Chapter 12: A Grand Display of Official Power

Gu Qing found himself utterly speechless.

With the culprit having already fled, engaging in a futile argument with this collection of imbeciles felt utterly pointless.

He simply spread his hands in a gesture of surrender, allowing them to seize him without resistance.

Given Gu Qing’s current capabilities, there were indeed very few individuals in Linhai City who would dare to act against him.

What’s more, his GSA identity was a trump card; as soon as it was verified, the opposing party would undoubtedly offer a meek apology.

****

The Sakura Academy conference room.

Gu Qing found himself held by two security guards, one on each arm, standing in the corner like a common criminal.

Seated before the lengthy conference table was a formidable row of the school’s high-ranking officials.

A murmur of whispers rippled through the gathered assembly.

“I truly can’t believe such a beautiful girl could commit such an act.”

“What good is beauty? She’s nothing but trouble. To think she got in on a scholarship—we’ve truly let a wolf into the fold.”

The Vice Principal, the very man who had wished ill upon Gu Qing, slammed his palm against the table with a resounding thud.

“A student guilty of such severe disciplinary infractions must be dealt with severely. I say, let’s just expel him!”

“Yes, expel him. And considering he destroyed a crime scene, we should just send her straight to the police station!”

A chorus of voices clamored, each eager to pronounce his guilt.

The stout Principal finally spoke, gesturing for silence.

“Student Bai Shiyu, do you have anything to say regarding your actions today?”

Every eye in the room converged upon Gu Qing.

He simply offered a languid yawn, his expression utterly nonchalant.

“Do as you please. Handle it however you deem fit.”

His utterly dismissive demeanor ignited the Vice Principal’s fury, setting it ablaze.

“Look at this! Just look at this attitude!”

The Vice Principal sprang to his feet with a sudden jerk, spittle flying from his lips.

“Who do you think you are? A pauper who only attends this academy through charity, daring to act so insolently here! Let me tell you, I can have you thrown out right this instant!”

Gu Qing’s temper flared as well.

Had it not been for this band of imbeciles obstructing his path, he would have apprehended the culprit ages ago.

He lifted his head, and in those striking blue eyes, all traces of feigned meekness vanished, replaced by an undeniable sharpness.

“Expel me?”

A wry smile played upon his lips.

“What kind of thing are you? I’m not someone you can simply expel just because you wish to.”

Yet, several leaders, who habitually aligned themselves with the Vice Principal, began to vociferously echo his sentiments.

“The Vice Principal is absolutely right; a black sheep like you must be expelled!”

“You’ve thoroughly disgraced the reputation of our Sakura Academy!”

Each of them bristled with righteous indignation, as if Gu Qing had committed a truly heinous, unforgivable crime.

Seeing the unanimous support of the assembled officials, a smug, triumphant smile spread across the Vice Principal’s face.

He cleared his throat, preparing to deliver the final verdict upon Gu Qing.

Before he could even utter a single word, Gu Qing preempted him, speaking first.

“Alright then, but if I’m not expelled, won’t you have to call me ‘Daddy’?”

The entire conference room erupted into pandemonium.

Every single person present was utterly dumbfounded.

They questioned if their own ears had deceived them.

This exquisite young woman, as delicate and beautiful as a porcelain doll, had actually dared to utter such crude words in front of everyone present?

The Vice Principal’s face, with a visibly alarming swiftness, flushed to the color of a pig’s liver.

He jabbed a trembling finger at Gu Qing’s nose, stuttering a choked “You—” repeatedly for a prolonged moment, utterly unable to articulate a single coherent word.

“‘You’ what?”

Gu Qing casually picked at his ear, his expression etched with palpable impatience.

“Is your brain not working, or can you simply not speak clearly anymore?”

“You… you utterly shameless wretch!”

The Vice Principal finally regained his breath, unleashing a torrent of vitriolic curses.

“You’re finished! I’m telling you, you are absolutely finished!”

“Not only will I expel you, but I’ll also ensure you can’t make a living anywhere in Linhai City!”

“Oh?”

Upon hearing these words, Gu Qing’s smile only widened, brimming with an almost impish delight.

“What a grand display of official power.”

He leisurely took two steps forward, positioning himself directly in front of the conference table.

“Oh, Vice Principal, I’m so terribly frightened~”

Despite his words of fear, Gu Qing’s face was unmistakably mischievous, adorned with a playful, impudent grin.

That expression plainly conveyed: ‘Is that all you’ve got?’

