Chapter 53 -53
Keira Olsen’s words were not false.
As a freshman, she found the major quite unpopular and uninteresting, until she took a class with Professor Miller, which set her on this path.
It could be said that Professor Miller was her guiding light.
Her emphatic words silenced the entire office.
Professor Miller and the dean turned their gaze towards her in unison.
The dean frowned and angrily said, “What are you babbling about?!”
...
Keira Olsen was about to reveal her identity when Luca Barker, standing beside her, hurriedly stepped in front of her: “My junior is right! Without such pioneers as our teacher, where would Dr. South come from?!”
He roared, “New energy has only developed in the last few years, but my teacher has been studying this field for over twenty years! Without his and other teachers’ groundwork, how could we possibly have today’s boom? Dean, the words you just said were truly biased. Even if Dr. South were here, he should still call our teacher a predecessor!”
The dean was taken aback and looked towards the students at the door.
Many of them were Professor Miller’s graduate students, and at that moment, they all looked at him with righteous indignation.
The dean then coughed, “What I said just now indeed went too far. However, Dr. South’s status in the industry is unshakable, which you should be well aware of. Dr. South alone can lead an entire research team and make a significant leap forward in new energy. So, Keira Olsen, how could you steal his proposal?! It’s preposterous!”
Keira Olsen directly replied, “I did not.”
The dean sneered, “There are testimonies and evidence from Horton Group. Even if you still don’t admit your guilt, you can’t escape! Keira Olsen, you coming here is good timing, saving me the need to notify you. You have been expelled from the university. I am going to issue a public announcement shortly! To prevent the reputation of our school from being tarnished by you!”
Professor Miller angrily said, “Dean, Keira Olsen has said she didn’t steal anything, and the investigation isn’t over yet. You have no sufficient reason to expel her!”
The dean glanced at him, “This matter definitely cannot be blown out of proportion, or else those who don’t know any better might think Dr. South can’t tolerate even a student. Of course, the reason for expelling her is… misconduct. Keira Olsen, I have found out that you have a history of frequent tardiness, leaving early, and skipping classes. Your assignment scores are all zeros, therefore the university decided to expel you!”
At these words, Keira Olsen was truly stunned.
As the saying goes, a college without skipping classes or leaving early is not perfect—what college student doesn’t skip a few classes?
It was true that she skipped a lot of classes; the professors’ lectures in her major were too simple, so she simply stopped attending them.
But when the teachers found out she got perfect scores in exams, and her regular grades were zeros, they realized this didn’t affect the overall results, so they didn’t pursue it further.
She never thought that it would now become leverage for the dean…
Keira Olsen’s gaze turned cold.
Professor Miller, too, was trembling with rage: “You’re shameless! I’ll say it again, I won’t sign this paper! Keira Olsen is my student, and without my signature as her advisor, you can’t expel her!”
The dean’s face grew cold, “Professor Miller, you really are stubborn. Since you’re not cooperating with the school’s procedures, I’m forced to suspend you from duty.”
Professor Miller was furious, “Suspend me then! Do you think I’d be afraid of you?”
No sooner had he spoken than the dean smiled, “Professor Miller, if you’re suspended, who will look after your graduate students provisionally? Without anyone to supervise them, how will you handle their thesis defenses? Let me think, you have six graduate students, right? Surely you’re not planning to let all six of them delay their graduation, are you?!”
If graduate students fail their thesis defense, graduation can be delayed by a year.
Many unscrupulous advisors, in order to have their graduate students do more work for them, will deliberately hold them back, causing them to extend their studies for one year after another… In such cases, students are completely at a disadvantage!
With these words, Professor Miller was instantly stunned: “You… You’re despicable!!”
The dean was actually using his own graduate students as leverage to pressure him to sign…
A lifetime spent in scientific research left him not adept at cursing others; he could only stamp his foot in anger at this moment.
Professor Miller’s graduate students suddenly turned pale, each of them looking at him with nervous eyes.
However, the dean laughed, “Professor Miller, who is more important, one student or six students? You make the choice.”
He took out the expulsion procedure form and handed it to Professor Miller, “Will you sign this?”
Professor Miller clenched his fists.
He turned to look back at his graduate students…
Among them, some had already secured jobs, just waiting to get their diplomas before starting work.
Others had planned their weddings, intending to hold them after graduation…
But he couldn’t sign it.
Wrong is wrong, right is right.
As he was unsure how to face his graduate students, Keira Olsen stepped up to his side and asked, “Are the university leaders here today?”
Professor Miller gave a wry smile and shook his head, “There’s a conference in Clance, the chancellor and vice-chancellor have both gone to attend…”
Meaning, those who could punish the dean were not present.
Keira Olsen lowered her gaze, then suddenly smiled, “Professor, why don’t you go home and rest for a few days? We can talk about it once they return…”
Exposing her identity now would merely result in the dean claiming it was a “misunderstanding”, and the matter would be over.
After all, no real harm had been done.
But if the dean forced the old professor into suspension and took action against his graduate students… and then the truth was revealed, the dean’s career would be over!!
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Upon hearing this, Professor Miller let out a deep sigh, looked at his graduate students, and slowly said, “Don’t worry, even if I’m suspended, I will wait for the chancellor and vice-chancellor to return, then appeal to them, so you won’t have to delay your graduation.”
Keira Olsen then spoke, “Teacher, just think of it as taking a couple of days off. On Monday, I’ll give you an answer.”
The graduate students turned ashen when they heard this.
Everyone understood the professor’s choice, as he had always been a fair and selfless person.
But being unjustly implicated and hearing the perpetrator speak in such a nonchalant tone about “taking a couple of days off” left them all feeling a bit uncomfortable.
Luca Barker immediately stepped forward, tugging at Keira Olsen, “Junior, if you can’t speak properly, then say less.”
Keira Olsen: ?
She personally escorted Professor Miller home, and on the way, Professor Miller said with concern, “Kiera, what are you going to do about Horton Group? With just Dr. South’s reputation, he can crush you, who would believe you? Sigh! Why would such a revered professor want to claim your proposal as his own?”
In Professor Miller’s eyes, a conflict had arisen between his genius student and Dr. South. Surely it must be that Dr. South, not respecting his elder status, had stolen Keira Olsen’s research findings.
But unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Keira Olsen smiled, “Professor, Dr. South didn’t claim my proposal as his own.”
Professor Miller was taken aback, “Then whose work is this proposal?”
“Mine.”
Keira Olsen said calmly, “Or you could say it’s Dr. South’s.”