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The slap never landed.
Of course not, the child was with Jiang Chenyi. Hitting someone in front of him was no different from hitting him.
The child, seeing his homeroom teacher's aggressive demeanor, immediately cowered and closing his eyes in fear. But after waiting and waiting, the expected pain of the slap never came.
Instead, he seemed to hear his teacher cry out in pain.
Jiang Chenyi had acted the moment the teacher raised his hand. Their hands met mid-air, not only stopping the teacher from hitting the child but also sending hkm flying with the force of the impact.
When their hands collided, the teacher felt as if he had struck iron. The pain shot up in his arm and into his brain, leaving him momentarily numb.
By the time he was flung to the ground, he felt as if his arm had been shattered, limp and completely unable to move.
He clutched his hand in agony as the pain kept spreading throughout his body, causing him to curl up like a boiled shrimp.
It looked extremely painful.
But to others, his arm appeared completely fine, with only a slight redness on his palm.
As for why he was lying on the ground motionless… it was clearly an attempt to stage a scam!
The slap Jiang Chenyi delivered in retaliation was deeply satisfying to the police officers present, so few of them paid any attention to this "scamming" teacher.
What kind of unethical teacher is this? Why would he berate the victim without distinguishing right from wrong? What has happened to teachers these days?
They silently complained in their hearts.
The female officer who had been there from the start gave her colleagues a look, signaling them to take advantage of the moment to call the school’s Principal again.
Since the Homeroom Teacher was unreliable, they should go straight to the highest authority!
Not long after, the parents of the three bullies arrived. One of the fathers had a face full of flabby flesh, and his belly was larger than that of a woman pregnant with twins. As he walked in, his small eyes gleamed with malice.
Seeing his Dad arrive, the boy’s lips curled into a smirk, but then he caught Jiang Chenyi glancing in his direction.
Those eyes… for a moment, he felt as if he had been frozen solid beneath a thick layer of ice, with no way to escape.
The moment the fat man entered and saw his son, he strode over. "Son, are you okay? Who bullied you?"
Before anyone could react to his words, the boy immediately pointed at Huo Yunxi and Jiang Chenyi. "It’s them, Dad! They’re the ones who bullied me! They tied me up!"
Hearing his son’s tearful accusation, the fat man instantly flew into a rage and, without a second thought, reached out toward Jiang Chenyi.
However, the moment his hand extended, Huo Yunxi grabbed his wrist.
The 1.9-meter-tall man stepped in front of the young man with his usually righteous face now filled with the aggression and displeasure of someone provoked. "What do you think you’re doing to him?"
Huo Yunxi’s strength was no joke. Even Jiang Chenyi, using Merit, might not be able to match him.
This man was a former soldier who had experienced many real battles. Combined with the power of Spirit now enhancing him, he could easily crush the man’s wrist bones with his bare hands if he wanted to.
So, at this moment, the fat man felt as if his wrist bones were about to shatter!
He quickly reached out with his other hand to fight back, but Huo Yunxi gave him no chance.
With a twist of his hand, the fat man immediately cried out in pain. "Stop! Stop! It hurts! It hurts!"
The boy had never seen his Dad beg for mercy before and was so frightened that he hid behind his mother.
His mother wasn’t a reasonable person either. Both parents were equally plump, and seeing her husband being subdued, she suddenly remembered they were in a police station.
"Help! He’s hitting someone!" She lunged forward and trying to grab Huo Yunxi’s hair.
In the next second, she was frightened back by the man’s fierce gaze.
As an adult, she could clearly sense that this intimidating man before her seemed… perhaps… to have seen bloodshed, maybe even taken lives!
Not just her, but the surrounding police officers also noticed the unique aura emanating from Huo Yunxi.
Among the six parents who arrived, after the most aggressive one was subdued, the other parents dared not make a sound.
Finally, they waited for the guardians of the victim, an elderly couple who walked with difficulty.
"Xiao Xiao, what happened? Tell Grandma what's going on?"
Upon seeing his grandparents arrive, the boy named Xiao Xiao couldn't hold back anymore and threw himself into their arms while crying bitterly: "They all bullied me! They took my money, didn't let me eat, and hit me! They even pulled down my pants!"
As the victim's accusations poured out, the parents present changed their expressions while looking at their own children in shock.
But soon, their shock was replaced by other expressions.
Their eyes darted between Jiang Chenyi and Huo Yunxi, then turned to the victim's family. Someone couldn't help but ask the police, "What's their relationship?"
The police officer who was asked immediately saw through their intentions and inwardly sneered.
"Whatever their relationship is, it's none of your business. Alright, the guardians are here, so let's proceed with the statement."