“You little hussy!”

The Vice Principal, now utterly incensed, cast aside all semblance of decorum and status, jabbing a finger at Gu Qing’s nose and unleashing an increasingly vile stream of insults.

His foul language became utterly unbearable to hear.

Just at that moment.

“Bang!”

The conference room door was violently flung open.

Lin Xiaolu appeared in the doorway, breathless and panting, her chest heaving with strenuous effort.

The cacophonous conference room instantly fell into an eerie silence.

Over a dozen pairs of eyes converged, uniformly and sharply, upon the young girl who had so abruptly burst in.

Under the intense scrutiny of so many gazes, Lin Xiaolu grew so flustered that she didn’t know where to place her hands or feet.

Nevertheless, upon seeing Gu Qing, she mustered her courage and began to speak.

“No… it’s not… Student Bai Shiyu, she’s not a bad person…”

Her nervousness immediately caused her words to falter and stammer.

“We… we are… are GSA’s Special Task Force Investigators.”

The moment these words were uttered, a brief silence descended upon the conference room, only to be shattered by an explosion of uproarious laughter.

“Hahaha, the GSA is here? Just the two of you little girls?”

“Students these days, there’s no lie they won’t concoct.”

The Vice Principal, in particular, was convulsing with such laughter that he nearly toppled over.

“Another lunatic.”

He then waved a dismissive hand, a look of profound disgust marring his features.

“Security! Get this disruptive student out of here!”

“I’m not lying!”

Lin Xiaolu’s face flushed crimson under the weight of their mocking laughter.

Yet this time, she refused to shrink back.

She had, after all, vowed not to impede her senior.

Summoning her courage once more, she fumbled into her backpack, pulled out two dark blue identification cards, and, eyes squeezed shut, shouted defiantly.

“What I’m saying is true! These are our credentials!”

‘Credentials?’

The derisive smiles on their faces faltered, receding slightly.

Just then, the Dean of Students, who had been lingering behind Lin Xiaolu, cautiously peered in, ready to offer an explanation.

“Vice Principal, I’ve already verified with the GSA just now…”

“Student Lin Xiaolu’s identity, it’s real…”

“What?!”

A wave of astonishment swept through the conference room.

The Vice Principal’s complexion shifted dramatically, yet he remained stubbornly defiant, like a duck with a stiff beak.

“Who knows if they’re fake? Without a GSA official testifying here and now, I won’t believe a single word!”

No sooner had the words left his lips.

A voice, both coolly authoritative and imbued with an undeniable gravitas, drifted in from beyond the doorway.

“Do you require me to personally vouch for them, Mr. Vice Principal?”

Qin Lan, clad in the GSA’s distinctive dark blue uniform, entered the room with an impassive countenance, accompanied by several fully armed team members.

The formidable aura she exuded instantly silenced the entire conference room, leaving it in a state of stunned quiet.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Qin Lan, Senior Commander of GSA’s Asian Headquarters.”

Her gaze swept across the assembled individuals, finally settling with piercing intensity upon the Vice Principal.

“These two beside me, Bai Shiyu and Lin Xiaolu, are both GSA Special Task Force Investigators, currently executing a top-secret mission within your academy.”

“Now, do you still have any doubts?”

At this, not a single soul dared to utter another sound.

All eyes were fixed on Gu Qing and Lin Xiaolu, wide with a mixture of disbelief and awe, as if they were observing mythical creatures.

GSA Special Task Force Investigators… were actually two students?!

The Vice Principal, in particular, stood agape, his mouth so wide it could have swallowed an egg whole.

“This… how is this possible…”

He mumbled to himself, utterly dumbfounded.

“Hey, you.”

Gu Qing strode up to him and rapped his finger sharply against the table.

“I wasn’t expelled, was I?”

The Vice Principal, caught off guard, subconsciously nodded his head.

“Then why aren’t you calling me ‘Grandpa’ yet?”

The Vice Principal choked, unable to draw a breath, and nearly collapsed from sheer indignation.

He pointed a trembling finger at Gu Qing, his face a furious crimson.

“You— you— you—”

“You wretched stammerer, what’s with all your ‘you, you, you’?”

Gu Qing, disinclined to waste any more breath on the man, turned his head toward Qin Lan, a mischievous grin playing on his lips as he spoke.

“Commander Qin, according to GSA’s relevant legal regulations, the crime of publicly insulting and threatening GSA special operatives isn’t a minor one, is it?”