve you exclusively. We can discuss private tutoring during winter and summer breaks, extra help during the term, and a reduction in your homework load. In terms of daily life, we will provide meticulous care: a private dormitory and access to the faculty cafeteria. You can treat the school as your home, and all fees will be waived! Our motto is to care for you, warm you, and nurture you with the same mindset one would have in setting up a new home for you!"

My goodness, are you a poet, too?

To be perfectly honest, Fang Xinghe was genuinely taken aback. He could only respond politely: "I am truly flattered. I am deeply grateful for the importance you place on me, but this is a major decision. Please forgive me if I need a little more time to consider."

"Fine, fine, fine, that is only right. You go ahead and be busy, and we shall keep in touch at any time! Oh, wait!"

The principal of the Tenth Middle School suddenly slapped his shiny forehead, pulled a red envelope from his bag, and placed it on the table.

"This is a small token from me personally. Congratulations on winning the first high school entrance exam championship for our Nong'an. Take it, take it, don't refuse!"

Without waiting for Fang Xinghe to offer the customary three refusals, the balding principal hurried away.

Fang couldn't help but sigh: "Tsk, tsk, was that really necessary?"

"How could it not be?" Old Fang sighed with deep feeling. "You don't know how fiercely the city high schools are fighting for top students now. The pressure on those below is immense..."

"Is that so? Then I really must take a good look." Fang’s interest was piqued; he intended to experience the extravagance and wealth of a provincial capital.

Less than half an hour later, the Affiliated High School of Jilin University arrived at the door.

They sent three people: a stunningly beautiful senior student who was responsible for gazing at Fang Xinghe with adoring eyes and asking for his autograph, the team leader who spoke incessantly about the school’s various merits, and the director of admissions who laid out the terms.

To reiterate, the senior student was truly beautiful. She was the refreshing "little cabbage" type, wearing a ponytail, a simple T-shirt, and a long skirt—coincidentally green on top and white on the bottom. She was undoubtedly the "white moonlight" of many boys' hearts.

Yet, she kept stealing glances at Fang Xinghe with a look that suggested he was the entire galaxy to her. Her tightly clasped hands, her firmly bitten lips, and the slight blush creeping from her neck to her earlobes—it didn't look like she was acting, unless her talent surpassed that of the legendary writers.

"Could you..." The senior’s voice was soft, trembling slightly, sweet and glutinous. "Could you... please give me an autograph?"

Fang Xinghe nodded coldly and took the brand-new notebook from her hand in silence.

It wasn't that he liked to put on airs; in fact, this was a form of professional ethics. No idol can ever truly understand what fans like about them—and that applies to everyone! There are too many fans, and each has a different perspective. You can never grasp what she is thinking, what the "perfect you" in her heart looks like, or what kind of scene and atmosphere she imagines for a meeting.

Therefore, a good idol does not do anything unnecessary. Whatever image is projected to the outside world, that is the image to maintain. Do not try to be funny while actually being greasy, do not show excessive concern, do not reveal your private side, and do not initiate any unnecessary physical contact. The above is from the *Idol Code of Conduct (Authored by CEO Fang)*.

Unless you want to get caught in a scandal like the "Canadian Electric Eel," that is another matter entirely, and little Fang, with his fragile skin, has even more to say about that...

Anyway, Fang Xinghe simply asked, "Name?"

"My name is Huang Jinghe!" the girl replied quickly. "The 'Jing' of tranquility and the 'He' of peace!" She finished in one breath and only then remembered to take a breath, huffing twice.

A true fan, 99 percent confirmed.

Fang Xinghe had a grasp on the situation, and as he caught a glimpse of the admissions director from the corner of his eye, he felt amused. Although Director Liu hadn't spoken, his eyes never left Huang Jinghe, and his brows were creased with tension and worry. But their relationship didn't look like that of relatives; could she be the child of someone important? That made sense; in this day and age, anyone who could use official business to chase a star was at least from a wealthy family.

Fang Xinghe didn't dwell on it. She was just a tool to provide "starlight value" and wasn't worth much effort. However, he had to think carefully about what to write—he couldn't compromise his standards.

After a moment of thought, he wrote a line of poetry, signed his name, and finished in one stroke.

*[To calm the spirit and set the heart, to uphold the barriers of propriety and self-restraint. Wishing you tranquility and harmony, propriety and restraint. To Miss Huang Jinghe — Fang Xinghe]*

"Good, good, good!"

