Chapter 6: Celia Greaves Was a Hidden Treasure

The Dean of Discipline sneered, convinced Celia Greaves was digging her own grave. Charles Greaves suddenly realized that trying to get this girl into First High School might have been the single worst decision he had ever made. Someone who could sit in the principal's chair at First High School was never going to be an easy mark. Charles barely dared to curry favor with the principal. He only wanted to exchange a few polite words, then take Celia and leave. But Celia… What was with that tone, like she was strolling through her own backyard? The smile on Charles's face nearly cracked. "Principal Jackson, she's just a child…" He swallowed the rest. *She doesn't know any better. Please, be magnanimous.* The principal's body jerked as if he'd been struck. It took him a long moment to process what Celia had said. Then his eyes lit up, cutting off Charles mid-sentence. "Good! No time to waste. We'll finalize the paperwork today!" Charles froze. A beat later, shock gave way to flustered delight. He honestly had no idea when he'd ever caught this man's attention. The Dean of Discipline stared in disbelief. "Principal, are you sure you didn't misspeak? Do you even know how bad this student's grades are?" Principal Jackson chuckled, but his tone left no room for argument. "Do as I said." He truly didn't know how poor Celia's grades were. He only knew how terrifyingly gifted this darling troublemaker was. Charles snapped back to himself and hurried to smooth things over with a forced laugh. "Principal Jackson, my niece was only talking nonsense. Kids' words don't count. Her grades are bad, so I've already decided to send her to a Private High School. After high school, I'll send her abroad." Whatever favor he had somehow earned with the principal, spending even a sliver of it on Celia would be a complete waste. A Private High School wanted to compete with him for talent? The principal glared at Charles, displeased. "What, First High School is worse than a Private High School? Dean, go handle the paperwork. Right away!" Charles denied it in a rush. Seeing the principal's anger, he didn't dare bring up Private High School again. The Dean of Discipline answered in a low voice, but his mind had already started recalculating the Greaves family's weight in Pine City and what attitude he should take toward them from here on. This was the first time the principal had accepted a student without even looking at their grades. It seemed Charles Greaves's connections were far stronger than he'd imagined. No matter how hard the Dean of Discipline tried, he would never guess the truth. The principal's decision to take Celia had nothing to do with the Greaves family at all. Principal Jackson glanced at Charles again, his manner turning cool. "If Mr. Greaves has nothing else, you can head back. We'll arrange everything for Student Greaves." Charles turned to Celia and put on his most loving-uncle act. "I'll come pick you up tonight." Then he left with a wide smile. Celia followed the principal to the office. The moment they stepped inside, the principal asked cheerfully, "Celia, what made you decide to come study at First High School?" Even after all this time, Principal Jackson still remembered their first meeting with startling clarity. Back then, he had been accompanying his grand-uncle on an inspection visit to Celia's small-town elementary school. A crowd of children played happily on the field. Only Celia sat off to the side in silence, watching them with a thoughtful, distant gaze. He couldn't help walking over. "Little one, what are you thinking about?" The tiny child propped her head on one hand and gave them a look that clearly said, *You wouldn't understand.* "I suspect they have intellectual disabilities." His brow twitched. "Why do you think that?" And just listen to what this little wicked had said. She opened those calm eyes, her voice full of genuine confusion. "They didn't understand Calculus when they were five. But they're seven already, and they still can't figure out the Laplace Transform." "…" He hadn't even encountered the Laplace Transform until he was sixteen. He felt personally attacked. But when he saw how serious she looked, he knew she wasn't trying to be edgy or get attention. She truly believed it. He and his grand-uncle still didn't quite believe it, so they asked her a few questions. The results were even better than they'd expected. From that day on, he started paying attention to that little devil. Unfortunately, she'd never shown much interest in studying at a formal school, so he could only let it go. But this time, the little devil had come to him on her own. It felt like a gift had dropped straight from the heavens and landed on his head. He was so happy he could barely think straight. Celia blinked and offered a friendly smile. The moment he saw it, Principal Jackson's scalp prickled. He couldn't remember a single time that smile had ever meant something good. Seeing his wary expression, Celia rubbed her nose. "Uncle Jackson, I want to borrow your Chaoyuan Manuscript." Heh. The little girl had even started calling him "uncle." Principal Jackson kept a stiff face, as if he'd seen a ghost. "How do you know I have that book?" The book had been passed down through his family for generations. The writing inside was obscure, illogical, and nearly impossible to decipher. Their family didn't specialize in that field either, so although it had been handed down again and again, it had long since gathered dust. Almost no one even knew it existed. Celia cleared her throat and answered vaguely, "I heard about it." In truth, when she'd followed Butler Sowden's suggestion to come to Pine City, part of her had been curiosity about what her biological parents were like. But the main reason was to come to First High School and borrow that book from the principal. Principal Jackson's eyes widened. The words *Yeah, sure* nearly burst out of his mouth. He held it back. In the end, he didn't ask what she wanted the book for. He only said, "It isn't with me at the moment. In a few days, I'll go back to the Imperial Capital, retrieve it, and bring it to you. Is there anything else you want?" Celia considered for a moment. "I think I should also have a normal high school life. The kind where nobody bothers me." "As you should, as you should," Principal Jackson said with a relieved exhale. Without thinking too deeply, he agreed readily. "Our school will protect every student's safety." With him around, he didn't believe anyone would be suicidal enough to bother her. After making that promise, a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes. "Celia… I'm