Chapter 13: Endless Bickering

(The usual three requests! Please vote, recommend, and bookmark!)

Early the next morning, before any of the parents arrived at the school, Jia Chengshi called a brief meeting with a few school leaders.

During the meeting, he recounted the thinly veiled threats Yang Tang had made to him.

Director Luo of the Academic Affairs Office slammed his hand on the table. “What does this Yang Tang think he’s doing? Trying to threaten the school?”

“A barking dog doesn’t bite; it was probably just something said in the heat of the moment,” said the vice principal in charge of logistics.

The principal, frowning, took a long drag of his cigarette. “We can’t be sure. If it were a parent talking, I’d say it was just a fit of anger, but these students are all half-grown boys—riled up enough, and they can easily go to extremes. Let’s not forget that criminal Jin Ruchao who was executed two years ago—he blew up several apartment buildings in a single night!”

“But we can’t just cower before a student, can we?” protested the head of security.

The principal cast him a cold glance and waved a hand. “I’m not saying we’re afraid. I mean we have to handle this impartially. As for the one who switched the exam papers—what was his name again? Gu... Gu something?”

“Gu Yongli,” Jia Chengshi supplied.

“That’s him. He gets a formal warning!” the principal declared. “As for Yang Tang, he beat up a classmate during lessons. There may have been a reason, but he’s caused a nasty scene. Give him a serious demerit—one that won’t go on his permanent record.”

“But, Principal, Yang Tang broke someone’s arm! Probation or even expulsion wouldn’t be too much!” the vice principal in charge of logistics objected.

The others nodded in agreement.

The principal’s smile was all teeth and no warmth. “However many calls you got last night, I got just as many at home. My view is, let the families settle the compensation and medical bills among themselves. As a school, we’ll deal out equal punishment to all sides. After all, one hand clapping makes no sound. Am I right?”

At this point, if any of the administrators hadn’t realized the principal was favoring Yang Tang, they’d have to be fools.

Nevertheless, Director Luo reminded them, “The other student who got hit while trying to break up the fight comes from a single-parent family, but his mother works at the city’s Education Bureau—she’s a department head!”

“I’m aware,” the principal replied unhurriedly. “I also know that Feng Junling’s grades aren’t high enough for Hangzhou or Nanjing University. He’s aiming for a local college, and we all know which is the best in town. His mother works for the bureau, but what of it? Mist University is directly under the central administration. In matters like this, it’s best for our school not to get involved.”

The administrators were all sharp enough to immediately grasp the implications for the students’ college entrance exam files. The city’s Education Bureau handles initial submissions, but the universities themselves decide which files to accept. The process is a maze that few outsiders truly understand.

Some of the leaders thought even further ahead. Rumor had it that Yang Tang’s father had once worked for three years in the Admissions Office at Mist University. Even if he wasn’t there anymore, in a place like a university, the connections between staff and faculty are deep—the kind of small favors that never go stale.

Therefore, the leadership decided to handle Yang Tang’s assault on Feng Junling as a routine schoolyard fight. The matter of compensation would be left to the families to negotiate among themselves.

With the main direction decided, the rest was straightforward.

At ten o’clock, Jia Chengshi accompanied Yang Tang and his father to the 98th Hospital.

In the double-occupancy ward, Feng Junling’s mother and Gu Yongli’s parents were already present.

The moment Yang Tang entered, Gu Yongli, his arm in a cast, glared with red-rimmed eyes and rasped, “Yang... Tang... Just wait till my arm heals—let’s settle this one-on-one!”

Yang Tang sneered. “Any time. I won’t stop until you’re finished!”

Gu Yongli’s parents, who’d been silent until now, immediately exploded.

“You wretched brat, is that how you talk?” Gu’s mother scolded.

Gu’s father stepped forward, ready to grab Yang Tang by the throat.

Before Yang Tang could dodge, Yang Jixue caught Gu’s father’s wrist in a firm grip. “My son doesn’t need outside discipline,” he said coolly.

Gu’s father glared and tried to break free, but couldn’t. Realizing he’d met his match, he barked, “Let go!”

“I will, if we can talk civilly.” With that, Yang Jixue gently pushed Gu’s father back.

He staggered several steps, stopping only when his thigh hit the bed frame.

Gu’s mother and Feng’s mother, who’d been ready to make a scene, immediately fell silent, their eyes fixed on Yang Jixue as they reconsidered how to seek justice for their sons.

Yang Jixue said, “Director Jia, I’ve already reviewed the hospital’s assessment of the two students’ injuries. On behalf of my family, I wish to express our deep apologies for Feng Junling’s injuries.” He gave Yang Tang a swat on the head. “You rascal, aren’t you going to apologize?”

