Chapter 296:
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
It felt strange to be pestered by Qiao Yue.
The girl looked at him with her large eyes, pleading coquettishly.
Qiao Jing felt his ears burn and wrapped Qiao Yue's hand in his.
The girl's fingertips were slightly cold, and the delicate touch made him regret holding her hand.
"No, you're not fully recovered yet. You can't go." Qiao Jing's tone left no room for discussion.
"Second brother, I'm begging you."
Qiao Yue felt a little strange. She was the boss of KA, and she had never begged anyone for anything.
It had always been others who begged her. It's refreshing that she had to beg someone so she could go back to school...
"No," Qiao Jing made her sit. "If you really want to learn, I can ask the teachers to come here and teach you, but you can't go back to school yet."
Qiao Yue sat in front of the computer with an aggrieved face, pounding the keyboard playing games.
Qiao Jing was amused at Qiao Yue's deflated expression; he thought it adorable.
He sent a text message to the butler, informing him that Qiao Yue could go back to school tomorrow.
Qiao Yue didn't know that Qiao Jing had already arranged for her to go back to school. She sat in front of the computer, regretting her move.
She didn't want to beg Qiao Jing initially. Although the Qiao residence was heavily guarded, it wasn't difficult for her to escape with her skills and abilities.
She was feeling a little depressed for not getting an "okay" from Qiao Jing after begging him for what felt like half a day.
With this depressed feeling, Qiao Yue played computer games for the whole evening before she returned to her room angrily to sleep.
When her alarm clock sounded in the morning, Qiao Yue turned it off to go back to sleep.
But the butler knocked on her door. "Fifth young master, you can go back to school today. Breakfast is ready. Please get ready for school."
Qiao Yue jumped out of bed when she heard this. Her second brother had actually allowed her to go back to school!
It looked like she would be able to deal with those annoying brothers and Qiao Xin today! This was great!
Qiao Yue was even a little excited when she got into the car.
Only Qiao Ying and Qiao Yue were in the car today. Qiao Yu hadn't fully recovered and Qiao Xin claimed that she was dying and almost called an ambulance in the middle of the night.
"Butler, there are only two of us today, we can set off now." Qiao Ying said to the driver after watching Qiao Yue get into the car.
"Wait!" Qiao Yu staggered out the front door, carrying his school bag.
"I'm going to go back to school today too." Qiao Yu ignored the butler's attempt to stop him and quickly got into the car.
"Fourth young master, second young master said that you can't go back to school yet. " The butler frowned.
"It's okay, I'll explain to second brother." Qiao Yu removed the butler's hand from the car door and quickly closed it.
The butler could only stand in the driveway and sigh as he watch the car drive away.
The atmosphere in the car was not as harmonious as before.
This was the first time Qiao Yue had seen Qiao Yu awake after that incident.
He looked like he had lost about ten pounds, and his cheeks were a little sunken. When he smiled, he looked a little like a... Shriveled green pepper?
"Fourth brother, why are you going to school when you haven't fully recovered?" Qiao Yue asked.
Qiao Yu didn't answer but stared out the window. After a long time, he asked, "Are you free tonight? I would like to go to the racetrack."
"You haven't recovered yet; how can you go to the racetrack? What if you tear your wound?"
Car racing was a high-intensity sport. If he wasn't in tip-top condition, he might die on the track.
"Then I'll see you at the racetrack tonight." Qiao Yu said, ignoring Qiao Yue's dissuasion.
Qiao Ying was thoroughly confused. Her fourth brother was usually gentle and didn't seem like the kind who race cars. What was up with him today?
Moreover, Qiao Yu seemed to have become a different person after he was injured. He was reticent and not as obedient as before. He was always standing on the rooftop of the Qiao residence, lost in thought.
"Alright." Qiao Yue agreed.
Qiao Ying was shocked again. Both of her brothers were into car racing.
This was... Really hard to imagine.
"Qiao Ying, do you want to come along?" Qiao Yue asked.
"I guess so." Qiao Ying was a little hesitant, but she still agreed.
She had a feeling that she was about to see the real side of her two brothers.
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Chapter 297: The Committee
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Before Qiao Yue could sit down in her classroom, she was called away.