If it weren't for the regulations, they wouldn't have waited for these adults to arrive before starting the statement.
The statement...
The dirty-minded adults began to stir. Unaware of the video evidence, their first thought was to have their children lie.
However, just as they were being ushered in, a soft voice came from behind: "Those who lie will have to swallow a thousand needles."
For a moment, they felt a stabbing pain in their throats.
But the pain was fleeting, more like a hallucination born of guilt.
They glared at the young man who spoke, then continued to follow the police inside.
Xiao Xiao was also taken to give his statement, accompanied by his grandmother, while his grandfather stayed in the lobby.
After losing sight of his grandson, the grandfather curiously inquired about the identities of the two men.
"We are eyewitnesses who saw the scene of the violence firsthand. Tsk tsk tsk, at such a young age, they already have the hearts of beasts. Who knows how their parents raised them." Jiang Chenyi said leisurely.
This immediately provoked dissatisfaction from the parents opposite.
But before they could retort, Huo Yunxi chuckled in agreement: "If the beam above is crooked, the beam below will be too. To straighten it, perhaps the upper beam needs to be broken."
When he mentioned "broken" the group opposite felt a chill run down their spines.
They hadn't forgotten how easily the fat man had been subdued by this man earlier. If it weren't for the police station, they felt... that fat man would probably have ended up in the hospital.
The homeroom teacher, who had been lying on the ground enduring the pain, finally got up and curled up in a corner while trying to avoid the gazes of others.
The school leaders also arrived, including the principal and the dean of academics for the grade these children were in.
When the homeroom teacher saw the principal, his face relaxed, as if he had found a savior.
But when the stern, thin face of the dean of academics appeared, his smile vanished instantly.
‘It's over, that old hag is here too!’
The principal inquired with the police about the source of the incident. Upon hearing it involved violence and extortion, the principal felt a headache coming on.
However, this wasn’t the end.
The female police officer sternly reprimanded the other party, "How were you teachers trained? You come here and immediately want to hit someone? And it’s the child who was bullied! What? Is it not enough for the child to be bullied by their peers? Do you teachers have to join in too?"
These words made the Principal’s face turn red with embarrassment!
The Dean of Academics adjusted her glasses with her gaze fixed on the Homeroom Teacher as if she wanted to kill hem.
Upon hearing that his grandson had been bullied not just once, but even by the teachers, the grandfather completely broke down.
"Heartless! Absolutely heartless! What has my grandson done to deserve such treatment?" He wanted to rush over and fight the Homeroom Teacher, but fortunately, Huo Yunxi stopped him.
Song Mianqing, who had been watching the entire scene, was furious. She quickly supported the grandfather and retorted, "Grandpa, this has nothing to do with Xiao Xiao. It’s those kids who are worse than animals."
"Hey, how dare you speak like that, little girl! Do you believe I’ll hit you?" The parents of the child who had been insulted immediately exploded!
Song Mianqing waved her hand, and the short stick she was holding instantly extended into a meter-long rod with one end pointing at the man who had spoken. "Come on! If you’ve got the guts, make a move! Let’s see if you can even touch a hair on my head or if I’ll knock your teeth out!"
No one from the Huo family is a coward!
The sudden appearance of the rod disrupted the man’s rhythm, but her words successfully ignited his anger. He wanted to strike but was afraid of the rod but if he didn’t act, he’d really be seen as a coward!
But with just one sentence from Jiang Chenyi, Song Mianqing obediently stood down: "Put your rod away."
Song Mianqing was unwilling but turned to look at Jiang Chenyi, only to meet the young man’s warning gaze.
Song Mianqing: “QAQ”
Song Mianqing shivered, feeling that his gaze was even more terrifying than when her grandmother was angry.
Under Jiang Chenyi’s pressure, she obediently retracted her weapon and put it back into her bag.
Seeing the girl being scolded, the man was about to laugh when he suddenly heard a light "tap". It felt as if he had been severely beaten, and the pain instantly knocked him to the ground.
Huo Yunxi glanced back at the young man, just in time to see him retract his hand.
The man’s dramatic fall didn’t attract anyone’s attention.
The female police officer gave Song Mianqing and Jiang Chenyi a meaningful look.
The girl didn’t seem like an ordinary person.
And as for the young man, she suspected that the light "tap" had come from him.
The record didn’t take long to complete. When the three bullies and their guardians came out, they all had furrowed brows, which was somewhat unexpected for the other guardians.
"What’s going on? Didn’t we agree not to admit anything?" someone whispered.
But the next second, a woman angrily slapped her child, "It’s all because of this little brat!"
