69 The Depressed Headmaster (2/2)

Qin Nanyu was apprehensive. She lowered her head, afraid to meet Headmaster Dong's eyes. Guiltily, she admitted, ”Headmaster, this is all my fault for not properly managing the students. I take full blame for this incident. I—”

Headmaster Dong cut her off with a wave. ”That's enough,” he said. ”We can't blame you for this. If anyone is to blame, it's the one next to you, Xiao Luo.”

As he spoke, he took a sip of hot tea.

”That's right. This has nothing to do with Teacher Qin. I take full responsibility for my actions,” Xiao Luo agreed, standing up straighter.

”And how exactly do you intend to do that?” demanded Headmaster Dong angrily. His temper flared, and he slapped his desk and yelled, ”The heads of the Education Bureau, various major media outlets, and the parents of the students who were injured are all looking into this situation. If I let you go out there, they'll devour you in an instant. And yet, you say that you want to take responsibility. If it weren't for Chu...” Here, the headmaster stopped himself. He realized that Qin Nanyu was listening, so he swallowed the rest. Clearing his throat, he continued, ”Then, I would not even bother with you. I'd just hand you over to the police.”

Xiao Luo understood intuitively that Chu Yunxiong's connection here was not Qin Nanyu, but the man before him, Huaye's headmaster, Dong Zhenwu. It made sense. Getting him into Huaye was something that only the headmaster do easily. A mere instructor could not have pulled it off.

”I have reflected on my actions. Back in the army, I was kind of rowdy. I'll pay more attention in the future. I'll accept any punishment you decide to give me, Headmaster. A warning, disciplinary probation, whatever it is, I accept it.”

Now that he had calmed down, Xiao Luo was quite good with his words. Making up some nonsense based on the background of his student persona, he provided Dong Zhenwu with a few easy options.

A warning? Disciplinary probation? Do you really think that's the punishment you deserve after making such a mess?

Dong Zhenwu was infuriated. This kind of brawl was entirely within the bounds of police intervention. Still, this kid wanted to keep everything within the scope of the school, which could mete out many kinds of punishment. However, Xiao Luo was not even a real student! Wasn't a punishment from the school the same thing as letting him get away scot-free?

At this point, Qin Nanyu chimed in, ”Yeah, Headmaster, Xiao Luo just got a little rough. Why not—”

”'A little rough? One man dueling with more than a hundred? That's more heated than what you see in the movies, and you're calling it 'a little rough'?” Dong Zhenwu harrumphed. Then, turning toward Xiao Luo, he said, ”You're a real arrogant kid. Thanks to you, you've brought this bag of old bones into the spotlight in front of the Education Bureau's leaders. Thank you so much.”

”No need to thank me, Headmaster, it was my pleasure,” Xiao Luo replied with a smile.

Dong Zhenwu jumped to his feet, glaring at Xiao Luo. ”You rotten brat. Do you really think I'm praising you?”

”Weren't you?” Xiao Luo replied indifferently. He figured out that since Chu Yunxiong's instructions to Dong Zhenwu were to keep everything under wraps, he had nothing to worry about.

You! @#￥*\u0026! Dong Zhenwu almost swore out loud but managed to swallow his profanity. He waved the visitors out impatiently while snapping, ”Get out, get out, get out. Submit a full reflective report in 3 days. If it's less than 5000 words, then I'll expel you myself!”

If he had to deal with Xiao Luo any longer, he feared that his rage might trigger a heart attack.

Xiao Luo turned to leave, while Qin Nanyu fled the office in embarrassment as if they'd received some great pardon.

”You're letting him off so easily, Headmaster?” inquired the male secretary, puzzled.

”Every student in Huaye is like my own child. I treat them all equally and hope that they will grow and shine brightly as the pillars of our nation. Now that these events have unfolded, punishing Xiao Luo doesn't help anything. We'd do better to concentrate on cleaning up the aftermath.”

Dong Zhenwu lied through his teeth, making these just and dignified statements. He thought to himself, ”If Xiao Luo weren't a part of Chu Yunxiong's group, I'd have him skinned alive.”