Zombie Bodyguard

Chapter 1719 - 1716: A Sincere Invitation

Although Secretary Yang Weicheng mentioned that Principal Yu is approachable, Lin Tian still found it odd to be told right off the bat that they wouldn’t be held accountable. Why call me over then? For a chat over tea?

"Principal Yu, could you explain the situation in detail? I still don’t quite understand." Lin Tian asked, feeling puzzled.

"Alright." Principal Yu nodded and said, "I know about the match between you and the team. Those two foreign players are still in the hospital. Do you know the extent of their injuries?"

Lin Tian and Xu Feibai both shook their heads, but simultaneously looked down on each other, thinking: they obviously know, but they’re pretending not to. How fake. Of course, one has to play dumb about this, so those foreign players learn their lesson.

If you can’t behave as a person, why bother playing football?

Without pausing, Principal Yu continued, "Both have ankle sprains and varying degrees of hairline fractures on the shin bones. That goalkeeper also has quite severe abdominal muscle bruising. The doctor’s orders are three months of rest."

At this, Principal Yu glanced at Lin Tian and Xu Feibai, then continued, "This means neither can participate in next month’s match."

"Oh, that’s quite a severe injury." Lin Tian said innocently, but in his mind, he thought: this would be more than just sprains and fractures if it happened outside school.

"Indeed, it’s pretty severe. Regarding this, there are differing opinions between the university football team and the football club," Principal Yu added, but his face showed no particular emotion.

"Oh, how is this related to the university football team?" Lin Tian wondered aloud, also catching the subtlety in Principal Yu’s wording.

The subtlety lay in the term "differing opinions," a vague expression that leaders like to use.

Unaware of Lin Tian’s thoughts, Principal Yu just continued, "Most university football team members are also part of the football club, and around this incident, their opinions have split into two factions."

"One faction insists on holding you and Teacher Xu accountable, believing that you were undoubtedly in contact with the two players—there’s no doubt about that. As a teacher, Xu also has some responsibility. This is their perspective. The other faction believes we should seize this opportunity to do away with foreign players and develop our own strong team, instead of relying solely on foreign talent while our own players get worse."

Principal Yu glanced at Lin Tian and Xu Feibai, naming both of them but seeing no worried expressions on their faces.

If it were anyone else, they’d probably be in a panic now. But, knowing these two’s backgrounds, Principal Yu couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. They indeed had the composure to back their calmness.

Xu Feibai had so many PhD certificates it made one wonder if they were fake, but they were all proven to be genuine.

And they were from heavyweight institutions like Cambridge, Harvard, and England Empire College, including one from our own Jinghua University.

According to Xu Feibai’s resume, he could pursue three to four disciplines simultaneously, excelling in each. This is why he became a multiple PhD holder at such a young age.

When he applied to Jinghua University for a teaching position, Principal Yu was stunned. Even more surprising, this multi-PhD chose to apply for a sports teacher position.

Not that being a sports teacher isn’t good, but with his talent, teaching sports seemed a waste. To this day, Principal Yu remained puzzled, attributing it to the fact that geniuses don’t take the usual paths.

As for Lin Tian, Principal Yu wasn’t sure of his exact identity, but knew that when Lin Tian enrolled, the Yun Family had a word with the school, and that alone was enough.

"So, has Principal Yu decided which side to support?" Lin Tian asked knowingly.

"Indeed, injuries are commonplace on the football field, and as far as I know, you didn’t break any rules. Punishing you wouldn’t hold up due to lack of evidence. So, the responsibility doesn’t lie with you, nor with Teacher Xu. This was just a normal accident." Principal Yu said bluntly.

"Principal Yu, you are truly perceptive. We students are fortunate. However, besides clarifying responsibility, did you call us here for something else?" Lin Tian asked, shifting the topic.

"Let me get straight to the point. Every year, the national collegiate football league is held domestically, and during the league, every school hires external players, though it’s an open secret."

"The league’s purpose was to cultivate more football talent, but now it’s somewhat distorted, relying solely on foreign players for wins and losses, opposing the healthy, progressive spirit of sports."

"Sport is an indispensable part of education. I want to start doing something about it, from our school’s team, to build our own robust team."

"It requires more talent, so I want to invite Lin Tian to join the football team, and also Teacher Xu. Of course, it’s not mandatory; it’s just my personal request." Principal Yu said sincerely.

Truth be told, Lin Tian was somewhat in awe of Principal Yu after hearing this. The use of foreign players has long been an unspoken rule of the league, and seeking to change that means going against all schools, demanding not just wisdom but also courage.

However, Lin Tian still shook his head, "I’m sorry, Principal Yu, I can’t agree to your request."

"I share the same view as Lin Tian." Xu Feibai promptly added.

Both of them didn’t offer explanations, but they knew the truth. If Principal Yu wanted fair play and direct competition, having Lin Tian and Xu Feibai join would be anything but fair.

Given their abilities, they could easily win against not just eleven, but even a hundred opponents. The match would lose its meaning, going against Principal Yu’s ideals.

Principal Yu showed undisguised disappointment on his face; clearly, he had invested all his sincerity for his dream.

Nonetheless, he didn’t press further, only regrettably saying, "What a pity, but everyone has their aspirations. Even if you don’t join the league, you’ll surely succeed in other fields. Study well, and don’t waste such good times."

Lin Tian and Xu Feibai left the principal’s office, initially expecting some trouble, but the outcome was unexpected.

"You really have a heart, rejecting the principal’s sincerity." Xu Feibai said with a subtle smile.

"Doing what we should where we belong and using our abilities—this is already great. There are so many issues in the world, can we really manage them all?" Lin Tian looked into the distance, his expression unusually calm.

"A savior, huh?" Xu Feibai muttered softly, not pursuing the topic further.

When they returned to the football field, the classmates were gathered together, too distracted to train. From their conversations, it was clear they were worried about the outcome of Lin Tian’s meeting.

Among those classmates, Lin Tian noticed a beautiful silhouette—it was Xiao Manxuan. The little girl stood there pouting, seemingly angry with someone.