Dude, something's really wrong with your abilities.

Chapter 36 Conversation

Linchuan No. 3 Middle School is an ordinary high school in the city. After the high school entrance examination, the top students go to No. 1 Middle School, the slightly lower-achieving students go to No. 2 Middle School, and the remaining students who just meet the general high school admission line end up here.

The college entrance examination results of No. 3 High School have consistently ranked at the bottom in the city. However, because of this, the proportion of students with special athletic talents and those with artistic talents is higher than that of other high schools, and the school's college entrance rate has been supported entirely by these aspects in recent years. Correspondingly, the status of physical education, music, and art teachers here is also much higher than elsewhere.

The school has three grades, about a thousand students, and more than 120 faculty and staff members. Li Qian is the head of the art teaching group. She does not teach classes directly on a regular basis, but only teaches art students in the senior year. She has been doing this job for five years.

The academic affairs director, He Jin, was short, stout, and bald. Although the weather wasn't hot, his face was covered in sweat. He ran all the way from his office to the school gate to pick him up, clutching several napkins in his hand and constantly pressing them to his forehead.

Chen Shi glanced at him: "Director He, don't be nervous, it's just routine questioning."

"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous, it's too hot." He Jin stuffed the tissue back into his pocket and led the two towards the Academic Affairs Office, looking back as they walked. "The principal went to a meeting in the province and hasn't been here for the past two days. He said I would handle this matter entirely. You know what this mess is, I haven't slept well for two days."

Upon arriving at the Academic Affairs Office, He Jin closed the door, poured water for the two of them, and then sat down, rubbing his hands on his knees several times. He felt a lot of pressure, especially seeing Sun Tiemei sitting there silently.

"Didn't the patrol team already ask you that? I told them everything I knew. Why are they asking again? Is there some new development in the case?"

"There are still some details that need to be supplemented and verified," Chen Shi said. "Just say what you know, say whatever comes to mind."

"I don't know much about her either. Teacher Li usually just teaches classes, mentors students, and prepares lessons. She's never late or leaves early, and she rarely takes leave." He Jin wiped his sweat again. "How should I put it? She's quiet and reserved. She doesn't chat much about family matters in the office. When other teachers gather during lunch break to talk about their children and husbands, she just listens and occasionally smiles. But she's genuinely good to her students. She works overtime to correct drawings for students with special talents and never complains. In recent years, art students who have been admitted to top universities all really like her."

Chen Shi listened from the side the whole time without interrupting.

As He Jin spoke, he noticed that the grayish-white light above the other person's head was gradually shifting towards a pale yellow, and his initial wariness was slowly dissipating.

Sun Tiemei glanced at Chen Shi, who understood and continued the conversation: "Which student is Teacher Li closer to?"

He Jin thought for a moment: "After the incident, I looked into it. The art teachers said that there was a girl named Yao Xinchen who had a very good relationship with Teacher Li. Right, she's the little girl who first noticed something was wrong with the statue. She seems to be Teacher Li's class representative and often goes to the art room. This child is good at drawing, and Teacher Li values ​​her quite a bit."

"What about outside of school? Has she mentioned any friends, former classmates, or fellow artists contacting her?"

He Jin frowned and thought for a long time: "I don't know about that. Although Teacher Li is a local, she usually lives in the school dormitory. We've worked together for so many years and never seen any of her friends come to visit her at school. We don't know much about her private life unless she talks about it."

Chen Shi nodded and then asked if she had ever had any conflicts with anyone.

"No, really no. She's the kind of person who never argues or fights, and she's never had a fight with anyone. But it seems like she wasn't sleeping well in the days before the accident. Once during a meeting, he noticed her eyes were a little swollen and asked her if she had been staying up late. She said she was fine, just a little tired lately."

"Director He, that's all for today. Could you please find a teacher who is familiar with Teacher Li? We'd like to learn more about the situation."

He Jin quickly stood up: "Yes, yes, yes, Ms. Wang from the art group, who teaches basic courses for first and second year high school students, has been sharing an office with Li Qian for several years. I'll call her over right away."

Ms. Wang, who was in her forties, had a perm and her eyes were red when she came in. She sat down and sighed first.

"Teacher Li was so young, and she died so tragically. What kind of person could do such a thing? It's too cruel, really too cruel." As she spoke, her voice choked up, and she took out a tissue to wipe the corner of her eye.

Chen Shi noticed that the light above her head was grayish-blue; her sadness was real, but it seemed to conceal a different emotion. He waited until Teacher Wang had calmed down a bit before asking her how long she and Teacher Li had been working together.

"It's been five years. I was the one who mentored her when she first came here. Well, not really mentored her, but just helped her get familiar with the school at the beginning, since she had just graduated back then."

Teacher Wang crumpled the tissue into a ball and held it in her hand, sighing, "She's smart and quick to learn; in less than two years, she was teaching senior high school students on her own."

"How does Teacher Li usually get along with her colleagues?"

"That's great, everyone likes her."

"How's your relationship with your boss?"

Teacher Wang paused for a moment: "That's good too. The principal and Director He both approve of her."

Chen Shi nodded, not continuing to ask about the case, but instead changed the subject: "Professor Wang, how many years have you been teaching?"

"Me?" Teacher Wang was taken aback, clearly not expecting the topic to turn to her. "It's been almost twenty years."

"Twenty years? That means you've taught far more students than Teacher Li. There aren't many teachers with your seniority in the school anymore, are there?"

Teacher Wang sat up a little straighter and casually tucked the stray hairs from her temples behind her ears.

"That's not true. Several people in our art group have been doing this for over ten years. But these days, there aren't many young people who can settle down and teach basic courses. They all want to go straight to teaching senior high school students because it's easier to achieve good results and get promoted quickly."

"Teaching senior high school students must be very stressful, right?"

"The pressure is immense, but the results are quick. Like Li Qian, who teaches senior high school students for a few years, it's natural for several students to get into top universities, win awards, get promotions, and become group leaders."

When Teacher Wang talked about "being a group leader," there was something in her tone that was hard to explain.

Chen Shi followed up her tone and said, "Then it seems that her professional skills are indeed outstanding, given that she is so young to be a team leader."

Teacher Wang hesitated for a moment: "Her professional skills are indeed outstanding."

Chen Shi hummed in response but didn't reply; he simply waited.

After a few seconds of silence, Teacher Wang couldn't hold back any longer.

"She wasn't just good at her job to become a team leader within five years." She glanced at the door and lowered her voice. "The principal used to teach art and took special care of her. Every time there was an inspection, she would prepare the art room in advance so it looked like an exhibition hall, which pleased the leaders. We roughnecks wouldn't think of these things, but she did."

When she said "I've thought of something," she winked at Chen Shi, giving him a knowing look.

Sun Tiemei glanced at her.

"Is she close to the principal?"

"The principal has high standards; he doesn't think much of ordinary people." Teacher Wang tossed the crumpled tissue into the wastebasket, her tone somewhat indifferent. "But she's gone now, so there's no point in talking about it. Teacher Li was indeed capable, I don't deny that. It's just that her kind of ability is something that people like us who just diligently teach can't learn."

After saying that, she sighed again, "Oh, I'm a gossip, don't take it to heart."