The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 68

Across from the Xuefu Road police station, a storefront was under renovation. Half of the steel beams rested on wooden stakes, while the other half hung precariously in the air. An electric welding gun sparked blue flames as it followed chalk-drawn lines, producing a sharp zila zila sound.

An acrylic board was passed down from a small balcony on the second floor and carelessly dropped from half a meter above the ground. The heavy board landed on a pile of flattened cardboard boxes, raising a cloud of dust.

A construction worker, wearing a sweat-soaked red tank top and holding a wrench, glanced up at the blazing sun and spat fiercely.

White pigeons resting on the roof’s edge were startled by the noise. They flapped their wings and flew over the utility poles in a flurry.

Inside the police station, an officer winced as he shut the window, then pulled the curtains closed with a frown, finally muffling some of the racket.

Turning back, he looked at Li Rong, who sat upright with an air of calm, and Xu Tanghui, whose shabby appearance exuded the sour smell of overripe fruit.

“You’re saying you want to bring the complainant and the school representative in for a meeting? This case is already closed, and we didn’t even make your aunt pay up. What’s left to discuss?”

As he spoke, the officer picked up his teacup, taking a sip while sneaking glances at Li Rong.

Li Rong appeared young, far from the typical relative of an older woman like Xu Tanghui. The officer guessed he might be a law student offering pro bono services, likely someone Xu Tanghui saw as a savior.

Li Rong’s calm smile didn’t waver as he replied, “My aunt was wronged. Yet, A University publicized the incident widely. The security office retaliated maliciously, damaging her cart and injuring her arm. This has severely impacted her reputation and caused significant psychological distress. We’re here to demand an official apology from A University and compensation for her medical expenses. How could this possibly be over?”

The officer blinked, staring at Li Rong for a while. Realizing he wasn’t joking, the officer raised an eyebrow and swiftly screwed the lid back onto his teacup.

“Fine. Fill out this form to log your request, but don’t make any corrections once you start. I’ll contact the complainant for you.”

He was accustomed to handling petty disputes and didn’t think much of the matter.

In his eyes, this was a typical case of someone refusing to let go, trying to regain some dignity. 

Once the school representatives arrived, he could mediate, get both sides to adopt a more conciliatory attitude, and the matter would resolve itself.

Without concrete evidence to prove Xu Tanghui’s alleged theft, a prestigious institution like A University wouldn’t bother to make a big deal out of it.

Li Rong retrieved his ID and began filling out the basic information.

While waiting for someone to pick up on the other end of the phone, the officer glanced at the registration form. The name seemed unassuming yet composed.

Naturally, the officer first contacted the student who reported the theft.

“Hello, this is the Xuefu Road Police Station. Do you remember reporting a missing portable hard drive? The other party has requested another discussion about the matter.”

The voice on the other end hesitated. “Discuss… discuss what? Have they admitted to it?”

The officer chuckled. “No, no. They’re just saying this whole thing caused some trouble for the lady—she’s in poor health and was injured. If you have time, why don’t you stop by? Maybe bring along the teacher who came with you last time since this involves the school.”

“I don’t think there’s anything to discuss anymore. Without new evidence, I’ll just consider myself unlucky. There’s no need to drag this out.”

The officer glanced at Li Rong, who sat back in his chair with half-closed eyes, appearing utterly relaxed.

“The student says they’re not interested in talking further. What about you?” the officer asked.

Hearing this, Li Rong smiled faintly. “Really? I’d be happy to explain how my aunt came into possession of a campus card and what she was doing in the university’s computer lab. If this student isn’t interested, perhaps the school representatives might want to know?”

The officer pushed the phone toward Li Rong, saying to the student on the line, “You heard that. Didn’t your teacher have questions about this point last time? Maybe ask them to come by too.”

There was silence on the other end, only faint background noise filtering through.

The officer didn’t rush but instead turned to Li Rong with curiosity. “What was your aunt doing in their computer lab, anyway?”

