Chapter 75 Associate Professor Shi?

Aside from onboarding and major meetings, teachers like Shi Shi are not usually entitled to be summoned by school leaders. Yet, at this moment, she not only sat in the vice principal's office but also had the privilege of drinking tea personally poured by him.

Perhaps it was the awakening of the working class spirit, because Shi Shi's attitude towards the vice principal was neither humble nor arrogant.

"You've been working here for a few months now, how's it going, are you settling in well?"

Those who know, know; this is just the beginning of a conversation.

"Principal, I really love this job! I completed my bachelor's and master's degrees at your school. Every day at work feels like coming home."

This answer clearly demonstrates Shi Shi's high emotional intelligence. First, she was facing Vice Principal Li, who is in charge of personnel. However, she neither used the title "Vice Principal" nor his surname. If her tone had been very sincere, it would have given the impression that she only recognized him as the principal. Next, she expressed her enjoyment of the job and mentioned that she had been with the school for many years. This both indicated that she was a newcomer and implied her familiarity with the school. The last sentence was the key. Treating the school like her own home, shouldn't she be more concerned about things happening at home?

Vice Principal Li was a shrewd man; he slightly curled the corners of his mouth and tapped Shi Shi twice with his index finger. He said, "You, you," in a very approachable manner.

Looks like this is a good thing!

"You silly child, why didn't you report such a good thing to the school?" The tone became slightly stern as she spoke.

Shi Shi looked completely bewildered: "Principal, could you please give me a clearer explanation?"

"The military song was selected for the Army Day performance!"

So that's how it is! She handled this very discreetly, thinking that if things went wrong, she could just make a big splash. Now that the school knows, there's only one possibility...

She pretended to be embarrassed and counted on her fingers: "It was like a windfall that I was able to participate in the election. After passing the preliminary round, I thought my good luck had run out. So I didn't tell you. It was my mistake."

Vice Principal Li looked at her disapprovingly: "It's good for young people to be modest, but excessive modesty is a sign of disrespect for our school's strength!"

"ah?"

"Are you saying that just anyone can be a teacher at our school? This is proof of your abilities! People from the Arts and Sports Department have come to the school to check your records."

If she's eliminated, there's no point in bothering to investigate her; after all, they're not just looking for trouble! So...

Shi Shi excitedly sat up from the stool: "Did I get selected?"

Vice Principal Li visibly smiled: "Be more confident, drop the 'ma'! Congratulations, Teacher Shi."

"Congratulations, Principal! It is thanks to the school's nurturing over the years that I was able to write these songs. I have not let the school down."

Li Tongqiang waved his hand, gesturing for Shi Shi to sit down: "The word 'shared joy' is well-chosen; the school is benefiting from your success. A few of us leaders had a small meeting and decided to give you a reward. Do you want to know what it is?"

Shi Shi shook her head: "Being selected is already a huge blessing for me; I wouldn't dare dream of anything more." Although she said this, she secretly hoped the school wouldn't be stingy. She'd accept whatever they offered!

Li Tongqiang didn't keep anyone in suspense: "From now on, I can't call you Teacher Shi anymore; I have to call you Associate Professor Shi."

"I'm afraid my qualifications aren't enough to be an associate professor. I'm worried it would put the university in a difficult position."

Seeing that she was still thinking about school at this time, Li Tongqiang couldn't help but think more highly of her.

"Don't worry, it's just a visiting associate professorship. I know you'll be busy with your creative work outside, so your time will inevitably be limited. Now you'll be able to create even more works!"

This put Shi Shi in a dilemma. Visiting professors generally need a doctoral degree or a professorship or other senior professional title, or a tenured associate professorship at a renowned overseas university. Clearly, Shi Shi didn't possess either of these qualifications. Therefore, the university must have granted her this position based on a certain level of social influence in a particular field.

The only difference between a visiting professor and her teacher is that neither of them has a permanent position!

Somewhat unwilling to give up, she tentatively asked, "Principal, this is a great help to me, but I'm afraid that after changing my status, my relationship with our school will become distant."

Li Tongqiang clearly knew what she was asking: "Don't worry, you'll always be one of us at Kyoto University! I'll still have to order you around in the future!" After saying that, Li Tongqiang picked up the teacup on the table, his sharp eyes falling on the tea in the cup, forming a reflection.

In reality, this matter was far more complicated than Shi Shi had imagined. How many faculty and staff members did Kyoto University have? There were far more applicants than available positions. Shi Shi's participation in this Army Day song selection was surprising in itself. Perhaps she possessed genuine talent. While the selection process appeared calm and uneventful, a large number of people were actually watching closely. If she hadn't performed well, she wouldn't have been chosen. Li Tongqiang believed that Shi Shi had powerful connections behind her, and at a very high level.

Why not forge a good relationship?

Finally, in order to make it easier for Principal Li to "use" her, Shi Shi even took the initiative to leave his contact information.

The conversation thus ended amicably.

With her career going smoothly, Shi Shi's mood was even happier. Lin Sui's belongings had been officially moved out of the villa, and Shi Shi looked at her shopping list and started buying things.

The bedding should be of good quality. A person spends at least six hours a day in bed.

I also need to buy a doghouse for the dog, and some cute little clothes. Her baby wants to be the most beautiful little princess!

Beautiful tableware, gorgeous curtains, exquisite ornaments...

One hour later...

Shi Shi looked at her 267 items waiting to be shipped and fell silent.

So no matter how much money you earn, it can't keep up with how fast you spend it.

Aunt Zhang is off tomorrow, so she didn't stay at Shi Shi's house tonight. When she saw the host get up to drink water, Runrun walked past her with an air of aloofness.

Shi Shi paused, her hand holding the water glass still. This dog... it has way too much of a sense of boundaries!

He's so calm, he doesn't even look like a little puppy anymore.

Other puppies are being affectionate and begging for cuddles.

Her dog, with a kingly disdain, treats you like air, and thinks you mortals are unworthy.

That's... a bit outrageous...

By the way, what kind of dog is this again?

She took a picture of the dog and uploaded it for image recognition.

Tibetan Mastiff

It is a mammal belonging to the genus Canis in the family Canidae of the order Carnivora.

Tibetan Mastiffs are known for their fierce, combative, decisive, and powerful nature. They are loyal to their owners, territorial, and retain a wild streak, sometimes exhibiting aggression towards strangers. Their unwavering loyalty makes them ideal guard dogs for nomadic peoples and they are also considered the best protectors of kings and tribal chiefs. They are one of the world's most fearless dog breeds.

With a "thud," Shi Shi's phone fell to the ground.

From this day forward, Fu Yingzhou is her living father!