The Principal Wants You on the Phone

Right after class, Chen Zhi strolled over to Science Building No. 1.

Dai Damai was leading a few newly recruited PhD students, gathered around a set of server cabinets, running the final debugging.

On the other side of the laboratory, a few students wearing Student Union armbands were holding small notebooks, pretentiously pointing here and there.

The guy leading them looked somewhat familiar to Chen Zhi.

However, he didn't pay much attention to it and walked straight toward Dai Damai.

"How's it going?"

Hearing Chen Zhi's voice, Dai Damai didn't even turn his head, his hands flying across the keyboard to type a line of code.

"The hardware links are all connected. We are running stress tests."

Chen Zhi gave a hum of acknowledgment and glanced at the Student Union members.

"What's the deal with those guys?"

"Routine inspection." Dai Damai finally finished his task, stood up, and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "They said it's a safety and hygiene check. The President's Office already gave them a heads-up, so they're just going through the motions."

Chen Zhi nodded. That made sense.

He threw his backpack onto an empty desk and started discussing business with Dai Damai.

"We still don't have enough manpower. Having only technical staff isn't enough. We need to build the company's framework. We should slowly start recruiting administrative and financial personnel soon. Especially for finance; the cash flow in our accounts is getting bigger, so we must find someone trustworthy to manage it."

Dai Damai deeply agreed. "Indeed. Just reimbursing the invoices for these equipments over the past few days has given me a massive headache. I'm a tech guy, I don't know the first thing about this stuff."

As the two were chatting, an untimely voice cut in.

"Classmate, is there a problem with the fire safety facilities here?"

His train of thought interrupted, Chen Zhi turned his head in displeasure.

At this moment, Zhao Jin's heart was in turmoil.

He never dreamed that he would see Chen Zhi again here, in this way.

The scenes from the driving school during the summer vacation resurfaced in his mind.

He originally thought that getting into Peking University's Nursing Department would make him superior to others, but he ended up getting beaten to a pulp by Chen Zhi, and finally had to humiliatingly sign a settlement agreement at the police station.

During this time, Zhao Jin had been living in a shadow.

He desperately tried to show off and joined the Student Union, hoping to regain a bit of self-esteem here.

As a result, after school started, he found out that Jiangcheng's provincial top scorer this year, the top student who entered Peking University's Yuanpei College, was also named Chen Zhi!

At the time, he still held onto a sliver of hope, thinking it was just a coincidence of having the same name.

Until this moment, when he saw Chen Zhi standing here with his own eyes, listening to that PhD student respectfully call him Boss.

All the pieces instantly fell into place.

He had been played.

From beginning to end, he had been toyed with like a fool by this bastard.

His flaunting of his status as a Peking University nursing student now seemed like a massive joke.

An indescribable sense of humiliation and fury ignited in his heart.

He couldn't really do anything to Chen Zhi.

In terms of fighting, he couldn't beat him.

In terms of background, he had already learned his lesson last time at the police station.

But now, he held the power of the Student Union in his hands.

Although this power was pitifully small, it was enough to disgust someone.

"Classmate, is there a problem with the fire safety here?"

Zhao Jin kept a straight face, interrupting Chen Zhi and Dai Damai's conversation.

Chen Zhi turned back and looked at him with some confusion.

"A problem? What problem?"

Zhao Jin pointed to the unopened fire extinguisher box in the corner and said coldly, "The placement of the fire extinguisher does not meet the regulations, the aisle is cluttered with debris, and with your servers having such high power, where is the approved application for the circuit modification?"

Chen Zhi truly didn't recognize him this time.

Several months had passed, and such a background-character-level person had long been completely forgotten by him.

In his eyes, this was just a student cadre treating a feather as an arrow of authority, wanting to show off his prestige.

"Classmate, the fire equipment just arrived today and hasn't been installed yet. As for the circuits, the school's logistics department brought people to modify them personally, and all the paperwork is in the President's Office."

Chen Zhi patiently explained, then turned his head to continue talking to Dai Damai. "For the finance matter, we'll find a headhunting company to poach someone when the time comes. Finance is no small matter; we must find someone reliable."

Seeing himself being ignored, Zhao Jin's face flushed bright red.

He took a step forward and raised his voice.

"Classmate, I am talking to you! The fire safety facilities here are not in place. What if a fire breaks out? This is a serious safety hazard!"

Chen Zhi finally looked him in the eye.

"The fire equipment will arrive the day after tomorrow," Chen Zhi explained nicely, considering it giving face to the President. "If there are no problems elsewhere, you can leave. We still have to boot up and run operations this afternoon, so we're very busy."

"No."

He closed the notebook in his hand.

"Right now is a school-wide fire safety inspection. The school leaders and the Student Union have repeatedly emphasized that no hazards can be overlooked. The situation here is too complex; you must stop work and rectify it first."

The several Student Union officers behind him looked at each other in dismay, all feeling that Zhao Jin was making a mountain out of a molehill today.

This was a project specially approved by the President. They were just here to stamp a form and leave, so why make such a scene?

Dai Damai, who was standing to the side, got a bit angry.

"Stop work? Are you kidding me! We have to run models this afternoon. Do you know how much this delay will cost us?"

