On the Friday before the midterm exams, due to an imbalance in the curriculum progress, some topics within the scope of the exams were not fully covered in Class 18. Therefore, Zou Jing coordinated with other teachers to arrange an extra class session.

He entered class 18 of the information technology course and heard a very reluctant sigh.

Ever since Zou Jing disciplined the unruly student in class last time, he had sensed a hint of rejection from this group of children towards him.

He had a strong sense of foreboding that, in terms of math, Class 18 might really not surpass their own class this time.

Although the two classes were silently competing, in his eyes, all the students he taught were his own students. He never showed favoritism towards either side, and fairness meant that the content of instruction was exactly the same.

So he began to repeat what he had already said to them in class, and it took him half a period to finish. He left the remaining time for the students to study on their own, sitting at the podium, waiting for someone to come and ask questions about things they didn't understand.

In fact, the problem always originates from a few students. Among them, the class representative is the most diligent. This female classmate would ask him when he arrives in the classroom, and she would also go to his office during breaks to ask questions.

In comparison, the questions asked were all very profound. He was also willing to follow his prompts and let his mind work. People who enjoy delving into mathematics are very intelligent, and he likes intelligent people.

While he was drawing a diagram to solve a problem for a student, their class monitor, Yu Ze-kai, rushed over in a panic, calling him back to the classroom.

Zou Jing had a premonition that there was definitely something wrong with the class.

At the beginning of the school year, he wasn't familiar with anyone, so he chose a boy who appeared particularly righteous as the class monitor. Little did he know, this boy was the type who panicked when faced with something, completely unable to handle critical situations. He couldn't compare to the courageous female class monitor of Class 18, and ended up going from the leader of Class One to someone who tattled on others.

"What's wrong?" Zou Jing asked as he walked briskly towards the exit.

Yu Zekai immediately replied, "This period is geography. We have an exam coming up, so the teacher asked us to review on our own before leaving. And then... and then Zhao Yu beat up Feng Yi."

Zou Jing frowned, and he almost ran back to class.

In Class 17, everyone inside the room stood watching the commotion as the class leader walked in, swiftly closed the door, and sat back in their seat. Only the person in the middle remained unmoved.

Zou Jing shouted loudly, "You, Zhao Yu, stop!"

Yu Zhaoyu had one foot planted on Feng Yi's stomach, his waist slightly bent, and he looked fierce like a provoked young beast.

Feng Yi's face was determined, with blood stains on his chest indicating that he had been injured somewhere. His hair was messy, clearly showing that he was in a disadvantageous position.

Zou Jing was furious. How dare You Zhaoyu shamelessly bully honest classmates in class and not take his words seriously? Right in front of him, You Zhaoyu even kicked Feng Yi twice.

Under the gaze of the entire class, Xiaoba Wang was kicked twice by Zhaoyu, the class leader.

This was the first time Zou Jing resorted to violence. It was something he had never done before. Perhaps it was out of impulsiveness or maybe he knew that countering violence with non-violence wouldn't stop You Zhaoyu.

Yao Zhaoyu stumbled backward, bumping into the table and chairs, and glared angrily at Zou Jing.

Zou Jing gestured for the surrounding students to first pull up Feng Yi. He walked up to You Zhaoyu and questioned, "Why did you hit your classmate?"

Zhaoyu was emotionally charged and shouted, "Why only ask me why I hit him? Why don't you ask what he said?"

Zou Jing's chest heaved up and down, as he, with a push, gestured to Zhaoyu: "You, come with me to the office."

The young man turned and left, taking big strides with an arrogant air. He bumped into whatever got in his way as he walked out of the classroom, and forcefully closed the door behind him.

Zou Jing quickly maintained discipline and left his office. However, he noticed that the person who had been walking without slowing down did not head towards his office, but instead went directly downstairs.

In the corridor, Zou Jing didn't shout the youth's name loudly when his colleagues passed by. Instead, he followed him to the first floor, watching the child disappear without looking back, until he vanished from sight.

Zou Jing suddenly felt some regret for his earlier aggressive actions. He took step by step back and returned to the slightly boisterous classroom. He called Yu Zekai to go to the office with him, wanting to clarify the matter in detail.

The information technology class, which only happens once every two weeks, was occupied. This is the most unpleasant thing for Lin Jinglei. He is more enthusiastic about information technology class than physical education class.

Faced with a slightly noisy class due to the departure of their math teacher, he couldn't even sleep.

The closest to the back door, he heard some commotion coming from Class 17. Curious, he leaned in and listened carefully, eventually deciding to stick his head out and take a look.

Got nothing.

She was carried back to her seat by Bai Xiuyuan.

This group is not to be messed with. They can easily use Taekwondo moves to handle you. Lin Jinglei put on an appearance of not daring to provoke them, repeatedly showing weakness without saying a word, and then quietly sat down.

As soon as Bai Xiuyuan left, an unidentified object quickly approached in the hallway. When it brushed against his calf, Lin Jinglei was startled once again, causing the tables and chairs to make a noise and the books to fall.

