Expulsion?


    If Oriana got expelled, it would be a permanent stain on her record!


    Garrick clenched his teeth and said, "Are we really going to go this far? Don''t you think we should


    leave some room for maneuver?"


    "Room for maneuver? Why would I need to leave any room for myself? By Imperial University’s


    code of conduct, if this kind of behavior can’t even lead to expulsion... well, it sets a precedent for


    other students, doesn''t it? I don''t think it''s a move in the school''s best interests," she added, also


    ying the moral card.


    Noe followed Palmer into the diner, replying to Garrick as they walked.


    Garrick couldn’t agree with her. "Noe, getting into our university is no small feat, and Oriana is a


    ster student. You''re going to ruin her future over this! Since you haven''t suffered any real harm,


    can''t you just let it slide?"


    "Garrick, if I had suffered real harm, would you stand by me?"


    Such hypothetical moral high grounds alwayse from those who''ve never been in the eye of the


    storm. Without understanding Noe''s feelings, Garrick could easily im the moral high ground.


    But why should she ept that!


    Garrick was momentarily speechless.


    "Noe, but you haven''t been harmed! You''re the stronger party, aren''t you? Even if her schemes


    did hurt you, you have a powerful family to back you up. Why can''t you show a little empathy for the


    underdog?"


    Noe''s smile carried a hint of scorn. She looked out the window at the diner''s idyllicke ind


    setting, almost magical in its tranquility.


    "Garrick, what about those failures from back then? How did you deal with them?"


    Garrick knew exactly what Noe was referring to. The failed ‘subjects’ from the early days of the


    Pris Star project, their fates sealed by failure.


    They had both tacitly agreed not to bring up Pris Star directly before. But now, as it entered the


    conversation, Garrick fell silent.


    Noe''s tone was indifferent. "Garrick, those were once-in-a-lifetime geniuses, turned into fools by


    your experiments. Aren''t they a greater loss than one Oriana? Weren''t they ordinary people?"


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    "You taught me this - the weak should be eliminated. Plus, I''ve always been one to settle scores. My


    grandma used to say, if someone punches you once, you punch back three times. Garrick, it''s your


    choice. An eye for an eye, or expulsion."


    Noe chuckled. "After all, controlling the fate of others has always been your favorite game, hasn''t


    it?"


    The sarcasm in her words was palpable.


    The deeds of Garrick''s past were known to those present.


    Helenughed out loud. "That’s right. You were so ruthless back then. What, got soft with age, or


    did your conscience finally kick in? Probably can''t sleep at night, haunted by those poor kids''


    ghosts."


    Garrick''s face turned crimson with anger. Under the pressure, he sighed. "I understand. I''ll proceed


    with the expulsion."


    After hanging up the phone and seeing off the room full of imposing figures, Garrick felt stifled.


    What had be of this generation''s Pris Star?


    His gaze turned deep.


    Garrick got up, locked the door, and pulled out a file from a drawer secured with several locks. Atop


    the file, in bold letters, read: "Proposal to Reboot the Pris Star Project."


    Garrick flipped open the file, his eyes widening in shock!


    What should have been pages filled with densely packed text, names of geniuses gathered over the


    years, and histest refined n, was now just a meme of Batman!


    Scrawled across it were mocking words- “Thinking of making stars because your ancestors


    ascended to the heavens? Impossible! With all the sins you''vemitted, your ancestors couldn''t


    be stars, hence your family tree is still a seed! Thinking of rebooting Pris Star? Why not


    shoot yourself into space instead!”


    Garrick was trembling with rage! A decade''s work on his new n down the drain!


    Taking the position of principal at Imperial University was part of his grand scheme to draft a more


    rigorous proposal for Pris Star''s revival, needing greater support.


    Now, his n was reduced to a joke!


    Furious and shaky, Garrick clicked on his office''s surveince footage.


    A man, donning a Batman mask, sauntered into his office and took the n! He even deleted the


    original draft.


    Garrick, fuming and speechless, fainted from the shock!


    On the other side, Noe flipped through the stolen n Ivan had retrieved.


    "As I suspected, Garrick left Pris Star ten years ago because the person who used to sign off on


    his experiments stepped down."


    The project continued without the support of the top brass, and Garrick was forced to halt.


    Palmer sliced the steak for Noe. "But Pris Star''s operations never truly stopped until the year


    you arrived. Someone didn''t want it to vanish, yet someone else did, making your acquisition of


    Pris Star a product of their conflict."


    Noe smiled, acknowledging Palmer''s guess in her own way.


    "Mr. Pock, you''re so insightful. Can you read my mind without me speaking a word?"


    This seemed a tall order, but Palmer understood it as Noe''s way of showing trust.


    As he ced the sliced steak onto Noe’s te, Palmer wiped his hands and smiled. "I''d guess


    you''re currently pondering that Garrick suspects your involvement but is powerless to retaliate."


    Indeed, Garrick couldn''t publicly acknowledge the covert nature of the missing files. Even with the


    documents gone, involving the authorities was out of the question; if his actions were exposed, he''d


    probably be out of his current job in a heartbeat! That''s exactly why the Batman had the guts to


    stroll in, and put his middle finger up to the cameras before making his exit.


    "I guess you’re nning to go head-to-head with Garrick, so I''ve already called the police for him.


    After all, the lost files are so crucial. It''d be such a shame if they couldn’t be retrieved!"


    Facing Palmer''s somewhat mischievous grin, Noe couldn''t help but smile too. What she loved


    most was the unspoken understanding between them.


    "Mr. Pock, quite the phnthropist, aren''t you?"


    "Indeed, I find joy in giving back. That''s why I matched the donations for those underprivileged


    students Horatio was sponsoring, and I put both our names on it!"


    Horatio wasn''t one for hoarding wealth, iming it interfered with his spiritual journey. So, after the


    charity auction, he handed all the proceeds over to Palmer, entrusting him to deliver the funds to the


    needy in the rural areas.


    Just as Noe and Palmer touched on the topic of Horatio, Noe''s phone buzzed with a message


    from him.


    [Noe, your sister…]