FI CH81: Passed

Lin Su shook his head. “I’m here to find work.”

The gaze from behind the glasses was quite complex.

The Xuenima interpreted it: [He’s looking at you like he’s saying, ‘You’re here to die.’]

“…” One hand skillfully pinched it.

The admissions teacher looked at the registration form for a moment, then back at Lin Su. “Student, registration is only once a year. Are you sure you want to fill it out like this?”

Lin Su nodded. “I just want to be a teacher.” Being the principal would be too tiring.

There were still other candidates waiting to fill out their forms.

The admissions teacher gave him an indescribable look for a few seconds, placed the form to the side, and said, “Alright then, go wait in the classroom.”

Lin Su turned and ambled toward the classroom.

The Xuenima lay on his shoulder: [You’re not going to get eliminated in the first round, are you?]

“How could I? My specialty is everything.”

[That is indeed unrivaled.]

…

The man and the spirit departed.

At the tree-shaded admissions office, the admissions teacher sat serenely behind his desk again. The number of students filling out forms gradually dwindled. After a while, another teacher walked over.

“Teacher An, are you still processing forms here?”

Teacher An adjusted his glasses and looked up. “Teacher Peng, are you done on your side?”

“All done. What’s wrong, not going smoothly here?”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

Teacher An paused, then couldn’t resist pulling out the registration form from earlier, sighing in exasperation. “I just ran into a candidate who filled it out randomly. Who knows what he was thinking?”

Teacher Peng took it and had a look, then chuckled. “A teacher?”

“Exactly. It’s a once-a-year opportunity, and he’s so…” Teacher An suddenly frowned. “…Right, if he went through all the trouble to get a candidate pass, why would he waste it?” A flash of insight struck him. “Wait, what if he didn’t get in with a candidate pass—”

Teacher Peng was also taken aback, then looked at the name column. “…Lin Su. Why don’t you check the Association’s website?”

Teacher An immediately took out his phone. “Okay.”

Any certified Celestial Master could log into their account and look up fellow practitioners on the Association’s official website.

As Teacher Peng was watching the admissions desk for him, he suddenly heard a gasp from above: “Holy… crap!?”

Looking up, he saw Teacher An’s eyes wide with shock.

On the phone screen, Lin Su’s profile was displayed in bold: [Privilege-level Celestial Master, Affiliation: Xuncheng Branch.]

[Case Ratings: A, S, S]

[Personal Data: [Not Viewable]]

Teacher Peng felt a jolt run through him. “Holy… crap!!”

Teacher An immediately put his phone away and picked up the registration form. “Watch the desk for me. I’m going to the classroom to find someone.”

He then hurried away.

–

In the teaching building, classroom 30A.

A few candidates were scattered around, waiting for news. Lin Su, with the Xuenima in his pocket, found an empty seat.

A quick glance around revealed the eight-character birth charts hanging over everyone’s heads.

At this moment, some were chatting idly, some were playing on their phones, and others sat quietly, awaiting the unknown outcome.

Lin Su scanned the room and then looked away.

The Xuenima curled up: [Their results are already set. Is there any point in waiting here?]

“Of course there is. Fate isn’t a predetermined result. Every choice made at every moment is a step toward that fate.”

Lin Su idly stroked it with one hand while gazing out the window. The Xuenima squinted under his touch: [True. =w=]

Just as they were talking, voices from nearby suddenly grew louder.

“The lineage you’re talking about, that’s just some back-alley stuff. What I’m talking about is the orthodox lineage.”

“Both lineages are officially recognized. What right do you have to call yours the orthodox one?”

Lin Su: …?

He turned his head to see two candidates arguing.

The candidate who spoke first wore a clan emblem and had an air of arrogance. The candidate opposite him was carrying a large backpack, looking like he had come from out of town.

“Because in the great clans of the capital, this is the lineage we’ve all learned since childhood,” the clan candidate said with a sense of superiority. “This is the so-called ‘academy school,’ understand?”

