Period seven ended.
The effects of the "Memory Capsule" wore off.
After studying continuously for over two hours, Shen Qiushan stretched lazily, then got up and left the classroom to go to the restroom.
"Did you hear? The sports students are going to challenge that Old Deng from Class 5!"
"Really, which sports student? Gao Bin? He's pretty much the only one among the sports students who's good at studying!"
"No! It's the sports students! All the sports students, they said they're fighting for the honor of the sports team!"
"These sports students must be crazy, picking a fight with an Old Deng. Isn't that just bullying an older person!"
"They say that Old Deng is really good at English, the sports students might not even win!"
"I don't think so; no matter how good he is, he can't keep up with us young people!"
"..."
Squatting in the restroom, Shen Qiushan passively received this wave of news.
As for the sports students wanting to challenge him, he was a bit speechless.
Indeed, only kids could do something so childish!
But, looking at it from another perspective, perhaps this is the charm of youth.
The courage to mess around.
The willingness to mess around.
The energy to mess around!
Once you get older, just thinking about many things gives you a headache, let alone having the energy to mess around!
Returning to the classroom, Shen Qiushan hadn't even sat down on his chair yet.
Gao Bin, along with Xu Zhishuai and a few other sports students, came to the door of Class 5's classroom.
"Wu Ruohan, call Uncle Shen for me!"
Gao Bin nudged his lips towards Wu Ruohan, who was sitting in the first row.
Evidently, they knew each other.
Since they already saw Gao Bin and the others, there was no need for Wu Ruohan to say anything. Shen Qiushan walked out: "What's up?"
"Uncle Shen, we're all from the school sports team, and teammates with Shen Yixiao. We heard your English vocabulary is quite extensive, and we'd like to have a friendly contest with you."
As Gao Bin spoke, he took an envelope and handed it to Shen Qiushan: "Uncle Shen, this is an invitation!"
"Wow, an invitation!"
Shen Qiushan smiled, took the envelope, and opened it. Inside, there was indeed a quite formally formatted invitation.
Dear Uncle Shen:
Greetings!
We are very honored to extend this sincere invitation to you. We sincerely invite you to participate in the "English Vocabulary Contest" held on [next Monday, 5 PM] at [the first floor of the school canteen].
The purpose of this competition is to promote English exchange among students, enhance the reserve of English vocabulary, and support the upcoming college entrance exam.
We sincerely look forward to you accepting the invitation and joining this exciting event.
Sincerely, all the sports students of the senior year.
After reading the invitation, Shen Qiushan nodded with a smile: "OK, I'll definitely be there on time!"
"Great, Uncle Shen."
"It's a deal then!"
Gao Bin thought Shen Qiushan would consider the offer before replying, but was surprised by such a straightforward acceptance.
"It's a deal."
Shen Qiushan nodded with a smile and returned to the classroom with the invitation.
After delivering the "challenge letter," Gao Bin and the others quickly left the teaching building and returned to the training ground.
"Uncle Shen, can I take a look at the invitation?"
Unable to suppress her curiosity any longer, Wu Ruohan asked softly as Shen Qiushan walked past her seat.
"Go ahead and take a look."
Shen Qiushan placed the envelope on Wu Ruohan's desk with a smack.
He secretly chuckled: Kids are just so curious.
"Class monitor, let me take a look too."
"Class monitor, I want to see it too..."
"I want to see it, I want to see it!!"
In no time, the classmates in the class surrounded Wu Ruohan.
Because there were too many people crowding around, not everyone could see clearly. So the English class representative, Yan Lei, simply read it out loud while looking at it...
"These sports students are quite polite, they even made an invitation!"
"This isn't an invitation, it's clearly a challenge letter!"
"This is called courtesy before force. Looks like these sports students aren't completely brainless."
"They actually dared to challenge Uncle Shen, they're really overestimating themselves!"
"The competition is next week, and I already can't wait for it!"
"Haha, I want to see Uncle Shen dominate and crush those sports students!"
"..."
After reading the invitation, everyone immediately started discussing it, and at the same time, they all glanced at Shen Qiushan either intentionally or unintentionally.
However, at this moment, Shen Qiushan acted as if nothing had happened, picking up a history book to read after returning to his seat.
Calm in the face of change!
That's the mark of an expert!
Wu Ruohan, Yan Lei, and a group of kids couldn't help but secretly admire him in their hearts.
On the sports field.
During a training break, Shen Yixiao was sitting behind the basketball hoop, cooling off.
