Chapter 31: Detective Zheng Kaiming (Part One)

The four lackeys felt utterly wronged. Yes, they had come to mess with Shi Tiexin, but it was true that they’d taken a beating. In the past, they’d extorted and blackmailed whenever they got the chance, living carefree lives, never caring how others suffered or felt aggrieved. Today, they had truly lost out—lost out big—and yet Zheng Kaiming didn’t believe them. For the first time, they experienced the real taste of injustice.

Their chests felt as if they were about to split open.

"I—I’m slandering and framing? I’m being unreasonable?" The four of them were gasping for breath, furious and blurting out, "Big Square Head, you don’t believe us!"

"Big—Big Square Head?!" Zheng Kaiming was about to explode with rage. That nickname was his sore spot, a physical trait he loathed being pointed out. It was one thing when a few close colleagues joked about it, but these snot-nosed kids dared call him that? Were they courting death?

"Nonsense!" Zheng Kaiming was nearly shouting with anger. "A bunch of turtle spawn bastards, you dare come here to frame a classmate? Who is Shi Tiexin? A weak scholar who couldn’t even truss a chicken! And who are you lot? And who’s Teng Chaoguo? Do you think I don’t know? One man beating five of you—you really expect me to believe that? You call that a story? If that’s not the height of fabrication, I don’t know what is!"

The four of them were stunned.

A weak scholar who couldn’t truss a chicken?

Was that how such a ferocious brute appeared in your eyes, sir? And you say we fabricate—aren’t you the true master storyteller here?

Zheng Kaiming, his head clear with fury, resolved to utterly crush them with intelligence. He demanded, "You say Teng Chaoguo was beaten too—beaten the worst. So where is he? Why hasn’t he come to complain?"

"Teng Chaoguo, he..." The four were at a loss for words.

Zheng Kaiming sneered, "The one who was beaten the worst isn’t here, but the rest of you, who are fine, come here to stir up trouble. What’s the meaning of that? Or is Teng Chaoguo in the hospital?"

They were used to spinning tales, and one of them blurted out, "Yes, yes, that’s it! He’s in the hospital, they’re all rescuing him!"

Zheng Kaiming didn’t waste any more words. He picked up the phone and called Security. "Hello, it’s me. Has any student left campus today? No? Good." He hung up and looked at the four with a half-smile. "Shall I call the school clinic to check if Teng Chaoguo is there, fighting for his life?"

The four had nothing to say. They had no idea how to cover up this lie.

It looked like their fabrication and false accusation had been exposed.

The fat one clenched his fists, teeth gritted, feeling so wronged that he couldn’t hold the truth back any longer. "Teng Chaoguo... he’s not in the hospital. He’s just too ashamed to show his face!"

"Why?"

"Because he—"

"Hey, Fatty!" The others tried to stop him, but Fatty shook them off and shouted, "What’s the point? Who doesn’t know by now? I’ll say it! Teng Chaoguo doesn’t dare show up because he lost all his dignity—he got dunked in a piss bucket for a bath!"

"Pfft—!" Zheng Kaiming nearly spat out his tea. In his long career as discipline director, he thought nothing could surprise him anymore. But this was truly shocking; for the first time, disbelief showed on his face. "A piss bucket... bath?"

Since it was out, the others went all in, chiming in, "Yeah, in the black latrine. Tons of buckets overturned!" "The stuff flooded everywhere, the stench was unbearable!"

Zheng Kaiming, seeing them swear up and down, began to half believe it. The story was just too bizarre. If it were just a lie, who would make up something so grotesque? And if word got out, there’d be no way to stay at this school. No one would self-slander to this extent just to frame someone.

He hesitated. "Anyone actually see this?"

"Everyone saw! All the students in Class Twenty-Eight know!" "Come with us, sir, just take a look and you’ll know!"

A look?

Very well, seeing is believing.

Zheng Kaiming stood up. "Let’s go. If you’re lying to me..."

"We’re not, we swear it’s true!" The four, having convinced Zheng Kaiming, felt as if the clouds had parted. They eagerly surrounded him, leading the way to the remedial class building. For the first time, they found the square-headed hardliner so righteous—he was the embodiment of justice! Big Square Head, we’re counting on you to uphold what’s right!

Moments later, the five of them arrived at the black latrine.

Zheng Kaiming looked at the floor, his expression darkening, then pointed sharply: "So this is your ‘flooded everywhere’?"

The four were dumbfounded. They had no idea what had happened. The floor of the black latrine wasn’t just not stinking—it was actually rather clean, without a trace of what they’d described.

What—what was going on?

"No, this isn’t right! It’s not right!" The four rushed in, unable to believe their eyes. They looked left and right, gesturing wildly. "Here, right here! These buckets were all knocked over, and piss was all over the floor. But now..."

They looked at the buckets—full to the brim, as though nothing had been spilled.

Had they seen a ghost?

This was unexplainable!

"No, impossible! This can’t be!" In a panic, they surrounded Zheng Kaiming, pleading, "Sir, you have to believe us, you have to!"

Zheng Kaiming had lost all patience. He gave them a look of disgust, but decided to be thorough in his duty. "One last chance. Any other witnesses? Didn’t you say all the students in Class Twenty-Eight know? Let’s go there and see if anyone will testify for you!"

The four exchanged nervous looks. Class Twenty-Eight? But they’d already thoroughly alienated that class—who would help them now?

They could only hope the shadow of the Black Hand Tiger still lingered, and maybe, with some subtle threats, someone might back them up.

By the time they reached Class Twenty-Eight, afternoon lessons were about to begin, and about half the students were already there. When Zheng Kaiming entered, the students tensed as if a predator had arrived. Then, seeing the four troublemakers peeking in from the doorway, the other students exchanged glances, instantly understanding.

"I’ll just take a moment of your time," Zheng Kaiming announced. "Someone came to me at noon accusing Shi Tiexin of beating Teng Chaoguo and four others during the break after the second period. Did anyone witness this?"

Instantly, the boys and girls of Class Twenty-Eight looked at the four with utter contempt. In the past, these guys bullied others with all sorts of tricks, acting like streetwise thugs. But now, having been beaten, they ran to the teacher? What a disgrace to delinquents everywhere! Compared to a tough guy like Shi Tiexin, they were nothing but trash.