Old Fang suddenly started clapping his hands, drawing everyone's attention. He didn't panic and turned to ask Fang Xinghe, "Xinghe, it seems you have never neglected your studies. To be able to adapt lines from the *Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River* in such a short time, your teacher is very gratified."

"..."

Fang Xinghe couldn't tell for a moment whether Old Fang was trying to help him or if he just couldn't resist showing off himself.

Old Fang: *Hey, isn't this just a natural thing to do?*

But one had to admit, the effect was quite good. Neither the team leader nor the admissions director from Jilin University had studied literature, so while they knew the verse was clever, they didn't know exactly why. With Old Fang’s praise, Fang Xinghe’s stature rose yet again.

Actually, Fang himself was quite satisfied. He had shown off, but it would have been annoying if no one had set up the punchline. Now that someone had done it for him, it was a win-win!

At this point, the admissions director’s emotional intelligence finally kicked in. He asked humbly, "Teacher Fang, I don't understand poetry, but I can tell it is beautiful. Could you please explain why this line is so good?"

With that one sentence, everyone in the room was satisfied. Only the senior student was so shy she kept twisting her fingers, but she didn't say anything, just stood to the side, carefully stealing glances at Fang Xinghe’s profile.

Fang noticed, but remained calm, only slightly raising the corners of his eyes... *Cool~~~*

On the other side, Old Fang was happily showing off.

" 'Shou he yan' means to restrain one's pleasant expression; 'jing zhi' means to calm the will; 'shen li fang' means to demonstrate the great barriers of propriety; 'zi chi' means self-restraint. The whole sentence means: When Cao Zhi saw the beautiful Goddess, he immediately composed his demeanor, remaining calm and self-restrained—admiring without crossing boundaries, praising without exaggeration. Adapted here as an autograph, little Fang has both praised Jinghe’s beauty and conveyed a wonderful wish. In my understanding, it can be interpreted as: May you always maintain a tranquil, gentle, and virtuous temperament, and may everyone you meet in the future treat you with both awe and politeness..."

"Excellent!" the team leader shouted, applauding vigorously. "Truly worthy of being a great talent, so quick-witted!"

"Amazing! Little Fang, come to our Jilin University Affiliated High School! A genius like you deserves the most proper, most thoughtful, and most perfect cultivation!"

The two of them started a "praise-fest," looking at Fang Xinghe like wolves seeing meat, or dogs seeing... *ahem*.

But the effect... well, it wasn't as good as that one shy, sweet sentence from the senior student: "Fa... Fang Xinghe, our school is especially good. Please come; all the girls in our literature club admire you..."

Are you trying to test a cadre with this? Who could resist that?

Fang Xinghe was just about to ask about specific terms, but before he could speak, a sudden roar came from outside: "Hold on!"

Everyone was startled and turned to look. A group of people came pouring into the yard. Liu Dashan was leading the way, and the others were strangers, seemingly divided into two camps. The one who had just spoken pointed angrily at Director Liu, his finger trembling.

"Liu Aiguo!"

The rest of his insults weren't spoken, but Fang Xinghe could guess them: *You dog, I knew you liked playing dirty, but I didn't think you could play this dirty!*

"Do you have any manners at all?!" Director Liu’s face turned livid, hating the person who had crashed the party. "What are you meddling for? Does your Normal University Affiliated High School have the ability to cultivate literary geniuses?"

"We may not have much else, but our artistic resources are more than enough!"

"Ha! Singing? Dancing? Piano playing?" Director Liu sneered repeatedly. "Does any of that have anything to do with literature?"

"Why not? Our Northeast Normal University Press..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Director Liu interrupted, picking at his ear, and started counting: "Besides children’s books and textbooks, what other masterpieces have you published? And by the way, wasn't the literature editorial office just established this year?"

"You..."

"I won't go!" Director Liu immediately waved his hand and sneered. "Student Fang could be your editor-in-chief if he went there, and you have the nerve to bring up literature!"

My goodness, Director Liu’s combat power was simply—in one word, fierce! Not only were Fang and Old Fang amazed, but the two admissions teachers from the county high school were also shivering.

