Chapter 83: I Want to Lend You a Cigarette

As soon as Chen Hansheng arrived, the atmosphere in the classroom immediately changed. The boys who were preparing to fight stopped, the ones trying to break up the fight relaxed, and the students who had been hiding in the corners gathered closer, stabilizing the situation.

The group of out-of-school students who had been slapping each other still thought a faculty member had arrived, but when they saw Chen Hansheng, they realized he didn't look like a teacher. They hesitated, wondering whether to throw a few more tough words to keep up their act.

However, Chen Hansheng didn't say much. If he had waited a bit longer, the school security would have arrived. He pointed to those in the middle trying to break up the fight and said, "Move aside. Your classmates are being beaten, and you're just standing there pretending to be the good guy."

Yang Shichao and Zhu Chenglong saw that Chen Hansheng was supporting them and immediately had no hesitation. They swore and rushed back into the fray. The students who had been trying to break up the fight were momentarily stunned and didn't stop them. There were only four of them on the other side, and they were quickly taken down without resistance.

"Crack! Crack!" The sounds of fists and kicks landing were heard as the four out-of-school students were pummeled, their faces and bodies beaten up, their clothes torn. They huddled in the corner, trying to protect their heads.

Chen Hansheng stood to the side, watching coldly without moving. Before long, the school security arrived, but the door had already been locked by Chen Hansheng. They knocked loudly, but Chen Hansheng pretended not to hear. He waited until the four were nearly beaten enough before going to open the door.

"Why did you open the door now?" the security guard asked loudly.

Chen Hansheng shrugged. "It was too noisy in here. I didn't hear you."

The security guard hesitated. He couldn't prove that Chen Hansheng had been intentionally ignoring him. Inside the classroom, desks and books were scattered on the floor, and the four most badly beaten out-of-school students were lying on the ground, covered in blood, their clothes in tatters. They were curled up in the corner protecting their heads. The other students were in various states of disarray, but none had been seriously injured.

The security guard held a rubber baton. "Everyone who was fighting, come with me."

"Wait," Chen Hansheng stepped forward and blocked their way. "Why are you taking everyone without asking what happened? We still have class."

The security guard looked at Chen Hansheng. "You want to attend class after a fight? You'll be getting a demerit for this. You're coming with me too."

The security guard reached for Chen Hansheng's sleeve, but he shrugged him off. "I didn't fight, so why should I go with you?"

The reason Chen Hansheng wasn't getting physical was that he wanted to clear the names of Yang Shichao and the others and shift the blame to the four out-of-school students.

"Not only will I not go with you, but neither will my classmates," he said, pointing at the four battered students. "These out-of-school students came here to harass our female students. They slapped them when they resisted. Shen Yanjing, come here."

Shen Yanjing, with tears in her eyes, walked over. The handprint on her face was clearly visible.

"See this? This is one of our students from the School of Finance and Economics. A portion of your salary is funded by her tuition fees," Chen Hansheng shouted at the security guard. "She was slapped by these outsiders, and yet you're siding with them. Isn't that heartless?"

"This..." The security guard was thrown off by Chen Hansheng's direct approach. The other students in the class were united in their stance, and the security guard's earlier authority was now diminished.

Fortunately, the head of the school security soon arrived. As he listened to the report, he took in the scene. 

Chen Hansheng introduced himself, listing his titles: "Hello, I'm Chen Hansheng, the class president of Public Administration Class 2, the vice president of the Humanities Student Union External Relations Department, a student leader of the Student Committee, and the head of the University Entrepreneurship Base."

The security head's expression turned serious as he took in the significance of these titles. 

"The situation is clear. Four out-of-school students came to the school in a car with the intention of harassing female students. There are 54 witnesses in our class, and Shen Yanjing's handprint is the physical evidence," Chen Hansheng continued. "As for our male students, they were only trying to protect their female classmates."

More and more students were gathering to watch. The security head seemed a little overwhelmed. He made a call for further instructions, then said, "The other students from Public Administration Class 2 can go back to class. These four out-of-school students will be taken to the security office for further handling. We'll also need Chen Hansheng and Shen Yanjing to assist with the investigation."

The students didn't fully trust the security after their earlier behavior, but Chen Hansheng waved casually, signaling that it would be fine.

The security head was surprised by the influence that the class president seemed to have. 

Soon, more security personnel arrived and escorted the four out-of-school students downstairs. One of the boys, the one who had slapped Shen Yanjing, was still uncooperative, mouthing off to Chen Hansheng and making a "f*** you" gesture.

The head of the security staff scolded him, "Shut up, behave yourself."

Chen Hansheng wasn't about to let it slide. He deliberately stayed behind a bit longer and called out to Yang Shichao, "Do you see that car downstairs? Go and smash it."

"Is that a good idea?" Yang Shichao asked, clearly worried.

In his mind, a fight was one thing, but smashing a car could lead to serious problems.

Chen Hansheng looked at him and said, "Don't worry. I'll take the responsibility."

Yang Shichao nodded without asking any further questions.

...

The four out-of-school students were registered at the security office and were found to be from Hucheng University of Science and Technology. One of them was even Shen Yanjing's ex-boyfriend. Chen Hansheng didn't care much about the details. Whether they were ex-boyfriends or anything else, his stance was clear: "If you want to show off, don't do it at the School of Finance and Economics."

The school's handling of the situation was tactful. If the police had been called, both sides could have faced trouble. In the end, the school only recorded their details, gave them a stern warning, and prepared to let them go.

When the four returned downstairs, they saw their car had been smashed—its windshield and headlights shattered. 

The security personnel acted like they hadn't noticed, urging the boys to leave. "Hurry up, or we'll go to lunch, and then you might not be able to leave."

The boys finally realized that there were students at the school with "connections" and didn't say a word. They got in their car and drove off, not even daring to glare back.

Chen Hansheng smiled as he watched the car drive away. He pulled out a cigarette, about to light it, when Shen Yanjing suddenly grabbed the lighter from him.

"I'll light it for you," she said, lighting the cigarette and handing it to him.

Chen Hansheng glanced at her. The slap mark on her face hadn't faded, and her nails were painted in a striking coral color.

"Thanks," he said, lighting the cigarette and walking back toward the 101 Entrepreneurial Base.

Shen Yanjing stood still for a while, then quietly slipped Chen Hansheng's lighter into her pocket.