Leaning back against his chair, Li Rong answered calmly, as though stating the most mundane fact. “She was helping me submit an academic paper to a journal via the campus network.”

Before the student could respond, the officer’s jaw dropped.

“Huh? Submitting an academic paper? Why let her submit it?”

The police officer’s voice was quite loud, ensuring the person on the other end heard everything clearly.

The student immediately replied, “Let me… get in touch with our teacher and coordinate the timing.”

After hanging up, the officer’s interest was piqued. He quickly pulled his chair closer to Li Rong and said, “Tell me more.”

Li Rong glanced at the time on his phone and said leisurely, “Over the years, A University has had many researchers publish articles in From Zero, an international top-tier journal, building a long-standing relationship of trust. Because of this, the journal granted A University priority review rights. As long as the submission goes through A University’s intranet—”

The officer waved his hand. “I’m not asking about that. Why didn’t you submit it yourself?”

Li Rong glanced at Xu Tanghui. “Because my aunt has a campus card that allows her to access A University’s computers. I don’t.”

The officer asked, “Where did she get that campus card? No matter how I asked her back then, she wouldn’t say.”

Li Rong replied indifferently, “My dad gave it to her. He used to teach at A University.”

The officer muttered, “Ah… so you’re from A University too.”

He was about to remark that Li Rong was the child of an A University faculty member and that, since Xu Tanghui was his aunt, the matter could likely be handled internally by the university. It shouldn’t have escalated like this.

Xu Tanghui looked at Li Rong anxiously. In her mind, A University and Li Qingli were painful reminders for Li Rong—just thinking about them should be heart-wrenching. Yet now, he was speaking so lightly about them as if it was nothing.

Her heart felt like it was being carved up, and she hated her own powerlessness. She could only keep rubbing her rough, red, swollen left hand, swallowing hard.

Li Rong smiled faintly, remaining silent, and glanced down at the chat window.

A beautifully designed blue-and-gold avatar popped up, followed by a message:

[Cen Xiao: Are you talking now?]

[Li Rong: Not yet. They just want to confirm who submitted the paper. I doubt they sent someone who actually knows the full story.]

Forcing him to show himself—this was their goal all along.

As long as he admitted the paper was his, he’d become the focus of their strictest scrutiny.

After all, a high school student submitting a paper that gets through review would certainly make people uneasy.

[Cen Xiao: Yeah, they’d just send a random counselor or class advisor. No way they’d risk exposing their hand.]

[Li Rong: So whatever conditions I demand, they’ll likely agree to them. I won’t even need negotiation skills—such a pity.]

But the interesting thing about this was that, while they wanted to flush him out, they didn’t want Jiang Weide’s lies to be exposed.

Besides, there was still a fatal information gap within “their” group—for instance, that indecisive fool they sent to destroy the manuscript.

[Cen Xiao: Have you thought it through?]

[Li Rong: Eventually, A University will set their sights on me. It doesn’t matter. How’s your end going?]

[Cen Xiao: Don’t worry, stir things up as much as you want.]

Li Rong’s gaze softened for a moment, and he smirked slightly.

The officer, noticing he hadn’t received an answer, pressed on, “Then why doesn’t your dad explain things? Letting your aunt, an outsider, freely access university classrooms is indeed suspicious.”

Finally, Xu Tanghui couldn’t hold back and spoke up, her voice tinged with frustration. “I’ve been going in and out of there for over ten years. Those administrators all know me—I’ve even knitted gloves for them before.”

The officer was stunned. “Then why didn’t they say anything at the time?”

Xu Tanghui turned her head away, silent.

Li Rong smiled faintly and said nonchalantly, “Of course, it’s because they didn’t want to take responsibility. The university job is good, and if you do well, you can get a permanent position. Who’d risk their future to vouch for someone else?”

The officer gave Li Rong a surprised look. “You’re young, but you sure know a lot. No wonder—you’re the child of a university professor.”

