BDBE 42

Chapter 42 Bullying

Zhou Hui’s suggestion wasn’t without merit, but this would inevitably escalate the matter. 

Yang Liu first sent a message to the grade director, then dialed Ning Beilei’s mother’s number. 

Before the call connected, Yang Liu asked Lu Niannian and Shen Wanchao, who were unrelated to the incident, to return to class. After speaking, Yang Liu focused her attention on the call. 

Lu Niannian initially wanted to leave after hearing Yang Liu’s urging, but Ning Beilei tightly grabbed her arm, so she stayed. 

As for Shen Wanchao, he had no intention of leaving. He pretended not to hear Yang Liu’s words, and stood beside Zhou Mingchen. 

Shen Wanchao’s expression was grave. He had suddenly recalled seeing Ning Beilei being taken to a corner by Chen Zhenhe and the others to talk after the monthly exam, and felt that today’s events were probably related to Chen Zhenhe. 

After hanging up the phone, Yang Liu glanced at Shen Wanchao and Lu Niannian, who were still present, and sighed in distress. She didn’t try to shoo them away, but instead said, “The office isn’t convenient. Let’s go to the small conference room on the third floor.” 

On the way to the conference room, unauthorized copy Shen Wanchao deliberately slowed his pace. He walked beside Ning Beilei and whispering to her, 

“Last Friday, after the monthly exam, did Chen Zhenhe and the others bully you? What did they say to you?” 

Ning Beilei flinched and looked at Shen Wanchao. 

“If this matter is related to them, you can rest assured and tell the truth,” Shen Wanchao said seriously. “I can testify for you; you don’t need to be afraid.” 

Ning Beilei felt as if the person in front of her could see right through her soul. 

She cowered back, avoided his gaze, and tightly hugged Lu Niannian’s arm. 

Lu Niannian hesitated, then said to Shen Wanchao, “You… maybe you shouldn’t provoke her any further?” 

Shen Wanchao remained silent. He gave Ning Beilei one last look before quickening his pace to catch up with Zhou Hui and Zhou Mingchen, who were walking ahead. 

… 

Half an hour later, Ning Beilei’s mother entered the conference room. 

She immediately found her daughter and sat down beside her: “Leilei, let Mom take a look.” 

A girl’s skin at this age is very delicate, and even a small scratch looks alarming, let alone one on her face. 

Ning’s mother immediately teared up. She looked at everyone present, and finally turned to Yang Liu: “Teacher Yang, who? Who bullied Leilei?” 

Yang Liu tried to soothe her: “Beilei’s mother, don’t panic. The most important thing now is to calm Ning Beilei down and get her to tell the whole story.” 

Ning’s mother was heartbroken and furious, making it difficult for her to think rationally: “What kind of teacher are you? Our Leilei has suffered such a great injustice, and you don’t even know the facts. You want her to tell the story, to relive the bullying again and again? Isn’t that too cruel?” 

Yang Liu was almost on the verge of collapse and had no choice but to call on him: “Liu Xingrui, repeat what you told me to Beilei’s mother.” 

All eyes instantly focused on Liu Xingrui. 

This usually quiet and unassuming boy was very uncomfortable with the stares of others and tensed up. 

“I…I just heard Ning Beilei say…that yesterday afternoon after school…she met Zhou Mingchen. And then, for some reason, maybe Zhou Mingchen was in a bad mood…so…so he said a few slightly offensive stolen content things to her, and she argued back, and Zhou Mingchen…got angry and hit…hit her.” 

Yang Liu immediately realized something was wrong and questioned Liu Xingrui: “You’re telling me you saw it with your own eyes?” 

Liu Xingrui was shocked and stammered even more: “I…I…I…” 

Ning Beilei’s mother was already furious and looked directly at Zhou Hui sitting opposite her: “So this gentleman is that Student Zhou’s parent, right?” 

“Yes, I am Zhou Mingchen’s father.” Zhou Hui answered calmly, “But I don’t believe my child would do something like bullying a classmate. The classmate’s story was inconsistent, and there may be more to the story. Please calm down.” 

“Calm down!?” Ning’s mother slammed her hand on the table and stood up. “Of course you can calm down if it’s not your child who was bullied!” 

Then, she immediately noticed Zhou Mingchen, who stood out among the students because of his dyed hair. 

She pointed at Zhou Mingchen and said, “Look at his outfit, how is he any different from a street thug? It’s no surprise that someone like him would bully a classmate, what could be the real reason?” 

“I’m speechless.” 

Zhou Mingchen rolled his eyes. 

He had been wronged so much today that he was almost out of temper. When she criticized him, his first reaction wasn’t anger, but amusement. 

Shen Wanchao frowned and raised his voice to remind Ning Beilei’s mother, “Madam, you need evidence to speak. You can’t judge someone’s actions based on prejudice.” 

“Who are you?” Ning’s mother looked at him questioningly. “Adults are talking, and you students who have nothing to do with this are staying here to watch the show instead of going to class?” 

Shen Wanchao’s face darkened. 

Zhou Hui spoke up in time, “The children are already high school students, they’ve studied and understand reason, and what he said isn’t wrong. Madam, the truth is still unclear. You’re worried about your child being bullied, but I can’t let you slander my child so arbitrarily.” 

