Chapter Thirty-Eight: A Special Speech

After Li Nan learned that Zhang Wenhao was scheduled to give a speech to the entire school during Monday’s flag-raising ceremony, the first thing he did was spread the entire audio recording of Zhang Wenhao’s altercation with Chen Chong throughout the school. Using email, he sent a summary of the incident and the recording to every classmate he knew. Those who received the email immediately forwarded it to others.

Before this, the students of Jiangcheng No. 1 High School only knew that Zhang Wenhao had been taken away by the police for fighting. Most didn’t know the exact reason, and few even realized it had anything to do with Chen Chong. But with the rapid spread of this email, the truth was soon known to everyone at Jiangcheng No. 1 High. In the two days before Zhang Wenhao returned to school, he became the hottest topic of discussion.

The school authorities faced immense pressure. Their previous decision to expel Zhang Wenhao had been entirely to appease Chen Ru. Yet Chen Ru had now vanished as if into thin air, leaving no trace, while Zhang Wenhao, who everyone thought was facing jail, had returned unscathed from the detention center. Most crucially, the head of the city’s Education Bureau personally called Principal Chen Xueji—their old subordinate and confidant. First came a scathing reprimand, then an order to immediately implement remedial measures, and, following Lei Zhanjun’s instructions, arrange for Zhang Wenhao’s first act upon returning to school to be a speech before all students and staff.

Upon learning who Lei Zhanjun was, Chen Xueji broke out in a cold sweat. When he heard that Lei Zhanjun had beaten up both Chen Ru and Xing Jiaqing, he could only sigh in relief, grateful that Lei Zhanjun hadn’t come after him as well—otherwise, would his own wife even recognize him if his face were beaten so badly?

A speech was a small price to pay. Chen Xueji knew that if this was handled well, everything would smooth over; if not, trouble would be endless.

But Zhang Wenhao had clearly been set up by the school. What would he say in his speech?

On Monday, after the flag-raising ceremony, every student in the school eagerly awaited the appearance of one person: Zhang Wenhao.

At last!

Zhang Wenhao, dressed in his school uniform, suddenly strode out from behind the flag platform and mounted it with firm steps.

Since everyone knew the truth, Zhang Wenhao had become their representative—not only of ordinary students without powerful backgrounds, but also of those who had suffered injustice and hardship, and especially those treated unfairly by the school. In Zhang Wenhao, everyone could see a reflection of themselves and draw from him a kind of unspeakable encouragement. In this moment, Zhang Wenhao seemed to embody justice and fairness.

Young students thirst for justice and fairness with a fervor.

That explained the thunderous applause that stunned every teacher and administrator present. The moment Zhang Wenhao appeared, the whole field erupted—cheers, praise, applause, and whistles filled the air, unending. Zhang Wenhao stood before the microphone for five minutes, and the applause even drowned out his words of thanks to the school.

Countless times, Zhang Wenhao raised his arms to signal for silence before the excited crowd gradually calmed.

“Thank you, thank you all.” Zhang Wenhao’s tone was sincere. He hadn’t expected thousands of people to show such support; after all, most of the faces before him were unfamiliar.

He gave a slight bow, then stood at the microphone and began, “Fellow students of Jiangcheng No. 1 High, my name is Zhang Wenhao. A month ago, like many of you, I was an unknown face in this vast school, fearful of the college entrance exam, lost about everything outside these walls. In fact, I bore an extra label compared to most of you—the three words we so often hear from teachers: ‘poor student.’”

At this, all the teachers and administrators below tensed, suspecting Zhang Wenhao was about to turn on the school.

But just then, Zhang Wenhao shifted his tone. “My grades used to be poor, but I loved this school. Beyond the pursuit of knowledge, here are your classmates, your friends, and even the person you secretly like.”

A wave of knowing laughter rippled among the students, smiles of agreement lighting every face.

At that moment, Zhang Wenhao’s voice rose, “Even though I was a poor student, often treated unfairly by teachers, I still loved this place, because those things I just mentioned were what motivated me to come here every day.”

“I never expected the school to be fair, because I know that the school, and many teachers, judge students from various standpoints: their grades, family background, obedience, even whether they like the look of someone. Any of these can lead to unfairness.”

“But!”

With solemn emphasis, Zhang Wenhao spoke each word: “Though the school may be riddled with injustice, I naively believed it was at least just! I thought of the school as another parent. It might spoil some children and neglect others, but when its own children are threatened from outside, it should protect them from harm.”

“At worst, I thought, it would ignore a child’s suffering. But I never imagined it would not only turn a blind eye, but actually join outsiders in inflicting even greater harm on its own. That kind of attitude isn’t just infuriating—it chills the heart!”

Everyone could tell Zhang Wenhao was alluding to the school. Ever since the truth came out, the students were deeply dissatisfied with the school’s decision to expel him. Each feared that one day they too might be abandoned in the same ruthless way. Zhang Wenhao’s words were incendiary, striking home with every listener. When he finished, the applause and cheers surged once more.

Several minutes later, Zhang Wenhao continued, “All I ever wanted was to live and grow well in this environment. Maybe I’ll never be as tall or as flourishing as others—maybe I’m just a seed waiting to sprout in the dark earth—but I have the right to demand a fair and healthy place to grow; I have the right to enjoy the same rain and sunlight! Yet this perfectly reasonable expectation was never met. Instead, I became a sacrifice offered up to please the powerful! Tell me, does such an environment have even a shred of conscience or shame?!”

His words set off an explosion of emotion below. Thousands of students roared their answer to his final question: “No!”

The sound made the faces of the administrators burn with shame. Chen Xueji’s expression was especially grim, but he had no way to interrupt or refute Zhang Wenhao. Every word was a widely known fact. He could only let Zhang Wenhao continue his remarkable speech.

The students’ fervent response finally subsided enough for Zhang Wenhao to proceed. “I have just one wish: that in our campus, there will be no discrimination, no favoritism—everyone should have the dignity and fairness they deserve. Whether your parents are humble farmers or wealthy officials, whether your grades are at the top or at the bottom, fairness is your most basic right! And defending that right is a responsibility we all share. I hope what happened to me will never happen to anyone else!”

“But in the end, this world listens to strength. Pursuing fairness, we must also have the strength to do so. For us, our first task is to study. If you want more respect and dignity, start with yourself. No matter your current stage, it’s never too late to work hard. We have every reason to demand fairness, but none to demand status or respect. Status and respect are never gifts—they are earned by our own efforts! That’s the end of my speech. Thank you, everyone!”

Zhang Wenhao gave a deep bow to the crowd, unaware that in that moment, his reputation in Jiangcheng No. 1 High soared to unprecedented heights. The vast majority of students revered his speech, for he had, in front of all the school’s leaders and teachers, denounced their long-standing, willful wrongs and voiced the grievances the students had harbored in silence for so long. The bitterness they once only dared to complain about in their hearts was now transformed by Zhang Wenhao into a righteous rebuke, leaving the culprits speechless.