Chapter 260
Jingda University.
Freshman boys' dormitory, Department of Archaeology.
Pei Yunzhou generously handed out the popsicles in his hands to his dorm mates.
Anyway, his second older brother would reimburse him for the money in the end.
A person had to be generous; that way, he wouldn't feel bad asking others for a favor.
"Eat up, guys. If it's not enough, I'll go buy more later."
Zhang Qiang licked his popsicle, his eyes full of delight.
"Old Pei, tell us, what do you need your brothers to help with today?"
"Just say the word, and we'll get it done for you."
Li Zhe also looked at Pei Yunzhou.
"If there's anything I can help with, just let me know."
The other boys in the dorm also chimed in, expressing their willingness to help.
This was exactly what Pei Yunzhou had been waiting for.
"Since everyone is so enthusiastic, I won't hold back."
"Here's the thing. I want to find out who has been spreading rumors about my sister-in-law at Jingda."
As soon as Pei Yunzhou's words fell, the dorm became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Find the rumor-monger?
That was too difficult, wasn't it?
It was next to impossible.
Seeing the troubled looks on everyone's faces, Pei Yunzhou said,
"I know this puts you all in a tough spot. After all, it's not an easy task."
"But this isn't just about my sister-in-law's reputation; it also concerns the reputation of our Archaeology Department!"
"Our own department knows my sister-in-law's true level, but what about the other departments? They are being misled by these rumors and have a huge misunderstanding about her and our department."
"I hope everyone who has the ability can chip in. Regardless of whether we get a result in the end, it will be a contribution to our department."
Since Pei Yunzhou had elevated the matter to such a level, no one had any reason to refuse.
"Alright, I'll go ask around about this."
"I have a few friends from my hometown in other departments. I'll ask them to look into it."
"I'll go too."
The entire dorm mobilized.
...
On the wide highway, a military-green jeep was speeding along.
Pei Zhengnian sat in the back seat, his brows tightly furrowed.
To catch the bandits, first catch the ringleader.
He knew this principle well.
Since the gossip had already spread, blindly trying to silence everyone was a poor strategy.
He had to find the source and strike a fatal blow.
Pei Zhengnian didn't place too much hope on Pei Yunzhou's end.
Professional matters should be left to professionals.
Before getting into the car, Pei Zhengnian had already made some calls, utilizing his special connections and methods.
He believed that by the time he arrived at Jingda, there would be results.
After all, with his reputation and status, coupled with the fact that this matter had crossed his bottom line, the efficiency of his network would be astonishingly high.
Three hours later, when Pei Zhengnian's military vehicle pulled up to the gates of Jingda, someone was already waiting for him.
Several clear clues were gathered and presented to him.
All signs pointed unmistakably to three people: Qin Rong, and her two lackeys, female classmates Wang Hongyun and Li Liping.
The mastermind was Qin Rong. She had already been extremely jealous of Shen Nanchu, and upon learning that Shen Nanchu was Pei Zhengnian's wife, her jealousy exploded.
Especially after finding out that Shen Nanchu had taken the grade-skipping exam and achieved exceptionally good results, Qin Rong, driven by extreme jealousy and psychological imbalance, deliberately smeared Shen Nanchu in front of Wang Hongyun and Li Liping.
With the three of them echoing each other, the lies quickly gained traction and became accepted as truth.
After that, they frequently and intentionally spread rumors in public places like the girls' dormitory, the washroom, and the cafeteria. They claimed that Shen Nanchu's grades were suspicious and that she relied on improper methods. By constantly adding fuel to the fire, they caused the rumors to rapidly ferment and spread.
Having obtained the exact list and preliminary evidence, Pei Zhengnian's eyes were as cold as Siberian ice.
Qin Rong really had some nerve.
Was she acting so recklessly just because Qin Gang was still out there strutting around and hadn't been brought down yet?
If that was the case, he didn't mind closing the net early.
After all, Qin Gang had outlived his usefulness anyway.
"Close the net!"
"Go to Qin Gang's house first."
"Yes, sir."
...
Meanwhile, Pei Zhengnian headed toward the principal's office with the documents in his hand.
Along the way, dressed in his military uniform, Pei Zhengnian attracted countless stares.
A man so upright and handsome, and a military officer to boot, was a rare sight these days!
Wait, was that an orderly behind him?
To have a personal orderly at such a young age?
What kind of rank must he hold?
Good heavens!
From the school gates all the way to the administration building, Pei Zhengnian successfully caused quite a sensation.
...
On the other side, Pei Yunzhou had also gotten some clues.
Several classmates who had gone out to gather information had returned, and everyone was gathered in the classroom discussing it.
Hearing a commotion outside, he poked his head out.
Well, well, wasn't that tall and straight figure a member of his very own Pei family?
"Second Brother!"
Seeing his second brother arrive, Pei Yunzhou was thrilled! He shot up from his seat and dashed out of the classroom.
Second Brother?
Shen Nanchu's man.
Zhang Qiang and Li Zhe exchanged a glance.
A strong look of gossip appeared on both of their faces.
"Wait for me."
"I'm going too."
The people in the classroom eagerly followed Pei Yunzhou and rushed out.
Pei Yunzhou was unusually fast, darting in front of Pei Zhengnian in a flash.
Behind him followed Zhang Qiang, Li Zhe, and the others.
Standing before Pei Zhengnian, the group of students unconsciously felt constrained and kept their heads bowed.
It wasn't that they were cowards; it was just that Pei Zhengnian's aura was far too intimidating.
"Second Brother."
"Mhm."
Pei Zhengnian spared a glance at Pei Yunzhou.
"I've got some leads on my end."
Before Pei Yunzhou even had the chance to show off, Pei Zhengnian cut him off,
"It's Qin Rong, isn't it?"
Pei Yunzhou froze for a moment, then hurriedly caught up with Pei Zhengnian's pace.
"Second Brother, how did you know?"
"Lead the way to your principal's office."
Pei Zhengnian was brief and to the point.
Pei Yunzhou jogged to the front to lead the way for him.
Zhang Qiang, Li Zhe, and the rest followed behind Pei Zhengnian, not even daring to breathe too loudly.
...
Today was the weekend. Principal Liang Guoming was originally supposed to be resting, but he had a backlog of official duties, so he was currently working in his office.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Come in."
Liang Guoming looked up just in time to see Pei Zhengnian walk in.
Following him, a group of students filed in.
He frowned slightly.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Pei Zhengnian, Shen Nanchu's husband."
Pei Zhengnian extended his hand toward Liang Guoming.
"Hello."
Liang Guoming did not show it on his face, but a storm was already brewing in his heart.
He knew that Shen Nanchu was married, but he never expected that her husband would be a military man.
Looking at the orderly beside him, Liang Guoming realized that Pei Zhengnian's rank was not low at all.
As for the purpose of Pei Zhengnian's visit, Liang Guoming had more or less guessed it.
It was most likely regarding the rumors about Shen Nanchu spreading around the school.
Pei Zhengnian did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point,
"Principal Liang, apologies for the intrusion. I am here today regarding the malicious slander my wife, Shen Nanchu, has been subjected to on campus."
Sure enough...