C8 I Can't Afford to Offend You

As Ye Luo was about to settle down, a voice rang out from nearby, quickly followed by a group of people rushing over. Leading the pack was none other than Chen Chaohui, the principal of Linhai City. Accompanying him were Xie Weiping, the director of education, Wang Wei, the head of the grade, among others—all influential figures within the school.

Upon their arrival, Zhu Jian's face lit up with relief, as if he had just glimpsed a lifeline. Desperation in his eyes gave way to a glimmer of hope. "Principal, save me! Please, hurry! Someone's trying to kill me!"

"Ye Luo, be careful, the principal's here," Hsu Danian warned, his concern palpable. He was well aware of the relationship between the principal and Zhu Jian, and knew that regardless of the facts, Ye Luo was likely to end up on the losing end.

"Release him immediately! Attacking a fellow student so viciously, right here in our school? It's outrageous! Let him go—did you not hear me?" Chen Chaohui bellowed at Ye Luo.

Despite his bluster, Chen Chaohui knew the stakes were high. Zhu Jian's father, Zhu Chengrong, was the school's major patron. If the son of such an influential figure was assaulted on school grounds and the incident wasn't handled properly, it could spell the end of Chen's tenure as principal.

Ye Luo turned, his gaze cutting through Chen Chaohui and the others with a mix of scorn and frost. Zhu Jian, this despicable character, had been allowed to terrorize Linhai University, harassing both men and women, all because he was the son of a school director and had these very people shielding him.

"You leaders sure arrived quickly," Ye Luo remarked with a cold laugh. "But where were you when Zhu Jian had over twenty students ambush Hsu Danian and me? Now you show up, full of righteous indignation. Quite the timing!"

The leaders, faced with Ye Luo's biting words, flushed with embarrassment. They had been well aware of Zhu Jian's search for Ye Luo across the campus. In their minds, Zhu Jian picking a fight with Ye Luo was a non-issue—simple to manage and justify, since Ye Luo lacked both power and connections, while Zhu Jian had a substantial family backing. But what could they possibly do when the tables were turned?

"Why come out now if you were nowhere to be seen earlier?"

Ye Luo's remark left them at a loss for words—they certainly couldn't admit it was because Zhu Jian could hit them, but they weren't allowed to hit back.

"Ye Luo, you're committing a crime. This is premeditated murder, and it's punishable by prison time. How dare you stand there and justify your actions? I've already called the police. Let him go this instant!" Xie Weiping, the disciplinary director, bellowed in anger.

Ye Luo didn't even bother to glance at Xie Weiping, who was notorious for his sycophancy and acting like a lapdog for the Zhu family within the school. Frankly, Ye Luo found him not worth the effort of conversation.

Xie Weiping was seething with rage at Ye Luo's indifference, but he knew better than to confront him physically, as the twenty or so people lying on the ground were a stark reminder of the consequences of such an action.

"Ye Luo, regardless of your reasons, it's never right to hit someone. There's still time to make amends. Let them go, and there might be a chance to resolve this. Otherwise, I fear the worst," Wang Wei, the grade supervisor, said, his eyes fixed on Ye Luo's foot poised above Zhu Jian's leg, dreading any sudden outburst.

"Is that so?" Ye Luo said with a faint smile. "But I don't need any leeway."

With those words, he brought his foot down, and a crisp snap resounded. Everyone heard it loud and clear—Zhu Jian's leg bone was shattered.

Everyone inhaled sharply.

Ye Luo was merciless. Even with the principal and others present, seemingly ready to appease, he broke Zhu Jian's leg without a second thought. It was a brutal move.

Did he not think about the repercussions at all?

"Good, very good! You've got nerve!" Xie Weiping was the first to explode in anger. Turning to Principal Chen Chaohui, he declared, "We must expel a student like Ye Luo who flouts the law with such impunity. We'll hand him over to the police, ensure he's sentenced, and make him face the consequences! Otherwise, how can we explain today's events to our faculty, students, and the parents of the injured? I suggest..."

"Smack!"

In the midst of Xie Weiping's tirade, a resounding clap echoed suddenly, and his glasses went flying off his face. Before he could even register what happened, his neck was gripped tightly, and he found himself hoisted into the air.

"Xie Weiping, just because I've ignored you doesn't mean you're free to provoke me endlessly. If you're looking to break some bones, I'm more than willing to oblige."

Xie Weiping was dumbfounded, his face turning a deep shade of red as he struggled to breathe. He hadn't anticipated Ye Luo would strike without warning, especially since he was the respected head of the Education Bureau, whom all students treated with deference and fear.

"I don't want to hear another peep out of you. From this moment on, if I catch even a single word or a grunt from you, I'll make sure your limbs pay the price!"

With that, Ye Luo flung Xie Weiping away, sending him crashing to the ground four or five meters distant.

Xie Weiping hit the ground hard, wincing in agony. However, recalling Ye Luo's warning, he clenched his teeth and didn't dare utter a sound.

The onlookers were beyond shocked.

Not only those nearby, but also many students from the academy had gathered at a distance. No one could have predicted that Ye Luo, known for his low-key demeanor and often the target of bullying without retaliation, would exhibit such ferocity today.

Having taken down Zhu Jian and now the education director, he seemed to have lost all sense of restraint.

In the crowd, a student in a purple dress watched Ye Luo with an intrigued glint in her eyes.

"Ye Luo?" she murmured to herself, committing the name to memory.

After Ye Luo had tossed Xie Weiping aside, an eerie silence settled over the crowd. No one dared to raise their voice against him, clearly not wanting to share Xie Weiping's fate.

Eventually, it was Principal Chen Chaohui who broke the silence.

He inhaled deeply and turned to Wang Ping, his voice grave as he asked, "What exactly happened here? Why did a conflict arise between Ye Luo and Zhu Jian? You were at the scene—do you know the details?"

With many students now witnessing the scene, Principal Chen Chaohui knew he couldn't show weakness. He had to maintain his authority, even if it meant feigning confidence. Turning to Wang Ping also provided him with a much-needed exit strategy.

"Yes, exactly, Little Ping. Tell them it was Zhu Jian who brought people all over Linhai City to find Ye Luo and start a fight. They initiated the conflict, not Ye Luo. He was merely defending himself," Hsu Danian said, turning his gaze to Wang Ping. Today's events... If Wang Ping speaks the truth, then even if the police arrive later, Ye Luo might be considered to have acted in self-defense. Otherwise, having injured so many people, he could indeed end up behind bars.

"Really?" Chen Chaohui glanced at Wang Ping and reassured her, "Don't be scared. You have to trust that our society values reason. Not all problems can be resolved with violence."

"I..." Wang Ping looked from Ye Luo to Zhu Jian, who lay on the ground with a face twisted by resentment, and began to speak with a shaky voice, "I saw Ye Luo and Zhu Jian exchange words. I don't know what about, and then they started fighting. As for whether Zhu Jian was actively seeking out Ye Luo with his crew, I can't say for sure."

"What?" Hsu Danian was taken aback by Wang Ping's response. She was claiming ignorance? It was clear she was blatantly lying.

"So, who threw the first punch? Was it Zhu Jian's group or Ye Luo?" Chen Chaohui pressed on.

"Yes, from what I saw, it was Ye Luo who struck first," Wang Ping said through clenched teeth. Despite Ye Luo's impressive display of fighting skills earlier, Wang Ping understood that, at the end of the day, society doesn't operate on brute strength. No matter how skilled a fighter someone is, can they outmatch a bullet? Can they overpower money?