The school disciplinary committee that oversaw bullying was extraordinarily quick.
The committee had just received the report last night, and they were already taking action this morning.
The school disciplinary committee had its own office and conference room, which were located on the fifth floor of Harvey.
The conference room was more like a courtroom. Those who were accused of school violence would sit in the middle of the room and receive a so-called "trial" from their classmates, their classmates' parents, and the committee members.
Qiao Yue sat in the middle of the conference room and scanned the people around her.
Qiao Xin's family was sitting in the victim's bench, and the third madam of the Qiao family was still secretly wiping her tears.
Qiao Xin clutched her chest, looking like she was going to pass out at any moment.
The principal and a few teachers were seated opposite Qiao Yue, looking at her. Qiao Yue's form teacher, Chang Yuan, was also there frowning at her.
He always thought highly of Qiao Yue and couldn't figure out how such a student could be involved in a controversy surrounding school violence.
Si Yun, the chairperson of the school disciplinary committee, stood up and motioned for everyone to quiet down. "Would the victim's family please tell us how Qiao Xin was bullied?"
The third madam stood up slowly. Her eyes were swollen. Because she had been crying for a long time, her voice was hoarse as if she was still sobbing.
She recounted the incident as Qiao Xin, Li Rong, and Li Cheng's going for a drive in the mountains, instead of car racing, and that Qiao Xin's injuries would have long term negative effects.
It must be said that the third madam was extremely effective in swaying public opinion, using just a few short sentences with her tearful expression.
Everyone saw a mother's complaint about a school bully, a great mother who loved her child. The way they looked at Qiao Yue contained more suspicion and contempt after her narration.
Qiao Yue sneered. These people were so naïve that they would believe whatever the third madam said.
After the third madam finished speaking, Tao Xi, who was part of the disciplinary committee, stood up and looked at Qiao Yue. "Qiao Yue is a child of the Qiao family. She killed a pet we raised on the first day she arrived. It's obvious that this child has violent tendencies and is unfriendly to her siblings. I can't control this child anymore. I'll let you do it."
Tao Xi looked into Qiao Yue's eyes. Qiao Yue's eyes seemed bottomless, like a black hole. Tao Xi had seen a lot of things over the years as part of the Qiao family. She had also encountered a lot of trouble, but the way Qiao Yue looked at her scared her.
"So, my fellow committee members, our education is no longer effective on children of such moral character."
In other words, only expulsion from school or other coercive measures could solve this problem.
"I think Ms. Tao is right!"
"That's right. If this child doesn't listen to us, we don't need to be soft-hearted!"
Most of the parents in the school disciplinary committee were rich and famous. They were close to Tao Xi and were usually her supporters.
Moreover, Qiao Yue's grades were outstanding, and he might be a hindrance to another child's path to success. They must work together this time to kick Qiao Yue out of school.
"Principal, the committee will rule unanimously that Qiao Yue's behavior is considered school violence. Please expel him."
The principal of Harvey Academy looked at Qiao Yue, then at the members of the committee, and felt his head hurt.
According to the school rules, if more than half the committee members agreed to expel a student, he must rule expulsion.
"I don't agree! I'm Qiao Yue's form teacher. This kid is good at his studies, and he's always happy to help his friends. He also got very good results in the hacking competition between Harvey and St. Faustina's Institution. He's a top talent at Harvey, how can we just expel him?"
Chang Yuan was a little anxious as he slammed the table and stood up. "You can't just listen to the one-sided story from Qiao Xin's parent and give this child such a severe punishment, right?"
"Teacher Chang, are you saying that Harvey's students can be talented but have no morals? I chose to send the other Qiao children to Harvey and even invested in the school because Harvey places great importance on moral education. Teacher Chang, your reaction has really disappointed me."
Tao Xi said with a pained expression.
"If that's the case, I'd like to announce, in my capacity as the chairman of the school board, that all donations to the Harvey Academy will be suspended."
"Qiao Jing is the chairman of the school board. Aunt Tao Xi, may I know who you are deciding on behalf of, please?"