“Uh...” Yang Tang knew in his heart that between Feng and Gu, Feng was the one who truly deserved a beating, but since the real story hadn’t come out, he had no choice but to bow and apologize perfunctorily. “Sorry, Feng—my apologies!”

“What are you saying?” Yang Jixue purposely kicked him.

“He’s the class rep. Calling him ‘Feng the Rep’ isn’t wrong!”

Realizing the misunderstanding, Yang Jixue continued, “Since Feng was hurt trying to stop the fight, we’re willing to pay his medical expenses and double nutrition fees. As for Gu, who switched my son’s exam paper, we’ll cover the surgery and nutrition for his fracture, but any other injuries—he deserved them!” By the end, Yang’s father was glaring fiercely.

Gu’s parents bristled. “What do you mean, your son hit our boy—how does he ‘deserve’ it?”

Yang Jixue shot back, “He swapped the good paper for a bad one, hindering Yang Tang’s studies. If anyone deserved a beating, it was him.”

Gu’s father’s retort faltered, but Gu’s mother was not so easily cowed. “Fine, even if Yongli was at fault, his arm’s broken now! They say it takes a hundred days for a bone to heal—what about his college entrance exams? How’s he supposed to take them?”

Yang Jixue was momentarily at a loss for words.

Yang Tang stepped in, “Auntie Gu, you should actually feel relieved...”

“Relieved about what?” Gu’s mother’s eyebrows shot up.

“Relieved I only broke his left arm,” Yang Tang answered, a cold smile on his lips.

The adults all felt a chill at his words.

Gu Yongli wanted to curse, but bit it back, while Feng Junling remained silent, eyes closed as if meditating.

After a few seconds, Gu’s mother spoke again, “And if we don’t accept your terms and call the police?”

“By all means!” Yang Jixue retorted with a cold smile. “Three minors brawled, the worst injury was a broken arm—call whoever you like!”

Just as the negotiations seemed about to collapse, Jia Chengshi, who’d been quietly watching, finally intervened. “Gu Yongli’s parents, since the torn exam paper was actually the printing room’s fault, the school will pay your son compensation—provided you accept Mr. Yang’s offer as well.”

Hearing this, Feng’s mother, who’d been quietly supporting her son, raised her head sharply. “Is that the school’s final decision?”

“It is,” Jia Chengshi replied, feeling her displeasure but standing firm. “Since Feng was hurt trying to break up the fight, the school will award him the ‘Model Student’ title and recommend him for this year’s ‘One-in-Ten-Thousand Outstanding Student’ award. As for Gu Yongli, for swapping papers and causing the incident, he’ll receive a formal warning.”

“What?!”

“On what grounds does the school punish our son?”

Gu’s parents protested angrily.

Jia Chengshi ignored them and went on, “Yang Tang, for injuring a classmate, will receive a serious demerit.”

That silenced Gu’s parents. As blue-collar workers with little education, they heard “serious demerit” and thought it sounded much worse than a warning, so they quieted at once.

Feng’s mother recognized the school’s bias toward Yang Tang but made no outward sign. Inwardly, she thought coldly, “We’ll see about the university entrance exams.”

Noting her reaction, Yang Jixue, after transferring the compensation and having the families sign agreements, handed Feng’s mother a business card before leaving. “I hear your son wants to apply to Mist University. When the time comes, I can put in a word with admissions—if he meets the cut-off, he’ll get in for sure.”

Feng’s mother was stunned.

That afternoon, Yang Tang returned to school as if nothing had happened. Yet in class and between lessons, the seniors all regarded him with a trace of fear.

Yang Tang was unmoved by his newfound notoriety, focusing as always on conquering English and math.

By Wednesday morning, word of the fight had spread throughout the entire senior high school.

At lunch, as usual, he went to play basketball. Before the one-on-one could begin, Liu Yu and Specs dragged him to the sidelines, eager for gossip. “Old Yang, is it true you got into a fight?”

Yang Tang rolled his eyes. “Weren’t you at the morning assembly?”

“Sure were!”

“So you didn’t hear me called out in front of the whole school?”

“We did!”

“Then what do you think, the school would make it up?”

Liu Yu and Specs exchanged a glance and suddenly grinned.

Yang Tang shot them a sidelong look. “What are you idiots laughing about?”

“Remember how someone was trying to get some freshmen to cause you trouble this weekend? Well, we heard this morning those punks chickened out and canceled the plan!”

Yang Tang raised an eyebrow. “Really? Maybe it’s a smokescreen.” His words gave his friends pause.

Just then, a swaggering guy with a Chen Haonan haircut and two sidekicks strolled up to Yang Tang.

Yang Tang glanced at him. “What do you want, punk?”

“I need a word with you...”

“Me?” Yang Tang said, surprised.

.
.
.