Brian Cooper spread out the paper and pressed it against the wall, just about to pick up his pen to solve the problem. When he saw the words on the paper clearly, he stared at those lines for two seconds in silence: “Come here.”

With that tone, Samuel Clark had no doubt that what he really wanted to say was “Get over here.”

Samuel Clark got up and walked over. Brian Cooper turned the pen around and tapped the two lines Samuel Clark had written: “What did you write? Translate it.”

Although there were some unexpected incidents during the problem-solving process, the outcome was still satisfactory.

While Brian Cooper’s deskmate was staring at the problem for the umpteenth time, Samuel Clark returned to the class.

Just as Brian Cooper’s deskmate was about to say that reading the problem a hundred times didn’t seem to help—if you can’t solve the third part, you just can’t—Samuel Clark tapped his knuckles twice on the desk, then pushed over the solution steps Brian Cooper had just written: “If you can’t figure it out, just let it go.”

He couldn’t just drop what he’d said earlier. Under his deskmate’s increasingly admiring gaze, Samuel Clark rubbed his nose and added, “But you still have to remember, you need to learn to think independently.”

Brian Cooper’s deskmate engraved “think independently” into his mind, nodding solemnly, thinking that his motto for life had now instantly become four words: think independently!

During the break in morning self-study, Victor Harris was patrolling the classes.

A sharp-eyed student caught sight of Victor Harris coming and immediately signaled to the classmates. The air and everyone’s energy were pretty good in the morning. Victor Harris walked along the corridor from Class 1 to Class 7, not noticing anything unusual. He nodded in satisfaction and said to the teacher beside him, “It seems everyone’s learning atmosphere is pretty good today, their performance is all…”

The words “very good” got stuck in his throat.

Just as Victor Harris said this, he happened to walk to Class 7, Grade 11. From his angle outside the window, he could see the whole situation in Class 7 at a glance, especially “Samuel Clark,” who was just turning a page of a comic book.

Victor Harris stood at the back door with a stern face: “Samuel Clark, stand up!”

It took Brian Cooper two seconds to realize that this “Samuel Clark” was calling him.

Victor Harris strode into the classroom. To better observe each class during his patrol, he wore a pair of glasses on his nose. He pulled the comic book away, then reached up to adjust his glasses: “Do you know this is class time—reading extracurricular books during class, how does that help your future, your personal development?!”

After saying that, Victor Harris asked again, “Did you write the self-reflection I asked for yesterday?”

“…I did.”

Brian Cooper bent down and took out the stack of self-reflections from under his desk.

Victor Harris collected both the self-reflection and the comic book, gave another round of lecturing, and before leaving instructed, “Stand. Stand until morning self-study is over. The other students will supervise.”

Brian Cooper could more or less understand how Samuel Clark felt earlier: sleeping, reading comics.

There was nothing about standing as punishment in there.

Although things didn’t go as expected, after this incident, both of them thought the same thing: the most urgent task was still to solve the deskmate problem.

The aisle wasn’t wide, but there was still some distance between them.

Sitting apart made everything inconvenient, and no one knew when the next function problem would come up.

In short: being deskmates keeps you safe.

In the office.

A large group of students had gathered during the break to hand in homework.

William Foster never expected that Samuel Clark and Brian Cooper would show up together in front of him.

He was just preparing the materials he’d need for class later, took a sip of water, and said to “Brian Cooper”: “Is all the homework here? Just leave it. Why are you two here together, is there something you want to talk about?”

Samuel Clark had already prepared himself mentally before coming. He put down his homework and carefully said, “Mr. Foster, there’s something. About the deskmate arrangement you mentioned last time…”

As soon as Samuel Clark said the words “deskmate arrangement,” William Foster interrupted him: “Oh, that? Don’t worry about it.”

Don’t worry?

Worry about what?

Samuel Clark hadn’t even finished his sentence before William Foster cut him off.

William Foster had already been brainwashed by what Samuel Clark said in the office last time. While continuing to prepare his materials, he said, “I’ve thought it through too. What you said makes sense. The deskmate thing really can’t be forced. I definitely won’t change your seats.”

Brian Cooper: “…”

Samuel Clark: “…”

Chapter 9

After a moment of silence, Brian Cooper tried to explain, “Actually…” Actually, it’s like this.

William Foster interrupted again, raising his voice: “I already told you not to worry! Am I, William Foster, the kind of teacher who doesn’t respect students’ wishes? What do you take me for?!”

“…”

“If I said I wouldn’t make you two deskmates, then I definitely won’t change your seats!”

William Foster no longer had the ambition he did a few days ago. The “one-on-one” plan had been strangled in the cradle by Samuel Clark and Brian Cooper working together. Just yesterday, another teacher who was still thinking about how the plan was going came to ask, “How’s that one-on-one thing you were planning going?”

William Foster sighed, “Not so well. The two of them don’t seem interested.”

The teacher next door said, “Really? I actually thought your idea was pretty good…”