After being warned again by the class monitor, Tang Shan kicked and crouched down by his desk, mouthing the words: "Go away."

Tang Shan gestured with his hands, saying, "Toilet, together."

Lin Jinglei finally got up and walked towards the exit.

Bai Xiuyuan stopped someone and asked, "What are you two doing?"

Tang Shan smiled and replied, "Bathroom, Bandai, can't hold it in."

Bai Xiuyuan ignored the two notorious troublemakers in this group and waved his hand, indicating that they could go.

Lin Jinglei rushed to the restroom as soon as he left the classroom. However, he wasn't in a hurry to use the restroom. His steps were not enthusiastic, as he was still curious about the issues in Class 18.

After arriving at the restroom, he stood in front of the mirror, vainly tidying up his hair while waiting for Tang Shan.

"Leizi, my mom said if I can get into the top 300 this time, she'll triple my allowance."

Lin Jinglei nodded and said, "Good idea."

While urinating, Tang Shan said, "What a bunch of bullshit. Can I fucking pass the exam? I think she deliberately set up high barriers."

The entire restroom was very quiet, with only the sound of Tang Shan urinating intermittently. Lin Jinglei felt frustrated as he listened, "Can't you pee properly? What's wrong with you?"

Tang Shan, who was absent-minded, suddenly pulled up his pants and turned around, saying, "Lei Zi, do you remember the time we hacked into the school's administrative system during the junior high school placement test? How about we do it again?"

Lin Jinglei thought Tang Shan wasn't wearing pants, afraid that he might urinate on himself. He immediately jumped back and said, "No way! Principal Lin will definitely kick me to death if he finds out."

Tang Shandao: "If my pocket money triples, then I'll have a chance to buy that guitar I want."

"It's none of my business."

"Don't forget that my pocket money usually comes from half of yours, so you should be able to mooch a little more."

"Well...it's not that it's not possible to consider, but it's just too troublesome."

"What trouble is there? It's just a piece of cake for you."

At this moment, there was some movement from the compartment inside. Thinking that there was no one around, the two people turned their heads abruptly upon hearing the sudden sound of flushing, and saw a person walking out.

Yan Zizheng walked straight towards the sink, casually glancing at Lin Jinglei as he passed by, neither warm nor cold.

When washing his hands calmly, he glanced around again before leaving.

After everyone left, the conversation continued. Tang Shanlai pulled Lin Jinglei's arm and asked, "Is it really feasible?"

Lin Jinglei avoided the epidemic like this: "You fucking wash your hands first."

When it comes to the incident of hacking into the school's administrative system in junior high, Lin Jinglei still remembers vividly the scene where Principal Lin used a chicken feather duster to strike him, leaving him covered in bruise-like marks.

From childhood to adulthood, his uncle had never hit him, but that time, he almost beat him to death.

On the third day of junior high school, Lin Jinglei's school, No. 32 Middle School, carried out a class restructuring as part of an educational reform. The rule for restructuring was based on the results of the placement examination.

Tang Shan was pursuing a top-tier student, showering her with love poems and serenades, yet their relationship remained uncertain with flirty exchanges. Lin Jinglei went to great lengths and used his cleverness to ensure that Tang Shan and that girl would be in the same class.

The night before the final grades were officially announced, he hacked into the academic administration system and made appropriate alterations to Tang Shan's grades and ranking.

I thought everything was going smoothly, just waiting to see the results. But unexpectedly, the next day the system underwent maintenance. The network maintenance personnel discovered traces of intrusion and traced it back to Principal Lin's home based on the IP address.

Principal Lin came back from socializing and saw police officers at his house. Despite being drunk, he managed to go upstairs steadily and ran up to inquire about what happened. Only then did he find out that his nephew had secretly used his laptop to hack into the disciplinary system of No. 32 Middle School.

The police at the scene initially thought that the person behind the scenes was intentionally stealing information and disrupting the order, as mentioned by the informant. They speculated that it must have been an adult, but they did not expect that it was just a fourteen-year-old child. What's even more unexpected is that this child went through so much trouble just to improve their grades.

This is the case. At the time, it even made it onto the urban news, but it was brushed off with a pen name.

Because it did not cause social unrest or involve severe illegal activities, Lin Jinglei only received a warning in the end. The administration of School 32 quietly suppressed this unremarkable matter.

Lin Jinglei remembered when he was locked in a room and beaten by his uncle. Both his aunt and his younger brother were scared to tears. Tang Shan, this brat, even dared to entertain such twisted thoughts, all for the sake of a guitar. He refused to have any part in it.

Moreover, just because Thirty-Second High School's campus network is riddled with loopholes, it doesn't necessarily mean that First High School's network is too.

Lin Jinglei admitted that he had some minor achievements in the field of computer technology that surpassed many people of his age, but that should not be the reason he was beaten by his uncle again.

And two years ago, Yan Zizheng, the genius computer prodigy who hacked into the academic affairs system just to improve his grades, also knew that the person was Lin Jinglei. It really surprised him. After hearing those words in the restroom, he couldn't help but take another look at Lin Jinglei, curious about how much more amazement that kid still had in store for him.

