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Chapter 192: Excitement and Turmoil
In the hallway, there were only Ma Zhen, Lan Ningshan, and Zhang Qiu. Ma Zhen said softly, "Zhang Qiu, you must not act impulsively or cause trouble. You need to help me calm the students down."
Lan Ningshan chimed in, "That's right, Zhang Qiu. You can't be reckless. Captain Ma has gone to great lengths to appease you and even asked me to come check on you."
Zhang Qiu smiled at Lan Ningshan and then asked Ma Zhen, "Officer Ma, do you really believe I didn't organize this strike?"
Ma Zhen stopped and looked at Zhang Qiu seriously, saying, "I believe you."
Zhang Qiu replied, "Then I promise to help you suppress them. I'm not sure about the Sophomore Year, but I've already arranged for my people to notify each class in the Senior Year."
Ma Zhen nodded, his brow still furrowed. "I'm afraid it won't have much effect."
"Why?" Zhang Qiu looked directly at Ma Zhen.
"Often, people are just looking for an opportunity to vent their frustrations," Ma Zhen said cryptically, gazing deeply at the teaching building. His years of experience in law enforcement told him that many collective incidents weren't driven by genuine concern; more often than not, people used these situations as a chance to express their discontent. High school students tend to suppress their feelings, which is why chaos often erupts after exams. But why did it explode just before the exams this time?
When they reached the bottom of the Senior High Building, shouts echoed from inside the teaching building. Fortunately, the entrance wasn't blocked by students like it was at the Sophomore Building; people could still enter. On the first floor, Zhang Qiu spotted Zhao Pingchuan running around. He shouted, "Zhao Pingchuan!"
Zhao Pingchuan was busy trying to stop the strike and was sweating profusely. Upon hearing Zhang Qiu call him, he brightened up and rushed over, panting heavily. "Brother Qiu, you're here! The students are too agitated; it's out of control." He glanced warily at Ma Zhen and Lan Ningshan before closing his mouth and focusing on catching his breath.
Zhang Qiu supported Zhao Pingchuan and said, "Calm down for a moment. These two officers are here to help us; there's no need to hide anything from them. What's going on right now?"
"Brother Qiu, everything's a mess; I can't figure it out either. When we returned to school, the teaching building was already like this. I was busy arranging for Gao Zhi to call you. Brother Qiu, they can't keep doing this; striking against the school is definitely going to face zero tolerance from the administration."
"We both wanted to go together, so I told Gao Zhi over the phone to stop them quickly. I didn't expect things to escalate."
"Brother Qiu, I can't stop them, but you can. Listen, they're calling for you to come back. Now that you're here, hurry up and go," Zhao Pingchuan said, sweating profusely and with red eyes. He had invested too much effort into Hall Society and didn't want it to be ruined just like that.
Ma Zhen said, "Zhang Qiu is right. Since they want you back, you should go meet them and clarify everything, including your principal's promises."
"Okay, I'll give it a try." Zhang Qiu walked to the nearest classroom, pushed aside the desks and chairs blocking the door, and shouted, "Brothers, I'm back!"
"Oh...!" After a moment of silence, the classroom erupted in cheers, with students from the back rushing to the front.
Zhang Qiu stepped onto the podium and waited for everyone to finish cheering before saying, "Brothers, I thank you all."
Before Zhang Qiu could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by the cheers. He had to raise his voice to ask everyone to quiet down, but it was impossible to calm them. Zhang Qiu's arrival was like pouring a bucket of oil on a burning fire; the students became even more excited. Ma Zhen watched from outside the classroom, feeling anxious as Zhang Qiu's presence stirred up such a strong reaction among the students—something Ma Zhen had not anticipated.
Zhang Qiu continued shouting hoarsely until the classroom finally quieted down a bit. He rasped, "Brothers, listen to me. The purpose of Hall Society is to protect everyone and allow you all to study peacefully. It's not about causing trouble, skipping classes, or opposing the school. We have only one month until the college entrance examination. I hope everyone can calm down and let the teachers come in to teach."
Someone shouted from below, "Brother Qiu, you protect us; we will protect you! The school is unfair to you!"
"Unfair!"
"Unfair!"
...
Zhang Qiu watched as another wave of excitement surged through the crowd. He felt happy that his brothers cared for him, but this almost fanatical atmosphere deeply frightened him. Realizing that staying in the classroom wouldn't help, he slightly bowed and walked out. Cheers erupted once again inside the classroom.
"Hey, how did you get out? What about inside?" Lan Ningshan asked urgently, grabbing Zhang Qiu's arm.
Zhang Qiu shook his head. "It's too crazy; I can't control them anymore."
"They want to vent their frustrations. The long hours of intense studying have been too oppressive," Ma Zhen pointed out the essence of the students' madness. Zhang Qiu looked at this captain, who was twenty years older than him, and sincerely asked, "What should I do?"
Ma Zhen replied with four words: "First uplift, then suppress."
