"Boss Dai, there were a lot of people around just now, so I get it, you had to put on a show," Ma Hongjun said, looking at Dai Mubai with a lewd grin. "But it's just the two of us in the room now. Why are you still pretending?" He knew his friend was obsessed with his reputation in front of the girls. He, on the other hand, couldn't care less. But for two brothers in private, this act was just inappropriate. It was hurtful!
"Fatty, who do you take me for?!" Dai Mubai deliberately raised his voice. "Am I the kind of person you think I am?" His voice was now loud enough to be heard from outside the room. According to his calculations, Huo Feng and the girls should be passing by soon. He couldn't have them thinking he indignantly rejected the fatty's proposal only to be seen sneaking out with him moments later. That would be far too embarrassing.
"Alright, alright, so you want to play it like that, huh, Boss Dai?" Ma Hongjun looked at him with disdain. Dai Mubai was so serious that anyone who didn't know him would have been completely fooled.
When Ma Hongjun had first come to Soto City, he had no idea where the high-quality entertainment spots were. It was Dai Mubai who had guided him to the best places. As a poor kid, he couldn't afford them, but Dai Mubai, the young master, would occasionally treat him, showing him what the "high-end route" was all about. From then on, Ma Hongjun had always called him "Boss Dai."
Just then, a voice suddenly came from outside the door. "Boss Dai, can you take me to see the sights today?" Oscar rushed into the room.
Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai looked at him in surprise. When did this kid get corrupted?
"Boss Dai, I just saw Huo Feng and the three girls leave the academy," Oscar added. "You don't have to worry about the impact on your dashing image."
As soon as he said that, a sharp glint flashed in Dai Mubai's eyes. Growing up in a noble family, the thing he valued most was his reputation. Now that the problem was solved, there was no need to continue the charade.
"Ahem," he cleared his throat. "Fatty, the only reason I'm going today is for little Ao's sake. Don't get the wrong idea!" Dai Mubai stood up with an air of dignity and began planning their destination. Soon, he had it. "Today, I will show you two what 'the best' really means!"
Oscar looked a little embarrassed, while Ma Hongjun completely let himself go, his expression becoming utterly ecstatic.
"You're too kind. We're all brothers here!" Dai Mubai said, patting Oscar on the shoulder to put him at ease. "It's my treat today. Everyone have fun!" If there was one thing Dai Mubai had, it was money and confidence. He strode out the door, and Ma Hongjun and Oscar looked at each other before hurrying to follow.
The three of them planned to head straight for Soto City. But just before they left the academy grounds, Dai Mubai suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong, Boss Dai?" Ma Hongjun asked quickly, terrified that his friend was about to change his mind. With his own finances, he had no idea when he'd get another chance to experience the "best quality" Dai Mubai had promised.
Dai Mubai didn't say anything. He just tilted his chin, indicating that they should look diagonally ahead. Following his gaze, they saw two people walking quickly toward what appeared to be Dean Flanders' office.
"Isn't that the 'Grandmaster'?" Oscar asked, recognizing Yu Xiaogang at once.
"Then the person next to him must be his disciple, Tang San, right?" Ma Hongjun added, feeling a little guilty. He was the one who had told the dean where Tang San was last night. He hadn't expected the master and disciple to show up so early the next morning. This wasn't quite what he'd had in mind.
"Yes, it's them," Dai Mubai said calmly, though he was also a bit confused. He despised the former student. The kid wasn't very capable, but he was an expert at acting tough. And after failing the entrance exam, how dare he show his face here again? He had no interest in either of them; simply put, he found both the master and his disciple incredibly annoying.
"Well, well, if it isn't Tang San," Dai Mubai shouted suddenly, his voice dripping with mockery. "Haven't seen you for a few days! My, you're looking... rough."
The sudden outburst caught Oscar and Ma Hongjun completely by surprise.
Yu Xiaogang and Tang San stopped immediately. Tang San turned his head and saw Dai Mubai, and all the memories of his past humiliations came flooding back. He swallowed hard and didn't dare to answer.
Yu Xiaogang sensed something was wrong and took a step forward, preparing to use the same polite deflection he had used on Huo Feng. "We are just..."
But before he could finish, Dai Mubai cut him off. "Oh~" he drawled sarcastically. "It's the 'Grandmaster'! Well, don't let me stop you. You two do whatever you want." He turned to his friends. "Let's go!"
Without a backward glance, the three of them walked toward the village entrance.
Yu Xiaogang's cheeks twitched, his face sinking. This Dai Mubai was insufferably arrogant. He was technically a teacher at Shrek Academy now. Where was the respect? I'll have to teach him a lesson one day, he fumed internally.
He grabbed the bewildered Tang San and walked straight to Flanders' office. Pushing the door open, he saw the dean sitting at his desk. Flanders showed no surprise at the sight of them, as if he had been expecting them all along.
"You're here," he said simply. "Take a seat."
There were two chairs in front of his desk, obviously prepared for them. Yu Xiaogang sat down without any politeness. Tang San, however, hesitated and offered a few token refusals before finally sitting. He was still young, and his skin wasn't nearly as thick as his teacher's.
"Since we're all old friends, I won't beat around the bush," Yu Xiaogang said as soon as he sat down, getting straight to the point. He had two goals for this visit, but both of them revolved around Tang San.
"Alright, go ahead," Flanders said with a slight nod, his expression unchanging.
"I want Tang San to study at Shrek Academy," Yu Xiaogang stated his first demand without any hesitation. "As the dean, you have the authority to make that happen, right?"3
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