However, the director from the Normal University wasn't stupid. *I can't beat you, so why continue? I’ve already ruined your dirty tricks. Now, let’s talk money!*

"What’s the use of saying all that? In the end, doesn't it come down to terms?" He turned to Fang Xinghe with a kind face: "Student Fang, we are very sincere in inviting you to join our Normal University Affiliated High School. Regarding the school-choice fee, no matter what they offer, I will add 20,000!"

*Good!* I love this straightforward, money-throwing style!

Fang Xinghe thanked him with a smile and said nothing more. With a quick glance, Old Fang took over the baton.

What next? There was nothing for him to do; the two opposing sides would automatically raise the price. However, they were conscious of their reputations and didn't make it so blatant. They talked to Fang Xinghe privately and played their games behind the scenes.

Before leaving, Director Liu left an additional letter written by the editor-in-chief of the *Era Literature and Art Publishing House*. The content was roughly about fully cultivating Fang Xinghe into a young writer, hoping for mutual progress, and promising to tilt resources in his direction.

*Era Literature and Art* was quite strong; the Pang Zhonghua hard-pen calligraphy copybooks were their exclusive publication. Years ago, they even dared to publish the *Forbidden Books of the World Series*—the name said it all. And Jilin University was their "big brother," so the Affiliated High School was indeed very eager to have Fang Xinghe.

*Eh?* Wait, what about the senior student? Fang Xinghe realized belatedly that he hadn't said goodbye to the beautiful Huang Jinghe. He didn't feel regret, but he did feel a little bad—he had ignored her the whole time and didn't even say goodbye at the end. How it must have hurt her feelings!

But he didn't know that as soon as Huang Jinghe got back into the car, she pulled out her phone and started typing furiously, pouring out her excitement and agitation to her best friend.

"Do you know? Fang Xinghe is super handsome, super kind, super talented, and has such an aura!"

"He even wrote a poem for me!"

"He didn't even hesitate to write that line from the *Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River* based on my name!"

"Which line? I won't tell you, that's my secret!"

"How handsome? There's no way to describe it, but I swear he looks 10,000 times better than his photos!"

"I can't describe it! I’m speechless!"

"You don't understand, he is really, really, really special. Those eyes are just so mysterious!"

"A group photo? Oh no! I forgot, *boo hoo hoo*!"

"Go back and find him? Forget it, I wouldn't dare. Actually, I didn't even dare to talk to him, the time just passed in a blur..."

Blah, blah, blah, all the way back to the city center, she still had endless thoughts. Before today, she was just a mid-level fan who liked him but couldn't explain how much. But now, she was like a blood-pumped fanatic with too much to share.

This was the nature of a male "succubus." Before seeing him, you think he’s nothing special; after seeing him, you wonder how such a man could exist in this world.

Question: How is a die-hard fan of Fang Xinghe forged?
Answer: Look at him face-to-face once.

What about a fanatic, venomous fan?
Fight for him.

Huang Jinghe was itching to try; she suddenly wanted to clear the air in her school, where people were praising Han Han and belittling Fang Xinghe.

...

In fact, the Normal University Affiliated High School didn't lag behind in terms of offers, providing a package of artistic resources: vocal music, instrumental music, art, photography, dance... Backed by Northeast Normal University, their artistic resources were extremely rich, offering students top-tier guidance in the province. It was very tempting.

After sending everyone off, Old Fang sighed. "See? How can our county bumpkins compete with that!"

Fang Xinghe smiled and shook his head. "All flash and no substance, nothing interesting."

"They offered a lot of money, didn't they?"

"No, the main thing is that they offered too little privilege."

Old Fang laughed. "Their school rules are definitely stricter. Even the children of provincial officials aren't allowed special privileges there, so of course they won't make an exception for you."

Actually, strict management was a good thing. High school students' characters weren't set yet; if you didn't manage or whip them into shape, but instead indulged them, they would surely grow crooked. But Fang Xinghe was a special case; he didn't need restraint or whipping. He was better at managing himself than anyone else.

"Forget it, let the county make another round of offers."

"You've decided? You're really staying in the county?"

"Mm." Fang Xinghe nodded. He didn't lack artistic resources, publishing resources, or even much money; he only needed more freedom, which happened to match perfectly with the county high school.

"It's a pity. Even without mentioning the external resources, those two affiliated schools are the best in the province, competing for the top spot every year..." Old Fang sighed again, feeling very unwilling.

"What are you thinking?" Fang Xinghe let out a light laugh. "You don't think I'm going to spend high school competing with those 'monsters' for grades and chasing the college entrance exam championship, do you?"

