Chapter 8: play around

Even though her father used money to get her into the school, it wasn't through illegal means, a procedure approved by the country. The sponsorship fees were used to help the school finance its activities, and no one objected because which school you attended didn't affect university admittance later. Besides, she was just a kid back then, do they have to punish her for that, why not look for her father since they are that righteous. They didn't even dare say that directly, instead found many other excuses to pick on her, she really can't forgive them.

She stood up, "Teacher, excuse me but I was just reading the school guide, and it said self-study is voluntary, and phones aren't prohibited outside of teaching sessions."

"Are you trying to teach me right now?"

"Teacher, I'm a freshman here, so I'm not sure of your status, you seem ignorant of basic school rules, so I assumed that you're a rookie like us, and learning is a continuous process, there's nothing shameful about it, teacher," she could hear some stifling laughs, but she didn't stop, "sharing knowledge is the goal of schools..."

He was stunned silly for a while, she almost laughed, herself, but his mind came back with anger, "shut up, how dare you talk back to me."

"Teacher, talking back is part of communication..."

"Why not just take my place, HUH!"

"If that is what the teacher wants, I'll oblige..."

"YOU… didn't you learn that you have to respect your teachers!"

"Defending my rights is respecting my teachers who taught me to do so, I can't understand how disresp..."

"You listen. Carefully. You have no rights here, my words are the law in this class," his hands banged the desk again.

"Understood, do I have to jump from the building if you told me to, teacher," her eyes were attentive like she was really interested in learning.

The teacher ground his teeth and his voice got louder, "are you playing with me right now, do I look like a joke to you, what impudence!"

"I'm trying to learn from Teacher, where should we draw the line to the so-called 'your words are the law,' because I need to talk with my father and later see the principal. You see, teacher, I don't want to die young," she could hear more stifling laughs, murmuring, and see some shocked faces.

Mr. Wang was stunned for a long time that Lanru almost let out a laugh again, 'you're used to overwhelming kids, do you think your bullshit would work on a university graduate, and especially someone like me.'

Back to his sense her smirk drew him crazy, but he couldn't humiliate himself anymore spouting even more nonsense, he said, "you...just shut up, and put away your smartphone, don't let me catch you using it during class."

"How about the line, tea..,"

"Just shut up," he really didn't know how else to deal with this impudent lass.

"Understood, teacher, but I think we still had some time before the period starts," Lanru smiled brightly, enjoying the popping veins on his forehead. She turned her eyes to her smartphone and continued to fiddle with it. She won't look for trouble, but it found her instead, she's gonna let them regret it. She didn't care how the school would deal with her later, gave her some work to do, she won't do it, suspension, or even expulsion, whatever, she doesn't care, as long as she passed the national university exam, she could go to any university she wanted.

After the name call, Lanru made sure to remember the girl's name, Lao Rou. Mr. Wang, paid her special attention afterward, he tried to pick on her many times since she wasn't focusing on class but he wasn't able to corner her, she easily answered his questions.

After the end of the first session, no other teacher found trouble with her, but that was problematic. The day passed like watching the parliament. Listening to things she already knew, or can easily understand explained in slow motion was too boring.

'This can't continue like this.'

It looks like she had to find a way to be free in school. She can't let them expel her, though, even if she didn't care about that, things would get a bit complicated. if possible, she didn't want to deviate too much from the past, and there are some people in school she needs to pay back, with interest. She couldn't leave unless she was unable to find a way to move freely in school. She needs to gather some dirt to threaten the school or something.

Along the boring day she thought of how to deal with the situation, and the first thing she thought of, given her past experience, was the verbal abuse she suffered in the past, it would definitely happen again. And she needs a way to gather the proof, a way to record it... 'a hidden body camera.'

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Her stepmom was waiting for them outside in the car, they drove immediately to the shopping mall, and bought more clothes before they went back home.

She went to her room and took her phone out. She doesn't have money right now, but she knows some websites that offer pay on delivery service. Browsing through the mess, she finally ordered one that look like a necklace, the camera lens hidden as jewelry with a black string through which passes the wires, at the back of the string there's a small plug in to connect to the recording device, even if someone snatched the necklace it would detach without anyone noticing. It had many other adaptations, like a bowtie, a button... It was perfect. She contacted the seller, and asked for a special option, setting the order as a simple necklace...

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The next day, she started to cause trouble, she slept in class and the teacher punished her to stand outside. The teachers would target her sooner or later, anyway, might as well trigger it and buy herself some time. She took her smartphone out and looked up economics news, and the corporal situation, the cryptocurrencies, she needed to find a special way to make money soon. She has many ways but as a minor, it wasn't that simple.

She needed money to help her family and build her power. Without power, she won't be able to defend herself. She did the same thing for the remaining periods pretending to have a headache, no teacher bought it, and she received the punishment she wanted. Up until last morning's period, a short woman with short hair entered the class, her black hair has an unnatural reddish shine to it. Lanru recognized her, the Chinese teacher, Mrs. Fu. She gave Lanru a dirty look the moment she got in.

'Looks like she received prior notice.. must be Mr. Wang.'

Like Fanjie in her house, Mrs. Fu, along with him and the math teacher, these three headteachers, were the main force behind her suffering among teachers, she would put them in their place from now on. As of now, she ignored her and followed the same process to leave the class, she was doing her research when Mrs. Fu appeared in front of her.

"Hand over your phone, you're not allowed to use it in class," Mr. Fu had this smug smile on his face.

'So you think you can handle me, huh,' she looked left and right along the corridor, "teacher, I'm not in class," Lanru wore a smug smile, herself.

"you're punished, you can't play on your phone, hand it..."

"Teacher, I'm not playing. I'm learning English," she started an English app, and showed her the screen, "see."

"I told you to hand it over," veins appeared on Mrs. Fu's temples.

"Is it the 'my words are the rule' Mr. Wang claimed before, but we're not even in class, teacher" her smug face grew even bigger.

Mrs. Fu's right hand rose above her head, and Lanru stepped forward and said, "I dare you to hit me, teacher," she wasn't willing to take a hit, but she would be happy either way. She can cut her trouble short, it was a good material to threaten the school.

Her hand stopped hesitating for a while, this school wasn't a place for teachers to act wild, a lot of rich kids study here. They could try their luck because of their culture, as most students respect teachers and parents usually let them educate them, but they didn't dare to act overboard without the parents' reassurance, "You.. You just wait," she stormed back into the class, it turned silent immediately aside from her heavy steps.

"Hey, girl, you're quite the naughty one, huh,"

Hearing this voice, a shiver ran down her spine, this voice, oh she knew all too well, a voice that traumatized her in the past. It was Nam Guang, the boss of a group of bullies in school. He targeted her around the same time in the past, but this was still earlier. Anger replaced the momentary fear, he was especially the one who made her life unbearable in school.

When she looked at him, her anger subsided a bit as she felt something else, something was odd… yes, he resembled that man, those sharp eyes that the brown glasses couldn't hide, his wide jaw, his tan-skinned tone, why didn't she think about it back then. He was definitely related to that boss, from those thugs that kidnapped her.

'Could it really be him, are you telling me my life was ruined because of this mother f***, just because I didn't bend to his will?'

She ground her teeth, it felt like they would shatter any moment, she tried to calm herself but it was hard. It wasn't enough that he made her school life hard, he might even be the one behind her demise. She knew she can't act right now, but it was clear he had something to do with what happened, it can't be just a coincidence. It was the first solid clue related to her tragedy, how can she just calm down. She bit her lips to force her anger out.

'You just wait, I will destroy you for sure.'