Chapter 357: Plan Goes Bankrupt (Part 5)

Chapter 357: Chapter 357: Plan Goes Bankrupt (Part 5)

"Oh? So you can all testify?" Seraphina Sterling asked, then focused on Holly Lowell. "And you speak for everyone? These gentlemen here haven’t said a word yet." She blinked, her gaze sweeping over the other three. ’There were four students here. I’m curious to see if he managed to bribe every last one.’

"That’s right, Holly Lowell. Your opinion alone can’t represent everyone else’s!" The Dean shot a look at the other three, hoping that at least one of them was a good person.

"We can also testify! When this student arrived, the registration period was already over!"

"She missed the registration deadline and shouldn’t be allowed to enroll! If she gets in, how can we justify that to all the past students who missed their chance to study at our school because they were late?"

Two more male students spoke up, siding with Taylor Sutton. Of the three, only Evan Shelton, the young man who had spoken with Seraphina earlier, remained silent.

The Dean’s chest heaved with anger. ’What kind of students does this department have?’ "And you?" he demanded. "Why aren’t you saying anything?"

The perpetually silent Evan Shelton glanced at the counselor, then at Seraphina Sterling, and finally met the Dean’s eyes. "I was busy organizing the new student registration forms. I wasn’t really paying attention to the time."

Taylor Sutton finally relaxed. "Dean, you see? Even the students agree. My hands are tied. We absolutely cannot allow this student to enroll! If word of this were to get out, it would cause a huge scandal! We can’t afford a reputation for breaking our own rules!"

’The man is utterly clueless!’ The Dean was at a loss for words. ’Who in the world hired this counselor? He must have rocks for brains! How can he not see how obvious this is?’ "There are security cameras at the department entrance," he stated. "They have detailed time records. One look at the footage, and we’ll know for sure whether she was late!"

Taylor Sutton didn’t panic; he had anticipated this. ’How could I possibly overlook such an important detail?’ "Dean, you might not be aware, but we had that thunderstorm yesterday, right? The two cameras in front of our department were struck by lightning and are out of order. We haven’t had a chance to get them fixed yet. The repairman is probably on his way now!"

Now it was the Dean’s turn for his expression to darken. Seeing this, the last shred of worry in Taylor Sutton’s heart evaporated. He offered words of consolation with a look of utmost sincerity, "There’s no need to feel it’s a loss, Dean. Anyone who can get into Aethelgard University is talented. We may have lost one student, but we’ve already enrolled thousands! Besides, if she was good enough to get in this year, she’ll certainly be good enough next year. As long as she learns her lesson and arrives a bit earlier, everything will be fine!"

Taylor Sutton was clever. While he had promised someone he would stop her enrollment, he couldn’t afford to completely alienate the Dean. His words gave the Dean a way to save face, reframing the Dean’s interference as a desire to nurture talent, rather than any messy business like pulling strings, calling in favors, or accepting bribes.

"Dean, you’re trying to give him a way to save face, but he doesn’t seem to appreciate it," Seraphina Sterling, who had been quiet for a long while, spoke up again. "I think you should look into getting a counselor with a better pair of eyes, and maybe a better brain, too."

"Did you really think the security footage was the only thing that could prove I arrived before the deadline? Did you think that by destroying the cameras in advance, you’d be home free? Counselor, you’re not a college student anymore. Becoming a counselor means you’ve stepped out into society. Are you really more naive than a student like me?"

Seraphina Sterling took out her phone and waved it in his face. "There’s a wonderful thing in this world called the internet. If you want to understand why the Dean himself came down here to deal with this, you can go online. Refresh your feed, check the headlines. I’m sure you’ll find the answer you’re looking for!"