Chapter 12

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Expulsion from school usually depends on the institution’s disciplinary rules, the severity of the incident, and its social impact. Liu Wen happened to be right on that borderline. On the surface, he claimed to have psychological issues, and the school couldn’t produce more evidence. Even though the forum was in uproar and the entire campus knew about it, with only a cat that had been dissected and a recording admitting long-term abuse of cats as proof, a demerit was the harshest punishment possible. The school even had to assign someone to provide him psychological counseling.

No one bothered to involve the police.

Because there was no legal basis.

But now, the nature of the case was different. Zhou Huaixia looked at the submission posted by a major influencer under the trending topic. Not only did it name Liu Wen and expose his cat abuse, but it also shared posts from the school forum and provided a series of chat records, videos, and pictures.

The chat logs came from an anonymous chatroom, with everything Liu Wen said highlighted in red boxes.

He had long boasted online about torturing and killing cats, even leaving photos and videos each time he did so, posting them in the anonymous chatroom. The released photos were gruesome and bloody, and the videos showed different cats emitting identical, agonizing screams, instantly igniting public outrage.

The submitter also revealed Liu Wen’s IP address, even matching photos from his social media showing the room with backgrounds identical to those in the cat abuse images.

The evidence was irrefutable.

Liu Wen’s behavior was heinous and cruel, posing a psychological threat to students at the school. The videos and images sparked widespread social concern.

Without question, the severity of the case was sufficient grounds for the school to expel him.

Zhou Huaixia’s gaze lingered on the photo of the abused white cat—if only she had realized earlier that she wasn’t dreaming that day, perhaps…

“The school is urgently convening a disciplinary committee,” Lu Jin said through the group chat, gritting her teeth. “Expulsion is too lenient for him!”

She didn’t want to look at the trending videos and photos—too painful.

So many cats had died. She often played with the school’s cats but never noticed anything wrong with them.

Zhou Huaixia said quietly, “He might be detained.”

Lu Jin paused. “Really?”

Zhou Huaixia showed her a comment below: “It’s a lawyer influencer. The explanation should be credible.”

Chen Lv: “Liu Wen’s cat torture, spread online in an extreme and bloody manner, has caused a severe negative social impact and may disturb public order. According to Article 26 of the Public Security Administration Punishments Law, he can be detained for 5 to 10 days and fined up to 500 yuan. If the circumstances are serious, detention can be extended to 15 days and a fine up to 1000 yuan.”

Chen Lv: “Additionally, if charged with online dissemination, both are administrative punishments and will not be combined; the maximum administrative detention is 15 days.”

Lu Jin pushed up her glasses, more frustrated. “He killed so many cats and only gets 15 days detention! When he’s out and no longer at school, he’ll start again.”

Zhou Huaixia sighed but remained calm. “At least his photo is on the trending list now; more people know what he looks like. Even if most forget, some will remember. He won’t be able to act so recklessly anymore.”

Because Liu Wen was a student at S University, a prestigious school, and a top scholar, he attracted particular attention. The trending topic had been up all morning; if not handled urgently, it would begin to damage the school’s reputation.

At exactly noon, S University’s official Weibo account issued a notice, publicly announcing the expulsion of Liu Wen, a second-year clinical medicine student.

The trending topic’s heat began to fade.

Zhou Huaixia had professional classes in the afternoon and tried hard to keep her eyes open. After class ended at 5:30, she saw Lu Jin waiting outside.

“What’s up?” Zhou Huaixia asked, puzzled. She should have been in the library at this hour. Had the videos affected her so much she couldn’t study?

Lu Jin pulled her aside and showed her Weibo, a little excited. “They’re saying Liu Wen might be arrested.”

Zhou Huaixia picked up her phone. The previously cooling trending topic had suddenly surged back to number one, but now the topic was “Is Liu Wen a Cat Torturer or a Potential Murderer?”

Clicking the topic, she saw that a phrase from Liu Wen’s recent chat logs had caused widespread panic: “Soon I’ll know what it feels like to dissect a human.”

At some point in the afternoon, this phrase was clipped by another influencer, prompting suspicions that Liu Wen’s depravity might have escalated to the point of murder.

Page 2 of 3

There was no clear law against torturing cats, but murder was a different matter.

“I checked. The day he sent that message, he was apparently going to the department with his mentor and was supposed to assist with some simple suturing and dressing changes,” Lu Jin said.

Whether or not he meant he would be sewing up patients, under the current public opinion, he was now a potential murderer—sooner or later he would kill someone.

The videos Liu Wen made of torturing cats already showed extreme cruelty and sadistic methods. The quick spread had sparked widespread public anger. Now, this statement had further stirred negative sentiment on social media, causing serious repercussions.

Lu Jin pointed out another comment: “That Chen Lv commented again.”

Chen Lv: “If it can be deemed provocation, the punishment ranges from less than five years to more than five years imprisonment, depending on severity.”

In short, Liu Wen might be headed to prison.

Both thought this might be the end, but in the evening, the original major Weibo influencer who broke the Liu Wen story added fuel to the fire, igniting social media even further.

The influencer revealed that the anonymous chatroom was full of animal abusers who traded videos among themselves and spread them in private circles. Liu Wen had gained some fame and profit from his professional-level, brutal cat torture videos within this chatroom.

