“Lingyun, something very unpleasant happened today, at least we all saw it, and Lu Xing’s girlfriend Xiaoqian also accused you of… well, do you have anything to say about this?” The dean said calmly while thinking of his words.
All eyes turned to Ling Yun again. Everyone was somewhat puzzled, because no matter how strong a person's mental fortitude is, when faced with questioning after committing a crime or making a mistake, they would more or less panic. This is in line with normal human psychology, but the boy's reaction was far beyond everyone's expectations. Not only did he show no sign of panic, but his reaction was also calm and composed, as if everything that had happened was within his expectations.
This gives everyone the illusion that even if Mount Tai were to crush them or the world were to end, this young man would remain unmoved and as steady as Mount Tai.
"Dean, Director, leaders, and police officers, let me clarify. I did not sexually assault her. I had only been in the dormitory for a short time when she pounced on me, trying to seduce me. Her accusations of sexual assault were just her side of the story. I did not have any physical contact with her. Can you see any signs of struggle on my body?" Ling Yun said calmly.
Everyone stared at him, and sure enough, Ling Yun's clothes were neat and clean, his hair was tidy, and there were no signs of struggle.
The dean nodded inwardly. Although he didn't know this student very well, he could get a general idea of a person by observing his actions and listening to his words. Clearly, Ling Yun was clear-headed and calm. Unlike most people who would get agitated and shout to defend their innocence, making things worse and making others less convinced of his innocence, he didn't do that.
Instead, he adopted a calm response, which was more readily accepted by the uninformed public. This demonstrates his comprehensive qualities, or indicates that the student is courageous and experienced. Otherwise, an ordinary freshman would have been terrified, turning pale and trembling, unable to speak.
Moreover, it wasn't just the dean who could think of judging what happened from the disheveled clothes; this student had the same idea. Judging from the knowing looks on the faces of the others, it was clear that most people hadn't done it, including several campus security guards.
Seeing this, Qin Zhengwei secretly winked at Xiaoqian, who had quietly raised her head and seemed a little lost. He was also somewhat surprised that Lingyun would react so calmly. His original intention was to make Lingyun lose control of his emotions. As long as the boy's adrenaline secreted too much, he would inevitably have extreme emotions and cause trouble, making the situation out of control.
Qin Zhengwei was extremely uneasy because Ling Yun seemed calm and composed, as if he had everything under control, especially with that faint smile in his eyes that seemed to look at him but not at him.
He gritted his teeth secretly, determined to get rid of Ling Yun today. Otherwise, even a fool would know who had devised this conspiracy, and if Ling Yun escaped, he would be in deep trouble.
Xiaoqian composed herself, her face gradually hardening with anger. She forced out a string of tears, rushed to the crowd, pointed at Ling Yun, and shouted, "You beast! You...you bullied me, and you still won't admit it! I wish I could tear you to pieces and fight you to the death..."
Her incredibly realistic, teeth-gritting expression immediately shifted the crowd's already somewhat doubtful hearts back to her side. Even an actor couldn't have portrayed it more convincingly, let alone a frail woman. Seeing Xiaoqian's fearful yet indignant expression, which clearly wasn't feigned, the crowd turned their indignant gazes to Ling Yun, the meaning clear: what explanation do you have?
The dean looked at Ling Yun with a stern face: "Ling Yun, if you can't provide concrete evidence, how can we believe you?"
Ling Yun glanced at Xiao Qian: "She didn't produce any concrete evidence, so why did you choose to believe her? And even if she cried for help, does that necessarily mean I had malicious intentions? If I were walking down the street and randomly encountered a mentally ill woman who was crying for help and pointing at me randomly, should I produce evidence to prove that I didn't hurt her? What kind of logic is that?"
Before the dean could speak, the burly campus police officer sneered and said arrogantly, "In principle, we handle disputes within the school according to the principle of 'whoever reports the crime bears the burden of proof.' Since Lü Xing and the others reported the crime first, and we found Xiaoqian calling for help when we entered, and we accused you of having malicious intentions, then you are suspected of assault. Of course, this doesn't mean you actually assaulted her, it only proves that you are suspected, and it's possible that you committed any wrongdoing. Do you understand? So now it's your turn to prove that you are not suspected, not to prove whether you actually assaulted her."
He suddenly sneered and rhythmically tapped his palm with his baton: "If you can't provide evidence, then you'll have to come with us. And if you can't explain yourself clearly, I'm sorry, you'll have to stay in jail for two days to reflect on your actions."
