C18 A Shocking Reversal

"Yang Wanli, do you have no fear of being struck down by lightning for your lies?"

Chu Yang bellowed as he entered the classroom.

The few people inside were startled, with Yang Wanli in particular retreating in panic, nearly stumbling over a desk.

Yu Wei wasn't faring much better. Seeing the fury in Chu Yang's eyes, he guiltily sought refuge behind Yang Wanli.

The other students were instantly intrigued and pushed their way into the classroom, sensing that there was more to the story from Chu Yang's tone.

Liu Meng, who was unfamiliar with Chu Yang, saw his enraged demeanor and turned to Xu Zhiwen to ask, "Is that Chu Yang?"

"Yes, Principal."

Xu Zhiwen responded, then asked gravely, "Chu Yang, there have been many unfavorable rumors about you at the school lately. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Chu Yang locked eyes with Xu Zhiwen, recognizing that the counselor, whom he had known for over a year, still trusted him.

"I have nothing to add. The intricacies of this matter should be explained by Yang Wanli himself."

Chu Yang smiled at Yang Wanli and discreetly retrieved a talisman, channeling spiritual energy into it.

His spiritual sense had zeroed in on Yang Wanli long before. The instant the talisman was activated, it released a faint glow that shot directly into Yang Wanli's body.

"Hmph, then let me repeat myself!"

Yang Wanli sneered, ready to restate his claims, but under the influence of the talisman, his words involuntarily shifted.

"Yes, the IOU written by Chu Yang was indeed tampered with by Yu Wei and me!"

"..."

Upon hearing this confession, the students watching erupted into commotion.

"Yang Wanli, what are you spouting?"

Yu Wei, terrified, quickly intervened.

By then, Yang Wanli had realized what was happening and tried to speak up to mitigate the damage, but his mouth continued to betray him.

"The truth is, it was my idea for Yu Wei to lend money to Chu Yang. I simply wanted to enjoy being his creditor, but I never expected him to be so negligent as to leave the amount in figures off the IOU. So I altered the 'one' to a 'ten' on the note and gave Yu Wei ten thousand yuan to act as my false witness. This way, Chu Yang would be under my thumb, unable to ever recover!"

The classroom erupted into noise as the students were shocked by Yang Wanli's malice, using such underhanded tactics to set up a fellow student!

After Yang Wanli finished speaking, he was so frightened that he clamped his hands over his mouth, feeling a cold sweat break out all over his body.

"This is just too bizarre. Why won't my mouth cooperate?" he thought.

Yu Wei realized the jig was up. He collapsed to the floor, lamenting, "I never meant to hurt Chu Yang. Yang Wanli forced me into this. I had no other choice."

Seeing Yu Wei pin the blame on him, Yang Wanli, his face flushing with anger and embarrassment, countered, "Hold your tongue. Yes, I altered the IOU, but I didn't force you to take the money. And let's not forget, it was your brilliant idea to spread those rumors about Chu Yang being involved in gambling!"

It was almost comical to watch the two of them publicly squabbling, each trying to shift the bulk of the blame onto the other.

Chu Yang breathed a sigh of relief at these revelations. He turned to Liu Meng and explained, "Director Liu, that's the full account of what happened."

Liu Meng's face was a picture of shock. He hadn't anticipated Yang Wanli's public confession of his scheme and was at a loss for how to proceed.

Finally, he pointed at Yang Wanli, his voice tinged with anger, "You're classmates, for heaven's sake. What do you hope to gain by behaving like this?"

"What do I hope to gain?" Yang Wanli, seeing his plot uncovered, defiantly threw caution to the wind. "I simply can't stand Chu Yang. He's nothing but a poor nobody, yet he's always trying to rise above his station. What's so great about opening a lousy Amazon store? He's making such a spectacle of himself, as if he's desperate for attention. Isn't it laughable how he seeks approval?

My actions were meant to force him to face reality, to abandon his pipe dreams and humbly bow down before me, to see what real entrepreneurship looks like!"

