Chapter 133: Boy x Bullying x Studying Crazy (11) + (12)

Chapter 133: Boy x Bullying x Studying Crazy (11) + (12)

No matter how badly he cried, he was still someone else's child.

"You didn’t even get a scratch or an injury," one parent couldn't help but say, "My son is still in handcuffs and might go to prison. Can you consider our feelings as parents?!"

"Did my son force your child to commit burglary?!" Tang Zhi’s mom suddenly lost it, "My son was bullied by so many of you, how dare you demand answers from him?!"

"It's your children who did something wrong! You failed to teach them properly. Every single one of you parents is responsible! The law is fair to everyone, and if they end up in prison, they brought it on themselves!"

The deputy director hurriedly tried to control the situation before it spiraled again, "No arguing, everyone calm down. We’re here to work this out calmly."

"The school's current stance is that they're willing to cooperate with internal disciplinary warnings..."

"Expel them from school!" Tang Zhi’s mom couldn't bear to see her son crying like that, "They all need to be expelled! You raised some messed-up kids. Today they dare to commit burglary, tomorrow they’ll dare to kill with a knife. Good luck finding a school that’ll take them!"

Tang Zhi tried to stop his tears.

Mom, please don't get involved, it's having the opposite effect—

The vice principal and several teachers were wiping their sweat, their heads aching.

A few relatively wealthy businessmen attempted to greet Tang Zhi's father, still hoping to solve the issue with money.

In a small city, news spread too quickly. If a child really went to prison, their family would never be able to hold their heads high again, and they'd be talked about for the rest of their lives.

Tang Zhi’s homeroom teacher, Sister Lan, also arrived, trying to comfort and persuade him. She asked, "Tang Zhi, what do you want to do?"

"How about we first have these people apologize to you properly, and once your mood calms down a bit, we can discuss the rest of the settlement?"

The vice principal and several parents nodded immediately.

At the end of the day, it was just kids causing trouble. This shouldn't escalate to the level of burglary. Tang Zhi was still young and must still be angry. Once they calm him down, everything will be easier to handle.

The boy wiped away his tears and said, "I want to be alone with Lawyer Jin."

"We can't do that!" Dong Yuan's parent suddenly stood up, "Can't you just talk here?!"

The police looked over displeased, "Suspect's family, please do not interfere with the victim's reasonable requests."

Under everyone's gaze, Lawyer Jin patted the boy's shoulder, and the two went into the small office next door.

Before leaving, they half-confirmed with Tang Zhi's parents, who quickly nodded, indicating they wouldn't say anything during the wait.

As soon as they entered the office, Tang Zhi took a deep breath of fresh air and regained his troubled expression.

"What a bunch of idiots."

Lawyer Jin, used to this, asked, "Are you sure you want to stick to the plan? Not take a dime?"

Tang Zhi said calmly, "It’s not about the money."

"Then what is it?" Lawyer Jin smiled, "It's the first time I've seen someone go a different route so desperately, disregarding everything."

Tang Zhi casually made a phone call to Sister Lan, briefly confirming something, and said, "An extra 5,000 yuan has been sent to you as a hardship fee, the money is already in your account."

Lawyer Jin, feeling much better, said, "Leave it to me, let's go."

In cases like this, where the suspects practically handed themselves over, even if this went to court, we’d win hands down. She had over ten years of practice, but this was the first time she'd seen someone so eager to settle.

Fine, let's just say the kid spent some money on fun.

When Tang Zhi walked out of the office, his expression was still one of cold indifference. He stood at the entrance of the meeting room, took a brief breath, and his expression shifted back to one of hidden pain, just as it had been before.

Lawyer Jin observed this and adopted the demeanor of a steady elder.

The two sat down in succession, and Lawyer Jin, meeting the anxious gazes of everyone present, said, "I've had a chat with Xiao Tang."

"Although it's true that the actions of these suspects were improper, as the saying goes, it's better to leave things on good terms."

Upon hearing this, many parents wore expressions of immense gratitude and nodded continuously.

"Absolutely, we're all neighbors. Let's not make this any worse than it has to be!"

"Xiao Tang, we understand the grievances you've suffered. We'll make sure you're compensated fairly!"

"We can't push anyone into a corner! Please understand us as parents, we're begging you!"

Lawyer Jin, unhurried, said, "Therefore, after considering the police's suggestions and the school's opinions, we have the following demands."

The meeting room fell into an absolute silence, and everyone's heart reached their throat.

"First, you must guarantee the personal and property safety of the Tang family for the next ten years."

"During these ten years, the safety of the Tang family will be tied to all the families involved in this case. Our client is unable to move, so we are particularly concerned about the possibility of retaliation from any of you."

