"I'm Bai Cai!"
Bai Cai's icy voice came sharply through the phone.
"Tea– Teacher Bai?"
"Is something the matter?"
Realizing the caller was Bai Cai, Bai Lin hastily set down the wine bottle in his hand and retreated to a quieter corner.
He had never imagined that this call would actually come from Bai Cai herself.
Without any nonsense, Bai Cai went straight to the point.
"Because of you, Teacher Guo is now being cyber-bullied online."
"I expect you to resolve this within tomorrow—or else I'll make you understand the consequences of angering me."
At this moment, Bai Cai had rarely shown her dominant, forceful side.
With those words spoken, she hung up immediately, saying nothing more.
Actually, resolving this matter wasn't difficult at all—Bai Lin simply needed to step forward, admit his wrongdoing to the university, and let them release a public statement.
As for whether Bai Lin would obediently do so, Bai Cai wasn't worried at all.
After all, Bai Lin was just a minor annoyance. She had plenty of ways to handle him!
"Hello? Teacher Bai?"
Staring blankly at his phone after the abrupt hang-up, Bai Lin felt deeply irritated.
If he'd known it would turn out like this, he wouldn't have provoked Guo Yi no matter what.
Now look at the mess I'm in!
His original goal wasn't achieved, and instead, he'd landed himself in trouble.
"Nothing I can do about it…"
"Looks like I won't escape getting a major demerit this time."
Bai Lin shook his head helplessly.
Although he was displeased with Bai Cai's domineering attitude, Bai Lin clearly had no ability to fight back.
Indeed, he was a spoiled scion, but he was also keenly aware of reality.
Everything he had now came from his family's power, and Bai Cai was precisely someone his family desperately sought to please.
It was impossible to resist.
Besides, he wasn't in the right here; his family certainly wouldn't back him.
Without the power to fight back, he could only obediently follow orders.
This was the ironclad principle Bai Lin had learned through years of family politics.
...
The next day, at the Teaching Affairs Office.
Two teachers immediately sought out Tang Ming first thing in the morning.
"Teacher Li, Teacher Zhao—what brings you two here?"
Tang Ming greeted them with a polite smile.
But these two weren't ordinary—they were both certified Special-Grade Teachers recognized by the Pokémon Alliance itself.
Special-Grade Teachers—
There weren't even ten of them in all of Shanghai Pokémon University. Even Tang Ming had to treat them with caution.
Without a word, Teacher Li took out his phone, played a video, and placed it directly in front of Tang Ming.
Tang Ming glanced down.
The video showed precisely the scene where Guo Yi instructed his Ninetales to toss students out of the classroom.
At this moment, Teacher Zhao, brimming with righteous indignation, spoke up. "Director Tang, I know this Guo Yi was personally invited by you."
"But look at him—using force against students whenever he pleases. Keeping such a person here would be an absolute poison to our university."
Teacher Li promptly chimed in. "And the day before yesterday, he relied on his powerful Ninetales to disrupt other teachers' classes."
"If you insist on keeping someone like that around, Director Tang, then don't blame Old Zhao and me if we quit!"
Indeed, these two had come explicitly to pressure him.
As for their reason, it wasn't actually as noble as they'd presented.
It was simply because their two star students—Leng Yue and Wu Yao—had suddenly dropped their courses to attend Guo Yi's instead.
That was utterly unacceptable.
Leng Yue and Wu Yao were the aces these two teachers had nurtured painstakingly, their critical assets for achieving an Associate Professor title.
Both had invested immense effort into their training. Suddenly losing their prized students—how could they not panic?
Of course, their ambition was only the title awarded by Shanghai Pokémon University, not the Pokémon Alliance itself.
After all, becoming an Alliance-certified Associate Professor required at least Elite Four-level strength—something they could never achieve.
But at the university level, promotions mainly depended on their teaching performance.
And how was teaching performance evaluated?
Naturally, by their students' abilities and results.
With Leng Yue and Wu Yao, promotion had seemed guaranteed.
Who could've predicted Guo Yi would suddenly swoop in to steal their students away?
If a student didn't attend a teacher's class for over half a semester, that student could no longer be counted towards their performance evaluations.
Though it was still early in the semester—maybe the students would return next month—there were no guarantees.
Thus, to prevent potential disaster, they decided to eliminate this threat at its root.
"Er…" Tang Ming rubbed his forehead, feeling an immediate headache facing their pressure.
"Teachers, I've already looked into the incident from the other day."
"All involved teachers made some mistakes, but wasn't it ultimately resolved amicably?"
"To dismiss Guo Yi over this—it doesn't seem appropriate."
What a joke!