About an hour later, a class advisor from the Geological Institute at A University arrived.

He appeared to be in his thirties, wearing glasses and a tracksuit. He seemed busy, constantly talking on his phone.

As soon as he entered, he started complaining. “The student has tasks this afternoon and couldn’t make it. I’m swamped too—haven’t even finished my midterm report. This issue has been dragging on for nearly a month. It’s endless.”

From Aunt Hui, Li Rong had learned that the student in question was from the geology department. The lost portable hard drive contained essential materials for their thesis, including field rock sample photos and stratigraphic sketches.

Without them, even if the rock samples were recovered, they wouldn’t match the diagrams and data already compiled.

Li Rong didn’t have a deep understanding of geology but had a general impression that their projects were typically done in groups. Independent work was rare, and most students worked on simplified versions of their seniors’ projects, divided among group members.

Key data would likely be shared among the group, so losing one person’s portion shouldn’t affect the entire dataset.

Unless, of course, the student was like him—exceptionally talented, conducting research far beyond their peers.

Li Rong glanced at the homeroom teacher and said, “No need to rush. This will be resolved today.”

The teacher frowned. “What exactly do you want to discuss?”

Xu Tanghui, who had been pushed hard by the school before, instinctively grew nervous upon seeing the familiar face.

Though she had no reason to feel guilty, she couldn’t help but avoid his gaze.

Li Rong, however, stood up and took two steps forward, meeting the teacher’s eyes. With an amiable tone, he said, “A University’s security office and leadership wanted to know where Aunt Hui’s campus card came from, right?”

The teacher noticed that Li Rong looked unfamiliar. Though he seemed young and polite, his demeanor was subtly intimidating.

Still, the teacher stuck to his assignment and dodged the question, responding curtly, “Who are you? What’s your name, and how are you related to Xu Tanghui?”

The officer quickly interjected, “He said his dad taught at A University. You should be colleagues, right?”

Li Rong let out a soft chuckle. “Not quite. My dad worked at A University but was later appointed an honorary professor at the Hongsuo Research Institute, where he’s been ever since.”

The teacher’s expression shifted in surprise, not expecting such a background.

The officer, meanwhile, sucked in a sharp breath. “The Hongsuo Research Institute!”

He’d assumed Li Rong’s father was just an ordinary lecturer at A University, not a scientist at Hongsuo.

Li Rong’s smile faded, and his expression turned distant. “I’m Li Qingli’s son. Aunt Hui’s campus card was issued by my father during his time at A University. She accessed the computer lab using my father’s account to submit a paper on the CAR-T optimization and CRS mitigation hypothesis.”

The teacher’s face instantly turned pale.

The news of Li Qingli’s paper had caused a stir online and was the talk of A University.

The paper’s publication had drawn admiration and regret for Li Qingli’s academic prowess. There were even rumors that the Hongsuo Research Institute planned to form a team to realize his hypothesis.

But wasn’t the paper submitted by the Hongsuo Research Institute?

Professor Jiang Weide had publicly emphasized separating academic merit from personal character, insisting that the paper’s potential contributions to humanity shouldn’t be overlooked.

Yet here was Li Qingli’s son, claiming that this paper had been submitted by a shabby-looking older woman in the university’s computer lab.

The teacher knew there was no reason for Li Rong to lie about this. It could easily be verified through the system logs.

Swallowing hard, the teacher asked, “Are you… sure about this?”

The question was absurdly naive and utterly powerless, but he truly didn’t know how else to react.

Li Rong sneered. “Am I wrong? You can just log into the email and check, can’t you?”

The homeroom teacher was utterly bewildered.

Jiang Weide lied?

The highly respected Jiang Weide, considered the frontrunner for the next director of the Hongsuo Research Institute, lied?

Sweat began to bead on his forehead. He hurriedly took out his phone, forcing a weak smile. “Let me contact our teacher Zhang first.”

With that, he lowered his head to dial a number and strode out quickly.