The group looked at each other, found it reasonable, and quickly agreed after a brief discussion.

No one would dare retaliate; everyone just wanted to move on and keep their kids out of trouble.

"If anything happens to the Tang family over the next ten years, including but not limited to car accidents, fires, poisoning, etc., you will be held responsible and will share the costs of care and lost wages, and the Tang family will regain their right to pursue charges."

Dong Yuan's mom couldn't hold back and blurted out, "We'll hire a bodyguard for your family! Let's see who tries to mess with you again!"

The others patted their chests and agreed, "As long as you sign the reconciliation agreement, all our families will ensure your safety, no problem."

Tang's dad quietly let out a breath of relief, thinking that his vegetable stall should be safe, and business might even improve.

Their family had spared these families' kids, so of course, people would come to support their business.

Keding was already thinking about getting some popcorn and soda: "Here it comes, here it comes!"

System: "I hope Lawyer Jin doesn't laugh."

Keding: "I'm already using my poker face card, I really want to laugh, okay!"

Lawyer Jin gently drew a breath, his eyes lightly focused on his notes, and said, "The second demand is that we hope all the underage suspects will follow a strict study plan, starting from this academic year until graduation from university."

"If they fail to complete it, it will be seen as a lack of intention to reform and a potential for violent crime."

"If all of them violate the rules three times in total, it will be considered that the criminal group has no intention of reform, and we will resume our right to pursue charges."

Upon hearing this, the parents who had just relaxed were stunned.

"What—what?"

Tang Zhi spoke calmly, "My condition for reconciliation is that each of them must rank within the top ten in their grade by the end of this year and be admitted to a double first-class university by their senior year, with a GPA of no less than 4.0 upon graduation."

The police officers, mid-sip of their tea, choked: "...?"

The deputy director looked like he was in a daze: “……？”

The frazzled homeroom teachers: “……？”

The parents were utterly stunned: “……？”

Wait, so you’re saying your house was broken into, your kid was beaten up, and almost choked to death?

And instead of going after compensation or putting these guys in prison, you want them to focus on their studies, get into elite universities, and become upstanding members of society?!

What?

What?!

What?!

Even the elderly woman who had feigned fainting was speechless, while the other parents stared in disbelief, as if they’d just heard a foreign language.

“You’re serious?”

“Xiao Tang, did I hear that right?”

“No money at all?”

“What? What?! What?!”

Though they had been briefed, the Tang parents couldn’t hide their shock, and they had no idea what their son was thinking. They desperately searched the lawyer’s face for any sign of reassurance.

After exchanging glances, they quietly agreed to trust the lawyer’s judgment.

The vegetable stall business would definitely be stable with the previous statement, and the family wouldn't have to worry about retaliation. That’s a relief.

The 80,000 yuan wasn’t really their money, and it didn’t cost them much—just two days of recovery for their son, which someone else would take care of.

Lawyer Jin observed everyone's expressions closely and spoke slowly: "We don't accept money, nor do we wish to use money to bind anyone here."

"The core demand of the Tang family is for this child to be free from the fear of being harmed or robbed, so he can live in a safe and socially responsible environment. This is what all of you here need to work together to achieve."

Officer Lei tried hard to contain his expression while continuing to record the mediation meeting.

This was strange. Really strange.

They had mediated hundreds of cases, but they had never encountered a victim who wanted the suspects to focus on their studies, get into ideal universities, and become pillars of society.

This wasn’t just a kid who had been robbed. He was like a shining example of modern-day righteousness, it was absurd!

The vice principal, who had been worried about the school’s reputation, was eager to agree, nodding enthusiastically and quickly passing the message along to the confused parents.

"That’s why we say young Tang has awareness!"

"This is what a good kid and role model should be!"

"The conditions he proposed are firmly agreed upon by the school, and we are absolutely willing to cooperate!"

The teachers exchanged knowing glances and rolled their eyes.

If thirty more students got into top-tier universities, you’d be thrilled. Everyone knows what you’re really after.

"Wait a moment." Zhang Tongquan’s father, who worked as an accountant, immediately noticed something fishy about the conditions.

"Lawyer Jin, your requirement is that all minors have a corresponding study plan, and if they fail to meet the standards cumulatively three times, the right to prosecution will be resumed?"

Many parents present hadn’t even finished middle school, and their educational backgrounds were uneven, leaving them confused by what they heard.

It’s just about studying hard, right? Just agree, what else could go wrong?

Lawyer Jin nodded calmly.

"Yes, otherwise the settlement agreement would be a mere scrap of paper with no binding force."

"Parents, your children are suspects in a gang-related criminal case. The evidence is complete, and the right to prosecution is expected to last more than ten years."

