I Became a Rich Heir in a Novel and Saved the Female Lead - Chapter 14:

Chapter 14: Getting Their Stories Straight

Liu Hong and Li Jian stood where they were, helplessly watching as He Man and the others were taken toward the teaching building.

The blazing sun beat mercilessly down on them. Waves of heat rose from the ground, making even the air feel scorching hot.

In the distance, He Man’s steps even seemed somewhat relaxed, as though she had merely done poorly on an ordinary exam and her parents had been called in for a talk.

Everyone knew that Zhou Mingyuan had arranged all this for one reason, to give the girls time to get their stories straight before the police arrived.

Yet no one said a word.

Whether Lin Wansu was dead or alive, everything concerning this fire would ultimately be decided by those people.

Unlike the noisy commotion outside the school gates and the oppressive atmosphere in front of the warehouse, the lounge on the first floor of the teaching building was quiet and comfortable.

The air conditioner had been set very low, completely shutting out the sweltering heat outside. Everyone inside unconsciously began to relax.

The teacher who had escorted them there tactfully withdrew, leaving only He Man’s parents and the girls behind.

He Man sat on the sofa with a cup of warm water in her hands, her face still pale.

Xu Lan sat beside her and gently tidied her hair, while He Zhenbang stood by the window with his back to everyone, speaking on the phone.

He Man raised her head to look at her mother, her eyes reddening. “Mom, do you think Lin Wansu is really dead?”

Xu Lan’s hand paused.

She did not answer directly. Instead, she looked at her daughter and asked gently, “First, tell me exactly what happened last night.”

A trace of guilt appeared on He Man’s face.

She had originally intended to continue insisting that she knew nothing. However, she was not stupid. Xu Lan was clearly asking her to tell the truth so they could figure out how to deal with the situation.

“We… we just wanted to scare her a little.” He Man’s voice grew quieter and quieter as she unconsciously lowered her head. “Wasn’t she always pretending to be pitiful in class? We just wanted to make her stay inside for one night so she’d learn how she should behave in the future.”

Xu Lan’s expression gradually darkened. “So you locked her inside, and then the warehouse caught fire?”

He Man said nothing.

Her silence was already enough of an answer.

He Zhenbang ended his call and turned around, his expression now completely cold. “Whose idea was it?”

The girls instinctively looked toward He Man.

He Man gritted her teeth and said, “Li Li bought the lock for the warehouse door, and Zhang Xiaoyu was the one who locked it in the end. Besides, it wasn’t my idea alone. All of you were there at the time, and none of you tried to stop it.”

“Enough.”

Xu Lan rubbed her temples.

Over the years, she had indeed spoiled her daughter far too much. Back when He Man was in her first year of high school, she had caused another girl to be disfigured. The girl’s parents had even confronted them over it. In the end, He Zhenbang had paid them 800,000 yuan and arranged for their daughter to transfer to another school, finally putting the matter to rest.

He Man had caused plenty of other problems, both large and small. However, none of them had been too serious. Since both husband and wife were also busy with work, they had never paid much attention to them.

Neither of them had expected their daughter to cause such a serious disaster today.

This was no longer an ordinary conflict between classmates, nor was it some minor incident that could be suppressed with money and an apology.

Unlawful confinement, combined with what would, at the very least, amount to causing death through negligence.

That alone was enough to put He Man behind bars for several years.

“From this moment onward, none of you are to mention what happened last night again.” He Zhenbang walked over to He Man, his tone cold and firm. “Remember this. You only heard that the school had caught fire, so you came over to see what happened. As for why Lin Wansu was inside the warehouse, you don’t know. And you certainly don’t know why the warehouse caught fire.”

Then He Zhenbang turned his gaze toward Zhang Xiaoyu. “As for the voice message you sent, pretend you never sent it. If someone insists on questioning you about it, say you had a nightmare.”

His gaze swept across all of them. “You need to remember that every word you say from now on isn’t for He Man’s sake. It’s for your own.”

By now, Zhang Xiaoyu had also completely accepted reality.

If she chose to keep telling the truth and insisted on pursuing this so-called justice, what would be waiting for her?

He Zhenbang had an entire team of professional lawyers behind him, while Xu Lan, who worked at the Education Bureau, was sitting right beside He Man. Even if He Man ultimately got into trouble, at worst, she might spend a year or two in prison. With enough connections and arrangements, she might not even have to serve any time at all.

There were even people sentenced to death for murder who had managed to escape punishment through deception and substitution. Compared with that, He Man had only caused someone’s death through negligence.

Zhang Xiaoyu’s father, on the other hand, was merely a truck driver who had only recently found work. He had probably already heard what happened and was currently rushing back from out of town to the school. Her mother had also been ill for years, and the family still owed a considerable amount of money from paying for Zhang Xiaoyu’s education.

If Zhang Xiaoyu ended up in prison now, her entire life would be ruined. How could she possibly face her parents after that?

Besides, when all was said and done, she was no champion of justice.

She had sent that message earlier purely because she had been terrified. Deep down, there had also been a desire to atone for what she had done, or perhaps simply to distance herself from the blame.

Zhang Xiaoyu finally raised her head.

The hesitation from before had vanished from her eyes.

She nodded firmly, and even her sobbing gradually came to a stop.