Chapter 54: Beating the Grass to Scare the Snake
“What? Ouyang Haifeng’s life is in danger? How could that be? Isn’t he the one nicknamed the ‘Undead Ox’ in his team?” Cheng Xuemei shouted in surprise as she stopped chatting with Cheng Yannan when she heard Hu Wenxu’s report.
The reason why Ouyang Haifeng was nicknamed the Undead Ox, was because he possessed an extraordinary strength. He was as strong as an ox. with strong-thick skin and flesh that made him particularly have strong resistance against hits. On the other hand, he was extremely stubborn in nature. Once he decided something, even 10 buffalos would never be able to pull him back.
It was exactly due to his temper and ability that Ouyang Haifeng had an absolute core position in his team. But after having heard that such a freaking monster unexpectedly was folded under the hands of an extremely delicate youth, even Cheng Xuemei was filled with some kind of unreal feeling.
She also admitted that she herself had absolutely no full assurance to be able to subdue Ouyang Haifeng.
“Hi, Tang Xiu. We meet again. Do you still remember me?” Cheng Xuemei stared at Tang Xiu for a moment as she finally extended her palm toward the Xiu, smiling and greeted him.
“Have you been good, Officer Cheng? I’m very happy to see you again.” Seeing a touch of inquiry and ruminating expression flashing through Cheng Xuemei’s eyes, a chill passed through Tang Xiu’s heart. At first, he thought of refusing to shake hands with her, but after a thought, he then extended his hand toward her.
When their two hands touched and overlapped each other, a touch of a happy expression flashed through Cheng Xuemei’s eyes as she then suddenly exerted her strength.
Cheng Xuemei was thinking that she should be able to probe Tang Xiu’s strength. But she then felt Tang Xiu’s palm was soft and slippery. She had yet to react to what happened when Tang Xiu’s hand already slipped away from her palm.
“What a good young fellow. It turns out that you really have some skills, eh? I really have to test you out!” Cheng Xuemei hadn’t fully used her strength a moment ago. But after Tang Xiu easily got off from her palm, her eyes brightened up as an excited expression could be seen from her face.
“Officer Cheng, there are more important things to do. Besides, I just rescued Yannan, how come you want to deal with Yannan’s savior?” Feeling a fighting intent exude from Cheng Xuemei’s body, Tang Xiu frowned and hurriedly reminded.
“You called me Big Sis before, but why are you calling me Officer Cheng now? You couldn’t be harboring some hidden intentions, could you?” Hearing that, Cheng Xuemei hesitated. She immediately stared as she snapped and asked.
“I’d like to continue calling you Big Sis, but I’m afraid that Yannan would scold me.” Tang Xiu glanced at an anxious Cheng Yannan nearby and intentionally teased.
At first, Cheng Yannan happily watched the show unfold, but she obviously did not expect that the flame of war would suddenly burn and shoot her. Upon hearing Tang Xiu’s teasing, her face suddenly flushed scarlet, even her expression turned shy and twisted up.
“You … Yannan…” Upon hearing Tang Xiu’s words, Cheng Xuemei was also stunned. Her vision glanced back and forth between Tang Xiu and Cheng Yannan a few times with a mind full of suspicions.
But in a public place with a large crowd, it was not good for her to openly ask about Tang Xiu and Cheng Yannan’s relationship, much less that it was inconvenient to expose.
Finally, Cheng Xuemei fiercely gazed at Tang Xiu and ended her probing.
“Tang Xiu, Yannan has alerted the enemies. When we rushed to the gangsters’ headquarter, they had already deserted the place. If they knew about the issue with Ouyang Haifeng, the gangsters will definitely get their revenge. Do you want us to send an operative to protect you? Or you can choose to temporarily stay at the City Public Security Bureau for a few days…” After finishing the case records, Cheng Xuemei hesitated as she then asked Tang Xiu.
The moment Tang Xiu heard it, he immediately shook his head, “Officer Cheng, if it’s fine and convenient, I just want you to arrange a few people to secretly protect my mother. As for myself, I can handle it.”
Cheng Xuemei stared at Tang Xiu for a moment. But seeing Tang Xiu’s firm and confident expression, she nodded and complied with his request. She then led the criminal police squad and quickly left.
“Tang Xiu, you did well today. If it weren’t because of you, your classmates could have been in grave danger. I will arrange the school’s authorities to give you an award.” Before the criminal police had arrived at school, Wei Zhentai actually had led the other school’s authorities to rush toward Class 10. But their main concern was to calm down the scared students and had no time to talk with Tang Xiu.
When Wei Zhentai wanted to talk with Tang Xiu, the police, Cheng Yannan, and Cheng Xuemei had already asked him to record his testimony.
However, when Tang Xiu, Cheng Yannan, and Yuan Chuling were working with the police to record the case, Wei Zhentai and the others didn’t stay idle and they already found out the details of the incident from the other Class 10’s students.
Knowing that Cheng Yannan and Yuan Chuling almost died, Wei Zhentai and others’ heart suddenly thumped.
As for the limelight seeker Su Xiangfei, who got kicked by Ouyang Haifeng, from the beginning, nobody paid attention to him.
“Principal Wei, the rewards are not important. The most imperative thing to do is to improve the school’s safety management standards. If the incident today were to be reported by the news media…” Tang Xiu didn’t get swayed with the reward spoken by Wei Zhentai, but replied with an indifferent expression.
Having heard half of what Tang Xiu said, a displeased feeling sprouted in Wei Zhentai’s heart. He thought that Tang Xiu was quite proud and arrogant.