Seeing that the two sides were about to argue, Yang Liu quickly mediated. 

Just then, the meeting room door opened again, and the grade director, wearing a youthful-looking wig with a side parting, walked in with a stern expression and his hands behind his back. Yang Liu quickly stood up, and offered him the center seat. 

The director didn’t sit down immediately; he smiled gently and said to both parents, “I heard the argument before I came in. I understand the parents’ concern for their children, but arguing won’t solve anything. That student, go open the window, let some air in, and let everyone clear their heads.”

Shen Wanchao, who was called upon, got up to open the window, only to see Lin Anyi, who had appeared unnoticed. 

Lin Anyi had followed the director in without permission. 

His eyes met Shen Wanchao’s for a moment, then he turned to everyone and said, “Ning Beilei, are you still planning to hide behind your mother and let this mudslinging completely fall on innocent people?” 

Everyone instantly turned to look at him. 

While everyone was still wondering who this classmate was and when she appeared, Lin Anyi continued, 

“Before I transferred here, Chen Zhenhe and his friends were always bullying you, right?” 

Ning Beilei’s eyes widened, and she froze. 

Lin Anyi looked at the grade director and Yang Liu and said, “You should remember the fight between Zhou Mingchen and Chen Zhenhe last semester, right? I explained the facts of that incident to you very clearly. Chen Zhenhe and his friends harassed me, and when they couldn’t get away with it, they started hitting me. Zhou Mingchen happened to be passing by and saw it, so he had no choice but to fight back to help me. At that time, Zhou Mingchen and I weren’t on good terms, but he still stepped in to help me. I don’t think someone like that would bully other students.” 

Ning’s mother looked at the grade director, who nodded, “That’s true.”

Lin Anyi spoke to Ning Beilei again: “Chen Zhenhe and the others mentioned you to me. Before me, you were always the one they bullied. So I understand you’re afraid of them and don’t dare to speak out, but you can’t just stand by and watch innocent people be wronged.” 

“Right now you’re the victim, but if you let things continue without saying a word, you’ll become a perpetrator just like Chen Zhenhe and the others.” 

“Ah!!” 

Ning Beilei screamed. She clutched her head, tears running down her face. 

“Leilei!” Ning’s mother quickly hugged her daughter and called to Lin Anyi, “Stop talking!” 

Then she said to the grade director, “Who is Chen Zhenhe? Call him here, I want to ask him myself!” 

The director gave Yang Liu a look and nodded. Yang Liu understood, and took the opportunity to have Lu Niannian and Shen Wanchao go and call Chen Zhenhe over, then return to the classroom. 

After leaving the meeting room, Shen Wanchao said to Lu Niannian, “We should find an Alpha to go with us. I’ll go back to the classroom with you and call Fang Chi.” 

Lu Niannian wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but Shen Wanchao insisted, so the two went back to the classroom and called Fang Chi. 

As they passed their seats, Shen Wanchao quietly [unauthorized copy]took his phone from his desk drawer and put it in his pocket. 

Seeing the three of them leave the classroom together during class time, the strict math teacher was very unhappy, but she had been in the office earlier and roughly knew that something serious had happened. She only told the three of them to come back to class as soon as they were done, and then continued lecturing. 

Outside the classroom, Shen Wanchao said to the other two, “I have something I need to take care of. You two go find Chen Zhenhe first.” 

After seeing Fang Chi and Lu Niannian off, Shen Wanchao found a quiet stairwell and dialed a contact number he had never used before. 

“Beep–beep–” 

The person on the other end seemed busy; the notification sounded seven or eight times, but the call still hadn’t been answered. 

After the tenth ring, a deep voice finally came through the receiver: “Reporter Shen? Oh no, I should call you Director Shen now.” 

Shen Wanchao’s voice was cold. He didn’t bothered with pleasantries, and went straight to the point: “President Chen, your son got into some trouble at school. Would you be so kind as to come and handle it?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a laugh: “I didn’t know Director Shen had changed careers and was still so interested in other people’s private affairs. What big trouble could a kid cause? I’m busy, I don’t have time to go.” 

“President Chen knows I’ve changed careers?” Shen Wanchao smiled mockingly. “Since you know, why did you call me Reporter Shen? Your son’s matter involves stolen content my child, so I’m informing you as his father, asking you to come and discipline your son.” 

“…” The other end instantly dropped its sarcastic tone. “Wait, I’ll be there shortly.” 

After hanging up, Shen Wanchao stood there, though for a moment, and then dialed another number. 

This time the call was answered quickly, and Han Zhen’s voice betrayed a hint of surprise: “Mr. Shen?” 

Shen Wanchao quickly instructed him: “I’ll give you a number. Contact her; she’s from the Omega Protection Bureau. Tell her there’s been a bullying incident at Qiongya School and you need her to come and investigate. If she agrees, go and pick her up immediately.” 

“But I’m waiting for President Zhou to come out of Qiongya…” 

“I only told you this because I knew you were at Qiongya,” Shen Wanchao said. “Something happened at the school; Zhou Hui won’t be looking for you for a while. Don’t worry, go and do your job.” Han Zhen hesitated for a moment, but ultimately agreed: “Yes, Mr. Shen.”