The Judge of Hell is My Phone Pal

Chapter 20 Every Man For Himself

    Seeing Eric pick up the electric baton and yell at him fiercely, Ivan didn't step back but took a step forward while staring at Eric. "Eric, don't you know what's going on tonight? Who was trying to tease me? You know it clearly enough."

    "I?" Eric took a step back. "I don't f*****g understand what you are talking about."

    "Okay." Ivan nodded, "Eric, you can try me. Since I can kick three ghosts out, it's a piece of cake to crush you. We used to fight and you know my martial arts well."

    Eric froze and then smiled, "Mr. Frank, are you really angry?"

    "What do you mean?" Ivan said coldly.

    Eric paused. "Mr. Frank, don't be angry. Colleagues should get along with each other in harmony."

    Ivan sneered. "Okay, let's just have a talk Eric, I am a class teacher and you're a security guard. If we mind our own business, then we can get along in harmony. But if you egged my students on making trouble, don't blame me for my rudeness."

    "Mr. Frank, I am not the instigator. They came here to force me." Eric told the truth subconsciously out of anxiety. He hurried to cover his mouth and added, "I don't know what happened tonight."

    "Okay." Ivan interrupted, "Eric, there is no need to explain. We all know what happened tonight. Forget it. I hope this is the last time."

    Ivan looked around and saw the Marlboro on the bedside that had just been opened. Seeing Ivan look at the bedside, Eric picked up the cigarettes immediately. "My uncle gave them to me. Do you know Abner Oscar, Director of the Education Bureau?"

    When he mentioned his uncle's name, Eric turned confident again. "Our school is under the control of the Education Bureau. If my uncle issues an order and Principal Ailsa has to do it at once."

    Ivan sneered. "Eric, even if your uncle were the director, I wouldn't be afraid. Whoever dares to make trouble in Class 3 will be doomed."

    "Okay, Ivan, you're powerful enough," Eric smiled awkwardly. "From the first day you applied for the job, I knew you were not a person to be messed with easily. From now on, I won't get involved in anything about Class 3, okay?"

    Ivan just stared at Eric in silence.

    "What's the matter? You want me to write a guarantee?" Eric was a little panicked under Ivan's gaze.

    Ivan smiled and took two steps forward.

    Eric stepped back again. With his back against the wall, there was no way to go back. "Ivan, don't be over the top. I will surely hit you with the electric stick."

    "You're indeed a coward," Ivan said disdainfully, "Listen. There wasn't a graveyard nearby. Stop telling lies in the future."

    Ivan turned and walked out. The moment he stepped out of the guard-room, Eric shouted from behind, "What about these two hands?"

    "Keep them for fun."

    Ivan waved and entered the teaching building.

    "Fuck." Eric slumped directly to the bed. "This guy is really a damn difficult person to deal with. The whole night has been wasted."

    Ivan went back to the duty room and looked out of the window. Eric didn't turn the light off until such a long time had passed. Ivan smiled, closed the door and looked at the watch. He could sleep for a while. He was really tired and fell asleep soon.

    The next day, Ivan finished washing and first went to a 24-hour convenience store nearby to buy a flashlight. He returned to the duty room to fill in the duty sheet. After writing "nothing happened", he handed it to the Academic Affairs Office as soon as he went to work.

    Mr. Green had arrived and was wiping the table as Ivan returned to the office. When Ivan came in, he greeted him with a smile. "Mr. Frank, thank you for being on the night watch for me yesterday. Was everything okay?"

    Ivan smiled and shook his head. "Everything was okay. I slept even better than usual."

    Mr. Green looked at Ivan up and down. Ivan felt a little awful under his gaze. "Mr. Green, what's wrong? Is there anything wrong?"

    Mr. Green smiled. "I was worried about you last night. It seemed that I thought too much. Gino didn't disturb you at night."

    Ivan also looked at Mr. Green.

    Mr. Green waved and smiled bitterly. "When I was on night patrols, Gino and other boys deliberately knocked on the door and the window to prevent me from taking a good sleep. I wanted to catch them but failed every time. So I can't help worrying about you."

    Seeing Mr. Green's bitter look, Ivan was very sympathetic to him. He lit a cigarette for Mr. Green. "Mr. Green, don’t worry. That kind of thing won't happen again in the future. If you have to take a leave, please tell me ahead of time. I will do the patrol for you."

    "Mr. Frank, thank you so much," Mr. Green said excitedly.

    "It's all right." Ivan smiled and waved. "We should help each other since we share the same office. So could you do me a favor?"

    "Of course," Mr. Green said happily.

    "Tell me more about literature in the future. I am very interested in poems now.  You're so learned in poems, I really want to be your student." Ivan said modestly.

    "No problem. If you want to learn, I am willing to teach you at any time. I will give you an outline later on. Since you have a good memory, I'm sure you will learn more about poems in the future."

    "Great." Ivan thanked him.