Wang Yunpeng was leaning against the basketball hoop, staring intently in the direction of the teaching building, "Brother Xiao, do you think Uncle Shen will agree?"
Shen Yixiao and Wang Yunpeng weren't suited to be part of the team delivering the challenge letter, so they didn't go over.
"He probably will agree!"
"My dad isn't a coward!"
"Even if he knows he'll lose, he'll most likely still agree."
Shen Yixiao gave his assessment.
"Yeah, I think so too."
Wang Yunpeng chimed in, and then he saw Gao Bin, Xu Zhishuai, and the others pushing and shoving as they walked out of the teaching building, each with a smile on their face.
"Looks like Uncle Shen really agreed!"
"I knew he would!"
"But from now on, we really have to work hard, I don't want to lose to my dad again!"
Shen Yixiao stood up, showing a rare serious expression.
"Yeah, I have to work hard too!"
"We absolutely cannot lose to Uncle Shen!"
Wang Yunpeng clenched his fist tightly, determination showing in his eyes.
"Ah Xiao, Uncle Shen accepted the challenge."
"From now on, we all need to work hard!"
Gao Bin, returning to the sports field, nodded solemnly at Shen Yixiao, then waved his arms and said, "Brothers, let's continue practicing!"
"Let's make some noise and let everyone know that we athletes are also studying hard!"
"OK!"
"Go!!"
"Damn, I love English!"
Inspired by Gao Bin, the testosterone-driven athletes started chanting English vocabulary again with gusto.
At this moment, a business van stopped in front of the office building, and Principal Wang Guangqing and Director of Academic Affairs Xu Decai got out one after the other.
In fact, the office building was quite a distance from the sports field, but the athletes were making such a racket that Wang Guangqing and Xu Decai heard it the moment they got out of the car.
At first, the two thought there was a fight on the field, but after listening carefully, they realized the athletes were collectively reciting vocabulary.
"What's going on with these guys?"
"What's gotten into them?"
Principal Wang Guangqing looked around at those nearby in confusion.
But everyone else was also bewildered; they had just returned from a meeting and didn't know what had happened at school.
Just then, PE teacher Bao Dandan came out of the office building, and Wang Guangqing quickly waved her over, "Teacher Bao, what's going on with those rowdy boys?"
"Principal Wang, are you talking about the sports team boys?" Bao Dandan asked with a smile.
"Yes."
Wang Guangqing nodded, "They're usually so laid-back, why are they suddenly working so hard today?"
"They want to compete with Old Shen in an English vocabulary contest!"
"They said they want to defend the honor of the athletes, the contest is next week, so they started working hard now..."
Bao Dandan provided a brief explanation.
"Old Shen?"
"Which Old Shen??"
Wang Guangqing looked baffled; as the school principal, he was quite busy and had long forgotten about the mature student parent accompanying the senior year.
"Principal, it should be Shen Qiushan."
"He's the one I mentioned to you."
Xu Decai quickly interjected.
"Oh, the parent, right?"
With this reminder from Xu Decai, Wang Guangqing finally remembered, especially since he had received a gift from him.
"Yes, that's him."
Xu Decai nodded, then turned to Bao Dandan, "Teacher Bao, can you detail what's going on?"
"Why are those boys competing with Shen Qiushan in a vocabulary contest, and what is this contest about, where is it taking place?"
"Alright, let me explain in detail, but some of it is hearsay..."
Bao Dandan then explained the origins of the "father-son challenge" and the current situation resulting from it, including how exceptional Shen Qiushan's English skills were.
After hearing her story, Principal Wang Guangqing couldn't help but smile, "Who'd have thought, this Shen Qiushan has become the big catfish stirring up the athletes!"
Xu Decai quickly agreed, "Principal, you summed it up perfectly."
"When Teacher Bao was talking, I was trying to remember what effect this is called, and after what you said, I realized it's the catfish effect!"
Wang Guangqing laughed and nodded, "If this stirs even a little improvement in the athletes' grades, it's a good thing!"
"Principal, since they're going to compete, should I inform the senior year teachers so they can give a little support?"
Seeing that Principal Wang Guangqing was interested, Xu Decai immediately followed up.
"Yes, do inform them."
Walking towards the office building, Wang Guangqing said, "For students with poor English grades, increasing their vocabulary is the quickest way to improve their scores, so this kind of vocabulary contest is worth promoting!"
"Got it!"
"I'll head to the senior year office shortly!"
Xu Decai nodded repeatedly, while silently marveling: Who'd have thought that accepting gifts could have surprising results!