Chapter 128: I Have Never Yielded

It was too late to stop it now.

The reporters’ eyes lit up like a scavenger finding a feast. Nothing could be more shocking in the month of June than the headline: "College Entrance Exam Top Scorer Subjected to School Bullying."

The County Magistrate froze, as did all the other county officials. The villagers did not quite understand the term "school bullying," but they could tell from the atmosphere that it was something sinister.

The girl took a digital voice recorder from her room. Under the gaze of the cameras, every word recorded within played out with chilling clarity:

"Tang Yu, I won’t allow you to score higher than him! You don’t deserve to be first. You know what to do if you’re smart!"

"Look at her, she’s drenched like a drowned rat. Hey, Tang Yu, did I tell you to move?"

A crisp "slap" followed, seemingly the sound of a blow to the face.

"Stand still and let everyone have a good look! By the way, if any of you dare to help her, you’re making an enemy of me, Meng Shirui. And you’ll end up just like her."

"Tang Yu, let me copy your answers for this exam. What’s that look for? You’re unwilling? Try looking at me one more time—do you think I can’t have the principal expel you?"

"Don't bother telling the teachers; it’s useless. My family is far more powerful than you can imagine. I can make it so your entire family can’t survive in Liangcheng."

"Yes, that’s the look. What’s the use of good grades? When you enter society, won’t you still be working for my family? People like you, you lowly peasants, should stay in the mud forever, beneath my feet!"

"Strip her clothes off and take some nude photos to circulate!"

"Hating me? Want to fight back? Tsk, tsk, what a pity, you don’t have the ability."

"Thinking you're something just because you got first place? Let me tell you, here in Liangcheng, our Sister Rui calls the shots!"

"There are only three months left until the college entrance exam. It would be such a shame if your legs were accidentally broken, or your arms snapped, or if you happened to fall down the stairs during these three months. It would be a pity if such a smart brain couldn't make it to university."

The recording played for nearly half an hour, with each segment capturing a different moment in time. At first, Tang Yu had tried to fight back by threatening to "tell the teachers" or "call the police," but the bully was unfazed, mocking Tang Yu’s futile efforts by flaunting her status as a minor and her family’s social standing.

Gradually, the sound of Tang Yu’s pleas faded from the recordings. She seemed to realize that begging for mercy would not earn her sympathy, but would only embolden her tormentors. The latter half of the tape was filled only with the woman’s triumphant, unhinged laughter, interspersed with the girl’s stifled gasps of pain and muffled groans. The sounds of slapping, kicking, and splashing water were all jarringly clear.

Even the reporters, who had not been present at the scene, felt a chill run down their spines. The assailant’s arrogant, mocking laughter had not ceased despite the girl’s pleas; instead, it had only intensified. Everyone present had children of their own. They could barely imagine what they would do if their own children were subjected to such horrors—they would likely risk everything to fight for them.

Yet, the records showed that Tang Yu’s parents had long since divorced and started new families. She had no parents to fight for her; she only had her elderly grandparents. There was no one to stand up for her at school, so she had to be her own shield.

Tang Yu had waited until this moment. She brought this into the light to demand justice for herself, and for everyone else who had ever been bullied by Meng Shirui. Even if Meng Shirui could not be punished by the law, she wanted everyone who was about to become Meng Shirui's classmate to know exactly what she had done. Those insults and beatings would not simply vanish with time; they were carved into the hearts of every victim, indelible and eternal.

When the recording ended, a deathly silence fell over the room. The reporters felt a heavy weight in their chests. The only sounds were the sobs of the old couple; they had no idea their granddaughter had been so helpless and miserable at school.

The atmosphere grew even heavier. The County Magistrate looked at the principal with a cold, stern expression, as if waiting for an explanation. The principal wiped the cold sweat from his brow with his sleeve. He had no idea Meng Shirui had been this rampant! And Sun Xuemin—she had never reported a single thing.

Tang Yu was too prominent now after the exam results. With the reporters covering every detail, this was bound to cause an uproar.

Tang Yu gripped the recorder tightly. Her calm gaze seemed to look through the lens, perhaps at her past self, or perhaps at the once-arrogant bully. Unlike the timid, cowardly look she wore when she was pinned to the ground and beaten, her eyes were now steady and filled with strength. It was as if she were telling those bullies that her past forbearance and timidity were not reasons for them to trample upon her at will.

She had to make them understand that she would no longer be easily manipulated. She had to make them realize that everyone must pay for their actions.

That was why she had spent countless unforgettable days and nights pushing herself to reach the heights she now occupied. During those nights, she had broken herself and rebuilt herself, over and over again. No one could empathize with the nights she had spent haunted by nightmares. The countless problems she solved were a form of self-coercion. Only she knew how she had endured the isolation.

But all that darkness had become the medal she wore as she broke through the thorns. Just as her life had long been like a dark room, it did not stop her from walking toward the bright spring ahead.

Tang Yu looked straight into the lens, her eyes clear yet sharp.

"In addition to the recording, I have police reports on file. The police can verify every word I have said; there is no quote taken out of context or falsified information in that recording. I take full responsibility for everything I say today. I hope this matter will gain widespread social attention and the attention of the police and those who draft laws concerning minors. I also hope that students who, like me, are currently enduring school bullying will be brave enough to pick up the weapons of the law to protect themselves!"

Her eyes grew dry from the wind, and her voice softened.

"Once, I also thought that if I just endured it, if I just bore it, those people would stop hurting me once they were tired of bullying me..."

"But someone told me..." Mentioning that person, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her expression softened. "He said that when your rights are violated, not fighting back will only make the other party push even harder. Human nature is a crooked piece of wood, never a blank sheet of paper; only punishment can bring about the effect of reform."

"He said that no misfortune can be turned into a blessing just by being brave."

"He said that I don't have to be so kind or so generous—that is the work of saints. So, we are allowed to have flaws in our human nature."

"Therefore," Tang Yu took a deep breath, suppressing the bitterness in her heart, "whether you say I am using public opinion or cyberbullying them, I will never forgive those who harmed me. I just want them to know..."

She spoke slowly and distinctly, her voice hoarse, as if she had waited for this day for far too long.

"I have never yielded."