Zhang Qiu looked confused, and Ma Zhen continued, "When you first went in, your first words were to thank them; that's the uplifting part. You'll need to do that again later. Once they are excited to the extreme, they'll listen to anything you say. At that point, you can call for them to stop this crazy behavior."
"Good idea." Zhang Qiu had to admit that Officer Ma indeed had a good plan. He ran towards the second floor but was pulled back by Lan Ningshan, who asked, "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to the Director's Office; there's a PA system there, and I can speak to the entire Senior Year."
Qiu Wan hurried up the stairs, with Ma Zhen and Lan Ningshan quickly following. Zhao Pingchuan took a deep breath and ran after them.
Inside the Director's Office, some documents were scattered on the desk, indicating that Director Zhao had left in a hurry. Zhang Qiu pushed everything aside, grabbed the microphone, cleared his throat, and said, "Students, I am Zhang Qiu; I am Zhang Qiu."
In the classroom, Jiang Xue was startled; he was back. Song Weidong stared intently at the speaker at the front of the classroom, wondering what this guy was up to. Zeng Fan looked excitedly at his brothers beside him and said, "I feel like our time is coming back." However, seeing his brothers with their heads down instantly deflated him like a punctured balloon as he slumped onto the desk.
In the hallway, Lan Ningshan saw that the students had quieted down and shouted to Zhang Qiu, "They've calmed down! They've calmed down!"
Zhang Qiu nodded at her and continued, "I heard everyone's request for me to come back while I was outside. I'm here now; thank you all!"
In the Director's Office, Zhang Qiu heard enthusiastic applause and cheers coming from the hallway. After a pause, he continued, "Let me explain what happened this time. In the restroom, I saw Fatty bullying someone along with Gao Zhi and Zhao Pingchuan. Naturally, we went over to help—not to fight but to mediate. However, Fatty struck first and hit Gao Zhi. I had no choice but to retaliate; my brother shouldn't be bullied by anyone!"
As soon as Zhang Qiu finished speaking, applause and cheers surged like a tidal wave in his ears. Ma Zhen gestured beside him, and Zhang Qiu covered the microphone, asking softly, "Is it okay now?"
Ma Zhen replied in an even lower voice, "It's fine."
"Students, I want to reiterate our club's purpose: the Hall Society is not a gang; it is a learning organization created to protect students from bullying on campus. What I am doing is precisely in line with our club's consistent mission." As Zhang Qiu spoke, he noticed Ma Zhen frantically gesturing, wanting to shout but hesitating, looking as if he was about to burst.
Zhang Qiu understood what Ma Zhen was thinking but did not look at him. He continued, "Students, I hope that every member of our club will firmly remember our purpose. At the same time, I must announce that the class boycott is over." Fearing another chaotic situation, Qiu Sheng Zhang continued without taking a breath, "I know some students may not understand. Next, I will explain why. Please do not rush or panic; listen to me until the end. Your leader wouldn’t let you down, would he?"
Zhang Qiu glanced toward the door where Lan Ningshan was standing. Lan Ningshan gave Zhang Qiu a thumbs-up and whispered, "Very steady, keep going!"
Zhang Qiu let out a light sigh; the hardest part was already behind him. However, he still did not dare to slack off. Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, and Lan Ningshan came over to gently wipe them away. Zhang Qiu smiled lightly in return and continued, "Students, with the college entrance examination approaching, I do not wish to delay anyone's review. I know that among all the students in the grade, there are certainly some who do not want to participate in the boycott, but under the pressure of public anger, they dare not express themselves. In the future, I hope those who are hesitant will bravely speak up. I also hope that those who participated in this boycott will consider the rights of the minority. The twenty-first century is a society of inclusivity and diversity. I hope you all in the Hall Society are passionate yet rational New Youth."
Listening to Zhang Qiu's speech, Ma Zhen's mouth fell open in surprise; he never expected such words would come from a high school student. Lan Ningshan was also stunned, staring intently at Zhang Qiu. Half-sitting on his chair with his body slightly leaned forward and one arm resting on the table while holding the microphone, sunlight streamed through the window onto Zhang Qiu's profile. The tiny beads of sweat reflected golden light, creating an almost surreal moment.
Zhang Qiu was unaware of this; he became emotionally charged while speaking and many thoughts flowed out naturally.
"Students, every country has its laws and every school has its rules. Helping others is one thing; fighting is another; they cannot be conflated. Personally, I prefer to abide by rules because only when everyone follows them can we ensure that our buns are free of dyes and our stir-fried dishes are free of gutter oil; only then can we ensure that our children's milk powder is free of melamine. Regardless of how things are going, my heart will always be with you all wherever I am. Now, everyone listen to my orders: remove all desks and benches from each classroom door. The class representatives should invite whichever teacher needs to teach next; students should be polite. The principal has assured me that there will be no repercussions for this boycott. It is now the second period; I hope to hear your reading voices again during the third period."
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