247: Chapter 247 The Lawless Zhao Ming

Meanwhile, at County No. 1 High School, Student Zhao Ming began to act up during the third period.

The teaching building at County No. 1 High School was built ten years ago. The greyish-white exterior wall coating had already started to peel, and the corridor railings were rusted, creaking whenever stepped upon.

The classroom for Class 3, Grade 2 was on the fourth floor. Its windows faced the track on the playground. Music for the break-time exercises drifted up from downstairs, mixed with the chattering and laughter of students, making for a lively atmosphere.

Student Zhao Ming sat in the window seat in the last row; this was his exclusive territory, and no one dared to contest it with him.

It wasn't because he was good at studying, but because his fists were hard.

Half of the students in the class had been beaten by him.

The remaining ones were either girls or honest students who didn't dare to provoke him.

During the Chinese class, he slept on his desk for the whole period. In English class, he played cards with his desk mate for the entire period. In math class, he was so bored that he used a compass to carve a turtle on the desk surface, with the math teacher's name carved on the shell.

The math teacher's surname was Wang. He was over fifty, bald, wore thick myopia glasses, never took attendance in class, and never disciplined Student Zhao Ming.

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he didn't dare.

Last time he told Student Zhao Ming in class not to sleep, Student Zhao Ming tore up his textbook in front of the whole class, threw it on the ground, stomped on it twice, pointed at Teacher Wang's nose, and said, "Do you think it's any of your business?"

Teacher Wang's face turned the color of pig's liver, his lips trembled several times, and in the end, he didn't say another word.

The fourth period was biology. The biology teacher's surname was Lin, named Lin Ruoxi. She was twenty-six years old, had just graduated from Normal University last year, and was assigned to teach biology at County No. 1 High School.

Lin Ruoxi was 1.65 meters tall, with long hair draped over her shoulders, delicate features, skin so white it seemed to glow, and a figure that was unbelievably good.

In the summer, she wore a white short-sleeved shirt with buttons always pulled tight across her chest, as if they would burst open at any moment.

Below, she paired it with a black hip-hugging skirt that was just long enough to cover her knees, but when she sat down, it would ride up, revealing her thighs wrapped in flesh-colored stockings.

Her legs were long and straight, her calves had smooth, elegant lines, and she wore a pair of beige low-heeled leather shoes on her feet.

When Student Zhao Ming first saw Lin Ruoxi, his eyes went straight.

He had been hanging around the county for two years and had seen all kinds of female teachers, but someone like Lin Ruoxi was truly a first.

His gaze slid from the unbelievably delicate face on the podium to the curve on her chest that made his mind wander.

From the curve, it slid to the tiny waist that could be encircled by a pair of hands, and from the waist to the long legs hidden behind the podium.

He lay on the desk and said something to his desk mate that made one's skin crawl.

The voice was neither too soft nor too loud, just enough for the girls in the front row to hear.

Those girls' faces turned red instantly, and they lowered their heads, pretending to read.

Lin Ruoxi was lecturing on cell division. She stood on the podium, holding a laser pointer, pointing at the chart on the blackboard, her voice crisp and pleasant.

She was wearing a light blue chiffon shirt with a bow tied at the collar, and below it was a white straight skirt that reached her knees.

Her hair was tied in a low ponytail, with a few wisps of hair hanging down over her forehead, making her face look even more petite and delicate.

She was teaching very earnestly; her chalk handwriting was neat and tidy, and every stroke was meticulous.

When she turned around, Student Zhao Ming saw the outline of the shirt fabric stretched tight across her chest, and he let out a whistle.

That whistle was piercingly harsh in the quiet classroom. In an instant, all eyes were focused on him.

Lin Ruoxi's hand paused. She turned around to look at Student Zhao Ming, her gaze carrying something indescribable.

She had been at County No. 1 High School for a while and had heard of Student Zhao Ming's reputation.

This student's family was wealthy; his mother was a businesswoman, and his father ran a company in another city. It was said that they had a very good relationship with the county's leaders.

Previously, when he beat a classmate and the school wanted to discipline him, his mother came to the school once, and the disciplinary action was dropped.

"Student Zhao Ming, please stand up."

Student Zhao Ming stood up from his chair unhurriedly. The chair slid back a distance, making a harsh, screeching sound.

He leaned against the wall, hands in his trouser pockets, tilting his head to look at Lin Ruoxi, a ruffian-like smile hanging on the corners of his mouth.

"Teacher Lin, are you calling me?"

Lin Ruoxi took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound calm.

"Student Zhao Ming, you just whistled, disrupting the classroom discipline. Please apologize and then sit down."

