Ba Le High School.
At the school gate.
Principal Qian Laiye and the dean of discipline Jia Yong stood side by side, both wearing solemn expressions as if they were waiting to welcome some extraordinary VIP.
Time passed minute by minute.
Jia Yong's patience was gradually wearing thin.
He glanced sideways at Qian Laiye, who was staring eagerly toward the road, and muttered under his breath with a curl of his lips.
"Isn't it just a new PE teacher? Do we really have to stand here like idiots waiting for him?"
"You know nothing!"
Qian Laiye shot him a fierce glare, his voice suddenly rising.
"Have you ever seen someone donate an entire teaching building just to become a PE teacher at our school?"
"You haven't? Well, neither have I!"
"For the long-term development of this school, what's wrong with me, the principal, personally welcoming our future colleague?"
"What? Donated… a whole teaching building?"
Jia Yong's tiny eyes widened in disbelief, his voice trembling.
"My god, teachers barely make any money. Why would anyone donate a whole building just to become a teacher?"
"Is this guy so rich he doesn't know what to do with his money, or is there something wrong with his brain?"
With his understanding of the world, he simply couldn't comprehend such outrageous extravagance.
Seeing Jia Yong's twisted expression of shock, Qian Laiye nodded in satisfaction.
When he had first heard the news himself, his reaction had been almost identical.
However, someone like him who loved money above all else didn't think too deeply about it.
As long as the school benefited, he wouldn't mind flattering anyone.
If necessary, he could even kneel down and call them "father."
"Ahem."
Jia Yong cleared his throat, trying to recover some dignity as the dean of discipline.
"Principal, that may be true…"
"But we're still the leaders of this school. We represent the school's image."
"Even if he donated a building, we don't need to humble ourselves like this, do we?"
After saying that, he straightened his back and put on a righteous expression.
Qian Laiye glanced at him like he was looking at an idiot.
He knew very well that Jia Yong's habit of caring about appearances had returned again.
"Leader? That reminds me—our school happens to be short of a janitor."
"How about I transfer you there? Then you won't be part of the school leadership anymore."
Qian Laiye smiled without warmth as he continued leisurely.
"I only asked you to stand here with me and welcome someone, yet you've been whining nonstop."
"Do you still have any respect for me as the principal?"
Jia Yong smacked his lips.
All the words in his throat instantly got stuck.
No matter how powerful the dean of discipline was, he was still appointed by the principal.
If he were really transferred to become a janitor, he wouldn't even be able to pay his mortgage.
His livelihood mattered most.
Immediately, he forced out a smile uglier than crying.
"Yes, yes, Principal, you're absolutely right. I was wrong. I won't say another word."
As he spoke, he quickly switched to a flattering expression.
"Hmph. At least you know what's good for you."
Qian Laiye snorted in satisfaction and returned his gaze to the road outside the school gate.
About fifteen minutes later—
"Vroom!"
A deep engine roar approached from afar, instantly tearing apart the quiet atmosphere of the campus.
A blazing red streak shot forward under the sunlight like a bolt of lightning, leaving a dazzling trail as if it had been given angelic wings.
"SCREECH!"
With a sharp and dramatic sound of friction, a sleek Ferrari sports car executed a perfect drifting stop right in front of the school gate.
The car door lifted gracefully like a wing.
A tall young man in his early twenties stepped out calmly.
He casually removed the black sunglasses from his face, revealing a handsome visage that could easily make others pale in comparison.
His facial features were deep and sculpted like a masterpiece.
His flawless face combined with a perfectly tailored white casual outfit gave him an air of elegance and nobility.
The man was none other than Lan Tianyu.
Originally, he had planned to simply teleport directly to the school.
However, Wei Qingxia had insisted that he drive a sports car instead.
Her reasoning was that it would attract more women's attention and maybe help him find a suitable wife.
It seemed that whether in his previous life or this one, once a man reached a certain age, he could never escape the fate of being pressured into marriage.
