At that moment, another invigilator sneered, interrupting the tense atmosphere. "Heh, I don't understand why you're singling out this student. Maybe her past performance made you underestimate her, but this time she didn't cheat. You spoke without evidence earlier, going against your own conscience. Are you even worthy of being called teachers?"
The dean's face flushed with anger upon hearing this. He retorted, "Teacher Gu, we treat everyone fairly. Without evidence, you cannot make baseless claims. This incident was clearly caused by your negligence as an invigilator, and now you want to shirk responsibility?"
Gu Cheng's face turned ashen as he responded sternly, "If you claim to be fair, then present the evidence. If you accuse us of failing to supervise the examinees, show us the proof. Otherwise, I will sue you for false accusations!"
A twinge of guilt flickered across the dean's face, though he maintained a nonchalant expression.
Trying to diffuse the tension, the homeroom teacher interjected, "Let's calm down, both of you. Jiang Ling'er, please admit your mistake promptly. What have we done to you?"
Jiang Ling'er sneered inwardly, affirming the invigilator's earlier statement. These people were not worthy of being called teachers.
Just then, a knock came from the office door.
"Please come in," the vice-principal called out, and the door swung open.
Old Master Jiang and Jiang Hua entered the room.
Upon seeing Jiang Ling'er standing alone to the side, Old Master Jiang felt a pang of reluctance.
The vice-principal, noticing Old Master Jiang's arrival, quickly stood up, followed by the others in the room.
With an obsequious smile, the vice-principal shook hands with Old Master Jiang and explained, "Old Master Jiang, I apologize for disturbing you, but this matter concerns the school's reputation. I had no choice but to request your presence."
Old Master Jiang feigned surprise and inquired, "Hmm? Is it that serious? Please enlighten me about the situation."
The vice-principal sighed, "Please have a seat. I will explain everything."
As Old Master Jiang settled down, he beckoned for Jiang Ling'er to come to him. "Ling'er, come sit with Grandpa."
Jiang Ling'er couldn't help but find it amusing. Her grandfather felt sorry for her and was standing up for her. Obediently, she walked over and took a seat beside him.
Jiang Hua sat next to Jiang Ling'er, and the others found their places as well.
The assistant poured some tea and discreetly left the room.
After a moment of silence, the vice-principal began, "Here's the situation. Someone reported your granddaughter for cheating."
Pausing briefly, the vice-principal continued, "Old Master Jiang, are you aware that your granddaughter is participating in the National Advanced Mathematics Competition?"
Old Master Jiang furrowed his brows and replied, "Of course, I am aware. But that doesn't make sense. The competition hasn't even begun. How could she have cheated?"
"Before the official competition, all participating students must take a preliminary test. Only those who pass are eligible to compete," the vice-principal explained.
Old Master Jiang remarked, "I see. So, what results did my Ling'er achieve that made you suspect her of cheating and doubt her abilities?"
Before the vice-principal could respond, Jiang Ling'er confidently interjected, "Grandpa, I did exceptionally well this time. I scored full marks."
Old Master Jiang was inwardly shocked, but he maintained a composed demeanor. "Impressive. How many others achieved a perfect score?"
"I was the only one, Grandpa. At least in our school. I'm not sure about other schools," Jiang Ling'er replied.
The teaching director couldn't wait any longer and interjected, "Old Master Jiang, do you understand how unusual this perfect score is? Based on the information I read, such a situation usually leads to disqualification. Do you grasp the implications?"
Old Master Jiang looked at the dean coldly and asked, "Dean, was my granddaughter monitored during the exam? Did you see her holding any outside documents in the exam hall?"
The dean furrowed his brow and responded, "Of course, not! That wouldn't even be allowed in the exam hall. That would cause chaos!"
"So you're saying that she prepped for the exam outside the exam hall? Then there shouldn't be any problems," Old Master Jiang remarked.
"The main issue lies in the suspicious nature of the information she read before the exam," the dean stated gravely.
Coldly fixing his gaze on the dean, Old Master Jiang asked, "What suspicious information are you referring to?"
The dean, feeling guilty and lacking evidence, hesitated to speak.
Old Master Jiang's expression grew colder with each passing moment. This person was acting recklessly without any base or evidence. He said, "Why are you staying silent? Since I am here, I intend to thoroughly investigate this matter. If you claim my granddaughter cheated and you wish to disqualify her, you must present evidence that satisfies me. Do you understand, young comrade?"
The dean started to panic. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Student Jiang, who provided you with those documents? You can tell Old Master Jiang yourself.."