Chapter 358: Bankrupt Plan (6)

Chapter 358: Chapter 358: Bankrupt Plan (6)

Taylor Sutton, Holly Lowell, and the other two senior students immediately pulled out their phones. They didn’t need to read the comments—the timestamp on Seraphina Sterling’s post alone was enough to defeat the four of them.

"Dean, if this drags on any longer, I won’t even have time to tidy up my dorm room. When exactly can I get my registration processed?" Seraphina Sterling had no time to worry about their current state of mind. She’d let them get lost in their own wild speculations.

"You, take this student to complete her registration," the Dean said, assigning the task to Evan Shelton—the only student who hadn’t just tried to vouch for Taylor Sutton.

Seraphina stopped after just a few steps. "Dean, it was the counselor himself who just said he would rather resign than violate school regulations. You can’t force the issue and make him stay! Otherwise, our university might just end up in the headlines again tomorrow. I’m sure you work very efficiently, Dean, so a new counselor will probably be on duty by tomorrow. I’m very much looking forward to the person you personally select! This current one surely wasn’t your pick."

"And what makes you so sure Taylor Sutton wasn’t my choice?" Connor Kent found this student quite interesting. An ordinary person her age, faced with this kind of situation, would never have stayed so calm—at the very least, they would have burst into tears. Who else could be as clever as she was, using the internet to force him, the Dean, to personally step in and resolve it?

"Someone as shrewd as you, Dean, would never choose a counselor who would do something so stupid—something not even an idiot would do—all for a little short-term benefit!" Seeing Taylor Sutton’s face go pale, Seraphina Sterling felt a sense of satisfaction and resumed pulling her suitcase forward. When Holly Lowell and the other two male students saw her leave, the hearts that had been stuck in their throats finally dropped. ’Thank goodness she’s not coming after us!’ They still hadn’t graduated; if a demerit was put on their records, finding a job later would be a real problem. They could forget about getting into any top-tier companies.

But their relief was premature. After taking just three or four steps, Seraphina Sterling stopped again.

"Oh, that’s right. Dean, you can’t play favorites. Aside from the one taking me to handle my registration, shouldn’t the other three students be punished as well? They made headlines too, after all. If Holly Lowell hadn’t blocked me, none of this would have happened. I could have been sitting in my air-conditioned dorm room ages ago. A punishment as severe as expulsion isn’t necessary. A major demerit on their record will do."

At this, the faces of all four students turned a uniform, deathly pale. A demerit! A major one, at that! Other universities might erase some negative marks from a student’s file before graduation, especially for minor infractions. But Aethelgard University was different. Aethelgard University had never had a policy of expunging disciplinary actions. Once something was in your file, it was truly on your record. That kind of thing follows you for life.

Because of this incident, the four students’ bright futures had just become much more difficult. A single misstep can lead to a lifetime of regret.

Aethelgard University was huge, and this was Seraphina Sterling’s first time here. In her past life, while her grades had been good, they were nowhere near good enough to get into Aethelgard University. Strolling through the campus, listening to the rumbling of her suitcase wheels, watching the students come and go, she felt an indescribable sense of peace.

Some people were as leisurely as she was, likely having just finished a class. A few were sprinting with books tucked under their arms, probably running late. Others hurried along with worried looks, a hint of melancholy and frustration in their brows—they were probably fourth-years, facing the dilemma of whether to apply for graduate school or find a job. This was what university life was truly about: comfortable and carefree, free from the deceit and backstabbing of the corporate world.

Evan Shelton had been watching the new student beside him. He had a feeling she was no ordinary student, especially after seeing her face the Dean and the counselor with such a calm attitude. And to come up with such a method to turn the situation around under those circumstances... that wasn’t something a student from a small town could do. "Aren’t you curious why I didn’t back up Holly Lowell and the counselor just now?"