Zhu Xiaoqing stood firm, attempting to maintain her dignity.
But as Qin Yexuan's footsteps approached, she couldn't help it, and tears began to fall one by one.
After all, she was a woman used as a pawn by her family. She had to beg for discount coupons, and in the end, she had to sell her house and car to provide benefits.
Qin Yexuan watched calmly, and only after she wiped her tears did he say, "You are still the dean of Chaoge Academy, and my previous conditions remain valid. You will be in charge of administrative and teaching management, and I will be primarily responsible for academy security and investigation of special incidents."
"Heh, you say that, but I need your approval for any decision I make, right?"
Qin Yexuan smiled, "Of course. You can't command anyone now. Zhu Xiaotian is just a Chaoge representative. Would he dare disobey the imperial capital's orders?"
A surge of anger rose within Zhu Xiaoqing, "This is not over!"
But she knew herself that this threat was meaningless.
"An Ya, escort Dean Zhu back to her office. Also, retrieve the academy's financial accounts. If there's anything else, have that person... "
Qin Yexuan looked at Zhu Xiaoqing's former secretary.
The secretary quickly ran over, "My name is Zhu Haining, Chairman Qin. Please give your orders."
"Secretary Zhu, you will continue to work in the dean's office. Coordinate with An Ya for any matters."
Secretary Zhu bowed repeatedly in agreement.
After Qin Yexuan left, Secretary Zhu and An Ya accompanied Zhu Xiaoqing back to the office. An Ya retrieved the accounts and password USB drive.
The situation was decided.
After seeing An Ya out, Secretary Zhu looked at Zhu Xiaoqing, feeling awkward.
Zhu Xiaoqing's eyes blazed, "Fine, fine! You even betrayed your family. If Zhu Xiaotian finds out, let's see how you die!"
Secretary Zhu smiled faintly, "What if I said I deliberately went undercover in the student union? Do you really think Zhu Xiaotian trusts you?"
The secretary's smile was mocking, "The family is actually very wary of you!"
"You, what do you mean?" Zhu Xiaoqing was furious.
Secretary Zhu slowly took out a letter, "Take a look at this!"
This was a secret letter specific to the Zhu family.
The handwritten secret letter was sealed with red wax, a very old and traditional type of command document.
Zhu Xiaotian liked this style very much. He felt that sending such letters gave him the air of a family patriarch.
Zhu Xiaoqing uneasily opened the letter.
The order inside was shocking.
"...Continuously monitor Zhu Xiaoqing, and report her every move to me. Remember, Chaoge Academy is of utmost importance. If it weren't for Zhu Xiaoqing's background in education, I truly wouldn't want to send her there. This woman is not intelligent, naive, and procrastinates... In short, if there are any problems, you can act first and report later, and deal with Zhu Xiaoqing directly..."
This was written by Zhu Xiaotian himself. All members of the family had received such letters.
Zhu Xiaoqing confirmed it repeatedly and finally despaired, "Zhu Xiaotian, he, he is so cruel."
Secretary Zhu shook his head, "Isn't this normal? Perhaps he trusts no one."
"Then, you have now sided with classmate Qin. Is it for undercover, or have you truly left the family?" Zhu Xiaoqing stared at the secretary as if she didn't recognize him.
Secretary Zhu smiled, "I've been an assistant for so many years, always serving bosses and superiors. Naturally, I've learned a few things."
He opened up, "Let's put it this way: whoever wins in the end. If classmate Qin wins, then I truly defected. If he loses, then I am the family's mole!"
Zhu Xiaoqing was utterly speechless.
To be a fence-sitter to such an extent, he was quite a character.
Secretary Zhu was smug, "Sister Xiaoqing, why don't you learn from me and cooperate with classmate Qin? If the family asks, just say it's to complete the mission and find that Tian Zhiyu."
Zhu Xiaoqing remained silent, her face full of disdain, "I will never betray my family!"
Secretary Zhu sneered, "Not long ago, you said that all of us Zhu family members have seen the state of hell... but you don't understand at all, that so-called hell is what the old monks at Dongling Temple created!"
Zhu Xiaoqing snorted, "What do you mean?"
Secretary Zhu said menacingly, "The Hell Transformation Diagram is in the hands of Dongling Temple. They have been using that diagram to collect lives, all preserved within the painting. That is the demon army prepared by Dongling Temple!"
"Do you really think Buddhism is a good thing? True Buddhism disappeared long ago. Dongling Temple's objective is not to save the world, but to..."
At this point, Secretary Zhu suddenly fell silent.
He seemed to know many inside secrets but was unwilling to reveal them.
Zhu Xiaoqing shook her head, "I already knew this. My parents, my parents were absorbed into the Hell Diagram by them."
"Then, Sister Xiaoqing, do you know that your parents can be rescued?"
What?!
Zhu Xiaoqing almost jumped up, her face full of shock, "Are you telling the truth?"
At this moment, someone knocked on the door outside.
The dorm supervisor, an auntie who had been working for over a decade, entered.
The auntie looked terrified, "The old girls' dormitory building, I can't go there anymore, it's haunted!"
Zhu Xiaoqing came back to her senses, "What did you say?"
The auntie gestured and said nothing more, only silently recited Buddhist scriptures.
Secretary Zhu immediately waved his hand, "You can go back now. We will handle this matter."
He picked up the school's visitor map and circled a building in the southeast with a pencil, "Sister Xiaoqing, this is the academy's old dormitory building. Currently, only... no, should say only one student is confined there!"
Zhu Xiaoqing suddenly thought of something, "Is it that unmarried student who had a child?"
The secretary nodded, "She couldn't stay in the original dormitory anymore, and for some reason, she couldn't contact her family. The police couldn't handle it, so she moved into the old building with the child. Only the auntie just now has been taking care of her these past few days."
Zhu Xiaoqing immediately walked out, "This is outrageous! A little girl, who just had a child, and no one is taking care of her? What about that Qin Sheng? He only knows how to buy people's hearts, but he ignores the real issues the school needs to handle."
Zhu Xiaoqing quickly arrived at the old dormitory building in the southeast.
She looked up at the dilapidated building, with various kinds of garbage piled up nearby.
A roller shutter door hung crookedly above, and further out, there were two rusty iron doors that could no longer be closed.
This place had been converted into a warehouse before. Later, it couldn't even hold things and suffered from rat infestations and insect plagues, eventually being abandoned.
Now, that poor student was trapped inside, with no family or friends, and no classmates willing to visit.
Thinking of this, Zhu Xiaoqing quickened her pace and almost collided with a young man.
She looked up and froze, "Qin..."
Qin Yexuan was also rushing over, nodded to her, "I just received the news. This will be handled immediately."
Zhu Xiaoqing frowned, "Shouldn't I be in charge of this kind of matter?"
Qin Yexuan looked at the dilapidated old building, "You can't handle it. There's something strange inside."
Zhu Xiaoqing sneered, "I've seen hell, so I'm not afraid even if there are ghosts!"
Qin Yexuan shook his head and walked straight in.
Zhu Xiaoqing, unwilling to be outdone, followed him in with her high heels.
Swish!
The roller shutter door suddenly and eerily dropped, getting stuck tightly.
Then, a rumbling sound occurred. The iron door outside, which had been abandoned for many years, suddenly began to turn. Secretary Zhu and An Ya had just arrived, and before they could follow, the iron door slammed shut, completely sealing them out!