"Ah?" Old Fang was stunned. "Isn't that the case?"

"Of course not. You really think I'm a peerless genius?" Fang Xinghe chuckled, joking, "That was just marketing to fool outsiders; how did it end up fooling you?"

Old Fang didn't understand and was a bit anxious. "But with your IQ, if you study hard for three years, there's a great chance of getting into Tsinghua or Peking University..."

"What level is my IQ, anyway? And I don't have three years; I can only give high school two years." Fang Xinghe was clear-headed and had a very distinct plan for his future path. In terms of study, he wasn't a "super genius" who understood things at a glance; he was just self-disciplined and highly efficient with his time. Junior high school knowledge wasn't hard; it was essentially a battle of self-discipline, methodology, and emotional maturity. But in high school, it started to become a battle of talent, and those true "monsters" wouldn't go easy on him.

Who doesn't work hard? The system hadn't provided any skills related to academic performance yet. If he just fought hard, how could Fang Xinghe win against those academic gods? He had a very clear understanding of himself: he was a top-tier person among ordinary people, but he was certainly not a god like Wei Dongyi. He was nowhere near that.

Studying wholeheartedly for three years would definitely lead to Tsinghua or Peking, but how could a master of "internet water armies" choose such a low-ROI strategy? Marketing is essentially storytelling. A good story must avoid hiding one's own shortcomings and fully showcase all one's strengths. Fang Xinghe had already told the junior high story to its end—the orphan toyed with by fate who had to rely on his fists to protect himself, but whose heart was filled with anger and a desire for strength. After reaching the peak of the school-bully path, he turned over a new leaf, used his literary talent to win the New Concept Composition Award, and proved he was excellent at everything with his provincial middle school exam ranking.

How should the high school story go? It shouldn't be about advancing on all fronts, wanting everything; it should be about having a focus.

For example, in the upcoming *Beijing Youth Daily* interview, trying to cover everything means there is no absolute focus, and having no absolute focus means being completely mediocre. In the end, you’re just a spectacle that people forget the moment they turn away. This is a taboo in marketing.

The best case is the movie *YOLO*—discarding everything useless, hiding all flaws, and focusing entirely on the success of the weight loss. As an audience, you can criticize it, but as a peer, you have to learn from it.

Fang Xinghe, who had spent a long time lying in a hospital bed, never envied anyone. He only silently learned the strengths of others, made them his own, and earned money so he could struggle to live a little longer.

So, how should the new story be told? Deepen the direction that most triggers the fans' expectations and fantasies.

However, always maintain the initiative. Guide the fans' expectations and fantasies instead of satisfying them completely. Always show them only half, hide the other half, and use that lingering, elusive feeling to hook their restless hearts. Then, use firm self-discipline to weed out the harmful impurities, and finally use wave after wave of surprises to push the fans to "level up"...

Old Fang naturally couldn't understand. In this world, no one could fully understand Fang Xinghe. He stood alone on a different level. And this was the root of his mystery, and the only true core that could keep fans in a blood-pumped state for a long time.

...

"Sigh, I really don't understand what you're in such a rush for." Old Fang sighed, mumbling. "Then I'll give them a bottom line and see who can offer the most money."

Though he didn't understand, he was willing to respect him. Fang Xinghe always had his own ideas; Old Fang would nag, but he wouldn't force him to do anything. This kind of relationship was the key to their harmonious bond.

Old Fang took out his phone to pass on the information, typing laboriously while asking casually, "When the money arrives, shouldn't you buy a phone?"

Fang Xinghe looked at the Nokia brick in his hand with disdain and nodded gloomily. "Buy one to make do... what a piece of junk!"

Old Fang didn't understand and boasted proudly, "Don't look at the high price; it's worth it! You can make calls and send Chinese text messages; it's very convenient, really!"

"Ah, yes, yes, yes, everything you say is correct." Fang Xinghe nodded perfunctorily, unable to work up any interest in the first phone of his new life.

Two days ago, a major event happened in the tech world—many newspapers were flooded with news of the Motorola V998’s shocking launch. To buy a V998, it cost over 13,000 yuan. It was insane. A bowl of noodles on the street was 1.2 yuan, Old Fang’s monthly salary was 340 yuan, a Motorola was 13,000 yuan, and Fang Xinghe’s school-choice fee was at least 150,000 yuan.

