Chapter 4 The Pep Rally Must Begin

• “I said, your shoelaces are untied, Roxanne. There's a crowd today, and everyone's really excited. Be careful not to trip when everyone starts to disperse'.”
• After he finished speaking, he effortlessly turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the thousands of students gathered below the stage.
• “Everyone must be wondering why I have a bouquet of flowers. I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm not here to confess my love. At our age, we should really be focusing on our studies. Today marks the Hundred-Day Countdown Pep Rally of our senior year. In a hundred days, we'll face one of the most crucial stages of our lives—the university entrance exam! This matter is of great significance to us who have been striving for many years. But in our journey, besides ourselves, there are others who've been silently involved. Among them are our teachers, who have tirelessly taught us without seeking recognition... Mr. Zeller, don't you agree?”
• Stanley held his phone, feeling as though he were experiencing an auditory hallucination.
• On the phone, Colin called out anxiously, “Mr. Zeller, what exactly is going on? Hello? Mr. Zeller, if you're not going to speak, I'm just going to come over.”
• “No! You don't need to anymore!”
• Stanley ended the call, still unable to fully process what had happened.
• Realizing that all eyes were on him, he had no choice but to nod in confusion.
• “Yes, yes.”
• Chauncey chuckled. “So, this bouquet is for all the teachers, a token of our gratitude for all the dedication you've shown us over the years.”
• The whole place was once again filled with gasps of surprise.
• “What?”
• “It's for all the teachers?”
• “There's nothing wrong about it, but something feels off.”
• “That's his original intention? Why am I finding it hard to believe?”
• The teachers behind Stanley exchanged glances.
• Seeing he had startled them, Chauncey extended his hands and broke into a wide smile.
• “Mr. Zeller, could you please do us the favor of representing all the teachers?”
• The confused students cleared the path.
• In his suit, Stanley instantly became the center of attention, making him feel somewhat embarrassed.
• In his day-to-day management of school discipline, Stanley knew he was the most disliked teacher among all the students.
• But it did not matter if he was berated by thousands as long as their learning progressed.
• Stanley never anticipated that one day, a troublesome student who had been challenging him for nearly three years would give him flowers—specifically, roses.
• He looked at Chauncey awkwardly, pondering how to reject him.
• “Chauncey, we've taken your kind intentions to heart, but this flower—”
• “Mr. Zeller, you wouldn't mind accepting this flower from me, would you?” Chauncey interrupted him.
• Stanley, who was typically reserved and rarely showed emotion, wished the ground could swallow him whole at that moment.
• In his previous life, Chauncey had been tormented by him for three years for being too rebellious.
• Now that Chauncey had finally found his chance for revenge, he couldn't possibly let it pass.
• “I wanted to buy carnations, but the shop only had roses. You said I couldn't be late today, and I only had enough money for one bouquet...”
• Hearing these words, Stanley couldn't bring himself to keep refusing.
• He hurriedly stepped forward to receive the flowers, his face a picture of panic.
• “Chauncey, what are you talking about? Why would I mind? I simply believe that students should focus their energy and resources on their studies. Instead of spending money on flowers, you could use it to buy more study materials and devote yourself to learning. Do you understand?”
• Finally having passed on this hot potato, Chauncey nodded and sincerely said, “I understand, Mr. Zeller.”
• “All right then, hurry on down. The pep rally must begin.”
• “Okay.”
• Chauncey turned around, his laughter fading away, and he bowed deeply to Stanley.
• After a lifetime of wasted opportunities, this gesture from Chauncey was sincere and heartfelt.
• Although he was often scolded by him, Stanley was quite a commendable teacher.
• Before Stanley could react, he swiftly turned around, descended from the stage, and returned to his own class lineup.
• Stanley awkwardly held the rose, cautioning everyone not to emulate Chauncey. However, he didn't utter a single word of reproach toward Chauncey.