Chapter 23 Is Dignity Worth It?
Contrary to what Lian Yi thought, most people in Jingyun did not feel disgust towards the instigator, but rather a strong sense of collective honor, feeling that they had been provoked.
In fact, according to the information available to everyone...
The person who started the whole incident has completely disappeared from public view.
From a collection of rumors, true and false information came together to form the story that an unknown student representative surnamed Meng in Jingyun acted excessively in dealing with school bullying, yet refused to bow to power.
It is reported that Meng remained calm under pressure and argued with the school on reason despite numerous accusations and pressures.
Ultimately, she single-handedly persuaded the school to change its original decision and admit their oversight.
This is the new version of what Meng Er asked a girl who was trying to encourage him.
She gleaned key information from the widely circulated version of the story told by the other party, and thus understood why she ultimately took the blame for the main account.
Because of Lian Yi's initial lack of cooperation and refusal to provide information, she was referred to as an outsider when she held meetings with Jing Yun.
However, when it comes to why she was able to enter Jingyun, and even the glass greenhouse, one has to mention Meng Er's student card.
The teachers and student council members present initially believed that there really was such an "outsider" who had obtained Meng Er's student card through improper means and then sneaked into the school.
However, the head of the teaching department later glossed over the matter with an ambiguous attitude, and the outcome of the case involving the person from another school was also omitted.
His attitude immediately became intriguing.
It is obvious that the dean of students wants to protect this "outsider," and his attitude is certainly in accordance with instructions from above.
So, was the initial claim that 'Meng Er's student card was lost' true, or was she actually the one who entered the school and then the glass greenhouse with the student card?
People can only guess in the direction they want to hear.
They did not feel that Meng Er's actions were a provocation from the specially admitted students to another group of students.
Although the school has explicitly prohibited the dissemination of those videos online and forbids any casual remarks, privately, who isn't discussing them enthusiastically?
Most people admired Meng Er's courage to stand up for what was right, and even if they couldn't empathize with him, they were still very disdainful and contemptuous of the actions of those people.
What kind of person are you, acting so arrogantly and domineeringly? Now you've embarrassed the whole school because of you.
However, the school issued two notices regarding the handling of the matter in a short period of time, which led to a rather dramatic turn of events, even though they had almost no information about what happened afterward.
But they'll inevitably fill in the blanks with their own imaginations.
Based on my limited prior impressions of Meng Er, an image of someone who dared to confront and question the authority of the school was thus created.
Meng Er finally understood why they behaved so strangely. These young people lived in an ivory tower, and even if a large part of it was due to their family background, their horizons were more open than those of ordinary people.
But they are still bound by rules, and no matter how carefree and reckless they are, they seem unable to escape the confines of these rules.
Therefore, they will admire those who dare to confront and question authority.
Even if the truth is that they've got the wrong target.
Meng Er suddenly snapped out of her reverie as the school bus that passed by the building housing the computer lab drove away. She glanced at the boy who was still standing behind her, silent yet very noticeable.
"Aren't you getting on the bus?" Surely you don't want to see her 'socially awkward' moments again and again.
Even Meng Er was somewhat overwhelmed by these teenagers rushing over excitedly and shouting things like, "You're so cool!"
"..."
Xu Yitong realized what was happening and didn't know what to say.
It was only after Meng Er reminded him that he realized he had been following her aimlessly.
He realized his behavior was indeed strange. He looked down, took out his phone, tapped it twice, and then stood there silently with his lips pursed.
I just spaced out...
Meng Er glanced at the message, put her phone away expressionlessly, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the boy's seemingly slightly red earlobes. She snorted coldly in her heart.
It would be best if it were true.
…
…
When Vice Principal He came out of the inner room, his feelings were very complicated.
She really didn't expect Lian Yi to do such a thing. It wasn't out of disgust; on the contrary, she admired Lian Yi for being able to force Jing Yun to change his decision without relying on his family background.
In the end, I even had to thank her, because if Lian Yi hadn't stopped those boys, things might have been... more drastic.
However, it will be of great help to Jingyun's public relations efforts to clarify the situation.
