Chapter 56

At this moment, applause erupted from the roadside, acknowledging Song Haowen’s martial arts skills that had swiftly subdued the five assailants. Song Haowen grabbed the bald guy by the chest, interrogating him about their identities and why they wanted to harm him.

Despite Song Haowen’s relentless questioning, the bald guy refused to answer. Someone suggested taking these five assailants to the police station and having the authorities handle it, to which Song Haowen immediately agreed.

At the police station, when the officers heard that Song Haowen, a popular singer and a student at Beijing University, had single-handedly defeated five gangman, they could hardly believe it if not for the numerous witnesses on the street.

However, no matter how the police interrogated these culprits, they refused to reveal the mastermind, only admitting that they attacked because they didn’t like the victim.

In the end, the police had no choice but to detain them on charges of attempted murder, awaiting a court judgment.

After returning home from the police station, although Song Haowen couldn’t confirm that Yang Wei had sent people to harm him, suspicions had taken root in his mind.

He secretly vowed that if he could confirm Yang Wei’s involvement, he would make sure that the other party will pay for it dearly.

As the five attackers were sentenced to varying prison terms for attempted murder, Song Haowen believed the matter had come to a close.

However, after a while, negative rumors about him suddenly spread like wildfire in society.

First, there were rumors that Song Haowen had engaged in illicit relationships with Tian Nana, causing her to undergo multiple abortions. This greatly impacted both of them, almost ruining Tian Nana’s promising career.

Fortunately, the school and dance troupe where Tian Nana belonged promptly dispelled the rumors, clarifying the truth through mainstream media. They also filed defamation lawsuits against those spreading false information, minimizing the negative impact on her.

However, due to this, she and Song Haowen temporarily dared not have any contact. Song Haowen, once a highly sought-after celebrity invited by major radio stations and dance troupes, fell from grace to being ignored.

If it were just this incident, it wouldn’t have a significant impact on Song Haowen. He wasn’t particularly interested in performing; he didn’t care about becoming a popular star.

Now, without the burden of a celebrity status, he felt a newfound sense of freedom and didn’t have to worry about unwanted performances.

However, as one wave subsided, another rose. Soon, there were rumors that the reason Song Haowen had fought on the streets recently was because he had interfered in a classmate’s relationship, snatching the classmate’s girlfriend.

When the classmate sought mediation through acquaintances, Song Haowen, in a fit of anger, had called the help of local thugs, beating the mediators into severe injuries.

Afterward, he abused his celebrity influence to coerce the police, distorting the facts and turning the victims into assailants, creating an everlasting injustice.

When the first negative news about Song Haowen emerged, many fans who liked him and Tian Nana, even if ultimately convinced the rumors were true, could understand.

After all, the two of them had been the idols of millions of fans, and everyone was almost hoping they had a real relationship.

However, when the second negative news surfaced, public opinion almost unanimously condemned him as a scumbag.

Calls for a retrial of the case and demands for him and the law enforcement personnel to bear legal responsibilities flooded social media.

To address this, the police assigned a dedicated team to investigate and collect evidence, ultimately confirming that the social rumors were baseless.

They issued clarifications through relevant media. Despite this, the detrimental impact lingered, and even the school took measures to verify the situation through the academic affairs office.

Song Haowen felt unable to express his grievances, and the injustice in his heart couldn’t be revealed. The illustrious image he had built since entering the school was shattered in an instant.

He knew the mastermind behind the scenes must be Yang Wei, but he couldn’t produce any evidence to retaliate. Moreover, he was unaware of what other tricks the other party might have.

Just when Song Haowen was feeling anxious, an anonymous letter arrived at the principal’s office. Before the school could react, the contents of the report spread across the campus like a nuclear bomb.

The anonymous letter accused Song Haowen of engaging in an illegal cohabitation with a self-employed person named Wang Li outside the school. The impact was severe, seriously damaging the school’s reputation.

It was a disgrace to the school. Such a scumbag was actually a member of the School’s Youth League Committee, Sports League committee and Class learning committee. It was suggested that the school should give a major disciplinary action, stripped of all positions and expelled from the school.

When this news reached Zhu Hongyu and Ren Hua, they were both frightened. Although they knew it was another false accusation, but this kinda thing is hard to explain in short period of time.

 If the school were to be biased and unreasonably and believe the rumors, severe punishment, or even expulsion, was a real possibility.

When they found Song Haowen, he was at the store, feeling utterly frustrated about the situation.

Ren Hua believed that Song Haowen’s recent troubles were entirely because of her, a vicious retaliation from Yang Wei.

She felt deeply sorry for him and tearfully apologized said several sorry for him. Song Haowen was shocked and comforted her, saying he would be fine, and even if something happened, he wouldn’t blame her.