The other candidate was rendered speechless, looking embarrassed.

Lin Su raised an eyebrow and suddenly spoke up. “Then do you know which lineage your so-called ‘orthodox lineage’ originally branched off from?”

The clan candidate was caught off guard and looked Lin Su over. “What’s it to you? Are you from a back-alley lineage too? If you haven’t experienced the gap in education, you shouldn’t speak so casually.”

Lin Su feigned surprise. “You’re so well-educated, so how come you didn’t get a spot from your clan and are still here waiting for the exam?”

The other’s face flushed red. “You…!”

He quickly looked back at Lin Su. “Then what are you doing here?”

Lin Su didn’t speak. Just as the clan candidate was about to continue smugly, there was a commotion at the classroom door. Teacher An, panting, leaned against the doorframe and searched inside.

“Mr. Lin… Su!”

He spoke with a hint of reverence. “Please come here for a moment.”

The surrounding gazes froze and landed on Lin Su: ???

Lin Su nodded and stood up. He turned to the stunned clan candidate and said, “I was just passing through.” With that, he gracefully walked to the door, ignoring the shocked and suspicious stares in the classroom.

…

Out in the hallway.

Teacher An looked at Lin Su, finding it hard to connect this young, handsome face with his status. With a complicated expression, he took out his phone and asked:

“Excuse me, is this you?”

Lin Su took out his Celestial Master ID. “That’s me.”

The golden, radiant Celestial Master ID flashed. One look was enough for Teacher An to confirm its authenticity. When the shock reached its peak, his emotions surprisingly calmed down.

He shook his head and stepped aside. “You don’t need to fill out the registration form. Please follow me to the principal’s office.”

Lin Su put his ID away and followed. “Who’s the current principal?”

…The current principal? Teacher An frowned. They hadn’t changed principals in over a decade. Besides, was there anyone in the entire feng shui world who didn’t know who their principal was?

He still replied, “Principal Bai.”

Lin Su: “Little Bai or Old Bai?”

“…” Teacher An gave him a horrified look. “Principal Bai Xinwen.”

Lin Su nodded. Oh, it was Old Bai.

–

The two arrived at the administration building, one after the other.

The principal’s office was located by itself on the fifth floor, and the corridor was silent. Teacher An knocked twice on the door, and a voice came from inside:

“Come in.”

Teacher An pushed the door open. “Principal Bai, this gentleman is here to apply for a teaching position.”

Inside the office, the wooden decor was classic and elegant.

A landscape painting hung on the wall. Behind a large, solid wood desk, a middle-aged man with a proper face and a monocle was working without looking up. “Applying for a job? Our school hasn’t posted any recruitments…”

Lin Su spoke up. “Old Bai.”

Bai Xinwen looked up, startled. “?”

After a few seconds of stunned silence, he shot up from his chair, pleasantly surprised. “…You’re still alive!?”

Lin Su: “…”

Teacher An’s eyelid twitched. Was that any way to greet someone!

Lin Su was magnanimous. “I almost was.”

Bai Xinwen opened his mouth, then waved his hand. “Teacher An, you can leave first.”

Teacher An left, closing the door behind him.

…

As soon as the door was closed, Lin Su made himself at home on the sofa. “A cup of tea.”

“Phoenix Dancong?” Bai Xinwen asked as he was already opening a wall cabinet, taking out a box of high-quality Dancong tea to brew, and placing it in front of him. Then he also sat down and sized him up for a few moments.

“You… really haven’t changed a bit.”

Lin Su sighed. “You and your son both say the same thing.”

Bai Xinwen was taken aback, then his temper flared. “That brat has seen you? How come I didn’t hear him say anything!”

Lin Su consoled him, “A child’s wings must eventually grow strong.”

The Xuenima added with satisfaction: [Little Bai has really grown up.]

A hand pushed it down.

Bai Xinwen changed the subject. “You want to be a teacher? You could have just told an old friend. Why go to the admissions office to submit an application?”

“You still have to go through the proper procedures.”