You criticize our school's first report as inhumane, dark, and full of inside stories? No problem, we'll say it was a mistake in our work.
Then, citing the need to protect student privacy, the incident was recounted, with the names of the students involved omitted. The only information provided was that this heartbreaking and thought-provoking bullying incident had occurred.
Fortunately, some students stood up for justice and stopped the bullying.
Thinking of this, Vice Principal He sighed inwardly; she was the last person who wanted Meng Er to be involved.
Meng Er was admitted under exceptional conditions so that she could become Jingyun's most outstanding student and compete in various competitions.
Jingyun does indeed have many outstanding talents, quite a few of them, but as they get older, they will inevitably have to focus their energy on taking over the family business or preparing to move to a better platform.
As a result, Jingyun has lost a lot of competitiveness in some important competitions; while there are still some excellent performers, the number of outstanding performers is gradually decreasing.
But Meng Er still has to take the blame for this pot that doesn't look black and even has a faint golden glow, and of course there will be compensation.
If they don't take the blame, how can the school save face?
After calming himself down, Vice Principal He glanced at the students' parents and the people handling the matter on their behalf. Their attitudes were completely different from before, and he felt a slight sneer in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face.
She walked up to Lian Yi, paused slightly, and decided to communicate with the students' parents first.
This vice principal, who has been teaching for decades, felt a strong reluctance to talk to a young girl who had just come of age, as it was the first time he had faced her.
"Dear parents, our school has issued a new announcement regarding the latest handling results."
Vice Principal He said seriously, "I apologize for not communicating with you beforehand, but our school has always maintained the attitude of seriously reviewing and making careful decisions on this matter."
"It is important to inform you that the latest outcome will not be changed. Please rest assured that our school was not influenced by any external factors when making this decision."
"Regarding the latest outcome, I believe the teacher has already informed you." She paused. "Do you have any objections to this?"
"No, no."
"He should take responsibility for his mistakes. He's an adult now and has to be accountable for his actions!"
“I’ll have a good talk with his dad when I get back, and I’ll make sure he learns a lesson from this.”
"Chairman Li said he respects the decision made by Jingyun School and asked me to express his apologies on behalf of the students who were harmed."
The group spoke in a friendly manner, their eyes subtly glancing at Lian Yi as they watched her reaction.
What objections could there be?
It's certainly a pity that my child dropped out of Jingyun School. Why do people go to such lengths to send their children there? Isn't it all for the connections and resources they have?
But for now, this is the best possible outcome.
Vice Principal He nodded and looked at Lian Yi, "After extensive inquiries and investigations, our school believes that while your actions were indeed radical, the behavior itself was positive, as the students' parents have unanimously decided not to pursue the matter..."
As Lian Yi looked up, a slight, mocking smile crept across her face.
She paused, her chest heaving slightly more.
"Our school believes that we should not dampen students' enthusiasm for upholding justice, but we hope that every student can protect themselves while upholding justice."
"Therefore, after communicating with the school leaders of Wanghai Middle School, our school unanimously decided not to pursue the matter or award any prizes."
Lian Yi gave a somewhat regretful "oh," saying, "I thought that doing a good deed would at least earn me a banner."
"However, since you've made your decision, then so be it. After all, the school's decisions are always fair and just. We will never let any disadvantaged group feel wronged, nor will we change them because of power."
She smiled slightly. "Right?"
"..."
The entire reception room fell into a silent silence.
The lady was the first to speak up and smooth things over, her smile revealing no trace of arrogance or resentment. "Yes, yes, we accept this result. If you make a mistake, you have to admit it."
Amid a chorus of agreement, Vice Principal He said, "Lian Yi, your father's secretary asked us to inform you that he wants to speak with you."
"oh."
Lian Yi remained calm and said in a low voice, "Let him wait. This matter is not urgent."
The crowd's expressions stiffened slightly. They wouldn't say they doted on their own children, but they would never give them the moon or the stars, and they would even order Butler Liu to lock them up if the sun was too hot.
Even so, if their own son dared to have that attitude, they would definitely slap him on the head.
