President Peng’s new secretary has the surname Bai.
The secretary, a graduate from a prestigious university, dared not look down on Peng Guoqing, who had set his sights on a 211 university.
Some people win at the starting line the moment they are born. For instance, Peng Guoqing; reincarnation is like an innate skill point for him. The secretary was jealous to no avail.
After entering society, the secretary learned how crucial it was to maintain a balanced mindset. She could set goals for herself without needing to compare her shortcomings to the innate advantages others possessed from birth.
For a boy with Peng Sha’s family background, avoiding vices like gambling, drugs, or vice was already a blessing for the family. A playboy or wastrel would not bring glory to the Peng family; Peng Sha could simply lie flat.
The secretary had studied Peng Sha’s life over the first dozen or so years and found that he had indeed chosen to lie flat early on. For someone who had been lying flat for over a decade to suddenly stand up and set a Gaokao target of a 211 university truly required immense resolve!
People fear most drifting aimlessly without goals. To establish a target of a 211 university showed just how much change Peng Sha had undergone in the half-year since transferring to Rong City.
It was not that the secretary believed whatever Teacher Liang said. Besides visiting Teacher Liang, the secretary had also visited all the other teachers.
The teachers unanimously described Peng Guoqing’s academic foundation as “truly dismal”. Regarding his ambition to enter a 211 university, after a brief moment of surprise, the teachers all chose to encourage him. Whether he could succeed was one matter; at least he had such aspirations, and the teachers would not douse his enthusiasm with cold water.
What surprised the secretary greatly was that while the teachers did not affirm Peng Guoqing’s academic ability, they all highly praised his attitude towards learning.
At the very least, over the past half-year under their watch, Peng Guoqing had been exceptionally well-behaved. He never missed supplementary classes, and even if his error rate on exercises was high, he gritted his teeth and persisted. His attitude was utterly earnest.
One subject teacher even shared some heartfelt words with the secretary. “This child Xiao Peng can still be salvaged. If he had become sensible earlier, let alone targeting a 211 university, getting into a 985 would not have been difficult at all. As for now, well, I can only say that the family should not pressure him too much. Encourage him more. Exams like the Gaokao are mostly about ability, with the rest a small portion of luck and performance.”
To put it more bluntly, Peng Guoqing not only needed to keep striving but also required a stroke of luck to achieve his 211 university goal.
The secretary thanked the teachers profusely for their efforts and earnestly requested that they continue to supervise Peng Guoqing towards success.
Teacher Liang had vouched for Peng Guoqing in front of the secretary. But after the secretary left, Teacher Liang pondered and still felt uneasy, worried that his reputation might ultimately be tarnished by Peng Guoqing. Before the secretary departed Rong City, Teacher Liang called again with fervent hints.
“Near vermilion, one turns red; near ink, one turns black. Student Peng Guoqing should spend more time with top students and learn from them. Take one student I know, for example. His foundation was similar to Peng’s before, yet this year he got into a 211 university in Modu. Another student came to me for tutoring after the Zhongkao; he failed maths, physics, and chemistry. Now he ranks around 100th in the year at a provincial key school. They share one thing in common: persisting in being friends with top students and taking them as role models. You get what I mean, right?”
The secretary caught on immediately. “The top student you mentioned is Xie Qian, is he not?”
Teacher Liang breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. “You know Xie Qian? Excellent, then I need not say the extra words.”
Though Teacher Liang had not named him directly, the secretary had already heard from other teachers about Wang Shuang’s transformation from underachiever to being admitted to a Modu 211 university this year. It was true!
With Teacher Liang’s mood eased, the secretary was equally delighted.
Based on the information gathered in Rong City, it seemed Peng Sha would not need to be sent abroad after all.
With no risk of offending the crown prince, the secretary returned to the capital joyfully to report back.
If even the secretary could reach this conclusion, President Peng had no reason not to.
The secretary was pleased, but President Peng was genuinely surprised.
“So, Guoqing truly has a good chance of getting into a 211 university?”
“The teachers say the prospects are strong.”
The secretary acted as the faithful messenger. “They said he should spend more time with top students, learn from them, and that the family should offer more care and encouragement.”
The top student was Xie Qian.
More family care and encouragement. President Peng truly could not gauge the right measure. Besides giving pocket money, he would not show concern for his son in other ways.
But that was fine. He did not know how to raise children; others could do it for him. The process did not matter; as long as the result was the same.
Children acted based on mood, weighing everything by emotional depth. Adults handled things through interest exchanges.
Xie Qian had brought about such a great change in Peng Guoqing. If President Peng did not offer Xie Qian equivalent returns, then he himself would be the one not playing fair!
“I understand. Do not tell Guoqing that you went to Rong City.”
The secretary acknowledged.
That afternoon, President Peng unusually left work early and arrived home to find his wife not yet back.
Mrs Peng was at the beauty salon getting a facial. Only in the evening did she return humming a tune, laden with large and small shopping bags. Seeing the workaholic cur of a man seated primly on the sofa, Mrs Peng could not help glancing at the calendar on the wall.
“No holiday or festival, so what are you doing home?”
President Peng frowned. “If I am not mistaken, this is also my home. Why can I not return?”
Mrs Peng sneered. “Then you are truly mistaken. This house is registered solely in my name. Besides, where do you need a home? Your office suffices!”
President Peng actually wanted to say that without his years of slaving away with the office as his home, where would Mrs Peng get the lavishness to swipe her card and shop freely? But saying that would have Mrs Peng lifting the roof off. Forget it; a man should have a man’s magnanimity. Letting his wife vent a few complaints would not cost him a pound of flesh.
Moreover, over these years, he had indeed been too busy with work to attend to the family.
Not wanting to quarrel with his wife, President Peng cut straight to the point. “Guoqing says he wants to enter a 211 university. I had someone ask his form teacher. From the form teacher, I confirmed this kid is not boasting. The teacher also said the family should care for and encourage him more. I originally planned to send him abroad for a diploma, but now it seems unnecessary for the time being. So, put your affairs in the capital on hold. Move to Rong City for a year. Wait until after his Gaokao, then come back.”
Mrs Peng was first stunned, then a smug look appeared on her face.
“Oh, so you had someone investigate, did you? And found out I was not lying, right?”
The cur of a man had actually doubted her words!
Smug as she was, Mrs Peng flatly rejected President Peng’s proposal. “I am not going to Rong City. With or without me accompanying him, my son knows to work hard. He said he wants to move in with Xie Qian’s family and live with Xie Qian, so they can look after each other. If I go, would that not rob him of his excuse?”