Left with no choice, he drove the sports car.
It certainly attracted attention.
Several beautiful women had already approached him during the trip, but he had rejected them all.
Not because he disliked beautiful women—
But because his standards were rather high.
Those women who were considered goddesses by others looked fairly ordinary in his eyes.
He simply couldn't muster any interest.
Naturally, such a flashy entrance caught the attention of Qian Laiye and Jia Yong.
The two exchanged glances, momentarily stunned.
Jia Yong recovered first and muttered sourly under his breath.
"Tsk. With an entrance like that, he's probably that rich guy."
"So what if he has money?"
"But why isn't he coming in? Does he expect us to go out and greet him?"
Qian Laiye didn't fully understand either, but that didn't stop him from plastering a flattering smile on his face.
"Shut up! Come with me!"
He barked softly and hurried toward Lan Tianyu with small quick steps.
The way he moved made him look like he had just seen a walking mountain of gold.
Jia Yong was unwilling in every way possible but still followed behind the principal.
"Sir, you must be Director Lan Tianyu, correct?"
"I've heard so much about you! Welcome to Ba Le High School. Your presence truly brings great honor to our humble institution!"
Qian Laiye called out warmly before he even reached him, his enthusiasm almost bordering on sycophantic.
Lan Tianyu looked at the two approaching figures.
Qian Laiye.
Jia Yong.
He instantly recognized them.
Two faces that felt both familiar and unfamiliar.
Familiar because he had seen them on screen before.
Unfamiliar because he had never actually spoken to them.
Lan Tianyu sighed softly.
What he feared most had happened after all.
That damned Murphy's Law.
He had originally wanted to avoid Qian Laiye, yet somehow they still ended up meeting.
However—
He wasn't about to back down.
No matter who stood in his way, nothing could stop him from approaching the protagonists and collecting luck.
"I am Lan Tianyu. You must be Principal Qian Laiye. A pleasure to meet you."
Lan Tianyu smiled politely and extended his hand.
Qian Laiye was visibly flattered and instinctively bowed slightly.
He knew exactly who Lan Tianyu was.
The crown prince of the Lan Group, its future heir, worth at least several billion.
Although he couldn't understand why someone like this would humble himself to become a PE teacher, that didn't stop him from trying to cling to such a powerful figure.
In recent years, the city had developed rapidly.
Educational resources had been upgrading at an incredible speed, leaving Ba Le High School struggling with insufficient teaching staff.
If not for the support of some parents from Ultimate Class, the school might have already been eliminated by the fierce competition.
The wealthy man standing before him was practically the school's lifeline.
Qian Laiye made up his mind.
Even if he had to throw away his dignity, he would treat this young master perfectly.
With that thought, he firmly grasped Lan Tianyu's hand.
"Director Lan, you're too polite."
"For you to come teach at Ba Le High School is truly a blessing for the entire school—and an honor for me, Qian Laiye."
Lan Tianyu's eyes narrowed slightly as he examined the face in front of him filled with flattery and worldly cunning.
This…
Was the legendary Golden Brush Guest?
Why did he feel more like the greedy housekeeper back at his family estate?
The tone of voice and expression were practically identical.
The contrast felt absurd.
Yet the system notification that sounded in his mind gave him an unexpected surprise.
[Ding!]
[Host has come into contact with a protagonist of this world: Qian Laiye. Luck collection in progress…]
[Qian Laiye's favorability toward the host: Low. Collection efficiency +50%!]
[10.095%… 10.097%…]
Lan Tianyu froze slightly.
Qian Laiye was also a protagonist?
After thinking about it briefly, it actually made sense.
The book "Golden Brush Points the Dragon", written by him, ran throughout the entire Ultimate Series.
Calling him a protagonist wasn't unreasonable.
However—
The fact that he already had a relatively decent favorability toward him from the start was something Lan Tianyu hadn't expected.