22: Chapter 22 Using the law as a weapon, publicly slapping the vice principal in the face.

Fang Jiming let go of her sleeve, signaled for her to follow, and took larger strides.

Just as the two reached the corner of the staircase leading from the third to the fourth floor, a sound of shuffling footsteps came from the side.

Vice Principal Sun Yaozu had a few document approval forms tucked under his arm and was holding his ever-present thermos, preparing to head downstairs.

Vice Principal Sun Yaozu: ( ͠ ° ͟ ʖ ͡ ° )

He saw Fang Jiming immediately, as well as the woman in worn-out work clothes following closely behind him, looking timid.

Vice Principal Sun Yaozu paused at the top of the stairs, creating a condescending angle, and spoke in that slow, dragging tone of his.

"Mr. Fang, where are you headed, and who is this following behind you?"

"She looks very unfamiliar."

Fang Jiming stopped, looked up at Vice Principal Sun Yaozu, and completely ignored his bureaucratic pleasantries.

"Principal Sun, this is Ms. Shen Qingzhi, the mother of Lu Zihao from Class 18, Grade 12. I am on my way to take her to the Principals Office to report Lu Zihao's expulsion issue to Principal Zhou."

Vice Principal Sun Yaozu's hand holding the thermos paused, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes flattened, and the temperature in his tone dropped significantly.

"Report what? Lu Zihao refuses to mend his ways despite repeated admonitions. I have already signed the disciplinary notice; the school's rules are the rules and cannot be broken."

Fang Jiming sneered.

He pulled his hands out of his pockets, one hand resting on the rusty iron railing of the staircase, the other waving casually in the air.

"Rules."

"It sounds really nice when the word 'rules' comes out of Principal Sun's mouth."

"Today, I'm going to stand right here at this stairwell and discuss these rules with you."

Physics teacher Mr. Liu, who was walking to the stairwell to get off work, and Teacher Wen Ruyan from Class 17, both stopped in their tracks upon hearing the commotion.

Old Liu: ( ꒪ ⌓ ꒪ )

Several teachers poked their heads out of the office, exchanging glances.

Everyone stood in the third-floor corridor, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Fang Jiming cleared his throat, his voice resonating exceptionally loudly in the empty stairwell.

"According to Article 25 of the Administrative Measures for Student Status of Primary and Secondary School Students, if a school wishes to advise a student to withdraw or expel them, the homeroom teacher must first submit a written recommendation."

"Vice Principal Sun, do you have my written recommendation?" Fang Jiming emphasized the word 'Vice'.

Vice Principal Sun Yaozu's expression changed. He hadn't expected a rookie substitute teacher to be able to recite educational regulations off the top of his head, citing the exact article number so clearly.

He swallowed hard, forcing himself to maintain his air of authority.

"The Academic Affairs Office verified the facts of his fighting; the evidence is conclusive. As Vice Principal, I have the right to directly exercise disciplinary decisions."

Fang Jiming shook his head, a mocking smile on his lips, his disdain completely undisguised.

"Vice Principal Sun, did you waste all those years of schooling? You don't even understand the principle of three-level confirmation, yet you dare to stamp a disciplinary form."

Vice Principal Sun Yaozu: ( ꐦ Ò _ Ó )

"Stop spouting nonsense here."

"You, a substitute teacher, are here talking to me about principles?"

Fang Jiming ignored Vice Principal Sun Yaozu's furious expression and continued to speak up, increasing his volume.

"Let me educate you on the law again. Disciplining a student must go through a preliminary review by the homeroom class, a re-examination by the Academic Affairs Office, and finally, a collective deliberation and decision by the Principal's Office meeting. This is called three-level confirmation."

"You, all by yourself in your office at three o'clock this afternoon, simply waved your pen and wanted to expel someone. There was no homeroom teacher's signature, no record of a Principal's Office meeting, and you didn't even hold a hearing."

