Chapter 85: The Contest

On his way home, Zhou Xuan seethed with anger, determined to make Wei Xinyu pay dearly for this. It had been an incredibly dangerous situation; if not for his sheer luck, he would have been ruined by Wei Xinyu’s trap.

He considered two options: first, to report the incident directly to the principal. While Wei Xinyu’s family held some influence in the county, he trusted the principal’s integrity. The second option was to wait until after the high school entrance exams to find an opportunity to settle the score. Zhou Xuan was not the type to suffer such bullying in silence, but for the sake of his safety, he decided to wait until the exams concluded before approaching Principal Gu of the Second Middle School.

Of course, Zhou Xuan kept the physical evidence—the lab results from the water bottle and the video footage captured by Fatty Jiang—safely in his possession. He suspected there might be school surveillance footage involving Fatty Jiang and Wei Xinyu, though he knew the classroom itself lacked cameras, meaning there would be no recording of the cup-swapping incident. He would need to discreetly inquire whether any classmates had witnessed the act.

The second day of the entrance exams soon came to a close. Zhou Xuan finally exhaled, relieved, and prepared to see the principal the following day to address the matter regarding Wei Xinyu.

Upon arriving at Principal Gu’s office, Zhou Xuan knocked and was invited in.

"Good morning, Principal," Zhou Xuan said as he entered.

Seeing it was him, Principal Gu smiled warmly. "Ah, Zhou Xuan, you’re here! It’s been a long time since you last visited. How did the entrance exams go?"

"Principal, you must help me. I was nearly sabotaged during these exams," Zhou Xuan said, getting straight to the point.

"What?" Principal Gu asked, stunned. "Zhou Xuan, what on earth happened?"

"To put it simply, someone put laxatives in my water bottle, hoping to give me diarrhea during the exam and prevent me from getting into high school," Zhou Xuan said sternly.

"What! How could such a thing happen? Tell me the details." Principal Gu was shocked; he knew how well-regarded Zhou Xuan was throughout the city. That someone would dare to poison him—especially during the high school entrance exams—struck the principal as brazenly arrogant.

Zhou Xuan then detailed everything he knew, expressing his hope that the principal would investigate the matter thoroughly and bring the culprit to justice.

After hearing the account, Principal Gu was incensed. That such a malicious scheme could take place under his own nose was unacceptable; some students had become far too bold.

"Zhou Xuan, how did you do on the exams? It didn't affect you too much, did it?" the principal asked, concerned about his academic performance.

"It’s alright. There wasn't a significant impact. I’m confident I’ll make it into the First High School without any problems. Thank you for your concern, Principal."

"Good, that’s a relief. Very well, I will arrange for an investigation immediately, though I must manage your expectations regarding the outcome," the principal said with a sigh. "Due to certain factors, it may be difficult to get Wei Xinyu to confess. I wanted to give you a heads-up."

"Is the situation with Wei Xinyu really that difficult to handle, even for you?" Zhou Xuan asked.

"His father is not only a powerful official in the county, but his maternal grandfather is a former municipal leader who retired less than two years ago. How much sway do you think a principal like me really has?" Principal Gu explained, clearly in a bind.

Zhou Xuan sneered. "Does having power and influence mean they can shield their children? Please just submit the report, Principal. We’ll see who ends up in trouble. I refuse to believe there is no justice under the same sky!"

The principal felt a jolt at Zhou Xuan’s words, followed by a bitter smile. *Ah, the naivety of youth,* he thought. *He hasn't faced the cruel realities of society yet.* Still, he couldn't help but admire the boy's fearless spirit. Determined not to let Zhou Xuan suffer, he made up his mind to stake his reputation on ensuring the boy received justice.

"Very well. I will organize an investigative team immediately to get to the bottom of this." Principal Gu was going all in. Zhou Xuan was the most brilliant student he had ever encountered, and he was willing to bet on him, believing that the young man was destined for greatness and could bring prestige to the Second Middle School.

"Thank you, Principal," Zhou Xuan said gratefully.

He held Principal Gu in high regard, knowing the man genuinely cared for his students. Furthermore, he didn't believe someone as shrewd as the principal was unaware that the PE teacher, Li Yunxi, was the son of the Municipal Party Secretary. Perhaps the principal and Secretary Li were already on good terms, which explained why Li Yunxi was teaching at the school.

Leaving the office, Zhou Xuan anticipated some trouble in the coming days. As long as his parents remained unaffected, he could handle whatever else came his way.

As expected, on the third day, June 22nd, Zhou Xuan received a call from a man identifying himself as Wei Ping. The caller spoke with an overbearing tone, suggesting they settle the matter privately with a payment of 100,000 yuan, claiming Zhou Xuan hadn't suffered any real loss. Zhou Xuan refused instantly; he wasn't desperate for money, and the offer was an insult to his worth.

The man then resorted to threats, telling Zhou Xuan to take the deal and not to think he could do whatever he wanted just because he had gained a little fame. Zhou Xuan was taken aback by the man's audacity, realizing he was clearly trying to cover for Wei Xinyu. Zhou Xuan retorted that unless Wei Xinyu apologized in front of the entire school, the matter would not be dropped.

The man hung up with a cold snort, but Zhou Xuan merely scoffed. Trying to bully him was a fatal mistake.

True to form, the next day, Zhou Xuan’s family clothing store was visited by inspectors who claimed there were "emergency checks" and that the store was violating fire codes, mandating a shutdown for rectification. Zhou Xuan hadn't expected them to be so shameless as to target his parents' business. Seeing his mother’s worried expression, his anger flared.

Zhou Xuan immediately called Li Jing, explained the situation, and asked for his help.

The following day, Principal Gu called, laughing, "Zhou Xuan, you’re something else. I had no idea you knew Secretary Li. No wonder you were so determined."

"Haha, Principal Gu. I just happened to know Uncle Li. I wouldn't have bothered him with such a trivial matter if the other side hadn't been so arrogant," Zhou Xuan replied.

"During a meeting yesterday, Secretary Li issued a strong criticism of the county’s educational work. He demanded a thorough investigation into your case, insisting that the authorities learn from this, increase awareness, and ensure next month's high school entrance exams proceed smoothly. Now, those people are hiding like turtles. I expect we'll have a conclusion in a few days," the principal reported.

Zhou Xuan smiled. "That's good to hear."