262: Chapter 262 The Blueprint for the Glorious Academy

The car cabin was very quiet.

Su Wanqing looked at the top-secret plan on her tablet, her finger lingering on the screen.

"Are you really planning to invite those scientists who specialize in quantum physics and genetic engineering to teach elementary school students?" Su Wanqing asked.

"It's not teaching; it's discovery." Chen Fan looked at the intersection ahead. "Domestic educational resources are too solidified. Those old private schools have monopolized the top-tier teachers. If I want to break the mold, I can't play by their rules."

Su Wanqing put the tablet away.

She knew that once Chen Fan made a decision, no one could stop him.

Three days later.

Huihuang Group Headquarters, Top Floor, President's Office.

A thick stack of breach-of-contract documents was slammed heavily onto the mahogany desk.

Chen Muyang propped his hands on the desk, his face ashen.

Chen Fan sat on a leather sofa nearby, holding a cup of Dahongpao tea.

"Dad, those six old noble schools in the Imperial Capital have joined forces." Chen Muyang suppressed his anger. "The one hundred and fifty top-tier domestic teachers we just contacted—all of them unilaterally tore up their letters of intent this morning."

Chen Muyang pulled out the top sheet of paper.

"They formed some 'Elite Education Alliance' and poached all these teachers with triple the annual salary. They even added non-compete clauses to the contracts." Chen Muyang crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it into the trash. "They've put the word out that on the day Glorious Academy opens, we won't even be able to find a teacher to teach one plus one!"

The old private schools felt threatened.

Glorious Academy announced it would be completely free, with extremely strict admission standards. This struck at the very foundations of those schools that amassed wealth through exorbitant 'sponsorship fees.'

They wanted to strangle Glorious Academy at its very first step.

"Dad, I'll have the finance department prepare twenty billion in funds." Chen Muyang stood up straight. "If they offer triple, I'll offer ten times. I'll throw enough money to cover the penalties and poach all those teachers back today!"

Chen Fan set down his teacup.

"Nonsense." Chen Fan's voice was steady.

Chen Muyang froze for a moment, saying nothing.

"Wrangling with a group of people who would break a contract just for money demeans the Huihuang Group's status." Chen Fan pointed to a nearby chair, signaling Chen Muyang to sit. "Chen Haoyu."

The office door was pushed open.

Chen Haoyu walked in carrying an encrypted laptop and placed it on the coffee table.

Chen Fan tapped the keyboard twice and entered his highest-clearance password.

A massive overseas database popped up on the screen.

"This is the list of top laboratories worldwide funded by Pangu Biology." Chen Fan pushed the laptop toward Chen Muyang. "Go check the list of those who won the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine last year and the year before. Also, the Fields Medal mathematicians."

Chen Muyang looked at the long string of names on the screen, all shining with the light of human wisdom.

"Send them a mass email." Chen Fan leaned back on the sofa. "Offer these terms: Huihuang Group will fund the construction of independent personal laboratories for them right next to Glorious Academy. Annual research funding starts at one billion USD, with no upper limit. Whatever equipment they want, they get."

Chen Muyang took a deep breath.

No country or organization in the world could offer such outrageous research conditions.

"What are the additional clauses?" Chen Muyang asked.

"The only additional clause," Chen Fan held up one finger, "is to set aside two hours a week to give an introductory class to the students of Glorious Academy. Lead the children through some basic experiments."

Chen Muyang understood immediately.

A dimensional strike.

You old private schools fight over municipal and provincial top-tier teachers.

I will simply use unlimited research funds to bring over the world's top scientists to serve as natural science enlightenment teachers for elementary students.

"I'll see to it immediately." Chen Muyang picked up the laptop and strode out of the office.

An hour later.

Hundreds of encrypted emails were sent from the Huihuang Group headquarters to all corners of the globe.

A super earthquake in the education world was about to erupt.

Half a month later.

Southern suburbs of the Imperial Capital.

The main buildings of the Glorious Academy campus, covering three thousand acres, had been topped out.

Hundreds of heavy machines were laying down eco-friendly, non-slip running tracks.

Su Wanqing wore a white hard hat, holding a thick stack of landscaping blueprints.

Chen Fan had changed into casual clothes and was walking with her on the unfinished sports field.

"Here, we should plant a grove of dawn redwoods." Su Wanqing pointed to a large empty space next to the artificial lake. "Dawn redwoods grow straight and have a good symbolic meaning. In the future, the children can read under the trees."

"Alright, we'll do as you say." Chen Fan nodded. "Have the logistics department purchase mature trees from the south and transport them overnight to be planted."

Su Wanqing turned to look at the several highly futuristic independent laboratory buildings in the distance.

"The news has been exploding these past two days." Su Wanqing smiled. "The principals of those old private schools don't even dare to step out of their doors now."

Glorious Academy's faculty list was released yesterday.

Not a single traditional famous domestic teacher was on it.

It was entirely composed of top foreign scholars, including twelve Nobel laureates and three Fields Medalists.

When this lineup was announced, the entire internet was shocked.

Countless parents were desperate to send their children here. Within one minute of opening, Glorious Academy's registration system crashed three times due to tens of millions of visits.

"They brought this on themselves." Chen Fan looked at the laboratory buildings. "The rule of Glorious Academy is: we don't look at family background, only at talent and character."

As they were speaking...

An off-road vehicle stopped at the edge of the field.

Chen Haoyu walked quickly toward Chen Fan, holding a tablet computer.

"Boss, something happened." Chen Haoyu reached them and lowered his voice.

Chen Fan took the blueprints from Su Wanqing and handed them to a nearby assistant. "What is it?"

"The summary of the written results for the first batch of entrance exams is out." Chen Haoyu handed the tablet to Chen Fan. "The Pangu Computing Power's macro-monitoring system captured a set of abnormal data in the backend."

Chen Fan looked down at the screen.

"There's an orphan from the Daliang Mountains exam district named Xiao Ming." Chen Haoyu pointed to a red modification record on the screen. "His math score was the only perfect score in the country."

Chen Haoyu paused.

"However, during the entry into the admissions office's terminal system, his name and exam number were forcibly replaced manually with those of a young master from a third-rate powerful family in the capital."

Chen Fan's gaze fixed on the tablet.

In the corner of the screen was the candidate's registration photo.

It was a little boy wearing a faded old school uniform, his face covered in dirt, but his eyes were very bright.

Chen Fan handed the tablet back to Chen Haoyu.

"Who promoted the Director of Admissions?" Chen Fan asked.

"A veteran poached from the education system half a month ago," Chen Haoyu replied.

"Get the car ready." Chen Fan turned and walked toward the off-road vehicle. "To the admissions office. I want to see who dares to put a price tag on a poor child's life in my school."