Zhu Hongyu, indignant, said, “Little brother, we can’t be too passive. If we keep getting beaten like this, when will it end? You’re so clever; can’t you come up with a strategy? As long as we don’t break the law, we can find a way to make him suffer a bit and make him understand fear.”

Hearing Zhu Hongyu’s words, Song Haowen suddenly felt a sense of clarity. He thought, yes, he came from a past life, experiencing so many things and encountering all kinds of people.

Could he really not handle a scumbag? If the other party could shamelessly slander him without any boundaries, why couldn’t he retaliate? The other party had done so many wrong things; surely, there must be some evidence left behind? Thinking this way, he thought of a solution.

“Sister, don’t worry. Good deeds are rewarded with good, and evil is met with evil. Retribution will come. From now on, I’ll have someone follow him 24/7. As long as he dares to do anything illegal, we’ll catch him in the act, and he’ll have no way to escape.”

“That’s a good plan. We need to do it quickly. But what about your current situation? You can’t let yourself be expelled. I won’t be able to live with that.” Ren Hua worriedly said.

“Silly girl, why are you saying such nonsense? Am I so easily wronged? Even if I face setbacks for a while, I’ll bounce back. I don’t believe the school leaders are stupid to believe such a slander.”

“But I heard that he has an unusual relationship with a deputy principal. That deputy principal won’t let you off.”

“Hmph, rest assured. The school is so big; it’s not something a deputy principal can cause a huge wave over. Even if I get punished, I must be exonerated!”

At this point, Wang Li walked over. She didn’t care about such rumors. She suggested to Song Haowen, “You can ask some classmates to help. Secretly track that villain. As long as you catch him with some evidence, he’ll be in big trouble, even if he doesn’t die, he’ll shed some skin.”

Song Haowen clenched his fist, determined. “This will be done today! When Qian Youlai comes over later, I’ll talk to him about it.”

While the four of them were talking, Qian Youlai returned. When he heard Song Haowen asking him to find a few people to track someone, he immediately gave his assurance.

“Here’s the plan: first, come with me to the school, and I’ll introduce you to Yang Wei. Then, in your name, find a few more clever people and make them acquainted with Yang Wei as soon as possible. Afterwards, split them into two shifts for secret surveillance, day and night. Each shift should carry a camera. If there are any developments, report to me immediately. The people you hire will receive twenty yuan each per day. If anyone captures evidence of Yang Wei’s misdeeds or catches him in the act of breaking the law, there will be an additional reward.”

“Alright.”

“But remember, don’t let them know I was behind all of this. Otherwise, it could cause some trouble.”

“I understand. When should we go to the school?”

Song Haowen immediately said they would leave now. To avoid being recognized by Yang Wei, Song Haowen wore a yellow military cap and exchanged clothes with Qian Youlai.

The two of them circled around the School of Literature and quickly identified Yang Wei among a group of female students. Once Qian Youlai confirmed Yang Wei’s appearance, they immediately left the school.

After changing back into their own clothes at the store, Qian Youlai received two hundred yuan from Wang Li and went out to find some helpers.

The next day, officials from various levels, including the counselors, departments, student affairs, and youth league committee, approached Song Haowen to verify the situation.

The school security office even sent someone to talk to Wang Li. There was a lot of discussion and speculation.

The school’s investigation formed two opinions: some believed that Song Haowen was just working part-time to support himself, with no evidence of illegal cohabitation.

 Considering his excellent performance in various aspects, including breaking three school records during the sports meeting and outstanding contributions in singing and songwriting, as well as being commended by the county committee and government as a model of courage.

The part-time work should not be an issue. Others believed that as a top-tier university like Beijing University, students should prioritize academics. Especially as a class cadre and youth league committee member, he should lead by example instead of focusing on making money.

His behavior seriously damaged the school’s atmosphere and set a bad example, deserving a strict punishment, including expulsion, as a warning to other students.

After numerous intense discussions, the school eventually issued an administrative warning to Song Haowen, suspending his roles in the youth league and class committee.

Upon learning of this decision, Song Haowen, though feeling unjust and unwilling, considered himself fortunate not to be expelled.

When Tian Yuxi heard this news, she was shocked and sympathized deeply with Song Haowen. Despite the intense study and exam period, she took half a day to visit him, encouraging him to focus on his studies, persevere, and not be disturbed by external factors. This greatly comforted him.

To prevent new rumors and minimize their time at the store, Zhu Hongyu and Na Renhua reduced their work frequency, especially avoiding overtime at night.

Although Song Haowen theoretically should also spend less time there, the workload accumulated by the two girls increased significantly, forcing him not only to maintain his regular attendance but also to work extra hours.

Fortunately, after the school disciplined him, they stopped probing into the matter, giving him some breathing space.