Excuse Me, Principal

Lin Mo naturally wouldn’t take the initiative to tell Jiang Yunlu about his meeting with Jiang Chengshan.

Looking at the bowl now filled with so much meat, Lin Mo simply said someone had treated him and told her to eat without worry.

He also casually returned the hundred-yuan bill that Chu Miaomiao had given him.

For some reason, Lin Mo felt that Jiang Yunlu and Chu Miaomiao seemed to have grown a little closer.

But it wasn’t his concern—girls’ friendships often blossomed quickly.

There wasn’t much happening at school either; the monthly exams had arrived again.

Once again, Lin Mo took first place.

This time, the gap between him and Tong Dong, who came in second, had widened to eight points.

Don’t underestimate those eight points. It’s like thousands of troops crossing a narrow bridge—one point can separate a whole playground’s worth of students. This saying wasn’t an exaggeration.

Even the school leaders couldn’t help but want to “receive” Lin Mo.

In the principal’s office.

Principal Shen Zhongping personally brewed a cup of tea for Lin Mo, the steam rising gently as the tea leaves slowly unfurled in the glass cup.

“Lin, please have a seat.”

He smiled warmly and pushed a monthly exam report toward Lin Mo, pointing at the unusually high total score with admiration.

“Your results are excellent. The school hasn’t had a student like you in many years.”

Lin Mo responded humbly, “It’s all thanks to the teachers here.”

He understood the social niceties.

After some polite small talk, Shen Zhongping finally steered the conversation to the main point.

“I heard from Teacher Xu that you’ll be participating in the provincial math Olympiad next week. That’s great. With your ability, winning an award is almost guaranteed.

After that comes the national training camp, which is a shortcut to Huasheng University.”

He lifted his teacup and gently blew on it, his gaze casually resting on Lin Mo’s face.

“If you can secure first place nationally, the math department at Huasheng will open its doors wide for you.

Lin, what do you think about the recommendation route?”

Lin Mo immediately understood the implication.

After all the buildup, the principal was basically hoping this big fish wouldn’t skip the final exams and instead leap directly through the recommendation pathway.

The old man didn’t want Lin Mo to take the recommendation route.

Why?

Because final exam scores were solid and indisputable, while the recommendation route meant Lin Mo could bypass the final exams and ignore other subjects, focusing solely on math.

But Shen Zhongping wanted Lin Mo to take the final exams, and to do so after serious study and preparation.

That way, Shen Zhongping’s own record would be more distinguished.

He had already reviewed the monthly exam papers, which were created internally by the school and quite different from those of other schools.

But no other student could surpass Lin Mo’s total score.

Strictly speaking, Lin Mo was currently the top student in the city.

If he maintained this, the chance of becoming the top scorer in the final exam was very high.

For the next three years, Shen Zhongping would have to protect Lin Mo carefully.

But first, he had to convince Lin Mo to take the final exams.

Listening to Shen Zhongping’s words, Lin Mo understood perfectly.

He set down his teacup, the bottom clinking crisply against the redwood desk.

Under Shen Zhongping’s expectant yet anxious gaze, Lin Mo spread out his hands and said, “Sorry, Principal.”

Those four words hit Shen Zhongping like a bucket of ice water, instantly dousing the fiery passion in his heart. The smile on his face stiffened slightly, and the hand holding his teacup froze mid-air.

It was over—this kid really did have his own ideas.

Before Shen Zhongping could ask anything, Lin Mo spoke up first, calm and steady: “Even if we actually win the national math competition, I probably still wouldn’t accept the guaranteed admission.”

He was about to find a way to persuade him when Lin Mo continued without hurry: “Even if we place in the national competition, I have no intention of taking the guaranteed spot.”

Baby, our relationship feels like a roller coaster—one moment soaring up, the next plummeting down.

Shen Zhongping’s anxious heart finally settled firmly. He couldn’t hide the joy of relief and quickly asked, “Oh? Why’s that?”

“The guaranteed spots are basically locked into the math department or related fundamental science majors,” Lin Mo said seriously.

“But my ambitions don’t lie there. I want more options.”

Hearing this, Shen Zhongping’s heart bloomed with happiness, but he kept his expression steady and nodded.

“Young people have their own ideas. Knowing how to choose the path that suits them best—I won’t stand in your way.”

Then Lin Mo added, “Mainly, I heard that the top scorer in the final exam gets rewards from society. Isn’t that a good reason to try and be the top scorer?”

Shen Zhongping was momentarily stunned, then completely at ease, even wanting to laugh a little.

He just liked students with clear, practical goals.

As the principal, Shen Zhongping had naturally seen Lin Mo’s detailed records.

For such a special student to have this kind of mindset, it actually made perfect sense.

It was also why he had allocated so much financial aid—worried that Lin Mo might have to work part-time to make ends meet, which would eat into his study time.

Shen Zhongping leaned slightly forward, tapping his fingers firmly on the table, his voice carrying a solemn promise:

“Yes, yes, there are rewards. But don’t put too much pressure on yourself. For promising students, the school provides subsidies.

As for social rewards… I have some connections with a few business leaders. They really admire promising talents like you.”

That was basically a clear message: do well, and there’s money waiting.

No wonder some people keep grinding the final exam again and again.

Reality changes so fast.

Of course, Lin Mo was just making excuses—after all, he had to keep up appearances, or else he’d get asked the same questions over and over.

After leaving the office, Lin Mo saw Tong Dong in the hallway.

Tong Dong was holding a comic book, and he didn’t look like someone who’d just come in second place.

Sensing someone approaching, Tong Dong looked up and immediately saw Lin Mo.

“Why are you reading comics here?”

Lin Mo scanned with his spiritual awareness and realized Tong Dong was reading *Legend of Divine Weapons 3*.

Not the chibi-style *Legend of Divine Weapons*, but the original Hong Kong-style *Legend of Divine Weapons* Volume 3.

This comic had some history behind it.

Lin Mo had read some before, but the ones he read were the authentic Hong Kong editions, while Tong Dong had the Shanghai edition.

The Shanghai version was a Mandarin-censored edition.

Lin Mo’s were Cantonese Hong Kong versions.

The difference was that the former was less bloody, while the latter was raw and uncut.

“Do you like Huang Wanglang’s comics?”

Tong Dong nodded repeatedly. "Yeah, I've watched *Dragon Leopard Sect* and *Legend of the Divine Weapon 123* so many times. Do you watch them too?"

Lin Mo nodded. "My cousin once brought me a set of the Hong Kong edition when he was in Hong Kong. I loved reading them back then, but I lost them when we moved."

Tong Dong sighed. "That's such a shame. I really want to read the Hong Kong edition too, but I don't know anyone who can bring it over. If I go myself, my parents won't allow it."

Lin Mo hadn't expected that the former top student would have worries like this.

Sure enough, the top student wasn't as aloof as the novels made him out to be.