He and the Principal were still counting on Guo Yi to bring glory to their university. How could they just fire him like this?
Besides, rumors said Guo Yi knew how to completely nullify the Life Orb's recoil.
If he dared dismiss such a talent, countless universities would immediately poach him.
Then he'd inevitably get chewed out by the Principal.
Moreover, Guo Yi's three students weren't simple characters either!
Su Qingxue had two Ace-tier Pokémon, easily ranking first among freshmen. Hu Yan'er defeated a Raichu with her Pikachu—even if she'd used some tricks, her potential was undeniable. And then there was He Yongsen, specifically placed here by the Pokémon Alliance itself for nurturing.
If Guo Yi was dismissed, these three might just withdraw directly.
And then his career as director would be finished.
Of course, these insider details weren't known to the two teachers. They merely assumed Tang Ming was protecting Guo Yi for his own dignity.
Teacher Li pressed further. "Director Tang, we can put aside the earlier incident."
"But today's matter, there's absolutely no excuse for Guo Yi, is there?"
"If word of this spreads, imagine the damage to our university's reputation—I don't think we need to spell that out for you!"
In short, they had no intention of leaving without getting what they wanted.
"Uh, this…"
Tang Ming was momentarily lost for words. He really hadn't understood the situation yet, but based purely on the video footage, Guo Yi did seem at fault!
"How about this, teachers—I'll call Teacher Guo here first to clarify things?" Tang Ming proposed.
After exchanging glances, the two teachers reluctantly agreed.
Perfect—they also wanted to see exactly who this Guo Yi was, to snatch away their precious students so casually.
However, just as Tang Ming picked up his phone, before he could even dial—
Knock, knock, knock!
"Is Director Tang here?"
"It's Bai Lin. I'm here to report something."
Bai Lin's voice drifted clearly from outside.
Hearing Bai Lin's voice, smiles of delight appeared on the two teachers' faces.
Because in that video, among the students thrown out by Guo Yi's Ninetales, Bai Lin had been prominently visible.
And judging from what they knew of Bai Lin, he was undoubtedly here to lodge a complaint.
Teacher Li grinned broadly. "Director Tang, the person involved has arrived."
"How about we let him explain things himself?"
Facing the pair of teachers' smug, expectant faces, Tang Ming felt a wave of helplessness sweep over him.
He couldn't exactly shut Bai Lin out and refuse to see him, could he?
"Student Bai, come in!"
The words had barely left his lips when Bai Lin immediately pushed open the door and stepped inside.
"Teacher Li, Teacher Zhao—what a coincidence!"
"You're both here too, huh?"
Bai Lin was visibly surprised upon seeing the two teachers seated by Tang Ming's desk.
Teacher Zhao immediately walked up warmly, patting Bai Lin's shoulder comfortingly.
"Student Bai, we know you've suffered injustice."
"Don't be afraid; Teacher Li and I are here to back you up today."
"Just speak freely about your grievances."
At this moment, Teacher Zhao's usual cold demeanor was nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by an expression of gentle kindness.
As Bai Lin quickly connected the dots—remembering Leng Yue's previous involvement—he instantly grasped why these two teachers had appeared here.
Seems these two came here to deal with Guo Yi as well.
Then, should I still admit my wrongdoing? Bai Lin wondered inwardly.
His original intention had been to fulfill his promise to Teacher Bai Cai. But right now, the sudden appearance of these two teachers seemed to be steering the situation toward another path entirely.
Should I still stick with my original plan to target Guo Yi?
This fleeting thought flashed across his mind.
But Bai Lin quickly shook his head, discarding that thought completely.
His initial aim in pressuring Guo Yi had been merely to uncover the secret of neutralizing the Life Orb's recoil—not to fight him to the bitter end.
As Teacher Bai had warned him before, if he stubbornly continued down this path, whether or not Guo Yi left was another story entirely. But he himself certainly wouldn't escape punishment.
A losing deal like that? Bai Lin would never take it!
Thus, putting on an expression of genuine repentance, Bai Lin stepped toward Tang Ming.
Teacher Li and Teacher Zhao, watching him intently, waited eagerly for Bai Lin to launch into his accusations against Guo Yi.
But Bai Lin's next words shocked both teachers, leaving them slack-jawed.
"Director Tang, I'm here to confess!"
"Yesterday, to force Teacher Guo into revealing the secret of the Life Orb, I incited a crowd of students to cause trouble!"
"As a result, I've severely harmed Teacher Guo's reputation and negatively impacted the university. I'm here to express my deep remorse!"
"I willingly accept any punishment the school chooses…"
Bai Lin, his expression full of regret, openly acknowledged his wrongdoing.
