The Correct Answer Was Eliminated From the Start (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

The word "cheating" landed like a stone in a calm lake, and the classroom instantly erupted into a buzz.

Those capable of entering the Elite Class all possessed a certain degree of talent.

With talent comes pride.

Naturally, they were unwilling to associate with a failure.

Forty-some pairs of eyes turned in unison toward Fang Shuwen, filled with surprise, disdain, or simply the desire to watch a good show.

Fang Shuwen's expression remained calm; his gaze drifted over the heads of the students in the front row and landed on the boy who had stood up.

He recognized this person—Sun Mao, ranked tenth in overall grades.

The Sun family operated two grain shops in Xikou County and had some dealings with Guo Ziming's circle.

"Sun Mao, you say I cheated. Do you have any proof?" Fang Shuwen's tone was unhurried.

"Proof?"

Sun Mao sneered, glanced around the room, and then looked back at Fang Shuwen.

"What other proof do you need? You are the proof yourself!"

"Last semester, you failed six out of seven subjects and ranked dead last in the class. One summer break passes, and suddenly you're in the top ten of the Elite Class? If that's not cheating, what is? Do you take us all for fools?"

"Exactly!"

A thin-faced boy sitting next to Sun Mao chimed in.

"I was in his class before. This guy is good for nothing; he never passed a single subject."

"That's right, I've heard of him too—Young Master Guo's lapdog! All he knows is how to suck up to Guo Ziming; when has he ever studied properly?"

The murmurs grew louder, and the looks many cast toward Fang Shuwen now carried undisguised disgust.

Zhang Mingcheng, sitting in the front row, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and stood up, a condescending, gentle smile on his face.

"Fellow students, please, calm down."

At his words, the classroom quieted down significantly.

The reputation of being second in overall grades, combined with his father's position as an inspector for the County Education Bureau, gave Zhang Mingcheng a natural sense of authority among the new students.

"Whether there is an issue with Fang's grades is not for us students to decide. Before the school provides an official conclusion, isn't it a bit inappropriate to publicly accuse a classmate of cheating without any evidence?"

Sun Mao was choked up, his face flushing red. "Zhang Mingcheng, what do you mean by that? Are you speaking up for him? What is your relationship with him?"

"I am simply speaking based on the facts. Everyone, be quiet. When the teacher arrives, we can just report it to them."

Zhang Mingcheng said this in a flat, indifferent tone.

The murmurs in the classroom gradually subsided, but Fang Shuwen could feel that many people's gazes were still darting toward him from time to time.

Trust is not easily built, and suspicion is not easily dispelled.

Such is human nature: resenting others for having what one lacks.

Just then, the sound of footsteps suddenly echoed in the hallway.

These were not the footsteps of a student.

Leather shoes struck the terrazzo floor with a steady, powerful rhythm, carrying an unquestionable sense of oppression.

Everyone in the classroom fell silent in unison and turned to look at the door.

The door was pushed open.

The person who walked in was Principal Qian Jun, but his demeanor was completely different from usual.

His back, usually held straight, was now slightly hunched; he walked sideways to lead the way, his face wearing a smile that was both respectful and nervous.

Behind him followed two men in navy blue uniforms.

The leader was in his thirties with a cold, stern face. When his gaze swept across the classroom, everyone felt as if that look were a blade scraping across their faces.

The younger man beside him carried a square black leather case, imprinted with a dark red emblem that resembled an open eye.

Above the right breast pocket of the uniform, a downward-pointing triangle was embroidered in black thread.

The uniform was striking.

It looked like a police uniform, yet it was different from anything they had ever seen.

Could it be some new type of police attire?

Seeing the principal leading two men in uniforms inside, Sun Mao's mind suddenly flashed with an idea, and the dejection on his face vanished instantly.

The principal must have found out about Fang Shuwen's cheating and brought the officers here to arrest him.

"Principal Qian, this is Fang Shuwen! Hurry up and take this cheater away!"

"Quiet!"

Qian Jun's face turned ashen. He slammed his hand heavily against the podium and glared at Sun Mao.

"Student Sun Mao, if you continue to spout nonsense and disrupt the order of the classroom, you can forget about your conduct grade for this semester!"

Sun Mao shrank his neck, not daring to make another sound.

But the trace of schadenfreude at the corners of his mouth could not be suppressed no matter what.

Qian Jun then turned toward Lin Xiu at the side of the podium, bowing slightly, his voice carrying a hint of caution.

This Lin Xiu's status was extraordinary; he was already a section chief at such a young age.

Coupled with the Lin Family of Jiangnan Province behind him, his future achievements would be limitless.

"Section Chief Lin, this is the newly formed Elite Class, and the students are all here. What do you think?"

Lin Xiu's gaze swept across every face in the classroom, finally resting on the seat in the third row by the window.

Having seen the photos, he recognized him at a glance.

However, Lin Xiu did not make a scene; if Fang Shuwen were the culprit, speaking up now might alert the enemy.

"I'm just looking around; you all should carry on with what you were doing."

Lin Xiu smiled slightly, then led Officer Liang to begin walking around the Elite Class.

In less than a minute, the two of them had completed a lap.

"Alright, Principal Qian, my business here is finished, so I shall take my leave now."

After saying this, Lin Xiu nodded slightly toward Qian Jun and led Officer Liang as they turned and exited the classroom.

The door clicked shut softly behind them.

The classroom was silent for two seconds, then boiled over again like a pot of boiling water.

The students whispered to one another, their gazes frequently darting toward Fang Shuwen.

Fang Shuwen just sat quietly in his seat by the window, opening his textbook as if nothing had just happened.

Sun Mao opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but swallowed the words back down.

He sat back in his seat, unwilling, and flipped through his textbook forcefully, making the pages rustle loudly.

For this assessment, entering the Elite Class came with a layer of rewards.

Furthermore, the quality of the rewards differed based on one's ranking.

And he, at eleventh place, had missed the top ten by just a hair.

It wouldn't have mattered, but when he discovered that an idiot like Fang Shuwen had actually made it into the top ten!

He felt terrible instantly.

If it weren't for that kid cheating, he would have been the tenth-place finisher.

Then the rewards he received would have at least doubled!

That was why he had accused Fang Shuwen just a moment ago.

In the hallway.

Lin Xiu's pace was neither fast nor slow, his leather shoes striking the terrazzo floor with a steady rhythm.

Officer Liang followed behind, carrying the black briefcase; the instrument inside was silent, showing no abnormalities.

"Section Chief, the instrument had no reaction."

Officer Liang lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of relief, yet also a trace of disappointment.

Over the past few days, they had scoured Xikou County, investigating several suspects, but the instrument had remained as silent as a stone.

"If the instrument didn't react, then it likely has nothing to do with him."

Lin Xiu's voice was very calm.

This was the latest product developed by the Great Flame New Kingdom Academy of Sciences, incorporating the Prok Energy Detector.

It could detect exotic energy at close range.

Although the Soaring Serpent scales had aged over many years, they still possessed significant fluctuations of exotic energy.

Moreover, because of the miraculous nature of the Soaring Serpent.

Unless a master of Transformation Force took action, such fluctuations were difficult to eliminate or conceal.

Therefore, since the instrument showed no reaction.

Then it could not be him.

"Section Chief, what should we do next?" Officer Liang asked.

Lin Xiu adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, his voice sounding faint and distant:

"What to do? Naturally, we find a way to make contact with Miss Zheng."