The magic of the era moved Fang Xinghe, and he turned to go inside to write.

*The Added Value of Reading—From a Bowl of Handmade Street Noodles to Motorola*

He wrote it fluently, and by the time he finished, Old Fang had been standing by for a while.

"You have a lot of opinions about the recent 'uselessness of reading' theory?"

"Definitely, they deserve to be scolded."

"I just knew you were a good kid." Old Fang was very gratified and nodded repeatedly. "Hm, not only is the article sharp, but your calligraphy has also greatly improved. But why didn't you write me in? I inspired at least a little bit of your inspiration, didn't I?"

Fang Xinghe gave him a look of "filial piety" and vowed, "Don't worry, when I write about Fang Yuting pestering me, there will definitely be a part for you."

"Good, good, good!" Old Fang gritted his teeth and looked for a broom all over the room; he had been wanting to spank Fang Xinghe for a long time...

Before he could be beaten, the final bids from the three key high schools in the county arrived, like a ray of dawn, saving the brat.

Fang Xinghe looked at them one by one and quickly made up his mind.

"Let's go with Tenth Middle School. I like an alma mater with deep pockets, and that balding principal looks quite cute."

All other conditions had reached their limit, and Tenth Middle School’s reward was 220,000. Why hesitate? In this day and age, even a beast with a perfect middle school entrance exam score might not get a 50,000 yuan school-choice fee; being any greedier would be impolite.

Old Fang was just about to call back when his phone rang first.

"Mm, mm, ah?! Alright, I'll wait for you."

Fang Xinghe looked on, puzzled. Old Fang shook his head: "Principal Dashan, he said not to rush, he’s coming over right now."

Before long, Liu Dashan burst into the room, sweating profusely, gulped down a ladle of water, and finally caught his breath. Then, he stared straight at Fang Xinghe and said, "Come to Experimental Middle School!"

Old Fang was stunned. "Ah?"

Liu Dashan didn't beat around the bush. "The principal of Experimental is retiring. If I can bring you over, he promises to help me ascend to the position."

"Mm." Fang Xinghe watched him quietly without asking any further questions.

Liu Dashan understood what this meant and spoke clearly:

"Experimental can't give you a higher price; it's not possible. After I take office, I probably can't give you extra rewards either; it wouldn't pass the procedures. But we have a saying: 'When one man attains the Tao, his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.' Now you have attained the Tao, and I am the chicken and dog. This might not necessarily succeed, but if you are willing to pull me along, the chances will definitely be greater. Once I can succeed him, then besides being able to fully support you, after next year's middle school entrance exam, your good friends will definitely have a different situation..."

*Holy shit!* Old Fang was dumbfounded. *You old fox, you really know how to lower yourself and how to play the game...*

Fang Xinghe also realized that Brother Dashan had probably started preparing the day the results came out; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so timely. But he still underestimated himself by speaking so plainly and losing the nuance.

However, it didn't matter. Dashan’s proposal was indeed better, and that was enough.

"188,000?" Fang Xinghe confirmed softly.

Liu Dashan resisted his excitement and nodded vigorously. "Yes!"

"Fine, let’s do that."

*YES!* Liu Da-chicken... *ahem*, Liu Da-dog... *er*, the man couldn't help but clench his fists hard, as if he had gripped the spring he thought he would never wait for.

And Fang Xinghe smiled with satisfaction. Compared to the few tens of thousands of yuan lost, having a principal who was "one of his own" was clearly more in his interest.

At the very least, he was now starting to look forward to high school life.

...

With the most important matter settled, in the afternoon, another group of people came to the door. The County Education Bureau, the County Propaganda Department, the County TV Station, the old principal of Experimental who rushed over upon hearing the news, Liu Dashan in a new suit, and several other miscellaneous people.

Fang Xinghe counted: some were there to give money, some to give fame, some to give certificates, some...

*Eh?* Comrade Dashan, what are you doing here again? You've been back and forth four or five times; aren't you tired?

Liu Dashan wasn't tired at all. He served tea and poured water, and even directed the staff to set off a string of firecrackers at Fang Xinghe's door. The 10,000-count firecrackers popped with festive sounds. As Fang Xinghe watched the dilapidated small courtyard covered in a layer of red carpet, his thoughts drifted far away.

*Little Fang, do you see? Our mother should be able to worry a little less now, and smile with gratification, right?*