Chapter 103: Chapter 103: Lu Fan: Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Here

At that moment, Principal Huang of Jiasheng Middle School was at his wit’s end.

He was trying nonstop to soothe Huang Minghao’s parents.

"Minghao’s father, please rest assured, I will get to the bottom of this," Principal Huang explained.

But Huang Minghao’s father retorted, "What is there to get to the bottom of? My son already told me everything. He said that gym teacher slapped him across the face. What else is there to explain! Or how about this? You call that gym teacher here, and we’ll confront him face-to-face!"

Hearing this, Principal Huang turned to the dean of students. "Is that teacher, Jiang Ming, at the school right now?"

"I’ve already suspended him and sent him home," the dean reminded him.

"You people are really something, aren’t you? The moment something happens, you suspend the teacher." Huang Minghao’s father said angrily, "Now! Immediately! Right this second! Get him over here! Or I’m calling the media!"

Huang Minghao’s mother was a heavyset, middle-aged woman with black-framed glasses.

She slammed her hand on the table and snapped, "I’m not like my husband, I don’t have any patience! Don’t push me!"

"Alright, alright, I’ll have someone call Teacher Jiang back immediately." With that, Principal Huang pulled the dean of students out of the office.

Once outside the principal’s office, Principal Huang looked at the dean and demanded angrily, "Where’s Jiang Ming?!"

"Principal, I told him to go home and rest," the dean answered.

Principal Huang couldn’t help but sigh.

The dean asked, "Principal Huang, what should we do now? Call him back?"

"If we don’t call him back, those two in there won’t let this go. Forget it, just call him back. We’ll keep an eye on things and try to make sure no more trouble starts," Principal Huang warned.

"Okay, I’ll call him back right away," the dean said with a nod.

He then took out his phone and dialed Jiang Ming.

At that moment, Jiang Ming was helping out at the flower shop.

When he received the call from the dean, he immediately tensed up.

Seeing his reaction, Jiang Yixia asked, "What’s wrong? Who’s calling?"

"It’s our dean of students," Jiang Ming said nervously.

Hearing this, Jiang Yixia reassured him, "It’s fine. The administration might have already sorted it out and they’re just calling you back to class. Go ahead and answer it."

Jiang Ming hoped so, too.

But a faint sense of unease still lingered in his heart.

He answered the call. "Hello, Dean."

"Uh... Xiaoming," the dean stammered, then forced a laugh. "Where are you right now?"

"I’m at my sister’s place," Jiang Ming replied.

"Well, Huang Minghao’s parents are here, and they’re insisting on talking to you. See if you’re free now. How about you come back to the school for a bit?" the dean explained.

Jiang Ming grew nervous. "Dean, if I come back, is something bad going to happen?"

"No, don’t worry. This is a civilized society, why would anything bad happen? Besides, the principal and I are both here. If there are any problems, we’ll protect you. You’re one of our school’s staff, after all," the dean said reassuringly.

Hearing this, Jiang Ming finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He quickly replied, "Okay, I’ll head back now. I should be at the school in about half an hour."

"Good, please be as quick as you can," the dean urged.

After hanging up, Jiang Ming looked at Jiang Yixia. "Sis, the dean wants me to go back to sit down and talk with the student’s parents."

Jiang Yixia grew anxious. "You’re going to talk to the student’s parents? Do you need me to go with you?"

Jiang Ming shook his head. "No need, Sis. I can go by myself. You’re not a school employee, so it wouldn’t help for you to be there."

"Alright." Jiang Yixia also knew that the school didn’t allow outsiders to come and go as they pleased. She advised him, "In that case, make sure you apologize to the student’s parents. No matter what, you still hit him. That was wrong."

"I know." Jiang Ming nodded and left the flower shop.

Meanwhile, Lu Fan had already found out from Jiali what had happened to his young brother-in-law.

It had to be said, Jiali’s information network was quite impressive.

She had pulled some strings and successfully learned about the events at Jiasheng Middle School over the past two days.

"I didn’t realize my brother-in-law had such a temper," Lu Fan remarked teasingly.

Chen He grumbled, "The way I see it, he’s just too arrogant, daring to hit a student."

"Actually, that’s the kind of student who deserves to be hit," Lu Fan replied. "A kid like that, born but not raised... if it were my generation, a teacher would have already slammed his head against a wall."

Jiali added, "Right now, that student’s parents are raising a fuss in the principal’s office, demanding to see the teacher who hit their son."

Just then, Lu Fan saw Jiang Ming walk out of the flower shop and guessed he was heading to the school.

So, he stood up and said to Chen He, "Let’s go. We’ll head to the street corner and meet my brother-in-law."

With that, he got in the car and had Chen He drive up in front of Jiang Ming.

At that moment, Jiang Ming was on his phone, trying to call for a ride.

He didn’t know what to expect when he got to the school, but if he wanted to keep his job, he had no choice but to brace himself for a vicious scolding.

Just then, a brand-new luxury car pulled up in front of him.

Before he could react, Lu Fan rolled down the window and looked at him. "You’re going to the school, right?"

Jiang Ming didn’t give him a pleasant look. "None of your business."