The slapped child covered their face and burst into tears, leaving the other person completely confused. "What on earth is going on?"
"They have video evidence!"
That video was the most crucial piece of evidence!
It was infuriating that the police hadn’t told them earlier. Only after they had spun various lies did the police leisurely produce the evidence. Now, they had become accomplices in perjury!
"The evidence is all here! There's no denying it now. The only option is to negotiate. Fortunately, the children are not yet 16 years old, otherwise..."
Upon hearing this, the parents of the three children were filled with anger!
Not anger at their own children for bullying others, but anger at why evidence had been left behind.
However, not everyone was without doubts: "Wait, who can guarantee that the video is real? Maybe they conspired to frame my child!"
Hearing this, a few police officers couldn't help but roll their eyes.
Why don't you say that these two adults forced your child to bully and abuse others?
"The authenticity of the video has been verified; there are no signs of tampering," the female officer sternly interrupted their chatter.
She stood in the center, her voice loud and firm: "Now that the facts are clear, how do you plan to argue your way out of this?"
"Put away your petty thoughts and think carefully about how to apologize!"
At the mention of an apology, the parents present all showed expressions of disapproval.
"What's the big deal about kids roughhousing? Why can't you take a joke..." Before the speaker could finish, his face turned red as if he had been slapped.
But no one saw anyone hit him.
The man covered his face in bewilderment, completely unaware of what had just happened.
At this moment, the female officer's eyes flickered slightly as her gaze subtly shifted to the young man standing at the back.
This wasn't the first time she had encountered such a bizarre scene.
"Why doesn't he think about why my child only bullies him and not others!" Similarly, this speaker was also slapped hard.
Seeing two people who spoke ill being mysteriously struck, even though they were in a police station, the remaining parents felt a chill run down their spines.
"Is... is there a ghost in your police station... a ghost?" Otherwise, who could have done this?
A hint of amusement flashed in the female officer's eyes. She hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, under their terrified gazes, "We're not sure, but when the police station was first built, I heard someone say that this place used to be a graveyard or something..."
The other officers exchanged glances, completely unaware of such a thing, while a few who saw through the female officer's ruse silently lowered their heads and chuckled.
"There's a ghost... there's a ghost!" The group wanted to leave, but the exit was already blocked by Huo Yunxi.
The tall, burly man crossed his arms over his chest while looking at them as if they were fools: "You want to run before paying compensation?"
Someone cursed and refused to pay, but with every word he spoke, his face was slapped hard.
Such precise targeting made some suspect that Xiao Xiao or Huo Yunxi were behind it, but even when they were far apart, they still got hit.
Those who tried to shift blame, hit!
Those who spoke ill of Xiao Xiao, hit!
Those who accused Xiao Xiao's guardian of negligence, hit!
Those who accused the police of bias, hit!
Those who refused to pay, hit!
Those who offered too little, hit!
After more than an hour, out of the six parents who came, four were bruised and battered, one was slightly injured, and only one remained unscathed.
The parents of the children who were unharmed or only slightly injured clearly understood that the "ghost" must have had it out for them. They quickly paid 10,000 yuan and dragged their children away.
Judging by their final glances, those children were likely in for a good old-fashioned spanking from both parents.
The remaining two pairs of parents also couldn't hold out any longer. Reluctantly, they handed over 10,000 yuan each and left with their children.
The total of 30,000 yuan was handed over to the elderly couple by the policewoman. With tearful eyes, they looked at the money.
They didn't want to take it, as it was compensation for their grandson's humiliation, but...
"Take it. This is compensation for the child's emotional distress. It's what he rightfully deserves." Jiang Chenyi emerged from the shadows and gently patted Xiao Xiao's head.
"Now that the child's matter is settled, there's still the issue with the teacher." he said, as Huo Yunxi dragged out the homeroom teacher, who was cowering like a quail.
The principal hadn't expected this to involve him too!
Only the Dean of Academics stepped forward to support: "You're right. If it weren't for him, this matter might not have escalated so much."
If the homeroom teacher had handled the situation fairly from the start and reprimanded those children, perhaps they wouldn't have pushed their luck and continued to bully their classmate.
The principal suddenly turned his head to look at the Dean with an incredulous expression.
Unfortunately, the Dean wasn't the least bit intimidated by the principal's gaze and even dared to mock him publicly: "Principal, this is your dear relative. He doesn't even know how to be a decent person, so how can he possibly teach children to be good people?"
The Principal's face turned red with anger at her words, but since they were the truth, he had no way to refute them.
"This person, I think the Principal should take them back and properly train them before letting them out again."
Ignoring the Principal's expression, the Dean of Academics walked up to Xiao Xiao and bent down slightly: "Do you recognize me?"