Student Zhao Ming did not apologize. His gaze landed on Lin Ruoxi's face, then slid to her chest, the smile at the corners of his mouth deepening.

"Teacher Lin, you look really good in this shirt today. The blue really complements your skin, making you look even whiter."

"And this bow on your chest is tied so beautifully. Did you tie it yourself, or did someone help you tie it?"

A commotion broke out in the classroom. Some were giggling, some lowered their heads pretending not to hear, and some stared at Student Zhao Ming with wide eyes, as if looking at a madman.

Several girls blushed, looked at each other, and then looked away.

Lin Ruoxi's face flushed red, and her fingers gripped the laser pointer tightly.

"Student Zhao Ming, please watch your language! If you do this again, I will call your parents to school!"

Student Zhao Ming laughed, laughing wantonly, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"Call my parents? My mom? Go ahead and call her. It'll be perfect if she comes; I'll have her take you out to dinner."

"I've wanted to invite you to dinner for a long time, just the two of us, eating alone."

"Find a quiet place, have some red wine, chat a bit—what do you say?"

The commotion in the classroom grew louder. Some were hooting and whistling, others were pounding on their desks in approval.

Lin Ruoxi's eyes turned red. She bit her lip, her voice trembling slightly.

"Student Zhao Ming, sit down. Don't say anything else. We are continuing with the lesson."

Student Zhao Ming did not sit down. He walked forward two steps, reaching the front of the podium, looking at Lin Ruoxi across the desk.

His gaze slid from her face to her neck, and from her neck to the collar of her shirt, where the ribbon of the bow dangled, swaying gently in the air.

"Teacher Lin, don't be angry. I'm complimenting you."

"Your figure is so good, surely someone must be nourishing you at home every day, right? I've heard that women only become beautiful when they are doted on. You're so beautiful, your boyfriend must dote on you a lot, right?"

"Or is it that your husband is very capable?"

"Student Zhao Ming! Shut up!"

Lin Ruoxi finally broke down. She slammed the laser pointer onto the podium, and tears welled up and spilled from her eyes.

She turned around, picked up the lesson plan from the podium, and walked out of the classroom with long strides.

Her high heels clicked rapidly on the floor, du-du, du-du, like a dense drumbeat.

The door slammed shut behind her, and the classroom fell into dead silence.

Student Zhao Ming stood in front of the podium, watching the closed door, the smile at the corners of his mouth slowly fading.

He turned around, swept a glance over the dumbfounded students in the classroom, and shrugged, his tone carrying a sense of indifferent contempt, as if what he had just done was a trivial matter, not worth making a fuss about.

"What are you looking at? Never seen someone joke with a teacher? Her psychological resilience is poor; who can you blame for that?"

Seeing no one speak, he walked back to his seat, plopped down, crossed his legs, took out his phone, and started playing a game.

The sounds of the game came from the phone, bang-bang-bang, piercingly harsh in the quiet classroom.

His desk mate glanced at him, wanting to say something, opened his mouth, swallowed the words back, and lowered his head to continue reading.

The news spread quickly; within an hour, the entire County No. 1 High School knew.

Student Zhao Ming of Class 3 had harassed Teacher Lin during biology class and made her cry.

Lin Ruoxi returned to the office and cried on her desk for a whole period. Several female teachers gathered around to comfort her, but no matter how they tried, they couldn't stop her.

The grade level leader's surname was Sun. He was over fifty, with graying hair, and was an old teacher nearing retirement.

After listening to Lin Ruoxi's tearful complaint, his face turned livid.

He had been teaching his whole life and had seen all kinds of students, but seeing someone like Student Zhao Ming openly harass a female teacher in class was truly a first.

"Teacher Lin, stop crying. The school will handle this matter. You go home and rest first, and leave the rest to me."

Lin Ruoxi looked up, her eyes red and swollen.

"Teacher Sun, don't go looking for him. His family has connections; it's useless to look for him. Before, when the Academic Affairs Office wanted to discipline him, his mother came once, and the disciplinary action disappeared."

"I don't want to cause you trouble. I... I won't pursue it. Just pretend nothing happened."

Teacher Sun looked at her red and swollen eyes, feeling very distressed.

It wasn't that he didn't know about Student Zhao Ming's family situation, nor that he didn't know how weak the school leadership was regarding Student Zhao Ming's issues.

But he couldn't just ignore it; he was the grade level leader, he was a teacher.

If teachers don't manage students, who will?

"Teacher Lin, don't worry. This time is different. This is a serious disciplinary violation, not some minor matter like sleeping in class or fighting."