"Let me ask you one thing: are you treating No. 19 Middle School like your own private family convenience store, or do you think you've concurrently taken the position of Director of the Education Bureau and can just make unilateral decisions?"

Once these words were spoken, the entire corridor became so quiet that even the sound of a fly flapping its wings could be heard.

Teacher Wen Ruyan stood by the railing, her face full of surprise. She looked at the man who usually wore canvas shoes that cost a few dozen yuan and felt that he looked extraordinarily upright at this moment.

Teacher Wen Ruyan: ( ๑ ✧ ◡ ✧ ๑ )

Although Class 18 was a mess, no teacher had ever dared to point at Vice Principal Sun Yaozu's nose and call him a local tyrant.

Two test papers slid out of Mr. Liu's arms and drifted slowly toward the ground floor.

Vice Principal Sun Yaozu was so stifled by Fang Jiming's barrage of legal education that he couldn't catch his breath; he could only slam his thermos heavily against the stair railing.

"Fang Jiming, don't go too far. This is lack of organization and discipline, and a total lack of respect for your superiors."

Fang Jiming spread his hands.

"When we talk about the law, you bring up discipline. When we talk about discipline, you bring up superiors. If you really can't answer, why don't we call the Legal Affairs Division of the Education Bureau right now and have them send someone over to judge who is right?"

After saying this, he actually took his phone out of his pocket and made a move to unlock the screen to dial.

Shen Qingzhi: ( ꒪ ȏ ꒪ )

Shen Qingzhi stood in the back, her heart pounding uncontrollably.

The teachers she had met in her life were all the type who made parents submissively bow their heads and admit their faults.

This was the first time she had seen a teacher who, for the sake of her son, would even go so far as to call the Education Bureau to bring them into a direct confrontation.

Seeing that Fang Jiming was really about to dial, Vice Principal Sun Yaozu's expression turned extremely ugly, and he finally had to take half a step back.

"Fine, since you want to talk about procedure, and Principal Zhou happens to be at school today, let's go to Principal Zhou's office and talk. I want to see how Principal Zhou handles a black sheep like you."

After saying this, Vice Principal Sun Yaozu walked right past Fang Jiming and headed up the stairs to the Principals Office on the sixth floor in a fit of rage.

Fang Jiming stuffed his phone back into his pocket, turned to look at Shen Qingzhi, and his tone returned to a relaxed state.

"Let's go, Ms. Shen. Let's go have a cup of their fine tea in the Principals Office."

Fang Jiming led her up to the sixth floor. The teachers watching from the third-floor corridor whispered to each other; this substitute teacher was going to turn the world upside down.

Teacher Wen Ruyan clicked away in her high heels, pretending she hadn't seen anything, and returned to her office.

She picked up the cup of cold water on her desk and took a big gulp. The water slid down her throat, and with it, the spirit that had been worn down by reality revived just a little bit.

The door to the Principals Office was open, and Principal Zhou Dehai was sitting behind his desk, which was piled high with various newspapers, magazines, and old documents.

This fifty-something-year-old nice guy was currently taking off his reading glasses and wiping the lenses with a greasy glasses cloth, looking like a watchmaker repairing watches on the side of the road.

He had long heard the arguing coming from the corridor, but due to his consistent habit of smoothing things over, he chose to hide in his room and not go out.

Vice Principal Sun Yaozu pushed the door open angrily and walked in, slamming the documents in his hand onto the desk.

"Old Zhou, look at what kind of people you've hired. Today he dares to appeal over my head and point at me while cursing; tomorrow he'll be able to turn No. 19 Middle School upside down."

Principal Zhou Dehai put his reading glasses back on and looked slowly toward the doorway.

Fang Jiming walked in with the uneasy Shen Qingzhi, pulled up a chair for the parent to sit, and then leaned against the edge of the desk without the slightest bit of politeness.

Principal Zhou Dehai: ( ಠ _ ಠ )