I Became a Rich Heir in a Novel and Saved the Female Lead - Chapter 12:

Chapter 12: Denial

At that moment, Luo Wenxiang, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, “Teacher Liu, Teacher Li, don’t get worked up yet. These students only just graduated, and they may still be frightened, so they might not be able to explain themselves clearly. Once the police arrive, they can question them according to proper procedure.”

Li Jian’s eyes were already red. He turned toward Luo Wenxiang and said, “Director Luo, a living person may still be buried beneath those ruins. Is this really the time to worry about their feelings?”

Luo Wenxiang fell silent again.

Of course he understood that. However, He Man’s mother worked at the Education Bureau, while her father was the chairman of Hongtai Group. There was even a building on the school grounds donated by Hongtai Group. What could he possibly do?

Hearing Luo Wenxiang’s words, He Man felt as though she had grasped a lifeline. She immediately followed his lead and said, “Exactly. We’ll wait for the police. We didn’t do anything, so why should we stand here and let you interrogate us like criminals?”

With that, she turned around, intending to leave with the others.

Li Jian stepped forward and blocked their path. “You can’t leave before the police arrive.”

He Man was already irritated, and being stopped instantly made her temper flare. “Who do you think you are? I’m only speaking politely to you because I respect you as a teacher. We’re not criminals, so what right do you have to stop us from leaving?”

Li Jian’s expression darkened, and his voice grew louder. “Even if you’re not criminals, you’re still important witnesses who know something about what happened. Especially Zhang Xiaoyu. She voluntarily sent a message to a teacher asking for help.”

Zhang Xiaoyu visibly trembled when she heard the words “asking for help.”

She had only been too frightened last night.

She had even imagined Lin Wansu appearing the next day completely unharmed, allowing the entire incident to simply pass. She had never imagined things would escalate this far.

He Man gritted her teeth. Although she did not know exactly what Zhang Xiaoyu had said, she was certain it had been something unfavorable to them. “Zhang Xiaoyu was talking nonsense on her own. Even if she did something, she did it herself. What does that have to do with the rest of us?”

Liu Hong was so furious that her hands trembled.

She had been a homeroom teacher for many years. She had seen plenty of students lie and stubbornly refuse to admit their mistakes after causing trouble, but this was the first time she had encountered someone like He Man, who was still trying to push all the responsibility onto someone else even at a time like this.

Liu Hong had previously heard rumors that He Man and her friends bullied other students in class. However, every time she investigated and questioned the students, they kept their mouths tightly shut, and she had never managed to get a definite answer.

Her grip tightened around her phone until it creaked. “It has nothing to do with you? In the voice message Zhang Xiaoyu sent me, she said ‘we,’ not ‘she.’ Whatever you did last night, once the police arrive, you’ll explain every single thing clearly!”

He Man froze. She wanted to continue arguing, but when the words reached her lips, she forcibly swallowed them back.

What she feared most right now was the police.

Although she had deleted the chat records and everything else last night, she was not a three-year-old child. She knew that even deleted chat records could still be recovered and investigated by the police.

Worse still, she had no idea whether any surveillance cameras had captured them coming to the school last night. And then there was Zhang Xiaoyu, that idiot had actually sent a message directly to their homeroom teacher.

The more He Man thought about it, the more agitated she became. Even her temples began to ache.

At that exact moment, Zhang Xiaoyu seemed unable to endure the pressure any longer. Covering her face, she began to sob quietly.

The sound of her crying seemed ready to snap everyone’s already taut nerves.

“All you know how to do is cry!” He Man suddenly spun around, her voice becoming shrill with anger. “We don’t even know whether Lin Wansu is dead yet! Who are you putting on this mourning act for?!”

The moment those words fell, everyone’s expression changed.

Even Luo Wenxiang stared at her with an ashen face.

Li Jian immediately stepped forward and shouted angrily, “He Man! How can you say something like that?”

He Man also realized that she had said the wrong thing.

Her lips moved as she tried to think of something that could salvage the situation.

Just then, several people entered from beyond the playground.

Leading them was a man around fifty years old. His hair was meticulously combed, and he wore a neatly pressed white shirt with dark trousers. His face carried just the right amount of solemnity.

He was Zhou Mingyuan, the principal of Linjiang No. 1 High School.

Walking beside him were a man and a woman, He Man’s father, He Zhenbang, and her mother, Xu Lan.

The moment He Man saw them, unmistakable joy flashed through her eyes.

Not far from the playground, two black business vans were parked. Several people in suits stood beside the vehicles, while the person walking at the very back carried a briefcase. They were clearly not ordinary attendants.

When Luo Wenxiang saw Principal Zhou, the tension that had been hanging inside him finally eased slightly. He hurried forward to greet him. “Principal Zhou, you’re here.”

Zhou Mingyuan first looked at the warehouse, which had been burned beyond recognition, then swept his gaze across the teachers and students gathered outside the police cordon. His brows knitted tightly. “What’s the situation at the scene?”

Luo Wenxiang lowered his voice and explained, “The fire brigade is still investigating the scene, and the police are already on their way. The problem is that Lin Wansu may have been trapped inside the warehouse last night… Teacher Liu received a voice message from a student saying that He Man and the others…”

“Director Luo.” Zhou Mingyuan raised a hand and interrupted him.

His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority. “Before the fire department and police issue their official conclusions, do not make subjective judgments about any student. More importantly, unverified information must not be casually spread at the scene.”

Luo Wenxiang was momentarily stunned before quickly nodding. “Yes, yes.”

However, Liu Hong’s face turned pale upon hearing this.

She stepped forward and reminded him, “Principal Zhou, this isn’t an unverified rumor. Zhang Xiaoyu personally sent me a voice message after midnight. She mentioned that Lin Wansu had been locked inside the warehouse, and that it was premeditated and involved accomplices.”

Zhou Mingyuan looked at her, his expression remaining calm. “Teacher Liu, I understand how you feel, but something a frightened student says cannot immediately be treated as a definitive conclusion. If this turns out to be a misunderstanding, wouldn’t we be harming the other students?”

“What about Lin Wansu?” Liu Hong could no longer stop herself from raising her voice. “We don’t even know whether she’s alive or dead! Zhang Xiaoyu personally said that they locked her inside. That’s a fact!”

Zhou Mingyuan remained silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. “Precisely because this is such a serious matter, we need to be even more cautious. The school will not evade responsibility, nor will it shield anyone.”

After saying that, he turned toward the people behind him. “Chairman He, Section Chief Xu, thank you for coming over so early. The students are emotionally unstable right now. Calm them down first and don’t let the situation escalate any further.”

The moment those words were spoken, He Man and the others visibly relaxed.

Xu Lan walked over to her daughter and carefully looked her up and down. Only after confirming that He Man was uninjured did she lower her voice and ask, “What exactly happened last night?”

He Man’s eyes immediately reddened. “Mom, I don’t know anything… I just heard there was a fire at the school, so I came over to see what happened. But Teacher Liu and the others insist that we locked Lin Wansu inside, and they won’t even let us leave.”

She sniffled aggrievedly and continued, “I never did anything like that.”

The deliberately pitiful and affected expression on her face made Liu Hong and Li Jian feel almost sick.