Chapter Seventeen: The Angry Angel

Zheng Bowen’s mocking laughter echoed throughout the hall. Now, seeing that Shangguan Luohua’s class had produced only one student rated as excellent in the strength test, the sneer at his lips grew even sharper and more derisive. He continued, “So, Head Teacher Shangguan, are you so certain you’ll take the championship for a third year in a row that you want to end the tests early and leave, to avoid embarrassing yourself?”

With his words, all eyes turned toward the testing area in the northern corner. Curiosity filled the crowd; everyone wondered what this ‘three-time champion’ claim from Class Three’s head teacher was really about. Of course, there were plenty who knew the situation, and their gazes held not only curiosity but also a hint of disdain—a disdain reserved for the weak.

“Zheng Bowen!” Shangguan Luohua spun around, fixing the man who disgusted her most with a cold stare, anger surging in her chest. She still remembered when she had first arrived at Star Academy as the new head teacher of Class Twelve; this short, unattractive middle-aged man had become infatuated with her beauty and used every excuse to get close. But how could she ever be interested in him? Even setting aside her family’s influence, his personal ability was pitiful—not even at the first tier, a man of no worth, utterly beneath her notice.

She had rejected him mercilessly. Never did she expect Zheng Bowen to be so petty; failing in his pursuit, he turned to resentment, and for more than two years now, he had constantly targeted her.

Zheng Bowen listened to the fury in her voice, feeling secretly delighted, but continued his biting sarcasm, “What’s the matter, Head Teacher Shangguan, do you think I’m wrong?”

“Each class has over sixty students, and every head teacher typically produces five or six students rated as excellent each year. Yet you’ve managed only two or three for two consecutive years, and this year is even worse. Three years as head teacher, three years at the bottom. Looks like Vice Principal Li was right last year—you’re doing nothing but leading your students astray!”

His words brought silence to the hall; even the other three testing areas paused, all eyes shifting toward this corner.

At the center of their attention, Shangguan Luohua’s slender frame trembled, her face alternating between pale and flushed with anger. Zheng Bowen’s mocking and relentless attacks had truly enraged this seductive, alluring woman.

Just as all of Class Twelve’s students expected their “tigress” to lash out, her furious expression suddenly shifted—she held herself back, quickly regaining her usual alluring composure. Turning to Zheng Bowen, she declared with commanding confidence, “This year, Class Twelve will not be last. And Head Teacher Zheng, this year’s championship will not belong to your Class Three!”

Her words, both confident and assertive, sent a shock through the crowd.

Class Three had eight students rated as excellent, scored 280kg to take first place in strength, and achieved 29.4 meters per second for first in speed. They led in both categories, even surpassing the perennial champions of Class One. In such circumstances, could they possibly lose first place? Would Class Nine, Ten, Eleven, or even Class Twelve surpass them?

As the hall erupted in speculation, Zheng Bowen’s face twisted with disdain and he scoffed, “How laughable! You think your bottom-ranked Class Twelve can compete for first place? Dream on!”

“Incredible!”

“Has Shangguan Luohua lost her mind from anger?”

The other ten head teachers were equally skeptical; they were certain Shangguan Luohua was boasting without cause.

“Did you hear that, Shangguan Luohua? You’re just—”

But Shangguan Luohua ignored the murmurs and turned away from Zheng Bowen, whose sentence was left unfinished. She called out to her students, “What are you all standing around for? The speed test is starting! Tan Jian, you’re first!”

“Oh!” The sudden command snapped Class Twelve—and Liu Wen—into action, and the second round of testing officially began.

Tan Jian climbed onto the speed tester and unleashed his full speed.

“Sixteen… Eighteen…” The numbers kept rising. Beside him, Shangguan Luohua was visibly tense. Earlier that morning, after Nan Gong Yuchen’s comment, Tan Jian had secretly messaged her, saying he felt his speed could reach the excellent standard.

That message was a precious gift to Shangguan Luohua, who had been worried about finishing last. She hadn’t expected her vice class leader to quietly achieve such results. Counting him with Lu Ling, Angel, and Nan Gong Yuchen, her class would have seven students rated as excellent—enough to escape last place.

This was not quite enough to give her confidence to make such a bold declaration, but Nan Gong Yuchen’s confidence and Angel’s calmness had inspired her to take a gamble—on their extraordinary results.

Seven excellent ratings didn’t necessarily beat eight, but Shangguan Luohua was not the sort to swallow humiliation quietly. That’s why she had dared to speak so boldly moments before.

But it all depended on whether the boy before her could reach the excellent standard; if he succeeded, she could gamble. If not, she would be the object of ridicule throughout the hall once the testing ended.

“Twenty… Twenty point four…” As the numbers passed twenty meters, Tan Jian was visibly struggling. The increase slowed, as if it might stop altogether. Shangguan Luohua’s heart was in her throat—if he didn’t reach twenty-one meters, it would be a failure.

“Twenty point eight…” Now the numbers approached the threshold for excellence. Tan Jian’s face was flushed red, pushing himself to the limit. Just as the numbers seemed about to stop, he gritted his teeth, poured all his strength into his legs, and sprinted for one more second before collapsing onto the tester.

And the numbers on the machine had surpassed the excellent standard—twenty-one meters.

“Tan Jian, speed score: twenty-one point two meters per second! Excellent!”

Hearing Liu Wen announce the result, Shangguan Luohua breathed a huge sigh of relief. The students of Class Twelve beamed with joy, congratulating him.

“Wow, the vice class leader is amazing—he’s earned us our second excellent rating!”

“Yeah, I remember last time he held back for Le Han, but this time…”

“He’s awesome!”

Nan Gong Yuchen watched as Tan Jian was helped off the tester, though his own face showed little excitement—he wouldn’t be able to test himself.

While Class Twelve cheered, the atmosphere in the hall was entirely different.

“Shangguan Luohua, you want to challenge me for first place with students like that? What a joke!” Zheng Bowen called out.

“The head teacher is right. You think you can compete with our class? Impossible!”

“That guy isn’t really excellent—if he tested again, could he even do it?”

The waves of mockery infuriated the students of Class Twelve, their faces flushed as they glared at Class Three and Zheng Bowen at the center of the hall.

Shangguan Luohua was even angrier; she hadn’t expected Zheng Bowen’s insults to go so far, now targeting her students and class as well.

Just as everyone’s anger reached its peak, Angel stepped forward from the group, her usual calm replaced by fury as she addressed Shangguan Luohua, “Head teacher, let me be next!”

Without waiting for approval, she strode up to the speed tester.

The rapid beat of footsteps drew everyone’s attention. When they saw the red digits frozen on the display, the hall was filled with gasps of shock.

“Thirty-three point three meters!”