"He harassed a female teacher, insulted a teacher's dignity, and disrupted classroom discipline. The impact is extremely negative."

"If the school doesn't handle this kind of thing, do we teachers still have any dignity left? Don't worry, I'm going to see the principal."

"If the principal doesn't care, I'll go to the Education Bureau. If the Education Bureau doesn't care, I'll go to the County Government."

"I refuse to believe that there is no justice in this society."

Looking at his graying hair, Lin Ruoxi suddenly burst into tears.

Teacher Sun went to find the principal.

The principal's surname was Zheng. He was in his early forties, exactly the age to make a mark at County No. 1 High School.

Upon hearing Teacher Sun's report, his expression turned grim.

This was not the first time he had heard the name Student Zhao Ming. Previously, he had hit a classmate, and the principal had ordered the Academic Affairs Office to issue him a demerit.

A few days later, Student Zhao Ming's mother, Liu Shufen, came to him, crying and begging him to revoke the punishment, claiming her son was just immature and wouldn't do it again.

His heart softened, and he changed the punishment to a severe warning, letting the matter fade away.

Now it seemed that his softness had been a mistake.

Student Zhao Ming had not repented; instead, he had gotten worse, and now he didn't even respect the teachers.

He paced around his office twice, picked up the phone on his desk, and dialed the number for the Academic Affairs Office.

"Regarding the matter with Student Zhao Ming, issue a major demerit. Notify his parents and have them come to the school tomorrow."

"If they don't come, have their son go home to reflect."

Teacher Sun stood to the side, feeling a sense of relief.

When the news reached the Academic Affairs Office, Student Zhao Ming was being called in for disciplinary counseling.

The director of the Academic Affairs Office was surnamed Liu. He was in his forties, wore glasses, spoke in a measured, unhurried tone, and was known as a pushover.

He made Student Zhao Ming stand in the office for half an hour before he began to patiently lecture him.

Student Zhao Ming stood in front of the desk, looking around, his mind clearly elsewhere.

Director Liu talked for a long time, but he didn't take a single word to heart.

"Student Zhao Ming, do you realize how vile your behavior was today? Teacher Lin is a teacher, an elder, and someone who imparts knowledge and resolves confusion."

"You said those vulgar things in front of the entire class. How is Teacher Lin supposed to face the other students? How are you supposed to face Teacher Lin in the future?"

Student Zhao Ming curled his lip. His voice wasn't loud, but every word carried a sense of impatience.

"Director Liu, I was just joking. Teacher Lin is too sensitive. Is it really that big a deal? I didn't even touch her."

Director Liu's face turned bright red. Having been an Academic Affairs Office director for so many years, he had seen all kinds of students, but this was the first time he had encountered someone as unrepentant as Student Zhao Ming.

"Student Zhao Ming, what kind of attitude is that? You harassed a female teacher, and you think you're in the right? Do you think that because your family has money and connections, the school can't do anything about you?"

"Let me tell you, you don't own this society! And you don't own this school!"

Student Zhao Ming looked at him, a trace of disdainful mockery appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"Director Liu, don't get so worked up. I know I was wrong, I won't say it again. Please calm down, calm down."

Director Liu looked at that smirk and knew he wasn't truly admitting his mistake.

He didn't say anything else and waved his hand.

"Go back and reflect. The school will notify your parents and have your mother come to the school tomorrow."

Student Zhao Ming turned and walked out. The sound of him whistling echoed in the hallway—a currently popular love song, the tune frivolous, just like his attitude.

Several students passing by heard the whistling and quickly moved aside, as if avoiding a plague.

He held his head high, took long strides, and walked with his nose in the air, like a victorious rooster.

Student Zhao Ming played basketball on the playground for a whole period, completely carefree, and it was nearly six o'clock when he got home.

Liu Shufen was cooking in the kitchen; the range hood was buzzing, and the oil in the pan was sizzling.

She had just returned from work and was so tired she couldn't straighten her back, but she still insisted on cooking herself.

Student Zhao Ming was a picky eater; he wouldn't eat takeout and thought restaurant food was dirty.

She had no choice but to cook herself, every day, for every meal.

Her child was the most important person in her life, and she was willing to do anything for him.

Student Zhao Ming threw his schoolbag on the sofa, sat down, crossed his legs, and turned on the TV.

He flipped through a few channels, but none were good, so he threw the remote on the coffee table and shouted toward the kitchen.

"Mom, is dinner ready? I'm starving."

Liu Shufen's voice came from the kitchen, gentle and soft.

"Almost, almost. Have some fruit first; there's watermelon you like in the fridge."