Lu Fan said calmly, "The reason I’m being polite to you is, one, because you’re Yixia’s brother, and two, because as Silu and Sifan were growing up, you, their uncle, definitely took on a lot of responsibility caring for them. That’s why I’m speaking to you so calmly." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"But that doesn’t mean you can vent your emotions without restraint." Lu Fan then looked at him and said, "If you want to keep your job, or avoid getting chewed out mercilessly, I suggest you get in the car and come to the school with me."

Jiang Ming saw that Lu Fan was in a Mercedes-Maybach. He had also heard from his sister about Jiang Sifan getting into a fight and being taken to the police station.

’This guy must really have some power.’

Although Jiang Ming couldn’t stand him, it seemed there was no better option right now than to take his car.

After thinking it over, Jiang Ming finally relented. "I’m sorry. I was too impulsive earlier and threw away your business card."

"It’s fine. Get in." Seeing him apologize on his own, Lu Fan didn’t press the issue.

After all, giving each other a way to save face was a form of decency.

After getting in the car, Jiang Ming asked curiously, "How do you know about my situation?"

"I just had someone ask around. You hit a student, right?" Lu Fan sensed that Jiang Ming didn’t quite trust him, so he decided to lay out everything he knew.

Jiang Ming was shocked. He hadn’t expected him to actually know what was going on.

Seeing him silent, Lu Fan said calmly, "If you want to keep this job, then do as I say later."

"Okay." Jiang Ming’s earlier arrogance was gone.

He really needed this job.

His parents had to pull strings and give gifts just to get him this PE teacher position at this private school in the first place.

If his parents found out he got fired, they would be devastated.

Although he really did hate Lu Fan right now.

He hated him for ruining the better part of his sister’s life.

He also hated him for making his oldest nephew and niece live eighteen years without a father.

But for now, he had no choice but to set aside that hatred.

He had to swallow his pride and let Lu Fan help him.

「Meanwhile.」

In the principal’s office, Huang Minghao’s father was still shouting, "Principal Huang, if that teacher isn’t here in ten minutes, I’m calling the media immediately."

Principal Huang quickly tried to placate him. "I just had the dean call him. He’s on his way from home, and you know how bad the traffic in Yangcheng can be."

"Someone like him can afford a car?" Huang Minghao’s mother scoffed. "He’s probably just taking the subway."

Her words made Principal Huang feel a little awkward.

All he could do now was pray that Jiang Ming would just obediently admit his mistake, let Huang Minghao’s parents curse him out a bit, and let the whole thing blow over.

As everyone waited anxiously, the dean, who was standing at the door of the principal’s office, saw Jiang Ming arrive.

He immediately went up to him and asked, "What took you so long, Teacher Jiang?"

"There was some traffic, sorry," Jiang Ming said awkwardly.

The dean whispered a warning to him, "Later, no matter what that parent says to you, just apologize. Otherwise, forget me, even the principal won’t be able to protect you."

"You must be the dean?" Lu Fan interrupted with a smile, stepping forward to greet him.

The dean’s brow furrowed. He looked Lu Fan up and down and asked, "And you are?"

"I’m Teacher Jiang’s brother-in-law," Lu Fan introduced himself.

"Teacher Jiang, why did you bring an outsider into the school?" the dean asked, exasperated.

Lu Fan preemptively explained, "It’s like this. I heard my brother-in-law here ran into a little trouble at school. Coincidentally, I have some friends in the Bureau of Education, so I thought I’d come see if any help was needed."

The moment the dean heard this, his expression immediately turned amiable. "Hello, hello! Let me introduce myself. I’m the dean of students here at the school, my surname is Wang. It’s really nothing, just a small dispute between a student and a teacher. Nothing serious, nothing serious at all."

His face was wreathed in a smile, a complete reversal of his previous stern expression.

Jiang Ming was stunned by the dean’s sudden change of face.

Just as the dean was about to report this little development to Principal Huang, Huang Minghao’s father seemed to notice something.

He pointed at the doorway of the principal’s office. "Is that the gym teacher?"

"Yes, it is," Principal Huang replied after a glance.

He had originally intended to have both parties come into the office to sit down and talk things over slowly.

But instead, Huang Minghao’s father stormed out of the office, walked right up to Jiang Ming, and pointed at his nose, cursing, "You’re supposed to be a role model for students, and you dared to hit one! Fuck your mother!"

"What gives you the right to hit my son? I can’t even bear to hit my own son, so what gives you the right?! Fuck your mother!"

Jiang Ming was terrified. He’d never faced a situation like this. He wanted to back away, but his feet were frozen in fear.

Clearly, he was all bark and no bite.

Just as Huang Minghao’s father was about to shove Jiang Ming, Chen He, who was standing to the side, blocked him.

He stepped directly in front of Jiang Ming, his eyes fixed fiercely on Huang Minghao’s father. "Let’s talk this out. Don’t get physical!"

Lu Fan, however, just patted Jiang Ming’s shoulder and said calmly, "Don’t worry, your brother-in-law is here."

Hearing those words, Jiang Ming was reluctant to admit it, but he couldn’t deny that having this scumbag brother-in-law around made him feel incredibly safe...