Chapter 43: Board of Directors

With a sexy and alluring gait, Le Zhenglan sauntered into the office. She glanced at Lin Xiao, her tone carrying a tinge of playful reproach. “Why did you run off so fast without waiting for me? I’ve been searching for you for quite a while.”

Perhaps due to her anxious search for Lin Xiao, a light sheen of sweat dotted her forehead, carrying with it a faint, captivating fragrance. Her breath came slightly fast, and her eyes—brimming with both irritation and joy—locked onto Lin Xiao.

With her graceful maturity and breathtaking beauty, she could make any man’s heart waver, especially when she looked as if she were acting a touch coquettish. But at that moment, Lin Xiao remained composed, his thoughts still dwelling on the words Le Zhenglan had spoken earlier.

“Sister Le, do you know where to find the surveillance footage from the classrooms?” Lin Xiao asked with an undercurrent of urgency.

He didn’t know why Le Zhenglan said what she did, but he understood that if such surveillance footage existed, it could fully exonerate Yuan Yu.

“Why are you in such a rush? I had quite a time looking for you just now.” Le Zhenglan laughed, yet noticing Lin Xiao’s anxious expression, she decided not to tease him further. “Indeed. I know where the surveillance footage of the classrooms is kept.”

“Sister Le, let’s go get it now,” Lin Xiao suggested.

“Don’t worry. Each classroom in Guanglai High School has a backup of its surveillance footage. One copy is in the security room and another in the chairman’s office.” Le Zhenglan assured him, chuckling, “There’s no need to rush. We should first handle the matters at hand. The surveillance footage isn’t going anywhere.”

Lin Xiao had no choice but to rein in his internal restlessness. He was usually composed, but given that this situation involved Yuan Yu, he was understandably anxious.

Once he’d settled his emotions, Lin Xiao began to ponder why Le Zhenglan would know about the backup surveillance footage in Guanglai High School. Even Li Chenggong, whom Lin Xiao had beaten to a pulp, had claimed that the surveillance footage was deleted.

As for whether Li Chenggong was lying, Lin Xiao trusted his own judgment. He believed the man was too frightened by his previous assault to dare lie.

Studying Le Zhenglan, Lin Xiao pondered her identity in silence.

Perhaps sensing Lin Xiao’s confusion, Le Zhenglan explained, “Only the school board of directors and the principal are privy to the existence of the backup footage in the chairman’s office. Everyone else is oblivious. Even if someone wanted to tamper with the footage, they’d need my approval to access the backup.”

Although Le Zhenglan’s words brought some clarity to Lin Xiao, he quickly caught on to the underlying implication of her statement.

‘Only the board of directors and the principal know? Only Le Zhenglan can grant access?’

He looked at Le Zhenglan, a hint of surprise crossing his face.

‘Could it be that Le Zhenglan is the principal of Guanglai High School or even more influential than the principal?’

Just as this thought crossed his mind, Li Chenggong’s words confirmed his speculation. With a face battered by Lin Xiao, Li Chenggong approached Le Zhenglan, greeting her respectfully, “Greetings, Director.”

Despite his swollen and reddened face masking his expressions, his tone and look of disbelief were evident. Guanglai High School, while prestigious within the province and considered a pivotal institution in both Jinghai City and Jiangnan Province, differed from other such high schools by being private.

In most public schools, the principal wielded the most authority, followed by the vice-principal or director of studies, among others. In private schools, however, a board of directors established by investors held sway.

Le Zhenglan was a director on this board and possessed the majority shares of Guanglai High School.

Li Chenggong was filled with regret and disbelief at this moment. He hadn’t expected that Le Zhenglan would be involved in this matter. Though she was referred to as the director, she might as well be considered the chairperson of the board.

If it were any other director, he wouldn’t be so afraid. After all, Song Tianxing, whose father was also a board member with the second most shares, was involved in this matter. This was the reason he agreed to help Song Tianxing frame Yuan Yu.

But now, it was Le Zhenglan, and Li Chenggong felt as though the sky was falling. It wasn’t only because Le Zhenglan was the majority shareholder in Guanglai High School, but he’d also heard about her extensive business and notable identity.

Had Le Zhenglan wished to be the board chairwoman, the position would have been hers long ago. But even if she didn’t wish to serve as chairwoman, no one else dared to assume the role. Consequently, the position remained vacant.

Her influence far surpassed that of Song Tianxing’s father.

Song Tianxing, at his side, didn’t seem as frightened. He appeared somewhat pleased.

His father had mentioned Le Zhenglan before. She was a well-known figure in Jiangnan Province, ran a successful business, and was someone his father had strictly warned him never to offend.

But at present, he hadn’t offended Le Zhenglan.

He had been keeping tabs on Yuan Yu for a while, and as a result, he’d already thoroughly investigated her background. Besides a sick mother and a brother who was just a grunt in the army, she had no other relatives. She was completely ordinary, with no significant background to speak of.

He had no idea where Lin Xiao emerged from, but judging from Lin Xiao’s attire, which didn’t even total five hundred yuan from head to toe, he was certain Lin Xiao lacked any influential background.

In stark contrast, his father was a renowned real estate tycoon in Jinghai City who also held shares in Guanglai High School, much like Le Zhenglan.

Although he suspected that Le Zhenglan might have some connection with Lin Xiao, he believed one was a nobody, and the other was a famed real estate tycoon in Jinghai City.

Le Zhenglan had built a successful business empire, she must undoubtedly know how to choose her alliances.

With a face swollen like a pig’s head, Song Tianxing approached Le Zhenglan. He planned to greet her with a hint of a smile, but the intense pain on his face caused his smile to vanish immediately, leaving him grimacing most comically.

“Hello, Aunt Le, I’m Song Tianxing, my dad is Song Nianhua.”

However, to Song Tianxing’s astonishment, Le Zhenglan didn’t spare his father any face and berated him.

“Really? Song Nianhua? I wonder what sins Song Nianhua committed to have given birth to a son like you. I foresee him dying of anger due to your unfilial actions sooner or later.”

“Aunt Le… you…”

With disbelief in his eyes, Song Tianxing looked at Le Zhenglan. He hadn’t expected that Le Zhenglan would disregard his father’s status for a commoner like Lin Xiao.

“What do you mean ‘you’? And stop trying to cozy up to me. Do you think you have the right to address me as Aunt Le?”

Le Zhenglan’s gaze was icy, devoid of the warmth and gentleness she had shown when facing Lin Xiao earlier. In truth, this was her real character; her behavior towards Lin Xiao was just an anomaly.

Initially, it was because Lin Xiao had saved her younger brother. Later, it was due to Lin Xiao’s character that she acted so kindly toward him. If she were truly as soft-hearted as she appeared, no matter how strong her background was, her business wouldn’t have been as successful.

Without paying further attention to Song Tianxing, who was visibly in disbelief, Le Zhenglan took out her phone and dialed a number. Once the call was connected, she asked the person on the other end to bring over the backup surveillance footage from the chairman’s office.