Chapter 0443: The Butterfly

Zhao Fusheng thought it through well, but as it turned out, reality is often more melodramatic than novels or films.

Through his father's connections, Zhao Fusheng learned the truth of the matter, but was left dumbfounded.

Wang Zhen had indeed injured someone, and with the intention of killing that woman, but she was lucky to survive, so it counted as attempted murder.

And the reason for this incident was even more ridiculous.

That girl had never liked Wang Zhen; in fact, while dating him, she always had another boyfriend. Every time Wang Zhen left, she would meet up with that guy.

That guy wasn't a student but a local thug near the school. After discovering that Wang Zhen had a lot of money, the two of them colluded to swindle money from him.

Their excuses were things like buying stuff or a parent being sick. Wang Zhen didn't suspect at first and gave the girl thirty thousand yuan in installments. Later, he even asked his parents for fifty thousand yuan on the pretext of going into business with Zhao Fusheng, and gave it all to that girl.

Then one day, Wang Zhen said he was going back to the dorm, but after walking a short distance, he realized he'd forgotten his phone. When he turned back to get it, he overheard the girl calling that thug.

Often, we are like a leaf blocking our view of Mount Tai, deceived by superficial things. Once we figure it out, everything becomes clear instantly.

Just like Wang Zhen, who hadn't thought much about it before. But when he heard that phone call, the details he'd usually overlooked suddenly became clear, and he pieced together the whole story in his mind.

Then, Wang Zhen quietly observed the girl for two days. One day, when she met with the thug, Wang Zhen followed behind with a knife.

The moment the two saw Wang Zhen, they were stunned. The thug pushed the girl toward Wang Zhen and ran away. After stabbing the girl twice, Wang Zhen snapped out of his rage, called an ambulance, and turned himself in at the police station.

Two days after the police appeared at the dorm, Wang Zhen's parents arrived in Ninghai.

Zhao Fusheng didn't get to see them. While the others were in class, Wang Zhen's parents, accompanied by the college authorities, packed up his belongings and left in a hurry.

It wasn't until a week later, when news came that Wang Zhen had been formally arrested, that Zhao Fusheng and the others had a chance to see him in the detention center.

When they met again, he had lost a lot of weight. Though he looked dejected, he seemed much calmer than before.

Because visiting time was limited, they didn't have much chance to talk. Most of the time, Wang Zhen's parents spoke with him, asking if he was doing well, what he needed, and telling him not to worry—they would find a way.

Wang Zhen kept a smile on his face, chatting with his parents. Finally, he asked his mother to hand the phone to Zhao Fusheng.

“Don’t worry, no matter what happens, we’ll take care of your parents,” Zhao Fusheng said, taking a deep breath.

Wang Zhen chuckled: “You’re always so smart. Before I even say it, you know what I’m going to say.”

Zhao Fusheng shook his head: “You should have told me back then.”

No matter what that girl and the thug did, Zhao Fusheng knew that if Wang Zhen had told him and let him plan it, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.

Wang Zhen said calmly: “I looked up some legal books. For my case, the sentence is three to ten years. Tell my parents not to pay any compensation. I’ll plead guilty and accept the punishment, understand?”

Zhao Fusheng was taken aback, then understood his meaning. He nodded: “Okay, I got it.”

As he said this, visiting time ended. The group accompanied Wang Zhen’s parents out of the detention center.

“Thank you all,” Wang Zhen’s father said to Zhao Fusheng, Tan Kaixuan, and the others.

Tan Kaixuan and Wen Yu quickly shook their heads and chatted with Wang Zhen’s parents.

Meanwhile, Zhao Fusheng received a call from his father.

“I asked someone to put in a word. The kid won’t be bullied inside, don’t worry,” Zhao’s father said, his voice tinged with weariness. “Try to comfort his parents. Ah…”

He had met Wang Zhen too. After hearing about what happened from Zhao Fusheng, Zhao’s father was quite shocked. He then used his connections to help smooth things over in the detention center.

After all, young prisoners like Wang Zhen had to do labor in the detention center and would inevitably be bullied by other inmates.

Detention centers, holding cells, and even prisons were, at this time, undoubtedly the darkest places in Northeast China. The officers didn’t treat prisoners like human beings, and prisoners didn’t treat each other any better, since everyone there had broken the law.

Prison bosses and bullies were inevitable. They controlled all the affairs within the cell that shouldn’t have been under their authority. If a prisoner didn’t obey, they would be beaten and kicked, or even have urine poured on their heads.

As for the food, it went without saying. The standard meal was two steamed buns, a bowl of porridge, and a bowl of boiled cabbage in plain water, or sometimes chives. Sometimes prisoners didn’t need to use the toilet for a month because there was no oil in the food.

Of course, if you had money, you could order extra dishes, which would give you a bit of decent food, at least not too miserable.

Zhao Fusheng told all this to Wang Zhen’s parents and finally said: “Uncle, Aunt, rest assured, Wang Zhen will be fine inside.”

Wang Zhen’s father nodded: “Alright. Wang Zhen always said you were the most resourceful in the dorm. We’ll listen to you.”

Clearly, Zhao Fusheng’s image loomed large in their eyes. After all, they had actually received the money Wang Zhen brought home, and they knew that without Zhao Fusheng guiding him, Wang Zhen couldn’t have earned that much.

To be honest, even Zhao Fusheng himself hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. In the novels he had read, the protagonist and those around him always sailed smoothly after the protagonist’s rebirth. There was no case like Wang Zhen’s.

The flap of a butterfly’s wings might bring countless benefits, but it also brings new problems.

Zhao Fusheng had changed some people’s fates, and naturally, the future would change accordingly.

Looking at Wang Zhen’s parents, Zhao Fusheng sighed inwardly. He felt that all this was his doing. But then he thought, why had the same change made Tan Kaixuan better off?

In the end, fate was something unfathomable. Everyone had their own future. How far one could go ultimately depended on oneself, not on others.