But when Tang Xiu’s second sentence came out, Wei Zhentai’s complexion instantly changed. He looked at Tang Xiu’s eyes with a trace of a deeply shocked expression, as well as a grateful expression.
For a school, the most important thing was the students. The more students they had, the more income the school got. The more income the school got, the more qualified teachers they could hire. In return, this would increase enrollment rates and attract more students, resulting in a positive cycle.
However, if the school was unable to guarantee the students’ life and safety, what was the use of a high rate of enrollment? How could there be students who dare to risk their lives to study at Star City First High School?
“Student Tang Xiu’s words are true. I will immediately rectify the school’s safety standards.” Sweating, Wei Zhentai backed Tang Xiu’s sentence up. He immediately left with a restlessness and anxious expression, leaving the other school leaders looking at each other in dismay.
“I have never thought that not only is student Tang Xiu’s academic performance amazing, you also have far-sight to the overall situation. I’m really amazed.” Vice-Principal Liu Yunyong looked at Tang Xiu with appreciation before he quickly left.
The things that happened today had created a big sensation in the school. The entire Star City First High School higher ups and downs were working together to avert the crisis to their public relation and reputation. Otherwise, Star City First High School absolutely would be pushed to the deep pit. This would severely affect the school’s reputation and image and would also cause an extremely grave impact on next year’s enrollment.
“You really never let others stop worrying. Either for disappearing for 10 days and half a month or creating such big sensational actions. Do you think that your teacher’s heart is not big enough?” Han Qingwu was the only one who stayed after all the school’s teachers and leaders had all left.
She originally planned to severely reprimand and criticize Tang Xiu after he came back, to tell him that she also had power. But after seeing 2 students in her class almost get dumped into the gates of hell, the car accident scene from more than a year ago gushed out from inside her mind.
Recalling the scene from more than a year ago, when Tang Xiu pulled her back from the gates of hell, the grievances in Han Qingwu’s heart toward Tang Xiu instantly evaporated. Her eyes expressed tenderness and great care as she looked at Tang Xiu.
The scene from a year ago and today’s scene were quite similar. The bold act of disregarding self-safety, the same impulse to do something without wanting something back, the same self-sacrifice for the sake of others… everything was exactly alike.
The only difference was that today, Tang Xiu was luckier than a year ago. Now he was fine and had no injuries.
“Teacher Han, I’m really sorry. I’ve been causing you so much trouble in this period of time.” Sensing the boiling and heating feeling from Han Qingwu, Tang Xiu’s eyes quickly shifted and rolled as he then responded in a soft voice.
“It’s alright. You did behave very well today. I’m very proud of you. The next time you encounter this kind of thing, remember to protect yourself first. You must not injure yourself.” A ruminating expression emerged on Han Qingwu’s complexion when she saw the shy expression from Tang Xiu’s face. Recalling that Tang Xiu had kissed her before at her office, she felt that the big resentment feeling inside her heart suddenly had paid off.
While Han Qingwu was talking with Tang Xiu, the desks in the classroom had been returned to their original state. Apart from bloodstains in the corridor and garbage, it was as if nothing had happened in the classroom.
However, a quiet and strange ambiance filled the classroom’s air, reminding them that something big had happened today. Moreover, it was an earth-shaking big incident.
Han Qingwu had finished chatting with Tang and then went to the podium.
“Students, I, as your teacher, am very sad about today’s accident. I think that we are equally sad and restless. Fortunately, Tang Xiu and Yuan Chuling had bravely struggled and finally averted the disaster at the critical moment. Today, let’s give our warm applause to thank the both of them.”
“…”
Han Qingwu was just like a queen standing on a Royal war chariot as she spoke with a full and imposing aura, looking valiant and formidable.
Her voice and words seemed to have a particular magical charm as the restlessness inside the student’s chests quickly dispersed. Slowly, the class subject shifted to principle and ideologic.
Han Qingwu was now narrating from an ancient retrospective, from the brave heroes of the Qin and Han Dynasties’ chaotic era, to the modern revolutionary martyrs. She also told about Tang Xiu’s brave deeds a year ago. Telling the students about how he bravely rushed forward to save her from the car accident, and then finally concluding the summary for today’s incident.
Under Han Qingwu’s narration, Tang Xiu and Yuan Chuling were impressively transformed into a Hercules that were able to lift the Nine Tripod Cauldron up, the bravest of the braves. How they were laughing before the gates of death as the peerless heroes who had always been marching forward, causing all the students’ blood to boil and bubble up to the brim.
Class 10’s students only had known Tang Xiu in his second year in high school after the car accident occurred. They didn’t know about how Tang Xiu got in the car accident.
But when they knew that Tang Xiu got hit by the car in order to save Han Qingwu, the Class 10’s students’ vision towards Tang Xiu instantly changed.
If Cheng Yannan could be said as the target for most of the male students’ admiration, then Han Qingwu was absolutely the goddess that all the students worshiped.
Whether it was Han Qingwu’s figure, looks, or personality, she was world’s apart from Cheng Yannan. Much more, the aura that she exuded, was almost impossible for Cheng Yannan to have.
Han Qingwu instantly shifted the Class 10’s students’ attention from the gangster incident to Tang Xiu. When she exhorted the students repeatedly that the issues at school today were not to be divulged to outsiders, everyone responded to her in unison.
Tang Xiu was at a loss whether he had to cry or laugh as he sat listening in the classroom, looking at Han Qingwu with an itching and disgruntled expression in his eyes. He perfectly knew that with such publicity from her, with more than a month lasting to finish his high school life, it was almost impossible for him to have a peaceful life here.