“Ah, what are you doing? Teacher Luo, hitting someone is wrong. If you have something to say, say it properly.” In an instant, the teachers who had been watching the drama all gathered around.
“Good, Luo, you dare to hit someone. I will make sure you regret this!” Chen Chao pointed at Luo Chen and shouted.
But inside, he was secretly delighted. Go on, make a scene. The bigger the fuss, the better.
It took Sun Jianguo quite a while to cover his mouth and crawl up. Half his face was already swollen.
“You dare hit me? You are finished. I am going to report you. I will make you go to prison!”
“I hit you on purpose. Are you still fit to be a teacher? If all the students were well-behaved, what would you need to teach?”
“Everyone makes mistakes, but that is not an excuse for you to punish students. That girl went too far, but what you said to her as a teacher was even worse!” Luo Chen scolded.
“And do you think I do not know what you are doing? You lot do not even act like proper teachers. Let us speak openly. Are you not just using her situation to make things difficult for me?”
“Using a child like this, is that what teachers should do? Touch your conscience. Can you really live with the title of teacher?” Luo Chen looked at Sun Jianguo with some disgust.
“I do not care. You hit someone today. Just wait. The police will be here soon.” Sun Jianguo was in so much pain that tears streamed down his face.
Sure enough, not long after, the police really arrived.
But the leader froze the moment he stepped through the door.
“Mr Luo? Why are you here?” The person was none other than Captain Zhou.
“Captain Zhou, it is you?” Luo Chen smiled.
“Sigh, I was temporarily transferred to this area.” Captain Zhou was very warm. After the last incident, he had deliberately applied to leave that district for a while, so now he was in charge of the development zone.
Then the two of them started catching up, chatting about all sorts of things. Finally Captain Zhou said,
“Then I will head back first. When I have time later, I will treat you to a meal.” Captain Zhou turned to leave.
He did not glance at anyone else the whole time.
“Hey, officer, wait! He hit someone!” Sun Jianguo covered his face and pointed at himself.
But Captain Zhou, who was about to walk out, frowned. He thought, is this man an idiot?
I have already made it so obvious, and he still does not get it?
I even invited Luo Chen for a meal, and you still bring up the assault?
With no choice, Captain Zhou gave Luo Chen a helpless bitter smile, then spoke sternly.
“Fine. You two, take this injured person back to the station to take a statement first.” Two uniformed officers came over and took Sun Jianguo away.
Then Captain Zhou said to Luo Chen,
“Hitting people is wrong. It disturbs public order. Verbal warning once, fine of two hundred yuan. Mr Luo, please sign here. Remember to pay the fine later.” Captain Zhou took out a pen and paper, and Luo Chen signed.
“All done. Pack up and return to base.”
Sun Jianguo stood outside in a daze. Something felt very wrong.
Clearly he was the one who got hit. How did it feel like he was the one who did the hitting?
As Captain Zhou walked out the door, he tore up the paper and threw it into the bin beside the corridor.
“Take him away!”
Sun Jianguo was destined to spend a cold night in the station tonight.
The other teachers looked at each other, completely stunned.
“Impressive tactics! Teacher Luo, even the police side with you. But this is a school. A school has its own rules and regulations!”
“If a mistake is made, the school must punish her!”
Luo Chen ignored Chen Chao, opened the door, and brought Zhou Lili out.
“Lili, how much money did you take from them?” Luo Chen asked. In his eyes it was a small matter. Just return the money and apologise.
No need to make it such a big deal. Of course, part of it was because Luo Chen was protective.
But Zhou Lili’s reaction was completely unexpected.
Zhou Lili pushed Luo Chen away and said,
“My business is none of yours!” Then she ran off.
This scene left even Luo Chen slightly stunned.
Chen Chao, on the other hand, gave a cold smile. Seeing this seemed to make him even more smug.
Luo Chen took out his wallet. There was only five thousand yuan in cash inside. He handed it to those girls and said,
“Take the money for now. Whatever Lili took from you, I will make up the rest later. On behalf of Lili’s improper behaviour, I apologise to you all. Also, I will make Lili apologise to you in front of the whole school during the school assembly!” Luo Chen apologised to the female students.
“Hmph, make Zhou Lili apologise to them in front of the whole school?” Chen Chao sneered.
“If I said it, I will do it.”
“Why not say she will also write a self-criticism?” Chen Chao sneered again.
“That can be arranged too.”
“Can you guarantee Zhou Lili will not rob again? Will not make the same mistake again?” Chen Chao mocked.
“Can you guarantee Zhou Lili will apologise to them in front of the whole school at the assembly?”
“Can you guarantee Zhou Lili will write a self-criticism?” Chen Chao sneered once more.
“I said it, so I will make it happen.” Luo Chen remained very calm.
“What if you cannot?” Chen Chao pressed.
“If I cannot, I will resign. Is that not the answer you, Teacher Chen, want most?” Luo Chen countered.
“Fine. I did not force you!” Chen Chao suddenly laughed loudly.
“Then, Teacher Luo, write a guarantee letter.”
“Fine.”
“Old Zhang, you write it!” Chen Chao ordered directly, because he was afraid Luo Chen would go back on his word.
“Fine, but it is the same. I am not as shameless as you, Teacher Chen!” Luo Chen mocked back.
“Hmph. You will not be jumping around for long. I want to see what way you have to make Zhou Lili apologise in front of the whole school.” Chen Chao took the guarantee letter. The conditions were written clearly on it.
Luo Chen picked up the pen and signed.
Chen Chao was not worried at all. With Zhou Lili’s personality, hmph, even when Luo Chen helped her just now, she did not appreciate it. So how could Luo Chen possibly make Zhou Lili apologise?
Indeed, Zhou Lili was very aloof, eccentric, and seemed cold to others.
And she was still a student. Luo Chen could not possibly use improper methods to force her to apologise.
So this really was a troublesome matter.
Luo Chen did not argue further. He walked out and quickly disappeared into the night.
He felt there must be something wrong with Zhou Lili. She was the daughter of Tongzhou’s richest man. She could not possibly lack money. Why would she collect protection fees?
Zhou Lili had not gone far. With Luo Chen’s speed, he soon found her. But he did not catch up. Instead he quietly followed behind.
Luo Chen knew Zhou Lili did not live in the school dorms. But he had heard her family lived on the other side of Tongzhou. So where did she live?
After following for about ten minutes, Zhou Lili entered a rundown old neighbourhood.
Then she slipped into the courtyard of a private house. Zhou Lili went to the tap in the yard, stuck her head under the water, and started rinsing. There was already shampoo placed nearby.
After washing, the grandma-grey hair turned into long black hair, and the heavy makeup was gone. Zhou Lili took a towel, wrapped her hair, and began washing off her tattoos.
Clearly they were all temporary stickers. After cleaning them, Zhou Lili took out a school uniform and put it on.
In this appearance, there was no trace of the delinquent girl from before. Instead she looked like an obedient, model student.
Finally, Zhou Lili followed the stairs in the yard up to the second floor.
The second floor was dim, shabby, and somewhat dirty and messy. Zhou Lili took out a key, opened the most worn-out door, and walked in.
Luo Chen went to the window and looked inside through a narrow gap.
“Mum, I am back from school.” The coldness on Zhou Lili’s face finally melted away, replaced by an indescribable gentleness.