Chapter 229: Money Power

Chapter 229: Chapter 229: Money Power

"We can be flexible on the price. As long as we can sign the contract, it’s fine even if you offer a little less."

After Lin Shu spoke, Jiang Fan couldn’t hold back any longer. "Mr. Lin, are you the principal of this school?"

"Uh... yes, I’m the principal. What is it? Is there a problem?"

The moment he spoke, Jiang Fan’s brow furrowed deeper. "Since you’re the principal, I won’t beat around the bush."

"This school’s facilities are decent. Aside from its remote location, there don’t seem to be any major problems, and I noticed there are plenty of residential communities nearby."

"You have both an elementary and a middle school division. With this much space, you could even set up a high school division as long as you have the teaching staff."

"So why has it fallen into such a state?"

"What exactly happened here?"

After Jiang Fan’s questions, Lin Shu hesitated for a long time before finally speaking slowly. "Sir, please rest assured. There are absolutely no problems with the school’s accreditation or any other official matters."

"The reason it’s come to this is purely because I brought it on myself. It has nothing to do with the school."

At this, Lin Shu heaved a deep sigh, seeming to age several years in an instant. "Right now, I just want to unload this school. That’s all."

Jiang Fan raised an eyebrow. ’A school that shut down for an unknown reason likely poses a hidden danger to students.’

’He would never allow something like that to happen.’

"Alright, enough questions. Come on, take us to see the paperwork."

Jun Yue interrupted their conversation.

Jiang Fan and Lin Shu both glanced at her but said nothing more.

The three of them went straight to the principal’s office, where they saw a variety of certificates and licenses displayed on the desk.

The paperwork was complete, and everything was legal and aboveboard.

"All the school’s documents are here. Do you have any other questions?"

Lin Shu finally spoke after the two had finished looking.

"The paperwork all checks out. Just one last question: how much are you asking for the school?"

After asking, Jiang Fan began to calculate in his head. ’Including the land and buildings, a school like this should be unimaginably expensive. At least ten million, easy.’

’Add in the licenses, and the price could easily be marked up to twenty million.’

"Fifteen million. Transfer the funds, and we can handle the paperwork and sign the contract immediately."

But the price Lin Shu quoted only deepened Jiang Fan’s suspicions.

’For this location, that price is unbelievably low. Something is very wrong.’

’If that was the real price, someone would have snapped it up long ago. It wouldn’t have been left abandoned like this.’

’But there’s no way Jun Yue can’t see all this.’

"Fifteen-point-five million. Tell me what happened at this school."

"Why did it shut down? Why did it end up like this?"

"Principal Lin, it seems that if you’re not willing to tell the truth, my brother here probably won’t sign this contract."

Jiang Fan wondered if it was his imagination, but he thought he saw a fleeting smirk flash across the corner of Jun Yue’s mouth.

"It’s not that I’m unwilling to say it, it’s just that this matter..."

SIGH.

Letting out a long sigh, tears began to stream down Lin Shu’s face before he could even speak.

"In the end, the root cause was that I was too eager for quick success."

"I put too much pressure on the students, constantly subjecting them to a high-stress environment without ever considering if they could handle it."

"If any student fell behind or their grades slipped, the lightest consequence was a reprimand. Harsher punishments involved being berated or even beaten. Harsher still, their parents would be criticized along with them."

"Under my leadership, the entire academic atmosphere of the school became stagnant and lifeless."

"Finally, some students couldn’t take the pressure anymore and leaped from the rooftop."

"It was three students together. They were the three most promising students with the best grades in their year."

Hearing this, there wasn’t a trace of sympathy in the look Jiang Fan gave Lin Shu.

’Those who are pitiable often have a detestable side.’

’He’s crying now out of self-pity, sadness, grief, and regret!’

’But what about those three kids, who were in the bloom of their youth?’

’Their lives had just begun, only to end with that leap from the rooftop.’

’The root cause, as he himself admitted, was his obsession with quick success and high matriculation rates.’

’That’s why he used such high-pressure tactics, squeezing their free time, their personal lives, their rest.’

’To put it more harshly, he was squeezing the very life out of them!’

"That shouldn’t have been enough. Just three students jumping off a building. With your influence back then, you couldn’t suppress it?"

"I’m guessing the parents of those three students were influential, weren’t they?"

Jun Yue’s indifferent voice sounded out.

’This reminded her of a very unpleasant experience.’

’She, too, had once spent time in a similar academic environment, but the Matron had shrewdly noticed that something was wrong.’

’The Matron had immediately arranged for her to take a leave of absence.’

’It was only thanks to that period of recovery that she was spared from lifelong trauma and irreparable regret.’

Jiang Fan sighed and shook his head.

"I just want to know one thing now. If the school reopens, will this affect us?"

He was concerned about the future of the children from the orphanage.

"Well..."

Lin Shu’s long silence told Jiang Fan that the matter was far from resolved.

’But of course... Their children, who were in the bloom of youth, had died at this school, because of this school.’

’So the biggest problem with buying this school now was figuring out how to deal with the parents of those three students.’

"Fifteen-point-five million. I’ll have it wired to your account. Sign the contract and get out."

After she spoke, Jun Yue picked up the contract, scanned it briefly, and seeing no issues, signed her name.

Lin Shu hesitated for a very, very long time, but he didn’t sign.

Instead, he looked up at them.