Chapter Forty-Six: The Guilty Accuse First?

“Principal?” Everyone was stunned, and a trace of fear flickered in Chen Ping’s heart. Although he had just threatened Chen Feng with great bravado, when it came to actually exposing this matter, he simply didn’t have the courage. After all, he really had taken advantage of Chen Feng, and he truly wanted to seize the thirty thousand yuan from him. Deep down, he felt guilty.

He dared to threaten Chen Feng because he was certain Chen Feng wouldn’t dare retaliate against a teacher. He himself certainly didn’t have the guts to let this scandal come to light. Yet things didn’t go as he’d hoped: Chen Feng actually struck him without hesitation, knocking him to the ground. He never expected the principal would arrive—now, no matter how he tried to cover it up, the truth would come out.

“What’s going on here?” Principal Zhang Zhenhan looked coldly at the scene before him. A student daring to assault a teacher—this was utter lawlessness!

“Principal, it happened like this!” Chen Ping suddenly scrambled up from the floor and spoke quickly: “Today we were competing for the championship against No. 17 High. Chen Feng refused to follow my coaching instructions and forced his way onto the court. Though we won, he bore a grudge against me and attacked me upon returning. Isn’t that what happened?”

Chen Ping, the true culprit, was the first to lodge a complaint, ruthlessly pinning a heavy accusation on Chen Feng.

“That’s right, Principal! Chen Feng was way out of line!” Fang Chenghao chimed in, “Coach Chen Ping acted for our own good, but Chen Feng refused to listen and struck him. He knocked the coach out right there in the locker room!”

Zhang Zhenhan frowned deeply, his gaze coldly settling on Chen Feng. “Chen Feng, what do you have to say for yourself?”

Chen Feng hadn’t expected these people would accuse him first, saddling him with blame. With so many voices against him, even if he spoke the truth, Zhang Zhenhan probably wouldn’t believe him.

“Principal, it’s not as they say. I didn’t assault Chen Ping. Just moments ago, it was Chen Ping who asked me to hit him, saying if I didn’t, I wasn’t a man. What could I do? As a man of stature, if he insisted, I had no choice but to oblige.” Chen Feng shrugged, utterly unconcerned.

“Nonsense!” Chen Ping shouted, “Why would I ever ask you to hit me?”

Ignoring Chen Ping’s angry outburst, Chen Feng calmly addressed the principal, “I’m not lying. That’s exactly what happened. And not only that—Chen Ping accepted a bribe of one hundred thousand yuan and deliberately barred me from playing, intending to tarnish the school’s reputation.”

“Is that true?” Zhang Zhenhan’s gaze immediately locked onto Chen Ping.

Chen Ping instinctively swallowed, then loudly protested, “How could that be? Principal, don’t listen to this boy’s one-sided story! How could I do such a thing? I would never do anything to damage the school’s honor!”

“Yes, Principal, I can vouch for that! Chen Feng is just making things up!” a member of the basketball team spoke up quickly. “There’s no such thing—he’s just looking for excuses!”

“Exactly!” another teammate shouted. “Chen Feng, even now you’re still trying to lie?”

One by one, they spoke up. Each knew perfectly well that they and Chen Ping were now tied together; at such a crucial moment, admitting anything was impossible. They had to work together to heap all the blame upon Chen Feng.

Chen Ping felt an intense pride in his own cunning. By acting decisively and shifting all blame onto Chen Feng, he believed that, apart from Lin Hang, everyone would testify for him. How could Chen Feng hope to clear his name now?

“Chen Feng, what exactly happened?” The principal’s gaze returned to Chen Feng.

Zhang Zhenhan remembered Chen Feng well: just a month ago, he’d been a heavyset youth weighing over two hundred pounds. Now he was transformed, a key player on the basketball team, and his academic performance had improved markedly. Such a student, Zhang Zhenhan couldn’t easily forget.

“Principal, I can testify for Chen Feng!” Lin Hang suddenly spoke up.

