What's wrong with me, a school principal, listening to students' suggestions?

"Oh?"

A high school freshman girl passing by caught Gu Ci's attention.

The girl rolled up the sleeves of her school uniform jacket three times and tied a hair tie around her waist, barely managing to create a defined waistline.

The pant legs were also rolled up, revealing the ankles.

This is a student-initiated modification, indicating that their dissatisfaction with the school uniform has reached an unbearable level.

"Principal Lin."

Gu Ci stopped in her tracks, her expression shifting from curiosity to a complex mix of emotions.

"Um?"

Who designed this school uniform?

"I don't know, it was there before I came."

"This designer is either colorblind or has a grudge against the students."

Lin Yucai almost burst out laughing.

The two walked to the cafeteria, where Zhou Dahai was preparing lunch in the kitchen.

Seeing Lin Yucai leading a strange woman in, the fat chef leaned out of the window and greeted him.

"Principal Lin, who is this?"

"Designer, you're here to design new school uniforms for the students."

"New school uniforms? That's great!"

Zhou Dahai clapped the flour off his hands.

"To be honest, every day when I see those kids coming to get their food in those drab gray clothes, they look like a bunch of prisoners being let out for a walk."

"Principal Lin, I have a few questions I'd like to confirm."

After Gu Ci sat down in the cafeteria, he took out a sketchbook and a carbon pen from his canvas bag.

"Go ahead and ask."

"First, what is the budget ceiling?"

"Design and prototyping fees will be kept under 500,000 yuan; mass production costs will be calculated separately."

Gu Ci paused for a moment while writing with his ballpoint pen.

A design budget of 500,000 is quite generous for a high school uniform.

"Secondly, are there any restrictions on design style?"

"No, but there is one strict requirement: the students must like it."

The final selection will be chosen by student vote, with the one receiving the most votes being selected.

"So it's not enough for me to think it looks good, nor is it enough for you to think it looks good; it has to be what they think it looks good."

Gu Ci put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and carefully examined the principal in front of him who was wearing cloth shoes.

"Principal Lin, I have been doing independent design for three years."

"I've done custom wedding dresses, brand collaborations, and commercial projects before, but this is my first time working on school uniforms."

Do you know why?

Lin Yucai shook his head.

"Because in 90% of school uniform tenders in China, the first thing the client says is always, 'The cheaper the better.'"

"Nobody cares if it looks good or not, nobody cares if the students like it or not."

"Choose the worst fabric, the most economical design, and the color that won't get dirty easily."

"Designers in this chain don't even have the right to speak."

She looked down and flipped through her sketchbook, turning to a blank page, where she wrote three words.

Everyday wear, sportswear, formal wear.

"But what you just said made me feel that this trip was worthwhile."

"I'll take all three options."

"First draft within a week, proof within two weeks."

"it is good."

"But I have one condition." Gu Ci held up one finger.

"you say."

"I want to communicate directly with students, not through questionnaires, but through face-to-face conversations."

"Observe how they usually dress and listen to what style they want."

"No problem, I'll arrange it for you after the second class this afternoon."

At lunchtime, Gu Ci ate a meal cooked by Zhou Dahai in the cafeteria.

Braised beef brisket, garlic broccoli, and hot and sour soup.

After she finished eating, she remained silent for more than ten seconds, then put down her chopsticks, and her expression changed.

"Principal Lin, is your school cafeteria... Michelin-level?"

"Not a Michelin-starred chef, but a national gold medal-winning chef."

"A high school cafeteria hiring a national gold medal-winning chef?"

"We can talk in detail later when we have time." Lin Yucai stood up with a smile. "Come on, I'll take you to meet the students."

It was 3 p.m. in the classroom of Class 3, Grade 11.

Gu Ci sat in the chair in front of the podium, facing forty-two pairs of curious eyes.

Su Qingyan stood at the back of the classroom, leaning against the wall, listening in.

"Hello everyone, my name is Gu Ci, and I am a fashion designer."

"Your principal invited me to design new school uniforms for you."

The classroom suddenly became lively.

Whispering, banging on the table, exclaiming in surprise—it was complete chaos.

"Really? We're changing school uniforms?"

"Finally, I don't have to wear this sack anymore!"

"The designer is so beautiful!"

Gu Ci waited until the classroom quieted down a bit before continuing to speak.

"I'd like to hear your thoughts before I start designing."

What would your ideal school uniform look like?

The first person to raise their hand was a girl with pigtails.

"I want a JK uniform! The plaid kind! Pleated! It'll be so cute!"

"I want a suit-style one, so I can look like an elite when I go out," a bespectacled boy chimed in.

"Could you make a looser, everyday fit? It's too hot in the summer, I can't stand the tight ones."

"My athletic pants need to be stretchy! My crotch always gets stuck when I play basketball."

This statement is boastful.

After he finished speaking, the whole class burst into laughter, and he grinned as well.

As Gu Ci listened, he quickly sketched in his sketchbook.

The lines are smooth, and the general outline is sketched out with just a few strokes.

She spent half an hour in Class 3 of Grade 11, and then went to two classes of Grade 11 and one class of Grade 12, collecting more than a hundred opinions in total.

It was already dark when I left the school.

She stood at the school gate and glanced back at the brightly lit teaching building.

A brand-new air conditioner outdoor unit hangs on the roof, and warm yellow light shines from the windows of the cafeteria in the distance.

This dilapidated school was quite different from what she had imagined before she came.

The students were wearing the ugliest school uniforms, yet they had genuine expressions of joy that she had never seen in many prestigious schools.

"One week."

She whispered something to herself, opened the car door, and got in.