The police officer, still at a loss, asked, “Is this paper really that important?”

Li Rong countered, “Don’t you follow the news?”

The officer hesitated. “What kind of news?”

Li Rong shook his head. “Never mind. Yes, the paper… is quite important.”

After a long while, the homeroom teacher returned, his face drenched in sweat.

Although he was still perspiring heavily, the earlier panic in his demeanor had vanished.

He put away his phone, looked at Li Rong seriously, and coughed into his fist. “I understand your point now. You’re saying Aunt Hui went to the computer lab for that reason, right? Fine.

“Actually, without evidence, we had no grounds to suspect her. This matter could have been settled a while ago. The student has already found a solution, and the school was merely using this incident as a reminder for everyone to take care of their belongings. It seems there was some misunderstanding on our part, and Aunt Hui was treated unfairly. Let me know what your demands are, and I’ll try to meet them, okay?”

The reason he managed to compose himself was simple: Jiang Weide’s statements had been made at a social event, so Li Rong couldn’t possibly know about them.

As long as Professor Jiang and the university leadership didn’t lose face, compensating a street vendor wouldn’t be a big deal.

As for the murky details surrounding Li Qingli’s case, he had no desire to get involved.

Li Rong appeared satisfied with the teacher’s change in attitude and nodded. “First, Aunt Hui’s medical expenses for her injured left hand must be compensated, along with the damages to her cart and goods. Secondly, the teacher and security staff responsible for this incident must apologize for the harm they caused her.”

The teacher raised a hand to interrupt. “Your requests seem reasonable. Those can all be arranged. I’ll even personally advance the compensation for Aunt Hui, alright?”

Li Rong smiled faintly and sighed, speaking slowly. “Why the rush? Since the police are here, there’s something else I haven’t mentioned yet.”

The teacher’s heart skipped a beat at Li Rong’s composed demeanor.

“What else do you want?”

Li Rong’s eyelids quivered slightly, and his gaze shifted downward as though peering through the sheer curtains and pale-blue glass window at something far beyond.

The phone spun slowly between his fingers, seemingly on the verge of slipping but never falling.

He spoke softly. “Actually, Aunt Hui didn’t submit that paper because I asked her to.”

The officer frowned. “Then who did?”

The teacher clenched his jaw and snapped impatiently, “What exactly are you trying to say?”

Li Rong lifted his gaze, his expression somewhere between a smile and a smirk. “A few months ago, someone broke into my home and handed me a manuscript that my father had written before his death. They told me to take it to Aunt Hui and submit an article my father had already prepared, saying it was my father’s greatest wish before he passed. I was terrified, but the person didn’t harm me, and the handwriting on the manuscript was indeed my father’s.”

The class advisor was stunned.

The officer, who didn’t know much about academic papers, still picked up on the illegal activity in that statement. “Breaking and entering?”

Li Rong nodded. “Yes. He didn’t want to show his face and initially intended to leave only a note, but unfortunately, I happened to come home. So he even asked me for some money. I figured a few thousand yuan for my father’s manuscript was worth it, so I didn’t report it to the police.”

The officer was incredulous. “Why wouldn’t you report it? If he even extorted money from you, that suggests he might not have been a friend of your father at all—just some courier or something. And why break into your house to deliver it? Why not do it openly?”

Li Rong nodded in deep agreement and immediately clasped the officer’s hands, his brow furrowed, his eyes brimming with anxiety and helplessness. “I was too naïve back then. But now, with Aunt Hui being falsely accused, the more I think about it, the more terrified I am. I’m afraid there’s some kind of conspiracy behind this, and I’m worried that if I tell the police, the person will come back to retaliate against me.”

After saying this, Li Rong turned his gaze toward the class advisor, who was still dumbfounded. “Since you’re here, teacher, you know how important my father’s paper is. Perhaps you could also inform the school leadership? Let the officer investigate and find that person to get to the bottom of this?”