42: Finish

When Lu Jianchuan brought Li Zhe back to the entrance of the Moral Education Office, he could hear Liu Yuqin's low sobbing coming from inside.

He pushed the door open, and the scene inside looked like a frozen frame: Liu Yuqin sat alone in a chair, her hand tightly clutching a pen that seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, while the "Settlement Agreement" with its still-wet ink lay spread out on the desk before her.

Principal Zhou Zhihong and Director Wang stood by the window, conversing in low voices, their faces wearing a composure that suggested the matter was already settled. The afternoon sunlight streamed in at an angle, illuminating every speck of dust in the air, yet it could not penetrate the pervasive oppression.

"Xiao Zhe!" Hearing the movement, Liu Yuqin looked up sharply and immediately stood up, stumbling toward her son. Her hands trembled as she stroked his face and arms, as if confirming he was unharmed.

"Mom, I'm fine." Li Zhe's voice was much steadier than when he had left. He gently took his mother's hand, but his gaze drifted past her to the agreement. His eyes were complex, but the previous breakdown was gone, replaced by a restrained determination.

Lu Jianchuan did not look at the agreement. His gaze, like a precise probe, locked directly onto Principal Zhou. He walked toward him with steady steps and stopped about a meter away—a distance that was not impolite but was enough to create an invisible sense of pressure.

"Principal Zhou," his voice was not loud, but it clearly rose above Liu Yuqin's faint sobbing, "since the 'settlement' has been reached according to your wishes, we, as family members, need to preserve necessary evidence in accordance with the law. This is to ensure that the terms of this agreement—especially those regarding the protection of Li Zhe's subsequent right to a fair education—can be effectively fulfilled and to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and disputes in the future due to information asymmetry."

The composure on Principal Zhou's face froze slightly. He adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, and the corners of his mouth habitually curved upward as he tried to put back on that smile of being in control. However, a hint of wariness had already appeared in his eyes. "Mr. Lu, you're overthinking it. The agreement is in black and white. Our school is a place of education and values its reputation above all else, so naturally, we will..."

Lu Jianchuan did not let him finish. With a crisp gesture, he interrupted and threw out his core demand, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "I need a full backup of the surveillance footage from the location and time of the incident. It will be kept by our side."

"That's absolutely out of the question!" Director Wang, standing nearby, acted as if his tail had been stepped on. His voice suddenly rose, almost cracking. "The school's surveillance data is an internal document involving student privacy and safety! How can it be handed over to an individual so casually? This is a serious violation of regulations!" He waved his arms, trying to intimidate with his presence.

Principal Zhou's expression darkened completely. The pretense of friendliness from before vanished without a trace, and his tone became cold and harsh. "Mr. Lu, your request is unreasonable and utterly impossible! There is no precedent for our school providing internal materials to parents. Please drop this unrealistic idea immediately and do not obstruct our normal work order!"

"Regulations? Precedent?" Lu Jianchuan softly repeated these two words. The corners of his mouth curled into a faint but bone-chilling arc. There was no warmth in that smile, only a mockery that saw through everything.

Instead of engaging in further pointless argument, he did something that caught everyone present off guard. His right hand steadily reached into the inner pocket of his dark coat. Moving neither too fast nor too slow, he pulled out a black leather ID holder with slightly worn edges. The holder seemed to carry the warmth of his body and a certain heavy weight.

"Click."

With a soft sound, his thumb skillfully flicked open the strap, fully unfolding the ID. He firmly displayed the side with the clear police emblem, his hatless photo, his name, and that unique serial number, presenting it like an irrefutable piece of evidence. He held it steadily before Principal Zhou and Director Wang, close enough for them to see every detail on the police emblem.

The air in the office seemed to be sucked out at that moment.

"Principal Zhou, Director Wang. Let me officially reintroduce myself," Lu Jianchuan's voice remained steady, but every word was like it had been dipped in ice, carrying the weight of the law and official authority. "XX Municipal Public Security Bureau, Criminal Investigation Detachment, Lu Jianchuan. Police ID: XXXXXX."

"Cri... Criminal Investigation Detachment?!"

The color drained from Zhou Zhihong's face at a visible rate, and his pupils behind the gold-rimmed glasses constricted sharply. Director Wang gasped even more sharply, instinctively taking a half-step back with his mouth agape. All his previous arrogance was crushed by those three words, leaving only unbelievable panic. They never imagined that this young man, who seemed to have just come to support a relative, would have such a background! The Criminal Investigation Detachment! That meant he was an expert in the rules of evidence, familiar with legal procedures, and even... Lu Jianchuan snapped the ID shut with a "clack," the crisp sound particularly jarring in the deathly silent office. His gaze was like two scalpels, precisely dissecting the other party's forced composure.

