CHAPTER 475: CHAPTER 473 SECOND ROUND GAME

"Since there’s no way to bully the weak, there’s really only one way."

"Forbidding it outright is meaningless. If Sima Huo isn’t senile, then the Spirit Condensing Pill is indeed a beneficial advanced medicine. Moreover, it’s cheap, making it hard for students to resist the temptation. I’ve taken it, and it feels great; the improvement is real. Even if the teacher tells me not to take it, I’d definitely eat it on the Celestial Platform, take it home to eat, eat it in the bathroom."

"Don’t be fooled by the Statistical Department, acting like they’re saving face for me by not catching students. As long as the profit is big enough, they’ll be just as reckless. This time, the benefit is too great. The National Relief Association, always on high alert, actually took the initiative to bring the Divine Weapon capable of making Sea Wave Powder and Spirit Condensing Pill into the Imperial Academy. They dare not act, fearing that if they alert the enemy, and the National Relief Association takes back the Divine Weapon, they’ll miss a great opportunity."

"Don’t think they really value Sea Wave Powder; the benefits represented by Spirit Condensing Pill are hundreds, thousands of times greater. Spirit Condensing Pill is useful to everyone and is an added bonus for Martial Artists. If the Imperial Court can mass-produce Spirit Condensing Pills, army combat power could increase by ten percent, and the breakthrough rate for martial artists in the military could be greatly enhanced... If they can develop pills also effective for those at the Integration and Mastery stage or Peak of Perfection, subduing the Outer District warlords might not be difficult."

+20% army combat power, +20% production rate of junior martial artists (special units), open the "pharmacology" tech tree... Le Yu could almost see such information about the Divine Weapon.

"Whoever controls the Spirit Condensing Pill can make the imperial court bow. The benefit is so significant that even Young Xie has to be cautious..."

At this point, Cha Huan suddenly showed an expression of sudden realization: "No wonder they emphasized it multiple times, turns out they’ve long dug a pit waiting for me to jump in, not afraid that I won’t comply..."

Le Yu suddenly understood how the court made this stubborn old man tempted.

Undoubtedly, Cha Huan has political ideals. The reason he teaches at the Imperial Academy, apart from the former principal’s request, is more likely because he believes the Imperial Court is not the place where he can realize his ambitions. Not everyone can be like Qin Xiao, who thrives in the filth yet remains unsullied, serving the people wholeheartedly.

Someone like Cha Huan might punch his colleagues on his first day of work, punch his superiors on the second day, and on the third day be reassigned to guard public toilets.

If Qin Xiao is a perfect ’sphere,’ then Cha Huan is a sharp ’triangular cone.’ No matter how the world tortures him, Qin Xiao can handle it perfectly, whereas Cha Huan would only use his sharp end to pierce through all his dissatisfaction.

Since there’s no room outside to fit a triangular cone, Cha Huan educates future pillars at the Imperial Academy into something peculiar with three sharp angles and eight edges. Alone, he is weak, so he can only hope these sharp young individuals can turn the outside world upside down.

But does Cha Huan not want to make something of himself? Is he content to be a mere teacher?

If he were content, he wouldn’t have built so many toilets.

But wanting to achieve great things isn’t just about having martial power, let alone Cha Huan, whose current martial power can’t break everything. The nation’s operation relies on countless grassroots, coordinating middle layers, and decision-making high levels. At most, Cha Huan can become a high-level, but he can’t control the grassroots and middle layers.

If he wants to enact reforms to harm existing interest classes and benefit the people, this state machine simply won’t listen to him. Doing one thing well is not easy; doing bad things is much simpler. It doesn’t even require insincere compliance; the Executor only needs to execute his orders to two hundred percent, completely unyielding, and following all procedures legally and compliantly, can still turn well-meant policies into maleficent ones.

Now, an opportunity appears before Cha Huan.

What is the best lubricant for organizing machines? New benefits that allow everyone to profit.

Spirit Condensing Pill is such a lubricant. If Cha Huan can control its source, he can become a new interest group, the new benefit class will emerge, old interest classes will be overthrown, and this is when he can achieve great ambitions.

This is an opportunity exclusive to Cha Huan. The National Relief Association can’t do it. All interest groups are eyeing these upstarts closely, and as soon as they show any signs, they’ll surely be hit with a storm.

However, Cha Huan has spent thirty years accumulating his reputation in the region to the level of reverence, and his contacts are spread throughout every corner of Yanjing. If he suddenly puts on a gold-edged purple robe and goes to work in the Cabinet, few could say a word against it.