Qin Zhengwei was overjoyed. This was exactly the effect he wanted. As long as Xiaoqian insisted that Lingyun had raped her, no matter how calm Lingyun appeared, he wouldn't be able to explain himself. Moreover, since the incident happened so suddenly, and he couldn't provide any evidence, Lingyun would inevitably be taken away by the police. That would change the nature of the case, turning him from a student into a rape suspect, ruining his reputation. Even if Lingyun was completely innocent afterward, the school would still have to make a decision to give the student an explanation.
At the very least, expulsion is inevitable. Once this thorn in their side is removed, the three of them can do whatever they want in dormitory 308.
Thinking of this, Qin Zhengwei couldn't help but chuckle to himself with smug satisfaction. He squinted at Ling Yun, thinking, "Let's see how arrogant you are this time. Even if you had a mouth all over your body, you still wouldn't be able to explain yourself. With just a little trick, I'll ruin your reputation. So what if you can fight? You're still going to get yourself killed by me."
At this moment, he particularly hoped that Ling Yun would act impulsively and have a public confrontation with the police, which would escalate the situation and be more detrimental to him.
The dean sighed with a hint of regret. Although it was their first meeting, Ling Yun had left a deep impression on him, and his speech had also won the dean's favor. This seemed to be a very thoughtful student, and judging from his manner of speaking, he also showed great potential. What a pity…
The police are right. If Ling Yun cannot provide evidence to clear his name, an investigation will be launched, and regardless of the outcome, this student's future will be ruined. Even if the school is lenient, it cannot keep a student with a history of suspected involvement in a crime, even though Ling Yun is very likely innocent.
Sometimes things are just like that, so helpless. A glass of clear water can become murky with a single drop of muddy water, but a glass of muddy water cannot become clear with a single drop of clean water. Even if you are innocent, just one stain can cause you to lose many of the qualifications you should have.
"Lingyun, I agree with what the police said." The dean calmly looked at the still indifferent boy. "You must provide evidence to prove that you are not suspected of any wrongdoing, otherwise you will have to go back to the police station for investigation. The school will definitely issue an opinion." In reality, the so-called opinion was expulsion, which everyone present naturally understood. It was just that the dean was used to saying it in a more tactful way and not so bluntly.
All eyes were once again on Ling Yun, who fell silent, clearly pondering what to do.
Everyone thought it was time to give up.
"Of course I have evidence, but before I present it, I'd like to ask, what if it's proven that this woman falsely accused me first?" Ling Yun smiled slightly, dropping a bombshell, "then what will happen?"
Chapter 126 A Scandalous Affair (4)
Everyone was immediately surprised and exchanged bewildered glances. No wonder the young man seemed so confident; he had evidence to clear his name. They just wondered what evidence Ling Yun possessed to clear his name.
The burly campus police officer stared intently at Ling Yun, seemingly trying to discern whether he was bluffing to buy time. He then said, "Produce the evidence first."
“That won’t do.” Ling Yun refused without hesitation. “If it’s proven that I’m innocent, but the person who framed me goes unpunished, wouldn’t my efforts in providing evidence have been in vain?”
The dean said calmly, "Lingyun, you must trust the school and the police. They will not wrong an innocent person, nor will they let a guilty person go unpunished. If you really have evidence to clear your name, then I guarantee in the name of the school that the person who wronged you will not be let off the hook. Moreover, the school's police are all here, so you can rest assured and have no worries."
Upon hearing the dean's words, the burly campus police officer immediately changed his tune, saying, "That's right, Ling Yun. Just as the dean said, as long as you have evidence, we will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation. But if you don't have any, or if you are intentionally deceiving us and the school, then don't blame us for being impolite."
Ling Yun smiled at the burly campus police officer, suddenly recalling the two assassins posing as campus police officers from a few days ago. They were far more amiable than the real campus police. It seemed that while the police on campus were nominally responsible for protecting the school, it was only in name. Judging from the burly officer's demeanor, his abilities and investigative experience were far inferior to those of truly professional criminal investigators. Let alone the seasoned Interpol agents who dealt with drug dealers and terrorists every day.
This campus police officer's actual experience is even less than that of a college dean who is only responsible for administrative management, which gives you an idea of how idle the campus police station at Jinghua University is. It's understandable that they don't care, after all, in a long-term peaceful and tranquil campus, how could serious crimes occur repeatedly? At most, a petty theft would be considered a case, but Ling Yun's "malicious intent" clearly qualifies as a major case and a significant case in recent years on the Jinghua University campus.