“…You’ve walked onto someone else’s path entirely.”

Lin Su was calm. “Just passing through.”

He paused for two seconds, then asked, “You’re managing the Celestial Master Association headquarters and the academy. The other major families don’t have an issue with that?”

Bai Xinwen sighed. “Old Qi passed away, the Lu family has had a major upheaval, and the other one…” He struggled for words. “Let’s not even talk about them.”

Bai Xinwen continued, “Weren’t you paying attention? Speaking of which, there’s been no news of you for so many years. Where did you go? Over a decade ago, the feng shui world underwent a great change, many Celestial Master lineages fell, and you lost contact. Some people said you…” He paused. “Little Jiang didn’t believe it. He was sad for many years.”

The office fell silent for a few moments.

Lin Su held the teacup, the rising steam blurring his vision for a second. A wave of bittersweet emotion washed over him. Just as Bai Xinwen was about to break the silence, he heard Lin Su murmur:

“So this story is called ‘Dad, Where Are We Going?’…”

Xuenima: […]

Bai Xinwen: ??

“It’s nothing,” Lin Su brought the topic back. “About starting the job…”

“It has to go through the school board, and there are some procedures. I’ll handle it, don’t worry. You can start in half a month at the earliest.”

“…” Lin Su said sincerely, “No need to be that fast. I’ll come next semester.”

Bai Xinwen looked regretful, as if he’d just lost a billion dollars.

Lin Su made the final decision, put down his teacup, and stood up. “I’m heading back first. Let’s talk later.”

…

Quite some time had passed by now.

When Lin Su came out of the administration building, he saw candidates leaving dejectedly one after another, looking as if they hadn’t passed the first round of screening.

The Xuenima said with pity: [Coming in a hurry, leaving in a hurry.]

Lin Su muted it: You can feel pity, just don’t sing in my consciousness.

[=0w0=]

He had just crossed the courtyard and reached the teaching building.

Suddenly, he saw a few familiar figures gathered ahead, looking around furtively.

He walked over, and the group happened to turn around.

Both sides saw each other and paused. Cheng Zhuo quickly regained his composure, raising an eyebrow and looking him over.

“What a coincidence, we meet again.”

Lin Su understood. “You guys are squatting here like pup…parazzi, it’s hard not to run into you.”

The group caught his pause, and their anger flared! But thinking of something, they suppressed it. Cheng Zhuo looked toward the school gate and sneered, “Out already? Don’t tell me you were eliminated?”

The people around him joined in with a burst of laughter.

Lin Su was slightly surprised. “Don’t tell me you guys squatted here for over an hour just to say that?”

The group: “…”

“Unfortunately, I’m not that idle, so I won’t stay and chat.”

After saying that, Lin Su casually walked away.

His figure disappeared around a bend a few steps out of the teaching building’s lobby. Cheng Zhuo cursed “Damn it!” in frustration and said to the others, “Let’s see how long he can stay smug!”

He then turned and headed for the administration building.

In an office on the third floor of the administration building, several admissions teachers were gathered, reviewing the submitted registration forms and materials.

Cheng Zhuo peeked in from the doorway. “…Second Uncle!”

A middle-aged man inside looked up, then put down the materials and walked out, whispering a warning, “Didn’t I tell you not to call me ‘Second Uncle’ at school?”

Cheng Qikang then asked, “Go on, what is it?”

Cheng Zhuo pulled him further away and whispered, “There’s an ordinary student named ‘Lin Su’ who keeps causing trouble for me.” He embellished, “He even insulted our Cheng family. Can you find a way to kick him out?”

Cheng Qikang frowned. “I don’t recall him. He might have already been kicked out.” But even if he hadn’t, kicking out an ordinary student wasn’t difficult for a professor like him.

He casually agreed, “I’ll take a look later.”

Cheng Zhuo was instantly delighted. He knew it—dealing with an ordinary student would be a piece of cake.

–

Registration had started at 8 a.m.

