While taking care of the paperwork, Teacher Tong wore a simple pair of glasses that had a black string tied to it. She took off her glasses and looked at Ye Jian with a gentle smile, âIt seems that you have concealed some of your strengths in the intensive training last year. Ye Jian, you know how to hide your edge, thatâs quite rare.â
She managed to remember the names and faces of her sixty classmates in just a few moments. That wasnât something a normal person was able to do. At the very least, in the many years that she had been a teacher, she had never met a student like her.
Furthermore, she was also quite curious about Ye Jian. From her application form, the girl in front of her had just turned sixteen this May, so how was she able to keep a state of mind that was calmer than that of an adult, hiding her edge, and advancing through her life with steady steps?
Ye Jian rarely brought up information about her own household. But facing Teacher Tongâs queries, she pondered about it for a moment before taking out her application form, pointed at the âParentsâ section, and said in a slightly serious voice, âIâm different than the other students in this aspect. Thatâs why I must know how to defend myself.â
âSometimes, hiding your own edge doesnât mean showing your weaknesses. Hiding your weaknesses can also be a type of self-protection. Furthermore, as long as I maintain a certain standard, not be too outstanding, and not screw up during crucial moments, Iâll most likely have a better time getting along with the other students.â
This was the survival guide from the combination of Ye Jianâs two lifetimes. It was also her guide on dealing with others.
Especially when dealing with relationships between students, in an environment where competition exists, struggles occur in the dark, and even the emergence of small groups occur, so hiding your weaknesses is definitely beneficial.
Her words made Teacher Tong speechless for quite a while. After a few moments had passed, she sighed, âYe Jian, I just want to say that to have met such a student like you before I retire, I really have no regrets for the past few decades of my teaching career.â
âHowever, you must remember this, child: survival of the fittest is one of the school mottos of this century-old prestigious school. Here, the selection has already begun from the moment you stepped foot into this school compound.â
âThis applies to your academic results as well. Especially Class One, they communicate with their results! Yes, if you have good results, itâll draw the jealousy of others, but you have to remember this, thereâs also another facet to human nature, and that is the awe and respect people have towards those who are strong!â
Teacher Tong was a teacher with noble ethics. She didnât want to see Ye Jian suppress her abilities to accommodate others. There wasnât a need for her to hide her edge at such a young age.
Young people should live casually, without any restraints!
If there was a need for them to act so carefully in the school, in the future, when they entered society, they would only act more cautiously!
âSociety is a huge environment, so itâs not wrong to act cautiously. But in school, itâs different. Itâs a place for students to be happy, so thereâs no need to act so carefully! However grand your abilities are, the stage will only be bigger! Ye Jian, remember Teacher Tongâs words today, First Provincial High is an enormous stage, and itâs a sky for students to soar unrestrained. There is no need for you to hide your abilities. Learning well is your own strength, why would the other students gossip about it thoughtlessly?â
âBesides, even if they were, thereâs no need for you to take them to heart. The strong are like halos, some people worship it while others envy it.â
The teacher-student duo had a half-hour long conversation before finally leaving. If Principal Chen and Grandpa Gen taught Ye Jian how to stand for herself and be independent, then Teacher Tong taught Ye Jian how to be flexible, how to smoothen out her edges, and how to be indirect.
Coupling strength and flexibility, being able to determine when to stretch and spread, carrying an unyielding mentality, all the while also harboring a gentle heart.
In the future, when Ye Jian moved up the ranks with her own might until she stood atop the peak of military power, she accepted an interview. When she mentioned the people whom she was the most grateful for, Teacher Tongâs name would be amongst them.