Upon hearing this, Jing Hongchen immediately fell silent. He scrutinized Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen with suspicious eyes for a moment before speaking.
"Xiao, Meng, you two leave."
"Yes, Grandpa!"
Throwing Xu Tianming a look that said, Good luck, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen slipped out of the office as if fleeing, thoughtfully closing the door behind them.
"Tell me, what trap did you set for my foolish grandson that made him step forward to speak for you?"
Xu Tianming dropped onto a nearby sofa, a strange expression appearing on his face.
"Dean, is there a possibility that Xiao Hongchen knows Yuanen Yehui?"
"Would you know better than I do whom my grandson knows?"
Jing Hongchen snorted.
"If this had nothing to do with you, given your personality, you definitely wouldn't have spoken up for her, much less come along."
"Experience truly counts."
Xu Tianming sighed softly, then turned serious.
"The dean is right. Yuanen Yehui is one of my people."
"With her talent, there shouldn't be any problem with her joining our Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy, right?"
Jing Hongchen nodded slightly and said slowly,
"Indeed. With strength like hers, she is worth making an exception for."
At this point, Jing Hongchen's tone shifted.
"But why have Xiao Hongchen speak on your behalf? You could have come to me yourself and gotten this done."
"My dear dean, wasn't I just trying to avoid suspicion?"
Xu Tianming wore a helpless expression.
"I was only just released from the Royal Soul Engineer military camp. At a time like this, I really don't want to attract attention."
An amused look flashed across Jing Hongchen's face, but it quickly vanished.
"I understand this matter. However, as a student of our academy, you participated in illegal black-market dealings. According to academy rules, I