He has the qualifications to become the ultimate overlord, but he knows that position doesn’t mean much either. Benefits are the only currency of politics. If he can’t offer enough benefits, the Imperial Court won’t provide the custom services he desires.

Ling Jiangli and Xie Chenyuan emphasized their rewards many times, not hoping Cha Huan would believe their one-sided words, but pointing out a clear path: Acquire the Divine Weapon, manufacture the Spirit Condensing Pill, establish a new benefit group with prestige, and then he can marry the Empress Dowager and reach the pinnacle of power...

Which old man could resist such an ultimate temptation?

Le Yu quickly prepared a plan for Cha Huan: First, do nothing and allow the Spirit Condensing Pill to ferment, secretly send people to inquire, and then confirm the target for a swift capture once it’s clear...

"Zhu Yan, organize what that... that bald guy just said, especially the properties of the Spirit Condensing Pill, and post it on the bulletin board tomorrow. Teachers also need to remind students during classes tomorrow, explaining the potential hazards and current benefits of the Spirit Condensing Pill."

"The school will organize night patrols, with Yan... with Qinyue Yin and Yan Yi in charge." Cha Huan glanced at them: "Don’t glare at me, you’re still the acting administrator at night, why is working overtime such a grievance? It’s not like you have anything to do at night anyway."

Le Yu: "Who said I have nothing to do?"

"Do you have nightlife?"

"No."

"Hehe, I do." Cha Huan winked: "So it’s decided."

"And then... announce a bounty, stating whoever can discover and hand over the Divine Weapon capable of manufacturing the Spirit Condensing Pill to the academy, I can grant them a wish. If I can’t, the Imperial Court will help fulfill it, though the discoverer can also seek credit from the court, as long as they’re not afraid of the court turning hostile."

Many teachers paused for a moment, and Yan Yi asked, "Are we really going to announce this message?"

Cha Huan retorted, "Why not announce it?"

A teacher said, "What if some students are bewitched, using the Divine Weapon for evil, or they hide it and deliberately cover up the possessor? Besides, many students don’t actually know about the Spirit Condensing Pill; wouldn’t this then..."

"Would that be worse than the current situation? The Spirit Condensing Pill is secretly circulating, and we have no idea where the manufacturer is, equally out of our control." Cha Huan said, "Do you know how to deal with plots and schemes? Expose everything, bring all demons and monsters into the sunlight, resolve everything openly and honestly!"

"Want to secretly circulate? Why all the trouble, since the medicine is so good, true gold fears no fire, more people should know, everyone progresses together!"

"A Divine Weapon for making Spirit Pills? Many hands make light work, let’s all search. These students often think of blowing up my office, their energy so abundant, they should be given something to do."

"There’s a bounty from the court? To achieve such merit before graduation, this group of students is truly the most fortunate batch."

Everyone looked at each other.

They had considered many solutions.

But what Cha Huan proposed was unlike any they had imagined.

Le Yu reminded: "Such high-profile actions might lead the manufacturer to choose to leave the academy..."

Cha Huan: "Isn’t that better? Our initial goal was not to have the Spirit Condensing Pill circulate within the school. Now, with the manufacturer gone, it’s the outsiders’ headache."

Le Yu: "But, Headmaster, don’t you want the Divine Weapon?"

Cha Huan: "I do. Didn’t the bounty say the Divine Weapon could be handed over to the academy? I rarely fulfill students’ wishes, who knows, maybe a student wishes to blow up the Platinum Tower."

Le Yu: "But doing it so publicly reduces the possibility of getting the Divine Weapon..."

Cha Huan: "I have a different opinion. The manufacturer provides Spirit Condensing Pills to students at a low price as a charitable endeavor. Such a good person won’t run away before achieving his secret goal, no matter what we do. Even if he did run away, wouldn’t the Imperial Academy be safe? In any case, we won’t lose out."

Le Yu always feels that something is off, but he can’t refute Cha Huan.

Zhu Yan calmly said: "Principal, you still haven’t solved the problem. As long as we haven’t found the manufacturer, students taking Spirit Condensing Pills will be threatened every day. If they choose to tamper with the pills someday, it will cause a tragedy! Your decision to announce the news will only increase the number of students taking the Spirit Condensing Pills, equivalent to putting more students at risk!"

"But the risk hasn’t happened yet. Should we lie and make students think the Spirit Condensing Pills are poison?"

"Principal!" Zhu Yan said: "Education is about prevention."

"Teacher Zhu." Cha Huan said: "Education is about setting an example."

The old man looked around and said: "I heard the argument between Teacher Zhu and Teacher Yan just now. Whether it’s Teacher Zhu’s strict control or Teacher Yan’s student-centered approach, both are valuable suggestions, but I don’t intend to adopt them."

