Chapter 18: Not Wanting to Study but to Adventure (Edited)
"Is that so?" Clark sighed softly. He wasn't a magician either and didn't know if what Robert said was true, but Robert's explanation made sense, especially considering Okinaga and his group brought guns and even talked about preparing bullets for him. It was clear that Okinaga and his group could indeed clash over greed and anger.
"Let's leave this matter as it is for now and talk about school. You should know that Martha and Jonathan will never agree to you not attending school..." Clark quickly regained his composure and said to Robert.
"Even I wouldn't agree to you not attending school. Even if you want to go on adventures and train, you have to wait until you're an adult. After you're grown up, I might also go out to see the world. If it weren't for your arrival, I might have left home early to experience different states of life!"
"This is also a form of training, a training of the heart!" Robert's eyes lit up, and he said earnestly, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go home, pack up, and set off on our own!"
"Don't even think about it!" Clark glared at Robert, saying disapprovingly.
"What should I do then? The school wants me to withdraw, and it seems like they have the upper hand. I'm helpless! Might as well take some compensation money..." Robert deliberately pouted and sighed as if in resignation.
Robert: ╮(~▽~)╭
"Then take the compensation money and report to another school!" Clark paused before speaking, "After all, with the fuss you've caused, even though you're seen as a victim in the eyes of others, returning to school might not be easy for you. So, it's better to change schools!"
"However, you're not withdrawing but transferring. Being expelled from school would affect you, even if you don't care about these things, Martha and Jonathan do!"
"This can be a condition, let the school handle the transfer documents and records. The principal, eager to calm this incident and satisfy other parents, should agree..."
"Huh?" Robert was stunned, blinking at Clark, wanting to resist further.
Robert: (﹏)
"Let's go! We should leave now, or we'll be late!" Clark didn't give Robert another chance to speak, pulling him back to the car and then sharing his thoughts with the Kents.
Regarding Robert ultimately having to transfer schools, the Kents were somewhat helpless, but they felt Clark made some sense. Indeed, it was time to give Robert a new environment for schooling.
Thus, the old pickup truck set off again, soon arriving at the school. At this time, some parents had left, but there were still parent representatives talking with the school administration, seemingly unwilling to leave unsatisfied.
Clark heard the parent representatives adding conditions on the fly, seeking more benefits amidst the public opinion, like increasing campus security strength, adding more cameras, and providing better teaching resources for the children. However, these matters were unrelated to Robert, and Clark didn't bother with this information.
Soon, the Kent family arrived at Principal Bob's office, seeing him quite flustered.
"Ah! You've come?" Bob sighed in relief upon seeing the Kents, then his expression turned somewhat awkward. Over the phone, it was a bit easier for Bob to speak, but facing Jonathan's unfriendly demeanor, he found himself at a loss for words.
But remembering the demands of the parents who hadn't left yet and their increasingly unreasonable requests, Bob felt immense pressure. Eventually, he could only sigh softly and said to the Kents, "The situation is as I explained over the phone. It's not that I want Robert to withdraw from school. After all, he's also a victim of this incident..."
"But there's no helping it. You must have seen that the parents of the students in the school haven't left yet. It's their demand. I know, asking for Okinaga and his group to withdraw is reasonable, but asking for Robert to withdraw is nonsensical..."
"So, the school is admittedly in the wrong here and is willing to provide you with some financial compensation, hoping you can understand the school's dilemma. After all, we don't want to see this situation either, do we?"
"Expulsion is out of the question!" Clark began the negotiation on behalf of the Kent family, sternly saying to Bob, "The impact of being expelled from school on Robert, you must know, Principal. When I was in school, there were students who were injured and hospitalized, and no one was expelled, not to mention that Robert is an innocent victim now. If the forceful expulsion really happens, I believe the media would be interested in reporting the backstory..."
"This..." Bob tightened at Clark's words, not understanding why such an incident happened in his school. If he doesn't resolve Robert's expulsion issue quickly, satisfy the parents, and mitigate the impact of public opinion, his tenure as principal would end, as the school board had already pressured him.
Handling Okinaga and his group's expulsion was manageable, as they were already injured and needed to take a medical leave, plus they were in the wrong, so Bob could deal with them firmly.
But Robert was different; he was purely a victim. If he handled it strongly and caused the Kent family to make a fuss, it could lead to new troubles...
However, just as Bob was indecisive, Clark suddenly changed the topic, saying, "But leaving this school isn't impossible, but we have conditions!"
"Speak up! The price is negotiable! I heard Robert won the big eater contest, the prize was ten thousand dollars. How about this, our school offers fifty thousand dollars, after-tax, as compensation for Robert? You know, many excellent universities don't even offer this much in scholarships!" Bob quickly said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Money is not the big issue; the main thing is Robert's schooling. Robert is not withdrawing but transferring. If the school helps with Robert's transfer process, and he goes to another place for schooling, it would be a win-win situation, right?" Clark waved his hand, seriously saying to Bob.
Robert: No! (Loudly!)
(ノ=Д=)ノ┻━┻
"Ah?" However, to Clark's surprise, Bob hesitated upon hearing this condition, then awkwardly said, "That... transferring might be a bit difficult..."
Robert: Yay! (Even louder!)
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New book seeking collections, recommendations, monthly tickets, investments, and follow-ups~