"If we don’t get sufficiently concrete and reliable guarantees, signing the settlement agreement would be digging our own grave."

Father Tang looked blankly at Mother Tang, using his eyes to ask what Lawyer Jin was talking about.

Mother Tang shook her head confusedly, indicating she didn’t understand either.

Keding noticed their small gestures and, seeing the puzzled expressions of the other parents, already anticipated the collapse of those delinquents.

My dear delinquents, care to guess how ridiculous the academic guarantees your parents are going to sign for you will be?

And if you don’t perform well… guess what will happen to you?

System: "Here it is—a terrifying world where failing exams means spending ten years in prison!!"

System: "It’s you! The miraculous person who changed the rules of the world!!"

Keding: "You flatter me, just a little bit of creativity."

-2-

The police officers rarely got a word in edgewise.

They even had time to take turns eating, with one officer munching on a boxed meal while the teachers tried to explain Lawyer Jin’s terms in simple language.

"Yes, it means your children either study hard, take exams seriously, or go to prison."

"That’s right, they don’t want money, not a single penny."

Most parents were confused.

"Isn’t this a good thing?"

"This is great! I was hoping Zihao would get into Tsinghua or Peking University and make the family proud."

"Sign, why not sign! I’m happy to sign!"

Only a few parents who had truly battled in the exam-oriented education system managed to remain clear-headed.

"Wait, this requirement is extremely unreasonable, we should discuss it further."

"What’s there to discuss? Are you afraid they won’t pay up? Do you want your son living with murderers in prison?!"

"Hold on, everyone! Let’s not rush into this!" Father Zhang shouted. "Do you know how hard it is to rank in the top ten of the grade?!"

The noisy parents fell silent for a moment, but no one really took him seriously.

They all believed their children were naturally smart and capable, just not applying themselves properly.

If we supervise them properly and the kids work hard, not only the top ten, but even first place is achievable!

The homeroom teachers exchanged looks, trying hard not to laugh out loud.

Oh my God, where does this confidence come from? Why are these parents so sure of themselves?

Do you want to see last semester's final report cards? Sigh, Zihao's parent, your child's vocabulary is worse than a third-grader's!

The deputy director, sensing the teachers' unspoken thoughts, cleared his throat and reassured everyone, "Parents, it is now March 2008, and the new semester has just begun."

"As Xiao Tang suggested, he hopes that your children can achieve excellent results in the final exams during the winter break in early 2009. We still have a whole year ahead of us, so there's still hope."

The parents seemed to see a win-win situation and exclaimed excitedly, "Yes, yes, we still have a year!"

Zhang Tongquan clenched his teeth and demanded, "Has any of you tutored your child's homework? Has any of you disciplined your child??"

"What are you implying? Are you looking down on my family?!"

"Oh, so you think reading makes you better than everyone else? Look at you, acting all high and mighty—"

Lawyer Jin tapped the table to get everyone's attention, then opened her notebook.

"Just now, Xiao Tang and I went to the meeting room for a private discussion, to confirm the school's usual arrangements."

"Principal Qin, teachers, we all know that only by creating a clear and detailed performance plan can the settlement be fully enforceable."

"No one wants to meet here again next year, arguing over lawsuits during the holidays."

Teacher Lao Qiu quickly caught on. "So, you're asking that their children make steady progress in every monthly exam this year? Otherwise, you'll file a lawsuit?"

"This is a dual requirement from both civil and criminal litigation," said Lawyer Jin without blinking. "If the school truly has these children's best interests at heart, please assist the parents in drafting performance improvement requirement sheets that are tailored to these children—and supervise them to complete them as agreed."

The deputy director made a quick decision. "Xiao Chen, go get their entrance exam scores."

After a half-hour break, Teacher Xiao Chen returned with several files, photocopies of report cards, and a laptop containing internal network scores.

"Parents, come and get your report cards when your child's name is called."

"Wait," Officer Lei raised his hand, "Since the police are assisting in the mediation, we also have the right to know the current scores of these students."

Keding laughed. "Officer Lei is quite a character."

System: "I see the deputy director is also watching the show."

Keding: "Who doesn't love a good show!"

Teacher Xiao Chen cleared his throat and began reading the scores.

"Zhang Tongquan, first-year high school student, entrance exam score, 298 points out of 750."

"Dong Yuan, third-year middle school student, entrance exam score, 262 points out of 650."

"He Shangqiang, third-year middle school student, missed the entrance exam, last semester's total score, 98 points out of 650."

A heavy silence fell over the room, as if the air itself was holding its breath.

The parents who had just been boasting and envisioning the future now wished they could beg Teacher Xiao Chen to stop.

Stop, stop!! Don't read anymore!! This is too embarrassing!!