"Student Bai, has Guo Yi threatened you!?"
Hearing Bai Lin's words, Teacher Li immediately panicked.
What the hell!
The video they'd brought along specifically to target Guo Yi had suddenly been overturned by the main "victim" himself?
They'd rushed to the office as soon as they saw the video clip—without even verifying the details—precisely because they recognized Bai Lin's face in the crowd.
Knowing Bai Lin's usual nature, they expected him to immediately create a huge scene at the university.
Then, all they'd need to do was fan the flames from the side, add a few persuasive comments, and even if they couldn't get Guo Yi fired, getting his class suspended would certainly be within reach.
But never in their wildest imaginations had they anticipated that Bai Lin wouldn't follow the script!
Bai Lin, where did your usual arrogance and trouble-making spirit vanish to?
Hearing Teacher Li's suspicious question, Bai Lin's determination only strengthened further.
You two old bastards, trying to use me as your pawn!
Do you really think I'm that stupid? Bai Lin scoffed disdainfully in his heart.
Though inwardly disgusted by the teachers' schemes, he maintained his remorseful appearance on the outside, replying sincerely:
"Teacher Li, nobody threatened me."
"I've truly recognized my mistakes this time. Director Tang, please punish me!"
This…
At this point, Teacher Li and Teacher Zhao were completely stunned.
How had things suddenly developed in a completely opposite direction from what they'd anticipated?
The accuser suddenly becoming the accused?
This reversal—perhaps even Lawyer Zhang Wei himself couldn't have pulled it off!
Cough, cough!
While the two teachers remained in stunned silence, Tang Ming quickly seized the opportunity, immediately speaking up:
"Student Bai Lin, how could you behave so recklessly as a student?"
"Do you have any idea how badly your actions could have damaged the university if mishandled?"
Bai Lin displayed even greater sincerity at this moment.
"Director, I know I was wrong."
"Considering my voluntary confession, could my punishment perhaps be lighter?"
Tang Ming pretended to ponder this seriously for a moment before nodding solemnly.
"Given that you admitted your mistake on your own, we'll settle with a minor demerit this time."
"In addition, I'll issue a campus-wide announcement clarifying the truth of this incident."
"Do you accept this punishment?"
"No problem at all. I fully accept!"
Bai Lin had originally braced himself for at least a major demerit and perhaps even a parent meeting—so this lighter punishment suited him perfectly.
Naturally, he was aware Director Tang had gone easy specifically to make a show of it for the two teachers present.
Having achieved his goal, Bai Lin saw no need to linger.
"Director Tang, Teachers, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Under Tang Ming's tacit approval, Bai Lin decisively left the office, leaving the battlefield to the three of them.
Once Bai Lin had gone, Tang Ming's demeanor swiftly changed.
"Teachers, without verifying the facts, how could you casually make accusations?"
"You almost caused Teacher Guo to carry blame for something he didn't do!"
Earlier, since Tang Ming had been uncertain of the actual situation—and seeing the video presented as evidence—he had been forced to tread carefully.
But now things were completely different.
With Bai Lin himself openly admitting fault, this incident clearly had nothing to do with Guo Yi.
The initiative instantly shifted back to his own hands.
Uh…
The two teachers exchanged embarrassed glances.
Half a minute passed before Teacher Li slowly spoke up:
"Director Tang, indeed we acted hastily this time."
"Not confirming the facts clearly was our mistake. But Teacher Guo's arrogance and solitary personality—I'm still worried keeping him at our university will eventually cause trouble."
Although their main leverage against Guo Yi was now gone, the teachers still felt reluctant to give up entirely.
They'd struggled for so many years, their Associate Professor titles finally within reach—how could they willingly give that up?
Tang Ming quickly caught onto their lingering dissatisfaction.
He immediately proposed a compromise.
"Teachers, Teacher Guo is young and strong—being a bit arrogant in temperament is understandable."
"If we target Teacher Guo over such trivial matters, it won't look good on us."
"I know what really concerns both of you."
"How about this?"
"Starting next month, I'll adjust the schedule so Teacher Guo's classes won't conflict with yours. How does that sound?"
"This…"
The two teachers exchanged another glance, hesitating briefly before reluctantly nodding in agreement.
"Fine."
"We'll follow Director Tang's arrangement."
There was no other option at this point anyway.
It wouldn't benefit them to continue arguing stubbornly. Besides, their goal had essentially been achieved—albeit indirectly.
Once the scheduling conflict was resolved, Leng Yue and Wu Yao would probably return to their classes anyway, right?
The teachers silently comforted themselves with this thought.
After the two finally departed, Tang Ming quickly logged onto the university's official website and released a public announcement clarifying the incident.