Chapter Nineteen: Nangong Yuchen, Get Up There for Me!

“Huff!” After a long while, it was still Shangguan Luohua who first regained her composure. Even though Angel had already warned her, she was still thoroughly stunned!

Last month, a speed of 23.4 and a nerve reflex of 12—such results were outstanding, perhaps even excessive, but still barely acceptable to the others. But now? A speed of 33.3 meters, only 6.7 meters shy of the first-tier threshold of 40! A nerve reflex of 16, only 4 points away from the first-tier benchmark of 20!

Does this mean that in just two or three months, a formidable first-tier female mecha warrior specializing in speed and nerve reflexes will be born?

Shangguan Luohua exhaled once again, forcibly suppressing her shock. Only then did she turn and roar at the other students, “Angel performed very well! Next!”

Her loud voice startled the students in the testing area back to their senses.

Liu Wen hastily called out, “Next, Li Jian!”

Upon hearing his name, Li Jian grimaced as he was ushered into the physical testing room. The memory of his last test still made him uneasy, his legs trembling with dread.

...

“What a monstrous girl!” Xu Liang, Zheng Bowen, and the other homeroom teachers exchanged glances, each seeing the same astonishment mirrored in the other's eyes.

Fortunately, the remaining students from Class 3 achieved only average marks, allowing their moods to recover somewhat.

If another student with an excellent rating had appeared, Class 12 might really have shed their reputation as the bottom class this year.

Twenty minutes later, all the students in Shangguan Luohua’s class had finished their tests.

At the sound of “finished,” Zheng Bowen could no longer hold back the frustration that had accumulated over the past two hours. He burst into loud laughter, “Haha! Congratulations, Head Teacher Shangguan, you’ve really won the championship this time, taken first place—your class is now the first ever in the history of Star Academy to claim the title three years in a row! Hahaha...”

There was not a hint of genuine congratulation in his laughter—it was thick with ridicule.

“Yes, that girl is certainly outstanding, but Class 12 only has four students rated excellent, doesn’t it? Shangguan Luohua dares to boast about competing for first place with Class 3?”

“Heh, I’d say she’s fighting for last place!”

As waves of mockery and derision rolled through the hall, fury blazed in Shangguan Luohua’s chest. She knew it wasn’t yet time to retaliate, so she swallowed her anger, glared fiercely at Zheng Bowen, and led her students back to the central hall.

By then, the other three testing areas had also concluded.

Class 9 and Class 11 each had seven students rated excellent, while Class 10 had six—leaving Class 12, once again, unambiguously in last place.

“Haha! Head Teacher Shangguan, where has your earlier confidence gone? Weren’t you vying for first place with me?” Zheng Bowen continued to jeer at the silent Shangguan Luohua.

As his laughter faded and he prepared to continue his taunts, a pair of middle-aged figures—a man and a woman—stepped in from the hall entrance.

The man was handsome, the woman fair, both exuding a subtle but palpable authority.

Hearing the laughter, the man strode forward and asked, “Bowen, what’s brought you so much joy?”

“Ah—Director Li, you’re here!” Zheng Bowen immediately straightened, reining in his earlier arrogance.

“Good day, Director Li, Deputy Director Guan!” Shangguan Luohua, Xu Liang, and the other homeroom teachers quickly nodded their greetings.

There was no choice; the man was Li Xiuyuan, the woman Guan Jingyun—the principal and vice-principal of the campus, their direct superiors, responsible for all school affairs.

Li Xiuyuan nodded in acknowledgment, his gaze sweeping over the assembled first-year students. Smiling, he asked, “Have all the class tests concluded?”

“Yes,” Xu Liang promptly replied.

“Then bring me the total results for your classes. Let me see how many promising students we have this year.” Li Xiuyuan addressed the four teachers who had just descended from their respective testing zones.

The four nodded and quickly handed over the physical fitness records for all twelve classes.

Li Xiuyuan’s first glance fell on the total scores for each class.

“Class 3, 98 points! Eight students rated excellent!”

Upon seeing the best result, Li Xiuyuan smiled and said, “Bowen, well done. You finally snatched the top spot from Class 1 this year!”