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Chapter 298: Learning a Lesson
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
While everyone was still in shock, Qiao Yue had already stood up. For some reason, she looked calm and composed, without the slightest panic or confusion after being judged.
"Since Director Tao is your first aunt, it's only right for her to give you a few words of advice."
"Yeah. Director Tao is placing righteousness before family. She didn't protect you, which shows how much you've gone overboard."
"Is that so?" Qiao Yue smiled and walked up to Qiao Xin's family.
Seeing Qiao Yue walk over, Qiao Xin quickly cried and hid in her mother's arms, looking like a weak, helpless, and pitiful victim.
"Qiao Yue, what do you mean by that? Can't you see that Qiao Xin is already so scared?" The third madam quickly held Qiao Xin in her arms and glared at Qiao Yue.
"She should be scared."
Qiao Yue turned around. The remote control for the projector that was originally on the table had somehow appeared in her hands.
The image on the projection screen turned into a video.
"Third madam, you know what I have. I've given you a chance yesterday."
Qiao Yue pressed the play button, and the screen showed a girl who was repeatedly thrown to the ground.
The girl's clothes looked like they had been tugged at, and her face had been pixelated. She had on a Harvey school uniform, and the contents of her school bag had been scattered all over the floor. Qiao Xin's voice was in the background.
"Li Rong, Li Cheng, beat Hong Ning to death for me! Hit her! Don't be afraid. My family is on the school board anyway. Nothing will happen!"
Qiao Xin laughed as she recorded a video on her phone.
The two brothers, Li Rong and Li Cheng, threw the girl on the ground and stepped on her fingers. Her delicate and fair fingers were covered in dust and dirt.
After the video finished playing, everyone was shocked and looked at the screen with their mouths wide open.
Qiao Xin didn't dare to raise her head, afraid of meeting everyone's judgmental eyes.
"This is a video of Qiao Xin bullying another student on campus."
"This is slander! Everyone knows that our Xinxin is a very good girl. How could she bully others?" The third madam spoke first.
In any case, the video could be forged. There was even a chance that the student wasn't from Harvey.
"I've already done a voiceprint analysis. The report is here."
A voiceprint identification report appeared on the projection screen, and it showed that it was Qiao Xin's voice in the video.
"If you think that I also participated in bullying, let's take a look at the next piece of evidence."
Qiao Yue continued to project on the screen expressionlessly.
On the screen was a report of yesterday's car racing accident. Li Rong and Li Cheng's cars had been illegally modified, and they weren't registered with the International Car Racing Association. According to the accident report, it was Li Rong and Li Cheng who had illegally operated the cars.
Qiao Yue's vehicle had always been within the speed limit of race cars.
At most, this was a car race with a great disparity in skills. It could not be considered bullying at all.
"If you guys think that I'm violating school rules by racing, why don't you take a look at my international racing license and certificates of participation?"
The golden trophies and awards on screen were so bright that they almost blinded the audience.
International car races. This Qiao Yue was hiding too much.
Qiao Yue turned around and looked at Tao Xi, who had a serious expression on her face. "First aunt, what other evidence do you have to prove that I was violent towards Qiao Xin?"
"How are you going to explain the injury report and Qiao Xin's injury?" Tao Xi asked.
Qiao Yue yawned lazily and played an audio recording.
"Help me fake an injury evaluation report. Write down all the possible injuries that can be caused by a kick to the chest." The third madam's voice rang out.
"That's not very good, right? Miss Qiao Xin only has some superficial wounds, and all her vital signs are normal. The person who kicked her was very clever and didn't hurt Miss Qiao Xin."
"Just do what I tell you to do. Why are you talking so much nonsense? Do you want to offend the Qiao family?"
Tao Xi's face darkened after she heard the audio clip.
Why did the third madam forge the injury evaluation report behind her back?
"Alright, that's all I have to say. Members of the school disciplinary committee, do you still think that I'm a bully?"
Qiao Yue tilted her head and smiled at the parents.
The parents looked at each other, but no one dared to speak.
This Qiao Yue seemed to be an impressive person too. She was able to get all kinds of test reports and explain things in such a clear and organized manner.
But if they offended Tao Xi, they would be offending the Qiao family and the chairman of the school board.