Zhao Jin shot a sideways glance at Dai Damai, full of bureaucratic airs.

"Is delaying things more important than human lives? If a fire breaks out, can you take responsibility?"

Chen Zhi was amused.

He looked Zhao Jin up and down with interest.

"Rectify? Sure, then tell me, how should we rectify it?"

"Cut the power first, clear the site, and wait until our school's security department and fire safety division pass a joint inspection before you can resume work."

A wave of pleasure washed over Zhao Jin's heart.

Aren't you the provincial top scorer? Aren't you so awesome?

Now that I say you have to stop, you have to stop.

Chen Zhi put away his smile.

He could tell now; this kid wasn't here to inspect, he was here to pick a fight.

"Does the Youth League Secretary of your Student Union know you're making us rectify?"

Chen Zhi's tone was calm, betraying neither joy nor anger.

Zhao Jin's heart skipped a beat.

He was indeed acting on his own authority.

The senior who was originally leading the team had something come up temporarily and let him take charge of this area, which was how he got this power.

But he stiffened his neck and forced himself to say, "I am representing the Student Union in executing official duties! For this kind of safety issue, I don't need to report every single detail!"

Chen Zhi sighed.

He took out his phone and found a number.

"Alright, since you are so responsible, I will help you report it."

Watching Chen Zhi's actions, Zhao Jin's heart started to pound, but his mouth remained unforgiving.

"It's useless no matter who you call! Rules are rules!"

Right then, Chen Zhi's call connected.

He didn't turn on the speakerphone, but the server room was very quiet, and a majestic voice could faintly be heard from the other end.

"Hello, President Hao, this is Chen Zhi."

Zhao Jin's face turned completely white.

President Hao?

Impossible! How could a freshman directly contact the president?

He must be faking it!

Chen Zhi spoke into his phone, his tone very casual.

"It is like this. The Student Union members here at the Science Building One computer lab are saying our fire safety isn't up to standard. They are demanding we cut the power and clear out immediately for indefinite rectification. I just wanted to ask, is there some new university policy?"

The other end of the line fell silent for two seconds.

Chen Zhi held the phone a bit further away, looked at Zhao Jin, and smiled.

"The President wants to speak with you."

Looking at the phone being handed to him, Zhao Jin started to feel a bit uncertain.

Does he actually know the President?

He took the phone with a trembling hand, but before he could even open his mouth, a barrage of questions came through.

"Who gave you the authority to order Deep Space Technology to halt operations and rectify? What is your name? Which school are you from?"

Zhao Jin felt his knees go weak, almost dropping to the ground.

"P-President, I..."

"I personally approved that project. I personally oversaw the inspection of all their fire safety and electrical systems! Do you know more about fire safety than I do?"

"I didn't... I thought..."

"You thought my ass! Right now, immediately, take your people and get the hell out of there! Write a three-thousand-word self-criticism and hand it in to my office tomorrow morning! And tell your Student Union President to come see me this afternoon!"

The call was disconnected.

The students who had come with Zhao Jin were now looking at him like he was a dead man.

Chen Zhi took the phone back from Zhao Jin's hand and patted him on the shoulder.

"Very responsible of you, classmate. Keep up the hard work next time."

Zhao Jin opened his mouth, but it felt like something was blocking his throat. He couldn't force out a single word.

Looking at Chen Zhi's calm and breezy face, he finally remembered where this sense of familiarity came from.

Wasn't this the exact same expression Chen Zhi had when he made him pass out from anger at the police station over the summer?

"Let's go..."

Zhao Jin lowered his head and scurried toward the door with his people in disgrace.

"Wait."

Chen Zhi suddenly spoke up.

Zhao Jin's body stiffened, and he turned his head mechanically.

"Since you are here, do me a favor."

Chen Zhi pointed at the heavy fire extinguisher cabinets by the door.

"Since you think they are placed improperly, help us move them to that corner over there. After all, you are the professional, right?"

Zhao Jin looked at the dead-heavy iron boxes, then at Chen Zhi's menacingly cheerful gaze.

Gritting his teeth, he walked over without a word, bent down, and began to lift them with great effort.

Chen Zhi sat back down in his seat. Watching Zhao Jin's busy back, his tone was leisurely.

"By the way, Lao Dai, we really are missing a manager here. Keep an eye out for me, see if there are any upperclassmen who have strong personalities and are efficient at getting things done. Preferably from the Law School or the School of Economics."

"What are you hiring them for? As a secretary?"

"As a manager," Chen Zhi rubbed his temples. "To save us from having every random Tom, Dick, and Harry trying to walk all over us."

By the time Zhao Jin finished moving the last fire extinguisher, he was sweating profusely from exhaustion, his white shirt clinging to his back.

Not daring to stay a second longer, he dashed out of the lab as if fleeing for his life.

Just as he stepped outside, Zhao Jin's phone rang.

It was a call from the Student Union President.

The moment he answered, the President's exasperated and furious voice blasted through.

"Zhao Jin! What the fuck did you do? The University President called the Youth League Committee directly! Are you trying to get everyone in the Student Union killed?"

Zhao Jin's vision went dark, and he had to lean against the wall to keep from collapsing.

He knew that his career in the Student Union was probably over.