    Seeing that course was about to start, Ivan headed for Class 3 at once. As soon as Ivan showed up, the students still chatting just now shut up in an instant. Ivan looked around the classroom. Sam immediately lowered his head when he met Ivan's eyes. Demi glanced at Ivan and moved her eyes away. Thomas was sitting uprightly with excitement.

    Gino's seat was still empty. He asked for leave again.

    Ivan wondered what his expression would be when he saw him?

    The teacher came soon. Ivan returned to his office. Mr. Green handed him a study outline. Ivan took a look at it. It was written in great detail. According to Mr. Green, as long as Ivan studied hard with the assistance of this outline, he would surely gain an insight into the literature. Moreover, Mr. Green also gave Ivan several reference books.

    Ivan thanked him again. With the outline, Ivan started to read books. When he encountered difficulties, he asked Mr. Green for help. Ivan did learn a lot.

    The morning passed peacefully. It's time for Mr. Green to give a class. Ivan was reading alone in the office. The phone on the desk rang. Ivan answered it. Ailsa asked Ivan to go to her office.

    Ivan hurried to Ailsa's office and knocked gently on the door. With her approval, Ivan pushed the door open. Ailsa was looking at him with a smile.

    "Principal Ailsa, what can I do for you?" Ivan asked.

    Ailsa pointed to the sofa in front of the executive desk and motioned Ivan to sit down.

    As soon as Ivan sat down, Ailsa smiled and asked, "Ivan, was everything okay yesterday night?"

    "Yes." Ivan smiled and nodded.

    "That's good. Just now I met Mr. Green. He praised you and said that you're fond of learning. He is teaching you literature now. Do you want to become an expert in both literature and martial arts?" Ailsa said jokingly.

    Ivan scratched his head. Mr. Green was really a gossipy man. He told everything to Ailsa. Fortunately, he put in some good words for him. If it was full of criticism, he would be scolded.

    Ivan answered with a smile, "Principal Ailsa, I majored in business administration, not suitable to be a teacher in high school. But since I worked at Cincinnati Country Day School, I think being a teacher is quite interesting. Mr. Green is quite good at giving courses. I want to take this opportunity to learn from him. Otherwise, I won't be a qualified headteacher without any professional knowledge."

    Ailsa nodded in satisfaction. "Ivan, there is a question I've always wanted to ask you."

    "Principal Ailsa, please say it."

    "Since you majored in business administration, why can you memorize Dante's Inferno? This can't even be done by an English teacher like Mr. Green." Ailsa stared at Ivan.

    Ivan was taken aback. "Principal Ailsa, I just did it for fun."

    "For fun?" Ailsa shook her head. "Ivan, before you came to Cincinnati Country Day School, did anyone tell you about the situation here?"

    "Principal Ailsa, what do you mean?" Ivan was even more confused. Her words were meaningful enough.

    Ailsa smiled. "Nothing. I just ask casually, because you are the first teacher I employed who had never taught at school before."

    Ivan laughed twice. "Really?"

    "Okay. Forget it." Ailsa waved her hand. "Ivan, although you have never worked as a teacher before, you did a good job in the past few months. How did you solve Demi's matter?"

    Not until then did Ailsa come straight to the point, he told Ailsa about how Demi was cheated in doing business.

    Ailsa frowned as she listened. "Ivan, you have to keep an eye on Demi in case she would make a big trouble in the future."

    "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on her." Ivan nodded.

    Ailsa took out a business card from the business card holder on the desk and handed it to Ivan. "Ivan, here is my phone number. As long as it's about Class 3, you can call me anytime."

    Ivan took the business card and looked at it. It was long and thin, like Ailsa's figure, with faint patterns on it. There was also a slight fragrance, just like Ailsa's temperament.

    Ivan smiled. "Okay."

    "Tell me your number." Ailsa picked up her cell phone from the table.

    Ivan took out the old-fashioned phone by mistake.

    Both of them froze. Ivan realized that he had taken the wrong one, but it was too late. He was about to take out his iPhone, only to find that he left it in his office bag.

    "Ivan, do you still use such an old phone?" Ailsa pointed to the phone with confusion.

    Ivan paused. "This phone has been with me for so many years, and it still works. So I still keep it."

    "Can I take a look?" Ailsa reached out. "This kind of old mobile phone is so interesting."

    Ivan hesitated.

    Seeing Ivan's reluctance, Ailsa smiled. "Just forget it."

    "It's okay. Here you are." Teased by Ailsa, Ivan was so embarrassed, "I might as well see how Ailsa will react." Thought Ivan

    Ivan put the phone into Ailsa's palm as he warned, "Principal Ailsa, don't press the keys."

    Ailsa was about to take the phone. Upon hearing his words, Ailsa withdrew her hand and stared at Ivan.

    Ivan hurriedly smiled. "There will be electric leakage at times. I'm afraid that it will hurt you."

    "I'll suffer an electric shock by holding a cellphone. How strange it is!" Ailsa smiled and took the phone.

Ivan stared at Ailsa and leaned forward, not daring to move his eyes.