His vehement outburst left everyone speechless. They had never imagined Yang Wanli could be so radical, almost to the point of madness.

"Director Liu, what's your take on how we should handle this situation?"

Chu Yang sensed the time was ripe to broach the subject with Liu Meng.

The issue at hand was undeniably serious, yet Liu Meng, as the department head, faced his own set of challenges.

He rose to his feet, guided Chu Yang to the window, and whispered, "Chu Yang, since Yang Wanli has come forward and confessed, it seems they merely lost their judgment momentarily. You're all classmates, after all. Why not let bygones be bygones and downplay the incident?"

Chu Yang's brow furrowed. Without the talisman, he would have been the one in trouble today; Yang Wanli wouldn't have let him off the hook so easily.

"Director Liu, I may not be a law student, but I recognize an illegal act when I see one. I can't just let him off without facing legal consequences. I can't stomach that."

There's truth to the saying that a snake left uncrushed becomes a lingering threat. If Yang Wanli wasn't dealt with decisively, he might well cause further mischief.

"That's not an option!"

Liu Meng firmly shook his head, continuing in a hushed tone, "The Yang family has a notable reputation in Esterphis. Sending Yang Wanli to jail would only deepen the animosity. Besides, the Yang family has made several donations to our school, contributing to this year's scholarship fund. Antagonizing the Yang family could significantly affect the school."

Chu Yang retorted with frustration, "So I'm expected to just bite my tongue?"

After pondering briefly, Liu Meng proposed, "Here's what we'll do: I'll have him destroy the IOU and publicly apologize to you. He'll also promise not to target you in the future. It's not ideal, and I hate to impose on you, but consider it a sacrifice for the school's sake. I'll owe you one. Does that work for you?"

"Fine."

Chu Yang mulled it over and reluctantly agreed.

He was in no position to challenge the Yang family's clout, and making too many enemies could hinder his future prospects.

Relieved by Chu Yang's acquiescence, Liu Meng let out a sigh of relief, gave him an approving pat on the shoulder, and commended him, "You've got a sense of the bigger picture and the patience to match. You're destined for great things."

Liu Meng pulled Yang Wanli aside and began to speak to him in hushed tones.

"What?" Yang Wanli exclaimed, his voice laced with frustration. "Apologize to him? In his dreams!"

Liu Meng replied with evident displeasure, "I went to great lengths to convince Chu Yang not to press criminal charges against you. If you keep this up, even your father might not be able to save you."

"I refuse to apologize. If it comes down to it, I'll just not let him pay back the money," Yang Wanli declared, his chin held high, adamant about not backing down to Chu Yang.

"You're being unreasonable!" Liu Meng's face flushed with anger, but he still went to discuss the matter with Chu Yang to see if he would agree.

"Director Liu, if he's unwilling, then let's just drop it. I'll repay the money right away. I only ask that the school issues a statement to clear up the rumors," Chu Yang proposed.

Understanding Yang Wanli's stubbornness, Chu Yang realized it would be easier to accommodate Liu Meng than to force an apology. It would spare Liu Meng from being caught in the middle.

"That would be wonderful," Liu Meng said, visibly relieved. He took the promissory note from Yang Wanli and tore it to shreds in front of everyone.

Chu Yang checked his WhatsApp. The last batch of goods had sold for less than three thousand, and his account balance was only six thousand. With a total debt of twelve thousand, he was six thousand short.

After inquiring, he learned that his roommates had nearly spent all their living expenses, leaving him unable to gather the funds.

As he grappled with the situation, Su Yue approached him and whispered, "I have some money saved up. Would you like to borrow it?"

"Uh, I'm not sure that's appropriate," Chu Yang said, feeling awkward. He had never borrowed money from a girl before.

"Stubborn pride will only cause you more pain," Su Yue chided, transferring ten thousand yuan to him via WhatsApp without another word.

"Consider yourself fortunate that money can fix this. Just be more careful from now on," Su Yue advised earnestly before making her way through the crowd.

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