What makes you think you can keep your parents waiting?
But Lian Yi's attitude seemed perfectly normal to them, making them feel even more that they were absolutely right to bend their backs. If she hadn't been spoiled to the point of being unconditionally pampered, would she have acted like this? Would she have dared to act like this?
So they all put on smiles, hoping to make this rich heiress feel warm and friendly.
Lian Yi glanced at them and said lazily, "Calculate the compensation first, then I'll transfer it to him."
"compensation……"
The portly man smiled ingratiatingly, "Let's just let it go, shall we? Sigh... In the end, it was my kid who was in the wrong, he deserved this beating!"
“Ms. Lian, Chairman Li fully agrees with the decision made by Jingyun School, so we will naturally choose not to pursue the compensation matter,” the secretary said with a smile.
They didn't know what the girl's relationship was with Lian Yi, but that didn't matter. What mattered was the attitude Lian Yi wanted to see.
On one hand, he was afraid of Lian Yi's family background, and on the other hand, he despised her.
She's just a spoiled brat who acts recklessly because of her father's legacy. Of course, the girl they're supporting isn't this little brat. So what if people on the internet are cursing her to the extreme? Do they think they can bring down the company?
While they were thinking this in their hearts, their expressions were absolutely flawless.
Vice Principal He frowned and said, "Since several parents have unanimously stated that they will not pursue the matter or seek compensation, then this matter is..."
"Their statement is their statement."
Lian Yi narrowed her eyes slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips. "What I'm talking about is, what about your compensation?"
Now, not only them, but also Zhen Qiuyue and her father, who had been forced to remain silent, looked up in surprise.
“You don’t think I wasted my time listening to you yelling all this time just because I enjoy listening to you talk, do you?” Lian Yi scoffed. “Now I feel like I’ve been frightened and left with quite a psychological scar.”
"Do you think compensation should be paid?"
After she finished speaking, she suddenly remembered that there was also Zhen Qiuyue, and glanced at her with her head slightly turned to the side.
"Oh, and there's also compensation for her emotional distress and reputational damage. You can calculate that now, and leave whenever the payment is made."
Now, the group could barely maintain their smiles.
Vice Principal He felt something was amiss and frowned, saying, "Lian Yi, now that things have been resolved..."
"Vice Principal He," Lian Yi interrupted her impatiently, "If you hadn't spoken earlier, there's even less reason for you to speak now. Or are you worried they won't be able to afford the compensation?"
Vice Principal He remained silent.
She didn't think there was anything wrong with her actions. She didn't stop the students' parents from demanding compensation from Mr. Zhen because they needed an outlet for their emotions. If she had stopped them, the situation would have been more likely to get out of control.
Now that the matter is nearing its end, speaking up to offer advice is naturally an attempt to prevent further trouble.
"However, since Vice Principal He has spoken up for you..."
Lian Yi suddenly smiled and looked at the group of people. "I like to give people face. If you don't want to pay, then don't. If there's nothing else, then you can leave now."
"No, no, no, I want compensation."
"Ms. Lian, please wait a moment. I need to make a call to Chairman Li to confirm the compensation amount. Don't worry, it will be done soon."
They rushed to express their opinions, and even took the time to glance at Vice Principal He with a hint of reproach. It would be great if they could give him money. Only after he gave them money would this matter truly be over. Otherwise, once they left this place, where would they find a way to curry favor with this young lady?
Lian Yi stood up, dialed her father's number, and nodded to Vice Principal He, saying, "Then I'll trouble you to keep the money for me. Thank you, Vice Principal He."
She walked into the inner room of the reception area and closed the door behind her.
It masked the noise in the room, as well as the various expressions on the faces.
"Hello? Daddy." Lian Yi smiled sweetly, "Did you miss me?"
"..."
Lian Decheng sat in his office, his square face dignified, making it impossible to discern his inner thoughts.
Two secretaries had just been waiting in front of the expensive solid wood desk, which was over three meters long.
After what seemed like a long time, he finally spoke, saying in a deep voice, "You went out to play and caused such a big incident that even your principal called to ask me what to do."
