Wu Xiuzhen swayed on her feet. Old Tang, who had been watching all along, sighed. “Please leave. I think you should reflect on why Lian Qiao would rather spend winter vacation and the New Year at my home than return to yours. There should be a limit to favoritism. You two truly treat your stepchildren as your own, while your biological daughter seems like a child you picked up.”
Wu Jin bit her lip. “Lian Qiao, we know we were wrong. Will you come home? Mom and Dad were unhappy all through the New Year. You don’t want them to be unhappy either, do you?”
Jiang Chan raised an eyebrow. “How ridiculous. What does their unhappiness have to do with me? Aren’t you their wonderful daughter? Since no one cares whether I’m happy, why should I care whether they are?”
“I’m past the age of needing parental love. You’d be forcing yourselves to give it, and accepting it would make me uncomfortable. We’re better off leaving each other alone like this.”
Lian Yanbin grew red in the face with anger. “You’re so defiant. Aren’t you afraid I’ll expose you? Don’t forget, this is the internet age!”
Jiang Chan leaned against the lectern. “Go right ahead. I don’t care at all. But you, I seem to remember you got into a certain foreign company?”
Lian Yanbin suddenly felt his scalp prickle. “What are you planning?”
“Nothing much. I just signed a contract with your boss before the New Year. If I say a few words to him, who do you think he’ll choose? An employee who hasn’t even started work yet, or a client like me?”
Wu Xiuzhen cried out instinctively, “You can’t do that! Your brother worked so hard to get that job!”
Jiang Chan blew at the bangs on her forehead. “Why can’t I? He’s threatening me to my face. If I don’t fight back, wouldn’t I look particularly spineless?”
“You really are a wonderful mother!” Jiang Chan sighed and took out her phone. “Don’t believe me? I can call him right now!”
As she spoke, Jiang Chan took out her phone. “Mr. You, this is Lian Qiao from the company. Happy New Year!”
Jiang Chan deliberately made it a video call. On the other end was a man in his fifties who looked imposing even without anger. Seeing Jiang Chan, he broke into a broad smile. “Oh, it’s Lian Qiao. Happy New Year! Are you registering with your class?”
“Yes…”
After chatting for a few minutes, Jiang Chan smoothly finalized another order with him. Mr. You smiled. “My offer still stands. Once you graduate, you can take your pick of positions here!”
Hearing this promise, the students below nearly went wild. A girl in her second year of high school had already secured a promise from the head of a foreign company. She was going to soar!
Lian Yanbin’s expression was terrible. He had never imagined that Lian Qiao truly knew Mr. You and could call him directly. If she said anything about him to Mr. You, would his job fall through?
“By the way, Mr. You, I hear your company has a batch of new employees starting tomorrow?”
Jiang Chan suddenly returned to the matter at hand. Mr. You smiled. “That’s a human resources matter. I don’t normally pay attention to it. Is someone you know among them? What sort of person? Someone with potential?”
Jiang Chan glanced at Lian Yanbin. “I don’t know whether he has potential. I trust your company has a very reasonable promotion system and certainly wouldn’t make exceptions for particular people?”
Mr. You laughed heartily. “If he were someone like you, I’d make him a department manager right away.”
After her call with Mr. You, Jiang Chan looked at the family of four. “My patience is limited. Stop making a nuisance of yourselves in front of me. Go back where you came from. See yourselves out.”
Lian Shuguo was red in the face with anger. “Since you know that Mr. You, why don’t you put in a good word for your brother?”
His words were so shameless that boos rose from the students.
Jiang Chan snorted. “How ridiculous. Knowing Mr. You is my own connection. Why should I pave the way for him? What has he done for me in the past fifteen years, apart from standing by and kicking me when I was down?”
Lian Yanbin still had some sense of shame. That morning, he had lost enough face to last half a lifetime. He tugged at Lian Shuguo. “Dad, let’s go home.”
Jiang Chan smiled. “That’s more like it. Wouldn’t it have been better to show some sense earlier? I’m warning you. Don’t use my name to get things done outside. Otherwise, you won’t want to know the consequences.”
Lian Yanbin glared at Lian Qiao and stormed out, slamming the door. Perfectly composed, Jiang Chan stopped looking at Lian Shuguo, Wu Xiuzhen, and Wu Jin, who were still standing there, and leisurely returned to her seat.
The moment she sat down, the girls beside her gathered around, massaging her shoulders and back. “Boss, look out for us!”
Watching Jiang Chan tear into the Lian family that day had set these onlookers’ blood racing. Wasn’t she fierce? To children, parents were always the powerful ones. Now that Jiang Chan could challenge that power, she was a warrior in her classmates’ eyes!
Besides, her ability to earn so much money at such a young age filled them with admiration. From the small glimpse of her abilities she had revealed that day, they knew her future achievements would be remarkable. If they befriended this formidable person early, surely she would take them along as she soared?
Old Tang cleared his throat. “All right, we’re starting roll call. Please leave. Since you haven’t been involved in her life before, don’t make unreasonable criticisms of her in the future. Lian Qiao owes you nothing. On the contrary, as parents, you haven’t fulfilled your corresponding duties. Ah…”
Wu Jin stamped her foot and ran out. Once the others had left, the classroom immediately grew lively. Old Tang pointed at Jiang Chan. “Everyone sit down. We’re starting roll call…”
The Lian family did not cause so much as a ripple in Jiang Chan’s life. She thrived in the second semester of her second year. Wu Jin, on the other hand, found things rather difficult. Wherever she went, people looked at her strangely.
Of course, Jiang Chan cared nothing about any of this.
“What did you say? You want to take the college entrance examination early?” Old Tang rubbed at his ear, suspecting he had misheard. Was his prized pupil going to leave him just like that?
“Just register me first. I’ll still attend second-year classes. When the college entrance examination comes, I’ll take it. If I don’t do well, I’ll just come back and keep attending classes.”
Jiang Chan was concise. Old Tang considered it. “I need to think this over carefully. Focus on your studies for now.”
Jiang Chan was equally straightforward. “Don’t worry, Teacher. Even if I take the college entrance examination early, I certainly won’t do worse than anyone else!”
Now Old Tang found everything about Jiang Chan irritating. He waved a hand. “Go out for now. My head hurts!”
Old Tang could understand her thinking. Her grades were outstanding. Even if she took the college entrance examination now, she would do well. Since that was the case, why not help her achieve her wish?
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