Chapter 165: Student Leader!

The Director gritted his teeth. He had to take the boy away now, no matter what; he could not afford any more delays.

He turned and signaled his secretary, and within moments, seven or eight burly men had surrounded the stage, their intentions clear—they were prepared to forcibly remove the target. Wang Chen, however, accepted the Director’s arrangements calmly. His goal of exposure had already been achieved; all that remained now was to settle the matter in court.

The students below the high platform did not understand the situation. Thinking Wang Chen was being forcibly arrested, they erupted into a collective frenzy.

"What do you think you’re doing!"
"Let Wang Chen go!"
"Corruption and collusion! This is a cover-up!"
"Don’t you dare touch him! If you do, I’ll be at the gates of the Education Committee with a bucket of paint tomorrow!"
"If anything happens to Wang Chen, every student in Class 7 of Luzhou No. 9 Middle School will follow his lead and file a formal lawsuit against the Luzhou Education Committee!"

The Director was overwhelmed. They had barely done anything to Wang Chen yet, and it had already ignited such public outrage. If Wang Chen were actually thrown into prison, these students might well storm the Luzhou detention center. Already, students were surging toward the platform, appearing ready to break through the security cordon.

The Director’s secretary shouted through a microphone, but even with six massive loudspeakers, the sound could not drown out the roar of the crowd.

"How did it come to this..." the Director muttered, already sensing the shadows of a student uprising.

Just then, Wang Chen walked up to him. "Director, let me say a few words before I step down."

The Director panicked. "Wang Chen! What kind of trouble are you trying to stir up now? You’ve already turned Luzhou upside down! Isn't that enough?"

Wang Chen replied calmly, "It is not I who is stirring up trouble, but the long-standing rot within the Luzhou Public Security Bureau system, which is why everyone is reacting so intensely."

"However, I am willing to resolve this through official legal channels. That is my stance. I, too, do not wish for my peers to be swayed by momentary impulse; I want them to treat this matter rationally."

"So, please give me the microphone. I will calm them down. I am a student; I understand the student mindset better than anyone."

The Director furrowed his brow, hesitating for a moment, before finally signaling his secretary to hand the microphone to Wang Chen.

"Thank you." Wang Chen took the microphone, but he did not speak immediately; he simply stood in the center of the platform.

Gradually, the students below caught sight of Wang Chen and the microphone in his hand.

"Wait, Wang Chen is going to speak! Stop shouting!"
"Everyone! Quiet down, Wang Chen is going to speak!"

The crowd fell silent just like that. The adults present were struck with shock. Having spent years in society, they understood better than the students how immense one’s prestige must be to silence a crowd without uttering a single word.

Yet, this level of influence was held by a boy of only seventeen or eighteen. They found the scene surreal, and deep down, emotions long buried began to stir, melting the ice of years and calling to mind the idealistic fervor of their own youth.

Seeing the clamor subside, Wang Chen tapped the microphone. Once he was sure it was working, he began. "Thank you for your support, fellow students. I, Wang Chen, am deeply honored."

"But I must say, besides honor, I feel a sense of pleasant surprise."

"I am not surprised by winning first place in the competition today, nor by the generous prizes, nor by the prospect of a bright future."

"I am surprised by all of you."

"I am surprised by the hot-blooded passion and integrity that still burns in your hearts."

"To tell you the truth, for the past week, I have tossed and turned every night. I felt afraid—afraid of being silenced, of being detained, of being forced into silence."

"But!" Wang Chen held the microphone in his left hand and struck his chest with his right, clenched into a fist. "The support you have shown today has made me no longer afraid!"

"Because you have lent me your courage! The courage of eighteen-year-old youths—the kind of courage that can break through any darkness!"

"I promise you all here that I will use this courage to uphold the justice we believe in!"

"I have a favor to ask of you." Wang Chen’s tone deepened, shifting from passionate to pleading. "Please maintain order in the venue. Do not shout loudly or rush the security personnel."

"We students are often labeled by some as the most easily incited group, always relying on fanaticism to overthrow social order!"

"We must show them otherwise. We must prove that students can handle affairs rationally. We will change this society, but not through violence!"

"Therefore, even during the public trial at the Supervision Court, I ask that you do not gather in large groups, as that will disrupt order."

"I suggest that each school select five representatives to attend instead. That way, things will remain orderly."

"I have finished speaking. Thank you once again, fellow students, for standing with me and letting our voices be heard with the spirit of scholars! Thank you!"

Wang Chen finished and bowed deeply.

The students were burning with passion; some of the more emotional ones even had red-rimmed eyes. In unison, they bowed back to Wang Chen on the stage.

Though the bows were silent, everyone present could feel the profound respect contained within that gesture.

The students thanked Wang Chen, and in turn, how could they not be grateful to him? He had left a bold, indelible mark on their otherwise unremarkable youth, helping them realize that they were not merely learning machines.

They were a vital driving force for social change.

Perhaps years from now, the events of today would remain vivid in their minds, becoming the deepest source of motivation in their hearts.

The group on the high platform headed toward the conference room. This time, the students did not stir; they watched silently as Wang Chen departed.

The Director walked behind Wang Chen, looking at the young man’s back, his mind filled with thousands of conflicting thoughts.

"This boy is no ordinary talent. If he encounters the right wind and rain, he will surely soar like a dragon!"

The Director even saw in him the aura of high-ranking officials he had encountered back in the Imperial Capital. He made a silent decision: regarding Wang Chen’s public lawsuit against the Public Security Bureau, even if he couldn't help, he must never stand against him.

This was a student leader in the making!

...

In the conference room.

The news had spread like wildfire. Qiao Jun, the public relations spokesperson for the Public Security Bureau, had been waiting for a long time.

The moment he saw Wang Chen, before he could even speak, a burly, dark-faced man with a ferocious expression beside him cut him off.

"So you’re the one called Wang Chen! Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused us today!"

Wang Chen remained calm. "It wasn't I who caused you trouble; it was your own people who brought this upon themselves."

"What a joke! You think you can just find a group of people to write a blood oath and sue the Public Security Bureau?" the dark-faced man slammed the table. "It’s absurd to even hear you say it—you’re actually going to sue the entire Public Security Bureau!"

He was agitated, using harsh, aggressive language to confront Wang Chen, his words laced with veiled threats.

At this point, Qiao Jun spoke up. "Jiang Sheng, sit down. Let me have a word with Student Wang."

Wang Chen watched the two of them perform their little act with cold eyes, a sneer lingering in his heart.