Lian Yi said innocently, "It has nothing to do with me, Dad. They provoked me first. You know how well-behaved I am, but you can't just not talk back when they hit me or scold me."
"It means not fighting back..."
Lian Decheng paused, then frowned helplessly. "You ran off to Hecheng without a word, without even telling your family. What good will it do if you get bullied? Even if your parents can get justice for you?"
"Who told you to suddenly try to pair me up with Gu Yiyu?"
Lian Yi sat down on the sofa with a carefree attitude, "You guys gave me a surprise, can't I give you one too?"
Upon hearing this, Lian Decheng rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache. "Forget it, let's not talk about this for now."
“I asked Xiao Wang to book your flight back tonight and arranged for someone to pick you up. There should be a limit to how much you can play outside. Your mother and I rarely come home these days, and you don’t even know how to stay home and spend more time with us.”
"Okay, okay," Lian Yi replied perfunctorily.
“I’ve heard about this. You kids don’t know how to think things through. Dad has already spoken to your principal. He’ll handle things with Jingyun. And—”
Lian Decheng frowned and said, "I heard those parents didn't speak very nicely. If they go too far, Dad will stand up for you."
"Oh dear, there's no need for you to personally come," Lian Yi said.
"You!"
Lian Decheng chuckled and shook his head. "Everyone praises me for being as capable as young people, how come you're being called an old man?"
Lian Yi gave a perfunctory "uh-huh" twice, "Yes, yes, you're still young, I won't say anymore. You can say whatever you want when you get home tonight, I have friends waiting for me."
Before Lian Decheng could answer, she had already hung up the phone.
The two secretaries, who were keeping to their proper boundaries, naturally noticed that their boss had been hung up on, but they showed no anger whatsoever; only a hint of helplessness appeared on their dignified faces.
"This child is becoming less and less respectful to me as his father." He shook his head helplessly.
"I'm still closer to you." The shorter secretary said with a faint smile, "Lian Yi has a straightforward and simple personality, otherwise she wouldn't have helped that girl."
This secretary, surnamed Wang, had served Lian Decheng for nearly twenty years. He was responsible for handling and settling many matters concerning Lian Yi.
Lian Decheng glanced at him, a slight smile appearing on his stern face. "You just spoil her. Only you would praise her like that. Straightforward and innocent... She's so old, yet she still acts so recklessly."
Secretary Wang smiled faintly and said, "No matter how old they are, they are still children."
"yes."
Lian Decheng's expression remained unchanged, but his tone was slightly somber as he said, "Go and investigate the other person involved in this matter. She is young and easily trusts others."
"If there's nothing wrong with that female student, let's arrange a new school for her. I don't think it's suitable for her to stay in Jingyun any longer."
Secretary Wang nodded, then smiled and said, "You said I spoil her, but you're much more thoughtful than I am."
Lian Decheng gave a helpless chuckle, waved his hand to signal them to leave, and said nothing more.
-
The two secretaries left the office one after the other.
Seeing that no one was around, the secretary who hadn't spoken until now quickly whispered, "Brother Wang, I didn't expect our Chairman Lian to be such a doting father!"
Secretary Wang did not answer. She walked to her office and saw that he seemed to know that he had said something he shouldn't have. He busied himself pouring tea and water, and after a while, he looked at the other person with a half-smile.
"Xiao Li, you do have work ability, but the workplace doesn't just look at a person's work ability; there are many other factors involved, do you understand?"
Secretary Li nodded quickly, his face sincere. "Thank you for the reminder, Brother Wang. I really shouldn't have spoken like that just now."
Anyway.
Secretary Wang looked at the young man he had been grooming into a trusted confidant and said calmly, "From now on, don't discuss the private affairs of company leaders in the company."
Yes, yes.
Secretary Li looked enlightened and said, "I was too young and spoke without thinking. I will definitely change in the future."
Secretary Wang nodded slightly with a reserved air, blowing on the steaming tea. "What parent doesn't love their own children? Besides, even Dong only has this one daughter."
