Chapter 13: A Public Confrontation

Chapter 13: Challenged in Public

On the podium, Liu Botao stood steady for a moment, cleared his throat, and began to speak.

“Everyone, please be quiet. Before we start the assessment, I have a few words to say.”

He took out a speech and gave it a shake before reading from the script.

“First of all, I want to thank the members of the Student Union’s Disciplinary Committee. You’ve worked hard maintaining order in the plaza since early morning.”

After a brief nod to the Disciplinary Committee, Liu Botao launched into his lengthy monologue, mostly rambling about various incidents that had occurred in the academy over the past half semester.

The students from the three departments gathered in the plaza initially listened attentively, but soon some began to yawn repeatedly, finding it dull. Still, no one dared to show it openly.

After all, Liu Botao was the Director of Student Affairs; admissions and graduations fell under his jurisdiction. Nobody wanted to get on his bad side.

Qin Zhe, having listened for a while, also felt bored and decided to study the sparse patch of hair on Liu Botao’s head.

Liu Botao read his speech with a serious expression, but his round, rugged face paired with his receding hairline gave off a slightly comical vibe.

It wasn’t that Qin Zhe looked down on balding—midlife stress often caused hair loss, and it was perfectly normal.

What piqued Qin Zhe’s curiosity was that, nourished by pure spiritual energy, all cultivators in the Immortal Path were elegant and graceful, their robes flowing like poetry.

Look at the Immortal Path students: all handsome men or beautiful women!

Even those a bit stout were plump and radiant in their own right.

Liu Botao, a cultivator with considerable power, had no reason to be balding at middle age.

Could it be some peculiar preference?

As Qin Zhe pondered this, a strong gust of chilly wind swept across the plaza, sending the thin ring of hair on Liu Botao’s head flying wildly in the breeze.

The sight was so amusing that Qin Zhe couldn’t help but let out a stifled laugh.

At that moment, Liu Botao, standing on the podium under the gaze of everyone, was very conscious of his image. Noticing his hair disheveled by the wind, he hurriedly raised his hand to tidy it.

Before he could finish, he caught sight of Qin Zhe on the side of the plaza, secretly chuckling.

Liu Botao’s face darkened with fury—how dare this kid mock him?

With a sharp “bang,” he slammed his palm hard on the podium.

“What are you laughing at?”

Startled by the sudden accusation, Qin Zhe jumped.

He knew Liu Botao had taken notice of him, and it was no surprise the director would have ill intentions.

But he hadn’t expected Liu Botao to be so petty as to reprimand him loudly in front of the entire school.

Almost everyone in the plaza turned to look.

Qin Zhe sighed helplessly and replied,

“Sorry, Director Liu. I just thought of something amusing and couldn’t hold it in. If I disturbed your speech, I apologize.”

“Don’t give me that nonsense! You’re clearly mocking me!” Liu Botao snapped angrily, firing off words like a machine gun.

“Recently, several people reported to the Student Affairs Office that you have personal misconduct issues and frequently abuse your authority in the Disciplinary Committee to oppress others. At first, I didn’t take it seriously because Minister Liu of the Disciplinary Committee oversees things impartially, so there shouldn’t be troublemakers. But now it seems you really have problems!”

“That’s not true, I just laughed a little. Director Liu, do you have to drag this out so far?”

Qin Zhe frowned. At this point, it was obvious Liu Botao was seizing the chance to pick a fight.

He had initially thought that since he was the one who made an inappropriate joke about the director’s baldness, it was best to back down and keep the peace.

But Liu Botao publicly set a trap for him—how could he tolerate that?

Exhaling a heavy breath, Qin Zhe raised his voice.

“Director Liu, I respect you as a teacher in front of the entire school, so you’d better withdraw your personal slander against me. You accuse me of abusing the Disciplinary Committee’s authority—do you have any proof? You suspect my character just because I laughed once? How did you become the Director of Student Affairs with such baseless accusations?”