"Now, I am not speaking as Li Zhe's family member, but as a police officer performing his duties according to the law. I am officially informing you both: given the incident just handled, preliminary evidence suggests it may involve campus bullying, and there are significant disputes regarding the school's initial handling process. To secure evidence, clarify responsibilities, and ensure the smooth progress of any subsequent judicial or disciplinary inspection and supervision procedures, I am legally requesting the retrieval and sealing of key evidence in this case—namely, a full backup of the surveillance footage from the time of the incident."

He paused slightly to give them time to digest the information, while also throwing out his promise and responsibility with resounding force: "I guarantee by my police emblem and this police uniform that this evidence will only be used for legal purposes, and I will keep it strictly in accordance with confidentiality regulations. If the evidence is leaked or misused due to my personal reasons, you can directly file a formal complaint against me, Lu Jianchuan, with the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Inspectorate Detachment, and I will bear all legal responsibilities."

He changed the subject, offering another choice, though his tone carried an even more dangerous undertone: "Alternatively, if the school insists that my personal identity is insufficient to retrieve the evidence, I can understand. I will immediately contact the Public Security Brigade and the Legal Section of the sub-bureau with jurisdiction over this case. In accordance with the 'Procedural Provisions for the Handling of Administrative Cases by Public Security Organs,' I will have a formal 'Notice of Evidence Retrieval' issued, and my colleagues will come to retrieve it following legal procedures. Principal Zhou, you tell me: should I take the backup now based on my personal credibility, or should we initiate the formal document process and have this matter entered into the official record? Which one better fits the 'regulations' and 'order' you mentioned?"

A needle drop could be heard in the office. Fine beads of sweat broke out on Principal Zhou's forehead. He opened his mouth several times but couldn't make a sound. Director Wang's face was ashen, his eyes darting away, not daring to meet Lu Jianchuan's gaze. The posture of trying to suppress the other party with "regulations" and "order" completely crumbled before true, more coercive rules.

After nearly half a minute of silence, Zhou Zhihong finally squeezed a faint sound from between his teeth. He nodded with great difficulty, almost mechanically, and the smile he forced onto his face looked worse than crying. "...Un... understood. So Officer... Officer Lu is... is doing this for work... Our school will... will definitely cooperate fully..."

He suddenly turned to the stunned Director Wang and almost roared, "Director Wang! What are you standing there for? Go! To the surveillance room... get a full copy of that recording for Officer Lu! Hurry!"

Director Wang snapped out of it and scrambled out of the office.

When that small silver USB drive containing the truth was handed to Lu Jianchuan by the trembling Director Wang, Lu Jianchuan carefully checked the file list. Once he confirmed everything was correct, he cautiously placed it in the inner pocket of his coat and zipped it up.

He didn't end it there. Turning to the still-shaken Liu Yuqin and the bright-eyed Li Zhe, his tone softened, but it still carried an unquestionable decisiveness. "Auntie Liu, Xiao Zhe, it's not over yet. We still need a key witness record. Now, let's go see Liu Yang and his mother again."

Arranged by the school, they met the mother and son again in a small meeting room. Liu Yang was still timid, and his mother appeared uneasy. This time, Lu Jianchuan showed his ID again, but his tone was much gentler. "Ma'am, don't be nervous. I'm a police officer, Lu Jianchuan. Please rest assured, I'm not here to hold anyone accountable. I just want to ask Liu Yang to clearly recount what he experienced today in your presence. We need to record these facts—not for immediate prosecution, but to prevent anyone from distorting the truth in the future and causing grievances for those who helped your child. This is also to protect Liu Yang from being harassed by those people again."

Under his reassurance and the credibility brought by his status as a police officer, Liu Yang's mother finally nodded. Lu Jianchuan took out his phone, adjusted the angle, and started the recording function. In front of the lens, although the thin boy was so nervous that his fingers were twisted together, he still recounted the bullying and how Li Zhe helped him clearly and in detail, guided by his mother's encouraging gaze and Lu Jianchuan's steady prompts. His mother also made a solemn promise on camera that she was willing to testify for what her son said.

Once the recording was complete, Lu Jianchuan saved the video file and solemnly thanked the mother and son.

After finishing all this, as they walked out of the teaching building, the setting sun had dyed the horizon a magnificent orange-red. Principal Zhou and Director Wang personally escorted them to the school gate, their faces piled with unprecedentedly warm smiles. However, those smiles were stiff and fragile, with an unmistakable dread and unease deep in their eyes.

Lu Jianchuan didn't give them another look. Feeling the weight of the USB drive and the phone in his pocket, he knew that today's battle had only now truly gained strategic initiative. They appeared to be leaving after a compromise, but an invisible leash, woven from evidence and the law, was already firmly around the other party's neck.