"However, although some of what I'm about to say may be harsh, I still have to advise you to stay true to your place and not to dwell on things that you shouldn't be thinking about."
Secretary Li, who had just begun to harbor a little thought, was caught red-handed and gave a somewhat embarrassed smile, "I understand."
However, he couldn't help feeling a little strange.
Lian Decheng has a large and powerful family. Even he was only recently promoted because he was appreciated by Secretary Wang. The things he has handled in the past few days have been extremely complicated. He is too busy just to refuse all kinds of invitations and meeting requests, both official and private.
So, everyone he rejected or requested to reschedule for was a well-known figure in the industry.
With such a family business and only one daughter, shouldn't she be raised with strict discipline?
Secretary Li caught a glimpse of Secretary Wang looking at him with a half-smile, and his heart tightened. He quickly returned to his seat and began working.
The little bit of curiosity I had just felt was instantly overwhelmed by the overwhelming busyness.
…
When Lian Yi pushed open the door, those annoying people were still there, each holding a bank card in their hand. Zhen Qiuyue, on the other hand, was holding several cards and stood there dumbly. Her father stood next to her, looking like a wooden statue.
Vice Principal He calmly said, "Regarding the compensation, the parents have discussed the amount and prepared the compensation. Zhen Qiuyue has already received it, and they hope to personally hand over the compensation to you."
"Oh, here you go."
Lian Yi reached out her hand, asking for money with practiced ease.
They became even more cooperative, as if the money was well spent, their faces beaming with smiles. If it weren't for the obvious impatience in Lian Yi's eyes, she would have liked to say a few more nice words to try and make a good impression at the last moment.
Lian Yi casually stuffed the card into her pocket and walked out without saying a word.
The others were slightly taken aback, but no one tried to stop them.
Some people were still worried about whether the little money in their cards would satisfy this little tyrant, but then they thought about how much money they would have to spend, and some of them were instantly furious. It was all because of their good-for-nothing brats who had to mess with this one.
Lian Yi had nothing to say to these people anyway; she'd seen their faces too many times, and they were nothing new.
Especially when she suddenly remembered that there was a Chen Jingze waiting for her outside the school gate.
After all that commotion, Lian Yi had some money in her pocket and suddenly became generous. She decided to treat this guy to something nice!
"Lian Yi!"
Suddenly, a girl's urgent shout came from behind, followed by the sound of her running as she approached.
Lian Yi didn't turn around, nor did she pause in her steps. She only glanced at her when the other person caught up with her, asking, "What?"
“This money belongs to you, and I want to return it to you.” Zhen Qiuyue followed closely behind her, panting as she spoke. Her expression behind her glasses was very serious as she held up the cards in front of Lian Yi.
Lian Yi didn't stop walking, but just smiled and said, "What, do you think I'm short of money, or are you planning to pay protection money?"
No.
Zhen Qiuyue's cheeks flushed slightly, whether from being provoked by these words or from trying to keep up with her pace, she quickly explained, "I have never felt that I was affected by their verbal insults, because I did nothing wrong, they were the ones who were wrong."
"And this matter was only resolved because of you."
She pursed her lips. "I know they gave me this money so readily because of you."
"Therefore I shouldn't accept it."
"Do you feel you shouldn't accept it, or do you feel that accepting it is tantamount to them buying your self-respect with money?"
Lian Yi looked straight ahead, a smirk playing on her lips. "You don't want to forgive them because no one apologized for your character being trampled on from beginning to end. They only yielded to my family background, not to what you consider right and wrong, is that right?"
"..."
Zhen Qiuyue never expected that her thoughts would be seen through so clearly.
"Um."
There's nothing wrong with denying it; Zhen Qiuyue could even imagine that Lian Yi would mock her naivety and pointless persistence because of it.
But she didn't regret it. Even if Lian Yi hadn't been 'Lian Yi' in that situation, she wouldn't have given in.
"You should keep this money."
Lian Yi smiled but didn't take it. She glanced at the girl's stubborn yet serious expression and began to lose patience.
