As the saying goes, it’s only natural for a father to discipline his son.

Upon realizing the two were father and son, those who were initially considering intervening or recording the incident quickly transformed into mere spectators.

Nowadays, though Su Qing isn’t as famous as some celebrities, he’s still somewhat of an internet influencer; a good number of people at the school know him, and he even has quite a few fans.

Even more people have probably seen his videos online. Watching a somewhat familiar online celebrity getting beaten by his own father is a once-in-a-century spectacle. So, within half an hour of the incident, the related footage was already circulating online.

Things like [No Breadcrumbs] Su Qing appears at Jiangcheng University, father beats him on the spot.

"Three Things That Make My Father Beat and Kick Me, by Da Qing."

And so on—the titles started trending. Of course, more were shot by some girls, with no title and focused purely on appearances.

A pet blogger who never shows his face doesn’t reveal it even with a million followers. Yet whenever he does, it’s so unique and even a bit embarrassing; it’s just what everyone loves to see.

"Damn, it really is Da Qing. This guy got even better-looking. I’d say even at my peak, I would be no match for him."

"Leggy Maid, Hot Stewardess, Cold Secretary—hundreds of girlfriends to choose from. Try the lower left corner of your screen!"

"The one upstairs must be a game addict!"

"Stop gawking! Pin him down and ask him for stock tips, what are you thinking?"

"Whoa, that’s actually Da Qing’s dad? And he’s a university professor? Nice!"

"What a harmonious father-son scene. Take out the ’Seven Wolves’ and give it to him!"

"Place your bets, place your bets. I’m betting on the dad to win!"

"I might bet on Da Qing. Looks like a rebellious spirit, I like it."

"Father-in-law, don’t hit my husband, oops, I mean, Husband, don’t hit my son, wait, no, Qingqing, hang in there; Mom is on her way to save you!" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"The son’s handsome, the dad’s so refined. Sis, I’m even more excited, haha, slurp!"

"Girl, don’t be so creepy, we’re stripping you of your female membership, too embarrassing!"

"Seconded +1"

...

As soon as Su Qing’s video surfaced online, the comment section was quickly filled with all sorts of comments.

Meanwhile, in the school cafeteria, father and son sat across from each other.

"Why’d you bring me here, haven’t even had lunch yet!" Old Su glared at his son and spat.

He had just used all his strength, only to be shockingly reminded that he was genuinely getting old. His eldest son could now equally match him, and even he had to admit that the younger fists were not to be trifled with.

"We’re able to sit down, after all, and I have a few questions to ask you on behalf of the police."

"Questions? You? Pfft~~" Old Su sneered, his expression showing disdain. Doesn’t he know his own son well enough? The thought of his son trying to exert police authority on him made him furious, his fists subconsciously clenched tighter and tighter.

Maybe catching onto Old Su’s mood, Su Qing quickly slid his chair back a bit: "Dad, don’t get worked up; this is about serious business. Captain Lin and Officer Zhao who visited our house before are here too, they’re just busy with other matters."

Hearing this, Old Su thought for a moment and decided to suppress his anger for now: "Discuss it in my office, why come here?"

"It’s fine, this is good, no one around, and it’s not just your office."

Old Su nodded at this, then said: "Alright, ask away, and we can eat afterward."

Ultimately, Old Su still cared for his son, and he could roughly guess what Su Qing was about to ask, things he couldn’t openly discuss in front of colleagues.

"I’ve just been over to the girls’ dorm; Wei Caiwen... her body has already been taken away; she was found hanged in the restroom on the eighth floor. You’re aware of this, right?" Su Qing asked.

Old Su nodded at the news: "Heard about it this morning. Although she’s one of my students, I barely remember her—she took my elective. For this kind of thing, you should go to her advisor."

Indeed, though Old Su was a university professor, handling multiple classes at a time with students from even other departments, he naturally wasn’t as familiar with students as their advisors were.

Clearly, Su Qing knew this too: "No worries, someone will contact her advisor. I’m asking you because I want to hear things others might not say. I am your son, you can trust me, whatever you say today is between us, unrelated to you, and any info we receive will undergo verification, can you understand?"

Before coming, he’d heard the deceased didn’t have a good reputation at school, especially with rumors of a connection to a male teacher.

Asking students and advisors about such matters would likely turn up nothing, since people prefer to avoid unnecessary trouble. But asking Old Su was different.

Moreover, he’d made it clear that whatever Old Su said would not be used as evidence—it was merely to help the police enrich their theories and determine the case’s direction.

Upon realizing his son’s motives, Old Su nodded: "Go ahead, but make it quick."

"Alright, let’s cut to the chase. Dad, I heard that Wei Caiwen had a poor reputation at school and even had special relations with a male teacher there; do you know about this?" Su Qing asked.

Old Su nodded: "There have been such rumors, but they’re just gossip among students. As for their truthfulness, I’m unsure. At least, the girl seemed quiet and honest to me, not the type to juggle multiple boyfriends.

As for the teacher you mentioned..."

At this point, Old Su paused, his brow furrowing slightly, prompting Su Qing not to interrupt.

After a while, Old Su finally spoke: "Though I’m not certain, I did notice that Professor Jiang Maoxue from the Chinese Department in our school frequently interacted with her; they were often together. And since she was in her fourth year, I suspect she intended to pursue graduate studies, likely making him her chosen advisor."

To this, Su Qing asked again: "What position does this Professor Jiang hold at the school, like what kind of authority does he have?"

"Graduate advisors at the school roughly fall into five categories: the academic star, regarded for their strong research capabilities and high standing in the academic field, the bureaucratic, having administrative roles but limited in research skills yet high in school authority, the young and promising, newly recruited and with few students, easy for graduation; the stable mid-career, with fair academic skills, character-dependent; and the laid-back, financially secure. This professor belongs to the second type, so naturally, he has some authority!" Old Su whispered.

Hearing this, Su Qing had some theories start forming in his mind.

"Last question, Dad. You said Wei Caiwen was considering graduate school—does your school have guaranteed spots, and who determines these?"

Upon hearing this, Old Su glanced at him, chuckling and shaking his head: "I see where you’re going, but your father, I’m just a teacher; how would I know about such things?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than narrations popped into Su Qing’s head:

[Your resolute father, although not eligible to partake, surely hears some whispers, he just doesn’t want to tell you, as the police can directly investigate this, it’s a matter of his prudence.]

Listening to the inner narration, Su Qing sighed, nodding—his father still deemed him too young, worried about him saying the wrong things. It was a fatherly instinct to protect his son.

Afterward, Su Qing asked more about Wei Caiwen’s rumors, and regarding these, Old Su was also unsure who started them; it began as a discussion among girls, but soon even male classmates tacitly concurred.

Given that no one ever reported it, no one would seriously investigate such matters, especially involving a faculty member like Professor Jiang who held a leadership position at the university.

Soon, it was 11:30, students were finishing classes and heading to the cafeteria.

He even used his father’s meal card to grab a meal at the school, but before they finished eating, they noticed quite a few students taking pictures of the two of them, mostly girls.

"Are you so popular now?" Old Su frowned at his son, perplexed by the attention.

To him, his son might look decent, but not to the point of being gawked at, right?

Hearing this, Su Qing snorted: "Dad, times have changed. Your son is now a Stock God, and now with Su He also becoming popular on short videos, and Mom got a bit famous recently, even with no works to her name. She’s garnered tens of thousands of followers and soon, you’ll be the least earning one in our family. What is a man without money, Dad?"

Old Su: o(#￣▽￣)==O))￣▽￣")o

Su Qing: ε=ε=ε=┏(°ロ°;)┛!!

...