“Are you questioning my qualifications as the Director of Student Affairs?” Liu Botao’s voice turned cold as a powerful aura of spiritual energy radiated from him.

“No, no, I wouldn’t dare question your qualifications as a teacher. I’m just curious if the academy has a rule forbidding laughter,” Qin Zhe smiled calmly, handling the situation with poise.

The intensity of Liu Botao’s presence was indeed intimidating.

The power of a fourth-grade Immortal Path cultivator was no small matter.

If it were an ordinary person, they would probably have been frightened out of their wits.

But Qin Zhe believed that even with a hundred Liu Botao’s courage, none would dare to make a move against him in front of the whole school—unless they wanted to end their own career.

“Speaking to an academy teacher in such a tone, showing no basic respect—do you think you’re acting like any decent student?”

Liu Botao snorted coldly, narrowing his eyes.

“You’re excused from this assessment. All your credits are revoked!”

The students of the three departments watching the exchange between Qin Zhe and Liu Botao were completely stunned.

Qin Zhe had become quite well-known recently from the forums and the campus newspaper, but who gave him the courage to openly argue with the Director of Student Affairs?

Most overlooked the fact that Liu Botao had suddenly targeted Qin Zhe without provocation.

Now, seeing Liu Botao disqualify Qin Zhe from the assessment, many showed sympathy, while others took a schadenfreude delight.

On the podium, Liu Botao observed the varied reactions of the students from the three departments with satisfaction, then turned back to Qin Zhe.

“As for your conduct issues, including the recent storm of bullying incidents on the forum, I will investigate thoroughly later. If you are innocent, that’s best. But if you are guilty, be prepared to be expelled…”

“Are you never going to stop? Expelled again?”

Qin Zhe snapped impatiently. Just as he was about to say more, he noticed Liu Qingzhi not far away subtly shaking her head at him.

Taking the minister’s cue, Qin Zhe frowned but chose to remain silent.

Liu Botao was making a mountain out of a molehill, seizing the opportunity to vent his hatred and wanting nothing more than to kick him out of the academy. Naturally, Qin Zhe couldn’t tolerate it.

Tolerance doesn’t mean allowing oneself to be bullied.

But at this moment, Qin Zhe chose to trust Liu Qingzhi.

Though she was always cold and aloof, ever since he first met her, this minister had shown fierce loyalty.

Whether on the training ground or in the Student Affairs Office, the minister always stood up for him.

One could say that without Liu Qingzhi, Qin Zhe might not have managed to emerge unscathed from these troubles.

Meanwhile, Liu Botao stood on the podium, waiting for Qin Zhe’s retort.

To his surprise, Qin Zhe suddenly fell silent, which made him uneasy.

He had said so much precisely to provoke Qin Zhe—to lose his temper and clash openly in front of the entire school, giving Liu Botao a proper excuse to deal with him.

Originally, Liu Botao hadn’t planned to cause trouble during the speech, only to tamper with Qin Zhe’s test questions to avoid gossip.

Who would have thought Qin Zhe gave him the opportunity before the assessment even began?

“Why aren’t you speaking?” Liu Botao said, unwilling to give up, putting on a magnanimous air.

“If you have any grievances with my decisions or me personally, feel free to say them in front of the entire school. Speak up—I’m listening. That way, no one can say I, the proud Director of Student Affairs, am bullying a mere student.”

The plaza fell into silence.

Qin Zhe remained silent, and the students from the three departments didn’t dare to speak up for fear of getting involved.

Some of the teachers present found Liu Botao’s behavior baffling but, given his high position, none wanted to wade into troubled waters on behalf of an obscure Martial Arts Department student.

In the quiet, Liu Botao inwardly regretted.

It seemed this was the end, but canceling Qin Zhe’s assessment was already a pleasant surprise. There would be plenty of chances to deal with him later.

Suddenly, a steady male voice broke the silence across the plaza.

“Director Liu, is your pre-assessment speech finished?”

(End of Chapter)