When Lin Su returned to the Association, it was nearly noon.

He Zhenling was still in the president’s office. He pushed the door open and entered, and the latter looked up. “Gone for so long?”

“I was catching up with Old Bai.”

He Zhenling raised an eyebrow slightly. “Catching up on what?”

Lin Su said paternally, “A reunion of two old fathers.” He thought for a moment and added, “You should come next time. The three of us fathers can have a reunion together.”

“…” He Zhenling’s brow twitched violently! He suppressed the urge, not wanting to imagine what a ridiculous scene that would be.

He changed the subject. “Everything went smoothly today, I assume?”

“Pretty smoothly.” Lin Su skipped over the two minor provocations and shared the hiring process with him. “In the end, he took me directly to Old Bai’s office.”

He Zhenling chuckled. “‘Little Boss’ is still as prominent as ever.”

Hearing the long-unheard nickname made Lin Su’s heart nearly skip a beat! He composed himself. “From now on, you’ll have to call me ‘Teacher Lin.’ Do you…” he paused, “…understand, Teacher He?”

The knuckles resting on the desk trembled.

He Zhenling looked at him from across the president’s office for a few seconds, then his lips curved. “Understood, Teacher Sleepyhead.”

“…” Lin Su swallowed lightly.

The other man’s gaze retreated as he said calmly, “Since it’s all decided, when do you plan to move over?”

He rubbed the Xuenima. “Plans can’t keep up with changes. We’ll see how it goes.”

“Mm, I’ll also withdraw from the school board then.”

Lin Su’s eyes shot up. Damn it, so back then he really was…

[He came for you.]

“He wants me to call him teacher.”

[…] Silence filled his consciousness.

Lin Su regained his composure and was about to say something when there were two knocks on the office door.

He Zhenling said, “Come in.”

The door opened, and a subordinate stood at the entrance. “President, someone came directly to the lobby downstairs, saying they’re here for a job.”

Lin Su and He Zhenling both fell silent for a moment.

How familiar this plot was.

The subordinate continued, “We asked him for identification, but he couldn’t produce any. He just had a profound and mysterious look, telling us to just get the President and Mr. Lin.”

The two of them: …Who has such a big ego?

He Zhenling put down his pen, and Lin Su also stood up. “Let’s go down and see.”

…

The two took the elevator downstairs.

The headquarters’ lobby was spacious and bright. As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they saw a familiar figure standing in the middle of the hall—

His posture was ramrod straight, his tailcoat elegant. He stood with his hands behind his back, facing several members of the supervisory committee with an untamable air.

The supervisory committee members looked at each other, perplexed.

Lin Su’s gaze hardened. …No wonder he had such a big ego. Wasn’t this the butler?

One member said, “Uh, this… Mr. Butler, although you look very professional, you have to go through the proper channels to be hired by our Association.”

The butler remained silent, giving a mysterious smile.

Lin Su: “…”

What was the butler doing? Did he also want to experience the thrill of acting cool and mysterious?

“Did you call for him?”

He Zhenling: “I think I called him to come and cook.”

Lin Su sighed, reluctantly. “But if I go and claim him directly, I’m afraid it’ll make him feel too good.”

“Good point.”

There was a movement beside him, and He Zhenling was already striding forward. As he approached, the supervisory committee members all turned. “President!” Their gazes then shifted. “Mr. Lin.”

Facing all the gazes, the butler gave a knowing smile. “I have arrived.”

“…”

Lin Su looked at him for two seconds, then suddenly turned his head. “Is this the simulation smart butler you got for me?”

The butler: “…?”

He Zhenling paused for a moment, then said softly, “That’s right. He can only say a few simple sentences right now. You can try teaching him to speak.”

Lin Su turned back with delight. “I want to make him quack with every step. Can I do that?”

The butler: “…”

Author’s note:

Butler: I’ll behave now, please let me off.

–

Big Bird He: I will hold this grudge forever. Forever.

Kun: The power-fantasy protagonist can only be me.

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