“Haha, Director Liu, it was pure luck—mainly due to the students’ talent and hard work,” Zheng Bowen replied with feigned modesty.

“Talent and effort are crucial, but as homeroom teacher, your contribution is equally important. Rest assured, the first-place reward is yours this time!”

After praising Zheng Bowen, Li Xiuyuan turned back to the results.

“Class 1, 97 points! Eight students rated excellent!”

“Class 2, 94 points! Seven students rated excellent!”

“Class 9, 92 points! Seven students rated excellent!”

...

“Class 10, 88 points! Six students rated excellent!”

“Class 12, 86 points! Four students rated excellent!”

The rankings were clear at a glance.

Upon hearing the results, Guan Jingyun’s face lit up with joy, though she quickly masked it and instead fixed a cold gaze on Shangguan Luohua, demanding, “Shangguan Luohua, is your Class 12 last again?”

“Director Guan—”

“I don’t want to hear excuses! Ever since you became homeroom teacher of Class 12, it’s always been in last place!” Guan Jingyun’s face was frosty, her words merciless. “This is the third year now. Clearly, you’re unfit to be a lead teacher, so after today, you’re dismissed. Don’t let your incompetence drag down Star Academy’s overall performance!”

Her words sent a wave of shock through the students below, especially those from Class 12, who could scarcely believe what they’d heard.

Their teacher was to be removed?

“Jingyun!” Li Xiuyuan frowned in displeasure at her outburst. He felt she was being excessive, and her tone was clearly personal. Even if a dismissal was necessary, it should be discussed in the office, not in front of the entire freshman class.

“Xiuyuan?” Guan Jingyun grew even angrier. “A homeroom teacher whose class finishes last three years in a row? Is it wrong for me to put Star Academy first?”

The truth was, her animosity stemmed from jealousy of Shangguan Luohua’s beauty and allure.

Three years ago, before Shangguan Luohua joined Star Academy, Guan Jingyun was the most attractive female administrator on campus. Li Xiuyuan, too, had shown her some interest, and—had nothing changed—they might have become a couple.

But Shangguan Luohua’s arrival changed everything.

Not only was her appearance incomparable, even her figure outshone Guan Jingyun’s by leaps and bounds. Overnight, Guan Jingyun felt herself reduced to a faded flower, utterly outclassed.

What stung even more was that Li Xiuyuan now paid more attention to Shangguan Luohua than to her. Thus, she had made things difficult for Shangguan Luohua at every turn, scheming to drive her away.

“Jingyun, you know that’s not what I meant,” Li Xiuyuan said, setting down the score sheet.

“All I know is that Shangguan Luohua must be removed! She’s held back three classes of students!” Guan Jingyun insisted vehemently.

Li Xiuyuan was at a loss and could only look to Xu Liang, Zheng Bowen, and the other homeroom teachers.

“Directors, please calm down. The students are all watching. But I agree with Deputy Director Guan—everyone can see that Shangguan Luohua hasn’t managed her students well,” Zheng Bowen said, seizing the opportunity to kick someone when they were down.

He had planned to mock her further, but with the directors present, this was even better. Shangguan Luohua would finally be dismissed, repaying her for her past rejection of him—a humiliation he’d never forgotten, and the source of his continued hostility.

Xu Liang kept his head down, choosing not to speak.

Of the remaining nine homeroom teachers, two voiced their agreement with Zheng Bowen, while the rest, like Xu Liang, remained silent.

Seeing this, Li Xiuyuan had no choice but to declare, “Very well, I hereby announce that Shangguan Luohua is dismissed effective today!”

At that moment, Shangguan Luohua, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up, cutting him off. “Director Liu, wait! Who says my class is last this year?”

A murmur of confusion rippled through the hall—no one understood what she meant.

Guan Jingyun strode forward and snatched the results sheet from Li Xiuyuan’s hand, sneering, “You’re not last? The total score is right here—”

She was abruptly interrupted.

“Nangong Yuchen, go up and take the test! Show them who the real champion is!”

Shangguan Luohua’s voice trembled with emotion and seethed with anger. She had waited for this day, for this moment, for over two years!