Chapter 94: Lose the Game, Lose the Money, and Lose Face

At this point, how could Pang Jiahui still dare to default on the bet?

Zhao Shuncheng had already made his position perfectly clear: either he obediently honored the wager, or he could pack up and get out.

Pang Jiahui might ignore Gao Zixi. He might disregard Li Sichen. But he did not dare defy the principal of Nanshan Middle School. Unless he truly no longer wanted to work there.

Unfortunately for him, Pang Jiahui did not know that even if he faithfully carried out the wager, he would still be fired. Even if Zhao Shuncheng wanted to protect him, there would be no way to do so.

He had offended Lin Siyu and Li Sichen.

And he had done it right under Lin Muxue’s eyes.

Sure enough, Zhao Shuncheng had only just hurried over to Lin Muxue’s side, not even having time to begin a self-criticism, when the young and beautiful school trustee spoke.

“Principal Zhao, I entrusted Nanshan Middle School to you because I wanted to build it into a renowned school with a century of history. When selecting teachers, you must not only value educational ability, but also strictly screen for character and conduct. I hope you understand that professional ethics are extremely important. They concern not only the reputation of our school, but also the growth of our students...”

Lin Muxue’s tone was calm, but Zhao Shuncheng’s back broke out in sheets of cold sweat.

He was frightened rigid.

He nodded hard and said, “Yes, yes, School Trustee Lin, you are absolutely right. We should place great importance on professional ethics. Someone like Pang Jiahui, who lacks professional integrity and brings shame to our school’s reputation, is not fit to be a teacher here! Tomorrow... no, in a moment, I will dismiss him!”

Lin Muxue nodded and said nothing more.

By the side of the court, Pang Jiahui still did not know he had already lost his job.

He chose to give in.

“What is it, just two months’ salary? I can afford to lose that much!” Pang Jiahui said with a cold snort, pretending to be relaxed. But inside, his heart was bleeding.

“Wait here. I’ll go to the bank and get it for you.”

Li Sichen raised a hand to stop him. “Go to the bank? Forget it. Who knows whether, once you step out of the gymnasium, you’ll start denying the debt again? You have mobile banking, don’t you? Transfer it directly to us.”

“You don’t trust me?” Pang Jiahui’s face darkened at once, his expression ugly.

Ordinary students might have been intimidated by him, but Li Sichen did not care in the slightest about offending him. He nodded and said, “That’s right. I don’t trust you.”

In truth, at this moment, it wasn’t only Li Sichen who did not trust him. No one present trusted him, not even the students of Class Six, Third Year.

Who told him to have a record of going back on his word and shamelessly refusing to pay?

As they spoke, the students from Class Three, First Year surged forward and surrounded Pang Jiahui completely, leaving him with no way to leave. Meanwhile, when the students of Class Six, Third Year saw this, they not only failed to come help their homeroom teacher, they all kept their distance one after another.

They too were deeply ashamed of what their teacher had done.

Under these circumstances, Pang Jiahui had no choice. He could only obediently follow Li Sichen’s instructions and use mobile banking to transfer the money from his private stash to Li Sichen and Gao Zixi.

After it was done, looking at the single-digit balance displayed in his banking app, Pang Jiahui felt like crying.

The private savings he had painstakingly hidden away over several years had vanished with a single tap. It was a misery beyond words.

“The money has been given to you. Why are you still surrounding me? Move aside already!”

Pang Jiahui put away his phone and tried to leave.

Everyone in the gymnasium was mocking him and looking down on him. Even with his thick skin, he could not possibly endure it for long.

But the students surrounding him did not budge.

Because Li Sichen had said, “Don’t rush off. You haven’t finished honoring the wager yet.”

Pang Jiahui first froze, then asked furiously, “I’ve already given you two months’ salary. What more do you want?”

Li Sichen raised the wager agreement in his hand once more, pointed at the contents, and said with a smile, “Look here. It’s written clearly in black and white. You lost, so besides paying up, you also have to bring those girls and formally apologize to our class, and loudly say: ‘We are not as skilled as others. We are no match for Class Three, First Year!’”

At those words, before Pang Jiahui could even speak, He Juan beside him exploded first. Her hands trembled with rage as she pointed at Li Sichen and snarled through clenched teeth, “Don’t push this too far!”

“I’m pushing too far?” Li Sichen laughed. “Who was it that, before the match even began, went around proclaiming they were going to wipe out our class? Who was it that, during the match, came over to mock and humiliate people from our class? So when you do those things, that’s not pushing too far, but when I make you honor the wager, that is?”

“This...” He Juan was left speechless, because she was indeed in the wrong.

At this moment, though, Li Sichen suddenly changed his tone. “However, I have to admit, you were actually right about one thing. Yes, I am bullying you. So what? Who told us to win the match, and win the wager?”

He Juan was furious, but there was nothing she could do.

If she had been the one to win the match and the wager, she would have done things far more harshly and bullied them even more than Li Sichen had. Unfortunately, the goddess of victory had not favored her.

“What are you standing there for? Apologize already!” Lin Siyu stepped to Li Sichen’s side and said.

The feeling of victory was truly exhilarating.

“Hurry up and apologize!” Tan Xiaoxiao also stood beside Li Sichen and urged them on.

“Apologize!”

The students of Class Three, First Year, who were gathered around them, all shouted in unison.

“Apologize! Apologize!”

Even the spectators in the stands joined in the shouting. It seemed Pang Jiahui, He Juan, and the others had truly provoked public outrage with their conduct in this match.

Even some of the students from Class Six, Third Year had “defected,” blending into the crowd and shouting for apologies...

For a moment, the noise shook the rafters, nearly lifting the gymnasium roof off its beams.

Faced with the public denunciation, Pang Jiahui, He Juan, and the others all felt fear.

“I’m sorry. We went too far earlier...”

One of the volleyball team members could not withstand the immense pressure and was the first to apologize.

Once one person took the lead, a second and then a third stepped forward to apologize...

In the end, only He Juan remained silent, and everyone’s gaze gathered on her.

He Juan did want to be the center of attention, but not like this. At last, she could not hold out any longer and said, “I’m sorry!”

Those simple three words seemed to drain every ounce of strength from her.

Seeing He Juan apologize, Pang Jiahui let out a long breath.

He did not care what He Juan was thinking. He only wanted to finish honoring the wager and avoid letting this affect his job.

Then, under Pang Jiahui’s lead, the group from Class Six, Third Year finally said, “We are not as skilled as others. We are no match for Class Three, First Year!”

Their voices were uneven and not especially loud, but for this match, full of twists and turns, it was the perfect ending.