No one dared to be the first to make such a difficult decision.
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Chapter 299: The Outcome
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The conference room was silent for almost five minutes before the principal spoke in a trembling voice.
"Since this is a Qiao family matter, shouldn't we consider letting the Qiao's solve this by themselves?" The principal looked at Tao Xi and asked.
Qiao Yue was the fifth young master of the Qiao family. A small quarrel between the fifth brother and the sixth sister was a family matter. Family matters could be resolved behind closed doors. There was no need to escalate it to the school level. Both would save face if the problem was resolved within the family.
"If the Qiao's solved this internally, what about the student who have been bullied?"
Qiao Yue pressed a button on the remote control and an injury evaluation report appeared on screen. It listed the wounds on the student who had been bullied.
Every wound corresponded to the victim who had been beaten in the video.
"That kid might not even be a Harvey student. She's just wearing a Harvey uniform, and her face is pixilated. Did you forge the video to frame my daughter?"
The third madam looked at the masked face in the video and seemed to have found the last ray of hope.
Since Qiao Yue had masked the face of the student who had been bullied, this person must be someone very important to him.
In which case, Qiao Yue would be in a dilemma.
If the unmasked video was released, this student would be judged and criticized by everyone in school.
Moreover, at their age, there were many kids with pack mentality who bullied the weak and feared the strong. Some of them may follow suit to bully the same student.
If Qiao Yue was unwilling to release the unmasked video, she could say that the video was forged.
Qiao Yue sneered. "Whether the video was forged, we can leave it to the police to investigate. Third Madam, you don't think the police will believe the evidence you forged, do you?"
Indeed, if the case was handed over to the police, the police would investigate it while keeping the identity of the bullied person a secret.
"You!" The third madam shouted angrily, "You are shameless! Harming your own siblings like this."
"Does that mean that Third Madam admit that the bully in the video is Qiao Xin?" Qiao Yue sneered.
Everyone looked at the third madam and Qiao Yue in silence. Tao Xi also sat back down.
The third madam turned to look at Tao Xi, pleading for help with her eyes.
"This problem is a little complicated. Let's deal with it according to the school rules. The student who was bullied also needs an outcome." Qiao Yue looked at the principal and continued, "Principal, you wouldn't like Harvey to be in the news for tolerating school violence also, right?"
The principal looked at Qiao Yue's eyes and shuddered. This boy's gaze was as sharp as a knife, stabbing straight to the jugular.
Cold sweat broke out on the principal's head.
"Qiao Yue, our determination of school violence has to be based on the specific case and the opinion of the school disciplinary committee..."
Qiao Yue slammed the table and the principal trembled in fear.
"Director Tao Xi, you wouldn't want the bullying of the Qiao children to be in the news, right?"
Tao Xi's face was pale. Her overbearing attitude had completely disappeared, and she looked a little dejected.
"Qiao Yue, don't be a sh*t stirrer. Qiao Xin is your sister. It's bad enough that you led others to bully her, but now you want to ruin your sister's life. You really have no conscience!"
Tao Xi stood up and said to the principal, "I want to withdraw our investment. If you punish Qiao Xin, I will withdraw our investments on behalf of the Qiao Corporation."
The shareholders were shocked.
Tao Xi didn't seem to be kidding.
Once the Qiao's withdrew their investments, many other shareholders would follow suit. If that happened, Harvey Academy wouldn't be able to cope with the school's daily expenses, and the entire school might collapse.
"Ms. Tao Xi, please reconsider. You can't withdraw your investment just because of a student, right?"
"So what if we withdraw the family's investment? I can put in my own investment." Qiao Yue sneered, "KA group will invest 80 million yuan in Harvey Academy as long as Qiao Xin and the Li brothers receive the punishment they deserve."
The parents in the audience were all shocked. KA group, that multinational conglomerate? It would actually invest in Harvey in exchange for a few students' punishment?
Eighty million yuan was basically the same amount of money that the Qiao family had invested over the years.
The principal's hands trembled with excitement. This was a huge sum of money.
He picked up the microphone and said, "For the sake of school peace, I hope that all parents will hear me out. Since Qiao Xin has indeed hit someone, we can suspend her from school indefinitely first."