“Lin Hang, everyone knows you’re close with Chen Feng—do you really think your testimony counts for anything?” Fang Chenghao sneered.

Lin Hang smiled calmly. “Of course, my words alone might mean nothing. I can’t outtalk all of you. But it doesn’t matter—I have something far more important.”

As he spoke, Lin Hang pulled out his phone and smiled. “I’ve recorded everything. Let’s listen together.”

At the sight of Lin Hang’s phone, the group’s expressions changed all at once.

Without further ado, Lin Hang handed the phone to Zhang Zhenhan, smiling as he said, “Principal, listen from the beginning. I believe you’ll find the content quite shocking.”

“Chen Feng, you’re not playing in the second half.”

“What did you say? Repeat that.”

“Chen Feng, what’s with your attitude? Are you questioning my decision as coach? This is tactical—so you won’t be playing in the second half.”

“How much did Luo Wenhao give you?”

“One hundred thousand... uh!”

At this point, Zhang Zhenhan’s face had turned ashen, while Chen Ping’s complexion was deathly pale, sweat pouring down his cheeks. Though he reacted quickly in the recording, the words “one hundred thousand” rang clear in everyone’s ears.

“Very good!” Zhang Zhenhan looked coldly at Chen Ping. “I never imagined our school had a teacher like you!”

“I, I...” For a moment, Chen Ping was speechless, unable to believe Lin Hang had recorded everything.

Lin Hang laughed, speaking quickly, “Principal, don’t be hasty—there’s more to come!”

...

“If you want to leave, that’s fine, but leave behind the thirty thousand yuan scholarship. You only got that money because of the basketball team. Now that you’re leaving, hand it over.”

“What, you still have something to say? Let me tell you: this thirty thousand yuan scholarship must be handed over. I forgot to mention, this is the basketball team’s rule. The title of Best Player in the city wasn’t yours alone—it was won by our whole team. That’s why you got the money!”

“If you’re leaving, you’re quitting the team, and the scholarship has nothing to do with you anymore!”

Hearing this, Zhang Zhenhan truly became furious. Chen Feng had just won the city’s Best Player title, and immediately Chen Ping demanded the thirty thousand yuan. This was blatant extortion, robbery.

If Chen Ping succeeded in extorting him today, and the matter was exposed, even Zhang Zhenhan himself would suffer. Chen Feng had just won the city’s Best Player title, and was immediately extorted by a teacher—if word got out, the school’s reputation would be ruined, and even he as principal would be implicated.

“Chen Ping, how do you intend to explain this?” Zhang Zhenhan glared at him in rage.

“Principal, I—I... the recording is fake, it’s fake!” Chen Ping stammered in terror.

“Come on, if you’re a man, hit me! Hit me—don’t just stand there, hit me! Come on, do it! Are you still a man?” Chen Ping’s voice echoed from the phone. Lin Hang put away the device and looked at Zhang Zhenhan. “Principal, if this gets out, it’ll surely damage the school’s reputation.”

Zhang Zhenhan regained his composure and spoke coldly, “Absolutely. Chen Feng, rest assured—I will see this matter properly resolved.”

Chen Feng smiled and said, “Principal, how do you think a teacher who takes bribes and tries to seize a student’s property should be dealt with?”

Zhang Zhenhan gazed steadily at Chen Feng and replied, “Chen Feng, that’s not a question for me. It’s up to the law. But I can tell you clearly—I won’t let such a rotten apple remain in our school.”

“Principal!” Chen Ping was stunned. After so many years as a PE teacher, if he were expelled, he truly didn’t know what he could do. The education bureau would surely record it, and even if he went elsewhere, no school would take him!

“As for them,” Zhang Zhenhan looked at Fang Chenghao and the others, speaking coldly, “I’ll punish them according to school regulations. The outcome will be announced at the school assembly.”

Chen Feng was quite satisfied with this result, and said no more.

At that moment, a middle-aged man hurried over and whispered a few words. Zhang Zhenhan’s expression changed slightly. He looked at Chen Feng again, then said coldly, “Chen Feng, come with me.”