"If you really want to know why, the simplest and most honest answer is that I really don't care about this amount of money. How much can they offer? Tens of thousands? Or hundreds of thousands? It's probably around this amount."
She said with a hint of sarcasm, "This little bit of money is barely enough to buy a bag with two globes as part of the quota, and it depends on the situation. If you're unlucky, it won't be enough."
The girl waved the cards in her hand, perhaps because of her casual remark, or perhaps because she was moving around.
But it still stubbornly held it up, as if it wanted to say something.
Lian Yi had never seen anyone who had money but didn't want it before.
He finally lost his patience and asked, "So what is your self-esteem, and how much is it worth?"
"Your dad was doing hard manual labor when the school called and he had to rush home to shower and change into his best clothes, only to come here and be looked down upon and insulted by a group of people?"
"Or does he know right from wrong, yet still force you to bow down?"
As Lian Yi walked to the school bus boarding point, her eyes squinted slightly from the sun. She admired Zhen Qiuyue for actually being able to follow her all the way.
"Because he knew he couldn't afford to pay the compensation, and he was even more afraid that your chance to move towards a better future would be ruined. I don't know if what he did was great or not, but in my opinion, it was quite pitiful."
Lian Yi smiled faintly as she spoke to the girl with words that were almost cruel and indifferent.
"With this money, we won't have to worry about your future school fees, it will solve a lot of the family's difficulties, and we might even have the opportunity to buy another house. We won't have to toss and turn at night worrying about when we'll get paid from this construction site."
"So you're telling me that you feel accepting this money is trampling on your dignity? Buying off your sense of right and wrong?"
"..."
Zhen Qiuyue was speechless. Her hand, which was gripping the bank card, felt weak, as if she was about to put it down.
"If your dignity can be so easily trampled on by money, then I think it has no reason to exist."
Feeling a bit drowsy from the warm sun, Lian Yi yawned. "The persistence of the incompetent is as ridiculous as a pebble pointing at the sea and claiming it will raise the sea level."
Only by becoming a high mountain can this statement carry weight.
“If you really don’t want to accept them, just throw them in a trash can.” She glanced at the girl sideways. “Or you can just throw these cards in their faces right now.”
I just don't know if Zhen Qiuyue is as vengeful as her.
"Why are you following me around like this, insisting on giving me this money? Do you think I have a good temper and won't get angry with you, or do you think you can get involved with me and use this opportunity to get close to me?"
Lian Yi couldn't quite understand what she was insisting on, but people are interesting precisely because they are different from others.
"I see."
Zhen Qiuyue slowly lowered her hand. She glanced at the card, which, after being stained with the sweat of her palm, faintly shimmered in the sunlight.
She was initially stung by Lian Yi's nonchalant and condescending attitude.
I even felt compelled to retort: If you weren't Lian Decheng's daughter, if you were like me, being bullied, forced to bow your head, and helplessly bearing it all.
But looking at Lian Yi's indifferent face, and seeing her eyes that became even clearer under the sun.
Zhen Qiuyue felt hot all over from the sun, but her heart strangely calmed down.
She gradually came to understand the logic behind the other person's seemingly condescending words. What she needed to do was not to prove that she was a person of dignity or to prove the right and wrong of her beliefs by refusing the money.
Zhen Qiuyue gripped the card tightly, her heart, which had just calmed down, began to pound wildly with a sudden surge of emotion, and her gaze became even brighter and more determined.
“I understand!” She stared intently at Lian Yi.
In her past academic career, Zhen Qiuyue had experienced moments of confusion, but at this moment, she felt as if the clouds had parted and the sun was shining.
She may encounter this situation again, or perhaps there will be other people in this world who will encounter this situation.
She needs to have the ability to uphold her dignity, not just an attitude or a decision.
"..."
"Alright, I'm not deaf." Lian Yi tilted her head.
Zhen Qiuyue pursed her lips tightly, staring intently at Lian Yi.
She said earnestly, "I hope I won't disappoint you when we meet again."
"ha?"
Lian Yi was stunned for a moment, and for a brief moment she wondered if she had said something wrong.
Of all those words, which one reveals that she had any expectations?
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