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Chapter 300: Still Want to Complain
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
An indefinite suspension from school was a very severe punishment second to expulsion.
A student who had been suspended indefinitely would require the approval of many people if he or she were to return to school. Furthermore, they could only wait until the next year to rejoin school with the next batch of students. The student would effectively be forced to repeat a year.
The third madam almost fainted when she heard this.
The child that she worked so hard to raise was going to have a stain on her record.
"We withdraw, withdraw our investment!" The third madam shouted like a shrew, completely unlike her usual dignified and elegant self.
"You don't have the final say in the Qiao's investment in Harvey Academy, third aunt." Qiao Yue sneered, "The Qiao family is now controlled by Qiao Jing. If he doesn't announce the withdrawal of investment, none of you have the right to do so."
Qiao Yue looked at the principal and said, "Principal, if you punish them according to the school rules, the Qiao family will not withdraw their investment and the KA Group will also invest."
"KA Group, who are you?" Tao Xi asked through gritted teeth.
The parents in the audience were also very surprised.
KA was currently the most famous multinational company. It owned many businesses and its assets were probably more than all of their assets combined.
Could such a business belong to the boy in front of them?
Qiao Yue ignored the parents' speculations and stared at the principal. "We're waiting for you to decide on the punishment for the students who bully others."
In the end, the principal gave Qiao Xin and the Li brothers indefinite suspensions from school and formal demerits as punishment.
In the afternoon when Qiao Yue returned to her classroom, the PA system in school announced Qiao Xin's punishment.
Hong Ning looked at Qiao Yue with tear-stained face. Although she was smiling, her face was still streaked with tears.
Qiao Yue walked over and wiped away Hong Ning's tears. "Alright, I've taken care of everything for you. You can attend school in peace from now on and not worry about those people bullying you again."
Hong Ning nodded gratefully.
Qiao Yu raised his head and looked at Qiao Yue with a complicated expression.
Meanwhile, the Qiao residence was in an uproar.
When Tao Xi got home at noon, she asked Qiao Ren and Qiao Li to come out.
The third madam had already fainted from anger, and Qiao Xin was crying so hard that she couldn't speak.
Tao Xi looked at Qiao Ren and Qiao Li with a long face and said, "This Qiao Yue has really gone too far. I didn't expect him to pick on his own sister like this."
Qiao Ren looked at Tao Xi coldly as usual.
The husband and wife weren't on good terms, and Qiao Ren didn't like to be involved in these things. "Stop it. After all, Qiao Xin was in the wrong first. What does it have to do with Qiao Yue?"
"Big brother, what do you mean by that? Now that the old master is sick, you, as the eldest brother of the family, is the pillar of this family. If you don't help me, I don't know what to do with Qiao Xin."
Qiao Li more or less knew what happened. "You watched Qiao Xin grow up too, and she's put in a lot of effort to get into Harvey. You can't just see her future ruined like this!"
Having a formal demerit recorded on her Harvey file was a severe punishment. It would probably affect her future work and life.
"Then you guys can go and argue with Harvey. I'm not the school principal, what can I do?"
Qiao Ren was annoyed by the three women's crying. He waved his hand and went upstairs.
Tao Xi looked at her husband with clenched teeth. Qiao Ren had always treated the things she cared about with such indifference, as if she wasn't his wife.
Qiao Ren returned to his study and stared at the photo on his desk in silence for a long time.
"As expected, no one can be like you." He sighed deeply. "But I will do my best to protect your child. I won't let the others hurt him."
The woman in the photo had a bright smile, like a sunflower.
All the women who had been with Qiao Ren over the years looked like this woman, but none of them were really like her.
Tears welled up in Qiao Ren's eyes. "It's been so many years. I didn't expect your child to experience what you've experienced. I'll help him this time. Don't worry."
Qiao Ren caressed the face of the person in the photo and held the photo in his arms. His eyes were filled with love and gentleness that she had never seen before.
Tao Xi, who was standing at the door, clenched her fists as she watched everything that happened in the room.
It had been so many years, yet someone was still wandering around the house like a ghost. This feeling sickened her.
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