The submission included screenshots of transaction records.

The matter had now escalated to criminal law.

Chen Lv’s comment was blunt: “Liu Wen gets sentenced, and everyone involved goes to jail.”

Zhou Huaixia was speechless.

She hadn’t expected the case to expand so much.

The public security authorities would need time to investigate and could not release results overnight, but the anonymous chatroom would certainly be shut down. Liu Wen and all those who filmed and profited from such videos would face criminal penalties.

Charges could include provocation, distributing obscene materials for profit, illegal business operations, and more.

In short, the criminal law was ready for them.

Lu Jin sincerely said, “All thanks to those whistleblowers.”

…

November arrived, and the weather grew cold, with intermittent chilly winds.

Zhou Huaixia had already started wearing her down jacket, bundling up like a penguin each day, and collapsing into bed immediately upon returning to her dorm.

“I think you should get a check-up,” Lu Jin said as she held a steaming thermos cup, looking up at Zhou Huaixia sleeping in the top bunk. “You eat and then sleep all day, and you have two big dark circles under your eyes.”

Wrapped tightly in a thick quilt, Zhou Huaixia didn’t move. “Right drawer. My medical report.”

“When did you get a check-up?” Lu Jin asked as she opened the right drawer and indeed found a thick stack of medical reports.

Pushing up her glasses, she carefully flipped through. The reports were from late last month. Except for low blood sugar detected, everything else was normal—Zhou Huaixia was a very healthy college student.

Flipping to the back, Lu Jin was shocked. “Why did you have a head CT, EEG, and carotid artery ultrasound? Those tests are normally for people over fifty. Didn’t the doctor warn you?”

“Or is it because you’ve been having repeated dizziness and headaches and have a family history of cardiovascular disease?”

Zhou Huaixia closed her eyes. “You’re too noisy.”

Lu Jin quieted down and reached the last page. She found a psychological counseling medical record inside.

Name: Zhou Huaixia
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Date of Visit: October 26, 2030

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Chief Complaint: Patient reports insufficient sleep…

Lu Jin’s face scrunched up as she looked at her sleeping roommate above. Zhou Huaixia had sleep deprivation?

However, seeing the date on the report, Lu Jin became thoughtful. Recently, Zhou Huaixia hadn’t gone to the library to nap with her or spent all day on video calls. If they hadn’t shared a dorm and maintained normal communication, Lu Jin seriously suspected Zhou Huaixia was upset with her.

Since when had it started?

It seemed to have begun the day Liu Wen was caught abusing cats; since then, Zhou Huaixia hadn’t clung to her.

Lu Jin reviewed all their shared moments since they met, suddenly jolted. She pulled over a chair, stood on it, reached out, and shook Zhou Huaixia’s shoulder, demanding in shock: “Zhou Huaixia, did you suspect me of torturing cats back then?!”

Even when pushed, Zhou Huaixia remained steadfast, eyes closed as if deep in sleep.

“Don’t pretend to sleep.” Lu Jin pushed up her glasses, having seen through everything. She spoke seriously, “Whoever you suspected, you used their bathroom. The first bathroom you borrowed was mine.”

Zhou Huaixia was speechless.

“I noticed your gaze was strange the day I touched the calico cat,” Lu Jin continued suspiciously. “Why did you suddenly figure it out was a single male living alone?”

Zhou Huaixia, annoyed by the push, finally opened her eyes slowly and said, “I told you, I have special powers.”

Lu Jin snorted. “Then I’m the mother of Ultraman.”

Zhou Huaixia: “…Your honorable Ultraman mother, aren’t you going to study?”

Lu Jin snorted coldly. “Not today. Mrs. Lu Zhihua gave us two tickets to the newly opened amusement park and invited us to go.”

Zhou Huaixia, hair messy, was pulled up by Lu Jin. “Why didn’t you say anything yesterday?”

Lu Jin shrugged. “Mrs. Lu Zhihua was busy and forgot. Just remembered today the tickets are about to expire. She arranged for a courier to deliver them. They’ll be here soon.”

…

The new amusement park was far away. Lu Jin insisted that Zhou Huaixia experience the cityscape of S City—not by subway, but by bus.

On the bus, Zhou Huaixia was so squeezed her down jacket was flattened halfway. Leaning against someone tall to breathe, her scowl tightened as she grabbed the horizontal handrail, pressing aside the shorter Lu Jin to make some space.

The windows were plastered with advertisements, making it impossible to see the city scenery.

Lu Jin struggled to speak: “This line is usually crowded, haha… just thirteen more stops until we transfer.”

Zhou Huaixia ignored her.

They swayed squeezed together for four or five stops when Zhou Huaixia suddenly snorted.

Lu Jin looked up, puzzled. Zhou Huaixia turned around and loudly said, “Enough already. Have you finished groping my butt?”

The blunt remark stirred the already noisy, overcrowded bus into further commotion.

Lu Jin followed Zhou Huaixia’s gaze. “?”

Apart from a few middle-aged women pressed tightly against them, the nearest man in a suit was still separated by a female high school student.

With her medical knowledge, Lu Jin was certain the suited man’s arm, no matter how long, couldn’t reach Zhou Huaixia.

But Zhou Huaixia was now squeezing closer toward the suited man.