In fact, Yan Zizheng went to the toilet cubicle to call You Zhaoyu. He understood that under such circumstances, You Zhaoyu would definitely not listen to Zou Jing's lecture in the office, but rather went somewhere outside the school.

But the phone kept ringing without anyone answering. It was only when he heard someone come into the restroom and confirmed that the voices were Lin Jinglei and Tang Shanhou that he listened for a while longer.

Due to Zhaoyu's parents getting divorced five years ago, because his mother didn't want him, the court awarded custody of Zhaoyu to his father. Later on, Zhaoyu's mother got remarried soon after and formed a new family with a male colleague. Feng Yi is the son that this man brought along.

In junior high school, the two of them didn't attend the same school and didn't know much about each other. When they were assigned to the same class in high school, Zhao Yu couldn't stand Feng Yi in every way.

A few days after the start of the semester, he dragged someone into the restroom and beat them up.

Maybe it's because he resents the fact that his mother abandoned him and his father. He wants to let his mother know that he still holds a grudge against her by bullying Feng Yi.

Feng Yi is honest, studious, and has a good temper. He is in stark contrast to You Zhaoyu. He didn't even tell his mother when he returned home, he endured it himself. He even stood up to admit his own mistakes when threatened or intimidated to protect You Zhaoyu.

Yu Zhaoyu had grown tired of bullying Feng Yi repeatedly. He no longer saw Feng Yi as a threat. However, one day, when Feng Yi showed up in a new sweater, a classmate asked him where he bought it. Feng Yi smiled and said that his mother had knitted it for him.

It was this sentence that enraged You Zhaoyu when he heard it. Without saying a word, he immediately got up and walked over to grab Feng Yi by the collar, demanding to know what he had just said.

Whose mother's problem it was, became a big fuss.

Feng Yi was also stubborn, so he repeated his words again. He had an inexplicable sense of superiority, and spoke in a particularly sarcastic tone, saying that Zhang Yu's mother treated him and his father exceptionally well but didn't care about the life or death of the Zhang family father and son.

Unable to contain his anger, You Zhaoyu clenched his fist and smashed it towards Feng Yi's head.

The whole class knew that Yan Zizheng had a good relationship with You Zhaoyu. They all looked at him, hoping that he would say something to make You Zhaoyu stop.

Yan Zizheng casually looked back at You Zhaoyu, who was currently fighting Feng Yi. He sat there without moving, secretly hoping that You Zhaoyu would be severely beaten. No one knew better than him that the word "mother" was a taboo for You Zhaoyu, and any violation would result in punishment.

Zou Jing heard a version from Yuze Kai’s mouth which can be considered complete among onlookers. However, Yuze Kai couldn’t help but show bias towards Feng Yi, so his words were a bit off.

However, Zou Jing is already aware of the basic situation at the Zhaoyu household. Last time when he met with Yu, he discussed this matter.

The greatest harm caused to a child by parents' divorce, he felt, was that it had an impact on Zhao Yu's character as well.

The young man is easily irritable, with a prickly demeanor that seems unwelcoming to strangers. However, deep down, he is actually very kind-hearted. He is willing to fight for his friends and he would go to great lengths to make the girl he loves smile. He doesn't like studying but is afraid of his father, so whenever his father is mentioned, he becomes relatively well-behaved.

That day, Zou Jing sat in the office for a long time, and he thought about his parents' divorce when he was young. At that time, he wasn't any better than You Zhaoyu. He would fight, skip school, and go to internet cafes all day, as if the whole world owed him something.

Thanks to the female class advisor who taught him back then, she guided him without leaving any traces, encouraged him, and even amplified his little interest in mathematics, which ultimately made him who he is today.

Adolescent children experiencing a rebellious mentality are not inherently bad. They simply lack appropriate care and believe that they can only gain attention by defying everything. Zou Jing understands this kind of mood well.

He even began to feel a little sorry for You Zhaoyu, and regretted kicking the child while he was already down.

Last time when Zhang Ziqiong came to find him, as they were going downstairs together, he was violently bumped by You Zhaoyu. Zhang Ziqiong smiled and said that she knows that child, he often goes to her internet cafe.

I didn't expect that a thoughtless remark at the time would actually give Zou Jing a destination.

He took the key and locked the door, then went downstairs with the director after casually coming up with an excuse to ask for leave.

The security guard at the entrance of the school is very strict. Students without a leave slip from their class adviser cannot leave from here at all, while teachers have much more convenience in comparison.

Zou Jing merely nodded towards the security guard, and the automatic door swung open, granting him passage.

Zhang Ziqiong was Zou Jing's college classmate, studying in different departments at the same school. One was in the mathematics department, while the other was in the computer science department.

This woman has liked Zou Jing for several years. When Zou Jing was transferred to teach at a middle school, she also followed him to this city for her career development.

Opened a cybercafe called "Aurora".

It symbolizes her love, which is unattainable yet breathtaking to the point of suffocation.