Officer Lei was about to suggest, "Then I'll bring in the students..."

The deputy director's deadly glare cut him off.

"Oh right, we can't fit so many people in the meeting room, and everyone's tired. Let's call them in groups of five. The rest of you, please go to the hall and rest for now."

By this point, it was already 8 PM.

The teachers were working overtime with resentment, the police were working overtime in the eerie atmosphere, and the lawyer was happily working overtime, receiving a big red envelope.

The first five to be brought out were the ones involved in the most serious cases.

Since the hearing wasn't over, they were to be detained overnight, still in handcuffs, looking terrified and drained. But as soon as they were brought out, they were met not only by furious parents but also by their report cards, splashed with bright red ink.

Dong Yuan's father had just rushed back from another province, having listened in on the proceedings via phone. When he saw his son, he slapped him hard across the face.

[Stress levels +30!]

Lawyer Jin casually added, "Additionally, in the event of malicious incidents such as theft of exam papers or individual or collective cheating, we will consider the settlement agreement breached and immediately file an application with the prosecutor."

The deputy director immediately nodded. "I agree. The school will also separate their exam venues and strictly prohibit these violations."

The parents were speechless, their faces pale with shock.

They had been deceived by sweet words, either completely hands-off, not even knowing whether their child was in the first year of high school or the third year of junior high, or living in a fantasy, thinking their child was studying obediently at school. Who would have thought things would be this bad?

English — 8 points??

8 points?? How did this even happen??

All those tutoring fees and supplementary material costs—where did the money go??

What the hell kind of studying gets you eight points??

Teacher Qiu, after being explicitly instructed several times by the deputy director, knew this was likely how things would proceed, to push forward with the plan. Together with Teacher Xiao Chen, they created a phased monthly exam improvement plan and distributed blank forms to the parents.

"Lawyer Jin's stance is very firm... Therefore, the requirement for all the children is the same: they must rank in the top ten in the final exams next year."

"Officer, and Lawyer Jin," Teacher Qiu hesitated, "should we still have the students come and have a proper discussion with their parents before filling out this improvement form? Otherwise, the parents might set requirements that don't match their... study expectations."

Although some of your big darlings don't attend classes at all.

They don't study, don't do their homework, sleep or play with their phones in class, and some even hit teachers.

But if you all want to keep playing this game, there's nothing I can do about it, right?

Keding hesitated and asked the system for its opinion. "Should I agree?"

"This is such a good opportunity!" the system said. "I'll open a retinal window for you in a bit, so you can watch their stress levels increase in real-time!"

Keding: "There's such a thing?!"

System: "I'll quietly break the rules this once. At most, the AI will just give me a warning!"

"Kissing noises!!"

The boy nodded, and Lawyer Jin didn't stop him.

"Did you dare to commit burglary?! Has this family ever let you down?!"

"Your father is outside drinking until he hemorrhages, repeatedly urging you to study hard, and this is how you repay him?!"

As soon as Dong's father finished slapping him, Dong's mother, with tears in her eyes, stepped forward and slammed another hard slap across his face.

"Slap!"

[Breakdown Meter +40!]

"You've told your mom a hundred times you were going to tutoring, to study English and Physics. But what have you actually been doing?!"

"Look at this report card! Are these even human scores? Have you been wasting your education?!"

Dong Yuan was frozen in shock, still in handcuffs and unable to dodge, just staring blankly as his parents waved the crumpled report card in his face.

"It's not about the exams, right?" he thought everyone had gone mad. "What does this have to do with exams? Why are you suddenly bringing this up?!"

"Not about the exams?! You're going to prison, do you understand that?!" Dong's mother screamed through tears. "I've worked my entire life for this family, and I've raised a criminal! What the hell, do you do all day?!"

"Let me tell you, do you know what Tang Zhi's reconciliation terms are?!" Dong's father cursed. "He doesn't want money, nor does he want an apology. He wants you to rank in the top ten of your grade within a year. If you fail, you're going to prison!!"

"A decade in jail, do you get that? With these terrible grades, what's the difference between this and a suspended sentence?!" Dong's mother went mad, twisting him violently.

Dong Yuan seemed not to have heard clearly.

"He doesn't want money?"

"Tang Zhi wants nothing but for you to study hard!!" Dong's father wished he could slap the report card onto his face. "If you don't improve, if you don't ace those exams, you're going to prison, got it?! Do you understand?!"

[Breakdown Meter +200!]

Dong Yuan felt his mind go blank, and with a loud buzzing in his head, he dropped to his knees, dazed and helpless.

An exam? Tang Zhi's payback is forcing him to... ace an exam?!

This is insane. Everyone has lost their minds!!