Grasping the Lifeline

Lu Heng sneered, his face chubby. "Breaking the law? Did I say something wrong?" He glanced around and continued, "Today, right in front of the whole class, let me tell you, Tang Qiao, you're as foolish as a pig! You won't have any future in this life!"

"Mr. Lu..." Li Luo's expression turned slightly sour. What is wrong with Mr. Lu today? Why is he singling out Tang Qiao?

Chen Shuming also stood up, expressing his indignation, "Mr. Lu, you shouldn't speak to Tang Qiao like that."

Other students were equally upset but didn't dare to voice their opinions. Teaching and insulting were two different things. It was one thing if Lu Heng was typically disinterested in class, but he had a volatile temper. If he wasn't in a good mood, he'd lash out at them. They couldn't fathom what Tang Qiao had done to provoke him today, he seemed particularly harsh to her.

Lu Heng fixed a heavy gaze on Li Luo and Chen Shuming, casting a shadow of unease over their hearts.

Lu Heng pointed at the chemistry book in Tang Qiao's hand. "Her chemistry grades are abysmal, dragging down our class average. So, what if I scolded her today? Can't I even scold her? I'll not only reprimand her but also provide her with proper guidance!"

With these words, Lu Heng raised his hand and slapped Tang Qiao's face again.

This time, Tang Qiao didn't dodge but rather swung her book at Lu Heng. She applied minimal force, yet Lu Heng felt a sharp pain in his arm.

"Tang Qiao!" Lu Heng's face reddened.

Tang Qiao ignored his reaction. She calmly retrieved her phone from her school uniform pocket, unlocked it, and hit the play button. Lu Heng's furious voice resounded from the phone.

"I've never seen a shameless student like you! Don't you realize how poor your chemistry grades are? Do you have any idea how much you're dragging down our class?! I think your parents made a mistake by giving birth to you! What do you have to offer other than your appearance? If your grades remain at the bottom of the school, you'll be a burden to society in the future! Worthless scum! Today, right in front of the whole class, let me tell you, Tang Qiao, you're as foolish as a pig! You won't have any future in this life!"

Lu Heng's incensed words got caught in his throat as he stared at Tang Qiao's phone in disbelief.

"Mr. Lu, either you apologize or I'll send this recording to the Education Bureau Centre," Tang Qiao declared calmly.

Lu Heng clenched his fists, his expression shifting constantly. "Tang Qiao, how dare you bring your phone to class?"

"The official email address of the Education Bureau Centre is 12319, I'll do what I said," Tang Qiao stated succinctly, her tone almost indifferent.

The students in the class gazed at Tang Qiao, who was bravely confronting Lu Heng, as if seeing her in a new light.

Lu Heng was taken aback. His eyes were fixed on the phone in Tang Qiao's hand.

Tang Qiao waited for a moment. Lu Heng clenched his fists, and his tone mellowed. "Tang Qiao, let's have a conversation," he suggested, beginning to backtrack.

Tang Qiao waved her phone with unwavering determination. "Apologize."

From Li Luo's vantage point, she could see that Lu Heng's once tightly clenched fists now sported a greenish hue, indicating he was furious. She broke out in a cold sweat on behalf of Tang Qiao. Tang Qiao had shown remarkable audacity!

The other students had mixed emotions. They all knew that Tang Qiao was not only attractive and adept in mathematics but also had a sharp tongue. Even Hu Jiao, Li Wenwen, and Lin Qingyu had faced her in minor squabbles, typical of student interactions. It wasn't until today, when Tang Qiao confronted Lu Heng, that they realized the gravity of tangling with her. In a single move, she had seized control of the situation!

Lu Heng's temples pulsed with anger. He tightly clenched his fists and suppressed his fury. He conceded as he lowered his head, "I apologize for my inappropriate comments earlier. I should not have spoken to you that way."

"Okay," Tang Qiao responded, casually placing her phone back in her pocket. She hooked her leg over the chair's edge and settled down with a smooth and nonchalant grace, as though Lu Heng's previous outburst was beneath her notice.

Lu Heng's eyes flashed with lingering anger, which he swallowed down. After turning toward the podium, he picked up the lesson plan and announced, "You'll be responsible for independent study during this class period." With that, he exited the classroom.

The students below greeted this development with no surprise. A significant reason for their dismal chemistry performance was attributed to Lu Heng's teaching style. He often conducted classes haphazardly, occasionally skipping them altogether. His pace lagged far behind other classes, and his efforts in fulfilling teaching duties were perfunctory at best.

After Lu Heng left, Li Luo turned her head and whispered to Tang Qiao, "Tang Qiao, you're remarkable. However, crossing paths with Mr. Lu like this... your future may become quite challenging."