Chapter 53: Chapter 53 - 53: Acknowledgement

Translator: Henyee Translations | Editor: Henyee Translations

Keira wasn’t lying.

When she was a freshman, she found her major very uninteresting until she took a class with Professor Miller; that was when she decided to pursue this path.

One could say that Professor Miller was her guiding light.

Her emphatic words silenced the entire office.

Both Professor Miller and the dean looked at her.

The dean furrowed his brows and said angrily, “What nonsense are you talking about?!”

As Keira was about to reveal her true identity, Luca, who stood beside her, rushed in front of her. “What Keira said was right. Without pioneers like my professor, where would Dr. South be today?” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

He shouted, “New energy research has only developed in recent years, but my professor has been studying it for over twenty years! Without him and other professors laying the groundwork, how could we possibly have today’s achievements?! Dean, the words you just said were utterly biased. Even if Dr. South were here, he should address our professor as his senior!”

The dean choked on his words and glanced at the students by the door.

Many of them were Professor Miller’s postgraduate students, and they were all looking at him indignantly.

The dean cleared his throat. “Indeed, my earlier comments were inappropriate. However, Dr. South’s standing in the field is unshakeable, and this should be clear to everyone. Dr. South can form an entire research team independently, which significantly advances the development of new energy. So, Keira Olsen, how could you steal his plans?! This is absurd!”

Keira responded, “I didn’t.”

The dean sneered. “The Horton Group has all the evidence and witnesses. Even if you don’t plead guilty now, you can’t escape! Keira Olsen, since you’re here, it saves me the trouble of summoning you. You’ve been expelled from the university. I’ll publish an announcement shortly, so your disgraceful actions don’t tarnish the reputation of the school further!”

Professor Miller shouted angrily, “Dean, Keira Olsen has already said she didn’t steal. The matter is still under investigation, and your reason for expelling her is completely insufficient!”

The dean glanced at him. “We must keep this matter under wraps to avoid giving people the wrong impression that Dr. South cannot tolerate a student. The official reason for expelling Keira Olsen is… disciplinary violation. As far as I know, she is chronically late, skips plenty of classes, and often scores zero on assignments. This is why the school has decided to expel her!

Hearing this, Keira was really stunned.

It’s often said that a university experience without skipping classes wouldn’t be perfect. Which student hadn’t skipped an occasional class?

She certainly skipped many classes as the content taught by the professors was too basic, so she simply didn’t attend.

However, when the professors discovered that she got perfect scores in exams, but zero on regular assignments, since it didn’t affect her overall performance, they didn’t pursue it further.

Who would have thought that this would now be used as leverage against her…

Keira’s demeanor turned cold.

Professor Miller, shaking with rage, retorted, “You are utterly shameless! I’ll say it again, I won’t sign this document! Keira Olsen is my student, and without my signature as her advisor, you have no way of expelling her!”

The dean’s face darkened. “Professor Miller, you are blatantly stubborn. Since you aren’t cooperating with the school’s decision, I’ll have no choice but to suspend you!”

Professor Miller exploded. “Suspend me if you wish! Do you think I’m afraid of you?”

At these words, the dean laughed. “Professor Miller, suppose you’re suspended, your postgraduate students will have nobody to guide them temporarily. How do you plan to handle their graduation defenses? Let me see. You have six postgraduate students, right? So, are you planning to delay them all by one year?!”

If a postgraduate student failed their defense, graduation would be postponed by one year.

Many unscrupulous advisors, in a bid to have their students continue helping them, would deliberately fail them, causing the students to delay graduation year after year… In this respect, the students were always the disadvantaged group!

At these words, Professor Miller was taken aback. “You…you are absolutely despicable!”

The dean was actually using his postgraduate students to force him to sign the document…

Being a career researcher, he wasn’t used to cursing others. At this moment, he could only stomp his feet in fury.

Professor Miller’s postgraduate students, on the other hand, immediately turned pale, and they all looked at him anxiously.

The dean, however, laughed. “Professor Miller, what is more important, one student or six? The choice is yours.”

He took out the expulsion form and handed it to Professor Miller. “Are you going to sign this or not?”

Professor Miller clenched his fists.

He turned to look at his postgraduate students…

Some of them had already secured jobs and were waiting to receive their graduation certificate to start working.

Some were engaged and were waiting to get married after graduation…

However, he couldn’t sign the form.

What was black couldn’t be turned into white.

He was at a loss on how to face his postgraduate students. Keira stepped forward and asked, “Are the senior officials here today?”

Professor Miller shook his head with a bitter smile. “They’re all at a conference in Clance, including the school principal and vice-principal…”

It meant that there was nobody present who could reprimand the dean.

Keira looked down and suddenly smiled. “Professor, how about you take a few days off at home? We’ll discuss this when they return…”

If she exposed her identity now, the dean would simply dismiss it as a “misunderstanding”, and the matter would be swept under the rug.

Especially as no actual injury had been done.

But if the dean pressured the professor into taking a leave of absence, and took action against his postgraduate students… Exposing everything after that would mean the dean’s downfall!

After hearing this, Professor Miller sighed deeply, looked at his postgraduate students, and reassured them. “Don’t worry. Even if I’m suspended, I’ll wait for the return of the principal and the vice-principal, and I’ll appeal to them. I won’t delay your graduation.”

Keira then added, “Professor, you can consider it as taking a few days off for yourself. I’ll have an answer for you on Monday.”

Upon hearing this, the postgraduate students looked ashen-faced.

They understood the professor’s choice since he was always the fair and impartial type.

Yet they were involved out of nowhere, and the instigator was telling the professor so carelessly to “take a few days off”. It made them all feel very uncomfortable.

Luca immediately stepped forward and tugged at Keira. “Keira, if you don’t know what to say, just remain silent.”

Keira was perplexed.

She personally escorted Professor Miller home. On the way, Professor Miller expressed his concern. “Keira, how are you going to deal with the Horton Group? Just the reputation of Dr. South alone could crush you. Who would believe you? Why would such a high-profile professor like him want to steal your solution?” in Professor Miller’s eyes, a conflict between his brilliant student and Dr. South must mean that the latter was shameless enough to steal Keira’s research findings.

But when he asked this, Keira just laughed. “Professor, Dr. South didn’t steal my solution.”

Professor Miller was taken aback. “Then who really did this study?

“Me.”

Keira said indifferently, “Or you can say it was done by Dr. South..”