What he wanted to hear was the dean and the campus police's words. Ling Yun naturally had evidence, but the more perfectly he phrased his words before presenting the evidence, the greater the blow he would inflict on his opponents after it was revealed. Since Qin Zhengwei and his group could devise such a despicable scheme to frame him, Ling Yun had no choice but to retaliate in kind.
“Of course I believe in the power of the school and the police,” Ling Yun said with a smile. “Besides, I’ve always wanted to be a good student, but things don’t always go smoothly. I never expected that my classmate who lives under the same roof would have such a distinguished background…” As he spoke, he looked at Qin Zhengwei with a half-smile.
Qin Zhengwei was racking his brains trying to figure out what evidence Ling Yun would present, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fathom what kind of backup plan Ling Yun had prepared. Just as he was feeling uneasy, he suddenly heard Ling Yun's words, and his heart involuntarily clenched. He guiltily raised his head, met Ling Yun's ambiguous smile, and immediately lowered his head, sweat already beading on his forehead.
Did he find out something? Qin Zhengwei thought in a panic, the shadow of unease rapidly spreading. He couldn't help but look at Fang Xiaoming, only to see Fang Xiaoming also looking at him helplessly. Both of them were shocked, simultaneously sensing the fear in each other's hearts that they were afraid of being exposed.
The burly campus police officer said impatiently, "Why are you saying all this? If you want to produce evidence, hurry up and do it. Don't waste the time of the dean and the leaders of the biology department. Their time is very valuable, and they don't have time to talk nonsense with you here."
Ling Yun glanced at him: "Officer, the evidence I'm about to present may be quite shocking. I wonder if it's possible to only allow a small number of people to see it, and those who are not involved should step aside. Also, Xiaoqian's framing this time is related to Qin Zhengwei and the others. I think all three of them are highly suspicious. Until everything is clear, I request that they also be placed under suspect surveillance."
Qin Zhengwei angrily said, "Ling Yun, you're talking nonsense. Don't think you can clear yourself of your wrongdoing by biting back. The police are discerning and won't fall for your shameless tricks."
The burly campus police officer glanced at Ling Yun with some hesitation. He didn't really believe Ling Yun's words. After all, the fact was that Ling Yun had malicious intentions. If Xiao Qian was framing him, then the performance was too convincing. However, he hadn't experienced any cases and had become accustomed to a leisurely life, so his judgment had deteriorated. Naturally, he couldn't make a proper judgment about the truth of the matter.
Seeing the boy's confident and fearless demeanor, as if victory was assured, even the burly campus police officer couldn't help but feel uneasy. After hesitating for a long time, he finally said, "Those here are all school leaders and police officers. There aren't any extra people, so I'm afraid we can't meet your request. However, what you said makes some sense. Anyway, your roommates are all here. If they really are framing you, they probably won't be able to run away even if they wanted to. You can rest assured about that."
His words were essentially meaningless; although they didn't seem to fulfill Ling Yun's request, they still carried a hint of agreement. Ling Yun couldn't help but smile. He hadn't expected the campus police officer to do as he said, but by saying everything beforehand, the officer would have nothing to say when the result came out.
Qin Zhengwei and Fang Xiaoming remained silent, their faces grim. Not only had the situation taken an unexpected turn, but they had also encountered such an incompetent campus police officer who refused to help either side and instead acted as a peacemaker. The two wanted to think of a way to put Ling Yun in an even more disadvantageous position, but in their panic, they were completely clueless and could only watch helplessly as the power dynamic shifted step by step with Ling Yun's change of heart.
Ling Yun turned and went into the bedroom, gently took down the clothes hook on the wall opposite the bedroom door, and then brought it to the living room.
Everyone looked at each other, wondering what he was going to do with the clothes hook. Only Qin Zhengwei suddenly realized something, his face turned deathly pale, then ashen, and his brows furrowed into a knot, leaving Fang Xiaoming completely bewildered.
Then, when Ling Yun gently removed the miniature chip from the camera on the coat hook, everyone was immediately stunned. Who would have thought that such a high-tech chip was hidden inside this seemingly ordinary black plastic coat hook? The burly campus police officer was even more astonished; even with his access to many unseen items on the black market, he had never seen such a miniature yet high-tech gadget.