The wealth of material was considerable, and flipping through it casually, Zhou Yichen immediately spotted the flaws.

Changjing University boasted no fewer than sixty student clubs, yet the documents presented clearly lacked information on at least half of them; the activity reports for several key societies were entirely absent.

This discovery instantly energized him.

“Xiao Bin, what is going on? Why is the activity data for so many clubs missing?”

Zhou Yichen’s tone turned severe as he directly challenged Xiao Bin. The cronies Zhou Yichen kept close by also turned their attention to Xiao Bin, ready to pile on.

After chastising Xiao Bin, Zhou Yichen pivoted sharply, aiming his attack at Zhang Yang: “And you, Zhang Yang! As the Director of the Secretariat, how have you been supervising your subordinates’ work!”

Xiao Bin’s eyes widened; he wanted to speak but held the words back.

Xiao Bin was an officer in the Student Union’s Secretariat, primarily tasked with liaising with all the various societies. Zhang Yang was the Director. Under normal circumstances, Zhou Yichen’s reprimand would have been fair, but the reality was that Zhang Yang, in his current position, held almost no actual authority within the Secretariat. Except for Xiao Bin, who still paid him some heed, no one else cared about him; they had all been co-opted by Zhou Yichen through various means.

Zhou Yichen had undeniably cornered Xiao Bin this time. While everyone knew this was Zhou Yichen deliberately making things difficult for him, the fact remained that Xiao Bin had not completed the assignment.

Having delivered his inquisition, Zhou Yichen cast a slightly smug look at Zhang Yang, finally venting some of the frustration he had bottled up all day.

“Xiao Bin certainly did not perform well this time,” Zhang Yang said slowly, a faint smile playing on his lips. Xiao Bin immediately showed a look of anxiety; he hadn't expected Zhang Yang to voluntarily admit fault. With this confession, they would have no opportunity left to argue the technicalities.

“And that’s all? Just admitting you didn't do well?” Zhou Yichen sneered inwardly, feeling triumphant. He narrowed his eyes, regarding Zhang Yang like a victor surveying a conquered field.

“While he didn’t complete the task, he gave it his best effort. Starting from this morning, he hasn't stopped contacting the societies. I believe everyone here is well aware of how large our campus is, and the scattered locations of these clubs. Moreover, everyone had classes this morning. Under these conditions, managing to secure half the data—wasn't that truly giving his utmost effort!”

Zhang Yang maintained his smile as he spoke softly, his words sounding like a defense.

Hearing Zhang Yang’s reasoning only made Zhou Yichen more pleased. Before assigning the task to Xiao Bin, he had already anticipated this very excuse, so he was fully prepared.

Zhou Yichen chuckled slyly and continued smoothly, “I am aware of those difficulties. However, when we assigned the work, we also made it clear that Xiao Bin is not the only person in the Secretariat. He could have delegated the task to others!”

There were five people in the Secretariat in total. Removing Zhang Yang and Xiao Bin left three others. If those three had mobilized, the task could certainly have been finished by this morning. The issue was that these remaining three wouldn't even listen to Zhang Yang, much less Xiao Bin. The answer was obvious, and Xiao Bin knew it too, which was why he hadn't bothered seeking their help; wasting time with them seemed less productive than simply trying harder himself, hoping to complete the assignment. As for asking Zhang Yang for assistance, Xiao Bin hadn't even considered it. Instructing a superior to run errands would utterly destroy Zhang Yang’s authority, and Xiao Bin wasn't foolish enough to do that. By choosing this path, however, all the blame fell squarely on his shoulders.

“This time, it was my failure,” Xiao Bin said slowly, standing up, looking somewhat dejected, while Zhang Yang retained that faint, unchanging smile.

“Merit should be rewarded, and faults must be punished. Since Xiao Bin has admitted his error, let us discuss what penalty would be appropriate for him!” Zhou Yichen had been waiting for this exact statement from Xiao Bin. The moment Xiao Bin finished, he immediately seized the initiative.

“Chairman Zhou is correct; merits are rewarded, faults are punished. Since Xiao Bin failed to complete his task, I suggest suspending all his work within the Secretariat!” Before Zhou Yichen’s lackeys could speak, Zhang Yang cut in. This time, everyone in the room stared at Zhang Yang in astonishment. Xiao Bin was utterly bewildered; he never imagined the one to suggest suspending his duties would be Zhang Yang. Although the position carried little weight and negligible pay—at best, a small stipend—it was still Student Union work, serving both as experience and future leverage. Xiao Bin did not want to lose his position in the Union.

“Since Director Zhang says so, let’s proceed with that,” Zhou Yichen replied, though he was slightly confused. He couldn't fathom Zhang Yang's strategy, but he wasn't about to let such a golden opportunity slip away. In any case, removing Xiao Bin from his current role achieved one of his goals.

“Furthermore, since Xiao Bin failed to complete the assignment given to him, I, as the Director of the Secretariat, also bear some responsibility. I hereby voluntarily resign from the position of Director of the Secretariat, and I propose that student Wang Guohua take over the management of the Secretariat!” Zhang Yang stood up and added, still smiling.

This statement landed in the meeting room like a bomb, stunning everyone present. Although Zhang Yang’s authority in the Secretariat had been heavily undermined, it remained a crucial position within the Student Union structure, possessing significant oversight powers over all departments and societies—a not-insignificant level of control. Even with his power sidelined, Zhang Yang had never considered abandoning the role before, which underscored its importance. Zhou Yichen desperately wanted Zhang Yang out, but he had never found sufficient grounds to force him.

“Zhang Yang, you are resigning voluntarily?” Zhou Yichen asked urgently, his voice trembling slightly with excitement. The Director of the Secretariat was a key executive member. Even the Chairman did not have the unilateral authority to dismiss such an officer, especially since Zhang Yang was part of the Presidium. Dismissal required a collective resolution from the Presidium members. Zhang Yang still commanded a degree of respect within that body, and Zhou Yichen, having recently taken the Chairmanship, lacked the absolute certainty needed to risk initiating a formal impeachment vote against Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang’s voluntary resignation, however, bypassed all those hurdles. This was why Zhou Yichen reacted with such visible agitation upon hearing the news.

There was another excited person in the room: Wang Guohua, the individual Zhang Yang had nominated. Wang Guohua was currently the head of the Arts Department—a department headship was respectable, making him a senior officer too—but the Arts Department simply did not compare to the Secretariat. The Secretariat held the power to supervise every other department and society; this oversight alone was enough to attract many ambitious individuals. Previously, Zhang Yang holding the directorship had been like 'occupying the latrine without defecating,' so Wang Guohua would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted. Yet, he understood that while Zhang Yang had lost ground to Zhou Yichen, he still possessed genuine capability, making the position seem out of Wang Guohua’s reach. Hearing Zhang Yang’s sudden resignation and nomination instantly accelerated his pulse. Amidst the excitement, a thread of gratitude toward Zhang Yang began to form.

………… Chapter Three, a new day is about to dawn. Friends, please continue to support Xiao Yu! C