139: Chapter 139

While Zhao Yang was chatting with his family, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.

"I'll get the door." Hearing the knock, Zhao Qing, the daughter of Zhao Yang's uncle, immediately ran over.

"Teacher Huang?" As she opened the door, a familiar face appeared. Zhao Qing exclaimed in surprise.

Hearing this, Zhao Yang stood up and walked toward the door. Father Zhao and Mother Zhao were also taken aback for a moment and quickly stood up as well.

At the door, Huang Jianguo was holding a crate of milk, a somewhat awkward smile on his face.

"You have relatives over, it's quite lively," Huang Jianguo said with a smile.

"Teacher Huang, why are you here? Please, come in and sit."

"Here, take this." Huang Jianguo handed the milk to Zhao Yang and rubbed his hands together.

Father Zhao and Mother Zhao also came up to greet him at this time.

"Teacher Huang, look at you, just coming is enough, why bring gifts! You are the child's mentor, how could we let you do this!" Mother Zhao chided him gently.

"I would be embarrassed if I came empty-handed!" Huang Jianguo gave a wry smile, sat down on the sofa, held the hot tea handed to him by Father Zhao with both hands, and sighed.

"Zhao Yang has really made something of himself, and as his homeroom teacher, I feel proud too. But I came here today, besides wishing you a belated Happy New Year, mainly because of that troublesome matter."

The relatives in the room all quieted down.

Huang Jianguo looked at Zhao Yang with a complex expression: "That kid Li Jun was also a student of mine. Even though he has graduated, now that this has happened, and he was involved in those shady online activities, even facing legal consequences, as his teacher, I bear responsibility. I taught him knowledge but failed to cultivate his character."

Zhao Yang shook his head and refilled Huang Jianguo's teacup.

"Teacher Huang, this has nothing to do with you. A master can lead a student to the door, but their cultivation depends on themselves. He is already an adult; he needs to think for himself when doing things."

"That may be true, but his parents…" Huang Jianguo hesitated, but finally said.

"His parents begged me, saying they wanted to see you and apologize in person. They are waiting in the car downstairs, afraid that if they came up directly, you would kick them out."

Zhao Yang was silent for two seconds.

He understood Teacher Huang's predicament. In a county town like this, a society based on acquaintances, the network of human relationships is intricate; Teacher Huang must be in a difficult position being caught in the middle.

"Let them come up," Zhao Yang said calmly. "Since they're here, we should get things cleared up."

Five minutes later.

A middle-aged man wearing a mink coat and with a slightly chubby build, along with a woman with red, swollen eyes, walked into the Zhao home.

It was Li Jun's parents, Li Dafu and Wang Xiuqin.

The things Li Dafu was carrying were much more valuable: two bottles of Moutai, two cartons of Soft Zhonghua cigarettes, and a box of supplements that looked quite expensive.

As soon as he entered, Li Dafu completely lost the arrogant air he usually had as a wealthy man; his waist was bent so low that his face was barely visible.

"Student Zhao Yang, and Brother Zhao, Sister-in-law, Happy New Year, Happy New Year."

Li Dafu placed the items on the coffee table, rubbing his hands together, his face full of smiles, though a fine layer of sweat had broken out on his forehead.

"Boss Li, sit down."

Although Father Zhao was an honest man and usually easy to talk to, at this moment, looking at the parents of the culprit who had bullied his son, his expression was not very pleasant, and his tone was neither cold nor warm.

Li Dafu didn't dare to sit fully, only perching on the edge of the sofa.

"Um… all the faults, all the mistakes, are my little beast's fault!"

As soon as Li Dafu spoke, he humbled himself completely.

"We spoiled this child since he was young; he is narrow-minded and immature. This time, he was blinded by greed and spouted nonsense online. He has already been locked up, crying every day inside, saying he knows he was wrong."

Beside him, Wang Xiuqin wiped away tears directly: "Zhao Yang, Auntie is begging you. Li Jun is still young; if he gets a criminal record, his whole life will be ruined! You are a great talent, a big person with a big heart, please spare him this once!"

As he spoke, Li Dafu pulled an envelope from his chest pocket, a thick stack; judging by the thickness, it was at least fifty thousand yuan.

"This is a small token of our appreciation, considered compensation for Student Zhao Yang's mental distress. As long as… as long as you are willing to sign a letter of forgiveness, so this matter doesn't go through public prosecution and is changed to a civil mediation, we would be eternally grateful! In the future, if Zhao Yang needs anything, as long as I, Li Dafu, can do it, I will not hesitate!"

The relatives in the room looked at the thick envelope with mixed expressions. Fifty thousand yuan in the county town in 2009 was equivalent to two years' salary for an ordinary person.

Huang Jianguo smoked a cigarette on the side, not saying a word. He was just the one who brought them here; how to decide was Zhao Yang's business.

Zhao Yang looked at the money on the table, then at the pleading Li couple.

He sighed softly.

"Uncle Li," Zhao Yang spoke up.

"Take the money back."

His gaze was fixed on the Li couple before him.

Li Dafu was stunned for a moment, thinking it wasn't enough: "Not enough? If it's not enough, we can still…"

"It's not about the money." Zhao Yang interrupted him, looking straight into Li Dafu's eyes. "If Li Jun had only scolded me a couple of times online, saying my thesis was fake, I might not have even bothered to pay attention."

"But he shouldn't have, he absolutely shouldn't have spread rumors about my family, and he even used online trolls. This is no longer a simple matter of being immature; this is premeditated crime."

"But…"

"There are no 'buts'."

Zhao Yang stood up, an air of pressure emanating from him that didn't match his age.

"If I take this money today and sign the letter of forgiveness, what will he think after he gets out? He will think that as long as he has money, he can settle even if he breaks the law. He will think that the cost of defamation is very low, and at worst, he just has to pay some money."

"That's not saving him; it's harming him. This time it's rumors; what about next time? If he thinks money can do anything, will he dare to do something even more extreme next time?"

Zhao Yang pointed to the door. "Letting him receive legal education is the best way to take responsibility for him. Even if it's just a few months of detention, at least it can make him remember that there are some red lines that cannot be crossed."

"This…" Li Dafu wanted to say something, but he was choked up by Zhao Yang's words, his face turning bright red.

He didn't expect that Zhao Yang, young as he was, would be so immune to both soft and hard tactics, and his reasoning was watertight.

"Go back."

Father Zhao stood up at this time as well, looking at the Li couple before him.

"Although our family doesn't have much money, we aren't lacking this much. Take your things and don't come back."

The Li couple left in a dejected manner, and they didn't leave the gifts behind either.

Before leaving, Huang Jianguo patted Zhao Yang's shoulder heavily: "You did the right thing. I didn't misjudge you, Teacher; you have principles."

After the storm passed, life returned to normal.

This winter was very cold; the entire south was covered in ice and snow, and the south experienced a snow disaster rarely seen in decades.

During this time, Zhao Yang hardly went out, staying in his room every day.

One reason was that this winter was really too cold, and there was nothing to do on the streets outside; the second was because of his fame.

His popularity locally was terrifyingly high right now! If he went outside, he would almost certainly be recognized, and then he would be like a rare animal on display, which Zhao Yang was not willing to be.

Staying at home, there were many things for Zhao Yang to do. Besides occasionally checking the stock market and reading books, most of Zhao Yang's time was spent organizing the twin prime conjecture.

Although the system provided the complete proof logic, transforming it into an academic paper that met modern mathematical standards, was logically rigorous, and had detailed citations was still a huge project.