Uncle Pan and his wife had no idea what was going on, so they hurriedly leaned in, one bending over and the other squatting in front of Han Lie's bed. Moreover, their demeanor became increasingly amiable. They had no choice but to be amiable! They were terrified that if they spoke too loudly, they might agitate Han Lie into fainting again. When the couple learned that Han Lie had previously been in a deep coma for half an hour and almost hadn't woken up, their legs had gone weak with fear.
Damn it, what a terrible turn of events! How could this prodigal son cause so much trouble!
After calming down, Uncle Pan almost went to slap Pan Shaohang, but Pan Shaohang's mother held him back... Hmph.
Uncle Pan was indeed seething with anger, at Pan Shaohang, and at his own wife. But in front of Han Lie, he spoke gently and softly, his attitude exceedingly good.
"Pan Shaohang is being held at the police station," Uncle Pan began. "It's not that I don't want to bring him to apologize, but he needs to undergo criticism and education. I think it's for the best; the little rascal really needs to be taught a lesson. Let him stay there, at least a full 48 hours! Little Han, let's talk about our matter."
Uncle Pan was truly silver-tongued; everyone nearby found his words pleasant.
"Oh..." Han Lie merely uttered a soft "oh," and that was it.
Uncle Pan and his wife looked closer. They saw Han Lie's gaze was scattered, his eyes vacant, completely lacking focus. Their hearts immediately jumped with dread.
This is bad! Totally screwed! We've really hurt their child!
Just as they were panicking, Han Lie slowly caught his breath and spoke with difficulty. "You're clear about how the incident happened, right?"
The couple nodded eagerly. "Clear, clear!"
"It truly wasn't my fault, no issues there, right?"
Again, they both nodded. "No issues, no issues!"
Even Pan Shaohang's mother, as much as she favored her own son, felt it wasn't the fault of the young man before her.
The only one to blame is that girl from the Chen family!
Meanwhile, Han Lie continued to raise the stakes.
"When I saw Pan Shaohang was in a bad mood, I was afraid to provoke him," Han Lie continued. "I didn't even dare to laugh and quickly lowered my head... but he still kicked me... What was I supposed to do?"
All the onlookers in the room sighed and shook their heads discreetly.
Look how wronged the boy is! It's too much! How could there be such an outrageous little tyrant?! Their family upbringing is terrible!
Uncle Pan and his wife also felt their faces burning with embarrassment; their forced smiles shattered completely.
They were completely in the wrong...
Han Lie continued to act, escalating the situation further and further.
"Later, I couldn't contain my anger and called him a good-for-nothing. That part was indeed my fault..." Han Lie said.
"Oh no, not at all!" Uncle Pan quickly interjected.
The boy was inexplicably beaten and then retorted—how could that be wrong? It was perfectly justified!
"Han Lie, rest assured, the problem definitely lies with Pan Shaohang," Uncle Pan continued. "Most of the responsibility lies with his impulsiveness and volatility; a smaller part with our failure to educate him properly. What does this have to do with you? You are a good kid! I understand the wrong you've endured, and no amount of verbal apologies can make up for the harm you've suffered. So, here's what I propose—we take full responsibility. Within the civil scope, including compensation for emotional distress, we'll directly adhere to the maximum legal standard. Furthermore, I'll personally compensate you with an additional 800,000 as a settlement. Little Han, can you give Pan Shaohang another chance? We will ensure he makes a sincere apology and becomes a better person in the future!"
Holy shit! He really dares to make such an offer...
Honestly, Han Lie was taken aback. Even though he knew he was completely in the right, even though he knew Pan Shaohang was at the crucial juncture of starting college, even though his act of pitiable suffering was so convincing, and despite all these "even thoughs"... Han Lie still hadn't expected Uncle Pan to be so decisive and willing to spend so much money.
He immediately opened the system panel and looked at his Basic Attributes to calm the excitement in his heart and the surprise in his eyes.
Forgive this child for not being calm. After all, in my previous life, I was just a struggling worker. Although I won't lack money in this life, I'm in urgent need of experience points right now. 800,000! Wow! How many attribute points can that get me?!
