I was reborn without dreams

Chapter 30 A Simple Interview
Outsiders might find the name Han Tieguai strange—why would someone give him such a name? But it was his father's heartfelt blessing for his upbringing.

Because Han Tieguai was born with congenital lower limb dysplasia, and his left hip joint was dislocated at birth, he is actually 43 years old this year. Given the years and months in which he was born, one can imagine what the medical conditions in rural Jianggao would have been like.

Han Tieguai's father hoped that when he grew up, at least the cane he used to walk would be made of iron.

It doesn't break easily.

Throughout his childhood and adolescence, there were not many pleasant memories, but there were also many wonderful times. His father, who was a substitute teacher at the village primary school, took him to the zoo in Chongzhou City and climbed Langshan Mountain. He actually ate all kinds of snacks that cost only a few cents.

Fortunately, he didn't need crutches. Although he walks with a limp, he can still live a normal life.

I followed in my father's footsteps with faltering steps and became a teacher. It took a lot of hard work to get into Chongzhou Teachers College, but it was enough to repay my aging father.

It was just the ups and downs of individual fate that made him feel a sense of powerlessness, which was hard to overcome, due to his father's stomach cancer.

He needs money.

It's that simple.

When Han Tieguai could see the buildings at the end of the rice paddies in the distance, he knew he had arrived at his destination, and his eyes became firm.

The original gate of "Dongweigang Middle School" has been redesigned, and the new sign reads "New Dongweigang Middle School," with the inscription signed by Zhang An.

Cargo ships still travel back and forth on the nearby north-south waterway, and the occasional sound of diesel engines can be heard, making a bit of a racket.

Once inside the building, I realized that the soundproofing was quite good. On the second floor, I could see a small construction site nearby. Since it was connected to the school, it must be the area being expanded.

"Teacher Han, you must be tired from your journey. I was just about to come downstairs to meet you!"

A young man jogged over and warmly shook hands with Han Tieguai at the end of the corridor. "My name is Zhao Yiwan, you can just call me Xiao Zhao. I'm a teaching assistant for Chinese now. Brother Qian, Teacher Han has arrived!"

"Oh, okay, okay, I'm making tea."

Then, a head popped out from an office doorway, smiling and calling out, "I'm making tea, it'll be ready soon."

"Teacher Han, this way please. Please go to the meeting room to rest for a while. The boss will be here soon. A new batch of computers has arrived, and we're busy installing the system."

"No rush, no rush, you're all so enthusiastic, it's making me a little nervous..."

Adjusting his glasses, Han Tieguai turned to the side and smiled somewhat awkwardly, clearly trying to hide his nervousness.

Upon entering the reception room, it felt much cooler; it was an air-conditioned room.

After a brief look, I noticed that the layout was clean and tidy, without any fancy decorations. The display cases contained awards, two of which were particularly eye-catching: one was "Top Scorer in the 1946 Wudu Middle School Entrance Examination," and the other was "Top Scorer in the 1946 National College Entrance Examination (Science)."

As for the claim that "90% of students achieved the required admission scores for national-level model high schools," it's not particularly noteworthy.

Then there are a bunch of partner organizations, mainly from Shazhou City, but also from Shanghu City and Loucheng City. Various congratulatory gifts from these organizations, such as embroidery and ornaments, are displayed in another cabinet.

The sofa armrests were covered with various educational books, the covers of which featured Zhang Da'an himself, wearing glasses and looking very refined.

This gave the impression of a bookish young man, but that feeling vanished completely in just twenty seconds.

Because Zhang Da'an has arrived.

"Teacher Han, you must be tired from your journey. Please rest for a while and wash your face."

When Zhang Da'an reached out, Han Tieguai's mind went blank for a moment; the sense of oppression was intense. But this wasn't something mental; it was... physical size.

He was at least 1.8 meters tall, with a thick neck and arms, a neatly trimmed and rugged hairstyle, and dark skin. His rugged aura completely lacked any "youthful feel," making him look more like a fisherman you could see anywhere in Changjiang Town.

He glanced down at the magazine cover in his hand, then looked at the living person in front of him...

"Hahahaha, please don't take offense, Teacher Han. It's just a cover shoot, so of course the photos have to be edited. I can't be as clean and white in real life as I am in the photos."

"..."

Han Tieguai didn't know what to say for a moment, he just felt embarrassed.

However, just as he said, Zhang Da'an washed his face and got straight to the point, "Teacher Han, I'll give you a slideshow in a bit. Go through it, you have ten minutes to prepare, and then give a mock lecture to Zhao Yiwan and Qian Xiaoshuang. The lecturer recruitment brochure has some precautions and basic teaching principles. You were clear about them when you came, right?"

“I’ve looked into it and I understand the difference between school teaching and what you’re doing here.”

"Okay, let's go to the classroom next door. It's a newly renovated multimedia classroom."

Zhang Da'an led the people over and casually said, "I use markers for writing on the blackboard here, I don't have chalk."

"Ok."

Once inside, Zhang Da'an immediately turned on the air conditioner and fan, and then drew the sunshade curtain.

After giving Han Tieguai a printed copy of the course materials, Zhang Da'an sat down on a sofa chair, while Qian Xiaoshuang and Zhao Yiwan imitated students retaking the college entrance examination.

The scoring-based interview, because the position is similar to that of a coach, not only requires verbal communication skills, but also places great emphasis on emotional guidance.

Just like competition skills, athletes in sports events need to adjust their physical abilities and mental state in addition to physical adjustments. An invincible "Grand Slam" athlete can win a championship without a coach, but such geniuses are like top scorers in the college entrance examination, and they are always a minority.

Therefore, in addition to their own qualities, outstanding athletes also need excellent coaches or even a coaching team.

The difference in teaching staff between elite high schools and ordinary high schools cannot be accurately reflected by comparing the number of professional titles and honors.

Only after attending one class will you realize that someone who can lead a teaching position on a powerful platform is no ordinary person.

There are geniuses among students with exceptional adaptability, and the same is true for teachers; in fact, it is even more precious for teachers to have such geniuses.

The reason is simple: very few of the most intellectually gifted individuals go on to study at teachers' colleges and work in frontline education.

Han Tieguai wasn't exceptionally intelligent, but perhaps his life was rather unique; his enthusiasm in class was quite rare. Even though Zhao Yiwan and Qian Xiaoshuang knew it was a simulation, they still subconsciously projected themselves into their student days.

Zhang Da'an gave Han Tieguai a score of nine out of ten for this aspect, thanks to the smooth teaching rhythm.

Twenty minutes is just enough to finish explaining an ancient Chinese text. Whether it's setting up memory-enhancing points or setting up scene analogies, it's all to help students memorize and understand quickly. Concrete memory is the most profound and more efficient than doing practice tests.

After the interview, Zhang Da'an was very satisfied. He shook hands with Han Tieguai and said with a smile, "Teacher Han, the original contract I prepared for you was a starting salary of 150,000 yuan per year. Now I plan to draft a new contract for you. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Han Tieguai's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't discern anything from Zhang Da'an's face.

He wondered if he had made a mistake somewhere, which led Zhang Da'an to try and lower the price...

(End of this chapter)