Old Zhou, also holding his tea mug, turned to look at him.
"A favor?" Old Zhao picked up a cattail-leaf fan. "Let’s hear it. You, of all people, need to ask us for something?"
Chen Zhuo’s fingers tapped his knee twice.
"My best friend, Zhang Qiang."
Chen Zhuo said the name.
"He scored an eighty-two on his math placement exam for middle school."
"His dad paid the school selection fee. When school starts next month, he’ll probably pull some strings to get him into Class 1 of the seventh grade."
"He’s a bit slow on the uptake."
Chen Zhuo looked at Old Zhao and spoke frankly.
"Sometimes, you can explain a problem to him three times, and he still won’t get it."
"Once I go to Huizhou, I won’t be able to help him with his homework anymore."
Chen Zhuo paused, looking uncharacteristically awkward.
But he still said what he had to say.
"If he ends up in either of your classes and bombs a test later, or just can’t learn the material..."
Chen Zhuo looked at the two teachers.
"You two can scold him or make him stand in the corner as much as you need to."
"Just... please don’t write him off as dumb."
"Don’t just stick him in the back row and ignore him."
Old Zhao looked at Chen Zhuo.
He glanced at the drawer he had just closed. Inside lay the two secret manuals that could elevate City No.1 Middle School’s competition scores to a whole new level.
Old Zhao suddenly chuckled, half in amusement, half in exasperation.
He picked up his cattail-leaf fan and, from across the desk, gently tapped Chen Zhuo’s shoulder with the handle.
"You little rascal."
Old Zhao said with a chiding laugh, but his eyes were filled with emotion.
"Are you trying to bribe us with these notebooks? Using something so valuable just to pay a ’safety deposit’ for your friend?"
Chen Zhuo rubbed his shoulder.
He didn’t argue.
It was a silent admission.
Old Zhou took a big gulp of his tea.
"Don’t you worry."
Old Zhou set down his mug and looked at Chen Zhuo.
"As long as your friend gets into City No.1 Middle School, I’ll personally keep an eye on his physics."
"As long as he’s willing to learn, I’ll drill it into his head, even if I have to explain a problem ten times."
Old Zhao also picked up the fountain pen on his desk and capped it.
"Barring any surprises, I’ll be teaching the seventh-grade Class 1 this year. As long as Zhang Qiang is assigned to my class..."
Old Zhao’s smile faded, and his tone became earnest.
"As long as he doesn’t give up on himself, I won’t abandon him in the back. You can set your mind at ease."
Hearing this, Chen Zhuo’s shoulders relaxed slightly, and his awkwardness dissipated.
"Thank you, Teacher Zhao, Teacher Zhou."
"All right, then."
Old Zhao glanced at the wall clock.
It was almost four.
"The paperwork is done, I’ve accepted your gift, and we’ve agreed to the favor you asked."
Old Zhao stood up and walked over to Chen Zhuo.
He looked at this student whom he had taught for only a year, yet who had taken first place in the nation in two subjects.
Chen Zhuo stood up as well.
Old Zhao reached out and patted Chen Zhuo’s shoulder twice.
He patted him firmly.
"Go on to Huizhou."
Old Zhao looked at him, the stern expression he usually wore in class completely gone.
"Stop bullying the newbies here in middle school."
Old Zhao said with a chiding laugh.
"Go to Keda and give those university professors a real headache."
Old Zhou stood up beside him, holding his tea mug.
"The way you talk, Old Zhao. The people at Keda are all experts. It’s not certain who’ll be giving whom a headache."
Old Zhou looked at Chen Zhuo.
"When you get there, don’t just bury your nose in a book. Go play some ball or go for a run every now and then."
Old Zhou pointed at Chen Zhuo.
"Look how skinny you are. You’re going into physics; you won’t be able to pull all-nighters if you’re not healthy."
Chen Zhuo looked at his two teachers.
He nodded.
"I’ll remember."
Chen Zhuo picked up the bag on the desk, which contained his file transfer letter and acceptance letter.
"Teacher Zhao, Teacher Zhou."
Chen Zhuo looked at them.
"I’ll be going now."
"Go on," Old Zhao said with a wave.
"Take care on your way. Don’t get heatstroke," Old Zhou said.
Chen Zhuo turned around.
He walked to the office door.
He pulled the door open.
A wave of heat and the chirping of cicadas instantly flooded in.
Chen Zhuo walked out.
He went down the corridor and down the stairs.
Old Zhao and Old Zhou stood in the office.
They listened as the footsteps in the hallway faded into the distance, until they could no longer be heard.
Old Zhao picked up the cattail-leaf fan from the desk and fanned himself vigorously twice.
"That kid," Old Zhao said.
Old Zhou, holding his mug, took a sip of water.
"Zeyang City can’t hold him."
Old Zhou looked at the half-closed door.
"We’ll probably see his name in the papers someday."
Old Zhao walked to his desk and pulled open the drawer.
He looked at the two notebooks.
"Tomorrow, call in a few of the kids from the eighth-grade Math Olympiad class," Old Zhao said.
"We can’t let these notebooks just sit here. We need to teach them a lesson or two from them."
"Right."
Old Zhou nodded.
Chen Zhuo walked along the concrete path on campus.
The sun had shifted slightly west, but it was still scorching.
He reached the school gate; the small iron side gate was still open.
Old Wang was in the gatehouse, wearing his reading glasses and reading a newspaper.
Chen Zhuo walked out and stood by the side of the road.
He turned back.
He glanced at the main gate of City No.1 Middle School.
The gate was shut tight.
Directly above it, the brand-new red banner still hung in the sun.
"Warmest congratulations to our school’s Chen Zhuo of seventh-grade Class 1..."
The wind blew past.
The red silk cloth fluttered, making a soft rustling sound.
Chen Zhuo withdrew his gaze.
He followed the shade of the trees, walking slowly in the direction of the Sunshine Family Courtyard.
His pace wasn’t fast, still leisurely.
Behind him, the cries of the cicadas were still ear-splitting.
In this exceptionally quiet summer.
On this empty road, Chen Zhuo’s middle school years came to a definitive end.

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