Five seconds later, Han Lie managed to recover and spoke with difficulty.
"Uncle Pan, when Chen Yanfei was advising me just now, I was thinking," Han Lie began, "is it necessary to cling so tenaciously to Pan Shaohang's impulsive mistake and ruin his entire life? Truth be told, I don't want that at all. But, the thing is, I've been holding this anger in, and it's been suffocating me, making it hard to breathe. Chen Yanfei told me, 'Don't worry, once Uncle Pan arrives, he will definitely let you vent.' Seeing your attitude now, I really do feel a lot more comfortable..."
Upon hearing this, Uncle Pan's eyes immediately lit up, his face flushing with excitement. He kept saying, "Of course, of course!"
Then he turned and bowed to Chen Yanfei. "Yanyan, I can't thank you enough! Thank you for putting aside past grudges and worrying about Shaohang..."
Chen Yanfei blushed with embarrassment.
When did I ever worry about Shaohang? It was all the little rascal's acting, wasn't it?
She hurriedly waved her hands. "No, no... Uncle Pan, you don't need to be so polite. This matter is also partly my fault..."
"Your fault for what?" Uncle Pan interrupted Chen Yanfei's polite demurral with overwhelming force. "Just because he pursues you, you have to agree? You can't reject him even if you don't like him? What kind of logic is that!"
Then, Uncle Pan reached out with both hands to shake hands with Chen Yanfei's father. "Old Chen, I'm truly sorry for the trouble my boy has caused you... But rest assured, I'll personally arrange for his department transfer! If he dares to bother Yanyan again, I'll send him abroad directly! Old Chen, please don't let something like this affect our long-standing friendship..."
"It won't come to that," Mr. Chen waved his hand, a proud yet distant smile on his face.
He says it won't come to that, but it actually matters quite a bit. Another father completely doting on his daughter, for sure.
However, even facing Mr. Chen's cold treatment, Uncle Pan remained sincere. "Ah! I am so ashamed... But let's set that aside for now. We can address it properly later!"
What is the epitome of being tactful and diplomatic, covering all bases? Today, I've really seen it all. But speaking of which, with Uncle Pan being so capable, just how indulgent must his wife be to have spoiled Little Pan to such an extent? Forget it, forget it. I've settled the scores for grievances spanning two lifetimes in one go; I won't bother with him anymore.
Han Lie's revenge wasn't just about hefty compensation. He was devilishly cunning. Not only had he managed to make his minor injuries appear serious, but the first thing he did after getting off the train was report the incident to the police station.
What was the difference? Criminal cases are public prosecutions. Once a case is filed, it must be processed. Even if Han Lie received compensation, agreed to a settlement, and Uncle Pan then liaised with the police station and the prosecutor's office, the final outcome would still not be without consequences. At best, they could only hope for a statement like: "Given the minor nature of the offense, the perpetrator's good attitude in admitting fault, and the victim's forgiveness, the decision has been made not to prosecute."
No prosecution, no sentencing. But there would still be a case record. From then on, Pan Shaohang would be unable to obtain a "certificate of no criminal record."
What was that document used for? Studying abroad, political vetting for family members, company onboarding—all these require a "certificate of no criminal record."
Don't have one? Take him away, next!
Adding the 48-hour administrative detention, Pan Shaohang's file would gain another "record of violation."
Note: A violation is not the same as a crime. But at certain critical moments, this little detail could be quite potent. At the very least, he could forget about joining the Party or taking the civil service exam.
And Uncle Pan is still thinking about transferring departments for Pan Shaohang... Ha! The question now is whether he can even continue his studies at all. The most realistic plan would actually be to pull Pan Shaohang back to Dream City, find a high school for him to repeat a year, and have him retake the exams next year. Otherwise, it will be very difficult! This guy has been thoroughly ruined by me.
After being ruined, his parents still had to fork out a substantial sum of money and then bow and thank Han Lie for his magnanimity. And the old schemer, Han Lie, just took a beating and lost two teeth that were bound to be replaced anyway.
He'd truly hit the jackpot.