Student Zhao Ming grunted but didn't move.

He took out his phone and sent messages to his classmates, all about Lin Ruoxi.

His tone was triumphant, as if he were talking about a major accomplishment.

He felt it was very cool to have made that pretty female teacher cry in class today, and he thought the classmates who were egging him on were worshipping him.

When Liu Shufen brought the food to the table, the school homeroom teacher called.

She glanced at the caller ID, wiped her hands, and answered.

"Student Zhao Ming's mother, this is his homeroom teacher, Teacher Wang. Today, Student Zhao Ming committed a serious offense at school. The school has decided to issue him a major demerit, and I am notifying you to come to the school tomorrow."

Liu Shufen's heart tightened instantly!

"Teacher Wang, what did Student Zhao Ming do?"

Teacher Wang recounted the incident. Liu Shufen's face turned paler and paler, her hands began to tremble, and her phone nearly slipped from her grip.

She hung up the phone and stood in front of the dining table, looking at the spread of dishes, tears welling up in her eyes.

She had made Student Zhao Ming's favorite sweet and sour pork ribs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, tomato and egg soup, and had even specially fried a plate of spring rolls.

Student Zhao Ming had said yesterday he wanted spring rolls, so she had gone to the supermarket early in the morning to buy spring roll wrappers and spent an hour wrapping them after getting off work this afternoon.

"Mom, what's wrong? Who was that on the phone?"

Student Zhao Ming walked over, still holding his phone.

He glanced at his mother, and seeing her red-rimmed eyes, he paused for a moment, but quickly returned to his indifferent demeanor.

Liu Shufen spun around suddenly and swung her hand, slapping him.

A crisp, loud "slap" exploded in the living room.

Student Zhao Ming's face tilted to one side, burning with pain.

He covered his face and stared at her with wide eyes, as if looking at a stranger.

He had grown up, and his mother had never slapped his face before.

"You hit me?"

Liu Shufen's tears finally fell. She pointed at his nose, her finger trembling.

"You good-for-nothing! What good deeds have you done at school? You harassed a teacher? You said vulgar things in front of the whole class? Are you even human? Do you have any shame left?"

Student Zhao Ming covered his face and looked at her, pulling his mouth into a sneer—a look that made people want to pin him to the ground and beat him.

"Mom, don't listen to their nonsense. They're exaggerating. I was just joking with Teacher Lin. She's too fragile to handle it, who's fault is that?"

"It's just looking at her a few more times, isn't it? Isn't that figure for people to look at? Wearing such a short skirt, with such big breasts—if that's not seduction, then what is?"

Liu Shufen was shaking with rage and raised her hand to hit him again, but Student Zhao Ming grabbed her wrist and shoved her away with force.

She stumbled back two steps and crashed into the dining table, making the dishes clatter.

She gripped the edge of the table, looking at Student Zhao Ming's face, which was so foreign to her she hardly recognized it.

"Mom, don't get so worked up. It's just going to the school, isn't it? Why don't you go find that County Magistrate Mi and have him talk to the school? Wouldn't that solve it?"

"Didn't you go to him last time? He's so powerful; it's just a matter of one phone call..."

Liu Shufen froze!

She would never forget the price she paid for Student Zhao Ming's schooling last time.

That greasy man... those hands... those touches that made her feel so disgusted she wanted to vomit...

She thought that one time would be enough, that once Student Zhao Ming got into County No. 1 High School, everything would be fine.

What she hadn't expected was that Student Zhao Ming would not only fail to cherish it but would actually get worse!

Now that this had happened, she had to go and find Vice County Magistrate Mi Baizuo again? She had to be taken advantage of by that man again?

Student Zhao Ming saw she wasn't speaking and snorted impatiently.

"Mom, are you going or not? If you're not going, I'll go myself."

"I'll go straight to Uncle Mi and have him handle it. Don't worry, it's just harassing a teacher. What's the big deal?"

Liu Shufen looked at his ignorant, arrogant face and that dismissive smirk at the corners of his mouth.

She wanted to cry, but she couldn't.

She had sacrificed so much for him—given up her dignity, her purity, and everything most precious to a woman.

But Student Zhao Ming thought those things were his due, that everything she did for him was taken for granted.

He didn't know that every time before she went to see Vice County Magistrate Mi Baizuo, she had to take sleeping pills just to be able to sleep, and he certainly didn't know that every time she returned from Vice County Magistrate Mi Baizuo, she had to spend an hour in the shower!

She would even use up half a bottle of shower gel!

Scrubbing until her skin turned red and sore!

Student Zhao Ming didn't know!

The beast!