Chapter 6: The Gambling Agreement
Zhang Chen's voice broke the silence in the office:
"Teacher, I can study hard."
His motivation wasn't for himself, but seeing Nan Xingwan plead for him like this, he didn't want to see her efforts be in vain.
A proud girl like her should be smiling happily with her chin held high in the sunlight, not feeling disappointed because of him.
Setting aside the fact that he was a genius at exams, even if he wasn't, any self-respecting boy would step forward at a time like this, right!?
A girl had pleaded for him to this extent; how could a boy just hide behind her and accept everything?
The two of them, hearing Zhang Chen suddenly speak, simultaneously turned to look at him, both with expressions of incredulous surprise.
Deng Xianbing spoke first, clearing his throat, his gaze serious: "You can study hard?"
Zhang Chen's reaction today was indeed different, making him feel strange, and he hadn't expected him to say something so unexpected.
Was this giving in? This kid would actually give in?
As for Zhang Chen saying he would study hard, he just let it pass like a breeze, not taking it to heart.
Although as a teacher, he naturally hoped a bad student could awaken and turn over a new leaf; after all, correcting a bad student and getting him back on track was a huge achievement for a teacher!
But such examples were too few, and furthermore, the Zhang Chen in front of him gave him endless headaches. If it weren't for his duty as a teacher, truly not wanting such a student to go astray, he would have already given up on Zhang Chen and let him be expelled by the school.
Zhang Chen nodded, meeting Nan Xingwan's gaze filled with hope and worry, and repeated sincerely: "Yes, teacher, can you give me a chance?"
"I promise, similar incidents will absolutely never happen again!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Nan Xingwan's nose tingled, and with red eyes, she looked at Deng Xianbing, her voice trembling: "Teacher, look, this time, he, he will change."
She didn't know how long she had waited for this sentence; this time, it was finally not a command for her to mind her own business.
Whether it was true or false, she was willing to believe it.
Zhang Chen immediately followed Nan Xingwan's words, repeating: "I will change!"
It was a bit comical, and Deng Xianbing frowned at the sight, genuinely shocked by Zhang Chen's words.
When did Zhang Chen start talking like this, not being confrontational at all?
This made him feel a bit unaccustomed for a moment.
Which time before hadn't he been so angry that he had to pinch his philtrum?
He picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and looked directly at Zhang Chen, appearing to be deep in thought...
If it were any other student, with such a sincere demeanor, he might have relented, but Zhang Chen...
This kid... he wouldn't be planning something big, would he...
There hadn't been anything major recently. Could it be that he wanted to bully Bai Xiruo one last time before being expelled?
Thinking along these lines, Deng Xianbing suddenly felt it was very possible.
He was very clear about Zhang Chen's vindictive personality.
His sudden change to being so amenable was truly suspicious.
Moreover, how could he erase all his past misdeeds with just a few words? Had he not considered the consequences before doing those bad things?
"You say you'll change, and you'll change? Then why didn't you change before?" Deng Xianbing spat out some tea dregs, put down his teacup, and sternly refused, "When you were bullying others today, why didn't you think about now?"
"All talk and no action. Go back, no need to say more."
"Teacher..." Seeing this, Nan Xingwan still didn't want to give up, pleading bitterly, but she only received Deng Xianbing's silent dismissal as he closed his eyes to rest.
Zhang Chen had finally softened once; she didn't want to waste it like this.
She suddenly felt a bit of regret, regretting not going to the same high school as him. Perhaps then she could have vouched for him with her identity as a good student...
Zhang Chen also understood that it was impossible to change the teacher's ingrained impression of him with just a few words.
But seeing Nan Xingwan's earnest pleading... he truly felt bad...
She was truly as good as in the original novel...
After a long while, Deng Xianbing still showed no sign of relenting.
Unable to bear it, Zhang Chen had no choice but to step forward and push Nan Xingwan out of the office. But as he left, he still chose to try a little harder: "Teacher, what will it take for you to believe me once?"
Going home to rest for two days was not literally just two days of rest, where he could come back to school whenever he wanted.
The next time he returned to school, he would need the homeroom teacher's approval before he could go back to class.
And the exact number of days in between would depend on the specific circumstances.
And generally, being ordered home from high school would greatly affect study progress, especially in the third year of high school!
Although Zhang Chen was currently only in his second year of high school, this didn't mean that suspension had little impact on his studies.
Of course, for the current transmigration-era Zhang Chen, a few days of suspension would have no impact on him.
But the key was that in Nan Xingwan's eyes, suspension was a very severe punishment for him...
"How many chances have I given you?"
Deng Xianbing opened his eyes and immediately became annoyed at Zhang Chen's words.
It was precisely because he had given too many chances that Zhang Chen didn't know how to cherish them!
Deng Xianbing moved his teacup aside, took out a stack of exercise books from the front of his desk, and began to prepare for grading.
Seeing this, Zhang Chen quickly pondered what to do.
Suddenly, under the exercise books Deng Xianbing had moved, he saw an exam schedule.
