Banking the Fire

A deathly silence filled the office.

Several teachers subconsciously rubbed their arms. Even though the air conditioning temperature hadn't changed, a sudden chill crept up their spines and shot straight to the crowns of their heads.

Lin Mo, however, merely looked calmly at his homeroom teacher, Chen Xiaoya.

"Ms. Chen, I don't want to blow this out of proportion. I'll head back to class now."

His voice wasn't loud, but like a stone tossed into stagnant water, it snapped everyone back to reality.

Looking as though she had just been granted a pardon, Chen Xiaoya hurriedly stood up. "I'll walk you back. Director Li, I'll leave things here to you."

Li Yan took a few deep breaths and nodded repeatedly. "Alright, I'll keep an eye on things here."

Without giving anyone another glance, Lin Mo turned and pushed the door open, his departing figure crisp and decisive.

Chen Xiaoya closed the door behind them, ensuring that whatever happened next would remain confined within the office.

Huang Haoyang's legs gave out, and he nearly slumped against the wall.

I am doomed.

Those were the only words left echoing in his mind.

He had read Lin Mo's gaze loud and clear. It wasn't a threat; it was a notification.

He knew that if his dirty deeds were exposed, let alone getting a beating, being expelled from school was an absolute certainty!

Rather than waiting around to die, it was better to just run!

Just then, a shrill, caustic voice shattered the quiet of the office.

"Oh, would you look at that? The little bastard whose bad luck killed his own parents is turning tail and running?"

Huang Haoyang's mother sat back down with an air of arrogant ease, crossing her legs with a disdainful sneer on her face.

Huang Haoyang's head snapped up, his eyes entirely bloodshot. He desperately grabbed his mother's arm.

"Mom! I want to transfer! Right now! I don't want to stay in this garbage dump for another day!"

The phrase "garbage dump" made Director Li's eye twitch violently.

His gaze turned ice-cold.

Fine. Since you want to leave of your own accord, don't blame the school for showing no mercy.

"So, Huang Haoyang wishes to transfer schools? That's fine."

Li Yan's tone betrayed no emotion; he sounded as strictly business as a machine.

"However, according to regulations, you must wait until the school issues its disciplinary decision regarding this incident. Only after the proper procedures are completed can the transfer paperwork be processed."

Hearing this, Huang Haoyang's mother waved her hand impatiently, as if swatting away a fly.

"Punish him however you want! I'm transferring my precious son out of here anyway. We don't have to stay here and take this crap from you!"

She continued to mutter smugly, "My son is so outstanding. Any school would be fighting to take him in!"

Looking at the absurd mother-son duo before him, the anger in Li Yan's heart completely dissipated.

He had no interest in explaining to people like them that a school disciplinary action, especially one for a severe violation of the rules, would be recorded word-for-word in the student's permanent file and follow him for the rest of his life.

He was even less inclined to tell her that the very first thing any decent school did when accepting a transfer student was to review that exact file.

--System: You are so freaking dead! The Host's rage meter has reached 100 percent!--

The hallway was completely empty, echoing only with the sound of their footsteps.

Lin Mo held a thick stack of test papers in his hands. His expression was serene, as if the farce that had just unfolded in the office had absolutely nothing to do with him.

Chen Xiaoya walked beside him, her heart in her throat. The twisted, spiteful face of Huang Haoyang's mother from the office was still flashing before her eyes.

"Lin Mo, please don't take what she said to heart. No matter what, your parents would be incredibly proud of you."

Lin Mo stopped in his tracks.

He turned his head and gave a sudden smile, though the warmth didn't reach his eyes.

"Don't worry, Ms. Chen, I am perfectly fine. I've heard that kind of talk plenty of times before. I won't let it get to me."

"The only reason I walked out of that office was because I was afraid I would lose control. If I had stayed, Huang Haoyang and his mother wouldn't be walking out of the school gates today, they would be carried out on stretchers."

He said it so casually, yet Chen Xiaoya felt a chilling certainty that Lin Mo wasn't bluffing.

Looking at Lin Mo's handsome face, she was at a loss for words.

But on second thought, she realized the boy was simply using his own way to reassure her that he was alright. The heavy stone in her heart finally dropped.

Chen Xiaoya patted his shoulder gently, her tone filled with helpless sympathy.

"You have a bright future ahead of you. It's not worth getting angry over people like them."

At that moment, Chen Xiaoya had completely forgotten how Lin Mo had called Huang Haoyang's mother a fat pig earlier.

Truth be told, when she was in the office listening to the woman's vicious, reality-twisting remarks, the insults Chen Xiaoya had hurled in her own mind were far worse.

No matter how you looked at it, Chen Xiaoya stood firmly on Lin Mo's side.

The boy just had a sharp tongue, but he had a good heart.

"If anything is bothering you, tell me. Don't bottle it up inside."

Seeing her expression soften, Lin Mo flashed a grin. This time, his smile was much more genuine. "Don't worry, Ms. Chen. I can handle it."

Chen Xiaoya looked at him and clenched her fists, as if she had just made a firm decision.

"Lin Mo, don't you worry, this isn't over! I am going to report this to the school administration and get justice for you!"

"Alright, I'll leave it in your hands then. But it's okay if nothing comes of it. After all, that crazy hag really isn't someone you want to mess with."

Hearing this, Chen Xiaoya couldn't help but sigh dejectedly. "Huang Haoyang's father doesn't seem to discipline him much either. His grades were actually quite decent at first, but they've just gotten worse and worse."

Lin Mo just shrugged, choosing not to comment.

The whole family was a piece of work. Who cares who disciplines who?

Just then, Chen Xiaoya suddenly stopped and pulled a card out of her pocket.

"I am certainly not giving this gift card to Huang Haoyang anymore. You should take it. After all, you are the reason everyone got this Dragon Boat Festival gift in the first place."

Without giving Lin Mo a chance to react, she stuffed the card right into the breast pocket of his school uniform.

Since his hands were full of test papers, Lin Mo couldn't physically refuse, so he naturally accepted it without a fuss.

Lin Mo returned to the classroom, and Chen Xiaoya headed back to the office. This time, she wasn't going to give Huang Haoyang any more leeway.

As a result, Huang Haoyang didn't return to class until the final bell of the day rang.

When the dismissal bell finally sounded, everyone started packing up their things.

Only then did Huang Haoyang and his mother leisurely stroll in.

Now that his transfer was confirmed, Huang Haoyang's previous fear of the Disciplinary Office had plummeted to absolute zero.

As for Lin Mo, once he left this school, he wouldn't have to be afraid of him anymore either.

More importantly, with his mother right by his side, he highly doubted Lin Mo would dare lay a hand on him.

So, as soon as Huang Haoyang walked through the door, he began packing up his belongings with an arrogant swagger.

Sitting on his desk were three Chinese literature test papers.

He didn't even spare them a glance. He just snatched them up, ripped them to shreds, and tossed them into the air.

A flurry of white paper scraps rained down across the floor.

It looked very cool, but...

"What the hell, Huang Haoyang?! Are you crazy? That's the Chinese homework, and it's my turn to clean the classroom today!"

Before Huang Haoyang could even respond, his mother's mouth went off like a Gatling gun.

"You little brat, watch your mouth! What do you mean what the hell? So completely ill-mannered! Didn't your mother ever teach you how to speak politely?"

She haughtily added, "Our Haoyang won't be studying at this garbage school anymore anyway."

Just then, someone laughed and said, "Stop pretending. Don't tell me you got kicked out of school? Well, it figures. Even the school would be disgusted by someone as lowly as you."