"Because regardless of which teacher, they’re approaching this from the perspective of authority, attempting to regulate and restrain students in this matter."

Zhu Yan said coldly: "Regulation is part of education. Teachers should guide students."

Cha Huan laughed: "In fields we’re already knowledgeable about, we certainly have the qualifications to regulate students, such as academics, Combat Technique, or life. But for a new thing like Spirit Condensing Pills, we’re actually at the starting line with the students. Will there be problems with Spirit Condensing Pills? When will they happen? We don’t know much more than the students. We’ve never encountered this before; Sea Wave Powder’s experience can’t be applied here. Without any success or failure experience, what qualifies us to restrain students?"

Zhu Yan furrowed his brows: "So you want to announce the news and let students take responsibility themselves?"

"If you have to put it that way, I’m choosing to trust my students." Cha Huan said: "Concealment breeds suspicion, suspicion creates estrangement, estrangement leads to conflict... This is something that involves students’ interests; we have no right to make decisions for them. Being open and honest is what we, as teachers, should do."

"But they haven’t graduated yet!"

"Therefore, it’s even more important to let them understand a truth as soon as possible while they haven’t graduated: be responsible for their own decisions. Since we can’t solve this alone, we shouldn’t make decisions for the students on our own but instead trust our students and ask them for help."

Cha Huan said: "When I was young, what I disliked the most were those superiors who hid things I should know under the guise of ’for my own good’."

Zhu Yan sighed: "But not everyone has your judgment."

"This is the academy I’ve managed for decades, and those are the students I’ve recognized." Cha Huan leaned against the chair, placed his hands on the table, and laughed heartily: "Don’t underestimate me."

Having heard Cha Huan’s words, Zhu Yan stopped arguing, and the other uneasy teachers also calmed down. Everyone turned to discuss the specific execution details. Le Yu watched Cha Huan drinking tea and felt that his golden glittering outfit was more dazzling than the sun outside.

After the discussion was over, Cha Huan didn’t have the habit of saying two more sentences and directly announced the end of the meeting, but said additionally: "Teacher Qin, stay behind. The rest can leave."

Le Yu felt like he was being kept after class for remedial lessons.

After the others left, Cha Huan looked at his sickly appearance and suddenly slapped across, which Le Yu dodged immediately.

"What are you doing?"

"See if you really haven’t recovered from a serious illness. You can dodge, so apparently not."

"What if I couldn’t dodge?"

"Then I’d say I was helping you swat a mosquito, given your serious illness."

Le Yu squinted his eyes: "I wish the principal good health, immunity from all illnesses, having this day year after year..."

"Thank you, thank you." Cha Huan accepted the blessing unceremoniously: "How does it feel to meet a mentor?"

"... It feels like finding a very old notebook and flipping through past memories."

"Did he say anything?"

"He was restricted, couldn’t say much, but seemed to break free during his last moments, leaving five words: beware of the Book of the Dead."

Le Yu kept watching Cha Huan’s expression, but Cha Huan appeared puzzled: "Book of the Dead?"

"You don’t know either?"

"Of course not. All my knowledge of Divine Weapons comes from reading novels. But judging from the name and other information, it should be a Divine Weapon that can control the dead, right?"

"That’s right, Qin Xiao should have died over a decade ago, and then his corpse was taken for recycling."

"Looks like I can’t leave any complete corpses while working in the future..." Cha Huan muttered: "But he should still have his own will, right? According to your report, he voluntarily participated in this operation?"

"Yes, he was quite satisfied after summoning the Holy Sword, Glorious."

"That kid, even in death, can still cause me so much trouble..." Cha Huan lifted the teacup and sipped slowly: "Can this finally be the last time?"

Thinking it over, Le Yu reported again: "Qin Xiao once took a gem called ’Blood Essence Stone’ and had his subordinates consume it, which resurrected those divided into two corpses. That might be a fragment of the Blood Essence Stone, an upgraded version of Sea Wave Powder and Spirit Condensing Pills... the Divine Weapon manufacturing Spirit Condensing Pills is likely the Blood Essence Stone."

"Hmm, I understand."

After a pause, Le Yu stood up: "If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave."

"Hmm."

As Le Yu reached the door, Cha Huan suddenly said: "Qin Le Yin, you’re still acting principal now."

"So...?"

"So you need to fulfill the duties of the acting principal, maintaining campus order, and preventing students from being harmed by lawbreakers."

Le Yu left somewhat bewildered.

But when Ming Shuiyun found him, he knew why Cha Huan instructed him so: "The second round of the game has started, target Blood Essence Stone."