Daddy Academy

Chapter 3280 Successful Reception

Chapter 3280 Successful Reception

Just after seven o'clock in the evening, Zhang Tan hurriedly returned to Little Red Horse Academy.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw several unfamiliar faces standing under the eaves, guessing that these must be the visiting leaders.

At this moment, Deputy District Chief Yuan, Deputy Bureau Chief Li, and others were smiling as they watched the noisy scene in the courtyard.

"Zhang Tan is back." Aunt Huang was the first to spot him and went up to him in a low voice. "The district leaders have been here for half an hour. They mainly want to investigate the operation model of our Little Red Horse and discuss the pilot promotion."

Zhang Tan nodded, quickly stepped forward to shake hands with everyone and apologize: "I'm really sorry, I had some urgent business to attend to at the company, so I came back late."

"Mr. Zhang, you're too kind." Deputy District Chief Yuan smiled and waved his hand, his attitude respectful and friendly.

Knowing Zhang Tan's family background, coupled with Zhang Tan's continuous investment in maintaining the Little Red Horse charity operation, the district paid special attention to this young man.

"Our arrival was sudden, but it was worth it. We saw the most authentic and touching side of Little Red Horse."

He looked out into the yard, where the children had already been divided into groups and started playing games.

Xiaobai, Xiaomi, and others are leading Xiaoya in a game of "identifying people by their voices."

Xiaoya was blindfolded. Although she couldn't see, she still wanted to make the most of the ritual. She stood in the center of the courtyard, and everyone took turns walking past her in different ways—some skipping, some stomping, and some tiptoeing.

Xiaoya listened intently, her innocent face full of focus, and then accurately said, "That was Robin who just walked by! She likes to hop and skip like a little rabbit... I don't know who this one is, but she walks like a little bear, thump thump thump!"

Each time a child guessed correctly, the surrounding children would erupt in cheers.

In another corner, Xi'er and Chengcheng take Xiaoxin on a "scent trip".

There were several small jars on the table, each containing different things: soil from the yard, mint leaves, tangerine peels, and clean cotton cloth.

Xiao Xin smelled them one by one, then identified them by their scent: "This smells like grass after a spring rain, it must be soil..."

Chengcheng quietly added the details, while Xier announced the answer.

What moved the leaders the most was a scene in the corner of the courtyard, where Dudu and Liuliu were teaching Xiaozhi, who has no hands, to play "toe riddles".

They placed several small objects of different materials on the ground, such as smooth pebbles, fluffy pom-poms, and hard building blocks, and let Xiaozhi use his nimble toes to touch and distinguish them.

Ash struggled to pick up the pebbles with his toes, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, but his smile was exceptionally bright: "They're stones! Cool and slippery!"

Dudu squatted down to the side and nodded seriously: "That's right! Xiaozhi, your toes are amazing!"

Robin wasn't idle either. Carrying her inflatable fork, she patrolled between the different game groups with a serious air, occasionally shouting, "Everyone, be careful! Don't fall!"

Although no one paid any attention to the self-proclaimed security captain, his serious demeanor made the adults chuckle.

Zhang Tan withdrew his gaze and turned to Deputy District Chief Yuan: "As you leaders have seen, Little Red Horse is such a place. Children make friends here, learn to care for others, and also learn to be cared for."

“I saw it, I saw it all.” Deputy District Chief Yuan exclaimed. “Just now, Director Li tried to chat with the children, but he was met with a cold shoulder. But when the children from the special school came, these little guys were as enthusiastic as little suns. Director Huang said that they taught themselves Braille and sign language and designed games for this meeting... This kind of dedication cannot be faked.”

Deputy Director Li picked up the conversation, his tone sincere: "General Manager Zhang, Director Huang, besides conducting research, we've come here today primarily to discuss something with you. The district wants to use Little Red Horse as a model to promote a pilot program for late-night schools throughout the district."

He paused, then added, "We know that Mr. Zhang has been personally subsidizing the operation of Little Red Horse, and the admission fee is low, resulting in a long-term loss. We admire his spirit of public service. If the pilot program is successful, the district will provide the venue, basic renovation funds, and special subsidies for operation to strive for a balance between income and expenditure and reduce the burden on the school."

Zhang Tan and Aunt Huang exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes.

"Boss, let's go into the office and talk in detail." Zhang Tan gestured for them to enter.

The group entered the office. Teacher Xiaoliu brewed hot tea again, closed the door, and the laughter from the courtyard became faint.

Deputy District Head Yuan got straight to the point: "The district plans to select three streets for the first pilot program, with the government providing the venue and basic renovation funds, as well as subsidies for operation. But the most crucial thing is how to cultivate the atmosphere of Little Red Horse, which requires your experience and guidance."

Deputy Director Li added, "We can ask Director Huang to be the chief consultant, and we would also welcome Mr. Zhang's company to participate in the operation if they are interested. This is not a commercial project, but a project that benefits the people, and the compensation will not be less than due."

Zhang Tan pondered for a moment, then asked a question instead of answering immediately: "After the product is promoted, how can we ensure that the taste remains unchanged?"

Deputy District Chief Yuan was taken aback: "The taste?"

"The essence of Little Red Horse lies in the absence of deliberately designed courses and performance indicators. Children gather here because it feels like home. Sometimes it's noisy, sometimes it's cozy, but it's always authentic. Once it becomes a project with KPIs, the essence might change."

The office was silent for a few seconds.

“I understand Mr. Zhang’s concerns,” Deputy District Chief Yuan said slowly. “But we don’t want to turn it into another after-school care center or training institution. What we want to promote is precisely this kind of non-standardized warmth. Every community is different, and the composition of children is different. The model can be adjusted, but the core remains the same: to give children a place where they can stay safely after school, and to let children from different backgrounds learn to see each other.”

Aunt Huang spoke softly, her voice tinged with sincerity: "Mr. Zhang, actually... if we don't participate, the promotion might go astray. At least we understand what children need, and if we can get government subsidies, the Little Red Horse model can go further and benefit more children."

These words struck a chord with Zhang Tan, who thought for a moment and said, "Okay, we'll participate."

Deputy Director Li was overjoyed, "Then thank you so much, General Manager Zhang!"

The discussion of details lasted for half an hour. When everyone came out of the office, the games in the courtyard had reached their climax. Liu Liu had somehow gotten hold of a small karaoke machine and was singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" with Xiao Ya.

Liu Liu sang off-key to her grandmother's bridge, but Xiao Ya laughed so hard she almost fell over, her clear voice steadily carrying the tune.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are..."

Liu Liu is suspected of doing it on purpose, because even Robin wouldn't sing that off-key.