Next week's city-wide joint exam.
Zhang Chen's eyes lit up, and an idea immediately came to him.
"Teacher, the city-wide joint exam is next week, and I don't want to miss this exam."
"How about this, after I finish the exam, then..."
"Heh..." Hearing Zhang Chen mention the joint exam, Deng Xianbing leaned back in his chair, his eyes falling on the joint exam schedule on his desk.
"You, who fail all subjects, want to take an exam?" Deng Xianbing found it incomprehensible, his tone laced with very realistic sarcasm.
This was like a three-year-old child making a mistake, and you tell them not to hit them yet, but to let them finish their current task first before hitting them.
It was utterly ridiculous...
If these words were spoken by an excellent student who didn't want to miss a crucial exam like the city-wide joint exam, he might barely believe it. But now, the person saying this happened to be Zhang Chen, the least likely person to say such a thing.
"I'll definitely pass this time." Zhang Chen wasn't angry at Deng Xianbing's sarcastic remarks, but instead deliberately provoked him by following his words.
"Pass?" Deng Xianbing shook his head, tutted, and dismissed Zhang Chen's childish rhetoric with disdain.
In his eyes, Zhang Chen's impulsive personality and various excitable behaviors already made him seem childish. Now, suddenly coming out with such an illogical statement, completely unrelated to anything before, further solidified his view of Zhang Chen's childish behavior.
However, such a thought was precisely what Zhang Chen wanted him to believe.
"If I can pass, can we change the punishment and not make me suspend school?" Zhang Chen continued the topic, subtly building the entire question on the premise that Deng Xianbing would agree to let him take the exam first before punishing him.
And Deng Xianbing, still caught up in his perception of Zhang Chen's childishness, paid no attention to this, just like an adult teasing a child, his words would also deliberately become childish, not seriously thought through.
"Then what if you don't pass?" Deng Xianbing asked with a sneer.
"If I don't pass, you can punish me however you like, whether it's suspension, calling my parents, or expulsion..." Zhang Chen said seriously, looking directly into Deng Xianbing's eyes.
Nan Xingwan, who was in front, quickly tugged on Zhang Chen's sleeve, looking at him with a face full of panic.
Originally, it was just a temporary suspension, why go straight to expulsion!
She was worried about Zhang Chen all the time, and now he actually dared to make a bet with the teacher, and bet his own academic career!
Seeing this, Deng Xianbing couldn't help but become a little interested.
Zhang Chen's behavior today was already strange; when talking to him, he no longer showed his usual disrespect for elders, but instead called him "teacher" repeatedly, and now he suddenly wanted to make a bet with him?
And from his words, he seemed quite confident?
He had already left no room for negotiation, telling the two to leave, but now he was intrigued by Zhang Chen's inexplicable behavior...
Of course, he didn't believe that Zhang Chen, a student who failed all subjects and was consistently at the bottom of the school, could suddenly pass all subjects, especially in the notoriously difficult city-wide joint exam.
For an exam of this difficulty, students who usually scored over 500 would typically only score around 450, just barely passing, in the joint exam!
Passing all subjects already meant 450!
This meant that Zhang Chen had to double his current score of over 200!
This was impossible for any student!
But Zhang Chen's impression on him was simply too poor. With this sudden change, he inexplicably wanted to see what kind of trick he was up to.
Then let him take the exam!
Anyway, after the exam, he could still punish him.
And he had made such a big statement, even accepting expulsion.
As a teacher, he had no reason not to accept a student's challenge.
"Heh! I don't know what you're up to, kid, but if you're putting it like that, fine!"
"If you can pass all subjects in the joint exam, let alone changing the punishment, I can give you another chance! I can pretend everything that happened before never did!" Deng Xianbing said seriously.
"But I also have a condition, and that is from now on, you truly study hard and don't cause any trouble!"
"Do you dare?"
"I dare!" Zhang Chen quickly agreed, afraid that Deng Xianbing would go back on his word!
Meanwhile, Nan Xingwan's palms were sweating, and she looked at Zhang Chen with worry in her eyes. How could he dare!!?
"Think carefully, I want you to pass all subjects! If you don't pass—"
"If I don't pass, I'll scram myself!" Zhang Chen said, his aura not weak!
"Heh! Good!" Deng Xianbing pointed his index finger at Zhang Chen, then took out paper and pen.
"Write an IOU! So you don't go back on your word later."
"Alright!" Zhang Chen stepped forward, but Nan Xingwan behind him quickly pulled him back, afraid he would act impulsively.
Seeing this, Zhang Chen's eyes softened, and he whispered: "Don't worry."
Zhang Chen wasn't confident about much else, but when it came to exams, he was truly in his element.
He was just waiting for Lao Deng to say that!
He stepped forward, wrote the gambling agreement, signed his name, and pressed his fingerprint!
In one fluid motion!
Deng Xianbing took the agreement and looked at it.
If he failed the exam, he was willing to accept any punishment!
This kid was really playing for keeps with him?
......
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