"Dean."
Zhou Xing spoke up, "My family gave me some money so that I could start a small business and gain some experience during my time at university."
"I'm sure you understand..."
Zhou Xing looked at the Dean. "Once the business gets busy, I won't have much leisure time. I'm afraid I won't be able to balance my studies, so I'll need some leeway from you in this regard."
The Dean immediately understood.
Zhou Xing didn't want to participate in military training.
He wasn't surprised.
Quite a few New Students came to him every year for this very reason.
These children of wealthy families were used to being lazy; how could they endure the hardships of military training?
Donating five million just to be exempt from military training.
The Dean was a bit taken aback.
He quietly glanced at the Patek Philippe watch on Zhou Xing's wrist.
The brilliant diamonds were somewhat dazzling.
He licked his lips... a flash of greed crossed his eyes.
Being able to produce five million so easily was clearly a breeze for Zhou Xing.
If he could get more donations out of him...
Such a large sum would definitely be taken over entirely by the school authorities, not end up in his hands.
They might even hold a donation ceremony for Zhou Xing.
But... as long as the funds passed through his hands, it was like taking meat out of the refrigerator and then putting it back.
The meat remained intact.
Yet his hands would still be stained with a bit of grease.
The Dean's mind began to race.
Only with a larger amount would there be more "grease" for him to skim.
While the Dean pondered inwardly, his expression remained unchanged. He continued to smile, looking like a teacher truly concerned for his student: "Military training... I'm afraid that might be a bit difficult."
"Zhou Xing, as a member of our school, you should understand that our President comes from a military background. That's why he brought this philosophy to the school: 'Military spirit educates people.'"
Zhou Xing nodded; of course he understood.
"That's why we formed the Instructor Team and manage them militarily. The goal is to set an example for the students. Even if they're entering the arts, they must be self-disciplined, hone their will, and strengthen their bodies."
The Dean said, "'Military spirit educates people' is a core philosophy of our school, and military training is the most important part of that."
"Hucheng Conservatory of Music has been implementing this policy for decades; it's deeply rooted in everyone's minds."
The Dean frowned and said, "Making an exception is truly too difficult. Student Zhou, your request is indeed a bit hard to handle."
However, Zhou Xing caught a hint of something in the Dean's words.
Hard to handle.
That also meant it wasn't impossible, just that the stakes weren't high enough.
He looked at the balding Dean before him and sneered inwardly.
Five million wasn't even enough to shut his mouth.
His appetite was a bit too large.
Zhou Xing was displeased, but he didn't show it. He smiled slightly and said, "Since the Dean mentioned the Instructor Team, I have another matter."
"When the President established the Instructor Team, his intentions were certainly good—selecting a group of students to serve as role models and enhance the cohesion of the entire school."
"However..."
Zhou Xing's tone shifted: "In a large forest, there are all kinds of birds. Not all students are focused on studying and self-improvement."
"There's quite a bit of scum in the Instructor Team. Relying on their bit of authority as Instructors for the New Students' military training, they act recklessly, frequently insulting and even hitting students. They've turned the sacred military training into a stage for their own power trips. Their behavior is atrocious to the extreme."
Zhou Xing said, "I must trouble the Dean to report this to the school and conduct a thorough investigation of the Instructor Team. Such people cannot be allowed to exist. Otherwise, the military training the school meticulously organized will not only lose its purpose but also cause great resentment among the students, which isn't good for school unity."
The Dean's expression turned solemn.
"There's such a thing going on?"
Zhou Xing didn't speak. He couldn't be sure before, but now he was essentially certain that this Dean definitely knew something but simply didn't care.
Perhaps this man, for the sake of his own performance record... even encouraged the Instructors to do so, acting in collusion with them. Without enough backing, where would someone like Huang Hui get the courage to target New Students?
Weren't they afraid the New Students would revolt and cause a massive scene?
In his past life, Zhou Xing had no contact with the Dean and didn't know his character.
After this brief interaction, he realized this old geezer wasn't a good person either.
Compared to Huang Hui's blatant behavior, this man was the type who truly devoured people whole without leaving a trace.
"If the school can thoroughly investigate the Instructor Team and strictly screen its members, I'm willing to add another five million. A total of ten million will be donated unconditionally to the school. I won't ask any questions about how the school uses it."
Zhou Xing said.
"Ten million!"
The Dean's eyes flickered, clearly tempted, but he eventually steadied himself.
"Regarding the Instructors, even without any donation, rest assured... I will report it to the school for processing. This concerns all New Students and our school's educational philosophy; we absolutely cannot allow any issues to arise."
The Dean said righteously, "As the Dean, this is my duty. I cannot allow any scum to harm our New Students."
"Sigh..."
Suddenly.
The Dean sighed: "It's shameful to say, but since such a thing happened, it should have been my responsibility."
"I absolutely cannot allow this unhealthy trend to continue."
The Dean said hypocritically, "However... the Instructor Team is handled directly by the school authorities. As the Dean, I have no power to interfere. Even if I report it, who knows how long it will take to see any results."
"Student Zhou, although you're willing to donate ten million unconditionally, I must thank you on behalf of the school. After all, there are far too few students like you who care so much about the school."
The Dean sighed again: "Unfortunately... while this amount seems large, it's like a drop in the bucket for the entire school. It won't attract any attention from the school authorities. Otherwise, you could take the opportunity to bring up the matter of the Instructor Team, and I'm sure they would handle it immediately."
"Oh?"
Zhou Xing crossed his legs and leaned back on the sofa. "Then, Dean... how much do I need to donate to get the school's attention and have the Instructor Team reformed?"
He had a smile on his face, but his gaze was cold.
This Dean... his appetite was beyond imagination. He was simply insatiable.
His patience had been completely exhausted.
The Dean pretended to think for a moment, then shook his head. "You shouldn't have to bear this; after all, it's the school's responsibility."
"Student Zhou, please rest assured. Even if it takes a long time, I will report it to the school authorities."
"The Instructor Team will definitely be reformed to give all you New Students a fair environment."
Zhou Xing laughed. The Dean's bureaucratic maneuvering was truly masterful and well-honed.
If he waited for the Dean to reform things, there probably wouldn't be any news until he graduated.
"It's fine."
Zhou Xing waved his hand. "Dean, just say it. I'll decide for myself whether I can afford the amount."
Hearing this, the experienced Dean couldn't quite suppress his inner joy. The muscles on his face twitched, and then he spread his hand: "Fifty million should be about right."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xing's face instantly darkened. He stood up quickly, stepped onto the coffee table, and grabbed the Dean by his collar.
His gaze was ice-cold.
"Old bastard, did I give you too much fucking face?"