lending you a book that's been passed down through my family for generations. As for First High School's number-one ranking…" Celia nodded obediently. "Uncle Jackson, don't worry. It's locked in." A sincere smile spread across her face. If someone looked closely, they might even catch a trace of sympathy and apology aimed at him. Unfortunately, the principal was already lost in fantasies of crushing the other five-star high schools this year. He noticed nothing at all. With both sides getting the answers they wanted, they chatted happily. The Dean of Discipline soon finished the procedures and brought the documents over for the principal to review. After reading them, the principal pushed up his glasses. "Student Greaves will go to your class." The Dean of Discipline nearly jumped out of his skin. "Principal, how can you do that? I refuse!" He was the Dean of Discipline, and he was also the homeroom teacher of this year's top senior class. His class was filled with elite students. Celia Greaves thought she deserved to join them? As he spoke, he shoved Celia's transcript in front of the principal. "From childhood to now, every score is zero. That means her grades are terrible and her attitude toward studying is unacceptable! A student like this shouldn't even appear in our school!" The principal's voice carried a subtle weight. "Are you sure you don't want her? Celia Greaves is a good seedling." Unfortunately, the Dean of Discipline completely missed that the principal was giving him a chance to take it back. He rejected it without mercy. "I'm sure. Principal, I also suggest placing Student Greaves in Class Twelve. I think she'll fall behind the pace of the other classes." Class Twelve, also known as the International Class, was First High School's lowest-performing class. It was packed with rich kids and kids with powerful families. A whole gang of troublemakers. They didn't listen to anyone. Every teacher in the school dreaded them. The principal wasn't worried about Celia's grades at all. Thinking about Class Twelve's situation, he even felt that sending Celia there might be… oddly fitting. So he looked to Celia, silently asking. Celia nodded, and the matter was settled. The principal called over Class Twelve's homeroom teacher, Jillian Kyllyk, and explained Celia's situation. Jillian had earned her doctorate only three years ago. She had little seniority at First High School, and the moment she started, she'd been shoved into Class Twelve, the class nobody wanted to handle. But she had passion and energy. After hearing the principal out, she didn't reject Celia. Instead, she patted Celia's shoulder and encouraged her. "You've got this, Celia! I believe your grades can reach a whole new level. Come on, I'll take you to the classroom." Watching Celia leave, Principal Jackson sipped his goji berry tea that had been steeping for a long time, comfort spreading through his chest. First High School's position as number one in the capital this year was secured. Even number one in the whole state… He forced down his excitement and didn't dare think any further. Seeing the Dean of Discipline still frowning, the principal sighed and pulled a sheet of paper from his desk. He tapped the problem on it and showed him. "What do you think of this question?" The Dean of Discipline's heart lurched. He scanned the problem quickly, then focused on the handwritten solution steps below. It was a medium-to-high difficulty, innovative Math Olympiad problem, one he had studied carefully before. The solver's thinking was smooth, the steps complete, and the final answer matched what he had gotten. With the principal showing him this at such a moment, only one name came to mind. The Dean of Discipline's face went pale. "This… this problem was solved by Celia Greaves?" Anyone who could solve something like this had to be among the top math students at First High School. So what kind of talent had he just handed away with both hands? The principal's expression turned strange. If it were only that she could solve it, he wouldn't have been this excited. He was excited because the person who wrote that problem, along with several other Math Olympiad problems, was Celia herself. Celia Greaves was a hidden treasure. Who wouldn't be thrilled to dig her up? But seeing the Dean of Discipline looking utterly hollow, the principal moved his lips. In the end, he still didn't reveal the truth. He only said meaningfully, "You… sometimes you're too rigid in how you see things." After a moment, inspiration struck him and he changed the subject. "Has the Youth Olympiad started?" The Youth Olympiad, short for the Youth Olympiad Knowledge Competition, was Crown State's highest-level, largest-scale, and most influential academic competition for middle and high school students. It was hosted by Crown State's various academic associations. Top students gathered there. If a student could advance to the Provincial Competition, or even the State Competition, it would be an honor for the entire school. The Dean of Discipline forced himself to focus. "Yes. The Youth Olympiad Math Competition is about to begin. Our school already held evaluations last week and selected the students who will participate in this Provincial Competition." Principal Jackson narrowed his eyes, then smiled. "Mm. I understand." He held a title in the Math Association. It seemed he had a separate recommendation quota… The Dean of Discipline stumbled out of the Principal's Office in a daze. When the cold wind hit him, he suddenly woke up. Earlier, he had been shocked that Celia could solve that problem. The more he thought about it, the more familiar the handwriting and steps seemed. When he finally remembered why, his face darkened and anger flared in his chest. Wasn't that handwriting from one of their school's math teachers? Just to make him think better of Celia, the principal had gone this far? With that thought, the Dean of Discipline disliked Celia even more. ------------------------------ Along the way, Jillian spoke to Celia patiently. Celia responded, nodding from time to time. Before they even reached Class Twelve, the sheer volume of noise from inside drifted into their ears. Jillian explained, "They're… pretty lively." She stepped into the classroom first, slapped the lectern, and shouted herself hoarse. "Quiet! Everyone, quiet down!" The noise barely weakened. Jillian felt exhausted, but the next second, everything around her abruptly fell silent. The chaos in the classroom cut off like someone had flipped a switch. Every student sat still as a statue, and as if by silent agreement, they all turned their eyes to the person behind her…