Xiao Xiao's big eyes shrank a little, but there was no sign of fear in them.
He nodded obediently and greeted: "Hello, Dean!"
The Dean of Academics patted his head and continued: "In the future, if you are bullied, come to me. I will stand up for you. If the Principal doesn't change things, I'll transfer you to another class!"
At this point, the Principal's expression became even more unpleasant.
But no matter how much the Dean of Academics undermined his authority, he didn't dare to utter a single word of reprimand, nor did he refute the Dean's words.
Jiang Chenyi's scrutinizing gaze fell on the two of them, curious about the background of this Dean of Academics.
Seeing that Xiao Xiao's grandparents still had worried expressions, Huo Yunxi gave Song Mianqing a look. The young girl was quick-witted and immediately understood her Great Grandfather's intention.
"Xiao Xiao, tell me, which elementary school do you go to?"
Xiao Xiao looked up and said in a soft voice: "Jihua Elementary School."
Song Mianqing nodded, then glanced at the Principal and said with a smile: "If you find that no teacher in the school is helping you, go to the neighboring Jihua Middle School and look for someone named Huo Miantu. Tell him you've been bullied."
Upon hearing the name Huo Miantu, the Principal's body trembled slightly, and a look of fear appeared in his eyes as he gazed at the girl.
Huo Miantu had also attended Jihua Elementary School in the past, so the Principal naturally knew that this was a child from the Huo family.
The Huo family—if it weren't for his connections, he wouldn't have known that in such a small place like Xiaocheng, there could be a military family!
And now, this girl casually told someone to go find Huo Miantu... this...
The Principal studied the girl's face, and the more he looked, the more panic he felt.
Her facial features were almost identical to Huo Miantu's! Even if they weren't siblings, they were definitely close relatives!
"That won't happen!" Thinking of their familial relationship, the Principal, who had just been dissatisfied with the Dean of Academics' words, immediately spoke up.
"I will dismiss the Homeroom Teacher of Class 3 today and arrange for a new teacher to take over!"
His relative had really messed up this time and almost dragged him down with them.
Hearing the Principal's internal cursing, Jiang Chenyi rubbed his ears with his eyes filled with disdain.
After the Principal's assurance, Xiao Xiao left with his grandparents.
Just before leaving, he let go of his grandmother's hand, turned around, and threw himself into Jiang Chenyi's arms with his dark eyes filled with gratitude: "Thank you, big brother."
Perhaps because he had closely felt the power of Merit, when those people were being beaten by the "ghost" he had sensed a familiar force in the air.
Therefore, he knew very well that this big brother had personally avenged him.
Jiang Chenyi gently patted his head with a soft gaze: "No need to thank me. From now on, just focus on your studies, okay? If they still won't leave you alone, do as this sister said and go to the neighboring middle school to find Huo Mintu. Someone else will help you then."
He had already given those three kids a chance. If they didn't cherish it... then there was nothing more he could do.
After Xiao Xiao left, Huo Yunxi's eyes narrowed slightly: "You gave him a protective tool?"
Jiang Chenyi shrugged: "Of course. Even though Qingqing mentioned earlier that he could seek help from other members of the Huo family, he still needs to escape the situation first, right?"
So, during the head pat earlier, he had secretly slipped an Abacus Bead into the child's possession.
Not only that, but he had also given a bead to each of the guardians of the bullies.
Unlike the beads used on the people from the boat earlier, these Abacus Beads were meant to prevent them from causing further harm.
And...
"I've already warned them once—liars must swallow a thousand needles!"
During the statement-taking earlier, anyone who lied would have to endure the Needle Swallowing Punishment.
If they refused to let it go and continued to harbor ill intentions, the consequences would be unbearable for them.
After handling the matter, Jiang Chenyi and Huo Yunxi returned to the hotel.
Song Mianqing, on the other hand, called her mother to give her a detailed account of what had just happened.
That night, all the guardians who had accompanied the children to give statements experienced the agony of swallowing needles.
They couldn't wake from their sleep until they had swallowed a thousand needles. Even if their loved ones heard their screams and tried to rouse them, they remained unconscious.
These thousand needles were not only punishment for raising unruly children but also for their refusal to correct their children's mistakes despite knowing better.
After swallowing the thousand needles, they woke up dazed with their bodies drenched as if they had been pulled out of water.
Perhaps recalling the slap at the police station, some gradually extinguished their resentment and sternly warned their children again: "From now on, stay away from that person, understand? If I find out you're still causing trouble, I'll definitely break your legs."
Of course, while some gave up, others, consumed by shame and anger, refused to let it go.
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